*Open this to a new tab to have a soothing melody while reading: Farewell Flower Soundtrack 

She has a poor posture and she lost a lot of weight. Her long hazelnut hair was now effortlessly cut in short just above her shoulders with different lengths and her eyes were kind of weary.

But there was something that stayed the same. It was her smile.

Luhan didn’t know how to react albeit the fact that he knew that it would seem absurd if he would just stand there with a shock face but no matter how hard he tried to find the words to say, he didn’t and once again, this girl left him speechless.

“Hello, Luhan.” Hwayeong said in a mere whisper. “Long time no see.”

At the mention of his name, he managed to break out and blinked. “H-hey. Hwayeong.”

Sensing the awkwardness of the two, Mrs. Xi clasped her hands together. “So why don’t we eat first?”

“Good idea.” Mrs. Lee agreed and gestured Hwayeong’s caretaker to stroll Hwayeong to the dining room.

Luhan just stood there and just before his mom could proceed, he held her arms. “Mom, what happened?”

Mrs. Xi gave him a sad smile. “Let’s talk about it later.”

Hwayeong felt uncomfortable because of Luhan’s stares but still, she managed to act as if everything was fine although the truth is, everything wasn’t okay. She hate it whenever people would give her such looks, reminding her more that she’s sick and that she no longer looked like the girl she was a few years ago.

The only people that talked during that time were Mrs. Lee and Mrs. Xi while the two youths ate in silence.

When her plate was finally empty, Hwayeong whispered to her mom if she could go back to her house because she’s tired and that she wanted to sleep. So without further ado, Mrs. Lee agreed and when they’re finally full, the both of them left without even having a proper conversation.

Luhan cleaned the table in silence while his mom did the dishes. After wiping it with a damp cloth, Luhan settled himself to one of its wooden chairs and gaze at his mother’s back.

“What happened to Hwayeong?” He asked. Confusion with a hint of compassion was defined in every word.

“She’s sick…” Mrs. Xi replied, barely registered to a whisper. “She has a cancer.”

Hearing her response, Luhan opened his mouth but when he realized that he doesn’t know what to say, he closed it and blinked several times.

“What kind of cancer?” He asked, trying to go deeper to answer his countless questions.

He saw her heaved her shoulders. “Ewing’s Sarcoma…”

The boy squint his eyes and shook his head. “W-what? I mean, how?”

Mrs. Xi turned off the faucet and proceeded to the refrigerator where the cloth was located. She wiped her wet hands before managing to give an explanation.

“It was two years ago when they discovered that she has a bone cancer. She had chemotherapy and after some examinations, the doctor said that the cancer tumour was localized and hasn’t spread yet so without further ado, they did an amputation in the year of 2008. That’s why Hwayeong lost her leg because it was where the tumour was located.”

Mrs. Xi walked towards him and patted his shoulder. “I’m sorry I didn’t get to tell it to you. I was afraid to disturb you from your school works.”

Luhan shrugged before letting out a sigh. “You’re right. She’s the one who absolutely changed.”

With a final pat on his shoulder, Mrs. Xi left while Luhan just stayed there on the wooden chair, wondering how could time managed to do it to Hwayeong in a span of two years.

Luhan decided to have a morning jog around the subdivision which gave him the opportunity to reminisce and look back to the times when he was a kid at that very same place.

The sun was friendly along with the wind that basked his hair in a comfortable way. He gazed at the houses that he passed by and a smirk would appear on his face at a certain second whenever he realizes that his summer haven hasn’t changed at all.

Except for the girl that was beside him when he witnessed the setting of the sun for the very first time.

Luhan was so busy scanning everything that he even became oblivious of time that’s why when he finally took a hold of himself, he checked his wristwatch only to realize that three hours had finally passed.

When he walked back to the house, he noticed that the car wasn’t on the driveway and the front door was locked. He widened his eyes and tried to twist the knob again but failed. He bit his lower lip and slid aside the door mat with hopes that he might find a spare key but much to his disappointment, there wasn’t.

The boy huffed and took out his phone from his pocket and saw a message from his mom, saying that she went out to buy some groceries.

“And you forgot to leave a spare key…” Luhan whispered as he scratched his head.

He took a seat on one of the stairs of the balcony when he heard voices from afar, making him settle his gaze ahead and saw Hwayeong on the wheelchair being guided by her caretaker who was probably in the age of thirty. He then, realized that the two were approaching him, causing him to stand up from his seat and give them a welcoming nod.

