| ~ bittersweet ~ |

 

Do you believe in fate?

 

. . .

 

It made no sense, you knew so, but you didn’t let that hinder you in the slightest. You fell in love anyway.

 

You were going to start your post-secondary education and had been accepted into your first choice, although the program wasn’t the one that you had wanted. However, it was then that your usually overprotective parents gave you a gift.

 

You were free to choose a continent to spend a gap year in. After settling all the paperwork and ensuring that everything would in order when you returned, you began to plan feverishly for the biggest adventure of your life.

 

After booking a flight to Hanoi, you were off. You planned to stay a few weeks in all the countries and cities that you could.

 

Little did you know that you would only ever make it to your third stop before your plans were thrown out the window.

 

. . .

 

You bumped into him at the airport.

 

Of course the both of you were at fault, but the boy had a massive stack of luggage and boxes stacked dangerously high on his airport cart. When you had looked at the mountain the split second before it ran right into you, you wondered if the owner of the boxes were moving his life’s belongings to Korea.

 

You had only very gently nudged the pile before it came crashing down, making a massive mess on the floor that blocked some irritated people.

 

“Oh my gosh,” you said out of instinct, “I’m so sorry, let me help you.” You quickly crouched down to pick up one of the large cardboard boxes that lay on the ground.

 

“No, no,” his voice was light and musical, so pleasing to the ear that you couldn’t help but to glance at the speaker, who you realized was a handsome young man. “Don’t worry about it.”

 

You started. “You speak English?”

 

After setting the box he took from your hands back onto the cart he replied, “Yeah, I’m actually American.”

 

You gave him a cheeky grin, the lack of a language barrier made your more comfortable with a stranger than you typically would be. “Well, hello American. I’m a student that is roaming the world, I also may or may not be broke.”

 

He chuckled at your bad joke. “Alright. I’m Joshua if you must know. I also may or may not have lost my parents and have no idea where I’m supposed to go.”

 

“How funny,” you smiled, “I have found myself in the exact same situation. Minus the parents.”

 

Joshua couldn’t believe his luck, not only did he find someone who spoke English, but you were nice and had some sense of humour. Although this didn’t help his plight much, it was better than being alone by leaps and bounds.

 

“I guess the best place to go for people like us would be Airport Help?” His eyes were bright. “Shall we?”

 

“We shall.”

 

. . .

 

“So, what brings you to Korea?” You asked as the two of you trudged along, trying to decipher the signs, or rather pictures since neither of you were particularly fluent in reading Korean.

 

“Oh, uh,” Joshua had a bashful expression on his face as he stalled for a moment, “Promise me you won’t laugh.”

 

You furrowed your eyebrows lightly in confusion. “Why would I laugh?”

 

A blush began spread across his cheeks, and you wondered if it was appropriate to find him so adorable.

 

“Just promise, please?”

 

You nodded, “I promise I won’t laugh. Scout’s honour.”

 

He raised a skeptical eyebrow. “You were never a scout, were you?”

 

“I’ll have you know that I was the leader of my district for a year,” you sniffed delicately.

 

“Alright.” Joshua shook his head, a little grin on his lips. “Well, I’ve come to South Korea to fulfill my dreams of become…” the blush reappeared. “…a kpop idol.”

 

You couldn’t help it and had to choke back a disbelieving chuckle and began scrutinizing him closely, “I can see that.”

 

“Huh?”

 

Your eyes ran up and down his figure before resting on his face, “You’re not exactly hard to look at; I’m assuming you can sing?”

 

Joshua could feel his heartrate picking up when he heard your evaluation, he had already felt himself beginning to like you more than he was supposed to.

 

“Good luck anyway.” You flashed him a thumbs up at him with an encouraging smile.

 

“Thanks,” he replied before directing a question to you, “Now that you know why I’m here, what about you?”

 

Your eyes seemed faraway and misty when you answered. “Enjoying my last bits of freedom before I have responsibilities to attend to.”

 

Joshua chuckled. “Ironic, isn’t it? You’re here to escape from responsibilities whereas I have come to take them up.”

 

Your laughter was only enhanced by your sparkling eyes. “Interesting coincidence, maybe it was meant to be?”

 

“What was?” He took a little longer to ask, your beauty stunned him for a moment.

 

“Meeting you,” your voice was impossibly soft as you spoke. “Are those your parents?”

 

Joshua looked forward to see, lo and behold, his parents waving frantically at him. When he turned to ask you for your number, email, or something, you had already begun to leave his side. A surge of panic filled him as he called out, “Wait!”

 

You turned back, “Yeah?”

 

“Could I get your number, I’d really like to meet you again.” His face was such a cute shade of pink as he asked; your lips couldn’t help curling up into a pretty smile.

 

“Do you believe in fate? I’ll see you again.” You were gone.

 

. . .

 

You bumped into Joshua a scant three days later.

 

And again.

 

And again.

 

And you fell in love.

 

. . .

 

The two of you were sitting on a random park bench, each holding a cool drink that fought off the late summer heat. However, your free hands were intertwined together, fingers laced tightly.

 

“It’s been nine months,” Joshua’s voice was wistful, a clear pain that he was trying to hide. His hand tightened.

 

You nodded, you were quiet for a change. None of your usual spunk and brightness was here, the same unwillingness found within him was only reflected too strongly in you. “It went by so fast, but I could never spend enough time with you in the first place.”

 

Joshua could feel his heart beating painfully within his chest. He didn’t want to let you go. He needed you there; his first few months would have been unbearable without you there to support him. Even if he was doing fine now, his heart screamed at him that he couldn’t leave you.

 

But he knew. You couldn’t stay, your dreams lay elsewhere; you hadn’t even begun to chase them. He couldn’t ask you to abandon what you had painstakingly culminated over your short life and make you start over in Korea. It would be inexplicably cruel.

 

It still didn’t hurt any less.

 

The two of you returned to the little place you had rented out and sat together on the tiny, ratty sofa. You were tucked in Joshua’s chest, breathing in his soothingly mild scent. “I’ll miss you.” You felt as if your chest was caving in as you imagined not being able to have him with you, he was so much more than you thought he might be.

 

He couldn’t seem to speak. So, he just pressed a gentle kiss onto your hair and tried not to let the tears that pooled in his eyes fall. Joshua knew that it would likely be years before he would ever see you again, if he ever saw you again.

 

He wondered if you would fade eventually. It sure didn’t seem like it.

 

You pressed a kiss onto his neck before whispering into his skin. “I love you.” He thought the words were branded by the heat he felt burning there.

 

. . .

 

The airport. Where you met him and where you would leave him.

 

Droplets of salty tears spilt out of your eyes as you hugged Joshua as tightly as you could. You tried to memorize it, everything you could possibly could.

 

The two of you knew that you couldn’t possibly continue what you had here. Joshua was training and he would likely debut soon, you had your education to attend to and couldn’t afford to slack off, not to mention the time difference. It wasn’t realistic.

 

When you pulled out of the embrace you stared into Joshua’s own watery eyes and spoke with complete conviction. “I believe in fate. Do you believe in fate?”

 

If it would bring you back to him, “Yes.”

 

A sunny smile fought its way to the surface as you left one last lingering kiss on his lips. “Until tomorrow.”

 

You didn’t know when tomorrow would come. But you knew it would. One day, something would bring the two of you together once more.

 

. . .

 

also tbc ;)