Holding her black Franco Sarto Gustar flat sandals in her hands, Yuri walked barefoot slowly along the grassy bank of the lake in the balmy silence of the spring morning. A bittersweet sigh escaped her glossy red plump lips. It was Valentine's Day.

 

She has not seen Choi Minho, her fiance, for over three months. Yet, still, it was Valentine's Day after all, not to mention, the first anniversary of their engagement. Could he really have forgotten? Could he really not mention anything, not an email or call if he remembered?

 

Yuri bit her lips, 'No.' She told herself silently, 'It's still early in the day. The sun barely rose an hour ago. He would call today. He would.'

 

There was still, however, a sinking feeling inside of her that wondered if he really would call.

 

She had met Minho through her best friend at ChungAng University, Choi Sooyoung. In fact, Minho was Sooyoung's older brother. The entrepreneur was the first to impress Yuri with his combination of good-looks, intelligence and humor. Their friendship had started out platonic enough; he was Sooyoung's brother and she was Sooyoung's best friend. Yuri also told herself he was somewhat off-limit to her as more than a friend because of her friendship with Sooyoung. Yuri laughed softly to herself, now to think of it. How did she manage to stand here now with his 1 ct. diamond solitaire engagement ring in 14k white gold on her long finger then?

 

*Flashback*

 

"No, I can't." Yuri said softly, not looking at Minho but at the wall behind him.

 

There was a heavy silence.

 

"I see." Minho said slowly. Another silence, "Is that all the reply I'm getting then? I'm not getting a reason why?"

 

Yuri bit her glossy red lips. Why did this have to be so hard? She slowly turned her big, brown, almond-shaped eyes to meet his and sighed, "Minho Oppa, you are a really good friend and I really appreciate you asking me this; it's really flattering to know that you considered me like this but I really can't. Your Sooyoung's brother."

 

"What does that have anything to do with having dinner with me?" He asked, bewildered. Yuri sighed. Why did men have to be so thick-headed?

 

"You are asking me out to dinner as in a date?" She asked.

 

"Yes."

 

"As in to-see-if-we-can-take-this-relationship-somewhere-romantic sort of dinner?"

 

"Yes."

 

"I have always planned on keeping things platonic between us, Oppa."

 

"Why?"

 

"Because." Here, she let out an exasperated sigh, "You are Sooyoung's brother. You and I both know people who date each other and break up and never speak to each other again. If things don't work out between us, how can I ever face Sooyoung again? She's my best friend. I don't want to risk her friendship for anything; I don't want to risk your friendship for anything, too."

 

"You seem to be basing your refusal on the possibility of something that might or might not happen?"

 

"You are an entrepreneur, Oppa. You take risks. I'm just a journalist that just sit at a desk and write my articles." Yuri said, with a shrug and a small smile.

 

"But you think it won't work out between us?"

 

"I didn't say that. I'm saying there could be a million things that could go wrong in a relationship that would kill the friendship and I'm not risking it."

 

"You know, it doesn't have to be that bad. A lot of people date, break up and still remain friends. As long as we both treat each other decently, there's no reason why we can't remain friends even if it didn't work out. As long as the friendship comes first and before the romance, it's possible."

 

"It's that simple?"

 

"Yes. Simple but it doesn't necessarily have to be so easy."

 

There was a brief silence when Yuri didn't respond. Then Minho spoke again, "I'm asking you out for dinner, Yuri, not to marry you...yet. Will you have dinner with me or do I have to do some begging and groveling?"

 

Their relationship progessed at a leisurely pace but it soon became clear to Yuri that taking that one risk of dinner with Minho wasn't such a bad idea after all. Before she knew it, she found herself admitting how hard she had fallen in love with him. Sooyoung had endlessly about it when she told her but Yuri knew Sooyoung was as happy as she was at how well things were going between her and Minho.

 

"Earth to Blackpearl Yul. Come in, Kwon Yuri." Sooyoung said, waving her hand in front of her friend's eyes.