She gestured her caretaker to leave and told her that she can manage herself while Luhan just stood there, watching the both of them. When the woman finally left, the two shared gazes and despite how Luhan was in complete shock, he managed to smile.

Luhan was right. Although there were a lot of things that changed about her, that smile of hers stayed the same along with that certain spark of her eyes.

“I miss talking with you.” The girl weakly said, wondering if Luhan noticed that melancholy was defined in her tone.

Luhan sat back on the stair. “Then let’s talk.”

Hwayeong rolled her wheelchair to settle herself beside him and when she finally did, they shared the very same view—her white house.

“Just like the old days huh.” Hwayeong mumbled and plastered a mere smile.

“Yeah,” Luhan nodded, “But this time, you’re the one who approached me.”

While staring at her house, Hwayeong pictured the both of them when they were still kids, sitting on one of the stairs of the balcony while savouring a lollipop.

Luhan looked at her. “How have you been?”

“Hoping,”

Luhan didn’t know if he would smile at her response so in the end, he stayed still.

“Is it okay if I ask you something?”

Hwayeong nodded. “Go on,”

“What happened to you?”

“Do you even have to ask?” The girl sighed and looked down to where her former leg was. “Just by looking at me, you’ll know the answer.”

“But...I want to know every detail.” Luhan mumbled and rested his chin on his knees.

Hwayeong breathe in deeply as if oxygen was limited for her that’s why it took her a moment before she could give a reply. “Why do you want to know?”

“Because somehow, I care.”

With that statement of his, he managed to catch her gaze. “Why do you care?”

“Because,” Luhan said and looked at her with eyes full of assurance, “you’re my playmate.”

For the first time after a long while, he heard her soft chuckle.

“But that was years ago. We’re grown-ups now.”

“Is it bad to make it happen again?” The boy questioned.

“Well, no but—“

“Then let’s start. Just like the day when we first met beneath the portico of your house.”

The both of them looked at each other and without a clue, they smiled; because after all these years, the bond that they thought was forgotten is still there—just buried. And they’re finding a way to dig it and make it alive again.

That night, Luhan was staring blankly at his room’s ceiling while processing Hwayeong’s explanation to him that morning. About how did it all happen to her. He learned that she started to feel something painful inside her before the start of summer 2007. That’s why Luhan finally realized why he had only seen her once during that vacation. It was a long talk but Luhan managed to cope up with every single word that she said.

The room was dark and the only light that accompanied the latter was the streetlamp near their house that managed to illuminate through his window. There was silence and Luhan almost heard his steady breathing and the stretching of the metal springs inside his bed whenever he will move.

After a few minutes of failing to go to his dreamland, Luhan found himself sitting on the chair of his study table that was in front of his window.

His curious eyes were staring outside. The stars were out like little diamond flecks that designed the vast night sky. His gaze travelled down to the summer view from his room—Hwayeong’s house.

He huffed in disbelief. Luhan knew that it’s not his business to just barge in again but after seeing her condition, he felt guilty and doesn’t have a single idea why. He tried to picture Hwayeong how she looked like a few years ago—from a shy playmate to an adorable lady, and to a woman with a frail body on a wheelchair. He swore that Hwayeong was a healthy kid with smiles and all that. That’s why this kind of situation never crossed his mind.

Life is truly unpredictable.

But what left him in awe that day was Hwayeong’s attitude in facing that kind of predicament.

Luhan can’t imagine what he’d do if that happened to him and seeing how Hwayeong responded to her sickness made it seems like nothing’s wrong; that all is well and unruffled within her.

She managed to smile and let out a sincere chuckle despite how life’s so unfriendly to her.

It was Monday when Luhan found himself alone in the house. The housekeeper had a day off and his mom went somewhere that involved her work. He was at their lawn playing with his soccer ball when he saw Mrs. Lee stepped out of her house.

“Good morning, auntie!” He shouted as he continued to bounce the ball using his knees.

The woman gave her a cheery nod and the boy watched her walk to her car that was parked on the driveway. A few moments later, Hwayeong appeared and this time, she’s not on a wheelchair; she was standing with crutches. Ms. Park, the caretaker, locked the front door of the house and loaded the folded wheelchair inside the car.

