Shinhye arrived earlier at the park near Han River, she decided to stand and watched the sun set. Her heart was breaking and she felt and tasted her tears. She was so cold…inside. She felt someone embraced her from behind and even without looking, she knew it was Yonghwa and it pained her more.

“I missed you for the entire afternoon, my love”, Yonghwa said as he embraced Shinhye tighter to him and inhaled the sweet rose scent of her hair.

“Yonghwa, do you love me?” Shinhye asked her voice broken.

Yonghwa knew from her voice that she was crying. He turned her to face him and he saw her beautiful eyes filled with tears and sadness.

“What happened, my love?” Yonghwa asked instead as he cupped her face in his palms.

“Do you love me?” Shinhye again asked.

“Yes…yes…I love you so much. You are my life, my heart and my soul”, Yonghwa declared passionately.

“You won’t cheat on me?” Shinhye again asked as more tears welled up from her eyes.

“Shinhye, baby, what’s this all about? You’re getting me worried with this”, Yonghwa said his eyes reflected confusion at the same time worry for the only woman he ever loved and would ever love in his life.

“Just answer me?” Shinhye insisted.

“No…I won’t cheat you. I won’t ever cheat in this relationship”, Yonghwa answered with conviction.

At that moment, Shinhye snapped and her right hand connected to Yonghwa’s left cheek with a resounding slap.

“How dare you lie to me? How dare you! How dare you!” Shinhye angrily said.

Yonghwa still stunned from what happened was filled with confusion at what Shinhye was accusing him. He tried to hold her but she evaded his grasp.

“Shinhye, baby, what are you talking about?” Yonghwa said as he held his still stinging cheek.

“These”, Shinhye said as she grabbed the passel of pictures from her bag and shoved them to Yonghwa’s face. The pictures fell on the ground where they were standing.

Yonghwa went down to pick the pictures and scanned them as he was gradually standing up. He was horrified with what he saw. Those pictures were of him and Joo Hyun and worst they were taken in such a way that everyone would think the worst of him.

“I don’t know anything about these, Shinhye, it’s true that I met her one time at the restaurant at the hotel but that was an accidental meeting...I never purposely sought her out to meet with her. This picture of us together in bed…I don’t know anything about this. All I know is that I became dizzy after drinking that wine and I don’t know anything about being with her like this. I love you so much and I won’t take anyone in my bed except you”, Yonghwa explained…looking to Shinhye’s eyes. His heart was hammering in his chest because of fear of losing Shinhye and anger for Joo Hyun.

“You don’t know anything about those? C’mon, Yonghwa, don’t try to weasel out of this now. I love you so much…I’m willing to leave everything for you…to escape with you even though breaking my betrothal would sully my family’s name. I’m willing to give you everything that I am and everything that I have but why? Yonghwa, why?” Shinhye cried…she sobbed and embraced herself.

“I love you too, Shinhye, these are not true! Please, believe me… I don’t know what Joo Hyun wants to accomplish with these feat but I’m telling you I never betrayed you with anyone and I would never betray you ever. Please, I beg you believe me”, Yonghwa pleadingly said as he tried to hold Shinhye who shook her head.

“Believe you? I was foolish to believe you. I thought that you’re not like Kyuhyun who bullied me before and caused me to be beaten to death when we were young but I was wrong you’re worst than him because right now I’m dying because I trusted you…I loved you more than my life but you stabbed me!” Shinhye said her voice laden with bitterness and steel.

“Shinhye, my love, please believe me…I’m innocent in all of these. Please, believe me, Shinhye”, Yonghwa begged and kneeled in front of Shinhye.

“We’re over, Yonghwa. I can’t be with a liar like you”, Shinhye said as she started to walk.

Yonghwa rose from his knees and embraced Shinhye from behind.

