"W..what do you mean?" She stuttered, looking away. "We have properly parted back in Bali." She could still feel his breath on her jaws.
 

She then promptly pushed him away from her. She was sure that if they had stayed in their position for any longer, she may just cave in and deviate from her standpoint.
 

"I didn't say yes." Yoochun simply replied, scratching the back of his head even when it doesn’t itch. He just wanted to do something in order to cover up the awkward hands that he had held Didi’s arm with seconds ago.
 

"But you didn't say no either." She mumbled under her breath. “And silence means consent.”
 

Yoochun ruffled his hair before walking a few steps nearer, leaning his head on her shoulders. "Look, if you want some time away from our relationship, i'm fine with it. But, don't do something so cruel as to break up without hearing what i have to say. I need some time to sort out my feelings too. I am a human with emotions too."
 

"Knowing nothing will come out of our relationship, isn't it better for us to put a stop to it early? At least the pain is lessen." She replied.
 

It pained her to be even saying that out, but that was the only way to protect. To protect his freedom and scarred childhood memories, to protect her heart from falling and hurting any further.
 

"It's too late. I've fallen too much." He replied, his fist clenched up.
 

"No you haven't." She mumbled. "You're still thinking about you and yourself."
 

Yoochun pulled back, speechless for he knew that she was spot on. He ruffled his hair once more. "Look, i admit i am still having that mindset. But i have been living this way for the past... i don't know, 15 years? It's impossible to change at the snap of my fingers."
 

"I know." She replied, solemn. "And don't worry. You can continue living that way for your entire lifetime."
 

"No, i..."
 

"Yoochun. I'm really tired ok? You know i don't like grey areas. Everything is either black and white for me. If it doesn't work out, then we should let it go. I’m going to let go, so should you." She said, pushing the stunned Yoochun away.
 

She only managed to walk two steps away before she got rudely pulled back once again. It was getting all so repetitive that she was feeling irritated already. "Yoochun, which part of my speech did you not understand?" She sighed, "Let go."
 

"I won't." He said, his teeth clenched up so tightly that it was starting to hurt. He could have sworn that his teeth were going to crack anytime soon if he were to continue doing that.
 

"Don't be stubborn..." She said, barely a whisper.
 

"You slipped away from me twice! There's no way i'm allowing you to walk away from me the third time!" He shouted, his grip on her wrist so tight that the blood circulation in her hand was partially cut off.
 

"Was it even my fault to begin with?" She retorted, ignoring the pulsing pain in her wrist. "You were the one who pushed me away, yet i always told you where i supposedly 'slipped away' to according to your lingo!"
 

Yoochun was at a loss for words.
 

"Yoochun... sometimes i wonder if it is even a good for us to start our relationship in the first place. We don't share the same mindset. We even bicker a lot..." She hiccupped in between the tears that were slowly falling down her cheeks. The tears that she had sworn to lock up at the utmost corner of her heart.
 

"But you still love me despite our differences, don't you?" He whispered softly, his grip loosening, his irrationality disappearing seeing her tears. His voice filled with regret.
 

Hurting her was the last thing he would ever think of inflicting on her, but yet he had constantly hurt her without himself knowing. He cursed at himself in his mind, at how much of a jerk he is.
 

"I do." She admitted. "And because i love you, i don't want you to lose the wings you have, the freedom you want."
 

"But..." He looked up from his thoughts.
 

"I'm sure you have heard by now, who my birth father is." She asked, looking at him through her watery eyes.
 

He nodded.
 

"He has been living well on his own. He has the freedom he wants. He is happy with his life." She narrated, lowering her eyes to meet the ground.
 

"Sometimes i wonder, if my dad and mum did end up marrying back then, will he be as happy as he is now. Maybe they will be unhappy, constantly quarrelling and fighting with each other, or go down the divorce route again... and hurt even more people..." She muttered, stumbling over some words as she spoke.
 

"Didi, listen to me..." He said, unexpectedly wanting to refute her words.
 

"No, you listen to me." She said. "I don't want us to end up that way either, so let us part here with the good memories that we have created with each other." With that, she looked at him in his eyes, forcing a smile.
 

"Are you done with your words?" Yoochun asked, lifting his hand to wipe the tears away from her eyes.
 

She nodded, her shoulders slightly trembling due to her trying to repress her emotions.
 

"It's my turn to speak, right?" He asked again for confirmation.
 

She nodded again, looking away. She wasn’t confident enough to speak coherently at that moment.
 

"Didi..." He whispered, moving her chin so that she was now facing him again. "Thank you."
 

Didi looked at him dumbfounded. ‘What?’
 

"I don't want to say sorry anymore." He explained, "I am not sorry for falling in love with you. Neither am i sorry for making you fall in love with me. Meeting you, falling in love with you has been the best thing that has happened in my life."
 

With a smile, he continued, "Didi, thank you for opening my eyes. I've always thought that i'll be better off living my life as a bachelor. I've always thought that i can manage my life on my own..."
 

"... But that isn't the case anymore. I can't wake up on time without you, i get sick more frequently due to the poor air ventilation and air con..." He looked away embarrassed, continuing his ramblings, "You know, about my habit of closing the windows and switching on the aircon while sleeping without my top on... even when i slept covered with a blanket..."
 

"Which you always kicked away during the middle of the night." She couldn’t help but mumble under her breath.
 

"Yes." He faked a cough, looking away. "And my gastric pain is coming back because i've been skipping my meals more frequently..."
 

