Korean

Mandarin

Tao’s POV

I watch as her cheeks go from a light pink to pale.

“Hyun Ok, what is it?”

I hear her whisper, “I’m not allowed to be happy. I’m not allowed to love after he died because of me.”

She walks over to her couch and curls up.

All I can do is follow her to the couch and pull her into my arms.

“I don’t know what happened, but I’m here for you.”

Also, it’s too late...

I think I already love you.

I hold her in my arms as she cries, “Hyun Ok, you can tell me what happened. Whatever it is I’ll understand.”

Your POV

I nod my head as I look up at him and know that I can tell him.

I’ll relive through every moment of the day I remember better than any other.

Flashback

My boyfriend at the time, Jung shin, and I were on our way to his apartment to get it ready for when his parents were to visit later that night.

He wore a grey sweater with a grey shirt under it and white pants.  

While I wore a almost light plaid dress with a brown sandal like shoes.

We had walked into the elevator as it went up more and more floors Jung Shin must have noticed something was wrong, because right away he had his arms wrapped around me pushing me towards the door as elevator suddenly stopped.

He was pushing the emergency button while he was panicking.

I never let my sister find out about this, but I heard it was set up on a few floors for a fire to start.

We were trapped without anyone to save us while we hung only 2 stories above ground, but there were 4 levels in the basement.

Trust me I’m as confused as you as to why so many basement floors.

The building itself was so odd and the investigation was different from what I read and heard investigations were like.

Anyways we were sitting in the elevator as it filled with smoke Jung shin pushed me so my stomach was level with the ground.

I fought trying to sit up with him as he shielded his face with a wet sweater.

I looked around how the heck he had soaked his sweater when I noticed a water bottle laying half-empty on the floor.

He leans over and pushed my face in the sweater as he sits there by my side looking for something to do.

I hear his screams as he shouts for help pulling his face from the sweatshirt.

I remember his screams in my sleep along with his hoarse coughs.

He screamed until the door to the elevator was pried open to show us a firefighter who was probably the age of my dad.

I remember him telling me to stay calm, but it was hard for me to do that.

We were between floors and I had no upper body strength so Jung shin told me to climb on his back for the firefighter help me out.

We’re telling him to hurry, because the building was, unsteady, most of all the elevators were unsteady.

I remember yelling for him to get up on the floor and that I believe that he can make it.

He shakes his head as he has enough time to lean up to where I’m leaning down reaching for him for him to give me one last kiss before he pushed me on the floor of the 3rd floor while I saw some blood gush from the elevator as it fell.

On the floor where you’d get off the elevator were my boyfriend’s fingers that had been on the rim when he pushed me back for I wouldn’t have died as well.

The next thing I remember was waking up in the hospital the day that my boyfriends wake was.

I had wobbled down the stairs to see it.

I had fallen down to my knees crying when I saw his family dressed for his wake and as they stood in front of picture of Jung shin.

His family had heard me break down in the hallway outside from where they stood.

I remember his younger sister had attacked me and I didn't’ fight back to me I deserved whatever she gave me.

End of Flashback

I expected Tao to look sad and I was right, but the other look in his eyes confused me.

“Tao, why are you looking at me like that?”

“No reason except I want to try to make you realize that you should live past the pain.”

Tao’s POV

I am such an evil person for telling her that.

Sure, I want her to live past the pain, but the problem is also that I want her to realize that maybe her boyfriend would want her to move along with her life.

“Don’t you think he’d want you to be happy?”

“Maybe, but I can’t let myself live past that memory. My parents and that want me to see a counselor, but I’m afraid to.”

I wrap my arms even tighter around her and rub her back holding back my tears for I can be strong for her.

She may be mad if she heard me say this out loud, but I think she needs someone who can hold themselves together for her. That person isn’t me I’m one of the biggest crybabies you can meet.

I look over to see Hyun Jung is watching me with an out there look.

I move my hands checking on my face if there was anything on it causing Hyun Ok to laugh.

“There isn’t anything on your face,” she says to me smiling, “You were just in deep thought and I thought you looked kind of cute.”

“Gee thanks that isn’t something I hear all the time,” I mumble.

“What?”

“People always call me cute,” I whine without thinking.

She laughs pinching my cheek slightly, “How can’t I say that?”

I reach up touching the cheek she touched and I know that I’m blushing like some middle school girl.

She laughs again and reaches for her phone as she pulls it out she pulls me over and looks at me, “Say cheese.”

She takes the picture with me and makes me look at it, “See you look cute at how your blushing with the smile.”

I laugh a bit seeing what she means.

I look like one of those fan pictures that someone drew. Not that it’s not so bad since it’s a bit cute. Other times they are a bit weird, but lets leave those in the deep dark place in my mind.

I watch as she stands up and looks back at me, “Are you hungry?”

I nod my head as I stand up and follow her to her kitchen.

We decided to eat some ramen and while doing so we have a marathon of Jet Li and Bruce Lee movies.

I had asked her, “Why those two?”

She shrugged at me as she looked over, “I’m entirely sure, but most of my favorite movies are Jet Li movies which are fine with me since they are always action packed.”