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Heartbeat (HIATUS)
Since this story contains a lot of rain scene so I sugest you to listen the OST with THIS. Enjoy! ^^
"I’m always happy when I’m with you. Don’t you ever leave me, okay?" Seolhyun laid her head on Minhyuk’s shoulder, smiling, staring at the falling rain. Minhyuk smiled and kissed Seolhyun’s forehead.
"No of course."
"Can we be like this forever?"
"Forever baby, just trust me."
"Don’t you regret propose me when you know I haven’t graduated from college?" Minhyuk smiled softly.
"Why should I? You can get married and stay in college."
"You’re right, but it’s only you who’ll work for us later." Minhyuk frowned, pretending to look serious.
"Who said so? I will charge all expenses which I took out for you once you've graduated from college and received your first salary at work." They laughed together, staring at the rain.
"I love you Seolhyun, I promise to make you happy, now, even later after we got married. Whatever happens, you should know. My heart will always beat, and it’s only for you."
Forever baby, just trust me... My heart will always beat and it’s only for you...
The sentence was ringing in Seolhyun’s ears flowing like this falling rain, in front of Minhyuk’s tomb with red soil that still wet. Is Minhyuk cold down there? That question kept coming, breaking her heart, making her hugging her trembling body. Seolhyun never imagined this would happen. Up to yesterday, the only thing that lied in front of her was happiness, her happiness with Minhyuk. But it turned out not as she expected, her lover was taken from her just a day before their wedding.
Minhyuk died by accident, when looking for a bouquet of flower for his bride in his final moments. They said when Minhyuk’s body was discovered, he was holding the bouquet of white rose, with falling petals destroyed because of the accident. The flowers weren’t white anymore, they turned red, spattered by Minhyuk’s blood. And Minhyuk’s heart had stopped beating, it’s not beating for Seolhyun again, it’s buried there inside the unreachable and cold soil.
What did Minhyuk think of in his last moments? Seolhyun flinched, didn’t care for the heavy rain that soaked her clothes and hair, she stood resolutely, staring at his tombstone. Did Minhyuk think of her? Their marriage? Tears started trickling again in Seolhyun’s eyes, eyes that had exhausted dripping sad tears.
How could Minhyuk leave her like this? How could Minhyuk do that? Seolhyun has the right to be angry right? But what would she get for being angry? Minhyuk was gone. The aisle was empty now, they would never use it. All the preparations for the party turned into a gray grief and spilling tears. Seolhyun’s heart broke to pieces since Minhyuk passed away, forever.
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It looks like it will rain again.
Seolhyun sighed, tucking hair behind her ears while looking towards the sky. It was two o'clock but cloud above Seoul seemed too heavy to bring the contents of it, making the sky darkened. The rain that will be fell surely a heavy one, Seolhyun looked to left and right with anxiety, waiting for public transportation that hasn’t come yet.
If it’s raining and she hasn’t get into a bus, Seolhyun will be drenched rain. She had to find a shelter, she decided when the rain began to wet her body and head. Her gaze fixed on a café around the corner. That café looked cozy, with a green canopy and the words "Union" with white letters and black background. That old-fashioned coffee shop, similar to past buildings as if it’s misplaced in the midst of high-rise buildings.
Seolhyun was doubt for a moment but the rains increasingly become heavier until she finally decided to go. The atmosphere was quiet and turned out the interior inside the coffee shop was nicer than, like a Dutch café with cream-colored walls with furnitures made of teak wood, with heavy rainfall there, the atmosphere seemed more dramatic. This is the kind of café where Seolhyun could sit for hours without being bored.
Seolhyun sat and order a cup of coffee and toast as her company. It looked like she will be waiting here long for rain, so it’s no harm if she ordered food. Seolhyun turned her head around, the café atmosphere was quiet enough, there were only a few people sitting there enjoying coffee, maybe take shelter too. When her order came, Seolhyun took out a book and trying to concentrate on reading, but she gave up.
The rain dispelled her concentration, she was more interested in staring at the rain, counting the rain drops crashing ground and remembering Minhyuk. That day was also raining, when Minhyuk got accident. Was it rain too that killed her lover? Noise at the door distracts Seolhyun from rain, she winced and stared at the figure who entered the door with wet hair.
Minhyuk?
Seolhyun’s heart pounding for a moment, but then her consciousness returned, it could not be Minhyuk. Her Minhyuk had died because of the accident, she herself was the last one who laying flowers there before they bury his body. How could she think this person as Minhyuk? He was staring toward Seolhyun then blink for a moment, then turned his eyes and stepped toward the other corner at the coffee shop, Seolhyun continued to steal glance at him, trying to find answers.
