Letters to Hae

Chapter 8

 Rachel's POV

The time on her hotel room clock displayed 2.30am. "Arghhhh..." She groaned as she exhaled. Sleeping had been a struggle for her tonight. She decided to check / read her SNS to tire her eyes out but when she reached for her phone, she noticed it wasn't there. Actually, she couldn't remember where she left her phone. She decided to make a quick call to reception to see if someone had handed her phone in. It was a random thought, but she was hoping someone found it and handed it in. Yes, they had a phone handed in. She quickly dressed herself and made herself fit to be seen.

She thanked the reception staff for the phone and as she turned to walk back to her hotel room, she noticed a note tucked into its cover. "Took that rest and I'll try to do better tomorrow night" the note read. She laughed out loud. The laugh was more out of shock than anything else. She had to admit that she didn't understand the note's message but smiled that the phone was returned undamaged. "Thank you to the sweet stranger" she whispered to the universe.

Rachel was confident the phone was not tampered with. She was beginning to feel the weight of tiredness and decided to quicken her step back to her bed. Once undressed, and tucked into bed, she habitually unlocked her phone and checked all her usual sites and messages. No messages so far. She decided to end her night flicking through her phone's gallery and admiring all her photos. At first, she didn't notice the latest picture taken, but then she zoomed in on the photo that she knew she herself hadn't taken. She remembered that Diane hadn't touched her phone that day. She sat up in her bed and looked at the photo with more focus. A man had taken a selca displaying a beautiful smile. It was someone that looked exactly like her special bias. When she zoomed in, she noticed that he was holding his phone in his other hand close to his face and the phone displayed a message for her "Rachel, you left your phone beside the pool tonight. Don't worry I'll keep it safe for you". She blinked a few times. She sat there in shock. Confused. And then laughed to herself. "what just happened?" she asked herself.

Fully awake again, Rachel stood on the balcony seeking some fresh air. The sliding door to the room closed to keep out any noise. She was thinking about him. "Did he see me in the pool?" she found herself repeating. She was no dreamer. She knew what reality she lived in. "He sings and is part of Super Junior" she stated quietly. Her job was to only watch and admire. She was fully aware that nothing would become of what she was thinking. But she couldn't help her mind wonder. She knew they would never meet. She knew that her face was one of many in a sea of blue. She knew that she was, and never will be linked to his life. Most importantly, she had no desire to be a part of his very public life.

It was just before 5am when her head finally hit the pillow and she fell quickly asleep. She concluded to herself that it was just a coincidence that he was at the same pool, and he must have heard her friend Diane calling her name. She felt there was no way that Lee Dong Hae knew that she was the same Rachel who had been sending him letters each month. Yes, that last thought put her mind to rest.

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Rachel's feet a felt a little sore and the poor shopping bag, she found could no longer hold its weight. This morning had breezed by quickly. She had slept until 10am and both her and Diane decided to try breakfast outside of the hotel. They were eager to catch as much of the city as possible before flying home the next day. Now her hands were full. She had bought herself some pretty things and also some presents for her closest and dearest. Diane was eager to have some rest in the afternoon, for her to feel refreshed for her date that night. As they headed back to the hotel, they grabbed some late lunch, although they laughed as they ate, as they both admitted to themselves and each other that lunch wasn't really necessary after eating and trying out different foods of the city.

Rachel hung her newly purchased black dress from the top of the bathroom door. It certainly was pretty. And she was proud to have found her ballet flats fit so well and for so little money. While Diane enjoyed her afternoon nap, Rachel decided to head out and explore the hotel again. She took some beautiful shots, using light and the sun's shadows. She seemed to be in high spirits and wasn't going to let anything or anyone dampen her mood.

She made her way back to her room and found Diane getting ready for the night ahead. There was a chill in the air, but they both felt a good jacket would cover their bare sleeves until they got indoors again. Rachel hopped in to have a quick shower, and all she needed to do was to slip her dress and shoes on, and wear light make-up. She didn't bother washing her hair as she had already done so that morning. As she admired herself in the mirror, she praised herself for her choice in dress. "Yes, this definitely suits my mood perfectly tonight". Her dress was a beautiful black dress with lace details on the hem. "I can dress this one up or down" she thought. Today, Rachel decided to dress it down with some nude colour flats. Hair in a bun and small tote bag strapped across her chest and sitting on her hip, Rachel applied some lippy and mascara, took a deep breath and followed Diane into the night. She liked those markets and she was happy to be going again tonight. She had sprayed her favourite perfume Poeme' on lightly and she brought her wrist up to smell the sweet smell. She was adjusting her watch when she took her first step into the markets. "Right on 8pm... damn we're good" she said to Diane. She noticed Diane distracted by the man in her view, and instantly felt a feeling of wanting some romance herself tonight.

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