"====="

Namjoo couldn't tell what Luhan was up to, but she'd agreed. One date wouldn't be of any harm. Part of her was really looking forward to it. This would be her very first date and it was with someone she really liked. Yet, this person was the same one she was preparing to let go.  

These mixture of emotions surging through her were of many; sadness and happiness, pain and dejection. This last day together with him would be a good memory and Namjoo would make sure to remember it. One day she looked forward to looking back and thinking, this was the best day of my life. 

Closing the closet door she turned to look into her mirror. For once Namjoo finally decided to look nice. She'd pulled on a dress for this very occasion. Since it was the last time she wanted to look nice, give Luhan a nice image of her to remember. 

The holes in her eyes were so deep Namjoo really wondered if she was mentally prepared. There was an abyss of sadness in her eyes and a reality that warned her of the hard days ahead. Namjoo knew she'd struggle the following days without Luhan, but she had always been fine even before meeting him.  

Forcing herself to smile she patted her dress, "Lets go do this, Namjoo. Have yourself a very good date." 

Finally turning, she headed out the door and slowly waited for the lift to bring her down. While she stared at the silver doors she felt her heart pounding anxiously. The doors opened faster than she'd expected and Namjoo hesitated to step out. If she walked out right now and met up with Luhan outside, everything would start and end. Days with Luhan always flew by. 

Was she really ready for this? 

Gripping her hand into a small fist she stepped out and started for the doors. Every footstep that brought her closer to the world outside those doors made her swallow even harder. 

This...was really the last. 

She could see the sun shining happily and the sky clear. It would be warm outside; just the kind of day for an outing or a date. 

Pushing the door open she stepped outside and stopped walking any further when she saw Luhan standing before her as handsome as she knew him to be. The moment he smiled at her told her it was too late to turn back. Inside her head she could hear herself falling and tripping. 

Stepping forward with that great smile on his face Namjoo felt him look her over, satisfied. 

"You're very pretty today, Namjoo." 

And Namjoo felt her heart beat even faster, gushing at his words. 

This was it...she shouldn't have agreed to this date. Her feelings were very much alive and they were very overwhelming. 

"Since it's a date," he said, "we should hold hands." 

Without waiting for her reply he reached out for her hand; his warmth killing off the mental preparation she had come with.                  
                                                       
"====="  

His heart was drumming like crazy and Namjoo was just so breathtakingly beautiful in that dress. Luhan wanted to pick her up and immediately take her back home with him. This, he knew, was his very last chance to make Namjoo's heart flutter.  

As he drove along the street he stole a glance at her to see that her eyes were heavily focused elsewhere. He wished he could tell whether he was making her nervous or not. The urge to reach over and hold her hand was strong. Tightening his grip on the wheel he focused on getting to their first destination of the day.  

They first stopped at a conservatory garden, first passing through a building; the main lobby. There was a small café inside and pamphlets for more information about the rosary and variety of trees and plants from all around the world. Once they passed through the sun heavily shone on them again. Grabbing Namjoo's hand he led her over to a row of Azaleas with Hawthorne foliage making up the background; its fresh green leaves turning into a lazy shade of purple. 

Surrounding the steel colored road ahead were tall Magnolias sprouting in beautiful white and pink. They gasped in awe at the sight and he reached up to touch the very flowers blooming. 

"They're so pretty," he heard her comment under her breath. 

"Aren't they?" He asked, then grabbing her shoulder pulled her back. "Lets take a picture." 

She raised her brows at the sudden suggestion. 

"We should take pictures at least," he told pulling his phone out and directed. "Go stand right there. I'll take a picture of you." 

Namjoo peered at the spot underneath the tree and back to him. 

"We don't have too..." 

"I want to." He added and walked forward.  

Grabbing her shoulders he gently guided her into spot before quickly running back.     

"Perfect!" He called out. "Now smile!"  

Namjoo stared into the lens of his camera awkwardly before clasping her hands together and smiled. His heart raced in excitement and he promised he'd keep the picture forever.  

After clicking the shutter he quickly ran over to stand beside her. "Lets take one together."  

