Boundless

제 2 장

On another day of just another week, I sat in class of the university that I attended. I payed attention, and I kept notes and I only spoke when I was spoken to. I know what you'd think. That I was dull, that my life hadn't hold any type of meaning. I agreed though. My life hadn't held much meaning. I wasn't sad, or depressed. I was just lonely. Loneliness consumed me almost all the time. I eagerly wanted to graduate so that I could become a teacher. I have always wanted to become a teacher. It's why I came to Korea. I wanted to be surrounded by children, children who needed me. Something I've wanted for such a long time.

The professor dismissed the class and I got up and packed my things and I walked out of the class. I watched all the men and women exit the corridors, they all had a place to go. I sighed and made my way towards the entrance. That's when I felt dizzy. I saw double, and the room was spinning. I heard someone calling my name. They shouted my name, just as I fell against the wall.

I shut my eyes. I feel arms around me, and I smell it, the scent, his scent. The scent I breathed in all night when I carried it home, it comforted me. I blinked, opening my eyes slowly.

There he was. His onyx eyes peered into mine with great concern. My heart began to beat rapidly like a drum. I held my breath. He pulled me up and closer to his chest. His abs and toned chest crushed my breast and abdomen. " Athena, can you hear me? Are you ok?" He asks me, something about the way my name rolled off his tongue satisfied me.

" Jae? Is that you?" I asked weakly. His smile killed me. He was here, holding me against his chest. I come back to reality standing up squarely. " Athena" He breathes my name. " What are doing here?" I get out.

" I go here. My father is also one of the board of directors" He tells me and I blink. " Are you ok? You fainted" He e asks and I nodded. " Just a little tired" I tell him running my hands down my face in embarrassment. " Let me take you home" He says and my eyes widened. He chuckles and shakes his head.

" Not like that darling, I just want to drop you off" I couldn't answer him. Would I? Could I? It was just so embarrassing. " It's fine" I say and he shakes his head. " You expect me to believe that after you just fainted?" He asks and I nodded.

He smiles his perfect smile.

" You are on the brink of disaster. I can see it in your eyes. I have not been able to stop thinking about you, you know that?" Was I hearing things? Did he really just say that? " Because I have your coat"

" No actually, It wasn't that coat. It was because you were truly the most beautiful woman I have ever seen"

•. •. •

Jae did not take me home. He took me to a park. The sun blasted the earth and yet the essence of the winter blanketed around us. He placed his hands in his pockets and looked up to the sky. "Why did you bring me here?" I asked, clutching my hands to my chest, rubbing them together to build friction. He turns to me, and smiles broadly. " You seem troubled, I thought you'd rather be somewhere else than home".

" How are you so sure?"

" I am not. But at least I can see you" He says and I bit my bottom lip and he smiles at this. " You don't know me? I can be a serial killer or something" I say and he chuckles. The corner of his eyes wrinkled and it made my heart jump.
He lifted his eyebrows and cocked his head backwards. " Well, are you?" He asks and I bite back my laugh.

" Of course not" He opens his arms and looks at me. " I think you need a hug" He offers and I stood there watching his open arms and I blinked. Quite unexpectedly though, he enfolds me into his chest and wraps his arms around me. His cinnamon scent fills my nostrils as I my body almost immediately sink into him. Suddenly, a feel a bile of emotion emerge from my throat, then suddenly I wanted cry.

And I did.

I grabbed at Jae's sleeves and buried my head in his neck. I felt his arms tighten as well. I cried into this handsome stranger's clothes. I didn't care, I released everything that I felt and he let me. He knew that I was in pain, when everyone was so obvious to it. It was the rain that filled the dry deserts. He was the meals that satisfied the hungry. And the light that filled the blind darkness.

And perhaps maybe it was his scheme. Perhaps he prayed on the weak, and vulnerable to achieve his desired goal. I still held onto him. I still let my tears fall like spring water on the highest mountains.

He breaks the hug first. He placed his hands on my cheeks and looks me into my eyes. " You will be alright. Everything will be fine" He tells me with gentle eyes.
" How can you be so sure?" I asked him.

" Because I don't plan on going anywhere"