Act 5-Nell

What is love?

Many times is this question asked, and it, to this day, remains one of life's unanswered questions, simply because there are too many answers and interpretations to ever put into a single answer. There is no answer, simply because there are too many answers.

It's a complex thing, this thing called love. There's a difference between being in love, and loving a person; and more often than not, admiration is mistaken for love.

If love cannot be defined, how can love ever have a proper way of being expressed?

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stiff bloodless lips and a fragile body
delicate soul and a tranquil soul
understand...
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He argued that he loved her. She never argued about anything anymore. They told him that he was a sick, mental person. Psychotic. Again, he argued that he only ever loved her, and everyone loves in their own way. He really loved her, he really did. He just wanted to show her that.

She merely prayed for the man who loved, but couldn't love properly.

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"This is what lovers do, right? I feel conflicted, happy that I have you, yet sad that you don't want me"

"It's not love, and you know that, Jongdae. Please, just stop this now."

"Just stop resisting, you'll learn to love me."

"You can't force me to love you."

"Then don't struggle, and give in."

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...understand how my heart 
wants to forever keep you near
i'm in love with you
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A soft whisper, a soft kiss, a soft touch.

"I love you."

A soft silence, a soft sigh.

"You'll understand one day."

A soft rustle, soft footsteps, and soft tears.
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He stared, unable to tear his eyes away from the girl in the doorway.

Slanted, cat-like eyes, soft, heart-shaped lips, a round face accompanied by sharp, defined cheekbones. A glowing aura, an angelic appearance; she was nervous, but her steps were sure and confident. 

"My name is Cheon Lena."

"J-Jongdae..."

That first night, the fire in her eyes died, never to be re-ignited, the glowing aura that he so loved dimmed to a mere nothing, like an unsteady, flickering candle lost to the tumultuous winds.

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beautiful eyes that rested elsewhere
deep eyes unable to remain with me
understand
understand how my heart
wants to forever keep you near
i'm in love with you
i'm sorry
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Fingers traced over the marks on the girls' body; each one a startling shade of blue and purple, some healing, most fresh. She should've felt the pain, she knew that she should, but she couldn't feel anything anymore. 

She wished for the days when she could.

The mirror showed a girl that she didn't recognize as herself . A pale, sunken face. Eyebags adorning dull, lifeless brown eyes. Jutting ribs. Bony fingers. Just who was this person in the mirror? Was it her?

Arms wrapped themselves softly, gently around her skinny waist, and a head rested itself on her shoulder. In the early days, she would've flinched, she would've screamed, she would've fought with everything she had.

But how can she fight with everything when everything was already stolen from her?

"I love you."

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yes, it's love
sharing heart and soul
sharing blood and bones
(yes, it's love)

that's what lovers do

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A fake smile, a fake laugh, fake happiness.

Donning a beautiful black dress, carefully covering her scars of resistance, pretending that she really loved the man on her arm.

Bright lights, bright people, loud.

She hadn't been outside in a very long time, maybe a year, maybe two? How long had it been?

Her parents looked as if they had aged ten years; her mother's harshly dyed black hair and stiffly pursed lips making her seem even older, her father's obviously too-tight suit and dissatisfied frown made him seem even more like a grumpy old man.

She didn't blame them for putting her in this situation, no, how could she? They didn't know that it would end up like this. Their focus was to save what little they had at any cost, even if the price was their own daughter. It was necessary at the time.

She couldn't blame them for their priorities, could she?

"Lena-ah!"

Slipping back into her mask, she tightly hugged the fake woman with bright, beautiful smile - her mother-in-law

"How are you, Lena-ah?"

A fake smile, a fake laugh, a false answer.

"I'm fine, thank you."

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"I love you, Lena-ah."

"...I love you too, Jongdae"
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i'm in love with you
i'm sorry
but i think that you'll
understand this eventually
'cause this is all about love
yes it's love
sharing heart and soul
sharing blood and bones
(yes it's love)
that's what lovers do
understand
understand how my heart
wants to forever keep you near
'cause i'm in love with you
(with you)
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Just what exactly is love that we may judge how another loves?

For is love only love when reciprocated?

If both suffer for a period of time, who is the victim? If both are hurt, who is to blame? If love blossoms from the hatred, who is in the wrong?

This is a story of a misguided love; pure, but wrong in every way, a forced love.

I pray, not for the man who loves, but is not loved, but for the man who loves, but who does not know how to love.

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