TWO YEARS LATER

I was sitting alone in my room, eyes closed as I listened to my favourite song for the umpteenth time since these past two years. It brought back a rush of memories, nostalgia that sent a sweet longing ache to bloom in my chest.

The sun was shining down at me merrily from the open window, throwing light onto the various things I had scattered in my room. It fell upon a photo frame that stood neatly by my bed, where, inserted behind the glass, was my most treasured photo of myself and the person I loved for the longest time. I smiled at the photo, at his handsome face and smile that struck the strings of my heart, and began to write.

To:

How have you been? I’ve missed you ever since you’ve left (I can’t believe it’s been a whole year ever since you got that offer!), and I hope you’ll keep to that promise that we’ll see each other soon. You better, or else, I will personally kill you.

I hope things aren’t too tough at the company. I know how strict the training regimen is, but please, no matter what, don’t give up. I know how much you’ve wanted this (I’ve listened to you talk about it day and night!), and I can’t bear to see you take a step back and regret it. I’ve read your letters; I know you’re close to breaking. But believe me, as someone who’s known you for years, I know you won’t forgive yourself if you do it. 

On the good note, I’m glad that you have a friend with you there. It’ll ease the burden. I know the chances of the two of you debuting together are extremely slim, but who knows, fate has a strange way with things; just look at what happened to you and me.

He still can’t get over me. He tries not to show it, but it pains me to see that look in his eyes, that repressed plead for me to come back. I know I had hurt him –very painfully –and I regret it every single day. I’d do anything to make him happy, but I couldn’t fulfil that one wish of his. It’s true what they say: you can’t please everyone in the world. But you can’t blame me for feeling horrible for the ones that I hurt.

I don’t know what I should do. Should I get close to him or distance myself altogether? I don’t want to encourage his hopes by continuing to be by his side, but I don’t want to crush him either by outright abandoning him.

I’m so confused. Please write back.

Forever yours,

Yoora

PS: Can we please use e-mail? This is getting increasingly tiresome, not to mention old fashioned.

I smiled as I read it. My eyes scanned the words on the page, words that I had racked my brain for days to write. I sighed when I reached the paragraph about him. It still hurt me –tormented me –to see him staring at me like a lost puppy. It killed me to see those wavering eyes –eyes that I once thought to be beautiful when I first saw them –lose so much light ever since the past few years, darkening and dimming from any trace of hope.

I still tried to talk to him, to convince him that I wasn’t the one for him; that he would find someone else worthy of his attention. But still I found him gazing at me with the utmost longing in his eyes, rendering me in helpless guilt.

I had no idea how he was going to reply once he read my letter –the first letter from the hundreds I’ve sent him –that bespoke of him. Would he be angry and upset? I doubted that. He wasn’t the type to react like that; I should know because I’d known him for years.

I smiled as memories flooded my head. Memories of me and him. Memories that, if it could be described by taste, would be as sweet as honey.

I picked up my pen and filled the blank on the top of the page with his name.

SIX MONTHS LATER

To: My love

I met and talked to him today. We had a nice day out (not a date, don’t worry) and he told me that he had finally come into acceptance with reality. He says he doesn’t hold any grudges on me, and neither did he hold any regrets for everything that had happened. But he does promise to make an effort to forget me, to live his life as he once did. He only wanted me to promise one thing, and that was for us to continue our friendship.

I agreed of course. There is no one in this world who could take your place in my heart, but please understand that I’d grown a soft spot for him over the past years. I did, after all, use to like him.

I’m not done yet. He told me he finally got accepted as a trainee in your company, so it looks like you’ll be having another old friend there from now on. Please treat him well. He needs all the guidance he can get, and I give you my full trust to help him.

Are you really coming back this summer? There’s another cafe that opened across the street from the old arcade. The chocolate cake there is to die for.

Love,

Yoora.

PS: You’re never going to agree to that e-mail request, are you?

The first part of the epilogue is up :). A little preview of what happened over the years. The second one will be up in a few more days.

Can you guess to whom the letters were sent? ;)