[Seohyun]

I arranged my way out from this Incheon Airport right after I picked up my luggage. Then I smiled, inhaling the refreshing air of Seoul. I was back again in my beloved nation, Korea. I looked around before I spotted a middle-aged man, came approaching me. He curved up a polite smile and bowed down.

“Searching for a ride, miss???”, he offered, glancing back over his shoulder to his taxi. I followed his direction and smiled. “Yes, please...”

As soon as I agreed to take his ride, he grinned and came to help me with my luggage. I took my place at the back seat of his car and we started our journey. I told him where I wanna go and our conversation was interrupted by the ringing of my phone.

“Excuse me...”, I said and zipped off my handbag to pull out the phone.

“Yoboseyo...”, I greeted the caller as I answered the phone and a girl laughing to me. “Yah, Seo Joohyun!”

“Annyeong, Yuri unnie...”, my lips curved up into a warm smile once I heard the cheerful voice of my unnie – she was my best friend back then when I was still staying in my orphanage.

“Where are you right now??? Seoul???”, she asked me after stopped laughing. I chuckled but nodded as thought she could see me.

“Yeah...just got down from the plane...but I’m in a cap now...heading to your place...”, I told her and she pouted. “Great! Then I’ll see you later, okay??? Safe ride!”

“Got it! See you later, unnie...”, I replied her back and cut off the line. Then I placed my phone again inside my bag before I raised my head, throwing my eyes outside the window. Instantly, I saw a florist shop next to the traffic and I tilted my head back toward the driver.

“Adjusshi...can you pull in for a while??? I want to go and buy something inside the florist...”, I demanded to him and he grinned to me through the mirror up there. “Sure, miss...”

“Please wait for a minute...I won’t be long...”, I reminded him before I pushed the door open and stepped out from it. Then I smiled upon reading the board hung in front of the shop and made my way to the entrance.

“Welcome!”, a woman greeted me as soon as she heard the welcome bell on the entrance rang loudly. I grinned and bowed down to her, she did the same to me.

“Annyeong, miss...what can I do for you??? You wanna buy flower??? What kind of it??? We have so many types of flowers in here...”, the keeper explained as she waved her hands extravagantly around the shop. I laughed at her friendliness and I nodded my head.

“Yeah...I’m looking for a very special flower...”, I told her and she lit up a smile to me.

“For a mother??? Boyfriend??? Husband???”, she guessed, beaming playfully to me and I broke into funny laughter with her.

“Hahahahaha...boyfriend??? No...just a friend...I...I never manage to say I love him...”, I answered truthfully to her and it wiped away the broad smile on her lips.

“Oh...I’m sorry...”, she said, sounded guilty to me but I simply shook my head, laughing.

“No...you don’t have to...em...so can I have a bouquet of purple Violet???”, I immediately changed the topic to wash away the sudden awkwardness that wrapped us. She cracked a thin smile and gave me a nod.

“Sure...this way...”, she said and led me to get the flower. After she wrapped the bouquet in a flowery paper and tied it up with a big ribbon, she handed me and I paid the price to her. Then we wished our farewell to each other before I hurried into the taxi again.

“Omo! Purple Violet...”, the driver sang to me as soon as he saw the big bouquet inside my hands. I laughed and bumped off the door to close it.

“Yes...”, I shortly commented, inhaling the sweet, romantic scent from the flowers.

“Thoughts of you...”, the adjusshi suddenly said. I gazed up to him again, “Huh???”

“That flowers...purple Violet also meaning by your thoughts to someone...it must be for somebody that really special, right???”, he questioned, smiling meaningfully to me and I laughed.

“Yeah...I supposed that is true...”, I gave him a reply with my sheepish smile and we broke into laughter together. The journey to my hometown continued. I’m heading back to Cheonan today, a small town just two hours from Seoul. I put down the bouquet on my lap as I rested my head on the chair behind me. Shifting my eyes back outside the glass, I pictured the face of the person that I missed the most after all these 17 years.