“Please, don’t leave me, Shinhye. Please, my love, don’t break up with me. I love you so much…don’t leave me…I beg you. I won’t be living a life without you. If you’d leave me please kill me now because I won’t survive a lifetime without you”, Yonghwa said as tears fell from his eyes.

Shinhye closed her eyes. She wanted to forgive him…wanting to believe in the innocence he professed but how could she when the evidences pointed at him. What if she forgave him and he betrayed her again and again?

“Let go of me, Yonghwa”, Shinhye said as she detangled herself from his embrace.

“Shinhye, please, don’t leave me! Shinhye! Shinhye!” Yonghwa called at Shinhye.

Shinhye went to her car and she maneuvered out of the park. Tears fell from her eyes as she was driving. It killed her to leave Yonghwa…it killed her to end their relationship. She arrived home and decided to lock herself in her room.

“Yonghwa, my love, what happened to us?” Shinhye asked as she sobbed to her pillow.

Yonghwa was still at the park holding the pictures which caused his relationship with Shinhye to end. He crampled the pictures in his fist.

“How dare you do this to me, Joo Hyun!” Yonghwa angrily said to himself. He rose from the bench and went to his car.

He would confront Joo Hyun and he would make her clear his name to Shinhye. He would not lose Shinhye not with her believing that he betrayed her with Joo Hyun.

________________________________________________________________________________

Hyun Joong also experienced the same heartbreak like Yonghwa that day. He was very happy as he was going to the library. He would ask So Min for a dinner date and he had plans of telling her how he really felt and asked for permission to finally court her. He entered the library and he spotted So Min at the front desk checking the returned books.

“So Min”, Hyun Joong called as he approached her. He was smiling that charming smile that set So Min’s heart to beat faster.

“Hyun Joong”, So Min said as she tried to smile.

“It’s already time for you to go. Let’s go”, Hyun Joong invited her.

“Ah…ok”, So Min said as she stopped what she was checking and got her things from the shelf.

“Bom, I…” So Min said as she saw Bom approached her.

“It’s okay, So Min, I’ll take care of things here”, Bom said understandingly.

“Thank you, Bom”, So Min said as she went out of the library with Hyun Joong.

“Where do you want to go, So Min?” Hyun Joong asked as they were on their way.

“I don’t know”, So Min replied.

“Why don’t we instead eat at the market place? I’m tired of eating at the fancy restaurants. We’d go to the market and eat ramen and some roasted meat”, Hyun Joong excitedly said.

“Okay, ramen and meat sounds good”, So Min agreed and smiled.

They drove to the marketplace and parked at the distance so that they could walk to the market. So Min smiled at seeing how familiar Hyun Joong was at the marketplace.

“You’d been here often?” So Min asked.

“Yeah…I would just wear t-shirt, jeans and my rubber shoes and eat at the ramen shops here. Know what? I always enjoy being with people like this…I mean no cameras…no pretentious upstart people crowding my way. I like living a simple life. Funny because many would have traded place with so that they could have what I have like money…being the CEO of a broadcasting company but for me all I ever wanted is to be myself and be with someone that I love who loves me back”, Hyun Joong lengthily explained with a  smile.

“You’re one in a million, Hyun Joong”, So Min blurted.

“Really? Thank you”, Hyun Joong said as he held So Min’s hand and they entered a ramen house where Hyun Joong ordered two bowls of special ramen, a plater of roasted meat and two cups of tea.

“This is good”, So Min said as she sampled the ramen.

Hyun Joong only smiled at So Min as he too ate his food. After they ate, they toured the marketplace before they went back to where Hyun Joong parked his Land Rover.

“Where to go now?” Hyun Joong asked as he was started the Land Rover.

“Let’s go to an amusement park”, So Min suggested.

“Okay”, Hyun Joong agreed.

They went to the amusement park and rode the roller coaster…the carousel…they even tried the haunted house. They enjoyed so much and So Min could not even remember the time when she had been that happy in all of her life.

“So Min, I have to tell you something”, Hyun Joong opened up as they were resting on a bench watching the lights and the people enjoying the rides.

