'Why can't we just talk?' 

 

'Why do you care?' 

 

'Why are you being so annoying?' 

 

'Why are you still here?' 

 

'Dahye!' 

 

'What?!'  You felt your blood boil. 'What?! If you won't leave then stay and talk. Tell me what you have to say and then get out. Hurry up about it.' 

 

'Will you calm down?' 

 

You sat down on your bed and took a few deep breaths. Once you had composed yourself, you turned to Yukwon.

 

'So what is it?' 

 

'I... I don't know where to start-' 

 

'Hurry up! I haven't got all night!' 

 

'Stop yelling at me! Jesus, it's so hard just to talk to you!' 

 

'Is that why you left me for Jiwon then?!' 

 

Yukwon fell silent. 

 

'Dahye, I'm sorry about that.' 

 

You scoffed. 'I wasn't that upset about it, don't flatter yourself' 

 

Yukwon chuckled to himself. Stubborn since the day she was born.

 

'Can I explain myself to you then?' 

 

'I'm all ears' 

 

'You already know about Jiwon being Jieun' 

 

'I was mind-ed to the max but I'm getting my head around it slowly. Why?' 

 

'Promise me not to interrupt whilst I tell you this. Even when you have something you desperately want to say, let me finish' 

 

You nodded. Your anger had passed and now you were interested to hear what he had to say. 

 

'My dad's an employee at a company and his boss happens to be Jiwon's father. Towards the end of our final year of school, my dad came home one night really drunk and all he could say to me was 'sorry'. My mom didn't want me to see him in that state so they talked to each other privately and my mom came back out crying. I didn't know what was going on but it turns out my father had been fired.' 

 

You opened your mouth to say something and Yukwon glared at you.

 

'I know what you're going to say. 'Why?' Right? Well for a few months, Jiwon's dad had been threatening him with redundancy if I didn't agree to date Jiwon.' 

 

You coughed. What?!

 

'Dahye. Let me finish.' 

 

You nodded.

 

'My dad's boss said that if I dated Jiwon, he would get his job back. Appa's old so he would never get another job and eomma would never be able to support all of us with just her income so we were stuck. My dad cried a lot and begged me to agree. I really hated him at that time for trying to break us up, Dahye.'

 

Yukwon sighed, turned away from  you and closed his eyes.

 

'Eventually I agreed.' 

 

He opened them again.

 

'I had no idea what to do. I was stuck between choosing my own happiness over my family's. Mom was ill and I knew we wouldn't be able to pay the bills if dad didn't get work fast. Dahye, I'm so sorry I did it. I decided to make you hate me so you'd forget about me. I wanted you to hate me so much that you wouldn't try and find me again. Jiwon's father told me to break it off suddenly with you so you wouldn't want anything to do with me.' 

 

Yukwon didn't turn around. He lowered his head, ashamed of what he had done. 

 

'The day of your birthday, I went to the university and withdrew my place. I also had all my bags packed and taken off to Daegu.'

 

He heard you breathe the word 'Daegu'. 

 

'Yeah, the company was expanding across Korea and Daegu was where my father was placed. His position in Seoul had been taken up so that was all there was left. I started a course at a university in Daegu with Jiwon but I hated it. It just wasn't the same without you there. I only had Jiwon and my relationship with my parents had gone to bits.' 

 

Yukwon smiled to himself.

 

'So I ran away. I took my things and decided I wanted to go back to Seoul and start again. It was crazy and selfish but I thought that if I found myself in the fashion industry, I'd someday meet you again. It was stupid of me but I guess I had some crazy thought that you'd still take me back. At that time, I had met Peter whilst working as a cleaner for the magazine's office and he had me become Fashion Editor. I actually based my styling on you, you know. I kept everything demure since I thought that that way, it would be more likely to meet you again. Everything seemed to be going well but I had run away from Jiwon and of course, she wasn't happy. She found me and told me my dad had been fired again and my mom wasn't getting better. I felt so guilty.' 

 

'So what did you do?' you whispered, half hoping Yukwon wouldn't hear you since you weren't supposed to speak. 

 

'I took a train back to Daegu and told Jiwon that I'd get her a job in Seoul with me when she finished studying if my dad was given his job back. Her father said yes to that and well that's it. That's why Jiwon became an intern in the PR department. I thought I'd be able to take it but she came back looking completely different. Girls are the most beautiful when they're natural. Her parents gave her those features and I couldn't understand why she'd want to change them. I asked her and she said it was because she was insecure. She wanted to be the perfect girl for me. She's annoying and manipulative and I hate her for causing this mess but I pity her too... Because she knows I'll never love her as much as I love you. Because I still do and I always will. I love you.' 

 

You froze. Your heart stopped working. You began to cry.

 

'And Dahye, you won't believe how awful I feel. I read the letters... I'm so sorry. I had no idea. I-I... I always thought we'd get back together and be happy but after reading that, I'm not suprised you hate me. I was being stupid thinking you'd forgive me for everything. God, I'm an idiot. I hurt you so much and I never realised. A part of me wants you to take me back and the other part of me wants you to kick me and punch me till I die.' 

 

Yukwon also began crying.

 

'I'd deserve everything.' 

 

When you heard his voice crack, your eyes shot up in concern. His body was hunched over and he looked so small and frail. You slowly stood up and took slow steps towards him. 

 

You battled your inner wits.

 

Don't take him back.

 

You love him and he loves you.

 

He hurt you and left you for 3 years.

 

He did it for his family.

 

You stopped when you were right behind him and stretched your arms out wide, encasing him in a back hug. Yukwon flinched and stood dead still in shock. He could feel his back getting wet as you resting your head against it, tears soaking into his t-shirt.

 

'Dahye...' he said softly, unable to comprehend the situation

 

'It's true that I went crazy when you left. I stopped eating. I couldn't sleep. I wanted to die... But I had friends there for me so I never suffered alone.' 

 

You swallowed the lump that was starting to form in your throat.

 

'You had no one. Don't be so sorry towards me when you suffered just as much.' 

 

Yukwon couldn't believe what he was hearing. 

 

'Knowing now that you don't love Jiwon and that you didn't leave me willingly... It's enough for me.'

 

Yukwon turned around as you lowered your arms. He looked down at you.

 

'To do what?'

 

'To do this' 

 

You wrapped your arms around Yukwon's neck and placed your lips on his. You felt him shudder as he cried harder in disbelief and you held him closer. You were kissing him after 3 years of torture. You had forgiven him after everything he had done. Every emotion flowed out and soon Yukwon realised that you too were crying. He gently wiped away the salty tears that were pouring down your face, smiling into the kiss. Pulling away for a breath, you both looked at each other.

 

'What are we going to do about Jiwon?' you asked cautiously

 

'Don't say her name. She's nothing compared to you.' He paused and hugged you tighter. 'I can't believe I've got you back. I'll never let you go again.' 

 

Yukwon cupped your cheeks and kissed you once more, taking his time to savour this sweet moment, entwining his fingers with yours. He had waited 3 years and he wasn't prepared to lose you a second time.