Futari no Kimochi - Kaoru Wada (open in new window)

Kyungsoo's POV

Aaaaah~ This is it. The scent of the salty ocean air when I first met Ariel was the same as the time when Ariel and I rekindled our romance with a kiss. I leaned against the wall of a windowsill as I inhaled the cool breeze. This familiar scent... will I ever be able to forget it? 

I looked out the window per usual. Only now did I replay the memories I had of Ariel. The time when I first spotted a mermaid on my ship to meeting Ariel as the 'Maiden' who wasn't able to speak. Why hadn't I realized it sooner? Why? Ugh, stupid Kyungsoo! Why- I stopped myself. I knew it was useless to argue with myself because it would end up in vain. Arguing against time or anyone for that matter would not stop my impending marriage with Annabelle tomorrow.

A strong wind came in and rattled my window. The whiff of the ocean aroma overwhelmed me with more memories of Ariel. The ones that made the lasting impression were the times when we shared our eskimo kisses on the beach. The sweet emotions came back with a strong momentum and paralyzed me. Good times... who knew they can pass swiftly into our hearts? I sat still, replaying those sweet moments because I knew starting tomorrow, those sweet moments will never happen again.

I looked up at the blue sky. How beautiful the world is. Under the sky where waves are more gentle, the fragrance of the ocean becomes stronger. That same scent... It recalls the unforgettable memories I shared with Ariel. It is that place where our love will continue to live on.

Exasperated sighs came out as I continued to look at the sky. I wasn't sure what was going to happen between me and Ariel. Will it end? How will it end? I knew the answer but at the same time, I didn't. Why? Because I probably didn't have the ability to predict the future well. After all, the future is a mystery. Yet, deep inside, I knew that there was another. Was it because I was afraid of the future? I was scared Ariel won't there with me in the future to spend the remaining years our lives together. Before each night, I pray for time to pass slower because I was frightened that my fear was slowly becoming a reality.

With nothing to do, I walked across my room and grabbed my journal. I passed through the pages, reading my entries. These days, I was busy writing away the smallest details of Ariel. From her habit of taking a sip of her drink within every 5 bites of her food to the way her hair fell back after she pranced joyfully around the beach. A smiled formed as I reminisced those moments. I've been working hard, really hard, to remember everything I could about Ariel so that when I have nothing left in the future, at least I would have these precious memories to live with. So I tried to store every one of the endearments about Ariel in my heart and planned to keep them there forever.

At the same time, I've been battling against time. Each passing day meant I was getting closer and closer to separating from Ariel. It was a heartbreaking for me to hang on to the remaining time I had left to spend it with Ariel just to make up for my remaining years without her. Never have I clung so desperately to time until now. I felt so pathetic. So pathetic, those words! I was fighting a losing battle and was drowning in deep despair all the while.

When I heard a shuffle, I awoke from my self misery and looked at my door. I jumped a little as I saw Annabelle standing while looking at me with sorrowful eyes. 

"Did you pack up yet?" She asked me in a faint, wispy voice. 

"Yeah, did you?" I softly responded. Annabelle gave me a slight nod and forced a smile.

Ever since I declared to my parents that I didn't want to marry Annabelle, the atmosphere between us became heavy with tension.

"Is that... your journal?" Annabelle asked as she looked at the journal in my hands.