Seventeen...it had been a long time, I guess...Yeah, a very long time. Yet, just like the meaning of these purple Violet that I would like to send it to him; my thoughts of him were always fresh and clear in my mind. I hoped I could reach out to him even now because I knew...he was a very lonely man. Sometimes, I wished there was something that I could do to change his loneliness into happier memories but...time was the only thing that a human could never get back. I get irritated with myself for not saying ‘I love you’ to him. I flinched before I raised up my hand and placed down my palm on my chest. It was so cold deep inside here – after he was gone, I can’t stop feeling cold and lonely. I’ve never been loved neither have known what love is but until I met him, I know what it was like to love someone...I guess it was true when they said that you find love in the most unexpected place.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

17 years ago... [Seohyun – 8 years old]

“Please...please...somebody...help me get down from here...”, I pleaded between my sobs as I held my hands on the trunks of the tree. I could feel that both of my feet were trembling too whenever I looked down to the ground from up here, on the tall tree.

“Hello, there monkey! Do you need some help???”, I darted my eyes toward where the crooky voice came from and my eyes landed on a boy. He was tall with slender body but he looks young too, almost the same age as me, I guessed. Slowly, I let go my trembling right hand to wipe away the tears drenched on my cheeks as my left hand was still gripping tight on the trunk. “Can you???”

I asked with my broken tone, trying hard to talk in the same time to control my sobs. He chuckled and folded his arms across his chest. “Do you see anybody else here to help you get down from there???”, he asked me back and I scanned around for a while. He was right; the field around us was empty right now. Then I dropped my eyes back to him and nodded.

“Okay...but how are you gonna help me???”, I frowned to him, confused to find a perfect idea to get down from this tall tree. Jumping was definitely not the answer because I knew that I’m gonna falls on the ground and maybe break any part of my bones but carefreely, he said to me.

“Easy...just jump off then...”, my eyes widened upon hearing his order but he laughed out to me, shaking his head. “What now you’re scare???”

“If I just need to jump to save myself then I would rather do it without you since earlier!”, I snapped angrily to him, shot him a glare and looked away from his teasing face.

“Hahahaha! Aigoo...if you’re scare about having broken bones or whatever...don’t worry...that’s why I’m here to help you...”, he explained and took a few steps closer to the tree. I watched him, raising my eyebrow until he stopped under the trunk that I sat and he spread his arms wide to both of his side. “Just jump down...I’ll catch you...”

“Huh! I don’t believe you will manage to carry my weight, skinny! Plus, what if I don’t fall in your arms???”, I questioned arrogantly to him and he rolled his eyes.

“Hmmm...”, he moaned, thinking for a while as he rubbed his chin. Finally, he clicked his fingers and smiled up to me again. “Then let me give you a promise...”

I frowned for more now, biting my lips. Was he come here to save me or to have a conversation with me??? Now discussing about promise??? I thought in dissatisfaction but I waited for him to talk. “Promise about what???”

He winked to me – gosh, he was handsome when he did so. I almost held my breath as I stared on him but then he spread his hands again, ready to catch me inside it. “Never let Seohyun die...”

“How do you know my name???”, I growled to him when I was caught in shock, hearing my name slipped from his mouth. He pouted and hissed to me.

“Can we know that later??? Or are you gonna stay up there, being a permanent blood donator to the mosquitos???”, he joked to me and I sulked. I shortly let out a deep groan but I started to stand up on the trunk, ready to jump off. “Are you sure that you gonna catch me???”

“I promised you already...never let Seohyun die...”, I chuckled, I’m not die anyway...just maybe going to suffer for some broken bones if he doesn’t manage to catch me.

“Okay...”, then I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I counted inside my head; one...two...three...before I let my body fell from the trunk and I shouted on top of my lungs.

“AHHHHHHHHHH!!!”, as I expected my body to collide with the rough ground but it never happened. Instead, I slowly opened my eyes and the first that I saw was the face of the boy just now. We were staring eyes to eyes with each other until he gave me a naughty smile.

