“Yah, wait for me will you?”

Taking big steps on this ground full of dried leaves, I try to chase my boyfriend’s pace. To get to the tombs uphill, we need to pass through a very spooky pathway with tall trees around first. What makes it so spooky is that it’s already six in the evening and it’s beginning to get dark. “Make it quick.” Kyungsoo stops walking and offers his hand out. I grin at the sight and quickly skipped nearer but then he only grabbed my bag. “Yah, my hand.” I whine.

“Your speed is weak because you’re carrying this silly bag.” He said and begins walking again. “That’s not a silly bag. It contains my jacket, yours too if ever you would need it in our SUPPOSEDLY outdoor cinema and then I also brought some chips for our SUPPOSEDLY outdoor cinema and th—“Your usage of words in the sentence is just superfluous that it’s not good to hear.” He cuts me off.

I just roll my eyes as I continue trailing behind.

“If you’ll just hold me while we walk then there’s no problem.” I mutter under my breath. My boyfriend suddenly walks backward until he reaches my side. My grin was back immediately and I tug on his arm. “This place is so spooky. Do you come here alone often?” I ask while looking up to him. “I don’t even come here often to start with.” He answers and I just pouted. “When was the last time?” I ask while his arm. “I don—tell me, why are you doing that?” He complains and I immediately stop.

“So sulky. Fine.” I grunt and just simply hugged his arm like it was my favorite pillow. “Yah, how about later? It’s going to be indeed dark and we need to get back. Oh my gee. No way. . .” I muffle in fear. “No way? Alright, I’ll leave you there at the tomb stone, and come back for you tomorrow so it’s not dark anymore. You want?” He asks casually. “NO!” I grunt and hit his arm lightly. I look around again in fear while tightening my grip on Kyungsoo’s arm.

“You know why you’re scared? You yourself are expecting something to come out. You keep on anticipating on fear triggers when actually, there isn’t any.” He said. “I was just being sure, what if a ghost already passed by and I didn’t see? That is much scarier.” I explain and he just gave me that skeptical look. “First, such supernatural beliefs are not real. I don’t believe in them. And second, if ever there is. . . tell me if you’re really scared aren’t you supposed to feel relieved that you didn’t see it pass by?” He asks. “DO KYUNGSOO, a ghost passes by on you, you won’t be scared??” I answer back.

“But, ipso facto, you didn’t see it and you didn’t know it passed by so you won’t be scared. You are a breathing nonsense, my dear.” He said and I groan more. “Tongue-tied?” He asks with his winning face. “I’ll let you pass this time, you called me dear.” I said and my grin immediately comes back. He just rolls his eyes while having his self-satisfied smile.

Ahh! Finally, we arrived at the very area of the tomb stones.

We had to take a few more high steps before getting onto the right spots. I felt rather emotional to see my man’s parents—well technically—for the first time. I quickly did a polite formal bow and Kyungsoo did the same after placing the basket of flowers in front of it. We both knelt down and did it. Once I lift my head to kneel down straight, I see Kyungsoo still in the position for a while so I just kept quiet and let him pray or whatever he was doing.

I took this chance to look at the tomb.

Do Hongju and Kim Soojin are their names. And I also noticed the date of the death and realized it’s only been like eight years.

“Yah.” I flinch when Kyungsoo finally calls, he already had the same kneeling position as I have. I didn’t know what to say. We just both stared at the stones. “We had to go at night because I didn’t want to bump in with relatives. I’m not very sure how often do they visit here or when. Night is the best choice.” He speaks making me turn to him.

I just process the words he said but still, I have no idea of why he wouldn’t want it.

“You can sit comfortably.” He mutters as he flop down on the grass in an Indian sitting position and I did the same. I just looked at him while hugging my bag down like a pillow. I know he’s about to tell me so I decided to keep quiet. He glances at me briefly and gave a light smile before looking down to his hands again. He was fiddling with his fingers.

