Warm.

Everything's so warm.

It touches her face like a soft caress, enveloping her body like a gentle hug, flooding her insides with a fuzzy feeling similar to waking up on a Christmas morning. Slowly, carefully, she opens her eyes. She's sitting on a bench in the middle of a field of flowers, the tall maiden grass with its airy silver plumes swaying in the breeze, glittering like diamonds when the light catches them just right. Beautiful, she muses. She thinks she's been here before, the dark blue mountains and picturesque scenery filling her with a wave of nostalgia. She looks down and notices her feet are bare. No shoes? How odd. 

From a nearby tree, a bird chirps an enchanting tune, one that she feels she should remember the title, but doesn't.

Experimentally, she stretches and rolls her shoulders. Hops on one foot. Jumps. Then she starts to run. The sun is beating down on the rocks and soil beneath her feet and logically it should hurt, especially at the rate she was skipping over them. And yet for some bizarre reason, it doesn't. In fact, it's safe to say she's never felt better in her life. 

She picks up her speed and closes her eyes, somehow confident that nothing would be in the way for her to hit. She runs and runs and runs. She's not even tired nor is she panting with heavy breaths. Her body is as lithe and as healthy as the day she was born. Did it always feel this good? She couldn't recall. 

A salty scent assaults her nose and she opens her eyes to find the prairie already in the far-off distance, the rocky road replaced with a long stretch of fine, white sand. A seagull flies over her shoulder, narrowly missing her ear and is close enough that she could touch its wings if she wanted to. Deciding she's had enough of running, she comes to a halt at the point where the land meets the sea. A clump of white foam coated her toes in no time and she happily buries her feet deeper in the sand. While doing this, she lets her gaze wander into the horizon, the beautiful start of a sunset captivating her senses. The hues of pink, red, yellow, purple and orange all go together with a likeness of a Victorian era painting. 

It was mesmerizing, to say the least.

She takes a step back and feels something hard poking her heel. Bending down, she picks up the flat, triangular rock. It takes her a few moments to decide what to do with it when she finally comes up with a solution. She first holds it between her thumb and middle finger then hooks her index over the tip before bending her knees. Deeming the angle adequate, she then flicks her wrist and throws it in front of her. The rock spins and bounces off the surface of the water three times.

"I see you've been practicing."

She whirls around.

"You're a little early though," muttered Ma Hyunsik with a smile, hand inside the pocket of his favorite white linen pants. "You didn't even tell me you were coming today."

She lets her father's appearance take form in her consciousness before she whispers, "Appa?" 

"Neh," he nods. "It's me, my little star."

Relief washes over her and she almost tackles him to the ground, absolutely filled with joy of seeing her adoptive father in the flesh. "You're here!" she exclaims, holding Ma Hyunsik at an arms length so she could see him better. 

"As you are," his smile echoes the one plastered on her face and she can't help but hug him once more. 

"Wait-" she says and lets her gaze sweep their surroundings, a newfound thought sprouting from the recesses of her mind. Ever so slowly, reality comes in small bursts, her eyes dimming with the burden of the truth when she tells him, "If you're here then does that mean...Am I dead? Is this heaven?"

He doesn't answer her immediately and instead guides her to sit on the sand beside him. She finally takes notice of his brown sandals. Why does he get to wear shoes and she doesn't?

"Because apparently, your version of heaven doesn't include restrictive footwear," he answers in a teasing tone, one brow arched in blatant amusement. 

She frowns and bites the inside of her cheek. "My version?"

He shrugs. "I don't claim to be an expert on the laws of the universe, but heaven's usually different for everyone."

She studies the way the burst of colors are playing on her father's high cheekbones. "What about yours?"

He turns to look at her. "This right here," he says, draping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer. "This is my heaven." The sun pales in comparison to the smile she sends his way. He playfully ruffles her hair and returns his gaze toward the ocean. "So...the beach, huh?"

"Mmm," she nods.

"I guess I missed out on your first swimming lesson. Was it fun?"

