CHAPTER SIXTEEN

(Luhan’s POV)

It was Saturday morning and I can’t find anything to busy myself with so I decided to visit the river where I met my star.

I parked my car about one kilometer away from the river (hidden behind the bushes) and walked the remaining steps there. I caught sight of the huge apple tree near the river and approached it. I leaned my back on the tree, put my hands in my pockets, and stared at the river. The first day we met played on my head. I saw her angry eyes shooting at me like daggers, her dark brown hair swaying in the breeze.

“Luhan?” A familiar, high pitched voice broke my thoughts.

I stood straight, pushing my body off the tree and let my hands fall to my sides.

Chorong stood on my left side, a few feet away from me, staring at me with confused eyes.

“Hey, Chorong.” I greeted her.

“What are you doing here?” She asked me, moving closer for a more conversational range.

“I came here first so I should be asking you that question.” I replied.

She stared at me for a moment, thinking of what to say; then her eyes lit, as if an idea came to her.

“This is a very memorable place for me.” She said and waited for my reaction.

“Same here.” I sighed.

“Mworago?” She asked, her eyes full of something I see as hope.

“Why is this place important to you?” I asked her, instead.

“W-well…” She seemed hesitant but continued anyway. “This is where I first met that silly boy who jumped into that river because he has a problem. I saved him and told him to release his problems to the stars in the sky.”

I gaped at her, unable to speak. Why hadn’t I figured that out before? Chorong was a brunette. My byul’s dark brown hair swaying in the breeze flashed in my brain. It was of the same shade as that of Chorong’s. I looked at Chorong’s eyes and tried to remember how her eyes had looked but I can’t grasp it; her wet bangs had been covering them before. Then something else came to my mind.

Bangs; Chorong’s bangs were exactly the same as hers. Why hadn’t I known it was Chorong all along?

“Luhan-ah, gwenjanayo?” Chorong asked worriedly, her voice soft and tender.

The answer came to me, then. Chorong was a shy, sweet girl who never dared fight with anyone even if she was bullied. She would rather hide in a corner than defend herself. That’s why she had remained quiet when Hanji harassed her and she would have agreed on anything that he told her hadn’t Joohyun defended her.

Joohyun… Joohyun was more like my byul.

Joohyun was fierce. No one could outsmart her, not even Chanyeol. She had waged war not only on him but on everyone who hurt her loved ones and who had stepped on her dignity. She had a strong personality and yet she was sweet.

But Joohyun hadn’t said anything. I’m sure Yoona had told her about the “girl I met six years ago whose name I don’t even know”. Though I hadn’t told Yoona the whole story about that girl saving me, I know Joohyun would have known if she were my byul.

Yet Joohyun hadn’t said anything; while Chorong now stood in front of me, claiming that she has saved a “silly boy” from a suicide incident on the same river.

“Luhan, had I said something wrong?” She asked again, her eyes a bit afraid.

I stared down at her lovely face.

Without saying anything, I grabbed her by the nape, bent down and kissed her on the lips. Her eyes widened but she soon returned my kisses and hugged me by my waist. I felt happy that I had finally found her, yet there was something missing. I pushed all the negative thoughts aside and gave my full attention to my long lost byul.

Rain suddenly came and poured down on us but we didn’t care.

Heaven seemed to rejoice with me.

(Joohyun’s POV)

It was Saturday morning and Kris wasn’t well yet. Chanyeol slept over the night before. He stayed at Kris’s room. No matter how hard I tried, Kris won’t