Chapter 34

Melody and the girls got off the elevator with heavy hearts. They had already said their private goodbyes to the guys but now they were going to their airport to see them one last time before they left, even if only from afar.

Her feet slowed as she felt the tears welling up again. She hadn’t cried in front of Leo when they had said goodbye, and she had tried not to cry in front of the girls. Escaping into the bathroom with the excuse of needing a shower she had turned the water on full blast and curled up on the floor of the bathroom sobbing her heart out as quietly as she could. Melody hadn’t fooled Yhinny though, her dongsaeng had crept into the bathroom and the two of them had held each other as they shared their pain in losing the men they loved.

Melody raised her hand to her heart where the ache was unbearable. She didn’t think she could do this. She couldn’t go and watch them leave. A hand covered from behind and her eyes widened in fear until his scent filled her senses. “Leo.” She whispered she turned around.

Leo’s dark eyes burned and without a word he grabbed her hand and dragged her down the hall to an empty conference room before releasing her.

She followed him trustingly and after he closed the door and turned back to her, she flew into his arms.

“Leo, oh Leo.” She sobbed as she wrapped her arms around his waist. She felt his own encircle her and he leaned down to rest his head on hers.

“Noona.” He said softly in his beautiful voice and her body shook with silent sobs as she hid her face in his shoulder not wanting this moment to end. His hand went to lift her chin and she shook her head and turned it away.

“Aniyo, I don’t want you to see how awful I look. I don’t want it to be your last memory of me.” Though her voice was muffled against his shoulder he understood her and grasped her chin firmly to have her look at him.

“Noona, it won’t be my last. I know this is unfair to ask you…” his voice trailed off and she sniffed as she looked at him confused.

“Noona…will you wait for me? I know it’s not fair to ask since we don’t know when we will see each other again but… noona…saranghaeyo.” His voice ended on a whisper as his hand caressed her cheek.

The tears which had started to slow returned with a vengeance and flowed down her cheeks, making twin silver rivers, “Sa…saranghaeyo?” she asked incredulously.

Leo smiled at her disbelief, “Ne, saranghaeyo Noona.” He leaned down to kiss her, the saltiness of her tears brushing his lips and he reached down to grasp her hand and place it against his heart so she could feel it racing.

“Can you care for me enough to wait for me?” There was an odd catch to his voice and Melody realized how hard it must have been for him to ask her. Unable to speak she could only nod and gasped softly as he swept her up in his arms and kissed her long and soundly.

He set her on her feet and grasped both her hands between his own. “We can make this work Noona, I promise we can.”

Smiling though her tears she nodded, “Yes, ne, ne we can. I’ll wait. I’ll wait for you as long as I have too. Taekwoon, I love you so much…saranghae.” She said as she snuggled in his embrace.

His phone beeped to let him know a text message had come and he reluctantly checked it.

Leo-yah! We need to leave now! Hurry!

“You have to go don’t you.”

He nodded slowly, his arms still wrapped around her.

“It’s okay yeobo.” Her voice shook slightly as she tested the word out and Leo smiled liking the way it sounded. “I understand, you have to go.”

Quickly he handed her a piece of paper with the dorms address and the company’s address. Kissing her again he assured her he would send her a message on Kakaotalk when they arrived. Knowing they were leaving also to head home later that evening he made her promise to be careful. Opening the door he turned to kiss her hard one last time and whispered in her ear again that he loved her.

Sprinting down the hall with his heart in his shoes he nodded briefly to Yhinny, Summer, and Trina who looked at him in surprise and then looked down the hall to see Melody coming out of a room leaning against the wall. Hurrying down the hall to their Unni none of them saw the figure that slid further into the shadows by the door.

“Melody Unni!” Yhinny exclaimed when they reached her.

“He loves me.” She said softly her fingers against her lips.

“EH?!” They all said surprised.

Melody lifted her head to smile radiantly at them, “He loves me, and he asked me to wait for him.”

The girls leaned in to give her hugs and Summer stated firmly that they had decided they didn’t want to go to the airport. “I don’t know about you all but I can’t bear to watch Hongbin leave.” She stared at them all waiting for one of them to say something different but they all nodded in agreement.

Trina said softly, “I’d rather remember saying goodbye to Ken the way I did.”

Yhinny nodded in agreement remembering her private goodbye with Ravi. Climbing back onto the elevator the group went back up to their room in better spirits then when they had left…