.

I shouldnt be rambling those thoughts in my mind right now.

While everyones attention was on me, I shook my head from side to side then quickly turned the pages.

Oh I moaned again. The pictures showed a pass of time in which wed become sophomore in middle school, but Ban Yeo Ryung and Eun Jiho were exchanging fierce eye contact in the corner of a picture that also had Jooin and I having our arms around each other.

Well, that part seemed fine until we found the next picture having those two grabbing each other by their collars.

After seeing the picture, Jooin looked at Yeo Ryung and Eun Jiho with an enigmatic expression on his face.

Why on earth were you two doing that behind us?

While the two remained silent, I flipped the pages of the album again.

Now, even Yoo Chun Young and Eun Hyung looked stiff and were turning pages of other albums. Quickly scanning about a hundred photos, I couldnt help but reveal my mixed feelings on my face.

Almost every photo had Ban Yeo Ryung and Eun Jiho seizing each other by the throat or showing their teeth in the corner.

Why the heck are they fighting in every blind spot?

In the end, I closed all the photo albums. If all the pictures were like this, my attempt to recover Yeo Ryungs memories by photos would, instead, worsen their relationship.

Then I recalled the video that I found around this time last year. Rubbing my chin, I wondered, Will that work? Should I play the video?

As if Jooin also had the same thought, he whispered to me, Mama, the video that we shot with the digital camera

Isnt there any disturbing scenes? I asked.

Jooins voice turned immediately blue. He whispered again, We must turn it off right before the video ends.

That was when I realized how the video ended. Also showing an enigmatic look, I uttered, Well, what else we can do? Lets just give it a try, then I headed to the utility room to find the old camera.

In the video, there was a short moment of Eun Jiho and Ban Yeo Ryung sitting close to each other. All they did was just sitting on the couch side by side and having some short conversation, but that was the only friendly moment we could get from today.

I mean, I didnt know that they had this much of a dog-cat relationship, I justified myself in my thoughts.

Once the video ended, I carefully asked Yeo Ryung if anything came to her mind, but she just shook her head.

Nothing, she replied. However, she didnt show any signs of anxiety or sorrow coming from the failure of recovering her memories.

Well, if shes fine with that, thats good though I thought to myself, scratching my forehead.

Right, memories werent like popcorn; those wouldnt suddenly pop up in her mind within a few hours. Again, its my bad.

In the end, our meeting just ended without any outcomes. Then it became dinner time. Yeo Ryungs parents came home after work. I told them what had happened as honestly as possible.

While I kept explaining things, Yeo Ryungs parents looked back and forth between me and Yeo Ryung, showing their unbelievable feelings about the situation.

After I finished speaking, Yeo Ryungs mother asked me urgently, Memory loss? Doesnt it only exist in TV dramas?

In the mind of the web novel characters, amnesia wasnt a common disease too. This whole situation also didnt make sense to them.

I nodded to agree with her. Yeo Ryungs parents quickly stretched out their hands to grab Yeo Ryungs hand, but when she stepped back in hesitation, they looked shocked.

I was also astonished at the sight. What should I do? Since Yeo Ryung treated me the same, as usual, I forgot one thingshe wasnt able to remember her parents.

How on earth could I comfort their absent-mindedness? While I was wondering what to do, Yeo Ryungs parents, surprisingly, overcame sorrow quite quickly.

Rubbing her chin with her finger, Yeo Ryungs mother wandered around the living room with quick and short steps, then she headed to the phone, saying, I should tell Yeo Dan to return home ASAP.

That was when my mind took Yeo Dan oppa into consideration. Since Yeo Ryung wasnt able to remember her parents, she would, of course, not remember her brother. Then I turned my head, feeling someones stare. It was Yeo Ryung glancing at me nervously.

Did I do something wrong? she asked.

Aye aye aye I shouldve expected that Yeo Ryung would become perplexed in this situation where everyones face turned dark whenever she said something. I shook my head and combed her hair with my fingers.

The tense air began to subside. When there was, eventually, a moment of serene silence, Yeo Ryungs mother came back to the living room.

She uttered, Yeo Dan says hes returning home, so would you please wait for him in the living room for a moment? Right now, were strangers to Yeo Ryung, so as long as youre here, shell feel relieved.

Yes, of course, I replied then perched on their couch in the living room.

Yeo Ryungs parents left the spot and went to their room to let her daughter rest more comfortably.

Once the space turned quiet again, all kinds of thoughts began to dominate my mind. I just sat in silence, holding Yeo Ryungs hand and tapping the armrest with the other.

Usually, I would be able to see Yeo Dan oppas face after midnight, but today it was different. Glad to see him earlier than usual, but the situation wasnt at all.

Concerns began to arise in my mind all of a sudden. Wouldnt he lose his temper this time, blaming me that I didnt try preventing Yeo Ryung from losing her memories?

Though I knew that he wasnt a person like that, whenever situations turned bad this way, I couldnt help myself thinking pessimistically.

The moment I kept sighing with my arms around my knees, there was a sound of someone pressing the numbers on the door lock. Even it sounded familiar, I felt my shoulders turning stiff.

Yeo Ryungs parents came out from their room and said, Yeo Dan, hold on! Ill open the door!

The sound from pressing the door lock stopped. As soon as the door opened, Yeo Dan oppa dashed into the house.

Is that real? He quickly opened his mouth. It was obvious what he was asking.

While I kept standing stiff in hesitation, Yeo Dan oppa turned his head abruptly in our direction and stared at us.

His black hair was wet, hanging on his forehead. He would have definitely headed straight to his house after hearing the news or become wet with sweats in the cab in tension.

Then he had eye contact with Yeo Ryung, who was looking at him like watching a stranger. His face slightly grimaced. That was all, but I clenched my fist, feeling as if I were getting punished.

Yeo Ryung, he said, striding toward her, but he stopped from a few steps away from his sister. The wariness in her eyes would have definitely come into his view.

Yeo Dan oppa slowly bent his knees to see her at eye level. Every move was cautious as if he was training wildlife that would run away soon.

He spoke slowly, I am your brother. My name is Ban Yeo Dan.

Uh-huh

Can I get close to you?

Yeo Ryung carefully nodded at his non-threatening words. Even I, watching the sight, heaved a sigh of relief. If she even refused her brother, I would feel more guilty.

Yeo Dan oppa came close, at last, and had eye contact with me. His face turned dark. I wasnt able to read the meaning of his look, but I sat quietly with my mouth shut.

Donnie, he gently called my name.

Uh-huh? I replied in full tension, but I soon lifted my head when his hand touched my head out of the blue. My eyes widened.

You would have felt so surprised, he said with his usual, warmhearted expression.

Since it happened when I wasnt even with you guys.

After he spoke that way, other words also came from behind him. Yeo Ryungs parents walked toward me.

Oh, my god, for real! Just as you said, Yeo Dan, we werent able to think of that. They added concernedly, Donnie, are you okay? Sorry, that we forgot to ask how surprised and shocked you were.

Listening to their worries, I felt myself blushing. I didnt deserve to hear such words. Even when Yeo Ryung was involved in a car accident, I didnt reach out to them for hours, being afraid of getting scolded.