The Man That Waited For Love.
The Man That Waited For Love.
I want to be a part of the fun. I want to smile, too. I want to laugh- I want to hear all the fun stories the kids have to tell. I want a friend. All I want is a friend.
Yes, that's all Hansol ever wanted. All this ten year old boy could ever want was a friend, but he had nobody. He spent his classroom time sitting alone at his desk, working on his schoolwork. He never had a friend to talk to so he rarely had homework- he worked the whole class. When reccess time came, he spent it sitting alone on the swings, or on the monkey bars. There was nobody next to him to bring a smile onto his lonesome face. If this was childhood, then he wanted to grow up. Now.
You could be thinking right now- how bad could a ten year old's life possibly be? In this decade, a ten year old is what a thirteen year old used to be. Ten year olds are more mature than eight year olds, and already kids learn how to judge one another. Hansol Choi, however, wasn't just judged. He was picked on. Harshly.
Now, there was only one question to be asked. Why did kids pick on such a sweet, innocent young boy? Simple. Hansol Choi wasn't just an average boy, and you could tell maybe not by first glance, but his name and behaviour gave it all way. Hansol was a Korean-American; and all the kids picked on him because he was Korean. So he was all alone without any friends.
That was until the new student came to the school. Her name was Marissa Jang, but she went by Rissa. Despite the fact she was of the same authencity as Hansol, all the kids looked up to her. Rissa was popular within three days of her arrival at the school and all the kids were desperate to be her friend. But Rissa? She didn't want to be friends with any of them. Her attention was on the young, half Korean boy sitting on the swings by himself during breaktime.
In fact, one reccess all the kids stared in awe as Rissa walked right up to Hansol and took the swing next to him. The young boy looked at her confused, but in return, she only gave him a sweet smile. And so then was the start of a new friendship.
Rissa's popularity didn't rub off onto Hansol after that. Actually, Rissa lost all of her popularity and the kids went off like little scavangers to find someone else to fawn over. She didn't mind, though. Every second spent with Hansol was the best second of her elementary years. Whenever a kid came up to bully them, she stood up for both of them, and soon the shy young Asian boy was becoming brave.
In fact; Hansol was becoming a lot braver than anyone had ever thought he would turn out to be. One lunch hour, a boy that was a year older than the pair came over and shoved Rissa aside. "You ugly girl," he scoffed at her, making a face of disgust, "Get out of our school already. Just seeing you makes me want to throw up."
Rissa winced a bit from the shove, and opened to tell the older boy to leave them alone, but Hansol stepped up before she could and shoved the boy even harsher in return, causing the boy to look shocked by the supposedly weak Hansol's actions. "Leave her alone!"
And since that day, Rissa and Hansol only got closer. In fact, their friendship blossomed into love. Ten years old wasn't that young, but it was young enough for them to not understand it entirely. They didn't know how to work a relationship, nor did they know how to deal properly with their feelings. So they just loved eachother blindly without either of them knowing about each other's feelings. And it was like that for a while until one day Hansol was with Rissa while her mother was in the hospital for a check-up, and they were playing in the outside field.
Rissa smiled at the pretty flowers sprouting up from the ground, touching one gently with the tip of her finger. It fascinated her how the petals had a rubber-silk texture, but were so fragile and delicate at the same time. She was so distracted, she hadn't noticed Hansol was looking at her the whole time. "Hey, Rissa."
Rissa looked up, "Hm?"
A small smile came on this young boy's face. He gently reached forward, grasping her hand in his, and opened it enough for him to place an object in her hands. Rissa looked down, opening her now re-closed hand to see a necklace. It wasn't anything pretty, in fact it was really simple. But that one object alone caused her heart to faintly skip a beat. "I've had that since I was five. But now, I want you to have it."
Rissa looked at Hansol confused, not quite understanding why he would give her such a thing- after all, this object clearly had significant importance to him. Noticing her expression, Hansol decided to change topic. "Let's make a promise."
"Promise?"
Hansol smiled, nodding a bit. "Let's promise right here, right now, that we wait for each other." He said, gently putting a hand over Rissa's. "When we're old enough to understand love, let's get married. Can you promise me?"
Rissa put the necklace securely into her pocket, then enclosed her hand gently over her friend's hand. "I promise."
But as time passed for these two friends, they slowly drifted apart. A year or so later, Hansol started pursuing in his dream, and before Rissa could even process what was going on with her best-friend he was already off to Korea to fulfill his dream. He left with nothing more than a goodbye. And even a year after the day his plane took off, she never heard from him, and she knew one thing for sure- she'd never see him again. But little did she know that Hansol was a faithful young boy. And he intended to keep his promise.
