Chapter 4

*Flashback*

After their first & unusual encounter at the ice cream shop, it had only taken three weeks to make Yunho realize that he had really fallen in love with Yuri. Her bold & lively personalities had fascinated him & drew him to her & both had been so surprised when they had met again, later on at the exhibition. It had turned out that Yunho’s company, an architect & design firm where he worked as one of their talented architects, had been the sponsor for the art exhibition & it seemed like fate had put them together when Yuri had been one of the artists that would decorate the building that Yunho designed.

At first, their relationships had been simple. Yuri had needed a friend in the unfamiliar city & Yunho had played the role as a good hosts. He had showed her around the city & they had spent almost every spare time they had had together. Mostly, they had hung out at the ice cream shop which had been voted as their favorite place & they could talk about everything. He couldn’t remember the exact time he had started to look at Yuri as more than a friend. Had it been when his heart had beat faster the time Yuri had leaned her head on his shoulder in the cab? Or when he had started to get worried when Yuri didn’t answered his call immediately? But the fact was, somewhere along the line, he had fallen deep. Three weeks was a short time to know each other but it had been long enough to make Yunho realize that he really loved her so he had decided to confess his feelings on the last day of the exhibition.

He could predict that Yuri would be surprised. He had been ready to hear words like ‘I only saw you as a brother & friend’. Well, he didn’t cared one bit. All he had wanted to do was to make Yuri know about his feelings.

That night, they had been at the Japanese cuisine, having dinner. The romantic atmosphere, the sounds of piano playing & the scent of flowers from nearby bushes had been perfect for what he had had in mind. Although, he hadn’t counted on mosquitoes as it was summer time.

He had looked Yuri straight in the eye & as he let every emotion inside him show through his eyes, he said, “Yuri, I know that we have only known each other for a short period of time but I feel like I have known you all my life & I know that it’s too soon for me to say I love you but I can’t help it because I really do.”

Yuri had stopped her flailing hand in mid-air & let a smug mosquito flew away. She had looked at him with a mixture of surprises, regret & something else he couldn’t name. Something very similar to joy but not exactly that but her next words had destroyed all his hope, “But I have already had a boyfriend in Seoul. I’m sorry, Yunho Oppa.”

“You have a boyfriend already? But you have never mentioned him before.”

Yuri had only shrugged & went hunting for mosquitoes again, “He’s not that important. I don’t love him anyway; it’s just a fling.”

He had felt as if his gut had been ripped apart viciously but then, he wouldn’t survive in Tokyo for a day if he had given up that easily. So, three weeks later, after his company had granted his requests for a five day leave, he had flew to Seoul just after midnight, determined to win her over & just a little after eight, he had finally arrived in South Korea, Seoul. He had gone straight to the address he had gotten from her company, not even caring that he had nowhere to spend the night. Heck, he had rather spend the night in his rented car rather than risk missing her in case she started her day early.

So, he had kept on a lookout in his car, watching her apartment like a hawk. One hour later, Yuri walked out the door in her jogging clothes. Yunho immediately opened his car door & stood before her, grinning widely, “Yuri.” He called softly.

Yuri could only stared at the guy in front of her. In disbelief, she pinched him hard, “Ouch. Why did you do that for?” Yunho rubbed his arm to lessen the sting.

A brilliant smile began to bloom on her face. She threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly while saying, “To make sure you are not an apparition. Oppa, I’m so glad to see you here. Now, I could play hostess & you a wide-eyed tourists.” She laughed delightedly & patted his shoulder. In the three weeks after she had left Tokyo, she had thought about Yunho a lot & what he had told her at the cuisine. Seeing Yunho standing before her, she had finally decided what she was going to do.

Yunho had just got out of his car when the door of Yuri’s apartment opened & a guy was shoved out the door, “Yuri, but why? I thought we were getting along well. I have even bought you a ring.” The guy had rummaged in his pocket & fished out a one ct. princess-cut diamond solitaire engagement ring in 14k white gold, “I was going to propose to you.”

Yuri had laughed & shook her head, “If I had known you had propose to me, I had break up with you a long time ago. Listen, Kris Oppa. I have told you from the start that I’m not looking for a long-term relationship. I have had a very great time with you but now I want out. It’s that simple.”

“But I love you & I know you love me, too.”

Yuri had sighed loudly, “Oppa, I have never said that I love you to any guy & I have certainly never said it to you. We had a great time together but I have never loved you.” Noticing the dejected expression on Kris’s oval-shaped face, Yuri had patted his arm sympathetically, “Now, I have got to get ready. A friend of mine came from Tokyo & I want to keep him company. Bye, Oppa.” & then she had closed the door in his face.

Yunho had witnessed the scene with conflicting emotions battling inside him. Should he be happy that Yuri had broken up with her boyfriend? She had casually broken the guy’s heart & she didn’t seem sad or remorseful at all. As if she was waving goodbye to a casual friend, not her boyfriend. Should he feel alarmed by it; what if he had been in that guy’s shoes? He had only stood there, lost in his thoughts until Yuri had tapped him on the shoulder, “Why are you just standing here? I thought you are going to stand me up.”

All the thoughts had immediately flown out of his mind the moment he had seen the twinkling eyes & happy smile on her face, ‘She could change; she would change for me.’ He thought confidently. After all, they had had so much in common & they had had fun together & he would risk it all in hope that he could reach her heart & have all he wanted rather than to stand back & have nothing.

“I was watching you break up with your boyfriend. May I ask why?” He had held his breath, hoping her answer would straighten up the knot in his stomach.

Yuri had smiled sweetly at him & whispered, “Because of you.”

*End of Flashback*

Yuri was jolted out from her memory by the continuous honking from the car behind. She looked around & realized she was trapped in a traffic jam, “Sir, how much longer would it be to St. Mary’s church?”

“Usually about five more minutes but in this traffic, it would be hard to predict.”

Yuri’s panic escalated swiftly, “What if I ran there?”

The driver looked sympathetically at her, “Miss, it would take you at least eighteen minutes. We will get there soon, after this antics is over.”

“What happened anyway?” She asked, trying to insert some kind of calmness into her voice.

“A guy was proposing to a girl in the middle of the road & the girl was holding him off & sulking now as he forgot where he put the ring.” The taxi driver chuckled.

Yuri slumped back onto the seat. A proposal? A marriage proposal? She thought back to the most momentous moment of her life.