This guy didn’t look like Minhyuk, at all, more over their appearence. Minhyuk was always neat, simple and handsome. While this man was different, more sloppy, more relaxed and elegant with dark brown hair and light brown eyes, sharp nose and thin lips that really suits with his overall masculine face. This man was so handsome, like a painting. The type of man who Seolhyun will certainly avoided, because surely he’s a playboy.
Seolhyun nervously sipped her coffee, trying to calm down. Why was she so interested in this man, as if her eyes couldn’t take off him? And why did she immediately thought to Minhyuk? Was it because of the way he entered the café without bothering his wet hair, just like Minhyuk? And why should Minhyuk continue to fulfill her mind, when she had wanted to move on, leaving past and forget Minhyuk? Was this a sign that he shouldn’t forget her ex-boyfriend?
"Maybe you're mistaken, or daydreaming till you think that man looks like Minhyuk." Hyejung glanced toward her friend who was so gloomy after telling the whole story. Seolhyun sighed.
"The problem is that man doesn’t look like Minhyuk. He's more like a hedonic prince that got lost in that old coffee shop."
"If you're so curious, why don’t you approach him?" Seolhyun blinked.
"I... I'm afraid..."
"Afraid of what? Afraid of becoming victim of that charming hedonic prince?" Hyejung chuckled. Nope. Seolhyun muttered to herself.
I'm afraid that I’ve gone mad and see everyone as Minhyuk.
I'm afraid that it turns out I'm living in a world of imagination for this.
Hyejung stared Seolhyun with sympathy, hier friend was still daydreaming and looked sad, even after a year Minhyuk passed away. Yes, who will not be sad? Abandoned by her lover the day before their wedding, if Hyejung was in her shoes, maybe she could’t be as strong as Seolhyun.
"Come back there again."
"What?" Seolhyun looked up, frowning.
"Come to that coffee shop again, maybe you'll meet him again, whether he is indeed similar with Minhyuk or it’s just your hallucinations, at least you won’t wonder anymore."
Seolhyun stepped inside the coffee shop hesitately. Today, exactly a week later, at the same hour, the same day. She sat down and order as usual and wait while took out the book she always carried everywhere, the old English translation of literary novels. Today was also the same, heavy rain fell outsid darkened the sky, so that the atmosphere this afternoon seemed like night. And Seolhyun was waiting, waiting for man who similar with Minhyuk.
Seolhyun wait almost for an hour but that man didn’t come. Maybe he won’t come again, Seolhyun sighed. Maybe yesterday was just a hallucination, hallucinations that appeared when it rains, because she missed Minhyuk too much. The coffee shop was almost closed and though rain was still falling outside, Seolhyun packed her stuffs and then walked away. She walked down the sidewalk slowly with umbrella that has small red hearts print on it.
Somehow she felt a pang of disappointment because turned out that man didn’t come. Well, after all what did she expect? Which coincidence that might happen twice?
"Miss, wait a minute."
Seolhyun’s step stopped when she realized the call was addressed to her. The pavement was deserted because everyone chose to take shelter inside, avoiding the heavy rain. By carefully, Seolhyun turned around and for the umpteenth time... stunned. That man. And he’s indeed not similar to Minhyuk, he was running hastily after her, regardless of his clothes and hair drenched in rain. Her English novel was in under that man's arm.
"You left it on the table." That man stood up high above Seolhyun, made Seolhyun looked up when looking at him. When Seolhyun not say anything, he chuckled.
"I usually stop at the coffee shop at four, after class, but this day I’m late because of heavy rain made the traffic jam and flood, when I came café was almost closed and I saw that book on the table and see you stepped on the pavement when I entered. This is your book, isn’t it?"
That man held out her book, his voice was loud, try to beat the heavy rain. Seolhyun still stared at the figure then blinked when she found that man looked at her with wonder, she then nodded her head and received the book, carefully put it in her bag.
"Thank you.”
“You're welcome. JBy the way, my name is Lee Jonghyun." Seolhyun swallowed.
"Oh... I'm Kim Seolhyun." Nervously she sighed. It’s finished, this man was not similar to Minhyuk at all, maybe Seolhyun had been a little nuts, to see all men as Minhyuk.
"Thank you, I... I have to go."
