Chapter Thirty: Realization

She was walking defeatedly back to their villa when she overheard a conversation between a pair who were walking ahead of her. The two were conversing in English.

“That man is crazy,” one of the two commented. “His date didn’t show up for almost three hours yet he insisted on waiting.”

The other person nodded.“Well, he must really like this woman whoever she is.”   

She paused and took a second to let their words sink in. She studied the pair and recognized the clothes they were wearing. If she was right, those were the uniforms of the staff of the restaurant she first went to, the one that just closed. 

Her eyes glinted with speculation. ‘Could it be?’

She had a gut feeling that the person the two were talking about was Taemin. It seemed very possible since she was three hours late for their supposed dinner.

Not minding to be a busybody, she approached the pair.

“Hi!” She smiled at the two. “I’m sorry to eavesdrop, but I overheard you guys talking about a man who was waiting for his date?” she asked in English.

The two eyed each other before one of them spoke. “Yes, he waited until closing time.”

“So d-did he leave?” she inquired, her heart filled with hope.

The person let out a small laugh and shook his head. “You heard us. That man is crazy. We were already done cleaning up, yet he’s still there, sitting at the back of the restaurant.”

Her face lit up. 

“It must be him!” she exclaimed, feeling over the moon. ‘He was waiting for me!’ she wanted to add.

Without wasting a second, she thanked the two and made a quick U-turn. Her steps were quick until she found herself running. By the time she reached the restaurant, she was out of breath. They told her he was at the back so she slowed down her steps and went around.

The moment she arrived at the back, she froze in her tracks. She was greeted by a white gazebo. Hanging on its sides were glass globes, each with a tea light candle. On the sand were lanterns lined up to create a pathway that leads to the gazebo. In the heart of the gazebo was a table set for two. On one of the chairs sat Taemin. He was leaning on the back of the chair. His head was slightly tilted back, and his eyes were closed. Behind him is a white grand piano. 

A surge of emotions instantly filled her heart as she watched his sleeping form. He was wearing an all white polo shirt and pants, and his hair was tousled due to the ocean breeze. 

Keeping her steps light, she quietly walked towards the gazebo. 

Instead of waking him, she gingerly pulled the empty chair across from him and sat there. A faint smile formed on her lips as she studied the lines and contours of his face. With his all white outfit and messy hair, he looked like a sleeping angel.

‘This is the man I love,’ she thought to herself admiringly. 

Unpredictable. Exhilarating. Playful. He looked just like the rest of her life.

In that very moment, she had made up her mind. She would say ‘yes’ to him. One thing that she realized moments ago, when she almost failed to find him, was how scared she was of not being able to see him, of losing him. It came to her as a surprise, for she didn’t feel as intensely scared like this in the past.

She had been continuously telling herself that all she needed to do was to gain more courage in order to overcome her fears. Ironically, the final driving force that pushed her to decide to finally accept him was her fear itself. Up to now, she was honestly still scared of all the uncertainties, especially with the appearance of that pers