“Are you going to stand up or not??? Or do I need to give you a wake up kiss so that you will stop staring at my handsome face???”, he mocked to me and I quickly got on my feet again. I cleared my throat and smoothed down my dress and hair.

“Thanks...I almost die because of shock, you know...I thought that you’ll never get to catch me...”, I commented to him but he shrugged.

“Never let Seohyun die...that’s my promise and I kept my promise...”, he replied me, keeping his hands inside his pockets before he walked over to enter the vast greenish field ahead of us. My eyes trailed his movement from behind, thinking of his words until I remembered something and started to follow him.

“Yah! You never tell me yet...how do you know my name???”, I pressed to him until my legs stopped walking when he dropped his body to the ground and sat on it, hugging his knees closer to his chest.

“You’re a kid from that orphanage, right???”, instead of answering my question, he shot me another question back and he pointed out his finger toward a white building, far from where we were now. I stole a glance toward my orphanage and I looked back to him.

“I am...why???”, he smirked and poked me on my wrist.

“Sit...”, he ordered and I bluntly obeyed him. I landed my next to him as we fixed our eyes on the streaming river in front of us. The scenery around was so calming. We could hear the nature was talking to us as the water flowed freely and the birds were singing their unknown melody to us. I dared a glimpse toward him from the corner of my eyes. He looks so much in peace as he shut his eyes and enjoyed the evening breeze around us.

“Seo Joohyun...a noisy and nagging kid from the orphanage...she is 8 years old and she is always here since she was a baby...her parents died in a car crash so she never go anywhere except staying inside the orphanage...but everyone hates her because...she loves to do nothing except crying...so the kids inside the orphanage bullied her and they keep on gossiping about wishing her to die...they want her to get lost from their sight...”

“Enough!!!”, I yelled to him as I covered my ears with my palms. I understood now why he knew so much about me. Yes, everything that he told me just now was correct – absolutely correct! The children inside my orphanage used to hate me. They hated me because I’m the golden kid among our teachers. I’m used to be everyone’s favorite because I’m growing up to be an obedient and innocence girl plus with my intelligent brain. I excelled in everything – study and sport. That made me an absolute reason to be jealous with. The kids were jealous to me instead of envying me so they did everything just to keep me down. They bullied me, every single day and they threated me that they gonna kick me out from the orphanage if I ever dare to report anything about their cruel deeds to our care takers. Slowly, a tear escaped down to my cheek as I thought about it. The boy glanced sideway to me and sighed.

“You were stuck on the tree just now...because they forced you to climb it up, right???”, he guessed to me and I cried even more. I weakly nodded my head until I gave up and buried my face inside my palms.

“They lied to me...today is my birthday so they asked me to follow them until here...they said that they got a surprise birthday present for me...when we were here, they asked me to climb the tree, saying that my gift was on the trunk...but then, when I did as they say...they left me helplessly like that...”, I complaint throughout my tears as the boy let out another heavy sigh. He shook his head before he stretched out his hand and patted me on my head.

“They all are idiots...but you’re a fool too...why did you believe in them if you know that they like to bully you???”, he questioned to me but I revealed my crying face again at him.

“Because my teacher said that we’re orphans...we live together inside the house so we’re like family...and I need to believe in my family...”, I reasoned out innocently to him but he snorted.

“That’s the stupidest reason I ever heard...”, he replied and I sobbed even harder now, my shoulders shook along with it.

“Huwaaaahhhhh!!!”, I cried out loud, making the boy to rub his hair in confusion.

“Okay, okay...I got it...you’re not stupid...you’re the brightest and cleverest...the most talented Seohyun...okay???”, he said to me again, nodding his head in worried and I stopped crying at once.

“Really???”, I blinked my teary eyes to him. He chuckled but he smiled attractively to me.