"Seolhyun." Jonghyun holding her hand, holding Seolhyun’s hand, when Seolhyun only paused and glanced at Jonghyun hand gripping her hand, that man immediately let go and stood nervously.
"Uh.. sorry. I think, maybe we can get to know more. I also like to read, although an ancient English literature isn’t my favorite." Jonghyun chuckled again, so cheerful.
"You will often visit that café right?" Seolhyun stunned. Was she dare? Meet this man again? A long silence and then she nodded.
"Maybe I'll be there when I want to enjoy cup of coffee and counting the rain." She answered quietly. Jonghyun nodded.
"Counting the rain, a good term, that’s what I often do every afternoon at the coffee shop. I hope I’ll be lucky to meet you again there. Bye Seolhyun." And then that man turned around, ran through heavy rain. Seolhyun stared, until the shadow of that man mist in rain.
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"So you don’t want to meet him again?" Hyejung looked at her with scorn. "You promise something to someone and then you deny it."
Seolhyun turned away, not bear the guilt. Indeed she was a coward, so coward. It has been one month since her encounter with a man named Jonghyun that very similar to Minhyuk and Seolhyun didn’t dare to set foot into that coffee shop. She’s... scared, somehow.
"What do you think I was there for Hyejung? After all, I was just looking at him as Minhyuk’s substitute, as a person who randomly similar to Minhyuk."
"But he's not your Minhyuk, you yourself said that their appearance is different."
"He’s still similar with Minhyuk. Not physically, he looks like him in a different way." And my heart is pounding when I’m with him. Seolhyun sighed. Hyejung shook her head.
"Seolhyun, you know, I'm sad to see you slumped like this. It's been a year since Minhyuk’s death and you know you should have move on. You're young, your path is still long. Maybe God has a plan of its own mystery and meeting you a man that similar to Minhyuk, perhaps. And you won’t know what god had planned for you if you're afraid of moving on."
"So you think I should meet him?" Hyejung shrugged.
"Similar or not to Minhyuk, I knew that man was the only one that you think of other than Minhyuk. Meet him."
"Hi."
Seolhyun stood nervously in front of that man who was bowing head, immersed in his reading. Jonghyun looked up, in a flash he blinked, as if shocked but then his smile spreading.
"Seolhyun, sit down." His smile widened.
"You're here every evening?" Seolhyun gazed outward, somehow raining again.
"Every evening. Looks like you're very busy." Jonghyun putting down his book.
Seolhyun nodded nervously, she's not busy with anything. She just didn’t dare to come and meet Jonghyun but the lie was already gliding smoothly on her lips.
"I was busy with school and my homework this month, so didn’t have time to hang out." Jonghyun looked at her, Jonghyun was clearly understood that Seolhyun had lied to him.
"I'm glad you're finally free and able to come. Look, I've completed a set of these books while sitting here every day." He showed the cover of the book. Seolhyun glanced there. She can’t recognized the title, not the kind of reading that Seolhyun favored.
"I never read that book."
"Ah of course. You're a fan of past dark romance reading, the story of a maid who falls in love with her master that cold, cruel and heartless but actually romantic. A typical women’s reading." Jonghyun pouted.
"But you know the book I read, it means you read it." Jonghyun rolled his eyes.
"I want to know, when I saw a woman left it at a café table, so I figure it out and read it."
Seolhyun stunned then smiled. She felt warm, somehow. It's been a long time she didn’t feel this warmth, the same as before, when with Minhyuk, arguing about the book amid the rain, she felt the same. And although Jonghyun was physically very different with Minhyuk, this man reminded her of him. Reminded her of the days when she was together with Minhyuk.
"You haven’t ordered anything. I recommend you to buy Ijulmi Toast as a friend to drink your coffee, toast here is very good." That man blinked his eyes towards menu direction. Seolhyun winced, usually she just ordered standard toast as friend to drink coffee here.
"Is it good?"
"If accompanied by rain, drinking coffee, eating a simple piece of bread that lightly drizzled with honey and dusted with powdered soybean will surely taste like heaven."
"You’ll make me drool." Seolhyun laughed and ordered that toast and a cup of coffee.
"Where were we?"
"Until when you said that women like a typical romantic villains in the books of their romance."
And the conversation continued, amid the heavy rains that accompanied them in outside, between the scent of steam coffee and fragrance of bread fresh out of the oven.
Jonghyun and Seolhyun dissolved together in a coffee shop dim light.
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Sorry just update now, my dad just passed away so everything is kinda mess for me now :'( please pray for him too :'(
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