*Rebecca’s POV*

Saying goodbye to my cousin when I visited her was always hard. I’d cry on the trip home and listen to all the new Kpop songs she’d introduced me to during our visit. This however, was even more painful. Not only was I leaving my cousin, but I was also leaving my true love, and had to deal with the fact that I’d hurt Minho. I was such a mess; it was embarrassing.

“Onew, I’m sorry. I don’t want to be like this when we say goodbye. I look so ugly when I cry,” I sobbed into his arms.

“Yebo it’s okay,” he whispered, holding me close. “I still love you.”

“I love you too,” I squeaked.

“That’s what’s so great about our love. We’re both the kind of people that love deeply with all our hearts. We’ll see each other soon.” He rubbed my arms and squatted down a little to look up into my eyes.

I nodded and tried to gain control of my emotions. Our plan was that Onew would come visit on holidays or whenever he could. He wanted to be there for my high school and college graduations, along with at least one of my Christmases and my 18^thbirthday. When I was out of college my plan was to live in Seouland teach English, along with writing stories on the side.

“I uh, I got you this,” he said, pulling something out of the plastic bag he’d been carrying all this time.

“Jinki!” I gasped when I saw the adorable duck pillow pet in his hands (http://i.walmartimages.com/i/p/00/73/55/41/01/0073554101210_500X500.jpg).

“Onew will miss you Rebecca,” he said in a silly voice, holding up the duck as if it was talking to me. “But you’ll always have me to hold onto when you get lonely.” He smiled from behind the fluffy toy.

I smiled back down at him through glistening eyes.

“I know it’s not a chicken, but I figured a duck would be good because… (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TyGh3-Y63s).”

I burst out laughing at the boy’s silliness and he stood up with a smile. He nuzzled the duck’s beak into my neck and I cringed at its tickle.

“Press the right wing,” he told me as I took it in my arms. I pressed it only to hear the duck sound once again. “Omo, Onew! How?”

“I recorded it, then took it to a shop where they inserted the recording into the duck. Now you’ll always remember what it sounds like, and how much I love you. Because, most people wouldn’t know this, but that’s what I was saying in duck language; ‘I love you.’”

He slipped his arms around me and caressed my cheek, smiling at my tearstained face. “We’ll be together again before you know it,” he purred. “Just hold onto… hmmm what should we name him?” Onew asked, looking down at the plush toy.

“How about Dubu?’ I suggested. “It’s your nickname, and he’s squishy just like yo- I mean tofu.”

“Haha, Dubu it is,” he smiled and kissed my lips softly. My eyes closed instantly at the feel of his buttery lips against mine. After the kiss was over we lingered for a moment with our faces close.

 “Hold Dubu whenever you’re lonely, and know that I’m always there with you.”

“I will,” I whispered.

“Last call for Flight 421 to Syracuse, New York!” the overhead announcer called out.

Onew walked with me, hand in hand, all the way to the doorway until the flight attendants stopped him. I kept going, letting my hand slip from his as I entered the tunnel to the plane.

“I love you!” he shouted after me.

I stopped and turned around to look at him. In the spur of the moment I dropped my stuff where it was and ran to him, leaping into his arms as our lips came together passionately. The kiss we shared was like nothing I’d ever felt before. It was desperate, and filled with sorrowful, never ending love. I didn’t want to let go, but I knew I had to. In the blink of an eye I slipped from his arms and hurried back into the tunnel, shouting over my shoulder as I went, “I love you too Lee Jinki.”