Without hesitation, he half walked, half ran towards them while his soccer ball was locked to his side. "Where are you going?"

Hwayeong smiled at him. “Somewhere that gives me joy.”

Ms. Park had a hard time helping Hwayeong to get inside the car so seeing the difficulties, Luhan volunteered. Ms. Park took a hold of the girl’s crutches while Luhan carried her, surprised that her weight was absolutely light. He managed to keep his expression plain until Hwayeong muttered a thank you after settling herself on the passenger’s seat.

Before Hwayeong could close the door, Luhan spoke. “Can I come?”

Mrs. Lee nodded and gave her daughter a pleading look. After all, Hwayeong was the one who made the decision for that trip. After a while, Hwayeong nodded with a smile. “That would be great.”

After locking the door and leaving a note for his mom, Luhan found himself sitting on the backseat with Ms. Park.

While the ride was filled with countless random conversations, Hwayeong rolled down the window and stretched out her right hand and felt the rushing of wind hit her hand. Her short hair was flying in different directions but she didn’t mind because the wind caressed her face in a comfortable way, making her appreciate the simple pleasures of life.

“An orphanage?” Luhan asked and stared at the house that was in front of them with a sign that says: HOME FOR HOMELESS CHILDREN.

This time, Hwayeong settled herself on the wheelchair. “Yeah,”

There were boxes inside the car’s compartment so Luhan decided to help.

The boy stood still and scanned the children that encircled Hwayeong, giving her greetings and telling her they missed her, making him realize that Hwayeong has been here before.

That time, her smile was undefined.

Luhan looked at how she responded to their every statement with cheery smiles as if the world has been good to her all along.

Luhan helped the staffs in giving out things and he can’t deny the fact that he enjoyed it. The way how the kids react after receiving it made it looked like they just won in a lottery. Seeing them finding joy in those simple things managed to enlighten him in a unique way.

After a while of greeting and handing out some stuff to a lot of kids, Luhan walked to the grassy playground and saw Hwayeong settled on the ground while playing a guitar. They both shared smiles and Luhan sat beside her and felt the blades of grass poked his bare legs since he’s just wearing shorts but he didn’t mind.

The latter watched her calloused fingers met the six strings of the wooden guitar, producing a staccato rhythm. Hwayeong sang and when Luhan recognized what it was, he joined.

As the both of them sang warmly, Luhan nonchalantly plucked some grasses, marvelling at how Hwayeong’s voice sounded so warm and comfortable and he swore that even the stingiest of strangers will immediately warm up to her. It was soft and pleasant to his ears as if she wasn’t sick at all.

“I didn’t know you could play the guitar.” Luhan pointed out when Hwayeong finally stopped her voice although she still continued to play her fingers on the strings.

“I started playing it when I was fourteen.” Hwayeong responded.

Luhan looked down after hearing her statement. “You really improved to a lot of things and I didn’t even know it.”

“I want to tell it to you that time,” Hwayeong mumbled. “But I was too shy to approach you again. After all, you’re always the one who starts a conversation when were young.”

Luhan didn’t know but when she let out those words, shame rushed inside him. “Sorry,”

“It’s okay.”

“Tell me, did you play along with your other neighbours?” Luhan questioned, finally being curious to what happened to her during the summers when he became so far from her.

Hwayeong pursed her lips and let out an adamant no, surprising Luhan.

“Really? There were a lot of girls your age at the subdivision.”

“Like I said, I was too shy. I didn’t have the courage to approach people unlike you.”

“Besides, I was not in the business in making friends that time because having you as a playmate was enough for me.” Hwayeong continued and that shut Luhan up.

After a minute of silence, Hwayeong stopped strumming the guitar. “They’re cute huh?”

Luhan looked ahead and saw the children happily spending their time in swings and slides without having a care in the world. “Yeah,”

“You’ve been here before?” The boy asked and averted his gaze to her when she started to strum the strings again, earning a nod from Hwayeong.

“And you told me that this place gives you joy?”

She nodded.

Luhan huffed, making the girl look at him with a raised brow. “What?”

“I don’t know but...I mean, how can you do this,” Luhan continued in a mere whisper, “when you’re sick and all that...”

“Then what do you think am I supposed to do?” Hwayeong mumbled and fixed her eyes back on the guitar. “Weep all day long because of this stupid sickness and grieve for having only one leg?”

