The sooner you let two hearts beat together
The sooner you'll know this love is forever

Love needs time now or never

You really got to believe

It’s gonna be strong enough

It’s Gonna Be Love by Mandy Moore

“It’s not true Minho.  You still got me.”

He raised his face to her asking with his eyes what she means with that.  Seohyun looked at him and said to him “Don’t worry, I got your back.  Just come to me whenever you needed someone to talk to.  You need to sort your problem first with your girlfriend.  You need to make a stand, make a decision whether you will stay or not.  As long as you allow her to do that to you, you’ll never be free.  I’ve never hurt you when we were together so I cannot imagine how she can do that to you.  I may have hit you in the arms but that is not out of jealousy or anger, but of you being such a tease sometimes to me.  Emotionally, you’re battered.  You need to heal yourself first.  Break the ties and make yourself whole again.  You’re not the Minho I know anymore.  The Minho I know won’t let a girl or anybody step on him, has a pride in him, but now as I look at you, the Minho in front of me lets himself be trampled.  Pick yourself up.  It’s the least I can do for you – to let you know that you have made some bad choices in your life, but it’s never too late to correct those wrongs.  It’s still up to you whether you want to stay with her or not, but I want you to think of the pros and cons of being in a relationship with her.”

He nodded in understanding of what he needs to do.  He looked at her and smiled, “Thank you, Seohyun.  You’re the only person I know I could talk to without pretension, where I can be myself, where I can be honest with my feelings.  Our friends--,” Seohyun raised her hand to interrupt him “No, your friends – not mine anymore” clearly letting him know that she still harbors bad feelings towards their so-called “friends.”

“Right, my friends – I can’t be honest with them.  I don’t want them to take sides again.  They take my side when we split up and you lose your friends.”

“They’re not my friends because if they are they would not alienate me just because we’re not together anymore.  They didn’t even ask me whether I’m okay at that time or not.   For me, those are not real friends.  Friends stick to you no matter what.  So, I guess I’m only considered a “friend” because I’m with you and when we had a fall off, for them the earth swallowed me and thus, does not exist anymore.”

“I’m sorry about that.”

“No need.  Actually, it’s me who feels sorry for you because you have those people in your life.  Instead of helping you, they become a burden to you because you can’t be honest with them.  You pretend when you are with them.  You fear them and you’re scared of what they will say about you, this girl and your relationship.   Anyway, enough about them.  The point here is you making a choice – a wise choice.  Just look for the positive things that will come your way when you make a choice.  Whatever mistakes you have made in the past, learn from it, use it to make a better life.”

“What will I do without you in my life?” Minho asked her.

She answered seriously, “You will be lost,” and giving him a hug, she whispered in his ear “Fix your life.” Seohyun stands up signifying that he should go.  With one last hug, Minho reluctantly stood up, careful not to let Seohyun see his face.  He walks away and raised his hand in goodbye without looking back at her for fear that she will see his tear-stricken face.  He walked away regretting the day he lets her go.

►►►►►►►

Seohyun sauntered back to her room pensively replaying the conversation she had with Minho tonight.  She feels happy to see him again, but she is confused.  She recalls their talk – of him confessing to her that he still loves her, that he’s comparing her to every girl that he is with, and his intention to win her back.  She should be happy to know that, but why is it that she is not excited?  Why isn’t her heart beats fast when she heard it from him?  Why, Why? She asked herself.  She climbed up to her bed and lay down, staring at the ceiling, hoping to find the answer to her questions and with that she fell asleep.

She woke up with a heavy feeling.  Her brain is still muddled with thoughts in relation to her feelings towards Minho and Yonghwa.  Yonghwa.  She remembered him.  She checks her phone for any messages or missed calls and she finds two messages from him.

I know it’s late but just letting you know I’ve arrived safely at my friend’s house.  Good night.  JYH.

Good morning.  I hope you had a good sleep last night.  I’m on my way back to Busan right now.  I’m missing you already.  I wish I can stay another day to be with you.  Can I see you again?  JYH.

Whatever heavy feelings she had earlier was lifted up with just a message from someone.  This makes her morning great now.   Giddily, she climbed out of her bed and go to the bathroom to do her morning ritual.  It’s Sunday and with no work she stayed at home and read the book from Yonghwa.  Hyoyeon came by late in the afternoon and told her to tell her everything.  She knew that Seohyun went out yesterday for a blind date.

“Joo Hyun-ah! Yah!  Why didn’t you drop by last night?  I fell asleep waiting for you to tell me how did your date went.  What time did you get back?”  Hyoyeon unnie screamed at me.