“I have never told this to anyone so you should feel proud.” He said and I just chuckle, I didn’t feel offended or find him rude anymore. It’s his time to let it out, I should give him enough space to speak up. “I was nineteen when they died in a car accident. We were on our way to my high school graduation.” He speaks. He looks at me again like he was checking my reaction.

I just move closer to him and nod signaling him to go on. “I was in the car as well. At the backseat. The front part of the car was a total wreck. I survived with only a few bruises and cuts.” He mutters. His voice was becoming weaker now. I’ve never heard him in this tone before that made me very vulnerable as well. I put an arm around his and he seems to appreciate it this time. “Go on. Take it slow.” I mutter as soft as possible.

“I was conscious the whole time and I had a seatbelt on so. . . I saw how my parents died. I actually tried to push off the metals and other things stabbing and pinning their bodies down but I couldn’t. That time, the only thing I was able to do was call for the emergency hotline right away. So I did but I knew they were already dead.” He lets out a light chuckle but I see him rubbing his eyes.

Now who said Dr. Do Kyungsoo doesn’t have feelings?

“Then?” I ask and rest my chin on his shoulder to look at him more closely hoping that it would make him feel more comfortable. “My relatives blamed me. They are accusing me of planning it.” He said which caught me off guard. What the hell? I was so shocked that I unknowingly move my chin away from his shoulder. “W-what?” I ask, my voice came out airy.

He lets out a small chuckle while rubbing the back of his neck.

“Ever since I was a kid, they always found me weird. They are pushing the fact that I might be a psychopath or something because I was the only one who survived when the car was half a total wreck avoiding my side and also for the fact that. . . I didn’t cry the whole time. But they couldn’t do anything without any evidence, they even said it’s for the reason that I was a genius.” He explains. “What the—why are they like that. . .” I muffle, I try to avoid myself from cussing right now.

“Did you really not cry?” I ask and move close to him again. “Why, do they have to see it? I don’t have to show them I’m sad. They should know better, I lost my parents. And besides, I tried crying but it didn’t bring them to life.” He answers and I bit my lower lip feeling so sorry for him. “They’re even nice to adopt me after that. But I found out about something.” He looks at me.

“What?” I ask and glance at the tomb before turning to him again. “The money I got from the memorial service, the donations, and even the money my parents left only for me, they kept it. They were using it instead and I was already preparing for college that time. I kept quiet the whole time, I didn’t even say I already knew.” He says and I froze for a minute. “But what I did secretly. . . my father was actually a lawyer and I called his close friend in the firm. I asked for help. It was downfall for my relatives financially and emotionally, which caused them to really disown me as a family member.” He said and laughs bitterly.

“But you did the right thing.” I mutter. “I know. And at such young age, I was able to fight them back in that way. With enough help from my father’s friends, I got all the inheritance. So what I did, just to escape from my relatives who kept on coming back wanting to put me down ‘cause of that lawsuit, I took an exam in a university abroad and got in, applied for visa and then left. With all the money I had from my parents and also from the lawsuit I won.” He tells.

Wow. He is one brave man.

I would have never imagine doing that all alone.

“Is that psychopath? It’s kind of, right? I mean, I plotted it really well and cleanly.” He said and chuckles. “No, of course not.” I said and hugged his arm more. He lets out a deep sigh and to my surprise, he puts a hand on top of mine which was holding onto his arm. He then rests his head back to mine. It felt all right. “In my opinion, this is the most extreme intimacy we’ve ever had. You’re the first to know me truly like this.” He said. Our eyes were both stuck on the tomb. “Agree times two times two times two.” I answer back earning a soft laugh from him which I never heard before.

Then our eyes met.

“You had it rough but not anymore. I’ll always be here to get mocked by you.” I mutter and his lips curve up into a long smile as he gazes down to my lips. “I don’t like your hair.” He muffles before capturing my lips for a loving, passionate kiss. He shifts his body closer to mine capturing my lips more deeply. My shoulders jolt up at the kind of liplock we were sharing.

