C h a p t e r   32

A  e    S  o  o

“Your hands are rougher now.” Sehun stares at my hands as we eat our breakfast. He always eat faster than me and when I asked him why, he told me that he wanted to watch me eat. He also reasoned that I won’t let him choose watching me eat over food because that’s rude. I laughed at his reason but at the same time, I’m happy that he respects my morals.

I take my hand back and smiled at him. “I have to learn a lot of things that’s why.”

“Like what?”

“I learned how to use a lot of weapons. I won’t survive with just the arrow after all.” I chuckle. “I think I may be at par with you now.” Sehun doesn’t reply and just stares. I know he’s not happy with what said just now but he’s not saying anything. He stands taking our plates to the sink and washes them. I watch him as he does and he doesn’t have any plans of looking at me. “Sehun?”

“Yeah?” He replied but his eyes remained on the plates. I stand walking towards him and hugged him from behind.

“You’re mad are you?” He doesn’t answer and I’m aching to know what’s going on in his head so I do what I am not supposed to do. I read his mind.

“I can’t tell her I am because that will just make her sad. It’s been a long time since I last saw her and being mad is not on my list.”

“You can be mad Sehun. I know you’re going to be, the moment I start learning the sword so it’s okay. I’m not going to be sad.” He stops moving and finally looks at me.

“Did she just- No, it must be a coincidence.”

“I’m sorry. I know I’m not supposed to do it. But you’re not talking to me so I looked into your mind.”

His eyes widen and he turns the faucet off. “Wait, did you just say that you can read my mind?” I nod. “Since when can you read minds?”

“Not long ago.”

“You’re kidding.” 

I chuckle. “I’m not. I can really read minds if I want to.”

“Wha- Prove it. Read my mind now.” I stare at him and tried to listen on what he’s thinking. “She has to be kidding. How can she read my mind right now?”

“You’re doubting me if I can read your mind.” I look at him and continue to say his thoughts out loud. “She’s definitely reading my mind? She started learning a lot of things without my permission and now she’s telling me she can read my mind. Things definitely are not going like how I want them to be. Just when I wanted to kiss-“ I stopped talking after hearing what he just thought right now. He grins and looked at me with his arms crossed. 

“What? I thought you can read my mind?”

“Just now... you-“ he takes one step closer to me and now my back is against the counter. He places his hands on my sides and lowers as he peered on my eyes. “I heard it already so stop Sehun.”

“You’re turning red.” 

“You’re too close!”

“I know.” I gasp when he whispered with a deep voice in my ear and blew on it. I push him away and stepped far away from him and he laughs. “I’m kidding Ae Soo. Come back here.” I cover my ears and shake my head. Oh god, as much as I know how hot that was, but I can’t take it. My heart almost stopped! It was too much for me to handle!! “You know you’re too cute right now.”

Huh? I’m not supposed to be hearing his thoughts.

“You’re too cute and it’s Ae Soo.” I am hearing his thoughts and it’s gluing me on my spot right now. His stare is just too intense that I can’t move. He puts his arms on my waist making me tumble on his chest. “Do you know what I’m thinking right now Ae Soo?” I stare at him because I do. I’m hearing his thoughts even though I’m not doing it on purpose. “I want you so bad. Every inch of you.” He touches my neck and kisses my lips. I close my eyes as he does.

“Mm..” I cling on him because his kisses makes my strength waver. “Se...hun.”

“You’re being too fast and I can't keep up with you.” He says and rests his head on my chest. “A lot has happened to your life and I’m not on it. I missed a lot.” 

I hold his cheeks and made him look at me. His eyes are shaking and I didn’t expect that it’s going to make him this sad. “You’re still on it Sehun. You don’t have to worry about that.” I smile and kissed him this time. 

“I love you.” He says. 

I nod and smile. “I love you too.” Then I hug him. “Say, shall we go on a date today?”

He stares down at me and laughs. “We can’t go anywhere Ae Soo. You know our situation.”

“I know. We can just spend the day together and that’s a date right?”

He stops for a minute then placed his forehead on mine. “You’re right. And I have a perfect place for that.” He steps aways from me. “Be ready in ten minutes okay? I know you’re already beautiful but dress up for me okay? Be back in a few!!”

I chuckle and watch him disappear in his room. “Well, I have to be ready for this date!”

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“I guess that does it- oh, should I put my hair up because it’s hot?” 

“Shall I tie it up for you?” I turn seeing Sehun standing at my door with his arms crossed.

“How long have you been there?”

“Just now. I’m thinking of knocking but the sight of you being engrossed of dressing up for me was too adorable.” I chuckle and watch him walk towards my bed. “Come here.”

“We’re going on a date. If I go there, then we have high chances of not being able to go on a date!”

He laughs and pats the space in front of him. “I promise I won’t do anything erted so just come here will you?”

I eyes him suspiciously. “One moment of ersion and I’m kicking you alright?”

“Hahaha! I got it already so come here.” I sit in front of him. But the moment he takes my hair on his hands made me freeze. “Relax, I’m just going to braid your hair.”

