"You, will be the death of me."

“If you leave with him, you will not get a single cent of your inheritance!”

She pretended not to have heard him as he stormed past her father, carrying a huge backpack on her shoulders and made a move for the door. With tears already glistening in her eyes, she knew this was the right decision to make; even if it means having to leave her materialistic family behind.

For years and years, Son Na Eun has never been given the chance to decide her own life. Ever since the day she was born, everything has been arranged for her, every little detail.

She wasn’t allowed to play with the other children, because her parents claimed they were not up to their standards. She wasn’t allowed to ride in the same bus as the other kids from school, because they said that it was dirty. She was forbidden to mingle with her other classmates, having to go straight home from school every single day.

And this went on for years. Until she reaches the age of 18, she can now finally say – she’s had enough. Enough of them controlling her life. Enough of them making the decisions for her.

She can think for herself. She knows what she wants.

And right now, all that she wants is to be with the boy who works at his father’s shop, serving people in the daytime and a fulfilling his responsibility as a student during night time.

The boy who has been staying a few blocks away from her since they were both 5 years old.

Right before she stepped her foot out of the door, she heard his father’s voice booming loud over her head.

“Once you leave this house, you’re not my daughter anymore and I won’t care about what happens to you after this!”

Father...she thought to herself. You’ve always been like this, you’ve always been this selfish. You can’t even spare a thought for your only child’s feelings. I’m so disappointed in you.

Without glancing back for even a second, she finally step out of the house, into the night’s chilly air as she let the door close by itself behind her.

She wasn’t going to look behind any longer. It was time to move on forward with her new life.

“We have to go, we have to leave now if we don’t want them to catch up with us,” she hissed at him, the urgency in her voice was very noticeable.

He returned her plead with a very confused look.

“Wait, what are you talking about? Why do we have to leave? Who is after us?”

“My father. I...I’ve left home Myungsoo. And it’s only a matter of time before he finds me here, finds me with you. We have to go. Now.”

His eyes widened in surprise at her sudden confession. He threw a glance back over his shoulder, at his house where his family were all already fast asleep.

“...I can’t.” When he saw her face fell, he quickly grabbed her hands and gave them a gentle squeeze. “It’s not that I don’t want to run away with you but...my family. They need me. My mum’s sick and my dad need me to operate the shop tomorrow. And I still have my classes which...”

Before he could finish his explanation, she brought up her face closer to his and crashed her lips onto his unexpectedly. Startled by her sudden move, it took him about a few seconds to react but he kissed her back just as passionately; like two young lovers yearning for something which was just unattainable.

She pulled away from him gradually, her lips parted slightly as she catch her breath.

“Please Myungsoo. We don’t have any other choice left. We’ll come back for them later, once things have finally settled down.”

He held her gaze for a moment, as though trying to read out her thoughts.

“Give me 10 minutes,” he finally said.

“Where are we going actually?”

Beside him, in the passenger’s seat, Na Eun just shrugged her shoulders as she stared out of the window mindlessly.

“I’m not so sure. Maybe we should just drive first, and look for any suitable place to crash in for the night. We’ll think more about it tomorrow, when we’ve already got plenty of rest.”

Myungsoo took off one hand from the steering wheel and reached over for her hand. He rubbed it gently and gave it a soft reassuring squeeze.

“We’ll figure it out. We always do. I love you.”

She managed out a small smile for him and nodded her head.

Just then, something caught her attention from the rear-view mirror. The bright flashlight from another car. A very familiar black Mercedes.

“They...they are following us,” she said nervously as she risk a look behind. Sure enough, two of her father’s men were in the car, tailing them closely.

“What should we do now?”

“Just...carry on driving. Faster. We can’t let them overtake us.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea Na Eun,” Myungsoo said slowly. “The roads are slippery due to the heavy downpour just now. It might be dangerous to try go over the speed limit.”

“But we don’t have  a choice!” she cried out in sheer frustration. “I didn’t...leave it all behind just to get caught and hauled back into my old life once again. I don’t want to go through it again.”

“Okay, alright.” He tried to soothe her down by maintaining his cool. “I’ve got this, don’t worry.”

Na Eun shook her head vigorously, her long locks flicking around her face wildly.

“No you don’t. Look, they are catching up fast. Here, let me drive.”

“No! What are you doing?” They struggled for dominance over the steering wheel, with her still stuck in her seat, with the belt strapped across her body. “Let it go! I can’t get a clear view!”

“Let me drive!” she repeated desperately, her hands still clinging on to the wheel stubbornly.

“Na Eun, don’t. I can’t...No!”

Her thoughts, only focused on their escape, only focused on being with him for eternity; she wasn’t really paying attention to anything else. She wouldn’t let them get in their way ever again.

Even if it means it would be the last thing she would ever do.

“Na Eun!”

They were star-crossed lovers, risking themselves to be in a doomed relationship. They knew from the start, fate doesn’t want them together. Yet, they still foolishly tried to change the circumstances.

When you try to go against fate, nothing right follows soon after.

Chorong bent down slightly and placed the fresh white flowers in front of the two tombstones, situated side by side. She sniffed back her tears quietly, thinking of her best friend who had already left her and departed from this world.

Na Eun was such a bright and intelligent girl. She had everything at the palm of hands.

Everything except for happiness and love.

So Chorong understood why she did what she had to do. She risked her life and also her loved one, just so they could be finally be together, without anyone intervening in their paths.

“Sad, isn’t it?”

She wiped away a single drop of tear which had rolled down her cheek and glanced up briefly.

Nam Woohyun, one of Myungsoo’s close friends, was standing beside her with his two hands stuffed inside his pants pockets. He started down at the two tombstones regretfully, the sadness clearly emblazoned in both of his eyes.

“He loved her, he really did. He wouldn’t leave his family behind just like that for anything, for anyone else.”

“Na Eun wouldn’t walked out on her family too,” Chorong added softly. “He gave her the strength and encouragement to do so.”

Woohyun let out a resigned sigh.

“I’d like to think that they are both in a better place now, finally deserving the happiness they’ve been looking for.”

“They are...they finally are together.”