“Omma didn’t hear you, you might want to make it more louder so that she will know that I went out yesterday to meet someone,” Seohyun replied sarcastically while crossing her arms and nose flaring.

Hyoyeon lowered her voice and dropped herself in Seohyun’s bed.  “So, spill the details, palli!”

Seohyun arranged her pillows and put one on her back so that she feels comfortable while telling to her unnie what happened yesterday.

“So, you like him?”

“Uhm…that unnie, I can’t answer right now.”

“Wae? I thought the date went pretty well in your opinion.  So what’s the problem?”

“Minho.”

“Deh? Nugu?”

“Unnie, I know you heard me.”

“Why?  Do you still have feelings for him?

“I don’t know.  That’s why I can’t answer your question regarding Yonghwa.  I’m confused right now, unnie.  I feel happy when I finally met Yonghwa.  I thought to myself, maybe I could give myself another chance for a happy ever after, maybe with him, but then Minho turned up and my feelings get jumbled again.  When I learned that Minho was here last night, my heart beats wildly as I walk towards him.  I feel nervous but happy to see him.  I feel like my old self whenever he’s near.  He confessed, unnie.  He told me that he still loves me, that he compares me to every girl he met and that he is willing to do anything to win me back.  Unnie, help?”

“Ahh…so that’s what’s bothering you.  Well, how do you feel when Minho declared his feelings to you?”

“Elated at one point?  Ecstatic because after all those years I still hold a place in his heart.”

“But?”  Hyoyeon interjected.

“There’s no but, unnie.”

“You didn’t say, but I know you are hesitating.  Something is not right with it.  So, what is it?”

“But there’s this nagging feeling that even if we connect again, it will not be the same anymore.  I mean, I still care for him.  I will always love him for he’s a big part of my life.  Perhaps what’s keeping me from taking him back is his situation right now.  I don’t want to get in between him and his girlfriend, which by the way he wants to break up with because he feels suffocated.  He told me that she’s a jealous freak.  She hurts him physically.  I feel sad for him when I learned that.  So, with my rational mind I told him to fix his life first.  Unnie, he looks like a lost puppy.  He doesn’t know where to go.  I can only help him this much.  It’s up to him to figure out the rest.”

Hyoyeon stayed silent, digesting the facts her best friend relayed to her.  Seohyun was left to sort her own thoughts.  They stayed that way for a while until Hyoyeon breaks the silent and softly asked Seohyun, “Joo Hyun-ah, do you think if Minho is not attached right now and he told you what he said to you last night, would you consider?” Seohyun weighed the question carefully before answering, “Every girl dreams of having a Prince Charming that will sweep her off her feet, that they will live happily ever after.  With Minho, I feel loved.  I felt that he respected me and my family and still is.  He followed all my omma’s wishes.  I felt devastated when he asked for a break up.  I thought my world will crumble when he’s not in it, but it did not.  I was awakened by the reality that life is not a bed of roses, that we don’t live in happy ever after, that it only happens in fairy tales and I don’t live in fairyland and because of that I approach life with a rational mind.  So, if you are asking me whether I would consider him, my answer would be …probably, most likely.  But I also know that if two people who are in a relationship decided to break there is a problem that can’t be resolved anymore.  Whether the other party has fallen out of love already, has another person in his/her life or for whatever reason it may be, it only means that they can’t be together anymore that’s why they broke up.”

“But there’s a saying that love is lovelier the second time around.”

“Ahhh…right, but getting back together for me is like this – It’s like a glass that has cracks.  No matter how careful you are in handling it, it can break easily. ”

“I understand your point, Joo Hyun.”

“Because you know unnie, I feel that if the person can do it to you once, he can do it again and again.  I don’t easily trust people unnie, you know that for a fact.  I only have few friends – real friends.”

“So, you’re answer with Minho?”

“What do you think unnie?  Should I give him a chance again?”

“I don’t know.  You tell me.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Anyway, so how was your recent namja in life?”

“Really, recent?  As if I’m collecting namja in my life and this one is the latest conquest,” Seohyun retorted back to Hyoyeon.

“Let’s assess your feelings to this one,” Hyoyeon said while rubbing her palms in anticipation.  “What do you like about Yonghwa?”

Seohyun’s eyes sparkled at the mention of his name.  She smiled saying “He makes me smile.  If you’re gonna ask me to analyze him I would say he’s a reserved person.  I don’t know if he is shy, but he speaks his mind.  He’s intelligent