ARA’S POV

     I was surprised when I saw him crying too…and it touched me. He held me as I cried and I felt comforted. I hadn’t really meant to say all that I’d said when I started out, but it just somehow slipped out of my mouth and I couldn’t stop it. And I knew it must have sounded to him like I wanted to break up, but that wasn’t it at all. I was just…afraid and I wanted to express all I felt to him so that he could understand. I didn’t want to break up, I just wanted to know that if at some point I couldn’t be strong enough, he would be there for me. And that was enough for me.

I nodded at he held me. “Ok…ok, Junsu. I’ll try. I’ll try harder. I think…I can do it too. I want to be with you more than anything. If you won’t give up on us then neither will I.”

With a finger under my chin, he tilted my face up. “I’ll never give up on us.”

Then he kissed me tenderly, our tears mingling without lips. I felt like that kiss could last forever—even after our lips parted—in our hearts. As a reminder of our love. Then we wiped the tears away and moved on.

     At the top of Bukaksan, we could see all of Seoul bathed in warm light from the setting sun. It was amazing! I had forgotten what it was like to be up there. Seeing everything spread out in front of me like that made my problems seem so much smaller. I felt Junsu squeeze my hand and I looked down to see his hand holding mine. I smiled. I was not alone and I never would be and that’s all I needed to worry about. He loved me and I knew that for sure now—nothing else mattered.

JUNSU’S POV

     With all of Seoul spread out before us and the sky set ablaze by the sunset, I knew I should’ve felt small and insignificant, but I didn’t. I felt like I was on top of the world. I squeezed Ara’s hand and held it as I smiled out at the view. I believe that that moment was real. That I was really there with her, holding her hand. I was worried about her, but that that moment, the worry had faded to the background. I knew I could be strong enough for her, as long as it meant she would stay with me. Because now that I had found her, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to survive without her. And even thought she knew it was going to be hard, she was willing to try.

     I turned to look at her, but she didn’t seem to notice. She was lost in her own thoughts. So I reached over to take her arm and turn her around to face me. She looked somewhat confused for a second, and then she gazed into my eyes and I found myself equally as lost in hers. There were no words I could think of to express the thoughts that I wanted her to know, but at the same time, I didn’t think words were needed. She wrapped her arms around my neck and grinned. I wrapped my hands around her waist as if by instinct…like we belonged that way. And I knew one thing for sure… We were meant to be. I leaned my head down to kiss her. It was a long and lovely kiss—longer than any of the ones before, that allowed thoughts to rush into my head. I couldn’t believe I had found someone like her. Couldn’t believe I felt the way I did about her. And it just kept getting better… I pulled out of the kiss and lifted my head. I had to catch my breath. She shifted closer to me and laid her head on my chest, so I rest my chin on the top of her head. I had been so surprised to see her that morning and now I didn’t want the day to end. I wished that I could have a million more like it, but I knew I would soon be busy again. So I savored every moment to remember later.

     By the time we got back down the mountain and were started home in my car, it was dark. I watched Seoul’s city lights pass by the car in a daze. The day had felt like a dream and I was afraid that if I went to bed and woke up, I would find that it had never really happened. I wasn’t ready for it to end yet. I got out of the car slowly and this time Ara let me get her door for her—I think she was stalling too. She gave me a goodbye kiss on the cheek, but I stopped her before she could walk away. I pulled her close and we touched foreheads. I didn’t care who saw and stared.

She grinned and gave me a peck on the lips. “I have to go. I have school in the morning.” Then she pulled away, and I didn’t leave that spot until I saw the light in her dorm flip on. And even then, I waited until it turned off, which meant she had gone to bed. I sighed and got in my car. Love is such a weird thing…