"Kang must have surely reminded you about your meals." She retorted.
 

"He's still upset with me for self destructing at the expense of his marriage life." He replied, giving her a glance to indicate that she should let him speak without interruption.
 

"I miss our bickerings.” He continued, “I constantly find myself dreading to go back to the empty house, and even when i am in it, i somehow ended up wandering to your room."
 

Didi was about to reply that he should perhaps get a maid instead since it seemed that everything he mentioned felt so much like maid duties, but she held that comment back.
 

"And about Uncle Gong and your mother. It's true that they may have ended up on the bad route, but for all we know, they may have had lived happily in harmony? We'll never know if we don't try." He reasoned.
 

"Ever since you left, it seems like a part of me has gone missing..." He continued, "I didn't know what, but it became more apparent whenever i see you so happy hanging out with Jaejoong." He sighed, covering his face before huffing a puff of regret, "You were always by my side, so i guess i've taken your presence for granted."
 

Holding her hands in his, he said in an earnest, sincere voice. "I love you Didi, i can no longer live without you by my side. Please come back to me."
 

Didi was certainly touched, but she was still having doubts.
 

"Yoochun, it's not me that you want. It's just that you can't stand loneliness. 'Us' is just a habit that you can ease out of with time. This space beside you... can be replaced."
 

Yoochun looked at her with a determined look. "No, Didi. I've never been as sure as this. This empty space beside me can only be taken by you. It is exclusively for you. You're irreplaceable."
 

"But..." She stuttered. It was obvious that she was already wavering about her stand by then. She was holding herself back from glomping right at him. She had to be rational.
 

Sure, she still love Yoochun very, no, extremely much, but what good will it do if the same situation will arise over and over again as long as the problem is not solved? It’s a fact that the both of them were still not able to agree on their viewpoint on marriage.
 

"Marriage?" He questioned, noticing her concern from her eyes. She nodded. "To be completely honest, i still find it hard to digest."
 

Didi should snap back at this time. She had lots to retort to, she could make use of this chance to push him away and walk away with the reason that he wasn't up for marriage, but she still stood silently in front of him. She wanted to hear what he had to say. She wanted to understand him.
 

He was willing to bare his heart to her, he deserves the chance to explain.
 

"But you know what?" He continued speaking, "I've been thinking about this since you left. The thought about you not by my side anymore is more frightening than my phobia for marriage."
 

"So... what does that mean..?" She asked. She was curious, so curious. It seems like he was referring to what she thought it was, but she didn’t want to have high hopes. ‘The higher you hope, the deeper you fall.’
 

"It's just like what i've said." He said with a smile on his face which reflects that the heavy weight on his heart has been lifted. Not entirely, but mostly. It was as if he could breathe more easily.
 

"You don't have to force yourself if you don't want to..." She spoke, although she is very happy about what he had just said, judging by the small upward lifting muscle at the side of her lips.
 

"Let me just do this for love. Our love." He declared, pulling her hands into his as he placed her hands onto his chest.
 

Didi neither agree, nor did she reject. 'Isn't this change too fast? What if he changes his mind again tomorrow or something?' She thought.
 

"Of course, it's unbelievable if i suddenly tell you that i am all for marriage. It is going to be unbelievable to me as well." He admitted.
 

Didi bit her lower lips. 'Screw telepathy.'
 

"Trust me. One day, when i am ready for marriage, i will definitely pop the question. Until that day comes, can you continue to be by my side?"
 

"I..." Didi stuttered, undecided. 'Should i trust him?'
 

Hearing no reply from him, he spoke with his head lowered, "It's only natural that your trust in me is gone after all that had happened." 
 

"I won't give up though." He added, giving her a determined smile.

She bit back on the smile that was threatening to escape from . 'His smile shoud be declared illegal.' However, her smile quickly faded away upon recalling about something else.

“I... I’m flying off to Paris next month, and i’m not sure when i will be back...” She mumbled. Looking up with an unsure expression, she told him in her softest voice, “I won’t be able to do the things you have mentioned earlier on. I won’t be able to stay by your side, to take care of you...”
 

“So?” He asked, tilting his head to his side.
 

“It won’t work out after all...” She mumbled, stating what she thought was the obvious.
 

“Silly girl.” He said, knocking his head on hers. “Haven’t i told you before, that there’s always the internet?”
 

“But you were asking for me to stay by your side...”
 

“Knowing that you’re mine, that will be enough. I love you, and i have complete trust in you.” He leaned in nearer to her, placing his chin on her shoulder. “Besides, i can always fly over there to visit you if you miss me.” He said, stepping back with a sly grin on his face.

Didi couldn’t help but to let out an amused scoff. “I wonder who is going to miss the other more...”

“So... any other issues that you want to bring up?” He whispered by her ear, their distance gradually getting too close for comfort.
 

"I..." Didi stuttered. She was at a loss for words, breath even, due to their closeness.
 

"Hmm?" He hummed, placing his forehead onto hers while his arms were wrapped around her body tightly. 
 

"I don't want to be a bride only at the ripe old age of 90 years old..." She muttered with a tinge of pink on her cheeks.
 

Confusion spreaded all over his face. When he had finally figured out what she meant, a cheeky but relieved grin instantly replaced the confusion.
 

"Don't worry, i'm sure that it won't take that long." He grinned, before inching nearer and softly pressing his lips on her cheeks.

A/N (JY):
NOW you know why this story is called "The Empty Space for You" :P