riptides | j.w.w

illicit affairs

after a couple weeks wonwoo recovered well, he never had the chance to confront minhee about his restored memory and never knew if he'd get the chance. both of them were busy with classes that they only saw each other at home. one evening wonwoo decided to finally tell her. he walked up to her room and knocked, he heard a soft 'come in' and proceeded to open the door. "wonwoo, what's up?" minhee asks. "my memory-" wonwoo starts "it's back?" minhee asks and wonwoo nods. "mingyu told you?" he asked and she nodded. wonwoo sighs "him and his big mouth."

minhee looks down at her pile of biology textbooks, some opened and others pushed to the side "does that mean you remember, actually nevermind it's silly," she says brushing her question off. "yes, i remember us," wonwoo says tilting her head up to face him. minhee smiles then quickly adverts her attention "you don't sound happy about it," she mutters. "you're just different, i mean i like present you, but why the change?" wonwoo asks.

"after my grandmother had told me you forgot about me, my world seemed like it ended, i turned stone cold and closed everyone off. i decided to come study abroad to get out of korea to drastically lessen the chance of seeing you." minhee explains, "to be honest, losing you hurt like hell and i didn't think i'd ever see you again, so i just changed." minhee looks at wonwoo to try and read his reaction, unfortunately he's a hard individual to read. wonwoo's expressions hardly ever change he always has a relaxed face which makes it hard for people to understand how he's feeling.

"well i'm glad to know both versions of you, my minhee," wonwoo says. "your minhee?" minhee questions. "uh, if that's okay with you," wonwoo mutters. "i think you need to get to know this version of me a little bit," minhee teases. "ah yes, the minhee who chased down a mad man to help me, sounds like the bodyguard i need." wonwoo says leaning closer to minhee. the two were inches apart and as wonwoo leans closer, they hear the door creak open.

"what the hell," mingyu blurts out. "evening, mingyu?" wonwoo questions, quickly snapping away from minhee. "your mom is going to wring me out when we go home," mingyu says, walking around the room with his hands on the back of his head, essentially panicked. "we're not going home? they said we're here for all four years," wonwoo frowns, "and yet you didn't even want to come," mingyu snaps back. "we have to go home eventually, we can't stay in boston forever, and i doubt she can come back," mingyu grabs wonwoo's wrist dragging him out from minhee's room.

"i'll just tell my mom this crazy coincidence,  i'll ask if she can forgive minhee, since she did nothing wrong," wonwoo says getting his phone out to text his mom "there message sent." mingyu rolls his eyes "yeah and what about me and haeun?" he asks. "what about it? she can't uproot her whole life and move to a foreign country with a prince, mingyu." wonwoo says. wonwoo had a point, and mingyu knew it. "this isn't a fairytale, not everyone gets a happy ending gyu, seriously, your royal duties come first." wonwoo nags.

"and look my mom is calling." wonwoo says answering the phone then walking away leaving mingyu to sit in his thoughts. maybe he should listen to wonwoo just this once. mingyu sits on the floor and buries his head into his knees, contemplating what to do. mingyu suddenly feels someone touch his back, he looks up to see haeun. "mingyu, don't worry about me, i understand. after all you're a prince, mingyu you have a whole throne lined up for you," haeun says cupping his face in her hands. "trust me i know that i'm not a princess, this isn't a fairytale."

"we're not leaving anytime soon," mingyu exhales sharply "it's complicated, haeun, i'd explain it but i can't" mingyu says finally standing up, this situation stressed him out. "haeun, i do like you but i can't just throw you into the way my family lives," mingyu says while grabbing her hands. "i know this life isn't a fantasy, that's why i can't lose you," he mutters. haeun stares deeply into his eyes "you won't lose me," haeun reassures him "but you don't need to worry about me, i can make decisions for myself."