Finding My Way Back to You (Again) || 20th Century Girl

CHAPTER 7

Sorry for the long wait. Inspiration comes and goes, unfortunately. But I haven't gone away. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

—

The door swings open, revealing a heavily pregnant woman with a 60's bob cut. Since the patient is taller, he's noticed first. The woman gasps.

"Who are you?"

"Soowi-ya! I'll explain!" calls Mr. Jang from the car. "Just let them in for now."

The woman, Soowi, does so, and the patient bows to her as he slips off his shoes. As he and Heejin settle on the sofa in the living room, another man enters.

"Soowi-ya? Who's this?"

"I don't know. Woojin-oppa said he'd explain."

A few minutes pass in where Mr. Jang arrives, takes the bags upstairs, and comes back down. He sits on the space beside Heejin.

"How've you been, Soowi-ya?"

Soowi smiles tiredly.

"I've been better."

"The pregnancy's been especially hard," the man supplies, rubbing his wife's shoulder. He kisses her forehead.

"How are you, Jeonghoon-ah?"

The man, Jeonghoon, straightens.

"I'm surprised you came back so soon. I'm starting to see why."

He eyes the patient.

"This is Joonyeong's patient, who's suffering from amnesia," Mr. Jang introduces. "He might've been to Cheongju before."

Soowi, strained from her pregnancy pains, sits on an armchair by the lamp. Meanwhile, Jeonghoon heads to the kitchen.

"We were about to have dinner," he says. "Would bulgogi work, hyung?"

Before Mr. Jang can answer, Heejin claps her hands in excitement.

"Yes! Your bulgogi is the best after Halmeoni's!"

"Oh, it's not the best?" Jeonghoon frowns, but not genuinely. "I thought you loved my bulgogi."

Heejin nods.

"I do, Gomobu," she says seriously. "I just love Halmeoni's more."

—

After Mr. Jang, Heejin, and the patient have each taken a shower, they're seated with Soowi on the dining table, utterly mesmerized as Jeonghoon sprinkles the finishing touches on the steaming bulgogi, sitting at the table's center.

"Enjoy!" says Jeonghoon.

Once he's seated, everyone serves themselves, with Heejin taking heaping amounts into her small bowl. The patient, who sits next to her, remains vigilant in case a piece of saucy beef falls from the edge.

He listens intently to the conversation as they begin eating. Though the patient hardly knows a thing about himself, he still feels horribly out of place. When he was taken in by Dr. Oh's good graces, he never planned to intrude the space of someone who is pregnant. Soowi clearly is stressed—physically and mentally. It's wrong of the patient to sit like this, eating her husband's cooking like he's known him forever.

Suddenly, the taste of the bulgogi loses its rich, balsamic flavor, replacing itself with an acrid aftertaste.

When dinner is finished, the patient asks Mr. Jang if they can talk. When they're out of earshot, the patient asks for money.

Mr. Jang frowns.

"Whatever for?"

"I'll take my things and stay at a motel," he sighs. "I hate intruding like this."

Mr. Jang rolls his eyes.

"Yah. You think you're intruding?"

The patient shrugs.

"Nonsense," says Mr. Jang. "We're here because of you. Don't worry about intruding, or whatnot—just focus on getting your memory back. All right?"

The patient gazes at Mr. Jang. He truly is kind.

Nodding, he quietly mumbles, "All right."

Mr. Jang grins.

"C'mon. We're about to watch The Love Affair. It's a great film."

With that, he takes the patient's arm, dragging him to the living room where Soowi and Jeonghoon wait.