It was enough for me to hear his I love you without him actually saying it.

When we pull away, I place my forehead against his as we gasp for air. Although it was dark, the LED lamp we also brought gave me a chance to see his flushed cheeks. “My heartbeat is on an elevated pace again. Why do you always make me feel sick.” He muffles and I just responded with a chuckle.

I reach for his cheek and cup it.

“And you always make me feel proud with your originality. I have never heard of a teenage boy suing his remaining family before.” I mutter and he looks down and I heard his faint chuckle. “And flying all alone in a country he’s never been in? Studying alone even getting a PhD? Now showing those inconsiderate people the person they once tried degrading? A successful Neurobiologist and~ a professor in a medical university. He did that all alone.” I said.

He looks away still with that chuckle. “What?” I ask. He turns to me again. “Now you believe that I’m perfect?” He asks and I roll my eyes. “Oh god, here we go again.” I groan but my lips were already curving up into a grin. “I knew you were a jellyfish.” He mutters. “Ugh, what is it again.” I grunt but lean my head on his shoulder while staring in space. “You seem to have a bioluminescent organ as to a jellyfish.” He chuckles. I turn my head to him again while frowning.

“Bio what?” I ask. He looks down to his lap and smiles. “This organ of theirs emits light. Causing some jellyfish to glow in the dark.” He explains. I process the words he was trying to say. Slowly but surely, I got what he meant and my lips curved up into a smile again. “Eyy~  you mean I’m glowing at night? That’s so romantic.” I tease.

“No, you have a firefly on your hair.” He said and my eyes bulge out. “Ahh!! Where?? Get it away get it away!” I squirm around while trying to hold him until we both fell down, with me on top of him. “Is it gone?” I muffle while holding onto his chest. His eyes were stuck on me which brought me back to the realization of our position. I quickly shift my body away from him and he pulls himself up again. He surprisingly didn’t panic like I would usually expect.

I fix my dress while looking around the darkness.

I gaze at him again, he was now staring at his parents’ tomb while having a light smile.

He’s like. . . talking to them in his mind.

I wonder what he’s saying.

I just kept quiet the whole time. Until he spoke, “They approve of you.” He said turning to me. “Ha? Me?” I ask while looking at the tomb. “I told them to. They don’t have a choice. They’re dead.” He said and I just blink while pursing my lips tightly. “Wah, really, you don’t have a tad bit of sweetness even to your late parents.” I scoff at the way he said it. Though I know he did not mean to sound rude or something.

“Yes, I know. Even when they were still alive, they always knew. But they also knew I love them although I didn’t show it much. They knew I care although I acted as if I didn’t. And I’m sure as someone who knows as much as they did, I know they would approve of you if they were alive.” He explains and my heart flutters at what he said. He then turns to me. “You know as much as they did, right?” He asks. I smile back and grabbed his hand.

“Of course.” I answer. I think. . . this is the perfect time. I think I’m ready to let him know too. “Kyungsoo, let’s meet my father.” I said making him turn. I know I have not mentioned my father—ever—to him but I think this is the right time. “S-sure, I would love to.” He answers and I feel him holding my hand back as tight as I am doing. “He’s alive right? We have never talked about him before and I just wanted to make sure.” He mutters. I gave him a smile and nodded.

“Of course he is. Let’s go tomorrow?” I ask. He thinks for a while. “So you won’t go to work?” He asks back. “Yes, I will just call over to the restaurant and tell I have some important things to do.” I answer. “Oh well. . . I have a class in the morning is it alright?” He asks. “Appa’s in Daegu actually so we need to travel. But if it’s only in the morning, I think it will be alright.” I answer. He gives me a curt nod before turning to the tomb again.  I just look at him with my hopeful eyes.

I wish everything goes well. . .