I chuckle. “You know how to braid it now?”

“Mm. The time you were gone, I cleaned your room back home for you and saw this ponytail.” He showed me the blue ribbon ponytail that Uncle Kang Joon gave me when I was still a high school student since I love tying my hair. “And I thought, maybe I can tie her hair with this when I see her again. So I learned how to braid a girl’s hair.”

I smile because that’s just sweet of him. “Then? How’d you learn?”

“It’s silly so don’t even ask.” I can feel him work through my hair and this is just one of the best moments we both shared. 

“I want to know!”

He sighs in defeat and laughs. “Fine. I bought a wig and practiced on it okay? Happy now?”

“Oh my gosh that’s just too cute!”

“Idiotic actually. I can’t believe I did that.” He reaches out for the ponytail and placed it on my hair. “I’m done.” He places my hair on my side and smiled. “I can say, I did a pretty good job. All of the practice was worth it.”

I grab my mirror and stare at his work. He did a pretty good job. He braided my hair prettily. “It’s beautiful Sehun. Thank you.”

“Shall we go?”

I smile and take his hand. We make our way outside and stopped into front of a bike. "Hm? What's wrong?" I ask. He takes a handkerchief from his pocket and let it loose. "Sehun?"

"Where we are going is going to be a surprise so I needed to do this." He places the handkerchief on my eyes to cover it and tied it. 

"How am I supposed to hold on to you properly if you're going to do this."

"Which is why," he holds my hand and I can hear him get on a bike. He pulled me slowly and made me sit on something. Then I feel my arms being wrapped upon his waist. I chuckle getting where he's going with this. "Now, you're getting a proper hold of me and I get to see a proper view right?" I laugh and I hear him start pedaling the bike. 

"So? Can you give me a bit of a clue as to where we're going?"

"Mm. You'll love it. I'm betting my life on it."

I chuckle and hug tighter. "You don't need to bet your life on it."

After a while, we reach a stop. I can smell trees and hear a body of water nearby. Sehun helps me up first and I hear him put the bike on a stand. Then, he unties the blindfold as he holds on to me. "Ready?" I give him a nod. I think I forgot how to breathe for a while because the scenery is too familiar. I turn to face him again with my hands on my mouth. He smiles. This is the place that we saw when we went back to the past last time. The place where Mom and Dad talked about their future together. "I saw this accidentally when I went for a jog last night." 

I smile and he walks close to me, pulling me towards his chest. “You okay?”

“Yes, I just... I didn’t know that it’s been here. I didn’t know.” He nods and pats me in the head.

“Well, now you do. There’s small boat there. Want to give it a go?”

“Of course!” 

“Careful.” 

“Mm. Thanks.” I smile at his sweet gesture as he escorts me in the boat. My heart beats crazily whenever he do this. He treats me like I’m very fragile and doesn’t want me to break. I think I’m falling more and more with him. 

“What is it? You’re staring.” He stops with the paddle on his hand and chuckled. 

“Nothing. I just thought how you’re making me fall for you even more.” He stops talking for a while and covers his mouth with his hand. “Sehun?”

“Don’t...say things like that abruptly. It’s dangerous.”

I laugh. “Why is it dangerous? You asked me right?”

“It’s dangerous because I want to kiss you right now but I can’t because this boat might turn if I do.” I suddenly blush after hearing what he said. He cleared his throat and started paddling. “Anyway, let’s get going.”

“O..Okay.” Sehun stops paddling when we reached the middle of the lake and we take our time to look at our surroundings. “Say, Sehun?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you think Mom loves going here too?” He smiles and looks far away as he nods. 

“Yeah. Your Mom seemed to be that kind of person who’ll enjoy going anywhere as long as she’s with the people that she treasures.”

“I agree. I wish we could’ve just met her at least.” I felt a hand on mine. When I turn I see Sehun in front of me, looking at me in worry. I give him a smile telling him that I’m alright then he gives me a face of relief. “I’m okay so don’t worry.” 

“Then that’s fine.” He goes back to his seat. “Ae Soo, tell me what I missed.” He stared at me from his side. It’s been a long time since I heard him ask me that. We first did this when I went back to Seoul and he stayed back at his home. I remember that we always make time to be able to see each other through chatting to ease the loneliness that we feel. 

“Well, I learned how to use the sword.”

“How does it feel to wield it?”

“It’s hard at first. I’m not used to use it after all and I realize that every weapon is just like a two-way sword. Even if you manage to kill that person at the other end to make you safe, you still get the mental torture of taking someone else’s life. But I’m okay now.” I smile and looked at Sehun. He’s giving me that painful look again and I know why. It’s because he doesn’t want me to hurt. He told me once that I’m the person that he wants to protect which is why he’s not happy with me wielding a sword. “I’m really okay Sehun. You know what I’m talking about. Protecting someone always needs a price right?”

“Yes.” He replied. 

“Oh, I also learned my powers. Dad told me not to tell anyone of this but, if it’s you I think I can.” I smile. “I can duplicate other demon’s magic as long as I have seen how it works. Neat right?”

