“Suzy? Who were you talking to?” Mrs Bae appeared just as Jonghun closed the door behind him. “The nurse.. she handed me the documents I forgot.” Suzy gathered all the papers in her hand & started slipping them back into the envelope. “Are you okay? Did you cry?” Mrs Bae peered into her daughter’s face.

“No Omma. I’m just tired.” Suzy answered quietly not meeting her mother’s gaze. “Let’s go home. I will prepare your favourite chicken soup for you.” Mrs Bae led a dejected Suzy away not realising the cause of her sadness. Suzy glanced back at the doctor’s office one last time before it disappeared from her sight. “I hope you will come send me off babo.” Suzy wished as she wiped away the errant tear that had slipped down her cheek before her mother could see it.

“Your friend was just here Jonghun. I was surprised on you both didn’t visit me together.” Doctor Lee consulted his file his bushy white beard almost brushing his redwood table. Jonghun remembered that he had recommended Suzy to see his family physician. “Why was she here?” Mrs Choi asked. “Well the university she’s been accepted into required her to have a full health check-up. I gave her a clean bill of health.” Doctor Lee scribbled something onto his pad. “Guess these universities don’t want their students to be pregnant especially if they are in relationships.” Doctor Lee continued speaking.

Jonghun stared at the table. Just the thought of Suzy being the mother of his child filled Jonghun with unspeakable joy. He had imagined it vividly & even told Suzy about wanting two daughters in her image. Yet now what remained of that daydream were broken pieces & the harsh reality that she was leaving him behind in two days’ time.

“So what has been bugging you Jonghun?” Doctor Lee observed Jonghun through the two half-moons of his spectacles. “A broken heart. Got any cure for it Doc?” Jonghun asked tonelessly. “I think the cure just walked out of this room about ten minutes ago.” Doctor Lee answered with a smile. Jonghun saw the knowing looks being exchanged between his mother & the doctor and groaned inwardly. Now even the doctor knew about him & Suzy.

“Did my mother tell you all about my love life?” Jonghun sighed. “She didn’t really have to. You came with Suzy for her gastric troubles remember? I could see how you looked at her son. I was once your age too.” Doctor Lee smiled serenely. “Great. Now can we just have the health check-up I came here for?” Jonghun tried to change the topic. He could already see the pitying glances Doctor Lee & his mother were giving him & Jonghun hated it. He hated being pitied, he already felt pathetic enough without people adding to his pain.

“Suzy! Suzy! Where is your passport? Come on.. Hurry up!! We need to get your luggage packed before tomorrow.” Suzy heard her mother calling out to her but her thoughts were elsewhere. She was staring out of her bedroom window thinking of the man she loved with all her heart. The man whom she had been sure she was going to spend the rest of her life with.

“Suzy! Didn’t you hear me?” Mrs Bae appeared in the bedroom with a harried expression. “It’s all packed in my carry-on bag Omma.” Suzy pointed at the pink bag sitting on her bed. “Oh.. So you’ve packed everything.” Mrs Bae looked impressed. Her daughter was messy & disorganised. It was surprising that she had packed all her stuff one whole day before instead of leaving behind everything to the last minute.

“Yes Omma. I’ve changed.” Suzy answered as if she could read her mother’s thoughts. “Are you okay?” Mrs Bae took a seat in front of her daughter but Suzy’s gaze was still fixated into the distance. “I’m fine.” She replied leaning her head against the cool glass of her bedroom window. “Honey you’ve not been eating well for the past three days.” Mrs Bae took her daughter’s clammy hand into hers. “I’m not well Omma. I will be fine as soon as I reach London.” Suzy finally turned to meet her mother’s concerned gaze.

“You know you can’t lie to your mother right?” Mrs Bae smiled. A smile that Suzy didn’t return. “If you know Omma why are you asking me? I already did what you & Appa wanted.” Suzy’s voice didn’t give anything away. “We told you all that for your own  good..” Mrs Bae started protesting but Suzy stopped her mother. “Yes Omma. You both did it for my own good. I know that.” Suzy said with a tight smile. “Suzy ah..” Mrs Bae didn’t know how to console her daughter.

“Do you mind if I take a walk Omma? I need to clear my head.” Suzy grabbed her bag before her mother could protest. “Don’t stay out too late..” Mrs Bae called after her daughter. “I won’t Omma.” Suzy answered softly. She wasn’t going to spend a lot of time at the place she was going to anyway. She was going to be inconspicuous & stealthy. She sat in the bus watching the scenery flitting past her, the occasional favourite store of hers going past her line of sight.

“Probably the last time that I will see all these stores for two years.” She sighed out aloud & spotted the elderly lady in the seat next to hers shooting her a curious look. “Sorry.” She apologised hastily. The last thing Suzy wanted to do was to give off an impression that she was certifiable. Noticing that her destination had arrived Suzy hastily alighted from the bus sparing herself further embarrassment. “This might be the last time I ever alight at this stop..” Suzy told herself.

