After Dark (Prompts)

Be With You - 6

Im Cheol-Ryung almost failed to recognise the figure he bumped into. He had seen the Inspector in plain clothes but this the first time he saw her with heavier makeup. The lids of her eyes looked darker than he recalled, her hair was styled and wavier than her normal pin straight locks, and her lips looked plumper and... juicier?

Like she had just been kissed or she was begging for one.

Clearing his throat at his wayward thoughts, "You're here."

"Visiting a... friend," she answered, cryptically. "You? Is your wife here?"

Im Cheol-Ryung nodded. "Yes."

Ha Chae Yoon nodded, sadness evident in her eyes. "I'm sorry to hear that." When he remained quiet, she added, "Well, enjoy your rest day, Detective."

"Inspector," he called back. When she turned to look at him, he asked, "Would... you mind some company?"

She smiled brightly at him. "No, not at all."

As they made their way to the grave Ha Chae Yoon would be visiting, he asked, "You look different. Did you come from somewhere?"

Ha Chae Yoon nodded, giving him that eye smile that has brightened a few of his days already. "Yes, a friend of mine celebrated the first birthday of her child and I dropped by to say hello."

"Oh," Im Cheol-Ryung said. Such things still pained him since he never got to see even the birth of his little one, knowing about they baby's existence only when he already lost his wife.

"I'm sorry," Ha Chae Yoon said, picking up on his mood. "You had a baby, too, right?"

"Yes," he replied. "The baby was about 3 weeks old." There was a pain in his chest when she mentioned it, but to his surprise, discussing it was a welcome change from everyone else who was afraid to bring it up. He understood, of course, and there was a time that he himself did not wish to talk about such a difficult thing. However, as time went by, he felt like it was another loss when no one even wanted to talk about their child.

She sighed. "Did you ever find out if you were having a girl or a boy?"

He shook his head. "The whole time was too painful, I didn't think. Then, later on, I... wished I tried to find out. I don't even know if I should call the baby him or her, he or she, when I refer to them."

Ha Chae Yoon stopped and patted his shoulder. "I would never understand that pain. I don't know if the gender matters in heaven. Your baby is an angel, too soon and under terrible circumstances but you loved your baby. That's all that's important."

There under a cool afternoon air in spring, Im Cheol-Ryung smiled at Ha Chae Yoon. "Thank you."

Her eyes widened. "Hold it! Hold that pose!" she took out her phone.

"Yah, stop that!"

"Come on! Smile again like you did earlier!" she egged on, while holding the camera to his face. "Come on, give me a nice smile. Yiiiii... come on... he's gonna smile... he's gonna smile!"

Click!

"There you go! Such a cutie pie. I'm going to save this," Ha Chae Yoon muttered.

"Did you just say I'm cute?" he clarified.

She quickly hid her phone back in her bag. "No."

"You did!"

"No," she denied again. Heading to the plot she often visited, she put a finger to her lips to shut him up. "I need to pray."

She prayed that Min Hyun Ju would find rest in knowing that her brother will be safe. He may have to spend a long time in prison because of his sins but there was hope for a deal.  I hope your brother meant it when he told me he wanted to change, she prayed. I'm working on something so he can get out sooner but he has to change. He has to. I have faith in him.

Opening one eye, she saw that the man beside her was saying a prayer as well. She smiled. That was nice. He's pretty cute, huh? He's been hurt before so he's frowning  most of the time but I think he has a kind heart. In case you see his wife and baby there, could you hug them for this guy? Rest now, Min Hyun Ju. I'll look after your brother here on Earth.

Once she was done, she opened her eyes and turned to Im Cheol-Ryung. "This is Min Hyun Ju. I wasn't able to save her life in the hostage a few months back."

"Her brother's trial is ongoing, yes?" Im Cheol-Ryung asked, thinking back to the articles he's read in the newspapers. When she nodded, he continued to ask, "Do you feel guilty for not being able to save her?"

"Yes," Ha Chae Yoon admittedly sadly. "I don't think I will ever get over it."

"It's not your fault," he assured. 

"I know. Still, it hurts," she said.

"It does," he nodded in understanding. It was the same feeling he had been carrying for a long time. He acknowledged how fragile life was and how it could easily be taken away anytime. But he also was very well aware of the guilt of being the one who still had the privilege of living when someone you loved has perished. 

"You never get over it do you?"

Im Cheol-Ryung gave a sad smile. "No. It stays with you. You just learn to live with that ache in your heart. Maybe one day it won't hurt as much."

They were silent for a few moments before he tentatively asked, "Would you like to visit where my wife is?"

Shyly, Ha Chae Yoon nodded. "Would that be okay?"

He escorted her to the nearby site and quietly said, "Hwa-ryung, I'd like you to meet a friend of mine. This is Inspector Ha Chae Yoon. Don't be fooled by her looks. She can be really annoying."

"Hey!" she protested."Hi Hwa-ryung. I might visit you again one day, I hope you don't mind. But maybe not with this person. He's insufferable. Why'd you marry him? I don't see the charm."

"HEY!"

Laughing, Ha Chae Yoon wrinkled her nose at Im Cheol-Ryung before turning back to Hwa-ryung and the baby's grave to say a prayer for their souls. 

Because her eyes were tightly shut, she missed the gaze that Cheol-Ryung gave her. That slow gaze that caressed her face from her hair to her nose to her lips and then made him smile. 

Looking at his wife and child's grave, he wondered again, Would it be so bad to be happy with --

"Do you want to get some food? I'm starving!" Ha Chae Yoon declared.

"Didn't you just come from a  birthday party?!" he asked, exasperatedly. 

"Yes. But I'm craving for samgyupsal," she said. "I'm going to a restaurant. Up to you if you want to follow or not."

She turned and walked away. As he watched her back, he took a deep breath and thought about what he would do. Resist, resist, resist! he reminded himself. 

But from somewhere faraway, a child playing a kite with his mother yelled and their voices wafted to where Im Cheol-Ryung was. "GO!"

He stared at them. For the first time in two years, the pain in his chest upon seeing such scene was not unbearable. 

"GO!" they said again to the kite they were flying. 

With a lightness in his chest, he ran after Ha Chae Yoon. Once beside her, he simply stated, "I want samgyupsal, too."