It’s been almost 6 months since I left the city. I still love him. I wonder if he got my note.

“I can’t hear you say I don’t love you. So I leave you without saying I love you.  Summer “

I wonder if the girl accepted him. I wonder if he was happy. I wonder if he ever thinks about me.

He was all that I ever thought about.

                                                                                ~~~~~~~~~~~~

A creak caught my attention. I heard someone opening the creaky old picket fence and turned towards the fence hurriedly; worried one of the mischievous kids had opened the gate.

But the person at the gate was no mischievous child.

“If you had waited until 6 that day, it wouldn’t have taken me 6 months to say this. “ His voice shook and a raw emotion of pain lit his dark, sunken eyes. He shuffled over with his signature grin but somehow it was somber and solemn. When he reached the swing, he knelt and placed his head on my lap.

“I love you Summer Yang. You are the prettiest girl in my world. “

I sat stunned at Hyukjae’s declaration. I saw tears roll down his cheeks and felt the dampness soak through the thin material of my skirt.

My own eyes were moist and overflowing. Hyukjae looked up, cupping my face in his hands.

“If you had kept your promise that day, we wouldn’t have to undergo this pain Babo!” his fingers reached out to wipe away the dampness from my eyes.

“Me?” the word came out as a statement and question, as ambiguous as the situation I was in.

“Yes! You. It was always you. From that first cup of rameyeon, it was you.” He chuckled as I blushed red.

“So are you going to accept me or are you going to be a Babo?” I looked up at him quizzically.

“My best friend said the girl who can’t see my goodness is a Babo. “  There was laughter in his voice now. But I seem to lose my voice as I just nodded vigorously.

“Do you promise to stay by my side and hear me out before jumping to conclusions?” Hyukjae laughed as his arms encircled me.   I nodded again as the lump in my throat refused to budge.

“Make sure you keep your promise this time, Summer Yang! “ Hyukjae whispered before his lips found mine sealing the promise with a kiss.

“This was a promise I intended to keep, “ I whispered back against his lips. “for life .”