I've Searched the Universe [discontinued]

II

Joohyun couldn't forget him—even though she had to.

She didn't have a choice; her father wanted her to focus on her grades, and making money, not the one she loved the most.

Her father made her forget him.

But... was it really her father? She still doesn't know.

Either way, Joohyun still remembered him.

Partially.

It's like a puzzle piece that won't fit—Joohyun wonders why this piece was even apart of the puzzle in the first place.

Junmyeon was one of the few people who cared about her; Seungwan being the other.

Her father had started hating her—as if it was her fault that her mother passed away.

After a while, she acted like the words that he said, every single syllable, didn't affect her. She acted like everything was going to be okay. 

She knew everything wasn't.

She was willing to do anything, anything in the world—as long as she didn't disappoint her father. She just wanted him to be happy after her mother had passed.

At nineteen, just to satisfy him, she left the only person she loved for a new school in Seoul.

And because of that, she forgot.

She forgot about her old self. Him. She forgot what he was like, why she even liked - no, loved - him.

She forgot him.

Why did she forget?

The question still hangs in the air, even after all of these years.

It all came back to her when she saw Seungwan.

--

Seungwan was an observant person.

Joohyun knew that.

Everyone knew that.

She knew that Joohyun wasn't happy—even if she portrayed herself as a happy person.

The way that Joohyun forced smiles that hid sadness like a crumbling brick wall and sorrow like a mask—Seungwan knew almost immediately that Joohyun was lying.

And Joohyun lied about everything.

"Don't worry about me, Seungwan. I'm okay."

Something was wrong was Joohyun, and she needed to know what.

Was it because of the incident? What happened on that horrible day?

Perhaps it was the fact that she ran away from her father?

Seungwan doesn't know what to think; Joohyun was unpredictable.

--

"How about... Irene?" He grins cheekily.

"Irene? Isn't that an English name?" 

"Yeah, but it sounds beautiful," he smoothly adds under his breath, sort of hoping she would hear him, "like you."

"I... I'm sorry?"

"Nothing."

She knew he was lying, but didn't question him any further.

They sit there in silence for a few moments, awkwardness hanging in the air as if their awkward glances at each other didn't say otherwise.