▬ Final Chapter: My Last Promise ▬

“Oppa, let’s go to the beach next!” She shrieked as her warm hands slipped through mine and dragged me towards the shore. She let go of my hand as she began to run away from me. “Catch me if you can oppa~!” I laughed at her childishness and began to chase her.

Yah! Just you wait-!

“Ooh! It’s so cute~ Oppa, can you buy me this?” Her eyes glimmered under the sun's light. I smiled at her and ruffled her light-brown hair. “Hey! It took me a while to do my hair today and you just mess it up?!”

Heh. Sorry ‘bout that. Also, I will always buy anything for you.

“Y-Yesung o-oppa,” she said as she turned around with tears flowing from her eyes. She was crying under the Grandfather tree near the park where we first met. A pang of guilt entered my heart as I saw her quivering under the shadows of the thick branches, which covered her fragile body.

I-I can explain!

“Please. Tell me it’s not true…” her voice was gradually getting louder along with her sobs. She inched towards my direction and as she was in front of me, she began to throw her small fists to my chest, pounding it with all her might. Her blows slowly decreased in strength but seeing her despair increased my pain. My arms instinctively wrapped around her but before I could, she stepped back, with a frightened look on her face.

“Sooyoung, listen to me for a minute…”

“No, I can’t take this anymore. I can’t see you any longer. Goodbye, o-oppa.” She turned around and began to run towards the other side of the street.

“Sooyoung-ah… Sooyoung-ah!”

Beep! Beep! Beep!

I was awoken by the alarm clock’s annoying sound. I groaned as I flipped myself to face the ceiling, stretching my limbs along the process. Carefully opening my eyes, I realized that I was inside an extravagant hotel room. I felt something beside me move, or more like someone, as I felt a pair of arms circle my waist. I looked over to where they came from and noticed her smiling at me.

Not again.

“Good morning~♪”

I flashed her a smile and replied, “Well good morning to you too. Welp, thanks for the fun. I’m leaving.” I got out of bed and began to dress myself.

“But, you said you loved me last night! Hey!”

I shrugged and faced her for the last time, smirking, “Under the influence, maybe?” With that, I left.

It’s been five years since that incident, Sooyoung- I never saw her again. I wanted to apologize to her during that time but that… if only it never occurred, the fight and what happened afterward.

Looking back to what happened in the past still gives me nightmares. Every night I dream of the same thing, the same exact words, images, and scenes. No matter how much I try to forget them, nothing works. I’ve tried going out of the place for vacation, sleeping with other women, but the image of her crying face that day still bounds me in chains.

It’s not that I want to forget her, heck, I was planning on proposing to her the next day. It’s just that… I want to move on in my life and find love again… if that ever happens.

I felt my pocket vibrate, which probably came from my pager. Instinctively, I took it out and my thumb automatically pressed the on-call button. “Calling all active and on duty police officers. There has been a robbery headed up north at 15th Avenue. The suspect is on a high chase on the highway and all nearby officers should stop this guy. Okay? Now move, move, MOVE!”

Geez, has he been eating high sugar doughnuts all day? I rubbed my ears as I got into my car. I was not motivated to follow this suspect freak but the only thing that drove me to it was because it might be him.

My parents and friends never understood why I even became a cop. They knew I hated cops ever since I was born so they were shocked when I told them that I wanted to be one.

Why?

All this happened because of the event that occurred five years ago…

“Yesung oppa, are you really going to marry her?” Minzy asked in an irritated tone.

“Yeah, why?” I answered as I took