Not yet caught up? Pick up where you left off in the Chapter List.
Without another word, without any consideration for his feelings, Sae Ra left, leaving him in a wake of anger as she knocked over the trees she and Tae Ri had hidden behind before, ripped notices off the walls, and finally slammed the door to the stairs behind her.
And then she was gone.
âIâm sorry it took so long for me to reach out to you,â Sung Joon said placidly in his usual seat. âBut you understand now, right?â
Across from him, in Sae Raâs usual seat, was Tae Ri, her eyes looking up at him with a careful balance of demureness and wariness, like a newly rescued cat unsure of how much to trust the person before her. She didnât want him to think she would be difficult, as that might not be beneficial to herselfâand yet she didnât want him to be complacent and think heâd earned her trust quite yet.
He understood the energy she was giving off perfectly and showed that he respected it. She didnât care whether he did or not. She also needed him to know that.
Sung Joon, an excellent reader of someoneâs character, did indeed get that message, as well.
The two had met up earlier that day, the same day of the re-recording.
â
Tae Ri had just stepped foot into the company as usual when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She nearly dropped her breakfast sandwich upon seeing the tall Ma In Ha, dressed today in a silk blouse tucked into a flattering pencil skirt that fell below her knees with a small slit off center.
âThe CEO would like to meet with you today,â In Ha said.
It took a full second for Tae Ri to absorb this information. She exclaimed, âWell, itâs about time!â and headed towards the elevators, calling over her shoulder, âBut as he probably knows, I have a morning meeting, so Iâll come up after that.â
In Ha smiled at her. Sung Joon had indeed known. âThe meeting is scheduled for eleven. I will see you then.â
Tae Ri simply gave her a thumbs up without turning back.
â
A few hours later, after the morning meeting, which was as pointless as she had expected, Tae Ri was staring at the third piece of the mysterious stone with a leather cord looped through the top to form a necklace. Sung Joon was holding it so it dangled before her, as if he might try to hypnotize her at any moment.
âAs an apology, and using my best judgment, I had decided to give this third piece of the stone to you. Iâm sure Sae Ra had already informed you of the stone?â he asked.
âItâs not really my style,â she said. She was decked in silver jewelry, from rings on her fingers to cuffs on her ears.
âLuckily for you, itâs not meant to be stylish but to help you with your gift. You hear other peopleâs inner thoughts all day, donât you?â
She nodded slowly, her expressionless eyes on the stone.
Sung Joon continued, âThis will help mute that for you.â
She tried not to show on her face that the prospect excited her. She wouldâve grabbed it from his hand right then and there, but she knew better.
Tae Ri almost regretted not grabbing the necklace when she could. He gathered up the cord to lift the stone into his hand and close a fist around it, hiding it from her view. He leaned forward, both elbows on both knees to close the distance between them.
âThereâs an added benefit to this, but Iâm not sure how much youâd like it,â he continued.
Of course thereâs some tradeoff, she thought with an inner eye roll. Life, man.
âWhile this will mute other normal peopleâs thoughts, the stone can emphasize your own gift.â
âThat seems contradictory.â
âMeaning you have more control over your gift and can use it more to your own benefit,â Sung Joon elaboratedâor thought he did, but Tae Riâs gaze told him to get to the point already. She wasnât like Sae Ra, hanging onto every word, here for the drama of it all. She wanted the barebone facts and details.
He chuckled and went on, âMeaning if you try, this stone can help you read the minds of those you couldnât before.â
This did perk her interest, but she again didnât betray this on her face. Instead, she said drily, âIâm not interested in Sae Ra and Hyun Wooâs thoughts, thank you very much.â
âItâs up to you,â he said. âUse it how youâd like.â
âI hear Hyun Woo likes sexy women. Thatâs definitely not something I need to know more about.â
Sung Joon held the stone over her hand, which she reluctantly opened. He dropped the stone piece into her hand and folded her fingers over it.
Just then, Ma In Ha walked back into the room. She had briefly stepped out, but apparently, some unpleasant news had reached her ears since.
