Why Is the Girl with a Boyfriend Like This? (2)
The first thought that crossed my mind when I opened my eyes was simple.
The ceiling was too white.
It wasn't the familiar ceiling of my room. The faint smell of disinfectant lingered at the tip of my nose, and my right arm felt heavy.
When I tried to sit up, my side let out a sharp cry.
“Ack.”
The chair scraped against the floor.
“Han-gyeol-ah?”
Mom rushed over to the bedside. Her face looked more haggard than usual.
“Are you awake? Do you know who I am?”
“I do.”
“Who am I?”
“Mom.”
At those words, mom’s face crumpled.
Mom tried to smile but grabbed my hand instead. Her palm was damp.
“Where does it hurt? Your head? Your stomach not upset?”
“Just a moment.”
My throat was parched.
“Water first.”
Mom handed me a water bottle with a straw. As I drank, the hospital room slowly came into view.
There was a foldable bed by the window. On a small table sat a bowl of porridge, a charger, and a bag of oranges.
A thin blanket was laid out on the foldable bed. A hospital gown rested on the pillow.
It meant mom had been sleeping here.
I didn’t ask how many days.
My phone wasn’t in sight.
“Why am I here?”
Mom pressed the nurse call button.
“You got into an accident. You hit a car while riding your bike.”
“When?”
“Last Friday.”
The window outside was bright.
I tried to recall what day it was but failed.
“Today?”
“Thursday.”
A whole week had vanished.
I tried to recall what happened on Wednesday.
The only thing that came to mind was last Wednesday.
After that, dates didn’t stick.
Sleeping too much can make your head feel heavy. But a week was excessive.
“Have you been sleeping the whole time?”
“I woke up in the middle but couldn’t get my senses back. The doctor said it’s fine, so don’t worry.”
Hearing “don’t worry” made me want to worry.
A ring light was attached to the back of my left hand. The skin under the bandage was swollen.
My right arm had a splint from wrist to elbow.
My fingers moved.
I reached for the bandage on my forehead but mom caught my wrist.
“Don’t touch it.”
“Did I get hurt badly?”
“Head stitched, cracked ribs. Luckily, no surgery needed.”
The bar for “luckily” had been lowered quite a bit.
The hospital room door opened and a nurse entered. Then the doctor followed.
She shone a light in my eyes, asked my name and birthdate. Confirmed where I was, what year it was, who the president was.
All answers came out.
She asked me to clench my fist; I did. Move my toes; I did.
The doctor moved my fingers left and right in front of my eyes.
“Dizzy or double vision?”
“Nothing.”
“Ringing in ears?”
“None.”
“Do you remember the incident right before?”
“I went to school.”
“Then?”
I probed my mind.
It was the first week of the new semester. I did morning exercise, mom made toast. Han-na almost made me late because she took too long in the bathroom.
I remembered entering the classroom after passing the homeroom.
After that, it blurred.
“I attended classes.”
“After school?”
“I don’t remember.”
“The moment of impact?”
“Yes.”
The doctor didn’t seem surprised.
“Amnesia before and after accidents is common. Now, let’s check your physical condition. No need to force recalling.”
I had no intention of forcing it.
Anyway, I’d find out by asking the school.
After the doctor left, I tried to recall the accident again alone.
I remembered finishing morning exercise, showering. Argued with Han-na in the bathroom, scraped off the black parts of mom’s toast with a knife.
Arrived at school, changed shoes.
Then the class scenes were pasted in. Homeroom teacher gave new schedule, Jeong-hoon grumbled about PE class being canceled.
Homeroom didn’t come to mind.
No memory of taking out the bike.
I knew the rack location, lock number.
Only the sensation of grabbing the bike was missing.
Since I got into an accident, it’s natural that before and after are cut off. Doctor said it’s common.
But when I tried to pinpoint the last clear scene, the date kept slipping.
Yesterday? Three days ago?
I knew I went to school, but the day didn’t end.
My head got heavy, so I stopped thinking.
After the check-up, mom called dad. Dad’s voice leaked loudly from the phone.
Mom said “I’m fine” several times but dad didn’t seem calmed.
I fell asleep again.
Woke up once.
Someone talking low in the hallway. Mom’s voice, and the other was female.
Couldn’t understand what they said.
When I closed my eyes again, no sound.
Next time I opened my eyes, my younger sister was sitting by the bed.
Wearing middle school uniform. Han-na didn’t say anything happy when she saw I woke up.
“Idiot.”
“Didn’t go to school?”
“I did and came back.”
“What time?”
“5 PM.”
Outside the window was getting dark.
Han-na’s eyes were puffy. If I teased her about crying, she’d cry again, so I pretended not to notice.
“My phone?”
“You ask that first?”
“I need to contact people.”
“Who?”