- years later -
"Yah, Rissa. Why do you always wear that thing?"
Rissa raised an eyebrow at her friend, not understanding what she was referring to. She then looked down at the necklace around her neck and smiled a bit, grabbing the small charm on it with her fingers. "This?"
"Yes. It's so dull, it looks like crap. Something you could have found in a thrift store; so why do you wear it all the time? I bet you even shower with it on," her friend said with a chuckle, sitting at the counter of the Cafe, the Cafe which Rissa worked at.
Rissa smiled as she looked at the necklace for a moment, a tint of sadness in her eyes before she returned to her work of washing down the counter. "Someone very special gave it to me a long time ago," she told her friend.
Her friend sighed, she had heard about this mystery person countable times before. It was the same person that was the main reason why she wouldn't date, and goodness knows how many times she had been asked out by men other girls would kill to date, and she turned them all down. Why, you might ask? For the same reasons, every single time. 'I made a promise.' 'I'm waiting for someone.'
Rissa's friend thought she was going insane many times. And frankly, she was almost one-hundred percent convinced that Rissa would be single for the rest of her life if this continued. She was eighteen, it was time to start getting a boyfriend. But that was not going to be easy.
"What are you listening to, anyway?" She asked, nodding to the headphone in Rissa's ear that she hadn't took note of until just now.
Rissa smiled, "Seventeen."
Her friend laughed, "Seventeen, really? They debuted like, what, five years ago? Their music is so crappy now," she said, rolling her eyes. Rissa did always have weird opinions and weird taste in things. Especially in music. Seventeen were the fad, alright. But that was years back.
Rissa sighed softly as she put the rag away, having finished cleaning down the counter, now ready to close up the Cafe. "Their music was never crappy to me." She said, smiling a bit as she thought about the band- one of the members, after all, was her best-friend from many years ago. "That band is very special to me."
Her friend just rolled her eyes playfully, "Whatever you say, Rissa." She then took hold of Rissa's arm, "Let's go to that party Dongsun is having at his house!"
Rissa groaned exaggeratedly. If there was one thing she had zero interest in doing, it was attending a party. But she supposed it wouldn't hurt- after all, if she didn't go, her friend would be 'mad' about it for days and eventually talk her into going clubbing, something Rissa hated even more. "Fine.."
-
Hansol snuck out of the dorm. Recently he had managed to find out Rissa's mother's number, and her mother gave her the information he died to know. Rissa was in Seoul right now, working at a Cafe from what she knew, although her occupation might have changed since Regardless, Hansol was taking his chances. He needed Rissa back in his life again. After all, he had made a promise, and he intended to keep that promise.
So, Hansol literally had a list of every Cafe in every part of Seoul. It would probably take him more than one day to find the Cafe she worked at, even though it was early in the morning. The main reason to this being that Seoul was huge, and there were quite a few Cafes to be investigated, and he was traveling by taxi in the busy streets of Seoul.
I'll find you, Rissa. He thought as he got into the taxi, telling the driver the first address. I swear on my life that I'll find you, or I'll die trying.
-
Rissa took a seat on the very side of the staircase, sighing to herself. The music was too loud, everyone was too unfamiliar, and she had lost her friend hours ago. This was why she hated parties. They weren't any fun.
"Hey, you look bored." A voice spoke. Rissa looked up to see an unfamiliar man. Her instincts told her to ignore him, but she wasn't that rude.
"Uh, yeah. I guess you could say that." Rissa responded simply, trying not to make eye contact with this handsome stranger. After all, she didn't get involved with boys. She had a promise with Hansol and even if she died single, she would forever keep that promise.
The man smiled, "Why don't you have a drink?" He suggested, offering her a 'coincidental' drink he had in his left hand.
Rissa took one glance at the drink then looked away, "No thanks."
The man muttered something inaudible under his breath then walked away. Rissa sighed to herself resting her chin on her hand, feeling bored out of her mind. I wish I had Hansol..
-
"Come on, this is the fifth one already.." Hansol mumbled under his breath, scratching out yet another Cafe name as the taxi driver drove off to the next destination. What if I don't find her?
After about fifteen minutes, the taxi stopped out the sixth Cafe today. Hansol thanked the driver and got out, heading inside and up to the door. "Please let this be it.." He mumbled under his breath before opening the door and walking inside. She wasn't inside, but that didn't mean she didn't work there. He went up to the counter.
"Yes, what would you like today?" The person at the cash register asked with a friendly smile. But Hansol wasn't here to ordeer.
"Sorry to bother you, but does a girl named Rissa work here by any chance?" Hansol asked, hopefulness in his eyes. He really didn't want to have to go to another Cafe, and he desperately wanted to find Rissa.