He chuckled. “Really? Then, can you show me?”

“Mm! Sure. Show me how yours work.”

“Alright then.” He looks up and raises his hand in the air then a small gust of wind appeared on his palm. I gasp in awe.

“Wow, that’s amazing!!”

“Now your turn.” I nod and try to recall how Sehun did it. I reach out my hand in the air and then a small gust of wind started twirling on my palm too. “Wow."

“I did it!” I chuckle in awe and Sehun nods. 

“You really are amazing.” I smile.

“Sehun, tell me what I missed too.” His smile started to fade.

“Nothing much happened to me though.”

“I still would’ve want to know.” 

“Okay.” I watch him as he starts talking about himself and something tells me that not everything that he’s going to say will be nice. “I almost lost my sanity when I thought that I might not see you again so I... I tried to prove it to myself that you’re not. Because somehow.. just a little bit, I have a feeling that you’re alive somewhere, so I tried looking for you. I try to come back as soon as I can everyday to the spot where you left. But I get nothing. They keep on telling me that it will pass but..” I see him clenching his fist and his jaw tightened as he hold back the tears from falling but it was not far long before Sehun lost it. “I just can’t you know? I already pictured everything with you. How can I just let it all go and accept that you’re gone?” 

“Sehun..” I move over to him and take him in my arms as I feel him shake. He holds on to me tight as he plant kisses on my temple.

“I can’t live without you Ae Soo. You made me found something to protect. You also made me eat my words when I told myself that I don’t need it because it will only make me weak. I now realize that it’s not entirely true.” He releases me and holds my cheeks as he rests his forehead with mine. “Having someone you wanted to protect may not only make you have a weakness, but it can also make you strong in order to overcome that weakness.”

I smile and pressed my lips on his forehead. “Yeah, that’s true.” I say. “A lot happened. Painful, happy and sad times. But we got through it. Now, we’re back together and if something hard and painful comes again, I know that we’re going through it together.”

“Yeah.” He replied and kisses me slow. His hands move from my hands to my shoulders. But they don’t stop there. His hand travels along my body which makes me miss his every touch. It’s been so long and I missed every inch of him. Before things get heated, he releases a chuckle and stops. “I think we may have to cut this here Ae Soo. As much as I want to continue, I can’t because this boat might sink before I’m even finished with you.”

I laugh and hugged him. He paddled our way back and he helps me out of the boat. Then we both walk back to where he parked the bike. When I was going to seat at the bike, I saw a basket placed at the back seat. “What’s this?”

“A picnic basket.”

I chuckle. “Since when did you prepared this?”

“While you’re getting ready. You do know that girls take their sweet time in getting ready right?” I laugh as I watch him take the basket from me and sets the picnic on. He places the mat under the tree and pats the side next to him. I did as he wanted me to and hands me the basket. “Just a little turn off but, I do not know how to set picnics since this will be my first. So I just placed every food that I can inside that basket.”

I laugh and looked at the variety of food inside. There are sandwiches, kimbap, some refreshments and salad. “Sorry to disappoint but this is my first too.”

“Well then, that’s even better. No dignity lost.” I chuckle and we started eating our lunch. It was nice. I’ve never been on a picnic before but I can tell that this will not be my last. After eating, Sehun told me one thing that he wanted to try doing with me, rock skipping. I smiled when he told me that because it makes me happy doing the things that Mom and Dad used to do here. “Here you go.”

I take the pebble that Sehun handed to me and he went first. His skipped thrice and I think that’s amazing. “Alright, my turn.” I turn sideways and threw my pebble but it immediately sank. “Wha-“ I turn to Sehun he takes another one and placed it on my hand. 

“It’s okay. It’s just your first. Just try to swing the rock as strong as you could alright? Like this.” He throws one again and this time it skipped four times. He’s good at this huh?

“Alright. I’ll try again.” I take my second chance but it sank again. Sehun hands me another rock and then another but it sank as soon as I threw them. I think I’m playing throw-as-many-pebbles-as-you-can and not rock skipping. 

“Want to try again?”

“No! I hate it! I’m not doing it again!” Sehun chuckles and walked close to me, encircling me in his arms.

“Don’t be upset. It just proves that you’re really your mother’s daughter since she’s bad at it too.” 

“Hey!” He laugh and kisses my cheek.

“I’m joking.” He releases me and crouches down to take another pebble. “Let’s just try two more okay?”

“I told you, I’m not doing it.” 

“Please?” I sigh. Since he insist, I can just throw two more pebbles in the lake. I take the first pebble and as I expected it sank. “Alright, last one.”

Frustrated, I just reach out my hand to Sehun and wait for him to place the stone on my hand without even looking at him. But by the time something landed on my hand and was supposed to throw it, I realized that I think I’m not holding a pebble. I look at my palm and there lies a small black box in it. I turn to Sehun and he’s smiling at me. Puzzled with what’s going on, I opened the box and found a silver ring inside. 

“Will you marry me Yang Ae Soo?”