"I drank about a liter of seawater," she replies wih a grimace.

"Yikes," he makes a face. "But you learned how to swim, right?"

"Yeah. Eventually."

"That's good to hear then." He stretches his legs. "Don't worry. In here, no one's going to force you to do anything you don't wanna do. It'll be your own paradise. You can do everything you want. Be anyone you want. No judgements, no deadlines, no expectations. And above all, no suffering."

Now that he's mentioned it, she tries to remember if there had been any pain since she came around and she realizes he's right. She feels perfectly fine. Her forehead creases. "Does that mean I can stay here with you?"

"If that is what you wish."

She looks out into the sea, the sound of waves crashing to the shore bringing a sense of calm within her. She closes her eyes and let the remaining rays of the sun soak through her skin, her long hair gently flying in the breeze. It's so peaceful. It wouldn't be so bad if I stayed, right?

"Ah, mata. The bus is here."

Her eyes fly open. Bus? What bus?

Ma Hyunsik stands and brushes the sand from his pants before offering his hand to her. "Time to leave, my little one."

"Leave?" she asks despite taking his hand. From the road up on the hills, she can make out a solitary vehicle waiting for passengers. Probably the bus he's referring to. "But I just got here." All she gets for a response is a smile. Her father turns his back to her and starts to trudge up the beach. Not about to begin questioning his decisions when they've just reunited, she silently follows.

'Dara.'

Her foot pauses mid-step. "Did you hear that?"

Hyunsik stops and looks over his shoulder. "Hear what?"

'Dara.'

"That," she whispers, her heart picking up speed.

'Come on, please.'

This time, she turns around. That voice. I know that voice.

'Please, please, please.'

She frantically searches for the source, a heavy weight pulling at her insides, so much so that she thinks she feels like vomiting which doesn't even make sense because she's dead and shouldn't be feeling sick at all.

'Baby, come back to me.'

Who are you? She quickens her steps and ultimately loses her balance, her knees buckling as she falls to the ground.

'Come back to me, love.'

Like a blind person seeing for the first time, Dara takes a shuddered breath as a single piece of memory pushes into the forefront of her mind.

'I told you the climb's worth it,' he smugly said and hugged her from behind. Dara leaned back before sighing in contentment, feeling the contrast of the cool breeze on her skin and the warmth of Jiyong's embrace. Stretching his arm, he pointed at something below them. 'You see that stone pillar over there?'

'Mmm...the one jutting from the bedrock?" She felt him nod against her head. "Yeah. What about it?'

'You know, legend tells the story of a fairy descending from the heavens to bathe along the waters of Seopjikoji. They say that the son of the Dragon King fell in love with her at first sight.' Dara's shoulders shook as she giggled. 'Eh? Why are you laughing?'

'Really, Ji? The Dragon King?'

'Aiiisht, I'm not making this up. That's really how the story goes,' he hissed and playfully pinched her cheek. 'Now shut up and let me finish.'

'Arasso, arasso.'

'As I was saying, his love for the her grew stronger each day and the fairy in turn, fell in love with him. However the Dragon King didn't approve of this and so on the day of their marriage, the waves rose high and the winds blew hard enough to stir up a storm that the fairy was unable to come down. He waited for her, but she never came. The man soon died from too much grief, his body turning into stone.'

Dara grew silent for a few moments. 'That's so sad, Jiyongie.' She suddenly sniffled, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

He chuckled. 'Aigoo, my girlfriend is such a crybaby.' Cradling her face in his hands, Jiyong lovingly kissed her nose before bringing her head to his chest. 'There's no need for tears, love. I for one think it's a happy ending.'

'But he died,' she mumbled into his shirt.

'Well if you really think about it, maybe it was the man's choice to die so he could finally reunite with his lover in heaven. Maybe he sacrificed himself to be with her. At least no one would be able to separate them anymore, not even his father, the King.'

