Hye-jae - Book 1: New Beginnings

New Life Part 34

Over breakfast on the balcony under another impossibly high sky, Hye-won sat back and threw her arms wide: 'Goodness, this weather is so wonderful.  And I slept so well after all the cycling and swimming yesterday.  I feel so rested this morning.'

Seon-jae watched the child-like gestures - head thrown back, voice raised excitedly, enormous smile - and reached to pinch Hye-won's cheek gently, with an indulgent expression: 'that's my girl.  That's exactly what I like to hear.  You were so exhausted last night, I was almost worried about you.'  Though it gave me the opportunity to just look at you as much as I wanted - so beautiful.

'I suppose it was the combination of sunshine and fresh air, not to mention...exercise,' she flicked her eyes at him playfully, 'over the past...I was going to say weeks but it's actually only one week since I arrived here...'

She fell silent then, staring into the middle distance, as images of the past week tumbled through her mind - the sun-drenched taxi ride from the airport, hiking in the Black Forest, the sparkling lake, the pretty town, but mainly Seon-jae - Seon-jae in his vital beauty walking towards her in the airport, his head above hers and framed with a billion stars in an inky night-sky, enjoying the food she cooked for him and smiling at her on this very balcony, looking deeply into her eyes and telling her how incredibly sexy he found her, crying as powerful feelings overtook him as they made love, propped against the gallery wall, in the cute pink cap, with legs crossed at the ankle, following her every move with the hottest eyes.  Every frame was a treasure, every remembered moment intense and unforgettable.  

Seon-jae watched the storm crossing Hye-won's face.  Where did she go?   He waited for her to come back to him but he could see that she was labouring under the weight of whatever thoughts had seized her.  He smiled gently and raised his eye-brows enquiringly: 'you ok, love?'  Did I upset her?

'I just...I can't really believe that it's just been a week, Seon-jae.  Just now, my mind was like the video installation we saw last night - a jumble of a week of memories - all beautiful, all happy.'

She trailed off and he took another look at her face: 'but why would happy memories make you...,' he took her chin lightly and raised her head to peer into her eyes: '...what is this face?  What's upsetting my woman?'

She found it hard to think straight when his face was so near and his searching eyes unavoidable.  She dropped her eye-lids and, to her intense annoyance, realised that a tear had slipped onto her cheek.  What on earth is wrong with me these days?

'Love, love what is it?' 

Seon-jae's tone now was very concerned.  He waited another moment and then on impulse, scooped Hye-won into his arms and onto his lap.  He carefully wiped away her single tear and then lowered her head to his shoulder, keeping his hand on her hair, smoothing it.  

Hye-won remained where he placed her - so comfortable - but she spoke then.

'Love, don't worry.  I'm not crying, no really, I'm not,' when he looked askance at her, eye-brow raised: 'I just...well it's just that...all those beautiful memories - you are in every one - you and your beautiful eyes and your heart-stopping smile and your sexy body, but mainly you...loving me, loving being with me, loving me even when I cry or get upset or feel overwhelmed.  And,' he waited while she paused: 'I just realised that I am completely, never-the-same-again, in love with you and...the strength of it scares me, to be honest.  I feel like this week has...branded its way onto my soul.  As if when I am an old, old lady, this week, here, with you, will still shine luminous in my memory, as the very best time of my life.'  

She leaned her forehead against his neck and breathed slowly and deeply, trying to calm her pounding heart and fevered brain.  Seon-jae didn't respond immediately but when he did speak, his voice was uneven.