He felt her shoulders inch up when he brushed his chest against her arm. He noticed her nervous stare moving up his face and became anxious, but more happy. Holding the camera up he smiled and pressed the shutter button.  

Quickly grabbing her hand he led her forward, "Lets go over there!"

And while they ran about the rest of the garden he could make out her very fingers entwining themselves through him as if it was the most natural occurrence. They next stopped at a restaurant where he'd made a reservation for them. Seated underneath the glowing chandelier he gladly watched Namjoo relax as she viewed the menu. They ordered and waited for their food. When their food finally arrived he watched her pick at her plate.

"Should we trade?" He suggested and recalled how she always asked for his food because it looked tastier.  

Glancing up at him she asked, "Should we?"  

Reaching over he grabbed her plate and replaced it with his, "Yours look tastier."  

A quiet snort befell her lips and smiling they ate away. After lunch he waited by the doors while she washed up and when she walked out they stepped out together. Namjoo immediately started to turn toward the lot, but he grabbed her hand. He wanted more time dwindling around instead of sitting in that enclosed space.  

"Lets take a walk," he said. "I want to take a walk."  

At first Namjoo's fingers held onto his loosely before they eventually tightened against his skin. As if forgetting how awkward their date had started, she suddenly went to telling him about how one of her co-workers had slipped on the road during winter ripping her own pants. The way her body shook from laughter eased him and in return he laughed as well. 

"Oh look! A dog café," Namjoo pointed up toward a sign overhead. "I always wanted to go to a dog café, but I have a fear of dogs."

"Why? The dogs there won't bite you."  

"Kai and I got chased once," Namjoo reminisced, "I have a phobia of them now."  

"Was it that bad?"  

"Of course! I even had nightmares about it!"  

He laughed, "You're silly."  

Namjoo nudged him with her elbow, "It's not funny."  

"Ok, I wasn't even laughing that hard," he whined. "Is there something you want to do? Lets do something you want to do."

"Then," Namjoo started, "lets do the cliché and watch a movie. I always wanted to do that." 

"A movie?" He repeated and watched her nod. 

The further he kept digging, the more simple he thought she was. Her humorous side wasn't very big, but she still laughed even at the lame stuff. Her ideas of a date were as simple as could be; lunch, a movie, and a walk home. He'd honestly thought she would have expected more, but Namjoo never did ask for much.  

After buying tickets, ordering drinks and popcorn he followed her into the theater. In the middle of the darkness they sat beside each other passing the popcorn back and forth, eyes glued to the screen. Once in a while when they laughed he'd turn to look at her face and stare. The gleam he hadn't seen there was now there again and he grew more infatuated by the second.  

It became more difficult to turn his attention back to the movie playing in front of them and he spent majority of his time watching her. Urged to touch her he grabbed her hand and leaned over to whisper a joke into her ear. A split second later Namjoo broke out into a laugh, her smile brushing his face. Someone tried shushing them, but Luhan was immune to it. He was so stupidly blinded by his emotions that nothing and no one else mattered. 

He was so in love with her. 

When they walked out of the theater he caught Namjoo glancing at the time on her watch. Reality kicked in again and he was reminded that their time together was limited. In just a few hours the sun would start setting and the spell of today's date would wear off. 

Luhan didn't want this dream to end.  

"Before you go home," he turned to her when they walked outside, "lets take a stroll through the park." 

For the last time he grasped for her hand and they crossed the street. There was a low glow in the sky and the waves coming from the river offered them a cool air to hide under. Birds flying overhead were on their way home so as the children who had been running their energies off.  

The golden path underneath them dimly reflected the sun at its leave. There was a couple of handmade park benches to their right, but they weren't about to just sit down to enjoy the view. When Namjoo let go of his hand to run forward and watch the horizon his fingers touched his palm as if trying to gather the warmth of her hand.  

Luhan imagined himself walking up to her and hugging her from behind. He'd kiss her ear and pull her body into his. Namjoo would laugh and smile, but truth was he just stood there gazing at her the way she stared at the horizon laced in a golden pink. And he was clear that like how the sun went down and came back up, he'd have to let this day end and start anew.  

