“Marry!? Are you insane?! You can’t marry this girl, Hongbin…have you even considered that you are at the start of the height of your career. You aren’t seriously going to throw it all away for some girl are you?” Jaehwan demanded. Hongbin looked at him. “Look I’m marrying her. She’s the one…”

“It doesn’t matter if “she’s the one”…what about your career?!”

“I can handle it”

“Clearly”

Hongbin turned his back on Jaehwan. “I really don’t care what you think. I’m marrying Youngji before it’s too late. I am not going to lose her…” he said and began packing up his stuff, ignoring Jaehwan’s presence. Jaehwan sighed and left Hongbin alone, but before he left he turned his head. “I hope you know what you’re doing” he sighed, and walked away. Hongbin continued to shove all his paperwork in his briefcase and closed it. He took another glance at his computer monitor and his eyes fell upon the handwritten note from Youngji. He peeled it off the monitor and placed it on a picture of him and Youngji together at the park. He placed the sticky note directly over her face and ran his thumb over it one last time before pushing his chair in and walking away.

** *

“오빠!” Youngji exclaimed as her boyfriend walked through the door of their apartment. She ran up to him and embraced him. Her arms wound tight around his neck, causing Hongbin to drop his brief case in order to embrace her. Hongbin buried his face in Youngji’s shoulder, relieved to be home and with his true love. Youngji broke away and smiled at him, slightly tilting her head. “You’re late…” she teased and walked over to shut the door behind him. Youngji closed the door, grabbed Hongbin’s briefcase, and pushed him over to the living room. She pushed him down on the couch and stood in front of him folding her arms. Hongbin chuckled. “I know I know, I’m late, but I got into…a little argument with my boss today and…”

Youngji interrupted Hongbin by plopping herself next to him and laying her head on his shoulders. “It’s ok…” she assured. Hongbin was taken aback by this gesture and turned his head to her. “Aren’t you mad?” he asked. Youngji sat up eagerly. “아니…besides, you made up for it. When you showed up today I was completely surprised, and you took me out to lunch… I never thought you would actually do it. I mean after all the things you said you would do, but never…” Hongbin started her hair. “I know”, he interrupted, “I’m happy I got to see you today too. It’s just been…really hectic at the office lately.” He explained. Youngji perked up. “Speaking of which…how was your meeting today? You said you had to go to a meeting...how did it go?” she asked. Hongbin placed both his hands in front of him and shuffled awkwardly in his seat. Youngji stared at him. “Well…” she persisted. Hongbin cleared his throat. “I didn’t…umm…make it to the meeting.” Youngji stood up at his response.

“What! Why not?!” she demanded

“I lost track of time…after we left the restaurant and I dropped you back off…I realized it was too late. So I just didn’t go.”

“Was…was the meeting important?”

Hongbin didn’t respond.

“Oh no…I was the reason you missed the meeting?! Hongbin…I-I’m so sorry….I should have never…”

“No” Hongbin said as he stood up. He gripped Youngji’s wrists and looked into her eyes. “Hey, hey look at me” he said placing his hand on her chin and forcing her to meet his gaze. He kissed her forehead then broke away and smiled at her. “It’s not your fault”, he assured, “Besides, I made a commitment to you. And I wasn’t prepared to miss it. It was nothing anyway…” he hesitated. Youngji looked up at Hongbin with a concerned expression. Hongbin noticed this and quickly responded. “It’s being rescheduled anyway”

“When?”

Hongbin hesitated once more and walked over to the kitchen counter trying to avoid Youngji’s question. Youngji didn’t give up. “Hongbin, when’s the meeting?” she persisted. Hongbin leaned on the counter and looked to the floor. “Friday” he mumbled, still refusing to meet her gaze. Youngji was taken aback. “Friday?! That’s…that’s in three days…and that’s…”

“Our anniversary”

“야! Hongbin! You promised…You promised that you wouldn’t miss it. What happened to keeping your commitments with me huh?” Youngji demanded, backing away from Hongbin. “Youngji-ah…listen I…”

“No you listen, I have had it up to here with you constantly blowing me off and making me wait for you…for two years Hongbin. I can’t just sit around and allow myself to take this. I’m done with it! No more sitting at restaurants by myself waiting for you by staring at an empty seat. No more blowing me off whenever I try to even do something nice for you. And no more coming home late every night while you constantly ignore my calls. Hongbin...I don’t know how much more I can take from you.” Youngji blurted. Then she stepped back, clearly taken aback by her own words. Right as they left she regretted them, but didn’t at the same time. It was the truth, but it wasn’t worth risking Hongbin for it. And even after all he’s done; she still loved him, but maybe because she didn’t have the courage to say something about it. Youngji shrugged off her overflowing thoughts and looked to Hongbin, who finally managed to meet her eyes in which he never tore from them. Youngji’s eyes started to water, but she just forced them away with the sleeve of her sweater and continued. “Hongbin, how long do you expect me to wait for you? Because I’m done waiting and worrying and constantly having that one subconscious thought that maybe you wouldn’t come back…” she declared. Youngji was about to open again when she found herself forced into Hongbin’s embrace. He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her neck, choking back tears that suddenly started to form in his eyes. “Youngji-ah…I had no idea you felt this way. You know I would never do anything to try and hurt you. Youngji you know that.” He said. Youngji tried to break away from Hongbin’s constricting embrace, but he wouldn’t let her go. “Youngji I’m trying…I’m trying my best. I chose you to be with you today because I wanted to make you happy. That’s all I try to do. I just want you to be happy…that’s all…” he said desperately. “Youngji-ah…미안해…”

Youngji pushed with more force to break Hongbin away from her, but he let her to break away from him. Youngji stood in front of Hongbin with tears falling down her cheek as she held back her sobs. “Hongbin…this just isn’t the first time this has happened. And I want it to be the last.” She said tearing her eyes away from him and walking over to grab her coat and her purse. She head towards the door, but before she walked out, she turned towards Hongbin one last time. She saw him, his eyes locked on the same spot she was seconds ago. Youngji tore her eyes away from him, opened the door, and slammed it behind her.