𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐒 | 𝐊- 𝐏𝐎𝐏

𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝗈𝗇𝖾 𝗁𝗎𝗇𝖽𝗋𝖾𝖽 𝖿𝗈𝗎𝗋𝗍𝗒 𝗈𝗇𝖾

Chapter 22: A Sad Story

His face betrays his shock. She smiles awkwardly realizing this is unusual.

"I applied to the master's program here with the intent to move here and to scatter his ashes, as I promised him. But, I haven't gotten up the nerve to say goodbye to him yet." He nods, realizing the importance of this to her. He doesn't want to let go of her hand but she removes her hand from his and sits quietly, remembering. He thinks about what she's told him.

"Why was he in Korea? Was he a soldier?" She nods.

"He came here just before the Armistice was signed, and then he was one of the last to leave in 1954." He watches as she plays with a ribbon from the pretty gift box, twisting it nervously in her fingers as she stares down at them.

"How old was he?" Taehyung asks, trying to calculate it in his head.

"He was only 18." She smiles up at him sadly. "But he fell in love while he was here."

"With the country?" She nods and smiles broadly.

"And a young girl." He looks up shocked, not expecting her response. "He met her in Tapgol park. He told me he wanted to marry her, but her family refused, and in the end he was shipped home, alone." Taehyung looks back at her with a sorrowful expression.

"That's too bad. I'm sorry for him." He looks down as he thinks about her story. "But I am glad you kept your promise." He smiles up at her, trying to engage her eyes. She studies him and thinks about the promise. There is no way she wouldn't have honored this request. After her parents died, he was the person who raised her, and cared for her, and loved her deeply. She never felt need for anything as long as he was alive. It's so difficult to think of letting him go, once and for all when it means she will have no one left. A single tear forms in the corner of her eye and rolls down her cheek.

Taehyung sees it leaving a shining trail on her skin in the dim light from the streetlight beyond. He leans his body across the space between them, reaching his thumb up to wipe the tear away, letting his hand drop under her chin, lifting it, and bringing her eyes to his. He stares down at her lips as her eyes watch him closely. The noise of the city seems to disappear and he can almost hear his heart beating faster and the blood rushing through his veins as he leans closer to her.

Her eyes close and her head tilts slightly to the side as her lips part, awakening every nerve in his body. He gasps a tiny intake of breath before he gently presses his lips against hers. Her lips feel full and soft and the smell of her skin stirs a new hunger inside him. His hand slides back into her hair, letting it tumble down around her shoulders and he pulls her closer to him as his kiss grows deeper. He rises up onto his knees, pulling her body up to connect to him as both hands slide up to cup her face. He sinks into the kiss. His head is spinning, and for the first time, he allows himself to be swallowed up in his desire, his need, and the feeling of truly loving someone. He feels her pull back from the kiss slightly, but she remains close to him. He smiles, relieved, and rests his forehead against hers, still holding her, his fingers entangled in her hair. His head is swirling with the sensation of her breath against his skin and her lips still so close to him.

"Oh Hana," he whispers, not able to find the right words to express all that he is feeling. She pulls her body back from his, looking slightly embarrassed, her eyes quickly dart away. He's unsure what she's feeling. He smiles broadly at her, trying to meet her eyes, but she bites her lip and looks down. "I want to kiss you again," he confesses as he leans closer, his hand still resting at the nape of her neck. Her head pulls back away from him.

"I don't think that's a good idea." The words burn through him, as if they are reaching into his chest, pulling his heart out, and dashing it to the ground. She turns her head away from him, trying to hide her real feelings. He leans closer to her, trying to get her to look at him. She looks up for a moment and the sadness in his eyes makes her lose her nerve and she looks away quickly, with more resolve.

"I lead a very simple life. I don't know if there is room for simple in your world," she explains. He shakes his head, reaching down to grab her hand, wrapping it in his and squeezing it gently to hold onto her. She won't look at him.

"I don't think you understand. I want to be with you, and if I need to change something in my life to be able to, then I will." He lowers his face down to try to meet her eyes. She shakes her head.

"I would never ask you to change your life."

"You aren't asking. It's my choice. I want this." He sits back down on the coat, shaking his head. He's so close to having what he wants, what he needs, and he knows it. But she doesn't. Maybe he needs to tell her everything, to confess that he was in love with her the moment he saw her on the broadcast, to tell her that he's thought of nothing but her for days, and that everything he has done, all the acts of kindness and generosity are for her. He looks up to find her regarding him. The sadness in her eyes is breaking his heart.

"You are an amazing person, I can tell that from this short time I've known you, and tonight has been- well, it's been an adventure, but, I think it's best if you take me home now." She looks down at the box between them, and busies herself with closing it up, and removing any trace of crumbs from his coat. He watches her, not believing what he's hearing. It doesn't seem possible that the kiss they shared moments ago was only special to him. His eyes well up with tears and he sits quietly, waiting in vain for her to change her mind.

"I- I'm sorry I have been too forward." He stands, brushing off his clothing and picking up the package of food from the cafe. He reaches his hand out to help her up and she takes it as she stands, stepping off of his coat. "I shouldn't have kissed you, I just felt so close to you in the moment," he carries on explaining himself, making excuses, but not saying what he desperately wants to say, not telling her all that is in his heart. He picks up his coat, shaking the damp of the grass off of it and he leads her back toward his car.

She sits beside him as he drives out of the complex, toward the address she gave him and toward an unknown future. She stays quiet, watching the lights pass by outside the window. He focuses on the road, and she senses that he is deep in thoughts he needs time to process. She feels sorry for how the evening has ended, but, her life could never fit neatly into the life he leads. She is certain of that. Almost.