Memory Lane
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Jin Ho woke up hour later, and stared at the ceiling for the longest time. He wasn't too sure if he was awake, or just in a waking dream, where all his thoughts could run slowly and in order so they could be easily catalogued. He could hear voices from downstairs, mainly Gae In's and the laughter of Sang Joo's. The door opened and the light from the hallway invaded the bed, covering his legs and making his eyes close in panic. Why he was doing that, he had no idea, but he kept quiet and still as someone walked into the room. It couldn't' be Gae In, she would have called his name, and none of the men had such soft footsteps.

The smell of soup invaded him, and the soft clinging of a vase over the night table made his heart race.

"This is mother's feel-better-soon soup, as soon as you drink it, you'll feel so much better." His mother's soft memory whispered through his foggy mind. As his mother turned and walked out the room, closing the door softly. His mother always knew how he felt, and although he'd been honest when he asked everyone around him not to bother him, and let him rest (with the exception of Gae In who was dragged along for the night's rest), Jang Mi-ssi knew his heart was in turmoil. A mother would always know her child's heart, right?

Jin Ho sighed and sat up; looking at the cup over the table with the help of the quiet light filtering through the thick blinds, announcing it was already time to get up. But he was too lazy to do so, and just fix the covers over his legs and lifted the warm cup. The smell was pure home, and the taste was perfect, as was usual for his mother's cooking. He swallowed the warm liquid and smiled.

A mother always knows her child's heart.

A soft knock was heard and he turned to the door; "Jin Ho-ssi; are you really asleep?" The soft voice made him smile and setting down the cup of warm soup he sighed. It wasn't fair for her to be denied of him after a year of suffering, and neither was it fair for him so Jin Ho finally spoke.

"No, come in." Gae In walked in, and shut the door quietly; she was obviously trying to be quiet about him waking up, and bless her for small favor she succeeded. She joined him at bed, sitting beside him and kissing his cheek softly, making him smile. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"You really don't remember anything?"

Jin Ho lowered his gaze and sighed. "It's not that I don't remember anything. It's just…" He sighed again and took her hands. "It's true that I remember everything that is important; you my mother, my work and the house but… that night I can't… it's like a big blank spot is wrapped around those events. It's not that I don't want to remember, I just can't."

Gae IN didn't reply right away, she seemed to think about her answer, and carefully picked her words, because after all this was a sensitive matter for them both, and the people who he'd left astonished the night before downstairs. She was quiet for a longer time than really needed and then smiled, making Jin Ho worry.

"Maybe… the shock was too big? You saw something that really bothered you." Jin Ho didn't reply right away, as if lost in the middle of a dream, or a memory. NO doubt she remembered his words from before, when she complained not remembering her mother, but she couldn't remember his exact words.

"Maybe you are right." He said absentmindedly, his memory filling with shadows. Gae In lifted his eyes towards hers and for a second his stare was blank, worrying her to no end, but he suddenly blinked and smiled at her. "I'm fine."

"When you say you are fine, you usually aren't. It's my careful studying after months of living together; I'll have to inspect further but I still hold true to my findings."

"Oh and what else has Dr. Park found?"

"That my patient is rather stubborn and to avoid me entered a coma, but the power of my love is too big and he came waddling back with his tail between his legs."

"I object! I had no memory of you!"

"Still? No memory?" and she kissed him. "And now?" Before he could answer she kissed him again. "What about now?" He smiled, unable to answer because of another kiss. "And now?" They started laughing like to silly teenagers and a quiet memory attacked him; mot too pleasant it brought a flood of dark images that made him tremble, and faking cold he just snuggled against her neck, wrapping his arms around her. "Jin Ho?"

"Do you know that I would rather die than have anything happen to you, right?"

"Jin Ho, what are you saying so suddenly?"

The house had a large study that had become part of the detectives' cooperative base of operations. Currently in Seol only their boss knew about the return of the missing architect and the security around the house had been secured by the local police. Eun Seol was currently asleep on the couch while a bit away over the desk, Ji Cheon sat, staring out the window and hoping they could break the case before something else happened.

In actuality he was frustrated to no end.

The door opened and made him turn, he was surprised to see Jin Ho standing there, closing the door quietly while looking down at the floor. He was wearing a similar set of clothes he'd return on, but they were gray and much better fitting, what led the police officer to assume they were actually his. The man walked to stand beside the desk, hands in his pockets and seemingly lost in thought. Ji Cheon watched him for a moment, before smiling and turning away; his lips curved into a smile of sarcasm and something witty, very witty, was about to slip past his lips…

"It was darker than usual, the parking lot was." Started Jin Ho, still lost in thought. "I am sure the girl heard too, but I was too worried about Gae In to actually worry about her. What would they do if they got to her? I couldn't really think."