“Yes?” So Min looked at Hyun Joong.

“I love you, So Min. I love you so much. I know you’d probably think that I’m joking but I really love you. The first time I met you at the library, that was the time that I fell in love and I’m still falling deeply and hopelessly in love with you”, Hyun Joong confessed while holding So Min’s hand to his chest…near his heart.

So Min would want to jump in happiness…would want to kiss Hyun Joong and tell him of her feelings but she remembered the words of Hyun Joong’s mother.

“I’m flattered by your attentions, Hyun Joong, but I’m very sorry if I won’t be able to return them. You see I’m still in love with my ex-boyfriend and I don’t think I can love again after him. Please find someone who will love you back…someone who will accept your love. I’m sorry, Hyun Joong”, So Min lied…the most painful lie she ever uttered in her life it was a wonder she could still speak her words clearly.

Hyun Joong’s eyes misted with unshed tears but he still smiled. He continued to hold her right hand and gently kissed it.

“I understand, So Min, just let me still be friends with you. I’ll be fine with that…I’ll be fine with everything so long as I can still see you or be with you”, Hyun Joong said.

“Please, Hyun Joong, don’t try to make me feel burdened. It would be better for us not to see each other anymore. It would be easier for you to forget me if you won’t be seeing me anymore. I’d treasure all the memories that we had together. Please…be happy with your life even though I hurt you…please forget me”, So Min said as she stood and would have left Hyun Joong when he called her.

“So Min, it’s already dark. I’ll bring you home. I know you won’t like being with me after this but please allow me to do this for you even for the last time”, Hyun Joong said in defeat. He would want to fight for her love but how could he when he was the one who told him not to hold on to her anymore but still he would always love her…she would always occupy the biggest space in his heart.

So Min closed her eyes to prevent the tears from falling. As she faced him, a forlorn smile appeared on her lips.

“Thank you, Hyun Joong, thank you so much”, So Min said as they walked to the Land Rover.

They were silent while going to the apartment. Finally, when they reached the apartment; So Min asked Hyun Joong for a final request before they parted.

“Hyun Joong, I want to ask you something. I hope you won’t give in any meaning to this request. I just want to feel this just before we parted. Please don’t think of me as someone who is shameless”, So Min said hesitatingly.

“Yes…ask me your request. I’d do it for you as your friend”, Hyun Joong said in his gentle voice which infused So Min with the courage to ask her final parting gift from and to Hyun Joong.

“Will you kiss me?” So Min requested.

“What?” Hyun Joong was surprised with what he heard.

“I’m sorry…I shouldn’t have asked that. Please…I’m sorry…just forget that I” So Min said but she was cut short when Hyun Joong pulled her to him and kissed her.

Hyun Joong’s lips were soft on her own…gentle… slowly moving to her own in a sweet dance. So Min felt her right hand moved to Hyun Joong’s shoulder and her left arm went to anchor on his neck to pull him closer. She felt him trying to deepen their kiss and he gently bit her lower lip to ask for her permission to deepen their kiss. She bit him back gently as a sign of agreement. He then their kiss deepened in a way as though their breathing became one. As their need for air became evident, they stopped and parted but still they looked at each other’s eyes.

“Thank you, Hyun Joong; and, goodbye”, So Min said as she composed herself and opened the door of the Land Rover.

“Until forever, So Min, I want to love you until forever…please remember that”, Hyun Joong said.

So Min went out of the Land Rover and immediately entered the gate of the apartment and inside the house. Her parents left that morning to visit their relatives in Incheon and would not be returning until three days; thus, in her solitude she cried as she reached her room. She went to her window and tried to get the glimpse of Hyun Joong’s Land Rover moving away from her place…moving away from her life.

“Goodbye, my love. I will always love you, Hyun Joong, until forever”, So Min said as tears fell from her eyes…tears of sadness and pain.

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