“Of course...because you’re the brightest...that’s why everyone easily notice you among the crowd...the same goes for me...I noticed you first since the first day I moved in to this town...”, he told me and he leaned forward to wipe the tears on my cheeks with his fingers. As his palms cupped my face, I could feel comforting warmth sneaked into my body, slowly reached down to my heart. I tried to smile toward him.

“What’s your name???”, he pouted and moved his hands away. He looked back to the river.

“I’m a Chinese boy actually...but my grandparents live here so I came for a visit...I’m Wu Yifan by the way...”, he answered me and held out a hand toward me. My eyes fell on his palm before I gazed up questioningly again to him. He clicked his tongue impatiently.

“I saved you and I don’t bully you so can we be friends??”, he asked me and I finally swallowed hard. I read his uncertain face before I finally cracked a thin smile and nodded. “Sure...”

I took his hand in mine and we shook it together. We shared the laughter before he pulled away and said, “Happy birthday, Seohyun ah...”

“Thank you so much...”, I grinned sheepishly back to him and he stood up. I watched in silence as he pulled out something from inside his pocket and sat down again beside me.

“Here...”, he said as he opened up his palm and revealed a strange, small purple flower to me. I frowned on it before my eyes gazed up to his face – he was smiling in thrill.

“What is this for???”, he rolled his eyes and picked up my hand to replace the flower on my palm instead. “I stole this flower from my grandma’s backyard...hopefully she doesn’t realize it...just a simple and cheap gift for you...happy birthday...”

“Ceh!”, was the only sound that escaped from my mouth. But I laughed and brought the flower closer to me as I studied the purplish petals. I trailed my fingertips on it as my lips curved up into broad smile. It was cheap, priceless and soon-will-die flower but I was happy because it was the very first time that I got a present and flower from a boy. Yifan laughed along with me as I played with the little petals.

“Violet...”, he commented in low tone and I blinked to him, “Pardon???”

“Its name is Violet...do you know what Violet is also mean???”, Yifan guessed to me but I simply shrugged. He rolled his eyes but he sighed and told me the answer.

“Purple Violet also meaning by modesty, faithfulness, innocence, understated beauty and special thoughts of someone that you love...”, he muttered to me while I mouthed a ‘wow’ to him.

“I never know that a boy would be so familiar about flower...”, I , causing him to burst out laughing loudly. But then Yifan nodded his head in agreement.

“Fascinating, isn’t it??? That’s the impact from living with a flower-freak-nanny...”, he commented confidently and we broke into mad laughter. I clutched my hands on my stomach until we were out of breath and stopped laughing.

“Ahhhhh...aigoo...”, Yifan mumbled as he stretched his hands and lied down his body on the ground, staring up to the bright skies.

“So...wanna go out with me tomorrow???”, he suddenly asked as I took a quick glance on him.

“Where???”, I lied my body down next to him too, playing with the flower between my fingers.

“Hmmm...how about the theme park??? We can play roller coaster...”, he was about to start suggesting but I immediately shook my head and sat straight.

“No!!!”, I refused to him. Yifan narrowed his eyes to me and sat back too. “Why???”

“Be...because I’m scare of roller coaster...”, I told him sheepishly, feeling the blood rushed up to my cheeks. He chuckled, shaking his head but he slowly reached out to me and gave a gentle pat on my head.

“Don’t be scare...never let Seohyun die...remember???”, he reminded me softly and I slowly cracked a smile for him. “Yes! Let’s go!”

Next morning...

“Aigoo!!! Where are you, Yifan oppa???”, I complaint under my tired breath as I put my hands on my waist. I had waited here for almost two hours but he never show up anywhere around the theme park. Then I pouted when I remembered that he nagged for me to call him ‘oppa’ before we parted to our homes yesterday just because he was two years older than me! Ugh! I never know that a 10 years old boy would be that demanding and irritating.

“Huuuhhhh...”, I sighed again and walked over to stand across from the roller coaster’s section. I watched and listened to the hysterical scream of those people up there. Then I clicked my tongue – I hate riding roller coaster too but whenever I thought about it, I heard oppa’s promise to me.