"Ah.. You mean.. Jang Marissa?" The worker said, "If that's who you happen to be referring to, then she does work here, though she's off duty right now."
Hansol's face lit up and his heart skipped a beat from the adreniline of the excitement running through his body. Finally, he had found her. "Can you tell me when she does work again?"
"From 9 am to 4 pm tomorrow," the worker told Hansol. "She'll be right here where I am within that time period, so if you need to see her this is where she'll be. Is there anything else I can help you with?"
"No, thank you." Hansol smiled kindly. I can't believe I found her. After all these years, I finally found Rissa.. I finally found her.
-
Rissa yawned tiredly and got out of bed, shutting off her beeping alarm clock and opening her blinds, the sunshine kissing her face. "Ahh, it's such a nice day.." She spoke with a smile, then went to get ready for yet another day of work. She wasn't quite sure why she was in such a good mood today, but she wasn't going to protest.
-
Hansol checked the time, it was going to be nine soon; so Rissa would be at the Cafe soon. He assumed the Cafe wouldn't be open until she came, so he might as well head there around 9:30 or so. He smiled, going to clean up first.
-
Rissa wished a good day to second customer that morning. Today was a really slow day, but it's not that she minded much. A slow day meant less work, which meant more relaxation on her part, and she much enjoyed relaxing.
She heard the ding of the door and got prepared to serve the third customer that morning. As footsteps approached the counter, she smiled and looked up, "Hi, how can I-" She began, but froze when she saw who it was. No way.. Hansol?
The familiar man before her smiled, "Rissa.." He spoke. Rissa was in disbelief- she never thought she would hear her name ever again out of his mouth.
"H-Hansol.."
Hansol smiled softly, "I've been waiting nine years, just for you, Rissa.." He spoke, his words causing Rissa's heart to skip a beat. She saw his smile brighten, "But man, were you ever worth the wait."
Rissa couldn't stop a smile from coming on her face. "I missed you, Hansol."
"I missed you too, Rissa." He said, "Do you still remember the promise we made when we were ten?"
"Of course I remember."
"Well.." Hansol started, reaching in his pocket. For a moment, Rissa was entirely confused, until seconds after she felt him gently take her hand and open it up. She felt a small object be placed into her hand, then her hand was closed. "I intend to keep that promise. If that's okay with you."
"Let's make a promise."
"Promise?"
Hansol smiled, nodding a bit. "Let's promise right here, right now, that we wait for each other." He said, gently putting a hand over Rissa's. "When we're old enough to understand love, let's get married. Can you promise me?"
Rissa put the necklace securely into her pocket, then enclosed her hand gently over her friend's hand. "I promise."
Rissa's eyes widened just a bit in realization. She knew right away what that object was; and opening her hand to reveal a ring, she knew that she was right. "H-Hansol.."
"I know this sounds insane. After all, we were just kids the last time we saw each other. It's been nine years since then, but.. I still love you just as I did. You were always there for me, Rissa. Always. Now it's my turn to be there for you. Will you marry me?" He spoke, looking into her eyes with such sincerity that it melted her heart.
"Of course, Hansol.."
And so, that was the start of their life together.
-
Hansol walked into their shared bedroom with a proud, victorious smile on his face. Rissa knew what that smile meant and she couldn't help but giggle. "Is he sound asleep?"
"Just as sound asleep as he could ever be~" Hansol spoke, his voice sounding rather happy- which quite fit because he was overjoyed right then. It was not easy putting their five-month old baby boy to sleep.
Rissa smiled and got off the bed, coming over to Hansol and giving him a small hug. "Didn't you ever consider that maybe he won't want to be an only child? I know that I couldn't live without my sibling, it's lonely as an only child."
Hansol smiled, "I definitely gave it some thought."
"Well, I guess we'll think about that la-" Rissa began, but was cut off as Hansol's arms wrapped around her slim waist and his lips captured hers in a passionate kiss. Once the surprised state passed, her eyes closed and she kissed him back, her arms holding him closer.
He gently began moving his lips against hers and walked her backwards until she fell back against the bed, Hansol on top of her. As his lips left hers and began trailing down her neck, a sly smile came on his soft lips. "Let's have another baby, Rissa."
Rissa gave him a nod of agreement, bringing another smile to her husband's face, before he continued kissing her. Soon it would be the start of a new life; their second child's life, that was. It was almost hard to believe how the shy, neglected boy and the popular, friendly girl had became best-friends within days- with one of the strongest friendships possible, then nine years later, they got married, and six years later they had a baby with another soon on the way.
Their story was something people would refer to as a miracle or a dream come true, but to them.. it was nothing more than just their story.
The End.
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