.

As I placed the last of the candles he came around and lit it up. We stepped back, our toes digging into the sand, and we looked at our finished work.

300 red candles. I'm still surprised he could find that many. They were all aligned to shape a giant heart.

Isn't that romantic? Not for us though, of course.

It's for someone special. His someone special.

I grabbed my sneakers. "Well, my work's done here. I better get going before she comes. Good luck."

"Changmin, wait." He took my hand pulling me with him as we stepped into the middle of the heart that we made together.

"Sit." He pulled me down with him, and I landed right beside him. It was too close so I scooted over a little.

I let go of his hand. "What is it?"

"Just wanted to make sure two people could fit."

The cool sea breeze. The gentle ocean waves. The twinkling stars. And being next to him. It was perfect.

Just not for us.

I heard something like a cellphone. It was his.

"Hello?... Oh.... That's okay... Bye."

Should I had asked? "Was that her?"

His face fell. "Yea. She's not coming."

"Oh. Sorry." What else could I have said?

"No. I'm sorry." He didn't have to say that. He shouldn't have. "But thank you. For all this."

I know what he meant. "No problem."

Should I have left? "Do you want to be alone?"

"Can you stay?" He hesitated. "Just a while."

I was still sitting. "Okay."

A tranquil silence fell over us. As we listened to the ocean. No one else just the two of us on the beach.

"Here. For you." He gave me the red rose meant for her. "Don't want it to go to waste."

I took it anyway. I smelled it. I smiled, half-heartedly. "Thanks."

We stayed quiet after a while. Which was fine. I'm not so good at comforting people anyway.

I watched as the wind blew out the candles. I counted them one by one up till 198. Because that's when his head fell on my shoulder fast asleep.

I sighed. Brushing back the bangs from his eyes. My fingers lightly grazing his cheek before I pulled my hand away.

I picked up the rose again touching its petals. Eventually a petal broke off then another, then another. Before I knew it there was nothing but a stem.

I didn't liked the rose anyway.

I hope he won't be mad.

I looked at the time and I knew that in an hour the sun was going to come up, but I didn't want to see it.

I leaned in a little closer to him. Feeling his warmth, I wished this moment of just us could last a bit longer.





Afterword: Sorry for the bittersweet ending but I have a thing for unrequited love stories.

And FYI I was inspired to write this because of this [ VIDEO ]





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