Luhan blinked and hesitantly shook his head. “I...I didn’t mean that—“

“Life’s too short to weep.”

“Well I know that I have the right to cry all day long but doing that will give me nothing but a lot more sorrow. Actually, I did that during the first months after discovering that I have this kind of sickness but then I realized, it’s just meaningless, Luhan.” Hwayeong explained and Luhan knew that she still has something to say so he kept quiet.

“So instead of mourning around all day, I decided to find a way to become a reason of someone’s happiness so after a lot of hardships, I found myself here.”

“Seeing those kids smile because of me lightens me that I even sometimes forget that I’m sick because of too much happiness.” Hwayeong ended with that statement and plastered a contented smile on her face.

Luhan found himself staring at her in awe and when the girl gave her a questioning look, Luhan shook his head. “Just like the old days, you sure are deep.”

Hwayeong chuckled at his statement and lightly slapped his arm.

After picking a random wild flower and settling herself on the wheelchair, Hwayeong and Luhan went back inside where they agreed that it’s time to come home.

During their ride back home, Hwayeong opened the car’s drawer in front of her and pulled a book. After randomly flipping the pages, she tucked the wild flower inside. Unaware that Luhan was watching her from the backseat.

After hearing some sounds of cars outside, Luhan peeped through the window and saw a couple of people heading inside the house in front of them.

“What’s going on in Hwayeong’s house?” The latter questioned his mom who was seated on one of the couches while reading a newspaper that was thrown by the newspaper boy in front of their door a while ago.

Mrs. Xi leaned to look at the view from the window. “Maybe it’s their relatives. They usually pay them a visit after Hwayeong got sick.”

After her statement, Luhan walked towards the side table and reached for the telephone. After dialling a string of numbers, the other line picked up at the third ring and when that familiar timid voice spoke, Luhan smiled.

“Hey,”

“Hello, Luhan.”

“Looks like you have a lot of visitors today.”

“How’d you know?”

Luhan shrugged and looked outside. “I can see it through our window.”

A chuckle was heard on the other line.

“Can I go there right now?” Luhan questioned, twirling the telephone’s chord.

“That would be great.”

After hanging up, Luhan ran straight to his room and grabbed a new shirt. Just before he could go outside, Mrs. Xi watched him with interesting eyes and a raised brow. “Where are you going?”

“Hwayeong’s”

With that statement of his, Luhan stirred the knob and walked outside.

After a minute of greeting the relatives of the Lees, Luhan looked for Hwayeong and saw her at their yard—alone.

“Hey,” Luhan greeted and sat on the wooden stool beside her.

He received a smile from Hwayeong. “Thank you for coming. I’m in need of a company right now.”

“It’s a pleasure.” The boy shrugged, “Anyway, you have your relatives inside and you still need company?”

Hwayeong sighed and settled her gaze on the bed of grass that almost sparkled beneath the summer sun. “Because I’m tired of answering same questions again and again...”

Hearing her statement, Luhan raised his brow. “Huh?”

“Their visits are always the same. They’ll ask how I’m doing and then the current state of my condition and then after that, they’ll tell me that I need to be strong. I just want them to treat me normal as if I’m not sick at all...but they’re not doing it.”

Hwayeong felt a pat on her shoulder and when she averted her gaze to him, Luhan stood up, giving her an assuring smile. “Want to have a stroll around the neighbourhood?”

After being isolated inside that white house, of course Hwayeong couldn’t say no to that.

Hwayeong rolled her wheelchair to her room while Luhan tagged behind and when they finally entered, the latter looked around. There were shelves filled with countless books and a guitar was leaned against the wall at the corner. The ambiance was plain and simple but it defined who she is.

While Hwayeong was looking for something on her study table, Luhan busied himself by scanning some books. “You surely are a reader huh?”

“Yeah. It’s my only hobby here besides playing the guitar.” Hwayeong replied.

“Since when did you get obsessed with books?”

“A few months after I started to have chemotherapy…I stopped going to school anyway so I just read.”

Luhan just nodded and averted his attention to the frames that were hanging on the wall. A smile full of familiarity escaped his lips when he saw a picture of Hwayeong when she was probably fifteen. Her hair was still long and that was how she looked like when she managed to tug his heartstrings.

Beside it was a picture when Hwayeong was lying on a hospital bed. She was bald and Luhan wondered how much pain she suffered at a young age. But in that picture, she was smiling despite how weak she looked like. On the picture were written scribbles and Luhan squint his eyes as he tried to read.