There was always a beginning and an end to everything. If Namjoo knew what she wanted, he'd let her have it. He'd already inflicted a scar on her he never intended to and seeing him would only remind her of the things that she'd gone through. If they were bad memories for her, he wanted her to erase them. He didn't want to be a person that would only offer her pain and nothing else. 

His heart constricted, "Namjoo, lets go." 

"====="

Namjoo suddenly wanted to avoid eye contact with him. Luhan had held her hand too long and she could still feel the warmth stained on her hand. She'd had a good time, but it had gone by too quickly.  

Turning around at the sound of his voice she pulled on a smile.  

It was time...

She'd wanted this, she'd begged for it and it was finally happening. Luhan was giving her back the world that existed before he entered it.  

This...was what she wanted, but she wasn't looking forward to it. 

That smile, that handsome face, and those eyes that looked at her happily; she wouldn't have them again.  

Forcing herself forward she approached him and stopped in front of him. A moment of silence fluctuated between them as they silently shared the few minutes they had left. Soaking in their own heartbeats while mentally preparing for the best goodbye they could come up with. They both wanted to end happily.  

"I had fun," Namjoo looked straight into his eyes. "Thank you."   

Luhan's eyes twinkled and he smiled, "Me too." 

The silence resumed and Namjoo knew that it was too late to turn back. She'd already said all that there was to say. Her eyes watched him pull her handmade book out and held it out to her.

In that instant glass shattered around her as her heart broke for the thousandth time. A tsunami was surging inside her chest. 

"I promised," he reminded. 

If she took it it would be the end. 

Her hand hesitantly reached for it and when her fingers grasped onto the material her heart wept. 

"Be happy Namjoo," Luhan let go of the book. "You deserve the best of it." 

Giving her the very last smile he turned around to walk away. Namjoo felt her lips tremble as she withheld the pain coursing through her entire whole and gripped onto the book. The tears were threatening to build up without her permission. She wanted to turn and walk away as well, but her eyes remained on those footsteps bringing him further away. A part of her wanted to watch until he left so she'd remember how he looked like until their very last moment. 

It was too late. She couldn't chase him now.  

"====="

A gasp escaped Luhan. His heart had never throbbed so hard before and as he fought to hold the tears from erupting. He wanted Namjoo to come after him, but he never heard those footsteps hurrying after him.  

This...was really it.  

The remnants of the day raced in his head and he recalled how she'd held onto his hand, laughed into his face, and how his he'd fallen head over heels that morning. He was stupid, he was very stupid.  

Stopping in his steps he clenched his hand up and turned around. Namjoo was still standing in spot, gripping onto her little book.  

It couldn't end like this. He'd tried so hard. He'd been so sorry, he'd waited all along, and he loved her too much.  

If he begged it might work.  

Slowly he walked toward her; his mind blanking when he caught sight of the tears welling up in her eyes. set in a straight line; her hands gripping onto the little book tightly. He hadn't expected this.  

"Namjoo," he started, but she let out a shout through gritted teeth and hit him with the book.

Tears streamed her face immediately.   

"You walked away! You walked away!" She sobbed uncontrollably and he realized she wasn't fighting him, but trying to call him back.  

Luhan fought to grab her arms, but Namjoo continued flinging them away. He eventually tugged her forward before silencing her with a kiss. The book clattered to the ground as his feelings surged into ; his hands touching the reality of her. The kiss turned into a long passionate one before he ran out of breath and pulled back. His eyes dripped over her face, the desperation showing through.  

He was so relieved.  

"Do you know how long I waited to do that?"  

Namjoo's lips twisted up as she let out another round of cries before he smiled and pulled her into a hug. Burying her face into his neck she clutched onto him.  

"I hate you, I hate you," she repeated.  

Only able to smile he rubbed her head, "Ok, I know."

Pulling back Namjoo punched him again with a glare in her eyes. Tugging her forward again so that her chest melted into his he smiled broadly.  

"I want to kiss you again."  

He felt her hit him again before pulling at his shirt and raised herself up to meet with his lips. While the sun continued to set he repeatedly tasted her; the two of them laughing and smiling into each other. As her hands clutched onto him and his around her he swore that he'd never love anyone else.