‘Never let Seohyun die’

“Aish...”, I simply get annoyed when my heart chose to believe him. But where the hell he was now??? He promised to meet me here sharp at 2 p.m. but it was 4.15 already!!!!

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

12 years later... [Seohyun – 20 years old]

I leaned my body against the rail that gated around the roller coaster’s section. I stood there, hands inside the pockets of my sweater as my eyes wandered around the whole theme park. It was my 20th birthday today. Like we used to promise back then, I waited for Yifan oppa here. I always come here every year or every day that I got free just because...I still keeping a hope to see him, to stare on his face and to hear his voice – even though I knew that I might won’t recognize him anymore because he must had changed a lot. He was 22 years old now.

“Oppa...where are you??? I miss you, oppa...”, I muttered slowly under my breath and I felt my fingers touched something inside my pocket. I looked down and took it out. My eyes started to be blurred by the tears again when I stared on the dried petals of the Violet flower gave by oppa. It had died, long ago but I still kept it safe with me because this was the only memory between me and oppa. I treasured it a lot.

“That’s the girl, right???”, I heard someone whispered and I lifted up my head. That was when I landed my sight on two men, both dressing in black with their eyes covered with tinted sunglasses. They kept on whispering among them as sometimes they nodded their heads and kept their mysterious eyes on me. I gulped down my throat, started to feel unease and I stole a quick glance around me. I’m sure there was no other girl except me here. So they must be talking about me – positive!

“Haish...”, I clicked my tongue out of irritation and I kept the flower back inside my pocket. Clearing my throat, I started to take a step for leaving this place and those strange men.

“Huh!”, but I froze on my feet when I caught sight of a very tall man, suddenly appeared in front of me. I tried to open my mouth, shouting for help and I tried so hard to push my legs to run but instead I stood motionless there. I could feel my feet were trembling like mad as I watched him pointing out a gun straight toward me. Wait, what was this all about??? What have I done??? How was this man??? Why would he want to shoot me???

But as the questions lingered confusedly inside my head, the man shifted his gun and he pulled the trigger toward somebody stood behind me. I closed my eyes tight when my ears listened to the booming sound of the gun, shooting its bullet toward his target.

“BOOM!!!”, and the chaos followed by the massive screaming from the people around the theme park. “AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! HELP!!!!!!!!!!”

They shouted and before I manage to regain my consciousness, I felt somebody snatched my wrist and pulled me away from the crowd.

“Wait!!! What is happening???!!”, I asked loudly, fighting against the loud scream of those people, panicked around us but I saw the tall man just now was running with me as he gripped tightly on my wrist. I tried to jerk my hand free from him.

“Let me go!!! Where are you taking me???!!!”, I yelled to him but I shouted in pain when I felt he spun my body around and pushed to pin my body between a narrow wall. His hands gripped very tight on my shoulders as he stared down to me with his bloodshot eyes. I can’t see his face properly because he had it covered with a black handkerchief until his nose, only his eyes were revealed to me.

“Shut up!!! If you don’t want to die, then follow my order!!!”, he barked aggressively to me but I tried my hardest to push his chest away from blocking my body.

“No!!! You killed people!!! You shoot someone just now!!! Let me go!!!”, I scolded him back but he groaned and immediately covered my mouth with his big palm.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I cried in my sleep – feeling a silence, unknown pain spread widely throughout my whole body. Then I remembered the tall man, pointing his gun straight to me and I woke up with my mouth screaming loudly on top of my lungs.

“NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!”, and I found myself panting, my chest rose and fell rhythmically with my rapid breathing and I could feel my entire face was drenched by my sweat. I tried to calm myself and took a deep breath. Then only I realized that I was sitting on a bed inside an unknown room but everything around me was so dark. I could see nothing except knowing that I’m on a bed right now. As I tried to push my body out from it, I immediately groaned in pain and I picked up my right wrist. Trying hard to stare on it under the darkness, I barely saw a bruise on my skin – leaving a bluish circle there. I got this scar because the man held on too tight toward my wrist, yes – it must be him! Speaking of the devil, where was he now??? I thought before I flinched when my ears caught sound of a crack from the door.

