It was a quiet, placid dawn. The sun was beginning to rise up upon the horizon, letting out shimmering rays of sunshine throughout the land. The flowers were starting their routine morning dance and the birds were quietly chirping a gentle tune. And there he was, sitting peacefully under the shade of the cherry blossom tree. His eyes were averted on the fragile polaroid picture of a girl, Jeon Hyosung. The edges of the photo were burnt and the picture was practically ashes, but he could still make out her flawless face. He let out a silent sigh and brought the photo to his chest, shutting his eyes. It had already been a year since she died in a house fire, yet it felt like the event had occurred just yesterday. He could feel a lump form in his throat. He remembered the dreadful night when he received company. Company that no one wants to recieve.  

"Hello, are you Kim Himchan?" An officer stated in a monotone voice. "Yes.. Is there a problem, officer? If it's about those traffic light tickets, I already paid th--" "No, It's not. Please, let us in, Himchan." He stepped away from the door, allowing the two officers to step inside. "Can I got you two some coffee?" Himchan asked. They both shook their heads. "Himchan, Do you know a girl named Jeon Hyosung?" He nodded, feeling a bit nervous. "Yes, she's my girlfriend. Why?" The officers looked out each other and they both sighed, giving Himchan a look of sympathy. "Well, about 20 minutes ago, her home caught on fire. And by the time firefighters arrived, the flames had grown too much for them to put of the fire..." Himchan's eyes widened, his voice was practically shaking, "I-Is H-Hyosung o-okay? P-Please tell me she's safe!" He begged, feeling his heart race. One of the officers removed his cap and looked down, "I'm sorry, Himchan. But when they finally were able to enter the house, it was too late. She was trapped in her bedroom." Himchan held his chest. He felt faint. He began to tremble. His thoughts rambled. 'This isn't happening. It's just a nightmare.' He told himself repeatedly. "N-No.. She isn't dead. She's not!" "Himchan, we're sorry for your loss. Someone will come down here in a little while to ask you some questions. " He just shook his head. "T-Thank you for your t-time, officers." As the officers headed out the door, one of them stopped and turned to Himchan, "Nothing survived in the fire, but they were able to recover this." He handed him a polaroid photo. It was torn, ripped, and burnt. "I know it's messed up, but she was your girlfriend. I knew this would mean a lot to you." Himchan took the photo and formed a slight yet sad smile when he looked at it. "Thanks." The officer saluted him and made his way out the door. 

The incident hit him like a rock. It all sunk in. She was gone. "Damn.." He muttered, wiping his eyes. He shifted his legs slightly and rested his back against the tree bark. He remembered it all. He remembered the regret the cut deep into his skin after her death. The regret of words. Words that he told Hyosung right before the fire. They had gotten into an argument over a blatantly idiotic thing and he yelled at her, telling her that he never wanted to see her again. He never expected that the last time he would ever see her is when her eyes were filled with tears as she sobbed quietly, begging him not to leave her under her breath. Still, to this day, the regret haunts him like a ghost. Following him wherever he goes. Yet, even with that one bad memory, he can't forget the good things. He glanced up and looked at the leaves of the cherry blossom tree flow through the wind. His lips formed into a small smile. The cool breeze reminded him of the day Hyosung and him shared their first kiss. It was a cold January night. They were standing right underneath that same tree. He stared into her eyes. Her hair was tousled down over her shoulders and her lips quivered into a sweet gummy smile. She was trembling from the cold and their seemed to be a slight twinkle in her eyes. The moment was quick yet perfect. Himchan leaned in and gave her a soft kiss. It wasn't too long, not too short. It was just right. 

Ah.. those memories were so refreshing to him. He couldn't help but have a giant smile plastered on his face. "Oh, Hyosung." He chuckled, looking at the photo. He traced his finger around her face and let out a content sigh. "If only I can take back those words. If only I could hold you in my arms and never let you out of my sight. If only I could tell you one last time that I love you more than anything. " He gulped and held back his tears. Everything he once planned to do with her could never occur. How he wanted to marry her, be the father of her children, grow old and fragile her. It was all gone. 

Himchan took a glimpse to his left and saw that a daisy had blossomed. "Hm.." He started, plucking the daisy from the grass, "You're beautiful, different, separated and unique." He soon let go of the daisy and watched it blow away with the wind. "And now you're gone, just like she is." He ran his fingers through his hair, staring at the rising sun. "Jeon Hyosung, I haven't forgotten about you, nor will I ever forget you." He stood up from the grass and dusted himself off, "I love you, Kim Hyosung." And as he began to linger away, he swore that he heard a voice in the wind,

"I love you too, Himchan."