Ali had just settled in at her usual lunch table when her friend Mae nudged her in the side, so as to get her attention.

"Hey, isn't that Seonghwa? When did he come back?" Mae questioned her.

Ali turned to face the direction in which her friend had pointed out, and her heart squeezed at the sight of the guy she used to be so in love with. His dark hair glistened in the sun, and his smile lit up as he laughed at something his friend had said.

Seeing his smile, memories that she had tried so hard to suppress floated to the forefront of her mind. Ones of how he used to smile at her like that, and how he would laugh at the jokes she had made. There were also the times, his arms would wrap about her and they would enjoy each other's company.

Now they were memories that only she could recall, whereas to Seonghwa she didn't exist at all.And it was all thanks to the accident they had both been involved in a year ago. Luckily, they had both come out unscathed, physically anyway.

Mentally, Seonghwa didn't fare well, as he forgot everything about her. The things they had shared and the inside secrets that belonged to only them. To him, she was nothing more than a nameless classmate.

It all came down to their love meaning nothing. Although it pained her to go about her day and pretend that she was ok with not seeing Seonghwa, she was just happy that he was alive. As long as he was alive and living his life as best he could, she could try to move on. Even if she did secretly wish he would remember her. For the time being, she was just going with the motions.

Him returning to uni meant that he was doing fine, and she smiled warmly at seeing him being his old self.

She spun back around and ignored Mae's comforting look. Truthfully, she didn't want anyone's pity; this was just how life was now, and she would have to get used to it.

As she began to eat, her phone rang and dread bubbled up within her as she saw the caller id. 

A call from her father never meant anything good.

☽

Across the campus, Seonghwa had been feeling eyes on him for a while. He turned his head just in time to see a girl look away from him. The brief glance of her face caused pain to shoot through his head, as images tried to push through the fog that constantly clouded his mind.

It had been a whole year since his accident, and he was still finding it hard to recall certain things. Although he had a feeling, what he had forgotten was a person. Since he could recall everything else, except that one person.

Seeing the girl across the way stirred something within him, and he couldn't quite place where he had seen her before. Perhaps she had been the one he had forgotten?

The more he thought about it the more his brain hurt, so he decided to just let it go for now.

One day, perhaps, he'll figure it all out.

After the maid allowed her into the family's main house, she shivered at the cold atmosphere that was there to greet her, and she wasn't affected by the fact that no living person was there to give her a proper welcome.

Ever since she had left home - no, since they had kicked her out - this was how it had always been. It was something she had been used to for a long time.

Even when she had stayed in the main house, she had constantly been alone, with no one to watch and guide her as she grew up. Honestly, the family's servants knew more about her than her actual family did.

Ali stepped further into the foyer and thanked the maid for taking her coat and followed her to the dining room where everyone was already seated.

"You've arrived already, so why haven't you come to greet your own father?" Her father's stern tone matched his overall look, and before it might've unnerved Ali, but she had hardened her mind against it. Especially against his steely gaze that used to turn her legs to jelly and make her shake in fear.

She swallowed the biting words that threatened to escape past her lips, and she bowed her head towards her father. "I'm sorry. I just arrived and didn't get the chance to." Now wasn't the time to argue with her family. After everything they had done to her, there would come a day where she could get even with them.

Taking her usual seat at the table, she raised her head and glanced at her younger sister who sat across from her, and bile rose in her throat. And she fought past the daggers that stabbed at her heart. Her hatred for her sister grew as she looked at her sister's flawless features.

How could her sister sit there happily after all that she had done?

Suddenly, a servant entered the dining room and introduced a tall, handsome male, one that was familiar to Ali - Seonghwa. What was he doing here?

She went to get to her feet but paused in her actions when she saw her sister jump into his arms, and witnessed the loving smile that spread on his face.

What was going on?

Her heart clenched when she heard her sister squeal, and the words that left her mouth were:

"Darling, you made it!"

Ali was even more dumbfounded and her sister's grin grew into one of mocking when she saw Ali's questioning gaze.

"Oh, have you two been introduced before? This is my soon to be husband, Seonghwa." Ali's sister turned gloating eyes in her direction. "Darling, this is Ali. You are in the same year at Uni."

"Is that so?" He nodded his head at her politely. "It's nice to meet you."

Tears swam in Ali's eyes as she looked at him, and pain attacked her in waves. How was this happening? Was this someone's idea of a cruel joke? Because it wasn't funny.

Disbelief coursed through her and it was taking all she had not to flee from the house.

Giving them - her 'family' - the satisfaction of seeing her break down was something she would never do. Not even if it was the thing she wanted to do the most.

Years of neglect had strengthened her, and she wasn't the same little girl who would tremble at the mere sound of their voices.

It had to take her a long time to accept the fact that Seonghwa had lost his memories, mainly the ones that included her.

For him, it was obviously worse, and she wasn't selfish enough to make it all about her. After all, he was the one going through it. And she could get past him finding a new love if it made him happy.

Seonghwa deserved the world, and more.

As long as he was smiling and happy, Ali could accept anything. Even if the person he was with wasn't her. It would be ok.

However, the one thing she could never accept is him being engaged to her sister. In fact, she didn't want him to have any relationship with her.

Her family didn't know she knew, but the one who had caused Ali and Seonghwa's accident a year ago had been her sister. They had just brushed it under the rug and they had thought nobody would ever find out. Yet, Ali had, and she had been biding her time, waiting to get enough evidence so she could take it to the authorities.

What could she do? Although she wasn't completely alone, her friends could do no more than she could. As she was right now she could never go up against her family, if it came down to it. So all she could do was wait.

☽

Dizzily, Ali stumbled to the door and grabbed her things from the maid who held them out. Then she left without saying her goodbyes; they didn't deserve them, anyway.

She wanted to get far away and find somewhere quiet where she could gather her thoughts. Today was too shock-filled for her liking, and she just wanted it to end already. Things might look different in the morning - she doubted it would, but at least she could hope.

Once she stepped off the driveway and made for her car, she bumped into someone unexpected, but someone she was glad to see at that moment, Wooyoung. Worry painted his face as she collapsed into his arms and buried her face in his chest. Without hesitation, he hugged her tight and rubbed comforting circles on her back.

No words were spoken, and he helped her to the car, then took the keys from her hand before getting into the driver's seat. Once she was settled into the passengers' seat, he peeled away from the edge of the kerb and drove her back to the dorms.

☽

"I'm sorry about this," Ali mumbled after settling herself onto the sofa. "I know it must be hard for you being both Seonghwa and I's friend. You aren't expected to pick sides."

"I know, I'm not on any side. I'm just being as good a friend as I can be, and I'm here for the both of you, no matter how bad the situation between you is. You're my friend just as much as he is." Wooyoung reassured her and sat beside her.

"Why were you at my house? How did you even know I was there?" Ali questioned him.

"Ah, I heard Seonghwa had gone to your house, and I also knew your dad had called you; I heard it from your friend, Mae," he replied. "So I had to go there to see how things were. Things aren't exactly the greatest at the moment."

Ali couldn't think of anything to say, except for 'thank you'. And she was truly thankful to have Wooyoung as her friend, and currently by her side.

It was always reassuring to have such a friend by your side and ones you can always count on.