We arrived at Bled Island after riding the Pletna for 15 minutes. I’m rather excited to go here because it’s the main attraction here in Slovenia. I wanted to save the best for last so I stopped myself from going here earlier.

As we stepped on the island, we are met with a flight of stairs that totaled up to 99 steps. They say that if the husband carries his wife all the way to the top, they will without a doubt grow old together.

Growing old together. It’s such a wonderful thing to do. I wonder who Seulgi wants to grow old with, where does she want to settle down, how happy she would be with her someone.

As soon as we got past the stairs, it got colder. I shivered a bit. Seulgi approached me then cupped my face with hot packs in her hands. “Are you still cold?” Oh my god. I can definitely see myself getting so red over this.

“N-not anymore.” I say as I fan myself a bit. It used to be so cold. Now, it’s so hot. Like, super hot. Can she stop doing things like this to my fragile heart? I’m about to puke butterflies since there’s so much inside my stomach.

There’s a store beside the stairs so Seulgi bought hot chocolates for us both. We held it close to each other’s then took a picture. We walked while drinking it. I’m still flustered about what she did. As soon as we finished drinking, we realized that the bell of the church has been ringing non-stop.

“The bell keeps ringing!” Seulgi said. I actually researched a bit before coming here. The visitors go there to ring the bell thrice. After that, they make a wish. They say if you do that, your wish will come true. I told Seulgi about it and she got excited again. “Ah! The tourists are the ones ringing the bell? Then I wanna do it too!” She said as she hopped to where the church is. “I wanna make a wish too!” I smiled as I followed her. She’s such a kid.

When I arrived inside, Seulgi was busy looking at the tourists ringing the bell. She was so concentrated that I decided to sneak my way beside her.

“Seulgi-ssi” I whispered in her ear. She got shocked and looked at me. She sighed in relief, “You shocked me! I thought it was somebody else!” She smiled then lightly slapped me in the arm. I laughed too. “Let’s fall in line.”

We did and after some time, it was our turn to ring it. We both rang the bell thrice. Side by side, we closed our eyes as we made a wish.

If there’s anything I wish for right now, it is that Seulgi and I can be happy with our own lives in the future. I hope she can meet someone she’ll be happy to spend her life with. Someone who will make her the happiest girl in the world. That person who’ll take care of her like the way she deserves to be taken care of. Somebody who will love her so much more than I ever could and do the things I can never do. Please make it happen.

I opened my eyes and saw her looking at me.

“Are you finished?” She asked.

I nodded. We turned around- ready to leave.

“I hope my wish comes true!” She said.

I hope mine too.

-

Maybe in another life we won’t be of the same gender. Maybe I’d meet you again here. Maybe I will love you again and this time, I’ll be able to tell you how I feel. Maybe you will smile and tell me that you reciprocate my feelings. Maybe I will ring the bell thrice after a few years of being together and wish you’d be my wife. Maybe we’ll get married here after you accept my proposal. Maybe I will be able to carry you past the 99 steps after our wedding. Maybe we’ll spend the rest of our lives happy. Maybe we’ll grow old together.

Maybe.

-

After visiting Bled Island, we took a horse carriage tour to circle around Lake Bled. When the tour was over, we went and sat in one of the benches overlooking Bled Island. Seulgi is drawing on the other end of the bench.

After a while, she stopped and noticed I wasn’t drawing anything on my pad. “Unnie? You haven’t drawn anything for the whole day.” She worriedly states.

I looked at her. I can’t tell her that, for once, I didn’t want to draw, didn’t want to use up all sheets and go back to where I belong. Because, I believe, no, I want to belong here by Seulgi’s side instead.

“I’ve already booked my flight back to Korea.”

Her face fell upon hearing what I said. “Oh.” She takes a long breath. “When?”

I looked at my lap instead. “This Sunday.”

She looked away. “Ah. I see.” I could see her clenching her fist. “It’s bound to happen right? We both knew from the start.”

I hummed.

“How many more sheets do you have left?”

“Three.”

I looked at her and she looked at me. She smiled but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Then, let’s make sure to fill those three with memories.”

I hugged her tight.

She hugged back tighter.

-

That day I drew two silhouettes sitting beside each other on a bench while looking at Lake Bled and Lake Island.

Last two.