CHAPTER 1

October 2014.

Seoul.

Clothes after clothes were thrown everywhere and scattered on the floor. Next to the closed floor, the firewood was burning blazedly. Its sounded like a slow waltz song blended with a strong wet fragancy coming in from the rain outside.

Endless moans and breathe filled the room. There were two people busily exploring each other’s bodies on the bed in the blear light.

He hungrily here, there, and bited here and there. So did she, they were like two hungry people that were too thirsty for each other. She smiled but tears fell down her cheeks the same time when he gently kissed her forehead saying “I think I couldn’t take it anymore”. They connected their bodies together and moved their hips to the natural tune that they both waited for so long since the first day they met again after 6 years of being separated a month ago.

The bed was moving along with each of their move. The screams of ecstasy were getting louder and louder, making up for their longing together with avoiding and something they cannot explain at that time. Now all they knew was pleasure and heat in their sweaty bodies, the huge fire was burning inside them, but at the same time they were slightly distracted by a strange feeling.

How could they name it?

How could they name that feeling?

The question slowly became bigger, bigger as they move faster, much more like urgent, trying to reach the final peak, to reach the euphoria, to reach the answer of their question.

Why were they doing this? Why wasn’t it a simple pleasure but mixed with something they never experienced, and why did their hearts feel like they were going to explode soon?

Why?

Both of their bodies stiffened as the explosion when their release came. But the question hadn’t been answered. They still had no answer for the question. Or at least it’s him who couldn’t figure it yet.

They lay still in silence catching their breaths.

“I should be more gentle…” - He murmured as he withdrew his manhood from her burning hole. He rolled over at his side of the bed and pulled her into his arms. She just smiled softly and reached for the blanket to cover her ness and protect her from the coldness that started bothering her after she felt him left her body.

“I’m quite surprised…” - He said, caressing her bare milky-white arm. She looked up at him questioningly and he smiled - “…that you said you would want this to happen while it’s me who kissed you first.”

She smiled trying to hide her blushing cheeks, avoiding his question. Actually, she thought she should be the one who surprised at herself instead of him.

She came back here to meet her fiance, not to meet him.

She came back to fulfilled the marriage that her grandfather had promised to the fiance’s grandfather since they were born, not to end up like this in his arms.

She came back to let him go out of her life forever, not to enter his life like this.

She didn’t come back to live in the same roof with her first love like this. But she had decided, she knew she only had 3 months before it all ends. She decided to live it the fullest and then cut that string, even she couldn’t know if that string had existed or not, the string that attached them to each other.

She would live like the world will end when that day comes, she would live the fullest until the ending came.

The ending, is it her wedding day?

No.

To her, the ending day would be the day he officially enters the monastery.

That day, somehow to say, it’s the day when her world will end.

“Are you sure you won’t regret it?” – He asked. He asked her but the question was more like his own question to himself.

He needed to fulfill his promise to God, he needed to go on the path that he had composed himself to go. One month ago, he was still sure that it was his destiny, he would like to  become a priest, he would use his whole life to continue serving people, continue helping and teaching children under God’s guide.

He thought it was his destiny, since that day, he always thought that it was his destiny.

But now he had doubts. Was it really his destiny? Because of her? Because she came back and they met again?

No.

To him, he had those doubts since the day his grandfather came to visit him and his confidante, Father Peter.  And the two old men agreed one same thought.

“I never suspect your intention, son, as I always treasure and respect you, but as I and your grandfather once told you on your 20^th birthday, not on your good intentions but we should figure out if this path is really yours to take? Is this your way to fulfill that promise to God?” - Father Peter said and his grandfather nodded.

He hadn’t had his answer yet, even when she opened his apartment and they were frozen at the moment realizing each other, until now, he still hadn’t had his answer.

Father Peter and his grandfather suggested him to set aside sometime to reflect himself and his decision first, they told him to find his true self first, he needed to learn about the world and to discover that whether his promise should be completed that way. As being a priest is a lifetime commitment that the deepest of his heart must be sure that it’s what he is fated to take.

And he met her, again.

He met his first love, again.

His father arranged an apartment for him to live when he left Father Peter’s church, he never expected that she would be his roommate.

She just smiled and shook her head, looking at him, “When I agreed to my grandfather’s challenge, I didn’t knew it was you that I would live under the same roof as a roommate, but I won’t regret this. We’re still friends, aren’t we?”

“Are you sure about being here with me?” – He asked

She giggled and shook her head again - “We agreed, didn’t we? We agreed to enjoy this 3 moths the fullest, right? With no strings attached. We will live without knowing about our future, without my fiance and without the monasty that you will enter. My grandfather wanted me to make sure that I won’t regret and so did your grandfather. Then we sould prove them that we could fulfill our lifetime promises, right? I don’t know if I still have that bravery when that day comes or not, but I won’t regret, now or 6 years ago…” - She stopped realizing she nearly slipped out the secret that as buried deep inside her heart.

“What about six year ago?” – He asked, confusing

“Nothing!” – She mischeviously smiled and kissed his lips then his cheek and made sure it lingered for a while.

“We’re all grown up…” – She smiled, the softness of her hair touched his skin, her perfume scent made him close his eyes.

He took a deep breath to ignore her mischievous smile. “Its’ been 6 years, you disappeared like a spirit. Where have you been?”

“But we’re still best friends, rite?” – She smiled

“You disappeared like we have nothing but a thin string.”

“Can I correct it, my friend? In this apartment, there’s no string attached” - She smirked

He just shrugged and smiled, gathering her body closer to his. In the midst of his processing entrance of the monastery, he also didn’t know what would happen, but tomorrow would have its own fate, and now, he didn’t mind anymore.

They wanted him to find his answer? He would, together with her.

They both knew this was a dangerous game, but he wouldn’t regret to take it.

…

She looked at his sleeping face, didn’t dare to touch him, she was scared that she would wake him up. She still remembered how she agreed to her grandfather with his challenge. She let her mind wander and closed her eyes.

“I don’t know grandpa, but I’m starting regreting…”

*Flashback*

1 month ago.

“Sulli, sweetheart, are you sure?” – Her grandfather asked

“Why are you asking grandpa?” – Sulli hugged the old man that was sitting on the big chair outside the balcony

“That’s my promise, not yours, it’s not your duty to fulfill my stupid promise to my best friend”

“Grandpa…” – She patted his back. “But you said my fiance was a nice person, he was the best person you think you can give me to, if I marry him, he will be a good husband?”

“How about my wicked best friend’s stupid challenge? 3 months sharing the same apartment with a man he chose, to make sure you will love his grandson and never leave him without having feeling for another man since this marriage is an arranged one? Stupid…”

“I cannot make your pride down, grandpa and I’ll make sure this little granddaughter of yours is the best when she wants to prove the world that he was educated by an amazing grandfather…” – She kissed her grandfather’s cheek and smiled.

“Then I trust you, sweetheart…” – Her grandfather joined her for a tight hug

*End of Flashback*

…

Only Sulli didn’t know about her father’s phone call after she left his room that day.

“Hello Choi!”

“Hello Choi!”

“Everything is done there, Choi?”

“Yes, Choi! Done! How about yours?”

“I and Father Peter already set it up!”

“Well done! My granddaughter needs to find her trueself first!”

“So does my grandson!”

“The kids need to learn their lessons first, and this time we will have to show our power!”