D-2

The soft b of the sunlight shone upon her milky white skin, making her look like an angel who descended from heaven on a morning delight. She snuggled into her blanket as she tossed and turned for about five minutes before finally popping an eye open only to see Sehun staring at her. She mentally screamed as she sat up abruptly, memories from yesterday and last night came rushing into her mind.

“How long have you been staring at me?” Asked Irene as she stifled a yawn that was threatening to come out from , clearly still trying to process what’s happening. She groggily rubbed her eyes in the process.

“I was gazing, not staring.” He replied and paused before continuing. “And I’m just seventeen minutes in.” He watched her get up and brush her teeth in her bathroom, “I bought some cinnamon roll from our favorite bakery.”

She almost snapped her neck from whipping her head too fast at the mention of cinnamon roll. As soon as she saw the mischievous grin on his face, she rolled her eyes and finished up doing her morning ritual.

“What else do I need? What do you think?” She excitedly asked while listing the things that were needed to be bought. She munched on the last pieces of the cinnamon roll including the crumbs and Sehun groaned.

“Babe, I just ate one. One. You ate five.” He sulked and she quickly pinched his cheeks and grinned cheekily to appease him. The guy held both of her hands and looked at her. “I’m really sorry.”

As soon as he saw her eyes soften at his sincere apology, he carried on. “I really didn’t mean everything yesterday. My anger just got in the way and with you leaving in a few days’ time, it just didn’t help. I’m not getting into army either. That’s for sure. You know mom wouldn’t let me. And as for Junmyeon, I wasn’t sincere but I said sorry.”

She lightheartedly chuckled and hugged him quickly before looking straight at him.

“I’m really sorry too. I was just really surprised. I felt like I was kept in the dark. But I’m your girlfriend and things like that matter to me, alright?” She smiled as he nodded. “And that was just a farewell gift. I’m pretty sure Junmyeon never meant it in any other way.”

Scoffing profusely, he responded. “I would’ve believed you if it’s not Junmyeon we’re talking about. But then again, you’re already mine so nah, I’ll let that one pass. He’s just an ex anyway.”

She smiled warmly at his blabber and ruffled his hair before pulling him.

“Come on, we still have a lot of things to buy and mom is probably waiting for us there.”

8:12 P.M.

“Oh my God, I think we packed your entire house.” Wendy said as she counted Irene’s baggage.

“You’re exaggerating. I didn’t pack the frying pans. And cabinets. And our stove.” Irene started to count.

“I know! Just- I’m just in awe right now. When I came home here from Canada, I only had five luggage. You have six!” Wendy reasoned back to which everyone rolled their eyes at, Sehun scoffed in the process. Seulgi and Sehun started to recheck everything when Irene’s mom peeked inside her room.

“Baked some cookies-“ She paused upon seeing her daughter’s now almost empty room. “Wow. It already feels so empty.” She sighed and her eyes started to get teary.

“Mom, don’t.” Irene said while laughing and her mom laughed along easily.

“Right. Some cookies and lemonade for you laborers.” Sehun got up to get the tray and placed it on his girlfriend’s desk. “By the way, got everything you need honey?”

“Yes mom. Thanks. “ She replied, smiling warmly at her mother.

They all spent their night talking about almost everything to keep the time away from them even just for a little while.

D-1.

“She did not do that, did she?” Irene’s mom asked while wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes in the midst of laughing hysterically. They were having dinner at the Bae’s house for Irene’s last night in South Korea.  Sehun and his mom were there.

“Trust me, she did. I think Wendy caught that moment on her phone.” Sehun said as he was also laughing out loud.

“Okay, first of all Minho was ruining my moment. I was posing for the camera and he just had to photobomb. I didn’t know I actually gave him my disgusted face look.” The center of the topic defended herself.

“I would’ve done the same, Joohyun.” Sehun’s mom supported her.

“Joohyun got that from her mom. She gives me that exact same look when I do something she doesn’t like.” Her dad jumped in the conversation.

And that was how their dinner went, heartwarming.

10:11 P.M.

The couple was watching the movie Dear John in Irene’s room. The two were so immersed in the movie, thinking of their own ‘what ifs’. What could their fate be? Would it be just like the one in the movie? There were too many questions running in their mind. The credits rolled to an end and the only sound that accompanied them was the crickets’ calming sound. They both just stayed in their positions in silence, with Sehun’s back leaning against Irene’s headboard and her head resting on Sehun’s shoulder.

He shifted a little and she sat up straight, her head down. But she wasn’t crying. She hardly cries and that’s a fact everyone knows. Sehun looked at her back before slowly caressing it.

“Hey.” He whispered. “Tell me what you’re thinking.” He watched her breathe heavily from behind. There was silence for another three minutes before she answered him.

“Are we going to be like John and Savannah? I mean- the in between John and Savannah? Their fights. Someone eventually finding someone else and all that.”

He in a deep breath. It was painful to even be imagining that happening to them. But that’s them. That’s Savannah and John, people from a movie. This is them. Now.

“I don’t think so. No. We’re really loyal to each other. We may fight but it’s okay. It’s going to be okay. We’ll make sure of it.” He assured her and himself.

“Do you really think we can do it?”

“I can’t see any reason why we can’t.”

That was how they appeased each other. That unlike other couples who really lost the battle, they can actually make this long distance relationship work. That unlike other couples who just gave up on love because of the distance, they will make sure to fix whatever that needs to be fixed. That despite of all those side remarks of people around them, they can manage it. Because that’s how much they love each other.

6,869 miles.

Exactly 6,869 miles will keep them apart for who knows how long.