Chapter 47 – Make You Remember Me (1)
Even before she had taken her finger off the doorbell, the door had already soundlessly opened. A surge of emotions flooded her senses as fragments of memories assaulted her mind.
It was then that a curt voice brought her thoughts to an abrupt halt.
“You’re late.”
Standing at the door, an unbuttoned shirt clinging on his skin, an alarming glint in his dark orbs was the man from her canvas… her nightmares–Tae Jun.
Yuri soon reined in her composure and retorted in an impassive manner.
“You didn’t tell me I had a fixed time to keep.”
Tae-jun moved sideways with a raised brow. He noticed she still had her sharp tongue.
“Come in,” he said unceremoniously.
However, the girl stood rooted to her spot, she had no intention of stepping in and she made sure to make her purpose of visit clear.
“I only came to get back the tablet.”
Tae-jun shot her a lazy glance, his eyes still and unfathomable.
“You’re free to stand there all night if you want.”
He went back inside without another word. He knew her all too well, her defiance and courage. He also knew how to get her to do his bidding.
Yuri had no choice but to follow him. The door closed behind her with an ominous sound. Tae-jun was sitting on the living room sofa with a lit cigarette. Yuri felt his gaze on her through the smoke as she slowly sat on the opposite side. She tried to speak without betraying any emotion.
“Please give it back to me.”
Tae-jun’s smile did not reach his eyes, and Yuri was afraid all the more for it.
“You still don’t know me?”
“I don’t remember.”
“Then, I’ll have to make you.”
Tae-jun rose, and his hand found Yuri’s face. She felt like lightning had struck her in his touch. There was a hand that caressed her face in the past. Yuri gasped out loud and sank back to the sofa.
“W-wait.”
Surprised by the sound she made, Yuri clasped a hand over her mouth. Her heart was pounding as it would burst. Tremors ran down her body in fear.
Tae-jun only laughed at her response.
“Do you remember now?”
“I, I don’t know what happened, but I lost parts of my memory. Especially the last four to five years of my life. So I can’t remember you.”
“I remember telling you not to fool around with me.”
The ends of his lips twisted. Tae-jun removed the cigarette from his mouth and slowly stubbed it out on the ashtray.
“You know me.”
“How can you be sure?” Yuri probed him, her eyes searching his face.
“You respond to me. Then, now, you’re still trembling.”
Yuri tried to hide her hands, but it was too late. He knew exactly how she would react. Her already pale face turned ashen.
“That’s because-“
“Why, is it a selective memory loss?”
“I’ll explain.” She then cleared her throat before continuing, “I received a hypnosis treatment for my memory, and afterward I saw you in my dreams. I don’t know anything about you except your face. If Ms. Yoon had not introduced us, I would have never known your name.”
“What caused your memory loss?”
Yuri hesitated before replying. “I don’t know. I don’t even remember what happened then.”
Unfortunately, her explanation didn’t sound plausible to the man before her.
“It must be convenient for you to say that you don’t remember everything I ask. Don’t you have a better excuse or an explanation?”
His sneer deepened instead, which made Yuri feel faint. She did not want to face him, who seemed to be not interested in having a conversation and only interrogated her. Yuri was tormented by her memory loss. She had lost her father, her friend, and herself. The trauma burdened her so much that Yuri could not create her pieces anymore. If there was an excuse or an explanation, she was the one who wanted to hear it the most.
“What do you want to hear from me? I told you I don’t remember!”
“You might want to remember when there’s a chance. That is if you don’t want other people to get involved.”
“What do you mean?” It was a sheer sign of threat hurled at her.
“The man who is your boss and your teacher is well-esteemed in his profession. His skills and reputation hold up, and people tell me his uncle is a successful entrepreneur in that field too. I can easily make trouble for them if there’s something in it for me.”
Yuri’s pale face now reddened in anger. The situation she found herself in did not make any sense. A man who took what was hers made her come to him and was now threatening her.
She glared at Tae-jun. “I can make trouble for you too. Do you want me to call Ms. Yoon? I can say that your fiancé is throwing baseless threats to me after calling me to his hotel room.”
Yet, surprisingly, her words didn’t have as much effect on him. Tae-jun only smiled.
“Do it.”
“What?”
“Do it. I don’t care.” She was taken aback by his response. No matter how she looked at Tae-jun to catch a glimpse of his thoughts, his face did not betray anything. Actually, he was looking at Yuri with amusement.