âWhat is it?â Sung Joonâs voice was sharper than usual as he could sense something was wrong.
âItâs Sae Ra.â
â
That was how a few minutes later, Tae Ri faced Sae Ra on the roof of the building. The stone had helped lead her to Sae Ra, the force of the other womanâs thoughts so violent and forceful that it pulsated, and the stone pulsed with it the closer it got to her. As she neared Sae Ra, Tae Ri ignored the pull of the other more confused and milder source that was likely Hyun Woo a few floors beneath them.
Sae Ra spun to face Tae Ri.
How could Kang Yoon?
I couldâve done it all. Erased them all.
Hyun Woo deserves it. Nothingness for him.
I could do it to Kang Yoon, too.
He better not stop me again.
My head hurts.
My heart hurts.
A deep ache was settling into Tae Riâs head, much like the one felt by Sae Ra in that moment. The pain was even spreading to her chest, as if she could feel Sae Raâs pain, her heartbreak, her loss of her sense of self.
Sae Raâs face was crumpling, overcome by all the emotions, tears gathering in her eyes. Her legs wanted to give, wanted her body to likewise crumple, down to the comforting and solid ground. And so she did. Her hands went up to her head. She rocked back and forth.
âSae Ra,â Tae Ri voiced, wincing from the pain, also about to collapse.
â
Sung Joon, in the meantime, went to check up on the situation at the studios. From what he could see, the re-recording was progressing as normal. They were on a break. Everyone was chatting happily, like nothing had happened, although a few here and there looked a bit confused or out of it still. Some nursed mild headaches.
Apart from them, alone in the darkness, was Hyun Woo. He sat on an upside down crate, slumped over and clearly deep in thought. It seemed he had filled in whatever memory was necessary to make the re-recording proceed as normal, and he was weary now. Sung Joon nodded in approval.
Very good, Hyun Woo, he thought. But donât wear yourself out. Iâm going to need you.
He turned. His next stop was the rooftop.
When he arrived, he saw two more slumped figures. Sae Ra was lying on her side in a fetal position, unmoving. Tae Ri was conscious and seated, but likewise balled up. Sung Joon went up to Tae Ri and gently pulled the necklace off her, dropping it into her hand when she looked up in surprise.
Without wasting another second, he next strode over to Sae Ra and picked her up. Wordlessly, Tae Ri slowly got up and followed after them. He knew all the back routes where no one would see them, leading them eventually back to his office, which wasnât too far away as it took up the topmost floor.
When they arrived, Tae Ri took a seat while Sung Joon laid Sae Ra gently down in another. In Ha came with a cup of fresh water for Tae Ri to sip. She also placed a cool, wet towel on Sae Raâs forehead and covered her with a blanket. Sung Joon looked down at Sae Ra, eyebrows furrowed slightly.
âWhat now?â In Ha asked quietly.
âPlease go get Kang Yoon.â
She bowed and turned to leave, but was stopped by his next words.
âI donât quite understand whatâs going on.â
She faced him again, a question on her face.
âAll this. So much chaos.â
âThatâs how life is. Life happens, and itâs unpredictable. They are young and emotional, and the everyday stressors are taking a toll on them. Theyâre not like you. Give them time.â
He thought for a few seconds, then gave one definitive nod, acknowledging her words. In Ha finally took her leave, closing the large doors behind her and leaning against them for the briefest second as if taking a breatherâexcept her small, polite smile slowly widened into a self-satisfied grin that made her face look more alive than it ever had before.
She clapped her hands like dusting them off after a work well done, her hips swaying more as she took long and confident strides away from the mess she had left behind.
Next time on đ¸Forget-Me-Notđ¸
He hoped her dream land was treating her way better than reality was. These days, it wasnât hard for that to be the case, that was how dark the real world could be.
**Authorâs Note**
Friendly reminder that my other story, How to Write a K-Drama, is back with its third season, so go check it out!



Just caught up on Forget-Me-Not & your writing continues to be so alive!! a joy to read, every time. I love the descriptions of the unspoken elements & nuances too ~ so well done đđđ