‘Hwa = flower

Yeong = BRAVE

I am a brave girl!’

Luhan nodded his head interestingly after knowing the meaning of her name. It surely was a perfect name for her.

“I finally found it.” Hwayeong said and had a hard time rolling her wheelchair so Luhan went behind and do the job.

After receiving Mrs. Lee’s permission, Luhan found himself pushing Hwayeong’s wheelchair on the sidewalk. The sun was bright and friendly when they both passed the park.

“Let’s go there.” Hwayeong mumbled and pointed somewhere and Luhan realized that she was pointing at a tree.

And that tree was no ordinary. It was the Cherry Blossom tree.

“Wow, it’s still here.” Luhan huffed as he stood before it.

He carried Hwayeong from the wheelchair and transferred her to the grassy ground, granting her request.

The boy leaned his back against the trunk while Hwayeong was facing him. She looked up and saw the sun’s light peeking through the spaces of its leaves. “I miss climbing this tree.”

Hearing her statement, Luhan gave her an apologetic look.

“After knowing my condition, I was getting weak and I knew that my life’s about to change so before I received my chemotherapy, I challenged myself to come here and climb.” Hwayeong mumbled. “And I did…because you helped me.”

Processing her explanation, Luhan looked at her, astounded. “You mean, the time that you told me to help you climb—“

“It was the very last time I climbed this tree,” Hwayeong cut, “The last time that I witnessed the unfolding of sun.”

Luhan stared at her in silence as he finally put it all together. That’s why Hwayeong cried all of a sudden that time, telling him that it’s because the sunset was amazing instead of saying that she’ll never do it again because of her stupid sickness.

“That’s why you…cried?”  Luhan mumbled but the girl gave no answer and Luhan didn’t need to ask because he knew that it’s a yes.

As silence embraced the both of them, Luhan watched Hwayeong as she plucked a wild daisy and reached for the book that she brought. After randomly flipping its pages, she tucked the flower inside.

“You really like flowers huh?” Luhan questioned and took the book from her, reading its title.

It was ‘The Little Prince’.

The girl gave her an adamant nod.

“Hwayeong?”

“Hmm?”

“Why do you like pressing flowers?” Luhan asked as he scanned the book’s cover.

“Because I’m finding a way to keep them alive forever...”

Luhan curled his brow. “But flowers…are just like a mist. It appears for a little while and then disappears.”

Hwayeong pursed her lips as she curled the end of some strands of her hair. “I know. Whenever you pick a flower, it will always die in the end. What I’m doing is impossible but still, I do it because I’m hoping—hoping that there’s no such thing as impossibility.”

Hearing her words, Luhan rubbed the back of his neck. “But you’ve been doing this for a long time.”

“That’s why there’s hope, Luhan.” Hwayeong assured and placed one of her hand on his shoulder. “Hope makes life worth living.”

Finding satisfaction in her statement, Hwayeong averted her attention to the blades of grass but Luhan just stared at her in awe.

Her short hair was gently being blown by the wind; her thin fingers were idly plucking grasses; her body was poorly frail along with her posture and she has only one leg.

Her affectionate smile and optimistic eyes didn’t match her façade.

He tried to pinpoint that something that made him speechless years ago and he had a hard time.

Maybe it was the way how her lips curl up.

Maybe it’s because of the spark in her eyes.

But then he realized, her outward appearance doesn’t have something to do with his feelings but instead, it was the matter of her heart that keeps on shining in the midst of darkness.

What stood in front of him was just a body—a façade. What made his heart flutter was the Lee Hwayeong inside.

Her brown eyes don’t have something to do with his feelings either because what mattered to him is what’s behind those.

No matter what condition she has, no matter how much she changed, Luhan knew that Hwayeong will and will always be his summer lady.

He didn't look at her physical appearance. 

He didn't look at how short or tall she is.

He didn't look at her hairstyle.

He didn't look at her face neither.

He looked beyond that.

And he knew that what made him look beyond her was called love.

That day, before Luhan could go back to his home, he had a talk with Mrs. Lee.

It was the afternoon of the next day when Luhan borrowed his mom’s car and it was perfectly fine since he already has a license. He convinced Hwayeong to go with him and told her that she doesn’t have a choice because Mrs. Lee already agreed.

