The smell of the sea filled Hyomin’s nostrils. She inhaled it, taking in its relaxing aroma, hoping it would help calm her within.

It wasn’t.

Not really.

Beside her, Henry was silent. His eyes were drawn to the sight of the waves coming close, but not quite close enough to reach the two of them. She knew he was deep in thought. They were both trapped in the prison of their minds, in fact. Ever since they had arrived in the beach, the same beach that was tied to a lot of good memories, they had not said much, at least not to each other. Even during the car ride, Hyomin had spent her time, quiet in the passenger’s seat, contemplating a lot of things. Henry did the same as he drove.

None had found the voice to speak up. Both were waiting for the right moment.

Hyomin sighed, hugging her knees closer to her chest. She could feel the softness of sand under the soles of her winter boots. The wind seemed close to knocking her to the side with its strong breeze, but she sat there like a rock, immovable. She buried her face in the space between her two knees, exhaling so that even a little part of her would be able to feel a bit of warm breath. This movement distracted her from feeling colder than she was already, but not for long. She shivered inside her coat.

As if on cue, Henry’s sidled up closer and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

This. This closeness was what she had been wanting the past hour, but she was too anxious to pursue it. She leaned her head on his shoulder, breathing in his fresh, clean scent.

“I don’t know what to do.” she found herself saying. The hopelessness in the way she said it was evident.

Henry’s tone was flat when he responded, “Neither do I.”

She carefully watched him in her periphery. They were mirroring each other’s misery.

Is this what running away is?

The movies were definitely lying

All they ever showed were happy couples, red-faced and reckless

Too in love for their own good

She thought those things and yet she could not help but yearn for what was in the movies.

Where was that in all of this?

She pictured it all in her mind and all she saw was how relationships like these never work out. Someone always ends up dead.

Too morbid, Hyomin

But she knew that it was not that far from the truth.

Almost always, the relationship ends up dying away into the abyss.

Did she really want to live like this?

She sat there, snuggled close to him and all she could think of was a life of secrecy, deception and lies. She would end up cheating on her friends, on her family, on herself. It was not a fair life. It was not right.

The veil was starting to fall and the fog was clearing up to pave the way for the bigger picture. She was beginning to see the not so lovely in their love story. What she thought was a paradigm of paradise was seeming like an illusion now. A hoax.

And this was just Heechul. Her brother. Just one person.

What if it becomes a battle between her and Henry’s fans? Would their love for him fall away just because hers stuck?

“I don’t think I can do this.”

This intonation frightened her, but it did not surprise her. It had to be said.

“What?”

His startled reaction shook her whole body.

 “Maybe it would be better if,”                       

Her voice trails off, unable to find the will to continue. Her lips quivered as the wind whipped her hair. The dark strands now covered her face from Henry’s view.

She took a long, deep breath, as if struggling to get the air inside her lungs.

“Maybe we should just end this.”

The words come out in a whisper, battling with the sound of the crash of the waves.

But it was clear enough.

Henry looked away into the distance. His thoughts wanted him to reproach her, but his mouth had other things to say.

“You’re right. M