Goodbye, Hunter

epilogue

[play the song at the multimedia for more feels haha]

i finished Hunter's portrait yesterday. i compiled all of my letters for him and put them in a box. i also printed some of our pictures which i also put inside together with the letters. i've been too emotional these past few days because of every confession i wrote for Hunter and today is the day i will leave him.

the only nice thing my brother did is that, he didn't say when i will go to US. i need to go there for my operation, there is still no cure but there are tablets which i can drink.

this is it.

"hey autumn, ride now." my brother said. i quickly rode his car without looking at him, i'm still mad. though they have the right to know it, i must be the one to say it. is he nuts? did he think he was a wonderful surprise?

"oppa" i called him. "i still hate you, small guy." and i laughed at him. good thing i'm at the backseat so he can't pinch me. 

"autumn, we're not sure if your operation will be a hundred percent success." i heard his voice broke. "but always think that oppa is here, okay?" i just rolled my eyes and looked at the scenery at the window. i don't want to think about the operation, it's just too... much.

i noticed that the box is still with me and also the painting. how can i give this to Hunter? he won't even talk to me. i was thinking if he is asking me to die but i know him, somehow i know him.

"oppa, can we go back? i have something to give to Hunter." for a few seconds, you looked at me at the mirror. 

"okay."

the flight was later in the evening and it is still early afternoon so we wouldn't be late. when we reached Hunter's house, i saw his window down— he's not at home. i quickly brought the painting and the box with me. his maids let me in since they know me well.

i am now in front of his room. i was thinking of knocking but i know he's not there so what's the use?

i entered the room and damn, lot of things had changed. when's the last time i went here? like three months ago? i was aware of our pictures on the one wall of his room, because i'm the one who sticked that. it was nice to think that he didn't peeled this off or even painted. his room is now blue, and the wall where our pictures was glued is still painted in white.

i put the box on the top of his table adjacent to his window which is directly in front of the window in my room. the painting, i leaned it at you chair.

"how many times did i told you to knock at my door?" 

for a moment, i became stiff. how come, he's home? "your window is down—"

"some things change, autumn." he said looking straightly into my eyes, it was hard to look away looking at his dull hazel eyes. "what are those?"

"Hunter, i'll get going." i said and was about to get out of his room when he hugged me. why is it everytime i give myself distance from him, he's always coming near. 

"why didn't you tell me?" i was having second thoughts if what he's asking about is about my disease of Vernon but i decided to keep my mouth shut. "why?"

"Hunter, i need to go." i bitterly said and let myself out of his hug. i wiped my tears away as i go out of their house. little did i know, he followed me. 

"why can't you explain? until now?" i also heard his voice broke. "my dad left me. my mom, i don't know where she is. all i have now is you."

i didn't answer looking at him. "you have Irene."

"not anymore. she left me, too." i can say just by his tone, he's crying. he's so selfish. he know i can't control myself whenever he's crying. 

i walked back to him and gently cupped his face. "someone told me once that I was a tree woman. i had told him a fairy tale about creatures that were women from the front and hollow from behind and who married men to eat their souls."

he wiped his tears. "and you're that woman. you're a tree woman."

"yes." i answered. "but it's not because of the myth you told me."

"why are you explaining this? this is not what i asked you." he protested and i cupped his face again. i wiped tear from his left cheek. 

"i'm a tree woman not because i devour others, or because i'm hollow inside. it's because i take from the things i experience and the people i meet and i grow into a new skin, shedding the old one behind when it's time to move on." i answered while wrapping him into my arms.

"i knew you like me all along." 

i smiled at what he said. what he knows is that i only like him but it's so much greater than that.

my voice may never mingle with his voice again. i may never press my ear to his chest just to hear his heartbeat quicken because of his crush, and i may never jump into his arms or embrace him so exuberantly that his feet leave the floor. 

but that's okay, because i'll take what I've learned from you, and if God will let me, i'll grow into something more than you ever expected. i loved you, but now i know it's time to move on, and that's going to be okay.  

"after all these time, thank you for letting me loving you. and even though it's obvious, thank you for pretending you don't know. now i have to let you go and this time, please pretend that you don't know for one last time." i reminded you.

"take care of yourself, Autumn." 

"goodbye, Hunter."

***

"Goodbye, Hunter"

date started: may 16, 2017

date ended:  june 1, 2017

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

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