~*Your/Hye Ri's POV*~

I looked down, my heart pumping with adrenaline. I had thought it over before I went to bed last night and I decided that it's the end. I'm tired, and there's just some things that you simply gotta learn to give up. I'm done trying to get back at L. I'm done caring. I'm done trying to be someone I'm not. I'm just done. 

Since it's the end, might as well not leave behind any regrets.

I gripped my cell phone in my hand, dialing the number that I knew all too well. As the phone began to ring, I held it to my ear, waiting for his voice to answer in anticipation. After what seemed like a lifetime too long, he finally picked up. "Hello?" The sound of his voice allowed me to let out a ragged breath that I hadn't even realized I had been holding. 

"...L Oppa." I spoke, half to him, half simply to myself.

"Back to L Oppa now? What happened to your new nickname for me? Myungsoo-sshi?" Even though I couldn't see him, I could hear the playful smile over the line. I could tell that even though he was teasing me, he was happy that I went back to calling him the endearing term. I closed my eyes, tears pricking the corners of them. 

"L Oppa." I repeated, on the verge of bawling. It caught his attention, and all traces of joking disappeared.

"Angel? What's wrong?" He fretted, worried.

"Oppa. Did you know? I tried to hate you. I really did." I croaked. He went quiet. "I was so upset with you. I willed myself to hate you but do you know what? I can't. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get over you." I fell silent, letting him soak in the information. "That's why I asked for L.Joe's help." I revealed, barely audible. "I could at least let myself feel better by letting you feel what you made me feel. Did it hurt? Because I know it hurt me." I laughed without amusement. "It's okay though. You can get angry at me for what I did because I can't change the fact that it happened, but I just wanted to tell you so I could go without the weight of it on my chest."

"Wait." He finally found his voice. The alarm in it evident. "Go? Hye Ri where are you go-"

"Goodbye Oppa." I spoke, doing my best to ignore him as he continued speaking as well. "I love you."

"Hye Ri? What's going on? Where are you?" He panicked, shooting one question after another at me. I looked at my phone one last time before holding it out in front of me and letting it drop. 

Babo. Still won't say I love you.

I could hear L's terrified voice as I dropped the phone, continuously interrogating me. Down. Down. Down. It sailed through the air until it came in contact with the surface of the water and eventually, slipped under, lost in the ripples of the river. I kept my eyes on the free-falling object the whole time, committing its journey to memory.

I mean, I will be following it. 

Tentatively, I glanced over the railing, mentally preparing myself. I never thought I'd come to this. I always told myself that I wasn't the type to run away from my problems this way. I guess I thought too highly of myself. I'm a coward after all. I closed my eyes. Half of me was ready to throw myself over the edge, yet the other half... the other half was experiencing wishful thinking. Part of me was waiting, hoping that he would come to save me.

Right. He doesn't even know where you are Hye Ri. You never told him. It'd be impossible for him to come. 

Forcing back the feeling of self pity, I set my jaw, determined to go through with it. I began mounting over the railing, removing the barrier between me and the steep dropoff to the river. I was shaking like a leaf, the wind blowing right through me, causing me to feel both exhilarated and scared stiff at the same time. I really was going through with this. There was nothing stopping me. Nothing holding me back. Just as I was bringing my right foot over the rail, a hand clasped around my wrist. If it hadn't been for the hand that wound around my waist, I would have fallen off due to pure shock. To say the least, the sudden intrusion surprised me. Before I realized it, I had been pulled back over the railing, the barrier set up once again between me and the beckoning waves. My face was buried in the shirt of my savior, his chest heaving as his breaths came strong and fast. His legs had given out and he was sitting down, I could feel the grass tickling my calves, he was clutching onto me, keeping me prisoner on his lap. 

Not that I minded. It was a nice feeling to be held so close. 

My shoulders relaxed and my mind went whirling, thinking up countless possibilities.

Could it be..?

Holding my breath in anticipation, I pushed my face away from his chest, wanting to see the face of my savior, my mind set on it being that one person. I lifted my eyes to meet deep brown orbs that gazed worriedly at me, sharp features, pink lips. A face I had gotten so used to. A face I've come to adore. He was pure perfection to lay eyes upon, yet, I couldn't keep the disappointment from settling inside my chest like heavy stones. I was happy to see him, yeah, but he wasn't the one I was waiting for.

"Are you dumb? What do you think you were doing?" He exploded, yelling, but taking care not to jostle my body. He hadn't hurt me physically but his words stung like the slashes of knives. I flinched, unused to his anger. "Don't say you were trying to end your life. Tell me it was something else." He pleaded, searching my eyes frantically. I said nothing, the tears that were once again gathering at the corners of my eyes said it all. "How do you think I would feel, Hye Ri? Huh?! One day, you're there laughing next to me, pretending that you're happy, pretending that everything is okay, and the next day your face is on the news announcing your suicide?! Why don't you ever think about what I will feel?! Why don't you ever think about me?!" Angry tears were burning his eyes now, and he was breathing hard, trying to steady his breath after releasing all of his pent up emotions. 

