CHAPTER NINETEEN

Calm Before The Storm

 She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, feeling fresh air flood into her system with such ease it almost surprised her. When she exhaled, every trace of the burden she had carried for so long seemed to empty itself out of her and she couldn’t believe how good it felt. It was simple but the feeling that overcame her was beyond words – she felt lighter, stronger and the days ahead suddenly didn’t seem so bad anymore.

Everything about that night seemed so beautiful to Jaehwa as she leaned over the metal railings of the balcony in the waiting room outside Professor Lee’s office. They were all waiting for arrangements to be made for their stay and behind her; she could hear the princes chatting away in high spirits.

She smiled to herself as she laced her fingers together and felt every fibre of her being fill with gratitude. It had been so long since she last felt so happy – a simple, peaceful kind of contentment that no one could possibly take away because it came from the depths of her soul.

“Hey you.”

She spun around and when the image of Sehun leaning against the entrance of the balcony with his arms folded across his chest registered in her mind as a blurred haze, she realised tears clouded her eyes. Still wearing a silly grin on her face, she chuckled and sniffled at the same time.

“Hey.” She breathed, watching him take slow strides towards her. “Shouldn’t you be inside?”

“I can go back if you don’t want me here.” He teased but he settled beside her anyway, leaning over the railings as she had. He looked out; across the dusty road they had travelled on to get to the school and felt a strange sense of accomplishment creep up on him. He had been through many things in his long life but these recent years felt like a completely different life on their own.

Somehow, Jaehwa had taught him what it felt like to be a human – to be rooted to the ground and walk down a path from beginning to end without taking the easy way out. It wasn’t as easy as he imagined – commitment, patience, disappointment, hopefulness – they weren’t easy lessons and there were times when he wanted to quit but now that he had reached a milestone in his journey, he knew that the most important lesson he had learnt was gratitude.

He revelled in this realisation for a long while and she stood patiently beside him, with her back towards the scenery, studying the brickwork. Her elbows were propped on the railings, awfully close to his but they never touched, basking in the electrifying sense of intimacy.

“Jaehwa."

“Hmm?” She tossed a look at him, the softest of smiles reflecting in her glistening eyes. He had always seen her as a rather beautiful creature but he wondered why he had never appreciated her presence until now.

“I…” He peeled his gaze away from her face because looking at her only made it harder for him to say the words he really wanted to say, “I- I’m sorry.”

There was another long silence – one that Sehun hated because this apology meant too much to him and he was afraid and anxious that she didn’t understand the value of his words. Beside him, she shifted, heart pounding harder in her body before she turned to mimic his pose. When the breeze hit her face again, smoothing out the tense muscles under its gentle touch, she sighed and closed her eyes.

He wanted her to say something… anything but she left him hanging for longer than he would have liked. She said nothing as she simply soaked up the moment because no one could understand Sehun’s apology the way Jaehwa did – no one could experience the comfort it gave her in the instant it left his lips. She hadn’t expected he would ever apologise and she had accepted it but as the words that had been moulded perfectly in his deep voice fell from him, she had to take an extra moment to validate it.

“Look. I know I’m not good with these things – I’m not that nice guy that you want but I really do mean it. I’m sorry it took me fifty years to learn how to say it to you but it took me that long to conjure an apology that was worthy of your listening.” He whispered as he stared out into the night sky. He had spent so many nights looking for the answer to his woes and for years the skies seemed to hide it from him but that night, it seemed as though the clouds had parted for him and the flecks of stars against the blanket of darkness looked beautiful.

Nothing had really changed – he knew that – but he had changed and he hoped that she could see.

When she still didn’t say anything, he felt the need to elaborate and continued, “The only thing I regret is that I let you apologise first because I should have… I should have told you the moment I saw you. I should have told you that night we argued in the forest and I should have found an opportunity to tell you right after but I didn’t have it in me.” He admitted and he hoped she understood that he was truly opening his heart to her – something he had never done with another woman.

He heaved a heavy sigh when he realised that there was nothing more he could say, “Jaehwa… please say something.”

But she said nothing because the moment she turned around and wound her arms around his neck – it told him everything he needed to know. He felt relief wash over him as her soft scent embraced him and he brought his strong arms around her waist.

“Thank you.” She mumbled, sniffling slightly – she wasn’t crying but she was teary-eyed from the emotions he had stirred within her. For years, she had pretended that she had forgotten about all the open wounds he had left behind; buried them away and let the trivialities of each day take precedence over her painful