 

"What?"

 

"You know, you have been staring off into space for the last fifteen minutes that I have spent outlining to you about the meticulous research I have done for this assignment?"

 

"Have I? I'm so sorry, I'm just..."

 

"Mooning over my brother. Again." There was a grin on Sooyoung's heart-shaped face. Yuri blushed.

 

"I'm not mooning." She mumbled.

 

"Okay, you are just daydreaming about my oh-so-wonderful brother and not listening to a word I'm saying." Sooyoung said, with a straight face.

 

"I'm sorry, I'm a terrible partner for this assignment."

 

Sooyoung giggled. Then she said cheekily, "Yes, but it's rather cute. I have never seen you this airy over a guy before."

 

"Airy? How on earth did you come up with that description?"

 

"I'm a writer, Yuri. I have to be creative with my words."

 

Sooyoung looked straight at Yuri and smirked, making her blush. She buried her oval-shaped face in a couch cushion.

 

"So." Sooyoung started suggestively.

 

"Stop it, stop it, stop it." Yuri mumbled, through giggles and the cushion.

 

"Well, one things for sure. My brother is a genius. He managed to turn the ever-serious Kwon Yuri into a giggling, blushing eighteen-year-old. So, are you in love with him?"

 

Yuri lifted her flushed face up from the cushion, "You know the meaning of subtley, don't you?"

 

Sooyoung smiled, "Of course I do but this isn't the time for subtlety. So, are you?"

 

Yuri blushed even harder before nodding.

 

"Can I tell him?"

 

"No!" Yuri squealed.

 

"Okay. When he's around, I will just tell myself. In his hearing range, of course."

 

"Choi Sooyoung!"

 

It was still a shock, however, when he did propose to her.

 

He had chosen Valentine's Day. It was a few days before she was due to return to university, return to her last year of her degree. He had taken her to the Han river, where in a secluded patch of trees, was a beautiful late that took her breath away the moment she saw it.

 

Yuri had to admit she didn't see it coming. She knew he was taking her out for a picnic in the park but she never expected to find the ring buried in the bouquet of red roses. She was rendered completely speechless, pulling the blue velvet box out between the roses. Her first instinct was to wonder whether he really was being serious but a look at the soft glow of love in Minho's brown, egg-shaped eyes was enough to confirm that he was in earnest.

 

"Minho Oppa." She breathed and opened the box with trembling hands.

 

"Yuri, I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life making you happy. Will you marry me?"

 

It wasn't an elaborate speech. It was simple but pure and it was him.

 

Yuri still found herself quite incapable of speech from the surprised but words weren't always necessary, were they? She leaned over and kissed him.

 

"Was that a yes?" He whispered, against her glossy red lips.

 

"That would depends on whether I have to put the ring on myself or not."

 

Minho smiled brightly and slipped the ring onto her left ring finger.

 

They had agreed to wait until she finished university first to get married. Things seems to go by so perfect for Yuri. Throughout her life, she had never experienced such happiness when she was with Minho. Now, she vaguely wondered if it was a case of too good to be true.

 

Three months ago, Minho had announced he was going on a business trip to North America for five months. Parting with him for the first time since their engagement hadn't been easy for either of them but Yuri understood the need for the trip and Minho had promise he had write and call her as often as possible and for the first month and a half, there were regular phone calls and daily emails from him. It was comfort enough to read his words and hear his voice even when he was miles away from her. He assured her that he would be back soon and day by day, Yuri looked forward to the end of the five months but it had been eight weeks and a half and she had not heard anything from Minho. All her emails remain unanswered. He hadn't called her in that many days and she didn't exactly have any means of calling him. It was as if he had disappeared altogether. Yuri had even sought Sooyoung out on it. Her friend told her she hadn't heard anything from her brother lately either, however, she had talked to Minho's business partner, Kim Jonghyun, who was in touch with Minho and confirmed that he was still in North America, albeit a bit busy.

