DONGWOON’S POV

I slowly closed the door, not wanting to wake the others up. I almost jumped when the lights suddenly .

“Ah, hyung, you scared me,” I said when I saw Doojoon hyung coming from the kitchen.

“Are you alright now?” he asked.

“I-I think so,” I answered without looking at him.

“Do you really think I’d believe that?” he asked me, eyeing me suspiciously.

****************

“Oh,” was all he could say after I told him what just happened.

I drank my water as I looked down on the floor.

“Why did you do that?” he finally asked.

“Ye?”

“Why did you not tell her how you really felt?” he asked.

“I.. She… She said she was already happy,” I answered.

“Dongwoon-ah. Happy people don’t go around telling other people they’re happy,” he answered. “Did she look happy?”

“I… I don’t know.”

Doojoon hyung sighed. “The fact that you’re not sure about it…”

“Then what should I do, hyung?” I asked. “I don’t know anymore.”

“That’s why you should’ve told her everything when you had the chance. Even if it led to, well, rejection, it’s better than dwelling on the thoughts of what could have happened.”

“But I didn’t do it,” I sighed.

“Nobody said you can’t try,” he smiled.

I looked up to him. “What do you mean?”

“Aigoo, this kid. Should you really be clueless all the time? That’s why you’re a king who never found love. Because kings just sit and watch. Soldiers, on the other hand, fight for it. Death may be an outcome, but stopping midway, running back and not using every chance to fight is never an option. So which would you want to be?” he asked. Getting no response from me, he chuckled. “Jalja, Dongwoon-ah,” he said as he stood up and walked towards his room. “Don’t forget to turn off the lights.”

“Ne,” I answered quietly. The king… or the soldier.

I immediately grabbed my coat. Soldiers don’t waste time.

NO ONE’S POV

Doojoon heard the door open and close. He went back and saw the now-empty living room. “Aish, this kid. I told him to turn the lights off,” he said and smiled.

Dongwoon went back to the river, deciding he’ll start tracing her way from there. She must have gone home but a part of him tells him she hasn’t yet. He kept on pedaling, hoping he might still see her somewhere. I must see her was the thought that kept on running in his mind.

After some time, he went to a full stop. From now on, I should start trusting my instincts… my heart.

She rocked herself back and forth, leaning her head on the chain of the swing. She didn’t want to go home yet. She felt so suffocated in her room, like it’s telling her she should feel nothing but pain. And oddly, this place made her breathe. That place held no special memories. But it made her feel free. It was a playground. The place where children play carelessly, indulging in whatever it is that makes them happy. Even if they stumble at some rocks and cry, they’d find themselves playing and laughing again in no time. Children are lucky. They live in the bliss of innocence. Where all they do is what makes them happy yet it won’t be held against them. Because they’re children, she thought. If I was given the chance right now to indulge in that something that will make me happy, will I still hesitate?

Her chain of thoughts got cut when she heard something fall. She lifted her gaze and saw someone slowly approach her. She slowly stood, her eyes not believing what she is seeing. Rather, who she is seeing.

“Dongwoon-ssi,” she uttered.

Dongwoon now started to run towards her.

Her heart was now racing fast but she felt it stop when Dongwoon finally held her in his arms.

“Mianhae. Mianhae ________-ah,” Dongwoon said as he buried his face in in her hair and held her tighter.

“D-Dongwoon…”

“Let me be selfish just this once and fight for what makes me happy. Truth is, ever since I lost you, I’ve never been perfectly happy. I know I had an empty spot in me. A spot I know only you could fill in,” he said, now tearing up. He parted from her and held her face in his hands as he looked at her now-teary eyes. “I wanted to stay away because you told me you were happy. I wanted to be happy, too. But I just can’t, without you. I know it’s selfish but… please stay by my side again. Things haven’t been easy. And it won’t get any easier. But if you’re there, I’ll endure happily. So please, take me back.”

Her tears started to flow but Dongwoon immediately wiped them dry. She felt her heart flutter as she heard Dongwoon’s words. “What… what took you so long?” she cried and buried her face in Dongwoon’s chest. “Pabo.”

Dongwoon hugged her tightly again as he smiled. “Mianhae. I didn’t know you were still waiting for me. Jeongmal mianhae. But thank you for waiting for me this long.”

“Aniyo. Komawo, Dongwoon. Thank you for coming back.”

Dongwoon: Instead of being a king who keeps on flinching as watches his men get wounded in the fight, I became a soldier who fights, making sure victory will be claimed in the end. I realized it doesn’t take much to be a soldier. I just had to be a man. I fought. I won. And I’m happy.. which is the only thing that matters.

You: So in the end, he still chased after me, like what he always did. In the game of tag, one must run as fast as she can to avoid being ‘it’. If we were in that game right now, I would have lost. But even if I was, I’m happy because I knew he was indeed chasing after me, and not just watching me go. If losing in a child’s game would make me this happy and end up in his embrace, then I’ll never get sick of losing. Right now, I got caught. I lost. But I’m happy.. which is the only thing that matters.

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[A/N] Finally. Hahahaha! I hope I was able to make it up to you, guys. I'm sorry if it's a little bit later than promised. Well, I always break my promises when it comes to updates. -___- Not that I intentionally do it though. Either I'm busy at school and fangirling or I forgot. LOL. What am I doing here, blabbering nonsense. Goodbye!

PS: I'm forgiven, right? For breaking your hearts? ㅋㅋㅋ