“That’s the reason you are here now.” I felt foolish. I couldn’t understand  what she was driving at.

“Because no two oranges are the same?”

“You didn’t come all that way to Seville because you wanted to meet  “a woman”.  If you did, you didn’t have to travel so far away since Europe has a lot of women. You came for me. Like Me there is only Me. I didn’t send a postcard for a man in Oslo. I sent it to You. “

The Orange Girl, Jostein Gaarder

 ♦ Ha Yun ♦

The day Jinki started walking without any help came faster that she was expecting.

Ha Yun arrived late to the therapy and ran to the room almost bumping against one of the physiotherapists outside on the corridor.

“Hey, you are late today!”

“Is he mad?” she asked frowning because lately he would get upset if she missed one of the sessions, or arrived late. He practically saw her as a nurse more than anything.

“No.“ The therapist smiled “You will be very surprised. Just enter the room and see for yourself.”

Ha Yun frowned wondering what that was about and then walked the rest of the way to the room. Even before entering it she heard Jinki laughter and that was such a rare sound after the accident when he wasn’t with her, that she opened the door immediately, running inside.

What she saw made her widen her eyes. Jinki was walking alone with no help. It was small steps as if he was a baby learning to walk for the first time but still it was walking.

He beamed at her when he saw Ha Yun and the doctor monitoring him chuckled.

“Jinki was so eager to show you this!” He said proudly. Not as proud as Jinki that slowly walked in Ha Yun direction, his eyes on her. “Look! I’m walking!”

She smiled with tears in her eyes. “I knew you would!”

He raised his arms trying to walk faster to reach her and she moved forward making him complain.

“NO!” He screamed “Don’t move. I’ll walk to you. This time I’ll do it!” The way he said it made her all tingling inside, and the doctor that was watching both, excused himself.

It was as if he didn’t want to interrupt that moment between them.

They barely noticed the doctor leave, too focused on each other.

Jinki giggled getting closer to Ha Yun and she bit her lip trying to hold the tears and failing miserable.

“Why are you crying?” He asked with a smile, a mere 5 steps between both.

“Soon you will be able to run again.” She said sounding bitterly. It wasn’t as if she didn’t want him to walk. She did. It was madness, but she wished for that day when her heart would be broken to come fast. But now she would have to keep her promise.

He tilted his head confused and then it dawned on him just when he reached her, his hands grabbing hers firmly.

“You mean run away from you?”

She nodded her head, her eyes moving to her feet. “I’m really happy you are walking. I am! There is nothing in this world I wished more than this!”

He pulled Ha Yun by her chin up and cleaned the tears of her cheeks.

“There is still a lot of work until I’m able to run again.”

“I know. I’ll stay by your side until then!” She said firmly. “I told you I would never leave you.”

“NO.” He shook his head, the smile on his face disappearing. “No. You don’t understand. I don’t want to run away. I never did.”

“What do you mean?”

He smiled softly and walked closer, so closer that she felt as if his presence was everything she could see. Ha Yun never realized how tall he was before.

“I love you. Back then, when we were friends, there was something special but I wasn’t sure about what I felt but…but being by your side everyday opened my eyes. You are my special orange girl Ha Yun. I- I couldn’t tell you before because I didn’t want you to be tied to a man like me. But I’ll work hard. I started working hard after we…made love. I wanted to be a complete man for you. I’ll work even harder so I can run too. Not away from you, but after you, so I can be the one taking care of you for a change.”

She hiccupped covering her crying face from Jinki and he pulled her against him. Ha Yun completely melted in his embrace, the confession he just made to her making her heart ache in a good way.

“I’m not going to let you go. Ever! Will you wait for me? Will you stay by my side until I recover completely?”

She pulled back and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him on the mouth. That made her chuckle and he looked at her confused with the reaction.

“I never realized how tall you are. We never kissed standing….” She blushed realizing what she was implying.

He laughed and kissed Ha Yun again; cupping her face “We never had with me on top either. Can’t wait for that!”

That comment made her blush even more and he pulled her against his chest.

“My legs are starting to hurt and give in.” Jinki said embarrassed and Ha Yun helped him to sit on the couch nearby.

He sighed deeply, the smile on his lips never disappearing and grabbed her hand on his.

“I also want to be able to get on my knees.”

“What?”

He pursed his lips looking away a little embarrassed and she watched him curious.

“Why on your knees?”

“There is a question a man should ask on his knees.” He only said, making her open surprised. Marriage.

He enigmatically smiled back at Ha Yun not confirming her suspicions.

That smile he was offering her now was the brightest ever.

“Yes!” She answered to his question to stay by his side until he recovered completely and the one he would ask someday.

 ♦ Jinki ♦

Months passed.

Jinki recovery was going so well that he was now able to walk alone and he didn’t need to go to the therapy every day anymore.

His relationship with Ha Yun was now official and she was living with him not as a friend but as his girlfriend.

She finally managed to start college and was trying to conciliate it with her job at the grocery store that was now part time.

Jinki was back at the bookstore and things seemed to finally have reached a normal state.

He climbed on the bed were Ha Yun was on her underwear reading a book for college.

“My legs don’t hurt tonight!” he announced trying to get her attention but she only nodded her head, her eyes on the biology book.

He watched her admiring the woman he loved, the way she scrunched her nose in thought and played with the strap of her bra.

He sighed having enough of that and took the book away from her hand so he could kiss her.

She hummed against his lips and he threw the book over the table beside his bed.

“What are you doing?” She asked when he sat beside her.

“I have needs...and I want you tonight!”

“We can’t have all nights Jinki!” She complained trying to reach the book but he grabbed her tickling her sides making Ha Yun give up.

He brushed his nose against hers and she kissed him back, placing her hand on his chest to push him on the bed so she could climb on top of him. However he resisted pushing her back into the bed, by his side and settled above her instead making her widen her eyes in realization.

“I told you that my legs don’t hurt. I can do this now. I can be on top now.”

Ha Yun watched him breathless while he took off her bra and pulled her down her legs proudly that he was the one now doing it.

She spread her legs for him to settle in the middle of them and he leaned forward, kissing her, his body falling perfectly over her.

Both were nervous. It felt as if it was their first time together and they kissed and touched each other carefully, slowly.

Being on top was good; Ha Yun liked it but being under him wasn’t worst. She loved it too, mostly because of the way his body rubbed against hers, the way she felt him deep inside her moving, the way he was the one controlling the movements, making her moan of pleasure, the way his fingers rubbed her while he moved, how his hips felt against hers, his expression over her...it was amazing and Ha Yun was glad that he could now do it.

He seemed happy too, his ego as man making him bolder, ing harder into her, biting her neck and filling her skin with hickeys.

They made love for a while and even after they were satisfied they stayed on each other’s arms, recovering their breath.

“I can do it again! I can stay on top!”

He mumbled against her skin making Ha Yun laugh.

“Yes...you can! I will miss being on top though!”

“You don’t like it this way?” He seemed offended with her words.

“No! I loved it...but I mean….”

“You can still be on top once in a while!” He said diplomatically “We can alternate positions all the time. Its ok for me as long as we don’t stop having !”

She chuckled caressing his hair “I know bunny! We won’t!”

He rolled from over her and frowned.

“What’s wrong?” Ha Yun asked worried turning on her side to face him.

“I have a cramp!” He confessed making her laugh and soon he joined.

Maybe he overdid it but it was amazing….Ha Yun was amazing and she was his.

And there was only two things left that  he wished to do and dreamed about ever since he started to walk again.