After transferring Hwayeong on the passenger’s seat, Luhan folded her wheelchair and put it at the back.

“Seriously, where are we going?” Hwayeong curiously asked with a hint of excitement.

Luhan let out a playful smirk as he inserted the key. “You’ll see.”

The ride was quiet but there was happiness. Silence didn’t matter to the both of them anyway because they have a connection that silence didn’t dare to fathom.

Just like what Hwayeong usually does, she rolled down the window and stretched out her arm.

It was a very long ride and after a few hours, a smile of relief made its way to his face when he finally stopped the engine. Hwayeong craned her neck and straightened her eyes to recognize where they were but she didn’t.

Luhan laid a thick blanket on the ground and put Hwayeong on it.

“Wow,” Hwayeong huffed in absolute awe as her eyes travelled around.

They were somewhere high on a hill that overlooked the beauty of the city. There were countless skyscrapers and the sky was a mixture of orange and blue and Hwayeong knew there was something more beyond the horizon.

It was a wonderful panorama—a perfect landscape that defined magnificence without using any words.

“Why are we here?” Hwayeong asked, gluing her eyes at the world in front of her.

Luhan let out a sigh of relief and settled his eyes to where her stare was. “Because I know that you miss sunsets.”

And there, right in front of them, the sun was slowly tucking itself.

Something exquisite burst inside Hwayeong that made her chuckle without a sound. It was something that she can’t contain that it even made her eyes tear up. And that something was an overflowing happiness.

As she witnessed its splendour, Hwayeong unknowingly covered with shaking hands and she swore that her heart could burst at any second.

Luhan averted his eyes to her and seeing her like that for the very first time almost made him cry.

The joy on her face was something new and refreshing.

And seeing it on her at that moment made Luhan perceived the unfolding of seasons.

So the both of them stood there on the ground and watched silently the setting of the sun as the wind gently caressed their faces.

No words were said but it didn’t stop the indescribable delight from being abundant.

The sun was finally nowhere to be seen and the sky was slowly welcoming the colour of night while the both of them were still seated on the blanket and saw a few of the buildings lit up.

Hwayeong sniffed and wiped the remaining tears of joy in the corner of her eyes.

“The Cherry Blossom tree was your haven right?” Luhan questioned, earning a nod from her.

“But since you can’t climb it now, I brought you here. Welcome to your new haven, Hwayeong.”

Hearing his words, Hwayeong smiled and gave the boy a face full of sincerity. “Thank you, Luhan, for always making me discover new things.”

“You’re welcome.”

There was a long silence until the cheerful colour of sky was replaced by a cooling purple veil and the whole city finally lit up. The city lights were shimmering from a distant that looked like a myriad of unreachable fireflies.

A cold wind kissed their skins when Luhan finally spoke. “Remember the time when my mom bought me a bike and then we ride it?”

Hwayeong nodded, still fixing her gaze ahead.

“When you stumbled, I once told you that I’ll protect you, right?”

“So you still remember.” Hwayeong replied while a smile was threatening to escape her lips.

“But I failed to do it because I became far from you.” Luhan mumbled. “Sorry, I seriously wasted a lot of time.”

The girl blinked and felt the tickling of her hair on her neck. “It’s okay, Luhan. It’s okay.”

Although her statement was full of assurance, it didn’t stop Luhan from sighing and after taking in a deep breath, Luhan cleared his throat.

“Will you give me a second chance to protect you?”

The both of them knew that there’s more behind those question and that there’s a deep meaning hiding behind those few and simple words that were said.

They weren’t clueless to comprehend that there’s something vast and wide behind those syllables that escaped his lips.

They understood it and they didn’t have to pretend because they shared gazes that only the two of them can define.

“You’ll get hurt.” Hwayeong whispered with trembling lips.

Luhan shook his head and brushed her statement as if it’s just a speck of dust.

“It doesn’t matter.”

After hearing those words, it linger to her ears and gently made it’s way to her heart as Hwayeong let herself get lost in the abyss of his eyes.

Luhan inched closer and caressed her cheek with one hand. After knowing that the girl didn’t protest, his lips met hers.

And the both of them stepped out of time and encountered eternity in that single moment.

"To love means loving the unlovable. To forgive means pardoning the unpardonable. Faith means believing the unbelievable. Hope means hoping when everything seems hopeless." -G.K. Chesterton