I listened to someone’s footsteps, slowly entering this room but I still can’t see from where it was because the room was way too dark. Next, I heard a click sound and the whole room was lightened up with the florescent lamp. I gasped when I saw the man who kidnapped me with his towering height and mysterious face covered under the handkerchief. I narrowed my eyes on him, gripping hard on the bed sheet so that I could restraint my anger toward him. He took a step nearing me and I growled at him, “Don’t come closer!!!”

“What do you want from me??? Why do you take me here??? Who did the person that you killed at the park???”, I shot him with nonstop questions and he glared to me, stopped approaching me as he stood frozen there.

“You’re talking too much...”, his voice was deep and rough when he spoke but I gritted my teeth.

“I won’t stop talking until you answer me! Show me your face, you coward!!!”, I bravely mocked him and he raised an eyebrow sarcastically. Finally, he sighed and moved his hands to take off the handkerchief on his face. I held my breath, curious to see his face until I found my eyes blinking in surprise when he lastly undid the black cloth and revealed his entire face to me. Oh my...he...he...was gorgeous. Yeah, that was the first word that popped out from my brain. My anxious eyes never leave his perfect features as he stared seriously on me too. His eyes were small but sharp and somehow it reminded me of Yifan oppa. Then his pointed nose, V-shape face, perfectly curved chin and lastly his thin but watery lips – very Goddess! I found myself mesmerized by his angelic look but I quickly cleared my throat and looked away.

“Please...let...let me go...”, I pleaded to him without looking at him but he clicked his tongue and shook his head.

“I can’t...”, he said and I snapped back at him, “But why??? What will you get if you keep me here???”

“You’ll die if I let you go!”, he shouted furiously to me and I frowned to him.

“You’re the one who killing people...so you’re the one who gonna die...the police will come after you, not me!”, I told him stubbornly again but as he groaned and wanted to speak again, we were interrupted by the sudden ringing of his phone. He hissed, kinda distracted but he quickly grabbed out his phone and moved out from the room.

“DOM!!!”, he slammed close the door and locked it back, trapping me inside here.

“Damn it!!!”, I cursed under my breath as I scanned around the room, finding anyway to escape secretly from here. But I found nothing, not even any window except wall around me and finally my eyes stopped on a strange small cupboard on a corner of the room. Feeling anxious and bored, I got down from the bed and walked over toward it. I stopped before the cupboard and I slowly pulled open on it. It was totally empty inside until my eyes spotted an envelope, colored in dark brown. I bent down my body and picked it up inside my hands.

“Yah, we gotta go!”, suddenly someone burst into the room again and I dropped the envelope to the floor. My hands were shivering because I was afraid that I might had touched something forbidden inside the cupboard. I guessed I was right because the handsome kidnapper just now was narrowing his eyes sharp toward me.

“What are you doing???”, he questioned as he walked straight and snatched up the envelope again.

“I’m...I’m...so...”, I tried to apologize but he hissed in irritation as he grabbed hold of my wrist again and dragged me out from the room.

“Wait...where are we going???”, I asked absentmindedly as I tailed him going down a narrow staircase.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Attention please...the flight to Canada will be in...”, I found my eyes blinked questioningly when we arrived at the Incheon Airport. I just stood waiting motionlessly as my kidnapper busied himself at the boarding counter. I watched him from behind, glancing around the busy crowd. They were all walking here and there so I thought this was the best time to run away. But when I was about to take my first step, the man turned around. He shot his murderous stare on me and I stood straight again, hiding my hands behind my body.

“Here is your passport and ticket...”, he handed me those things as soon as he stopped walking in front of me. I frowned on it but never make a move to accept. Instead, I hissed angrily and looked up to him.