"Is this what happened?"

"I hurried to the parking lot."

"Eun Seol!" And the man grabbed the nearest cell phone, scanning the apps for the recorder and manager to record what the man was saying. The woman over the sofa jumped awake and turned to the two men.

"The parking lot was darker than usual, and I probably didn't notice until it was too late. I started my car with the beeper and opened the door… I'm not sure if I was grabbed or hit at that moment, but next thing I remember is been tied down and shoved into the back of my car." The woman got up quickly and picked up the other phone, making a quick phone call.

Jin Ho knew instinctively that this was a bad idea; if his mind had blocked the memories away was for some reason, but… part of him knew that this was important. And remembering usually hurt him, but he had to go down memory lane once again.

He was too busy with his phone, hands trembling while he walked out of the restaurant, to notice the parking lot was unusually dark. His breathing was erratic as sweat started to form on his forehead; his cell phone fell to the ground and he groaned inwardly, quickly getting down to pick the item up.

Only to realize he was been followed.

He panted, unable to move while the heavy footsteps echoed through the underground parking lot. Suddenly he was transported to one of those movies he'd watched with Gae In hundreds of times; where the main character would play hero and avoid bullets, was chased and would leave the parking lot without a scratch, while the car was covered in bullet holes. Sadly for him he had not the skills of such heroes and could only pray to reach his car without been found, or noticed until he was safely out.

Cell phone in hand he managed to open the contact menu, crouching still, reached his car (which was only a few feet away) and opened the door. So far so good, maybe he would escape this, no, he will surely make it out alive. Quietly, pressed against the door of his white car, Jin Ho dialed the emergency number; his car keys were pulled out of his pocket and he unlocked the doors, making the lights of the car blink…

The hurried steps of unknown men made him move quickly and enter the car, turning the engine on. The back glass panel was blown in, and shards made their way towards him, while the emergency break was released, the shift changed and finally the pedal pressed; the car hit another car while backing up, and the man dangling from the back fell, another man broke the glass of the passenger's seat and quickly jumped in. Curses were exchanged, they fought for control over the car as it moved out the parking lot and made its way outside the street; they were greeted by loud honks and while Jin Ho pushed the man out the car successfully the phone fell to the floor of the car. Unable to retrieve it without crashing the vehicle he decided to let it be for now.

Until a black car shoved the white van against a nearby wall.

Everything became a mess of white and pain, the airbags worked successfully but he was trapped between wall and seat, and groaning, Jin Ho realized he wouldn't be able to keep awake for much longer. His hand reached down, to the phone and the tips of his fingers activated the green button; the emergency line was activated.

He woke up a few hours later, and he was sure it was hours because he wasn't anywhere he could recognize. Jin Ho hadn't traveled much in life and to find himself suddenly in the middle of an open field, head hurting and bleeding.

"You've got guts, that much I give you." Said someone, behind him, making Jin Ho turn to try and see who it was, but been painfully tied he wasn't able to look.

"What's this, gift for the girlfriend?" He heard the wrappings of Gae In's gift been broken and groaned; fighting against his bonds, in some sort of way of finding escape. Behind him something was thrown and Jin Ho turned to see the waitress from the restaurant; her eyes were wide, and if alive, staring up at him. But she didn't move, the bullet wound to the temple clear sign of her death; Jin Ho started shaking a realized this was his moment of death. "Wow, nice gold necklace, and earrings too! You've got really good taste, my wife will enjoy them greatly, thank you very much."

Even when Jin Ho was a very attentive man, and took great detail in everything he did and around him, he couldn't understand what the man was saying. The desperation to escape was much too great at the moment. A second man entered the scene, and out of the blue kicked Jin Ho's ribs, making the man scream and fall forward, bending almost fully on himself with pain. Several more kicks were landed on the tied body, as the enraged man just vented his frustration on the victim.

"Whoa! Wow! What's up with you man!" Said the man with the jewelry box in hand, stopping the beating.

"He killed my brother!"

"When he backed up?" asked the man surprised, he didn't seem to understand that someone could died if hit by a car, but when the information sank in he just released the enraged man and returned his attention to the jewels in hand. "I see." The beating continued.