CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

(Joohyun’s POV)

Luhan and I drove to the river where we first met when we were kids. We were both silent as we passed by the river. We both find it awkward that we were walking along this river bank now. I can’t help but remember the day when I saved him from getting drowned. I also remembered the day when I saw him kissing Chorong. I felt the familiar ache in my heart. I didn’t understand why I still feel hurt about what happened.

Do I still have feelings for him?

I glanced at Luhan. That was when I saw that he was also looking at me. I looked away instantly.

“Mianhae.” He muttered.

“Mwo?” I looked at him again.

“I’m sorry for hurting you.”

I kept silent, not knowing how to respond.

“I regret it, you know.” He said after a while. “I now realized I lost someone special to me.”

“Why are you telling this to me?” I asked him when we reached the field.

He stopped walking. I stopped, too.

“Because I failed to show you my real feelings before. I kept them to myself mostly because I hadn’t realized they were here already.” He pointed at his chest, at his heart.

I stared at his chest.

“You didn’t tell me it was you. You had known from Yoona that I was waiting for somebody who saved me from drowning. You knew it was you but you didn’t say anything.”

“I knew it was me. When I saw you at Kris and Yoona’s house, I already have feelings for you. I knew it was you but I didn’t say anything because I want you to discover it on your own.”

“I did. But I was confused. I refused to believe what my heart was telling me because in my mind, there was Chorong.”

“Do you love her?” I asked him.

He was unable to respond. He stared straight into my eyes.

“What do you think?” He asked me instead.

“Only you could answer that.” I mumbled and looked down to hide my red face.

He put his two hands on my shoulders and bent down to see my face.

“You know the answer, byeol…” He said softly.

I looked up at him. We stared at each other for a long time. He slowly brought his face down to mine. I waited for his lips but it did not come. He stopped when he was only half an inch away. Then he looked up. He seemed to be looking at something, or someone, behind me. Curiously, I looked behind me. And I was surprised.

“Chanyeol!” I blurted out.

Luhan released my shoulders.

I ran and hugged Chanyeol tightly. It’s been a few minutes before I pulled away. Luhan had moved to my side.

“Chanyeol, you got us worried. Gwenjana?” I asked him gently.

He nodded.

“How did you know I was here?” He asked me.

“Of course I would know!” I said.

He smiled bitterly. He must be thinking about the day when he comforted me in this field.

“Mianhae.” I said not knowing if I was talking about his grandma or about how he comforted me over Luhan while he just saw both of us almost hugging, and worse, almost kissing a while ago.

“Don’t be sorry. Jinah-halmeoni was right. She’s already old and she needs to rest. I’m happy for her because she wouldn’t feel the bitterness life has to offer. I need to move on. And Kris would be saved.”

“Chanyeol-ah… Gomawo. Jeongmal gomawo.” I said softly.

“Yah! Joohyunnie! I never thought you’d treat me like this. I never thought you’d stop fighting me, you mischievous baby girl!” He teased and pinched my cheeks.

“Don’t play around, Park Chanyeol!” I complained.

He’s treating me like a younger sister again.

“Ah. Gukjungma! Let’s just go to the hospital.” He said as he put his right arm around my shoulders and his left around Luhan’s.

Together, we left the field and went back to the hospital.

(Joohyun’s POV)