Chapter VI  

The sky was a beautiful palette, feathery clouds and patches of blue were smeared about in rough upon the vast ever-changing canvas. The air around was so crisp and brittle that it felt as though a simple shudder would make everything shatter. Yongguk carefully stepped out of his black car, and slightly fumbled around with the two bags of cookies and plastic bag in one hand, and a bouquet of assorted “get well soon!” flowers in the other. He treaded around the patches of snow that has yet to be cleared, watching as his footsteps left mushy prints that trailed after him.

“I remember, some years ago, when I almost ran here,” Yongguk said to no one in particular. He bowed to some elderlies he passed by and smiled slightly to others.

It was about seven years ago, when he and Victoria were in their junior year in high school. He arrived early at the bus stop, planning to surprise her with balloons and a single stemmed rose surrounded by baby’s breaths, her favorites, and decided to meet her halfway across her original route. Just as he rounded the corner of the alley, he bolted towards a little girl’s scream. From afar he saw a car swerve and hit a street light. Its driver crawled out and staggered away.  Yongguk remained standing on the spot, scanning the accident, his heart hammering tirelessly against his chest as he tried to desperately make sure that he didn’t see anyone familiar. His eyes followed a glint of silver and landed on a round teddy bear ring near the wreckage of the car, the ring he had recently bought for her, the ring that symbolized their mutual affection. The strength to move his legs suddenly vanished, his knees trembled, his limbs gave away and he found himself slumped upon the ground. He watched in utter shock and held breath silence as they heaved an unconscious, mangled body up a gurney,and followed it with his eyes as it rushed away.

“-o? Bo? Bo! What are you doing there?”

Yongguk looked up and was greeted by a face full of scratches. His eyes trailed down to her legs where trails of blood soaked the girl’s socks. He looked up again and below the injuries, he saw the face of the girl he loved. “Victoria,” he whispered.

“Bo, what happened? Did you get hurt too?” she asked, as she helped him get up.

Relief surged through him and he engulfed her in the safety of his arms. The balloons flew away, the flowers lay forgotten. “I thought I lost you,” he said, “I was so scared.” Victoria wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled closer. “I’ll never let you go, Bo.”

“Is that a promise?” she asked. She tilted her head to listen to his reply but was instead answered with a kiss.

“I don’t believe you!”

Yongguk turned abruptly and scanned the lobby of the hospital. Victoria? His eyes settled on a familiar figure walking down a hallway, her neck cradling a phone while her hands fumbled with a box of pizza and stacks of tissues. He walked on his tiptoes and bobbed his head up and down as he followed her. I knew my pigeon skills would come in handy.

Victoria went inside a little