“Friends.”
Han-na’s mouth twisted.
“Completely shattered. Screen won’t turn on.”
“eSIM?”
“Dad said he asked the service center. Photos are in the cloud, right?”
“Probably.”
“If memories are in the cloud, that’d be good.”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Han-na opened the drawer by the bed and closed it again.
“Opp a’s uniform mom took to laundry.”
“Did it get torn a lot?”
“Arms and back.”
“Should I throw it away?”
“She said she’ll fix it.”
Han-na started peeling oranges. The peel didn’t come off in one long strip, so she tore it harder.
“Did I worry you a lot because of this?”
“I wasn’t worried.”
“Why are your eyes like that.”
“Tired.”
“Yeah.”
I didn’t tease more.
Han-na pushed an orange segment into my mouth.
“Opp a is really the worst.”
“What do you say to someone who got into an accident.”
“Why did it happen.”
It was an unreasonable excuse but I didn’t refute.
The orange I was chewing was spicier than expected.
“School?”
“Homeroom said to rest for a while. Friends called a lot.”
“Jeong-hoon and Min-seok?”
“Yeah.”
Both names and faces came to mind immediately. Jeong-hoon is noisy, Min-seok is the one who stops Jeong-hoon from causing trouble.
“Other kids?”
Han-na’s hand stopped over the orange.
“Why.”
“Just.”
“Who came?”
“Many came.”
Han-na peeled the white thread from the orange segment. Normally she’d just eat it, but now she was being extra careful.
“Sister also came.”
“What sister.”
“…Never mind.”
“Where do you stop in the middle of talking.”
“Ask mom when she comes.”
Han-na put the remaining orange on the table and stood up.
She went to the bathroom but took her bag.
Even after the hospital door closed, she didn’t come back for a while.
After about 10 minutes, a video call from Jeong-hoon came.
It seemed Han-na told mom Jeong-hoon’s number. On mom’s phone screen, Jeong-hoon and Min-seok’s faces were half each.
“Han-gyeol!”
“Noisy.”
“Voice is fine. Hey, you know who I am?”
“Bae Jeong-hoon.”
“Who’s this?”
Jeong-hoon pushed the screen to Min-seok.
“Go Min-seok.”
Min-seok relaxed his shoulders.
“Good.”
Min-seok said that and didn’t speak for a while.
Jeong-hoon spoke instead.
“Hey, how much was the hospital bill?”
“How would I know.”
“Insurance? If not, shall we crowdsource?”
“Enough.”
“You guys went back and forth, right.”
“I went but you kept sleeping. They said not to wake you, so I just came to see your face.”
“School still the same?”
“Not peaceful. Without you, the noise in the average class is reduced.”
“You’re the noisy one.”
I replied as usual, and the two laughed as usual.
Someone called Jeong-hoon from outside the screen. Jeong-hoon turned his head for a moment then looked at the camera again.
“Anyway, come quickly. There’s a lot to talk about.”
“About the accident?”
“That too.”
Min-seok grabbed Jeong-hoon’s phone.
“Rest now.”
The call ended shortly.
Just knowing I remembered them made the hospital room a bit less unfamiliar.
I developed the habit of counting the memories I had left.
Mom, dad, Han-na, Jeong-hoon, Min-seok.
Homeroom teacher’s name also came out. Last year’s pair’s name too.
Counting made me feel at ease.
In the evening, dad and mom came together.
Dad confirmed my face then let out a long breath. Then explained without pause: the accident intersection, bike condition, insurance company contact.
“Dad.”
“Yeah.”
“Do you know why I came so fast?”
“According to witnesses, speed was a bit high, but that’s something you should remember.”
“What happened at school?”
Mom stopped opening the porridge bowl.
“Friends didn’t say much.”
“My bag?”
“Things from the police station dad kept. Can’t wear the uniform.”
Dad scanned my body up and down.
“Is that important now?”
“Just wondering what happened.”
Dad was silent for a moment.
“Wallet, pencil case, three textbooks.”
“Is that all?”
“Why. Did something disappear?”
I couldn’t know if something was missing or not.
I wasn’t sure what I put in the bag.
My right hand swept over the blanket like searching for empty bag strap.
Only the rough hospital blanket was caught.
Mom scooped a spoonful of porridge and offered it.
“You can eat alone.”
“My arm hurts.”
“Only right arm. Left hand is fine.”
When I took the spoon, mom finally let go.
“School kids are still worried.”
“I know.”
“Jeong-hoon and Min-seok called every day.”
“I heard from Han-na.”
Mom glanced at dad.
The two seemed to be waiting for a chance to speak.
“Who else came?”
Mom smoothed the edge of my blanket.
“Ha-eun came to visit every day.”
This was the first time hearing the name.
“Who is Ha-eun?”