The flashback ends and her lungs seem to lose its function, her hand immediately clutching her chest as she gasps for air. It suddenly dawns on her. The beach. The flower road. She lifts her head and finds the lighthouse standing proudly at the top of the slope. How could she have missed it? Tears flowed freely now, staining her cheeks and leaving tiny drops on the fine sand. 

"I'm sorry," she breathes into the ground. "I'm so, so sorry." Her fingers brush something on the hollow of her neck and she lifts it up. There on her palm, the daisy pendant glows in the afternoon light, beautiful and real. Her heart aching, she rushes to a stand and turns to face her father who still hasn't moved from his spot. "I need to go back."

Hyunsik just stares at her. "Why? There's only pain and suffering waiting for you out there." He raises his hand and motions to their surroundings. "In here you're safe."

He's right. In here, she's safe. Protected from the pain. No more suffering. She wipes her cheek and shakes her head. "You said we all have different versions of heaven." He tips his head in agreement. "Well this is why we're standing on a beach. Because even in death, my memory with Jiyong keeps me safe, secured." She takes a deep breath and adds, "He is my heaven."

He looks up into the sky and sighs. "He must be pretty special for you to cheat death, huh?" She quickly nods. "Aigoo," he heartily chuckles and pockets his hand. Eyes fixed on her, the edges of his mouth turn up into a smile. "Well, like I said, you're a little early."

Her brows furrow.

"You're a brave girl, my little star. You're fighting your own battle here as fiercely as he is on the other side."

Suddenly, she feels a comfortable warmth run down her fingers that slowly spreads throughout her palm. 

"He's not ready to let you go, too."

She chokes on a sob. She could feel him. For some reason, she could feel Jiyong's touch—warm and firm in her hand as if he's truly there with her.

Tears in her eyes, she mutters, "Will I see you again?"

"Not for a very long time, I hope." 

"I'm sorry."

He shakes his head. "You never have to apologize for loving someone," he tells her with a smile. "Besides," he places his hand over his heart. "I'm always with you. You're never alone."

She's about to take a step toward him when her hand starts to glow an ethereal blue, blinding in its brightness. She glances at her father in silent query.

"He's a keeper, that Jiyong of yours," he says with a laugh. His happiness is contagious and she smiles. "Best not to keep him waiting, then."

She nods. "I love you, appa."

"I love you, too, my little star." With a final wave, he turns and heads toward the road. She watches as he embarks on the bus and it leaves, disappearing into a small dot in the distance. 

Whirling around, she turns to face the last rays of the sun. The blue glow has already spread into her other hand, down her knees, then along her feet. She takes one last look over the bedrock and whispers, "I'm coming, Jiyong." The light from the lighthouse shines down on her and she closes her eyes, surrendering to her fate. 

Wait for me.

=======

They say if you love something, you let it go. If it comes back to you, it's yours. If it doesn't, it never was. 

Jiyong, for one, think it's all bull. He believed that if you're willing to fight for something, then you as hell deserve it. And so he fought and held her hand despite the doctor insisting she's gone. He begged; begged for her to come back to him. Over and over again. He repeatedly kissed her hand, her cheek, her neck, every part he could reach, whispering in her ear declarations of his love, his tears soaking her pale skin. 

"Come back to me, love."

He's not a believer. Never was. But right now, he prayed to whoever was listening up there. Give her back to me, please. I swear, I'll do anything in return. Just let her live. Please.

Every once in a while, when things are bleak and it seems like all hope is gone, life gives us a reason to keep holding on.

Beep.

Please.

Beep. Beep.

"It can't be..." muttered someone over his shoulder.

Beep. Beep.

      Beep. Beep.

         Beep. Beep. Beep.

He felt a hand on his arm. He lifted his head and found Bom pointing at something, her hand shaking as tears continued to roll down her cheeks. "Jiyong, look."

Reluctantly, he pried his eyes from Dara's form and toward the direction where Bom is pointing. On the monitor, where a flat line used to be, a series of curves appeared, one after the other.