Chapter Twenty-Four

The moment Ilwoo opened his eyes, Dara's face is the first thing he saw. She stared at him for seconds before a smile formed on her lips.

"Did I woke you up?" she asked as she sat at the edge of the bed.

That's when he realized that he's in an unfamiliar room. He closed his eyes for a brief seconds to further adjust his vision before fluttering them open and scanned the place on where he's currently at.

His eyes stopped on her figure and stare at her, still with that smile on her face.

"How are you feeling now?" she asked.

Using his arms, he helped himself up while still staring at her. Is he dreaming or is this just a pigment of his imagination?

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

He doesn't want the question to be uttered in a harsh manner but it seems like, he doesn't have the control of his own voice. Upon seeing the sudden change on her expression, he felt guilty, making him sigh and take a deep breath,

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to---"

"No, it's alright..." she once again, tried to smile.

"I really am sorry. Don't be sad. I was just confused on where am I and what am I doing here? What happened? Where are the others? Why am I here? Why are you here?" He asked in an instant, confused. The last thing he can remember was he's at the venue of where his wedding was supposed to happen. And after hearing words from his supposed to be bride, all the beautiful dream he have, vanished, as he told the guests that there's no more wedding that will happen on that day.

She had chosen.

"I've been here for...how long?"

"Three days, you've been here for three days. You were involved in a car accident few days ago..." she said and held his hand which taken him aback. "How are you feeling now?" she asked.

He stared at her for seconds before clearing his throat and answering her question. "I feel like my face is swollen and my left leg feels so heavy. What happened?"

"Leg injury and some facial injuries... I'm sorry about what happened, Ilwoo..." she apologized and he can see the sincerity in her eyes. From her orbs, he can see pity and a hint of something he can't name. But the latter look on her eyes is something that he had already seen before but he can't just remember on when.

"Why are you sorry?"

"I feel responsible for what happened to you. If only I just came that day, you wouldn't be lying here and wouln't be experiencing this burden in the first place. I really am sorry..." she said and stood up, closing the gap between them and enveloping him in a warm hug.

Being in her arms, he cannot help but to feel that sudden happiness that spreading inside his chest, making him to close his eyes and savor the moment.

He cannot understand what is she really sorry about.

Sorry that he's experiencing the burden of being on that situation? But he's not blaming her. After all, it was his fault, he was careless. He knew, it will eventually come but he still expect for something he wants to happen.

Sorry that she didn't show up on the day of their supposed to be wedding and went somewhere he clearly has an idea of where...

But either of the two, he cannot blame any fault at her. The night before their wedding, and after his talk with Jiyong, he honestly don't know what to do... To keep her or let her go?

He knew about the girl, his friend has truly loved, he heard a lot about her. It's just that he doesn't know how she looks like, nor doesn't know her name that after the revelation, it really shook his world. He's torn between two things; to fight for the found true love of someone else or the friendship. After hearing the story, he knew he's been fighting a game wherein in the end, he will eventually lose.

During his pre-wedding day event, he realized that the happiness he could bring her is a kind of happiness that only a friend could give... He realized that if he'll keep her away from her true happiness, would she be able to give him the genuine smile he wants to see?

All he wants for is to see the real smile of the girl he loved even though she hadn't met him yet, at that time. He fell in love with that smile he saw when she's still on a deep coma, a response that stopped his world from turning. That's when he promised to himself that he'll see that smile once again.

But after seeing how she cried on that same day, he knew it's not him that she needs...but still, he tried his luck, and it was his own fault that he let his world to completely shatter before him.

"I love you, you know that right?" he whispered as he felt her, slowly nodding her head. "If I continue loving you, will it change your mind and love me back instead...?" she didn't move and he takes it as a response that it would be impossible for them. "I knew it...that's why, though it hurts, I'll let you go..."

She pulled away from their hug as he lets her go and held her hand instead.

"I love you but I treasure the friendship between Jiyong and I. I knew how he suffered though I didn't completely witnessed it. I can say that I can have you as mine if only, I saw any signs that you completely forgot him and that, there's no chance for the two of you. But I don't think so. As I recall it, you two parted despite the beautiful relationship you have and that's because of an accident. And also, because of that, I met you..." Dara's tears were now falling from her eyes as he used his thumb to wipe them away, caressing her face in his hand. "Having you was the greatest part of my life up until this moment because with you, I realized the true meaning of happiness and how to value it. Because of you, I saw the light I've been searching for, all my life. You guided me to this but don't fear that because of you, I might change to someone far from whom you were with over the years. With all the things I've learned because of you, I'll value and treasure them until the day that I'll find the right girl who will lo