FORTY SEVEN

As he listened to her, one thing was for sure: Seohyun was finally laying everything to him. Her fears and the rest of the things that she kept to herself all her life-- from him and everybody around her. The walls that remained had burnt to ashes in the ground. Yonghwa was watching her every move while she spoke and he could tell how difficult it was for her. All her life, that fear never left her and he wanted it to start disappearing—he would make it disappear and she had no choice but to give him a chance to do so.

“You made me leave before…” Yonghwa said softly but his jaws tightened since Seohyun had been very unpredictable, “Can you make me leave now?”

But she shook her head and pulled him, “No… no one’s ever leaving.”

“From now on, trust me more than you ever did before,” he said firmly but with voice softening watching the traces of tears in her eyes, “I know there will be things that are hard to say but never just walk away and leave without saying them. It’s unfair keeping me in the dark and it’s more unfair judging me that I wouldn’t be able to understand your reasons and just accept whatever you decide on.”

She only nodded so he continued with a hard squeeze on her hand and that little tug, “This is our life now. This.  This is us. You are not your mother, Hyun… you’re smart enough to know that. You are Seo Joohyun and I love you. Nothing will change. I love you and you deserve my love. And I am damn sure I deserve yours.”

“I was so scared I really lost you…” Seohyun started to cry again but he only grinned and kissed her hand.

“You’re crazier for even thinking…”

“But really, I don’t know how I deserve you like this?”

“Are we back on that again?” He said calmly but nudged playfully then continued, “But I ask that very question myself… I'm not a good man. I never treated women I was with right. I knew most of them deserved to be treated right, but with you it was all too different. You changed me...”

Seohyun was smiling despite the tears. He loved her so much and he was so sure that she did too. Everything that he did to win her and win her back over and over again was because he knew that she will always be that woman for him. Yonghwa pursued her because she was the only one who made him see who he really was, not who the public  see nor what they expect to see. He smiled back, “No, you made me want to change. I will make you and I right. I will make this right for you.”

He kissed her softly, lovingly and wholeheartedly. His fingers raked through her hair as he pulled her close to kiss her some more. Yonghwa could love her in so many ways but the simple act of kissing her was still the best. In their kisses, he could tell how Seohyun, too, just wanted to live in that moment—to live in that space and time where they are one.

Yonghwa smiled when she sighed while they were still kissing. She must have felt it. The meanings of this kiss not just the physical sense of it. It was slow and gentle, yet ever so passionate. He decided that he would never be satisfied when it comes to this. There would be no getting used to it—it would always be new. And the kiss could go on and on but there were things they still needed to do so he drew back, “How’s the headache?”

“Hmmm…”

Seohyun just gave him a small satisfied smile as his hands started mapping her soft and warm body. “Drinking is bad for you,” he whispered and bit her earlobe gently, he chuckled when she quivered, “Did you know that is good for hangover?”

“Why do you know so much about ?” She giggled but faked a glare, “Besides, you knew that I wasn’t drunk last night…”

Yonghwa laughed out loud remembering the call he got that early morning from Mr. Kang about what he discovered inside Seohyun’s car. Ignoring her completely, he furrowed his brows and quipped seriously, “I have to punish you for that, by the way. Now, strip…”

“Is that your idea of punishment?”

Yonghwa’s jaw almost dropped as she simply pulled her shirt up and threw it on the floor. A smile finally curled on his lips when Seohyun draped her arms over his shoulder tugging his own shirt and helping him out of it. In no time, they were kissing again but it was more urgent and sensual that even his hands started fumbling on the buttons of his jeans only to be stopped midway by Seohyun’s shivering fingers.

He looked uncertainly at her hazy eyes and parted lips as she tried to breathe until she shook her head and turned away to open the drawer by the side of her bed. Yonghwa was even more perplexed when she gave him a handful of small packets.

“I stopped taking pills,” she supplied when he didn’t seem to get it.

And it just hit him as he stared at her. Since when? Yonghwa wanted to ask but she was already tearing one open and handing it to him. He shook his head dismissing the thoughts.

“Hurry…” Seohyun said again when he was still unmoving.

He groaned and pointed down, “Bed…” Yonghwa struggled for it like it was his first time but it was basically that for both of them. His clumsy fingers seemed to shake for he was seeing her by his periphery almost breathing as heavily as he was. Finally, he joined her with that evil grin, “This time you’re really going to get it.”

She shrieked when he pulled her to him.  But the sudden change in her eyes caught him off-guard, “The last time… it was just , huh?”

Yonghwa stared at her blankly while bracing his arms on each side of her body to avoid crushing her. He remembered that night. Slowly, he aimed for her lips but she tilted her head. Yonghwa smiled, “Never once ‘it’ was only … we never do , Hyun. That night, I decided to make love to the woman I love even if she didn’t want me anymore. I made love to her… there’s a big difference.”

When her expression softened, he finally kissed her lips but a grin escaped, “But then again… since you made me wear this annoying thing, I’m going to show you what is.” He laughed when her eyes widened but he could tell the anticipation in there. “So yeah, baby… you’re going to get rough today.”

He winked and showed her what was all about.

~~~

After what seemed to be hours and hours, they both found rest on the couch in the living room. Her back was spooned against his chest as she sat on his lap, their limbs almost intertwined. Yonghwa kissed the side of her neck as she cuddled deeper in him and tucked the sheets up to her chin.

“Cold?” His lips brushed on her ear.

“Hmmm…” Seohyun closed her eyes, thanking heavens for bringing him back. Her plan almost failed but it worked in a very twisted way. She wanted to seduce him that night and give him no choice but to stay. Although the truth never came easy but telling him gave her that big relief. And it had also helped her to stop doubting herself.

Seohyun decided never to tell him about how his mother contributed to her decisions because she could understand where her anger was coming from. In case she would come in between them again, she’d deal with her only then. Telling him the truth somehow made her braver in dealing with the possibilities of their relationship. She didn’t know if it was only because she was still floating in this euphoria but as long as Yonghwa was holding her this way, there was no reason for her to be afraid.

“Don’t ever do that to me again…”

Her train of thought was halted by his breathy voice as his lips lay on the crook of her neck again and his arms tightened around her