Finally?
The Forlorn Promise
Rain fell before Eunhee knew it but she just sat there, unable to move because she was still feeling bad about what had happened earlier. Her hair was tangled and wet and her makeup (she couldn’t leave her house without three coats of mascara and black liquid liner) was smudged. Her tears blended with the raindrops and she started hiccupping. She was about to fall sick; she can just feel her forehead heating up. Plus, felt sore. She didn’t make an effort to run to a shelter or anything. Instead, she even had the nerve to hug her knees and curl up into a ball. She didn’t care the floor was dirty and the alley honestly smelt of urine and alcohol. She looked horrible alright, but the appearance didn’t matter at all to her. Her chest felt like it was clenched, and her heart felt like it was going to burst into tears too. The pain was too much for her to handle.
Like déjà vu, scenes from the last three years flashed in her mind. Myungsoo breaking up with her, her being saved by Byunghun from committing suicide, him admitting his true love for her, and them making a promise that now would’ve been considered forlorn. Eunhee flinched at the memories and groaned in misery. She was tired of crying. That seemed to sum up what she has been doing ever since she came back to Korea and she suddenly felt more pathetic than ever. She half hoped Byunghun would turn back and envelope her in a hug and tell her he was just faking it. And the other half of her knew that that won’t happen at all.
L.Joe, on the other hand, really regretted his behavior. He knew he had hurt her. But all the rage and anger he had kept all these years came back and he, uncontrollably, had vented them all out. He ran his fingers through his blonde locks and sighed. The sound of thunder struck his deep thoughts and he froze.
“.” It was raining, and that would mean Eunhee was still at the area. He knew how much she’d disliked the depressing weather. He ran with all his might to the place and thankfully, she was still there. But then he noticed her super soaked outfit and pale face and he rushed to her.
“Eunhee?” he tapped her cheeks. Her skin was all clammy and her eyes were half open.
“Byunghun?” she asked. He nodded and carried her to the bus station. He hooked Eunhee’s arm over his neck and even though her grip was weak, Byunghun swore he wouldn’t let her fall by supporting her on the legs as well. The bus came within a couple of minutes and he alighted after five stops. He pressed the lift button furiously and to both the youngsters’ relief, they’d arrived at Byunghun’s home safely. He plopped her down on his white sofa and ran to the kitchen to make some hot coffee. Eunhee bit her lip, unsure of what she should do. Should she get up and help him? Or should she just leave without saying anything? She was a nuisance to him after all. But the headache prevented her from doing any of the three options she’d thought of and she helplessly lay there.
He entered the living room with a towel wrapped around his neck and a mug of hot latte on his right hand.
“Here, I made you something to drink. Um, I’ll be right back.” He left and Eunhee pressed her back against the soft and comfortable cushions Byunghun had placed as decorations on the sofa. She blew the hot coffee and slowly sipped it, letting the hot liquid soothe her sick self. Everything seemed perfect but she knew it wouldn’t last. After this, they’d definitely part. Byunghun probably brought her here because it was the right thing to do and nothing more.
Her eyes scanned his house and the size of her pupils enlarged. She spotted a photo of him and her near the trophies he’d won and her heart softened. So he hadn’t forgotten her at all. Plus, he even placed their picture in his house. Even though it was only one image, she felt more than happy. She was the only girl he’d put a photo in his house other than his mother.
Eunhee rose from her seat and picked up the frame. It was taken during the camp the school organized years ago. They both had sneaked out to snap a picture together. They looked so… young and happy. Now she could not even imagine having Byunghun’s arm slung across her shoulder protectively, laughing for no exact reason. The memory seemed so distant and imperceptible: like it belonged to someone else entirely.
Eunhee positioned the frame back to its original place. She walked over to the window where the heavy raindrops battered the glass. Colorful umbrellas filled the streets below as the people scurried across. The sounds of cars honking and chatters were muffled; drowned in the patter of the raindrops. The wind blew and a cooling sense settled over her. It was as if the whole world was dissolving into tranquility.
When Eunhee turned, Byunghun was right beside her, his head peeking out the window. His right hand was held outstretched, catching whatever droplets of rain that landed on it. Eunhee turned away, looking at the pink umbrella spinning down the street.
“Remember when we first met?” Byunghun suddenly voiced. Eunhee jolted, and shook a little. Never had she imagined that Byunghun would spark a conversation that would bring them back to their past.
“Yeah,” Eunhee said, her voice wavering, “It was raining--”
“Like this one.” Byunghun completed her sentence. It had been a while since he last did that.
Eunhee was brought back to the rainy day when she first met the man that she thought would complete her life; the man that would come to bring happiness back to her. They met when they were on the top of that particular building: when she was ready the put an end to her life.
“A perfect day for suicide.” She muttered.
Byunghun laughed and Eunhee closed her eyes against that wonderful sound, wanting this moment to last.
His laugh dissipated and they were both wordless for a while, letting the sound of the rain fill in the silence between them.
“I saw the picture.” She said.
“Hmm?” He faced her with an inquiring look.
“The one you put beside your trophies.”
“Oh.” That one single word was filled with a thousand emotions that she could not decipher. Disappointment? Hopefulness? Nervousness?
“That picture,” he continued, “was taken when we were at the camp.”
Eunhee smiled. He remembered. “We weren’t in the same group.”
“So we sneaked out.” He continued her sentence.
“We went to a clearing—“
“And stargazed—“
“And took a picture—“
“And made a—“ he hesitated, “promise.”
They made a promise. A promise that was never continued after she left. A suppressing silence took over them. But Byunghun was quick to recover from it and he said, “And the rest realized that we were gone so they sent a search party.”
Eunhee smiled. Byunghun was putting his best effort to lift the mood and make her feel less uncomfortable. “And they found us.”
“And we were given detention.”
“To clean the whole school.”
“But we played a lot.” Byunghun chuckled.
“And watch movies.”
“And break in the canteen to eat.”
“And slept outdoors.”
“And saw a shooting star.”
“And made a wish,” Byunghun looked at her as he said this.
“Funny though, I never knew what your wish was,” she said.
Eunhee saw his reluctance, but his gaze on her was fixed.
“To never separate from you,” He said, his voice almost a whisper. “And what was yours?”
She repeated his words, “To never separate from you.”
This was it again. She looked into his eyes and was immediately lost in those two dark orbs that seem to run forever. She had forgotten how this felt. How it felt to desperately love someone and him love her back. She felt that she belonged here and nothing else in the world mattered except for the two of them.
Byunghun could not deny it anymore. No matter how he tried to hate this girl, she had always come back to steal him again. His feelings were locked for years and they were finally pouring out again. He could not deny it.
“I love you, Eunhee. I still do.”
She missed the way he used to call her name. He said it with absolute tenderness and gentleness as if it was so brittle.
“I love you too, oppa.”
He had forgotten how it felt when she called him oppa. He had forgotten the flutter in his heart when she said that word, as if his feet were ready to leave the ground and just fly.
Both of them looked at each other, lost in their gazes. Eunhee smiled, and Byunghun returned the smile.
They leaned in, and kissed.
Author's note:
Writing The Forlorn Promise has been such an amazing time for both my friend and i and we would like to thank all of you readers and subscribers! I hope you guys like the ending! We're sorry if you guys ship Myunghee more..lol! Anyway, thanks again! Much loves.
Thank you so much for your amazing feedback, my lovely readers and subscribers!
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