Glancing around she spotted the seat where Jonghun had applied first aid for her when she had fallen flat on her face when she had tried running after a bus. That was the night when he had first proposed the one month contract of being his girlfriend. “And that happened to be the happiest month of my life..” Suzy sighed out aloud. Recalling all the sweet moments she had shared with Jonghun only made the pain of leaving him behind all the more bittersweet.

Suzy was so busy staring at the seat that she didn’t notice the headlights of the car that was heading straight towards her until it was almost too late. Letting out a panicked screech Suzy jumped away just in the nick of time before the Mercedes hurtled into her. She landed on her knees & felt a searing pain on the skin of her legs. “Not again..” she groaned out aloud.

“Suzy? Is that you?” she heard the unmistakable deep voice calling out to her. A very familiar deep voice. Jonghun’s. Turning around with some difficulty Suzy saw that the driver of the Mercedes was none other than Jonghun himself. “Oh my.. This is just like that time..” Suzy half-smiled at the thought despite the pain shooting through her knees. “Jonghun. Hi.” She smiled at the handsome concerned man running towards her not returning her smile.

“What are you doing here?” Jonghun stared at Suzy who was sprawled on the concrete floor in a somewhat nostalgic manner. It was like that night when he had also almost ran her over after she stormed away from the party in a fit of anger & after they had made up they both had gone ice skating where he had proposed to her to be his girlfriend for a month.

“It’s ironic how it is happening again a day before she leaves me.” Jonghun didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at that revelation. He saw the same expression on Suzy’s pretty face & sighed inwardly. She knew it too. “I was just.. just walking around..” Suzy answered when Jonghun repeated his question. “Walking around? A day before you’re leaving for London?” Jonghun raised his brows incredulously. “I needed to clear my head and I thought..” Suzy’s voice trailed off as her eyes fell back onto the concrete road.

“You thought you’d take a walk on the other side of town?” Jonghun held out his hand & Suzy took it gingerly. “Yes.. I was just in the area.” Suzy didn’t meet Jonghun’s gaze. He knew that she had come to see him but she wasn’t admitting it straight out. “You’re hurt.” Jonghun pointed at the scrapes on Suzy’s knee. She had fallen so hard that the material of her dress had torn through, exposing the raw red painful looking scrapes.

“It’s nothing. Just scratches.” Suzy winced as she spotted her own wounds. “I’ve got a first aid kit in my car.” Jonghun ran to the Mercedes. “I know..” Suzy answered softly. Within minutes Suzy’s scrapes had been disinfected & dressed by Jonghun. “Thank you.” She told him quietly. “You’re welcome.” Jonghun’s hand lingered upon her own for a moment longer than it needed to. “So do you need a lift home?” Jonghun said after a long awkward pause between the couple.

Suzy shook her head. “I’m fine. I will take the next bus back home.” She answered her eyes focusing into the distance. “Are you kidding me? In this state you’re going to take the bus back home? You can’t even walk properly.” Jonghun scoffed. “Well you’re right but.. I..” Suzy protested but Jonghun stopped her. “It’s only a lift back home. I’m not asking you to marry me.” He laughed & then stopped realising what he had just said. Suzy met his eyes slightly horrified. They had just gone into a No-Go zone.

“I’m sorry I shouldn’t have said that..” Jonghun hung his head apparently ashamed. “No don’t say that Jonghun.. You didn’t.. you didn’t say anything wrong.” Suzy smiled at him uncertainly. “Let’s go..” she told him gently when he still looked embarrassed. He took hold of her arm gently & led her to the Mercedes. Suzy whimpered almost inaudibly as she walked to the car. The scrapes on her knees were making it almost impossible to walk straight.

Realising that she was having immense difficulty in moving Jonghun swiftly lifted Suzy up into his arms without a word. Suzy’s gaze locked onto Jonghun’s for one long moment but she didn’t protest. It felt good to be in his arms even if it was just for a fleeting moment. Taking deliberate very slow very deliberate steps Jonghun moved towards the car his eyes still on Suzy’s profile. When they reached the car he set her down gently.

“Jonghun you don’t have to..” Suzy started protesting when he opened the car door for her but he wouldn’t listen to her. Suzy sighed in resignation & started to get in when Jonghun grabbed her. She felt her back pressing against the hard metal of the open car door & before Suzy realised it Jonghun’s lips were upon hers drowning them both into a deep delicious kiss. Her hands instantly shot up to Jonghun’s hair as Suzy pulled him closer to deepen the kiss, her eyes closed blissfully at the feeling of his lips crushing her own. She felt Jonghun’s arms snaking around her waist as he lifted her up slightly crushing her to his chest. His warm hard chest that she had grown accustomed to.

“Mmmm..” Suzy sighed deeply. A tiny part of her brain however screamed at her, screamed at her that what she was doing with Jonghun was not right. She was leaving for London the next day yet she was standing there kissing him like there was no tomorrow. “Stop..” Suzy put her hand on Jonghun’s chest & pushed him away. He blinked at her as he pulled back his lips swollen from the hard kiss.

