The Promise

 

 

        A grin broke on your face as you paused to admire the influx of sports enthusiasts from all over the world. Loud chatters in different languages can be heard in every corner of the arena and filled the place with an air of electrifying energy. It was the first time that you were a part of a group this huge. You could feel your own excitement growing in an unprecedented speed. You could almost taste the mixture of excitement and anticipation at the tip of your tongue. You would have stood there frozen on your feet with that awed expression on your face if not for the impatient tug on your hand. The younger man and your most enthusiastic partner in crime wordlessly dragged you through the thick crowd. His exhilaration echoing you own. After the almost life threatening search you finally arrived at your reserved seats with your limbs complete and unscathed.

 

        Your company, the ever loyal maknae, was bouncing on his seat unable to contain his excitement. It would have annoyed you but your attention was directed on the still vacant seat on your right. It was three months ago that you mailed her a letter enclosing two tickets. You waited and waited but you have not received a reply in any form. But despite her silence you still hoped that she would come. After all, she was someone who kept her promises no matter how difficult or embarrassing that promise might be.

 

        You have not seen each other for years because of your desire to protect her from your fans. You remained in touch through text messages and phone calls but that was not enough. It was very difficult to keep yourself from being near her when your whole being screamed her name. There was not a moment that your thoughts were free of her. Even your dreams were of her. You wanted badly to have her in your arms. To feel her touch. To smell her intoxicating fragrance. And you wanted her badly to become officially yours that the pain of being far away was almost physical. Unbearable.

 

        She deserved more. So much more than what you could have offered her then. She came into your life when you were young, reckless and yes, selfish. In your quite naïve mind it was unfair that you had to be paired with an older woman. And not just any older woman but a sunbae that was tagged as The General. She had portrayed that image a little too well that you had nightmares if being the battered husband the night after your first meeting.

 

        But slowly you began to realize that among the casts you were the luckiest husband to have someone as beautiful as her as your wife.

 

        She was tough that was true but most of the time it was just an act to hide her vulnerability. Because just like every woman she was scared to have her heart broken. She has been hurt deeply before and she once told you, with the saddest expression you have ever seen on her face, that she could not go through all those pain the second time. It would break her. And you knew that you would do everything to keep that sadness away from her in every way possible.

 

        She laughed louder than some of your guy friends because she knew how to enjoy the little joys that life could offer. She was naturally a happy person and that showed on her demeanour. Her aura was always bursting with pure joy that you constantly found yourself gravitating towards her. Her smile and her laughter were contagious. At first it shocked you that a woman like her have such boisterous laughter but that laughter soon made you smile in spite of all your worries and fears. She was not afraid to be herself. She was a real person. To find someone like her in the industry was like finding a diamond in a gold mine. A treasure you meant to keep and cherish.

 

        It came as a pleasant surprise to discover that she was more feminine than any of the girl idols you knew. She can sew, knit and even cook. These rather traditional girly hobbies were the first mystery about her that you have discovered. You loved that side of her especially her amazing culinary skills that would rival the skills of any professional chef. All those fears of being labelled as the battered husband evaporated into thin air.  Truth was she was so close to spoiling you that it was almost criminal. Surely you did nothing to deserve someone as great as this woman you once labelled as the scary noona.

 

        But above all that you were grateful and blessed to see her compassionate heart. You have never seen anyone who would gladly give their rare free time to give the orphans, who were often neglected and forgotten, feel special and loved. She made you feel guilty for being such an angel without wings. Working day and night not just for her and her family but for the less fortunate. She said that making other people happy especially the orphaned children even in her small ways was her greatest joy. There was not a trace of pretence in her. She really was an angel in human form.

 

        You were not sure when your heart started to beat for her. At first you ignored the constant fluttering of your heart every time she was near because it scared you. It was the first time that your cold unfeeling heart felt so much emotion for that one person alone. You did not know how to handle that and you did not cope well at first. But then something bigger than your fear of rejection arrived and almost crippled you with fright. The intensity so overwhelming it left your heart cold with dread. It was the illogical fear of losing her without even putting up a fight that finally gave you enough courage to accept and face the fact that you were deeply and unconditionally in love with the woman who turned your life upside down.

 

        It was also then that you vowed to become the man worthy of her. You wanted more than anything else in the world was to become a capable man. Someone who will be able to protect her from all shapes and forms of pain. Someone who will be able to give her all the beautiful things she deserved. And more importantly to become that someone who could love her the way she was meant to be loved. Fully. Deeply. Unconditionally. And if by some miracle she would love you back you would finally be the man worthy of that precious gift.

 

        You were deep in your thoughts that it took several hard nudges from Hyung Joon to finally gain your attention. You faced him with real irritation. Failing to realize that the seat on your right was finally occupied. The excited gleam in the maknae’s eyes while pointing to your right instantly replaced your annoyance with the odd mixture of excitement, anticipation and nerves.

 

        Her familiar scent reached you even before you saw her. Your heart started to pound stronger and stronger as you slowly turned to face her. And when you finally saw her smiling at you with that achingly familiar smile that haunted your sweetest dreams, you heart accelerated and came into a full second stop before restarting with an abnormal speed.

 

        “Hello.” She said, her voice waking every cell in your body. “Three months ago I received an interesting letter containing two tickets. A plane ticket to London and a ticket for this seat. But what really caught my interest was the letter’s single message that was almost shouting right at me.” She paused and continued when you remained stunned on your seat. Her face bright with undisguised happiness. “It said ‘Buin it’s time to fulfil your promise’. Very demanding.” Her smile grew wider as she continued to meet your gaze. “How can I not come? When it was finally the chance to see my Shillang.”

 

“You came.” You breathed out in relief. Your heart not failing to hear her special way of calling you.

 

Her laugh made you smile in response. How you missed that sound! “I came to fulfil the promise we made four years ago.”

 

You took a deep breathe. Suddenly all that you could hear was the loud beating of your heart. And all that you could see was her face that had become even more beautiful. You leaned in closer, hoping that she could not hear the embarrassing behaviour of your heart, to make sure that she would hear you pour your heart out. “Buin I know it’s been four long years but I hope that I’m still not too late. I fell in love with you four years ago and I’m still madly and deeply in love with you.” You smiled warmly at her. “I love you Hwangbo Hye Jung. Will you please give me a chance to show you just how much?”

 

Her eyes gleamed. Her smile calmed the growing worries and fears in your heart. “I waited four long years Shillang. Did you really think that I would even bother to fly several miles just to reject you? I love you too, my Shillang.”

 

Your lips ripped into a big smile. Your whole face brightened with pure joy. You leaned in closer and kissed her full on the lips, liking the way her face turned bright red. Before she could say anything you reached to hold her hand. “I’m going to promise you two things Buin.”

 

“What is it Shillang?” She asked smiling tenderly at you.

 

“First is that I will make sure that I will be able to make you feel loved every single day.” You held her hand tighter. And when you spoke your words rang with sincerity. “And second,” you smiled as you placed a soft kiss on her hand, “that I am never letting go.”