Ki Kwang and Sang Hee arrived at the theatre on time. Despite being ready, Sang Hee checked her dress again and again. Ki Kwang confidently led her to the correct theatre when they gave their tickets to the staff.

“Sang Hee, our seats are over there!” Ki Kwang exclaimed when he pointed at the pool of seats in the front.

Sang Hee suddenly stopped moving and froze in her position. “What’s wrong?” Ki Kwang asked with concern when he noticed Sang Hee’s face turned pale within a split second. It was unusual for her to be like that.

“Wow, look who’s here!” A man’s voice was heard from the side.

The man was locking his arms with a woman with a slender body. The man was definitely familiar – he was Sang Hee’s cheating boyfriend, Alex. He was with the lady who Sang Hee caught him cheating with. The unpleasant memories began flooding back into her mind.

Sang Hee locked arms with Ki Kwang and bit her lips to contain her fury, “Ki Kwang, let’s go.”

“Wait, wait! How can you just leave without a greeting, my Sang Hee?” Alex gave a sly laughter and whispered something into the woman’s ear. The woman giggled along with him. Alex came towards Sang Hee and looked closely at her face, “Well, looks like you’re dealing pretty well with the break up, Sang Hee. However, your taste in men has decreased significantly. Unlike me.”

“Yah, you…” Ki Kwang was about to give the man a piece of his mind but Sang Hee stopped him from doing so.

“Don’t be bothered with people like him. Ki Kwang, let’s go and enjoy the show.” Sang Hee gave a fierce expression without looking at Alex.

Alex gave another comment before leaving, “Don’t forget the tickets are given by me, Sang Hee.” 

Ki Kwang and Sang Hee settled down in their seats and Ki Kwang was feeling angry about what had just happened, “Sang Hee, how can you just stop me like that? I could have beaten the crap out of him!”

“Stop it, Ki Kwang. If you really did, he would achieve his aim of embarrassing me in public.” Sang Hee was not smiling anymore and her stare was fixed onto the stage at the front.

Ki Kwang gave up and decided to touch her hand to show comfort, “Are you okay? Did you get hurt?”

Sang Hee knew he meant emotional hurt, not physical hurt. To prevent from breaking down, Sang Hee just removed her hand from his touch and focused on the performance instead. Ki Kwang did not get a reply from her but did not harp on it anymore.

Finally, the performance started. The main performer came out and bowed to the audience. The audience clapped loudly for a few seconds before returning to silence when the performer placed his violin at his shoulders. The first violin piece was called “Hebrew Melody”. It was very sad piece from the start. Ki Kwang and Sang Hee just listened carefully to the performer. He was playing the violin with emotions but Sang Hee was not listening anymore.

Sang Hee’s mind was full of thoughts of Alex and her being together. It was wrong if she had said that she was not sad. Today, he even brought the woman out on the same performance he had invited her to. He was not sorry for his actions and even like a puppet. She felt anger. She felt angry at herself for loving such a man. She blamed herself for being so foolish to believe in such a person and she was actually heartbroken because of him.

Without realising herself, Sang Hee’s tears filled to the brim and she started tearing up emotionally. She could not tell whether it was from the sad violin piece or her own break up. Her make-up was ruined and her nose was stuffed. She sniffed and covered her face. Not saying a word, she left her seat and out of the exit.

Ki Kwang was baffled at her action. Following her out, he excused himself from the audience. Sang Hee ran out with her heels and held her skirt to prevent it from flying. The wind outside was strong as she reached the outside of the theatre.

“Sang Hee! Sang Hee!” Ki Kwang called her but she kept running until she reached the river side. She stopped running and held tightly on the railings.

Ki Kwang just stood behind her as she started wailing and crying, facing the long river. The view was magnificent but he couldn’t say the same thing for Sang Hee’s mood. He came closer to her when her cry was getting softer. He stepped beside her and patted her shoulder lightly to show that he was there for her, “Sang Hee, don’t cry for a bastard like him.”

“I deserve this treatment. I deserve it.”  She covered her face.

“What?”

“I deserve to be hurt by him. I’m just a lowly tomboyish girl who doesn’t know how to dress and impress. I speak crudely and I don’t behave like a proper lady. Every guy wants his girl to be pretty and dainty. And that doesn’t describe me at all. I know I don’t fit into a guy’s ideal criteria.” Sang Hee blabbered on without pausing for a moment.

Ki Kwang was infuriated. He removed her hands from her face and stared into her eyes. She avoided his eyes and yelled, “Don’t do that! I look ugly now. My make-up is smeared and I look hideous while crying! Don’t look at me!”

“Sang Hee, listen to me now!” Ki Kwang shouted at her.

It was the first time Ki Kwang had gained the courage to yell at her. Normally, it was Sang Hee who raised her voice so Sang Hee was pretty shocked. She kept silent and looked down at the floor.

Ki Kwang released his hands and cupped her face, “Sang Hee. Don’t you know you’re the most beautiful girl I have ever seen in my life?

You’re not tomboyish.
You’re independent and strong-minded.

You don’t dress up because you’re confident about yourself so you don’t need to make use of expensive clothes and make-up to cover up the true you.

You don’t speak crudely.
You speak out your mind and not care what other people think of you.

There’s no true definition to a ‘proper lady’.
You are a lady who stays true to yourself and be yourself.

A real guy does not give criteria to choose a woman of his dreams. A real guy sees the inner part of a woman and appreciates his woman’s strengths and weaknesses and accepts for who she is.”

Sang Hee was surprised at his words. Ki Kwang had never spoken so wisely in front of her before. Ki Kwang smiled slightly at her and her face, “Sang Hee, you will definitely find a guy who treasures you for who you are. You don’t have to change for anyone. Someone will like you for you.”

“Really? Who will ever like a girl like me?” Sang Hee stuttered as her heart was pounding like crazy.

Ki Kwang hesitated for a moment and kissed Sang Hee’s forehead gently. She closed her eyes and bit her lips nervously. She had never seen this side of Ki Kwang before. The Ki Kwang she had known for years was gullible and ignorant.

He hugged her bravely and sighed, “Sang Hee, I have been secretly in love with you for many years. Why can’t you see me the way you see Alex?”

Sang Hee was silent but she did not push away. In fact, she did not want to push away. She felt the warmth in his embrace and she wished he would not ever let her go.

However, he released the hug and gazed at her lovingly, “Sang Hee, I have always been like your shadow. Although you kept running away from me, and sometimes you come back to me for comfort, I have never left. Will you celebrate this special day with me… and never leave me again?”

Sang Hee grinned sheepishly and pinched his nose, “You idiot.”

Ki Kwang laughed awkwardly.

“Yes, I will.”

This was the first time Sang Hee ever spoke so gently to Ki Kwang. Although she was soft in her answer, Ki Kwang could hear it perfectly.

“I love you, Sang Hee.”

“Love? Does a gullible person like you know what is love?” She but was melted into the pool of mushiness.

“Of course I do.” Ki Kwang said proudly.

“Love is like a shadow, when you chase it, it runs away, when you turn back and walk away, and it follows you.”