My eyebrows furrowed, upset. Seeing him so distraught broke me down, and ugly sobs racked my body. I could barely speak. I could barely breath. "O-oppa. I'm sorry." I managed to say between sniffles and sobs. "I never wanted to hurt you, but I only see him, Oppa. It's only him in my eyes. No matter how many times he hurts me, no matter how many times he leaves, it will always be him." I confessed. "I only miss him when I'm breathing. I only think about him when my heart's beating. He's only on my mind 24 hours at a time. No matter how I try to erase him from my mind, he keeps returning, Oppa. I'm so pathetic. What do I do?" He didn't say a word. Based off of his silence, I thought I had said something to upset him, and I mentally prepared myself for what was to come, but he surprised me. Slowly, he raised his hand to the back of my head, gingerly my hair to comfort me, methodically rocking back and forth, attempting to calm me down.

It took a while for me to stop crying. After my sobs subsided, he spoke quietly, almost as if he was afraid I'd start bawling once again. "Hye Ri-yah. For once... can't you look at me?" Sniffles escaped my parted lips, but I complied, looking up at him expectantly. His lips curved up into a tired, but amused smile. "I didn't mean literally, but that's a plus too. I meant can't you look at me as a man? I'm not asking you to look at me the way you looked- the way you look at L. I know I can't be for you everything that he was. But even though I may not be the perfect one out there fore you, even though I can't promise I'll always be able to make you smile, I swear I won't ever make you cry. I wanna be there beside you. Always."

I stared at him, my mind blank of any coherent thoughts. What...

"Can't you give me a chance?" He whispered, eyes pleading.

My heart raced faster, the nervous feeling twisting in my gut, my mind finally catching up and comprehending the words spiling from his lips. I admit I'd thought about it before. I thought about what it'd be like if L.Joe was my boyfriend. Besides the one time that he broke my trust, he's been there for me. When I'm in pain, when I'm lonely, when I'm happy, he's there. Always patient. Always kind. And I'm grateful for him for all he's done, all he's sacrificed for me. It wouldn't be unreasonable for him to ask me to overlook the one mistake he made of lying to me that he was dating Sumi... right?

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We were now sitting on a bench overlooking the river. I don't know how long we've been here, but judging by the sun that had already begun setting, its been quite a while. I was leaning onto him, comfortably resting in the crook of his shoulder, our breaths coming out even and in time with one another. "Today... how did you find me? How did you know where I would be?" I voiced my thoughts out loud, genuinely curious.

"I'm your knight in shining armour. Of course I would know where to find you so I could save you." He replied matter-of-factly. "I have a radar system wired in my brain that keeps me updated on you and warns me when you're in trouble." He gave me a sideways glance, showcasing his amusement with his own explaination.

"Oppa." I nudged him with my shoulder and a roll of my eyes. A smile was playing on my lips yet the desire to know the real reason burned inside me, growing as he teased me.

"Alright. Alright." He relented, holding his hands up in defeat. "To be honest, it was by chance. I had a premonition... kinda. I was feeling anxious and stuffy sitting around all day so I decided to take a walk. I was just wandering around, not noticing anything around me and just thinking when all of a sudden, I saw something in the corner of my eye. Now I realize it was you dropping your phone. To be honest, it felt like my heart dropped with it when I realized what you were doing. I couldn't process it at first, but then I ran like hell. If I didn't make it..." He trailed off and I gently touched his arm, reassuring him that everything was alright.

He returned the gesture with the raise of his lips, and my heart leaped in elation, captivated by his dazzling smile and indulging in the fact that he was comfortable baring his raw emotions to me. I felt so special, so unique. So wanted. It was an overwhelming feeling, realizing how strong his feelings were for me. "Why me, L.Joe Oppa? Out of every other girl out there, why did you pick me?"

He sighed dramatically. With a shake of his head, he guided my head back to rest on his shoulder, me once before crossing his arms across his chest. "Shh. I already answered your other question. That's enough questions for now. Let's just enjoy the sunset in each other's company, yeah?" He proposed, and I slowly, but reluctantly, nodded my head.

I'll get my answers soon enough, I'll make sure of it.

With that, I relaxed my body, appreciating the pink streaked skies as I admired the puffy clouds that ran across the pastel race track. The light breeze tickled my exposed skin, leaving my bodily tingling with an exhilerating sensation. I closed my eyes and I could hear the soft sound of the water hitting the rocky barrier, I could hear the small birds squacking at each other as they raided their last feast of the day, and I was content for the moment.

But only for the moment.

"Angel!" A winded voice called out, causing me to stiffen with widened eyes.