Chapter 1

Moonlight Kisses

The early morning breeze silently caresses his hair as if whispering some sad love song from long ago..

It was a rainy September morning; where the wind brings in the sound of waves crashing through the rocks by the shore.  A sound so familiar and yet felt totally new.  On the front porch of a beach house sat a man. In his hands lay a letter written in long soft of a lover on a lavender parchment.

“Hey.. I saw her last night. Pretty.. a lot prettier than I expected… I saw how you looked at her.  I’d be damned if I continue with this madness after that. I saw it coming, I knew one day but I didn’t expect it to happen so soon.. And I must hand it to you, you couldn’t pick a better time to drop the bomb I guess, there is no better day than today. I didn’t know what to say.. I am not even sure what to do. I don’t think I can handle it right now. Maybe in time.. When I have already found myself.. I don’t want to burden you further than I must. For so many years I have relied on you… you were always there for me, In my every stumble.. in my every fall I know that I would be all right, but this time I am finally on my own, no one to catch me, no one to hold. It is time for me to let go of you.. to finally set you free…finally.  From a future that we can never be..  I think it is about time  Time for me to explore the world.. make my own mistakes and forgive myself for it. And when I come back I no longer expect you to be there waiting .. ”

“…but please do promise me, that you will stay happy.. that you’ll sometimes think of me .. even just once in a while.. when the moon is full… when you light that candle.. remember me..”

I love you always and forever,

“..Sandara..”

~~~~~~~****~~~~~~~~~

A girl pulled her cap a little lower, it was the only thing that kept her short hair in place. A pair of dark shades cover her misty eyes.. In white shirt and dark tattered pants, she dragged herself along with her luggage out of the arrival area..

“Arrrghh…” she crashed into a shoulder. “Sorry..” she heard. The owner of that deep masculine voice has one of the most soulful eyes she has ever seen. His hair dyed platinum blond is worn below his ears.  She saw a perfect set of teeth when he smiled apologetically at her. “My fault..” she replied and walked off. It was not a the right time to socialize.

He grinned to himself. This seems to be the very first time his charms failed him. As he was about to leave, he noticed something on the floor. He bent to pick it up.. It was a book. It must have belonged to that girl..

“Hmmm.. Night by Elie Wiesel.. Heavy reader” he muttered. And as he lifted through the pages, a photograph fell. It was a picture of a couple. A soft smile escaped from his lips as he recognized the man and the woman..

“Why hello to you.” As he looked back to where she went.

*~~~~~~~~******~~~~~~~~~~~~

In a Spanish villa inspired mansion, two striking figures are engaged in a very animated conversation when.. “ Excuse me, Sir” the butler address one of the gentlemen. He is tall, silent with a rather calm expressionless face. “ An overseas call from your mother..” he gestured to his companion and took the call.

“Mother, what’s wrong?!” he frowned as he sense the apprehension of the woman in the other line.  Only when she’s tense will she ever call his home phone.  It must have been her secretary who called for her.

“She is not in New York..”she croaks

“What?!” he cut

“She wasn’t among the passengers who arrived this morning in New York or in any other flight for that matter. She was last seen in Narita.. something must have happened, for her to miss her flight..”

“Don’t worry mother, I’m sure she’ll call me.. She has to..” he hissed

After a while he bid her goodbye. When he returned to the room, the door that lead to his lounge opened and a man in dark shades enters.

“Daesung.. you’re late” cried the gentleman in a lime green shirt.

“I am not late.. you guys just started early. Besides, something very interesting happened.” Daesung grinned

“Well..” he raised his eyebrows as he took a sip of his martini. His arrogant eyes seem to convey an air of importance.. “Go ahead.. spill”

Daesung laughed.

At that same time, Seungri crossed the room heading towards the door.

“Hey, come on Seungri!! Where are you going?” Daesung cried “ I’m sure your pretty little girlfriend will wait for you..” He added

Seungri spun around and looked at Daesung intently, “ What do you know anyway?”

“All I know is that, somebody is back. In fact, I have a picture of her...with you…” He answered pulling the picture off his wallet.
“Where did you get that?!” cried Seungri as he tried to snatch the picture from him.

“Not so fast, Mister.. she definitely look so darn familiar..” Daesung teased.

"She has to be, I was married to her once." The man in lime green shirt leaned in."Which reminds me, I still am."

Seungri stared at him, both of them trying to read each other’s expression. Then he grabbed the picture and head off to the door.

~~~~~****~~~~~

A single candle flickers and serves as the only light of this half-empty room. The only movement comes from the person seated on the floor by the coffee table. With a glass of bourbon on hand, her thoughts seem to drift farther from the flames in front of her into the darkness that cast upon the world outside. She can hear the music playing on the radio..

“I have seen
I have been
to places far and deep in my mind
only to find
comfort in your strangeness
of moving shadows when I call the wind by name
rushing firewater in the dark of a cloud
I have seen
I have been
to places far and deep in my mind
only to find
comfort in your strangeness”

She smiled bitterly to herself as a tear successfully escape from her eyes. She stood and walked to the glass door.
“I hope you are not planning on hiding from me forever.” Said a voice from behind her.
“Of course not” she replied without even bothering to look at the person.
“ I just needed some time alone” she slide the door open as the cold wind touches her flesh, she took a deep breath. The night air has a faint smell of magnolia.
“I can never really escape from you, can’t I?!” She added.
“Dara..”
“How did you know I am here, anyway?” He moved forward and stopped just a few inches from her.
“ You dropped this..” handing her the photograph.
She laughed.
“I didn’t know you drink” She heard him whisper.
“Just trying to keep myself warm.. It is cold lately.” She replied looking away from him.
“Come here” he said extending his arms.
“Seungri..”
“Come on, I missed you SO MUCH!” he chuckled
“ I missed you too” She replied closing the gap between them.
“..but not as much as you missed him” he thought
“I can’t believe you are now here.” He told her
“Neither can I.. neither can I.”
They just stood there for a while, taking in each other’s warmth and their all too familiar scent. They can never really say how much they missed each other. Except that their hearts seem to beat as one and the moon which stands as the sole witness to this exchange seem to be bigger and brighter tonight.