Seokmin's heart raced in his ribcage as he stared at the picture of Hwayoung, in the rain, her hand holding an umbrella and a brightening smile on her lips.

His heart swelled with emotion as he gazed at the image, memories of their life together flooding his mind.

As Hwayoung stepped into her home, she was ambushed by a chorus of cheerful voices. "Surprise!!" The room erupted in a frenzy of colorful balloons, streamers, and beaming faces.

Her eyes widened in shock, her mind struggling to catch up with the sudden commotion. She had completely forgotten about her own engagement party.

Forced to put on a mask of joy, she pasted a bright smile on her face, her eyes scanning the room as she accepted congratulations from her friends and family.

The air was filled with the clinking of glasses, the hum of laughter, and the occasional toast to her upcoming nuptials.

But amidst the revelry, Hwayoung's thoughts wandered, her mind consumed by the events of the day.

Seokmin's haunted eyes, Areum's shy smile, and the strange sense of connection she felt towards them all swirled together in a jumbled mess of emotions.

Her smile began to feel like a fragile facade, threatening to crumble under the weight of her true feelings.

As she raised her glass in a toast, her heart felt heavy, her thoughts a million miles away from the celebration unfolding around her.

Seeking refuge from the suffocating chaos, she excused herself and made her way towards the sanctuary of her room.

The din of laughter, the clinking of glasses, and the endless stream of congratulations had become overwhelming, threatening to consume her. As she drifted away, lost in thought, Haneul's concerned voice pierced the haze.

"Hwayoung, are you okay?" Haneul's brow furrowed, eyes filled with genuine worry. Hwayoung's mask slipped for a moment, revealing a glimmer of the turmoil brewing beneath.

But she quickly recovered, forcing a bright smile onto her face.

"I'm fine," she lied, her voice barely above a whisper. With a hasty nod, Hwayoung turned and fled, leaving Haneul's concerned gaze behind.

The door to her room closed softly behind her, enveloping her in a silence that was both a blessing and a curse.

As she stepped into the bathroom, Hwayoung's gaze met her reflection in the mirror. With a mechanical motion, she tied her hair into a neat bun, the familiar motion a comforting ritual. But as she caught sight of the back of her neck, her thoughts faltered.

The scars and stitches that marred the skin were hidden from view, but she knew they were there, a constant reminder of the accident that had shattered her life.

The encounter with Seokmin and the heartbreaking story he shared had awakened something deep within her.

Emotions swirled, threatening to consume her. With a sudden, overwhelming rush, Hwayoung's composure crumbled.

She leaned forward, her palms grasping the cool edge of the sink as if it were a lifeline. Tears burst forth, streaming down her face like a torrent of pent-up emotions.

Sobs wracked her body, shaking her very foundations. The weight of her forgotten past, the pain of Seokmin's story, and the crushing sense of disconnection from her own life all converged, overwhelming her defenses.

As she wept, Hwayoung felt the fragile facade of her existence begin to crack, revealing the dark, turbulent waters beneath.

Hwayoung's tears continued to fall, her emotions raw and exposed. She couldn't explain why Seokmin's story had affected her so profoundly, but she felt an inexplicable connection to Hana, the woman in his tale.

She felt she had stepped into Hana's shoes, feeling her pain, her joy, and her sorrow.

With a shaky hand, Hwayoung harshly wiped away her tears, trying to compose herself. But before she could calm her racing heart, a knock at the door broke the silence.

"Hwayoung! Hwayoung!!" her mother's voice called out, laced with a hint of concern.

Hwayoung quickly opened the door, a forced smile plastered on her face. Heejin, stood in the doorway, her eyes scanning Hwayoung's appearance with a mixture of worry and curiosity.

"Everyone is asking for you," Heejin said, her voice softening as she took in Hwayoung's appearance.

Heejin's gaze lingered on Hwayoung's face, her eyes narrowing slightly as she sensed her daughter's distress. "What are you doing?" she asked, her voice tinged with concern.

"Nothing, Mom," she replied, forcing a bright, artificial smile onto her face. "I'm going now," she said, her voice a little too cheerful, a little too loud.

As Seokmin's gaze lingered on the screen, his eyes seemed to glaze over, his mind slipping into the past. Memories he had kept hidden from Hwayoung, began to resurface.

