In My Arms (Hometown Cha Cha Cha fanfiction)

Chapter 20: Night Lights

Hye Jin's POV

Du Sik and I walk hand-in-hand along the bridge that overlooks the Han bridge. The sun has set and the sky is covered with a thick veil of dark blue and deep purple. The coolness of night starts to descend upon us. Du Sik reaches out and wraps his jacket around me.

"Thank you." I smile, immediately feeling warm and fuzzy. My heart is so full from the array of activities we had today. Time flies when you're having fun. Today ended in the twinkle of an eye. It ended way too fast. I want it to last forever.

"The night lights should be starting soon." I say as I stop to look across the Han river. The moon shines brightly and peeks over the river.

Du Sik wears a deep expression on his face. He seems to be submerged in something. A memory? A thought?

"Jagiya?" I call him.

"Hm?" He replies.

I smile at him sweetly and hold his hand.

"What's on your mind?" I ask him, leaning close to him.

Du Sik holds me hand.

"Nothing." He smiles.

"Are you sure?" I ask him. "I know you better than that." I smile.

Du Sik looks over the Han river.

"I was just thinking... of that day..." He turns to look at me. "You know?" He asks me.

I nod. I know which day he refers to.

The day his hyung was taken away from him.

The day he almost took his life.

"Do you still blame yourself?" I ask him.

He turns to look at me. When I first met Du Sik, his eyes were like thick coffee. They were opaque. Like a closed door, I could never see what was going on behind the scenes.

When he started to open to me; when that door opened, I saw raging waves and a deep dark ocean.

But now, as I look at him, light has shone. What initially appeared to be a dark ocean of regret is now a peaceful lake.

"No, I don't." He says softly. He touches my face, reassuring me that he's not chained down by condemnation.

"I was just thinking how lucky I was that day. I really wasn't in the right frame of mind. I hadn't eaten for days. I remember being so weak, both mentally and physically."

"You did look quite weak." I say, without thinking. "You even needed to have the medics help you cross over the road divider, I was so scared you were going to trip." I say, thinking back to the time that Du Sik and I 'met' for the third time.

Our first time was at the beach as children.

Our second time was at the convenience store as teenagers when I ran away from home.

And our third time was here, at the Han river, when I just couldn't look away from the man sitting by the Han bridge.

"What?" Du Sik says loudly. I jump at the sudden change in volume. "How did you- How did you know that I-" His voice trails off in disbelief.

And I realize that Du Sik never knew that I was the one who called the ambulance to get him.

"Hye Jin?" Du Sik nudges me.

"You probably don't remember," I say slowly. "There was a car parked at the side of the road when you were here?"

Du Sik pauses for a while as he tries to recall.

"It was you in the car?" He asks.

I nod.

"I saw someone dressed in a hospital gown here. He was sitting here." I recount. "I didn't want to leave him there... I called the ambulance. And then I-"

Du Sik sweeps me into his arms.

"It was you. It was you. You and Ms Gam-ri saved my life." He says softly and buries his face in my hair.

"It was you." He says it again as if he cannot believe it. His voice is full of awe.

I hug him back tightly.

"No wonder. I was wondering how the ambulance knew I was here." He laughs softly. He laughs with relief. He can smile at the trials he's been through, knowing that he's come out on the other side stronger.

"Thank you." He whispers.

When he looks at me, the moon is reflected in his eyes. The twinkle in his eyes looks like the stars. The whole sky is reflected in his eyes. He is the world; my whole world.

I smile at him.

"I was here with you the whole time. I waited until I was sure that the medics had you back safely."

"I am always here with you." I whisper.

Du Sik wears the sweetest smile on his face. His eyes hold a plethora of emotion: gratitude, love, relief. Everything that is good and beautiful.

As he leans in to press his lips to mine, the night lights bloom across the sky.