“Please...at least, answer my question this time! Why can’t you just let me go or send me back to my home??? I don’t want to go outside the country! I don’t have anybody there! I don’t know them and plus, why should I run away??? There’s nobody is chasing after me...”

“You’re wrong! There are so many people are looking for you! And their target is none than to have you die! So I can’t let that happen!”, he suddenly cut me off as he explained in frustration to me. I gritted my teeth but I put my hands on my waist.

“But why on Earth they want me to die??? I don’t even have any enemy before!”, I replied, shaking my head but he groaned and shouted to me, “Because you’re very precious to me! And they will hurt everyone that I love!”

“Huh???”, I lost my word instantly after I heard him and he looked amazed by his own words too. He let go of a despair sigh and picked up my hand to push that ticket and passport on it.

“Please...all that I need you to do is be safe...”, his tone suddenly turned to become gentle and softer. His arrogant eyes also had changed into warmer now. I stared deeply to his eyes, I knew there was something hidden behind it but he seems to block it out by a very high wall so that no one will ever manage to penetrate into his secret. I finally sighed weakly and looked down on my feet, losing my sanity to think for a best solution to this.

Then I watched him taking a step closer to me. He took off his black jacket and he replaced it on my body, wrapping around it. I frowned even more now.

“Wait...I’m confused...why do you...”, I tried to seek for his explanation again but he placed his hands on my shoulders and squeezed firmly on it – his eyes stared deeply into mine.

“Never let Seohyun die...”, he slipped those words to me and I gasped in shock. My jaw dropped open widely but he already dropped down his hands from my shoulders.

“Just go to Canada...start your new life...and you’ll be just fine there...”, he advised me and started to take his steps in reverse. Go on, call for him! Shout his name! That was what my mind told me to do but all that I did was to be stiff as a robot and I watched him leaving me further and further away until he turned his back on me and stormed off. He disappeared from my sight among the massive crowd but I could still hear his voice close enough to my ears. “Never let Seohyun die...”

“Oppa...”, I murmured in weak tone, a tear dropped down to my cheek as I finally gained my strength back and my feet started to run and catch up with him.

“Thump!”, but something landed on the floor just before my feet and I stopped myself from running. Instead, I looked down and I saw the brown envelope just now. Wait, wasn’t he got mad to me when I touched it at the room but now he left it inside the jacket that he gave me??? I thought questioningly as I kneeled down to the floor and picked it up. But my hands were trembling madly as I did so and the envelope slipped again from my hand until it fell down and spilt out piles of papers from inside it. I stayed frowning on those things.

No! It wasn’t papers but they were photos. Photos of someone and my finger touched on the one that fell on my knee. I gasped in shock and clapped a hand on my mouth – it was my picture! Furiously, I started to gather all of them and rechecked one by one. Then only I felt my body weakening when I realized that those pictures were a collection of my photos all over these 12 years that oppa had gone missing. It started when I was 12 years old, 13 years old, 14 years old until I was older and older and right up until now! So this man, this kidnapper had been a permanent stalker of mine since I was kid right until now! He took every pictures of me wherever I’d go because I saw my photos in school uniform, my photos playing around the field, my photos in front of my orphanage and of course my photos at the theme park – waiting for Yifan oppa day by day.

“Oppa...”, I dropped those pictures onto my lap as I cried my heart out. Tears flowing down my cheeks like heavy rain until I saw another small envelope among those photos. Hastily, I wiped away my tears and picked it up. I tore the envelope to open and quickly pulled out the paper inside – it was a letter for me.