The ones he had carefully guarded, fearing that sharing them would unravel the fragile threads of their rekindling relationship.

His eyes, still fixed on the photo, seemed to bore into the past, reliving the moments he had tried to bury.

The hospital corridors, sterile and unforgiving, seemed to stretch on forever as Seokmin walked, his footsteps echoing off the walls.

Areum, cradled in his arms, whimpered softly, her tiny face scrunched up in distress. Mingyu trailed closely behind, a silent sentinel.

As they turned a corner, Heejin's voice rang out, sharp and authoritative. "You can't see her!" she exclaimed, her eyes flashing with a mix of alarm and protectiveness.

She stood tall, her arms crossed, blocking the path to Hwayoung's hospital room. Seokmin's gaze met Heejin's, a spark of tension igniting between them.

Areum's cries grew louder, as if sensing the sudden strain in the air.

Seokmin's voice thundered through the hospital corridor, his words echoing off the walls. "I have every right!" he exclaimed, his sharp eyes blazing with intensity as he faced Heejin.

"She's my wife!" The declaration hung in the air, a challenge to Heejin's authority.

But Heejin stood firm, her expression unyielding. "No, she's not!" she shot back, her voice rising to match Seokmin's.

"She doesn't even remember you!" The words struck Seokmin like a physical blow, freezing him in his tracks. His eyes widened, his face pale, as if the very foundation of his world had been shattered.

Areum's cries seemed to fade into the background as Seokmin's gaze locked onto Heejin, his mind reeling with the devastating implications of her words.

Heejin's words tumbled out in a rush, her voice cracking with emotion. "She doesn't remember that she's married... that she has a child,"

she sobbed, tears streaming down her face like a river. Her body shook with each word, as if the weight of Hwayoung's forgotten past was crushing her.

The final blow came in a whispered wail, Heejin's lips quivering as she struggled to speak.

"In fact... she doesn't even remember... that we got divorced!" The words hung in the air, a stark reminder of the chasm between Seokmin's memories and Hwayoung's forgotten reality.

Heejin's composure shattered, she dissolved into tears, her body wracked with sobs as she mourned the loss of her daughter's memories, and the family they once were.

Heejin's whispered words hung in the air like a dirge, a heartbreaking lament for all that had been lost. "She forgot everything..."

The phrase seemed to echo through Seokmin's very soul, a painful reminder of the vast, yawning chasm that now separated him from the woman he loved.

As he stood there, frozen in anguish, Seokmin's gaze drifted towards the hospital bed, his eyes locking onto the fragile, motionless form of Hwayoung.

His vision blurred, tears welling up in his eyes like a stormy sea, threatening to spill over at any moment.

The woman he had shared his life with, the mother of his child, lay before him, her memories of him erased, their bond severed by the cruel hand of fate.

Seokmin's chest heaved with a suppressed sob, his heart shattered into a million pieces.

— —

The doctor's words cut through the air, a stark reminder of the brutal reality that had befallen Hwayoung. "Traumatic amnesia," she stated, her tone measured and detached.

"We didn't think she'd survive the accident. You should thank Dr. Jeon Wonwoo – his expertise was instrumental in saving her life."

The doctor's expression turned somber, her eyes filled with a deep empathy. "But as for the recovery of her lost memories... we don't have control over that." Her words hung in the air.

— —

Heejin's words dropped like a bombshell, shattering the fragile remnants of Seokmin's hope. "She wanted a divorce," she stated, her voice firm and unyielding.

"She spoke to me about it two days ago." The revelation struck Seokmin with the force of a physical blow, leaving him breathless and reeling.

Heejin's expression turned fierce, her eyes blazing with a protective fury. "This is another life for her now. Leave her be, at least for now!" she exclaimed, her voice cracking with emotion.

"She has suffered enough because of loving you." The words sliced through Seokmin's heart like poisoned daggers, each one precision-crafted to inflict maximum pain.

As the truth sank in, Seokmin's composure crumbled, his defenses breached. Tears he had fought to hold back finally spilled down his cheeks, hot and unchecked.

His body shook with sobs, his mind reeling with the devastating question.

Did she really want a divorce?

The thought echoed through his mind like a mantra of despair, taunting him with the possibility that he had lost her forever.

