Another Chance At Love

Chapter 17: Secrets (wildcard)

Since Jeong Hyeok and Seri got closer as days went by, it was not strange anymore if they were seen hanging out. The awkwardness between the two of them already faded out. They talked to each other like best friends that sometimes Seung Jun, the real best friend, was getting kinda jealous.

Tonight was another session between Jeong Hyeok and Seri. Foods and drinks were placed on the table and classical songs as their background music while they were savoring the fresh air on the balcony. The hostel owners couldn't join the two of them since drowsiness visited them early tonight.

Light dialogues and laughs were exchanged between the two, but as the night got deeper, deeper and serious topics and conversations were tackled. Their laughs in the air dissolved as Jeong Hyeok started calling her companion, "Seri..." Seri started raising her head to look at him while the smile on her face slowly faded. She saw how serious Jeong Hyeok's face was, "Why? Is there something wrong?" she asked.

Jeong Hyeok breathed deeply. He thought that this may be the right time to open up to Seri. After hearing her question more than a week ago, he had been thinking when would be the right time for him to be ready to tell her everything. And with the ambiance they were having, he thought that this was the perfect opportunity.

Jeong Hyeok intertwined his fingers on his two hands and lowered his head, "About your question before... The reason why I went here, what I'm going through." As he raised his head, he saw Seri pause everything she was doing- the can of beer halted near her lips and her whole body completely froze.

He waited for Seri to look at him and as her gaze finally landed on his eyes, he said, "I'm ready."

Jeong Hyeok told Seri everything. He told her all the secret grief he was hiding- all the things that have been bottling him up inside. They talked about his ex-girlfriend's death, their journey together, and her last wish for him.

Tears were welling up in both of their eyes, but Jeong Hyeok couldn't help but break into sobs. Seri stood up from her seat to approach Jeong Hyeok and gave him the tightest hug she could ever give, reminding him that she's there for him no matter what.

As the sobs and sniffs started to cease, he also opened up about what he told himself, "I even hoped not to fall in love again, Seri. I almost gave up on it." With what Jeong Hyeok just said, Seri suddenly remembered something, "Wait for me here. I'll just get something from my room."

When Seri arrived, she started talking while she was walking on her way to her seat, "I found this while I was in a park near Han river." She raised a bottle with a piece of paper inside to show Jeong Hyeok. "Ever since I found it and read what was written inside, I always brought it with me. I was curious why the person who wrote it didn't want to love anymore."

As Seri reached her seat, the bottle she was holding was finally clear in Jeong Hyeok's eyes. He quickly grabbed the bottle from Seri's hand once he realized that it was familiar to him. "Where did you get this again? Han River?" he surprisingly asked her and Seri nodded in confusion in response.

Jeong Hyeok opened up the bottle and was getting the paper inside which made Seri be confused more, "What are you doing?" She asked Jeong Hyeok but it seems like he didn't hear anything as he continued unrolling the paper and read what was written inside:

"Dear Universe, don't let me fall in love again."

"I wrote this!" He exclaimed, his eyes widened showing how shocked he was.

"What?" Seri blinked once, then twice.

"I wrote this, Seri. I wrote this on the day I visited my ex-girlfriend's grave. I'm just from Gangwon. I wrote this and threw it into the river." They both looked into each other's eyes, shocked.

"What's going on?" They both told each other as they were both amazed at what they just discovered.

"Wow..." Jeong Hyeok said as he lightly chuckled. "Were really supposed to meet, huh?" They both shared a laugh while looking away from each other. 

"It's destiny. It is destined for us to meet," Seri said in the air.

"To help each other go through and cure the heartaches of our past." Jeong Hyeok responded while Seri was slowly shifting her gaze to Jeong Hyeok. And as she landed her eyes on him, they both smiled at each other.

Seri stood up and went to the edge of the balcony. She leaned on the railings and looked straight. "Could I ask you a question, Jeong Hyeok?" She asked, not looking at him and keeping her position.

"Go on," Jeong Hyeok responded as he stood up from his seat to start approaching her.

"Are you still holding onto that promise? Are you giving up on love?" She blurted the question in the air while looking straight to the trees that were in front of the hostel.

As Jeong Hyeok approached and stood beside her, he also leaned on the balcony's railings. "Could I be completely honest with you?" He asked and looked over his shoulder to look at Seri.

Seri straightened up and looked at Jeong Hyeok's face. She nodded and smiled in response to his question.

Jeong Hyeok mimicked her on leaving the balcony's railing to stand up straight then eventually faced her, looking straight into her eyes. He thought of how destiny played with them. He reminisced everything that happened since he arrived in Switzerland and met Seri. He didn't want to deny anymore what his heart was saying.

"To be honest, not anymore. I actually want to give love another chance," he started. And as the wind breezes through them, Seri's locks blocked her face.

Jeong Hyeok slid the strands of hair that were blocking her face behind her ear which made Seri startled. Jeong Hyeok held both of her shoulders and smiled at her, "There's another secret I want to tell you."

Seri waited for him to talk, not knowing how to respond because of his actions. Jeong Hyeok breathed deeply and finally confessed, "I like you, Seri. I started developing feelings for you."