 

Yuri wasn't one to not trust Minho. No, she trusted him when he said he loved her. After all, why else would he want to marry her when he could have any other girls he wanted? But the fact that he lost all contact with her for so long worried her and somewhat hurtled her. Why did he suddenly stop his communication with her? Yuri wasn't the clingly type who wanted to know where he was and what he did at all times. She only wanted the occasional emails to assure her.

 

In the first week that his emails stopped coming to her, Yuri just explained it to herself that maybe he was just busy but when it stretched into the second week, it began to worry and disturb her.

 

By now though, she hated herself for even wondering it. Yuri asked herself whether this silence was a result of some change in his feelings for her. She knew there had been no reason for her to ever think that but how else could she explain this silence, especially now on Valentine's Day? He had known he would be away for Valentine's Days before he left and had promised her he would call her on the day before and on Valentine's Day but yesterday, no call came. No email in her inbox.

 

She knew her agitation over Minho's lack of communication had been rather obvious to those around her. There were many times the day before when she turned and caught Sooyoung looking at with her an unreadable expression.

 

'He would call today.' She tried to convince herself but somehow, she wasn't convinced. Minho wasn't one to forget things like this or to ignore it when he did remember and care. She didn't want to draw the conclusion that her insecurities was throwing at her.

 

*End of Flashback*

 

"Stop it, Yuri!" She scolded herself, "Stop it!"

 

She suddenly noticed how her cheeks were wet. Biting her lips painfully to hold back the sob, she dropped herself onto the grass. Plucking a flower from the bush sitting innocently beside her, she attacked it vigorously so that the flower soon was a crumbled mess by her side.

 

"You are pathetic, Yuri." She said softly to herself, "It's Valentine's Day. I should be with my friends and family having fun and here I am, agonizing over someone who obviously doesn't care enough to call or ask after me or show any sign that he's alive and knows I exists and today is different from any other days of the year."

 

The chirping of the birds around her and the cloudless blue sky seems to mock her and she buried her face in her arms. She didn't know how long she sat there but it seems like an unbearably long time. Then, she gave a groan of frustration. What was she doing here? Staying here feeling miserable and sorry for herself wouldn't change the situation. Why did she have to depend on him to make her day?

 

She stood up determinedly and brushed off the grass. She bitterely brushed away the tears on her cheeks and gave a pebble by her feet a kick, sending it into the water before turning around and got the biggest shock of the day.

 

Standing in front of her, holding a bouquet of red roses, a somewhat sheepish smile on his round-shaped face was Minho.

 

Yuri opened and found she didn't know what she was planning to say so she closed it and just looked at him.

 

"Happy Valentine's Day." He whispered.

 

"What are you doing here?" She asked, when she finally found her voice.

 

"I miss you, too." He said, a small smirk appearing on his plump lips.

 

"What are you doing here?" She said louder, approaching him threateningly.

 

"Surprising you?"

 

"Surprising me? Surprising me? You don't call and write for over three weeks and suddenly you show up surprising me? You are supposed to be in North America."

 

"I know you are annoyed at me."

 

"Annoyed at you? Do you know what the last three weeks and a half had been for me? Do you know how worried I have been and how rotten I have been feeling, not hearing from you once?" She burst into tears. Yuri didn't know what was wrong with her. She didn't even know why she was crying.

 

"Hey, hey, hey." Minho said softly, stepping to her side, putting his arms around her.

 

"You big brat, you made me wonder if you still love me and whether you have."

 

"Gone off and ditched you?" Minho said, half in consternation, half in amusement.

 

"Yeah." She sniffled.

 

"So, I don't supposed the roses and surprised made up for that?"

 

"Not until you tell me what's going on, no." She pouted.

 

"Actually, it was the effort of surprising you for Valentine's Day, if you can believe that."

 

"What?"

 

"Well, I found out that I could come home a lot earlier than I planned, in time for Valentine's Day, in fact. I wanted to surprised you on Valentine's Day but I...well, it's rather childish actually. I wanted to work you up for it. I thought not calling or emailing you, it would make you more surprised to see me."

