Chapter 2

When I woke up again, I was lying in a hospital bed.

A circle of curtains surrounded me, and a familiar figure's shadow was cast on them.

It was Caleb.

"Yeah, she's fine. Just passed out. That guy who called me totally overreacted. No need, I'll go now. That's a limited-edition race car, and that would be a shame if I miss it. You know how she is, she'll forget it the next second. No need to console her."

He hung up. As I watched him reach for the curtain, I instinctively shut my eyes, pretending I hadn't woken up yet.

I slowly opened my eyes when I heard his footsteps fade away. Through the small gap in the curtain, I saw his retreating back as he walked off without a second thought.

My nose stung.

I grabbed my phone. It was somehow fully charged.

I opened my electronic diary app, where I kept my records for the past seven years.

Seven years ago, I was in a car crash. Although I survived, the doctors said my brain had suffered severe trauma, causing memory issues.

One moment, I might remember something; the next, it would be gone. So, I developed the habit of keeping a diary.

I flipped through the entries, realizing that almost all of them were about Caleb.

Of course they were. I liked him and pursued him for seven years. I was terrified that I might forget him.

So I wrote about him again and again, as if I could carve those feelings into my mind.

But now, I had finally realized that I'd been a fool for these past seven years.

I created a new entry. "18th December. I will never like Caleb again!"

I packed my things and got ready to leave the hospital. As I opened the door, I bumped into someone.

The familiar scent of mint filled my nose. It was the person who had saved me.

I looked up and saw a guy with a striking, almost arrogant presence.

He lowered his phone and gave me a quick once-over, frowning. "Are you feeling better now?"

His unexpectedly familiar tone of concern made me instinctively nod.

I usually bounced back pretty fast once I got through the severe pain of my period's first day. Right now, aside from feeling weak all over, I didn't feel any other discomfort.

"Thank you for saving me." I pursed my lips, unsure of what else to say.

Suddenly, he reached up and gently brushed the corner of my eye with his thumb, wiping away the dampness. "You've been crying? What's got you down?"

I froze for a moment. When I came to my senses, I quickly stepped back.

He seemed caught off guard by my reaction. As he was about to say something, a loud voice interrupted him, booming from his phone.

"Elijah Parker, are you coming or not? This is a limited-edition race car show!"

So, his name was Elijah Parker.

He covered the phone and glanced at me. "I'm coming. Save me an extra spot."

He then grabbed me and started walking out.

I was caught off guard. "W-Wait, Elijah, where are you taking me?"

If I remembered correctly, this was our first meeting. Were we already this close?

When he heard me call his name, he looked surprised. "You remember me?"

I shook my head, a little confused. "I just heard your friend call you that..."

In other words, I didn't know him. He seemed a bit down and muttered something to himself.

Did I know him? I thought back to my terrible memory and started flipping through my diary. It had photos of everyone I knew, with names underneath.

By the time we reached our destination and the car stopped, I still hadn't found any trace of Elijah.

So, I truly didn't know him. But why did he act like we were so familiar?