Seokmin's whisper was barely audible, his voice cracking with emotion as he spoke. "I wanted to see her without tears," he murmured, his lips trembling.

"But I turned into the sole reason for those tears..." The weight of his words settled upon him like a shroud, suffocating him with regret.

As he gazed down at Areum, cradled in his arms, Seokmin's resolve crumbled. "We will never come back into her life again," he vowed, his voice laced with a sorrow that seemed to echo through eternity.

Tears streamed down his face like a relentless rain, as he stared at his daughter, his heart heavy with the knowledge that he would have to raise her without her mother by their side.

In that moment, Seokmin felt the burden of his decision settle upon him, the weight of his sacrifice crushing him.

He wept for the family they would never be, for the memories they would never make, and for the love that would forever remain out of reach.

Mingyu's voice cut through the oppressive silence, his tone laced with a mix of frustration and amusement.

"Jeez man, does anyone in this house intend to speak, or is it Dumb Charades?" He planted his hands firmly on the dining table, his eyes scanning the father-daughter duo with a hint of exasperation.

Seokmin and Areum remained frozen, a statue-like silence enveloping them. Areum's gaze was fixed on the table, her eyes downcast, while Seokmin's stare was riveted on her, his expression a mask of quiet contemplation.

The air was heavy with unspoken words, the tension between them palpable. Mingyu's attempt to break the silence only seemed to amplify the stillness, leaving the three of them suspended in a sea of unspoken emotions.

"Say something!!" he exclaimed again, his voice tinged with a hint of desperation. But the silence persisted, a palpable force that seemed to swallow all sound.

He threw his hands up in exasperation, his eyes rolling heavenward. "God, please make someone speak in this house!!" he implored, his voice a mixture of prayer and pleading.

Just as Mingyu's words faded away, the doorbell rang, its sudden, shrill tone making him jump.

Mingyu's eyes lit up with excitement as he exclaimed, "That was quick!!" He pushed his chair back, a grin still plastered on his face.

"Let it be the mailman or a delivery guy, I'll make friends with them!!" he declared, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "You guys can continue your cold war."

With a flourish, he tossed his napkin onto the table and strode towards the door, his smile faltering for a moment as he glanced back at the silent duo.

As he swung the door open, his smile rebounded, ready to greet the unexpected visitor.

But his grin froze, his face slackening into a mask of shock and surprise. His eyes widened, and his jaw dropped, leaving him speechless.

"Holy—" he managed to stammer, the word hanging in the air as his brain struggled to process the unexpected sight before him.

"Mingyu?" Mingyu's eyes remained wide with shock, his mind struggling to reconcile the woman standing before him with the Hwayoung he thought he knew.

"Hwayoung?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper, as if he feared shattering the fragile reality of the moment. Hwayoung's smile faltered, replaced by a furrowed brow.

"How do you know me?" she asked, her eyes narrowing slightly, as if trying to recall a forgotten memory.

Mingyu's shock gave way to confusion, and he countered with a question of his own, "How do you know me?"

Hwayoung's smile returned, but it was tinged with a hint of puzzlement. "You're exactly like I imagined when Seokmin was narrating the story," she said, her voice filled with a sense of wonder.

"And how do you know me?" she asked again, her eyes searching Mingyu's face for answers.

"That..." Mingyu's words hung in the air, unfinished, as Seokmin suddenly burst into action. He pushed Mingyu aside, his movements swift and urgent, and grasped Hwayoung's wrist, his fingers wrapping around it like a vice.

Before she could react, he dragged her towards the garden, his pace rapid and unyielding.

Hwayoung's eyes widened in surprise as she stumbled after Seokmin, her wrist imprisoned in his grasp.

She glanced down at his hand, her heart skipping a beat as she felt a jolt of electricity run through her veins.

Her gaze fluttered up to Seokmin's face, and for a moment, their eyes locked in a charged, wordless exchange.

As they reached the garden, Seokmin finally released his grip on her wrist, but Hwayoung's skin still tingled from his touch. She felt a flutter in her stomach, her heart racing with a mix of fear and fascination.

The air seemed to vibrate with tension as Seokmin's eyes bored into hers, his expression a mask of intense, unspoken emotions.

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