“Dearest Seohyun,

I’ve been thinking about letter recently – the long hand love letter. I know this sounds creepy considering that no one ever write this anymore. But I want to do it from now on, for you. I’m sorry that I can’t keep my promise to you. I know that we promised to celebrate your birthday at the park, riding the roller coaster together but I’m sorry that I didn’t manage to accompany you. I saw you came to wait for me there almost every year and I’m thankful for it. I’m touched when I realize that you never forget our date promise. Seohyun ah, please forgive me that I suddenly left and disappeared from you. On the day that we’re supposed to meet each other, there was a man came to me. He took me away and raised me somewhere hidden from my family and you. I never get a chance to see you until I was given a task to start working on my job. I’m...an assassin under a secret organization. Killing people is my job, Seohyun ah. That’s why I never dare to go anywhere near you. Instead, I just kept watching you from afar. I hope that you don’t take my action as something creepy because I usually take your picture everytime I have a chance to see you. You’re very beautiful, Seohyun ah...very much pretty and dazzling now. Somehow, my feeling for you is growing deeper and deeper each day. I know I have to stop this before anyone catches any trace of you. There is another organization that comes after me. I killed their chairman so now, they are coming for me. I know they are looking for someone that really precious to me. Well, I’m an assassin...I’m not supposed to love anyway...but before they track you down, I’m gonna send you away. Never let Seohyun die, that’s my promise and I’ll always stick to it. I’ve spend my entire life as a heartless assassin, Seohyun ah...but if there is a single chance to turn back, then I’ll choose to stay by your side and say...I love you, forever. Never let Seohyun die...so please, stay alive.”

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     -Wu Yifan-

I found the letter drenched entirely by my unstoppable tears as soon as I finished reading it. I’m such a fool. How can I never realize it that oppa had always stayed beside me after all this time??? I cried my heart out, washing away all the regret and sorrow buried in my soul. I don’t care if he was an assassin! I don’t care if I have to die with him! As long as I get to stay with him, I’m not gonna let him go again! I thought in determination as I wiped away my tears and collected all the photos back. I stuffed it inside the envelope back with his letter and started to push my body to stand up. I wanted to pick up my paces, running to search for him but...

“Attention, please...the flight to Canada will be in another 30 minutes...passengers, please proceed to the boarding counter...”, I heard the announcement and automatically froze on my feet. My eyes weakly darted back to the envelope inside my hand.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5 years later...[Seohyun – 25 years old]

“Miss...we are here...”, I was snapped out from my train of thoughts as soon as I heard the driver said to me. I gazed up to him and smiled.

“Thanks, adjusshi...”, I replied and handed him an amount of money. Then I tilted my head sideway and landed my sight on my beloved hometown. From inside this taxi, I could see the white building of my orphanage. Nothing changes, I guess because the design of the building was still the same as I remembered before. I curved up a warm smile and got down from the car. I bowed toward the driver after he handed my luggage to me.

“Zoom...!”, he moved away with his taxi and I arranged my steps forward. But just before the main gate of my orphanage, I cornered sideway and entered the open field that used to be my first meeting place with oppa. I stood there, putting down my luggage on the ground as I set my eyes on the kids. They were playing and chasing each other in a group, their cheerful laughter caught my attention and I automatically laughed upon seeing them.

Then I shifted my eyes on a big tree, planted far away from here. I let of a heavy sigh and slowly took my steps approaching it. Finally after I reached under the tree, I looked up and touched the wooden steam. I was smiling to myself as I recalled the moment when we first met here. Then I put down the bouquet of purple Violet on the giant roots below the tree. I closed my eyes and clasped my hands together in front of my chest. Then I started to pray...

“Dear Lord...please put Yifan oppa in peace...and sends my love and care to him...just like these Violet, please let him know that...his thoughts will always stay in my heart and mind...forever...”

I slowly opened my eyes again as I dropped my hands and smiled on the purple Violet. A year after I stayed in Canada, I heard a secret organization from Korea was trapped down by the police. But in that incident, few men were killed – including someone named Wu Yifan. That was when I knew my oppa was dead. It was sad and painful because I did nothing to save him but...I’m sure that our love will stay...even now. I wondered alone before I heard my phone rang again.

“Ah...unnie...yeah, I’m here already...alright...I’ll see you there...bye!”, I cut off the line and grinned back on the bouquet. Then I winked on it and took a step away. Goodbye, Yifan oppa. I’ll come and visit you again when I have time.

-The End-