 

"Three weeks? Three weeks? Maybe one or five days would have achieved the results you were looking for but three weeks?"

 

"I think I pushed my little joke a little too far."

 

"You think?" She looked up at him. He did look a bit guilty for worrying and upsetting her. Yuri suddenly felt bad for ever doubting him. She should have known there was a good reason for his lack of communication, even if the reason was to annoy her. She smile indulgently and kissed his cheek, "Now that I have established that you are not changing your mind about marrying me..."

 

"Never." He whispered, with a smile.

 

"I had have to say, you did succeed in something which is surprising me."

 

"Yeah, but I didn't plan on it by making you cry." He said softly, brushing away the remaining tears on her cheeks.

 

"You just overwhelmed me. I have spent the last three and a half week wondering what happened and then you suddenly show up when I have pretty much given up, when I never expected to see you at all."

 

"So, I take it that you missed me as well?"

 

Yuri glared at him, "No."

 

"No? I miss you though."

 

"Clearly." She said, in what was meant to be an acid tone but the smile that formed on her face dimmed the effect somewhat.

 

"So, how about I try this again? Happy Valentine's Day."

 

Yuri smiled and took the roses from him, "You know, now that you have made a habit of it, next year I will be expecting a surprised and roses on Valentine's Day as well."

 

"Next year I will be painfully predictable then." Minho grinned.

 

"Thank you." She whispered, "Though you still have to make up to me for those horrible three weeks."

 

"Will this do?" He whispered, leaning in and kissing her.

 

"No, I don't think so. Maybe another one might do it though." She said, sighing dreamily. Minho laughed and kissed her again.

 

When they parted, he said, "You might want your other presents as well."

 

"Other presents?"

 

"Yeah, I got this a while ago actually but I was saving it for today." He took out a flat blue velvet box from his charcoal london fog wool-blend car coat.

 

"Well, it's too big for a ring; but you have already given me one in any cases."

 

Minho didn't answer but just opened it for her to see. Inside was a beautiful kate spade new york 'polka dot pearl' pendant necklace.

 

"Pearl, just like the nickname Sooyoung calls you, black pearl." Minho said, when she just looked at it breathlessly.

 

"Oh, Minho Oppa, it's beautiful."

 

"Not as beautiful as you." This made her blush.

 

"You really shouldn't have, you know."

 

"A guy likes to spoil his favorite girl on Valentine's Day, Yuri."

 

Yuri's heart became lighter than it had been in weeks as she turned around so Minho could put the necklace on her.

 

"But I don't have anything for you since I didn't know if you will come back or not." Yuri said, turning around to face Minho once the necklace was safety secure around her neck.

 

"It's alright. I already got my present."

 

Yuri tilted her head to the side with a confused expression on her face.

 

"Coming home to see you is the only gift I want for Valentine this year."

 

"Oppa." Yuri said, her eyes getting watery.

 

"Come on, we might want to head to your place now. I think Sooyoung's got some kind of party planned out."

 

"Sooyoung? Wait a minute." Yuri narrowed her eyes, "She doesn't happen to know anything about this surprised of yours, does she? She told me she hasn't heard from you either. She has, hasn't she?"

 

"Well, I might have asked her to tell you a white lie or two." Minho shrugged while grinning.

 

"I'm going to kill her."

 

"Don't kill her yet. You might want her as your maid of honor."

 

"I think I will have to think very carefully about marrying you now, you know." Yuri said, with a straight face.

 

"Think about it all you want. Just make sure you don't stand me up at the alter. Besides, you loved the surprised and you know it."

 

"It was nice." Yuri said grudgingly, with a pout.

 

"So, shall we get going then?" Minho asked, holding an arm out to Yuri. She smiled and slipped her arm around his. As they walked to his blue K7 car, Minho added, "I love you."

 

Yuri rested her head against his shoulder and sighed contendtly, "I know. I love you, too."