NARRATOR'S POV :

         At 11.45 p.m. on December 11th, a lone man could be seen making his way through a quite cemetery. He was considerably rather tall and young, in his early teens though intelectually he could have been much older. It took the man exactly three minutes to find the grave he was looking for, leaving him with three more minutes before the date changed. He checked his watch, glad that he got there on time with a few minutes to spare, than he silently looked at the grave and several different thoughts running through his head. The grave was simple, yet significant. The memorial was no more than a stone engraved with a name on it. The grave which stood in front of him was very symbolic and really meaningful for him. He knelt infront of it after a minute and tried opening his mouth in preparation to speak, despite the fact that no one was there. He looked at the grave, reverence in his eyes.

There were two sides to this man. One side wanted to say he was obliged and how he was indebted so much towards the unknown person. He wanted to talk about how succesful he had been for capable of living on his own without being too narcissistic and depressed. He also wanted to tell how he had managed in a great deal on battling his suicidal attempts and how he had strived to find a reason to keep on living. He'll also mention that he had prominently changed into a better person without constantly dwelling in his past. It had been almost a year since this grave had been put here, a year since this important person buried in it had died. 

The other side of him felt a certain level of guilt. The person in the grave beneath him had been unique. She was the only person he ever knew who felt how he felt. They were lovers to each other in a way no one else ever had. In a way, they were two are the same. By allowing the person beneath his feet to die, he had in essence had lost the other half of himself. He wanted to kneel at the grave and apologize if he thought he could, because he sent her away without even saying goodbye or getting a chance to see her for the last time. He was completely despaired when she left him. The most important person in his life died, leaving him all alone in vain, struggling to stay afloat in his own sea of misery.

He didn't smile or apologize. He simply stared at the grave for a moment in silence before counting. She had died on 12th December a year ago. Quite ironic for the date itself, since it had another meaning to it other than the date of her death. 1 year, eleven months and nineteen days after she had abandoned him, her one and only lover.

Then he spoke,

"I haven't forgotten about you, never. It's just becoming really chaotic here, you know." he muttered as if he'd been talking to another person, rather than a headstone. "If I had time back then, of course I'd come visit and be here with you." he sniffed as tears slowly dripping down his delicate face.

"I miss you, so much." he added before he fell on his knees and shed bitter tears.

Memories of this dead person moved through his mind, and for a brief moment he felt deeply sad that everything had ended like it did. The man paused for awhile and looked at his watch again, checking for the time. It was 11.59 p.m., one minute to midnight. He pulled out a small box that he'd been carrying with him out of his coat and opened it. Inside were a small bouquet of flower and a cupcake. He took out the small pastry and flower and placed it on the altar before moving back a bit and checking his watch again. He counted down the seconds to twelve midnight and once he saw the date on his watch changed to 12 December, he looked back at the grave.

"Happy one year anniversary, Min Young-ah.. It's our wedding anniversary today." he said softly and smiled a little. "We could have celebrated at a fancy restaurant somewhere. Just you and me. I bet, you'll look stunningly gorgeous like how you always do. Maybe a little bit more prettier. I'd tell how beautiful you were, throughout the time. I might  have buy you an expensive gift like a diamond ring or a pearl necklace. If only,.." he wasn't able to complete his sentence, he just looked at the grave.

"I love you, Min Young. Always, till death do us apart. I, Kwon Jiyong had solemnly promised you, right?" he mumbled gently.

He got up from his place, and walked away leaving the grave. Interval times, he would stop for a moment and looked back at the grave. He just could not bring himself to leave the graveyard, not just yet. Instead, he sat on a nearby bench sheltered by a tree. Few minutes had passed, he was suddenly sleepy and without a care in himself he let himself to have a nap which eventually turned into a deep sleep.

A soft breeze blows caressing his skin as he heard the rustle of the autumn leaves on the trees surrounding the glade. Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder and sluggishly he opened his tear blurred eyes and looked up. Sunlight gleamed coyly upon him as he was slightly dazed by it.

"Young man, what are you doing here?" an old man addresed to Jiyong and he immediately woke up.

He looked at the man feeling ashamed of himself for actually allowing himself to sleep on the bench for the whole night. "I,.. ah,.. I was laying down for a bit,after,.. A morning jog." he tired to delude the old man.

"Well, theses days I've never seen people jog while wearing a coat." the old man said back and took a seat next to Jiyong.

There was a moment of silence like the ones in a funeral ceremony. Dead silence as if they were mourning for the dead souls here at the graveyard or just simply in honoring for their deaths. Somehow, it was that kind of silence which made Jiyong felt unusually peaceful and calm. A comfortable silence where you can actually forget the existence of the skies, the ground and the reality for a brusque. Been awhile since this ecstasy of serenity had  engaged him. Now, it's time for a bit of story telling he thought.

"Today is my wife's anniversary and our wedding anniversary. I kinda slept for a while." he admitted before looking at his watch. It was almost time for school. The old man looked at him quite appaled by the fact that he was already married.

"You are already married? My, you people nowadays are extremely advanced. And, I'm sorry for your loss." he said gingerly and patted on Jiyong's shoulder as a sign of amenity and condolency. Jiyong chuckled for a bit before he explained to him,

"Well, not an official registered marriage. More like a, just what the heck go for it kind of marriage. I wanted to have that memory, how it felt to have married someone you truly love. Kind of ironic, she died on the date of our marriage a year later." he's smile vanished after he finished opening up to the old man.

"Fate has it's funny and strangest ways of interferring and disrupting with our lifes in and out completely. As for me, I've... killed my wife and daughter in a car accident. Eventhough they told me it was not my fault, I can't accept that. If only,.. If only I had checked the car before that trip to Jeju, they would still be here with me." he told his tale after Jiyong then he stood up and excused himself before saying his goodbye because he had to be elsewhere during that time. 

"Just remember this,.. Numbing the pain for a while, will make it worse when you actually feel it sooner or later. Let it all out once in awhile. Young man, we've been through the same path. Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if only one remembers to turn on the light. Have a nice day." he finally said before he walked slowly leaving Jiyong in his deep thoughts. Jiyong looked at the cerulean sky, and thought of Min Young and oddly, he thought of Yumi too.

"Thank you, for teaching me how to love. Watch over me, okay?"