“I’m sorry.. I shouldn’t have done that..” he rubbed his neck apologetically. “It’s okay. Let’s just go.” Suzy quickly got into the car before they both lost control again. “She came all the way across town to see me.” Jonghun smiled to himself as he took the familiar path to Suzy’s apartment. She might have been injured & Jonghun honestly was worried for Suzy but a large part of him was practically bursting with happiness. She had come to see him.

“What are you smiling at?” Suzy’s question made Jonghun realise that he had been grinning like an idiot. “Nothing.” He shook his head. Suzy shot him one curious glance before she looked away. Fifteen minutes later Jonghun pulled up in front of the apartment complex. He stared at Suzy who refused to meet his gaze. “Thank you Jonghun. I will be going now.” She finally turned to smile at him sadly. His heart sinking Jonghun nodded & undid his safety belt to get out of the car when Suzy stopped him.

“No. I can let myself out.” Suzy shook her head. However Jonghun refused to listen to her request. She was in no state to walk properly thanks to her scrapes. “Let me just help you out. One final time.” He told her firmly so she no choice but to agree. Suzy leaned against him as the couple walked towards the lift. When they reached the lift they found an elderly woman waiting outside. She shot them one look & turned away her nose turned up disapprovingly.

“Do you want me to walk you up to your home?” Jonghun asked hopefully. Suzy smiled. “My father will kill you.” She answered. “Well there’s that..” Jonghun’s face fell. “I’ll be fine babo.” Suzy told him gently. “This the first time you called me babo tonight. It feels good.” Jonghun . The pinging of the lift indicated that it had arrived at the lobby & Suzy gently untangled herself from Jonghun’s warm grasp. He on the other hand refused to let her go.

“Jonghun?” Suzy turned to him her gaze questioning. “I love you.” He told her softly leaning forward so that their noses touched. Suzy saw his dark eyes glow like embers & felt her lower lip trembling. She was going to cry & she didn’t want to cry in front of Jonghun. “I love you too.” She replied an errant tear escaping her eye. “Are you kids done romancing? Are you planning to go up or not?” the gravelly loud voice of the elderly woman interrupted the couple’s emotional moment.

“I’m sorry halmoni. Just a minute.” Suzy apologised to the older woman sincerely. “Bye babo.” She ruffled his hair & hobbled into the lift. She saw Jonghun’s handsome depressed face disappear from sight when he suddenly lunged forward & stopped the lift door from closing with his foot. “What the hell?! Young man.. what do you think you are doing?” The old woman raised her fist at him. “I’m sorry halmoni. I just need a minute.” Jonghun gave her a deep bow.

Ignoring the old woman’s mutterings Jonghun entered the lift & walked up to a surprised Suzy. “I wanted to give you this.” He put a small box into her hands. Suzy was about to open it when he stopped her. “No.. Don’t open it here. Open it when you’re in London & feel lonely.” He told her mysteriously. Suzy nodded mutely still surprised.

“Take care Bae Potato.” He bent down & kissed her softly. Suzy opened her eyes a moment later & he was gone. “Crazy kids nowadays..” the old woman scoffed as Suzy pressed the 7^th floor button on the lift, a sad smile on her pretty face.

“Honey are you okay? How did you end up with such bad scrapes? Didn’t you watch where you were going?” Mrs Bae asked Suzy while changing the bandage on her scraped knees. “I just had a bad fall Omma. I’m fine.” Suzy cradled the little box in her hands. “You went to see him didn’t you?” Mrs Bae asked her voice barely a whisper. Suzy looked at her mother & found sympathy in her eyes.

“I won’t tell your father don’t worry. He didn’t see Jonghun dropping you off outside our apartment complex. I think you deserved this chance to meet him.” Mrs Bae patted her daughter’s head & strode out of the bedroom before Suzy could get a word in. “People keep surprising me tonight.” Suzy shook her head. Taking the box Jonghun had handed her into her hands Suzy popped open the lid. She couldn’t wait till she was lonely in London to open that box.

There was something nestled in between the sheets of translucent white wrapping paper. It was a Polaroid. It was their first ever Polaroid when they had gone to the funfair together. Both her & Jonghun had their faces painted with bright clownish makeup. He was sulking & she was grinning. It had been their first outing together as friends & despite being polar opposites of each other they had the time of their lives.

Suzy flipped over the Polaroid to find Jonghun’s familiar scribble. ‘I’ll always remember you.’ Were the four simple words written by Jonghun. Unable to hold back her tears any longer Suzy let out a soft sob, the wetness from her cheeks trickling down & falling upon the photograph of her & Jonghun. “I’ll always remember you too.” She told the photograph her fingers landing on Jonghun’s pouty handsome face.

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Author's Note : I apologise for the delay in my update guys. I just lost my grandfather on Jan 10 so I couldn't update this story for quite a while. I hope you guys understand. Thank you to all the new subscribers & those who didn't give up on my story while waiting. I hope this chapter was good! Comments & suggestions are welcome. :)