BOOK CHAPTER THREE

Lee’s Residence

12:00PM KST

March 29, 2023

They arrived exactly by lunch time at the gates of the Lee. It was the old house for the Lee for years since the restaurant began and Mrs. Lee have decided move near the said restaurant.

Hanna can’t move right away in the new house because the house was too small for four persons so she has decided to use to old house. Of course, Mrs. Lee cleaned the house her daughter’s arrival.

As she steps out of the car, her gaze falls on the sidewalk on her right. It was an overwhelming sad feeling that pierce her heart as she stare at that place, it was the place where she talked to him, and the last time she saw Sehun.

Well, except for that Paris thing.

Old Diary Entry

No date

[A piece from past]

I am now on my way the airport and around an hour later, I would leave Korea. I can’t imagine how things round up so fast. It was like yesterday was my first day of school where I have a goal of having a bright future. Right now, I feel like I am on the edge of black hole that is trying to swallow me whole.

I barely had stopped my cries in the passenger seat. I looked at the middle mirror and I first saw my father’s pale skin, he was sleeping right now as my mother was patting Myungsoo’s head. It was so sad to watch them that it made me cry more.

I was not really planning to cry on my way to airport if not Sehun. I didn’t expect him to come in my place before I left. He called me at first asking me, where am I and of course I replied him that I am still at my house and I am about to leave in a few.

“I love you.” He said as he called the second time around.

“Stop being sweet,” I replied as I put my bag on the compartment. I tried not hard to smile but I can’t help but to. “Stop blushing.” He says. My smile fade instantly and I looked at my left and I found no one, I just heard Sehun’s chuckle and I try to look at my back but I found no one.

"How did you know I was blushing?” I asked him. I didn’t notice at first that I was holding my face when I looked at the glass.

“Look at your left.” He replied. I looked at my left and I saw Sehun standing a couple of feet from me. He was smiling at me and he put his phone at his pocket as his other hand was holding on a cane.

I frowned at the sight of him not because I don’t like to see him right now. As far as I know, Sehun should be on the hospital.

I walked towards him and Sehun start taking a small step. “Stop!” I shouted at him and I jog to meet him before he could take another step. “Who told you to come here?” I asked him immediately.

“Who do you think?” Sehun replied sheepishly. I raised my eyebrow at him and he grinned at me. “Trust me. I’m fine.”

I still give him a doubt but he just leaned down to reach my level. “I’ll miss you, Hanna.” He whispered and he kissed my forehead.

I didn’t say anything back as Sehun kissed the nose of my bridge next. “I’m sorry.” He says.

“For what?”

“I’m sorry for everything.”

“Everything?” I asked him looking at his eyes. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Oh Sehun.”

“I did.” Sehun replied. “Because of me, the path between us a dangerous U-turn.”

“My father doesn’t have to do with us.” I tried to tell him that everything’s fine but I can’t understand what Sehun mean on U-turn. I tried to rack my mind but I can just remember that everything started because of me. If I was not clumsy, Sehun wouldn’t have severe back pain that turned out to be worst.

“No. That’s not what I mean.” Sehun said. “If I was--“

“I should be the one who should say sorry to you, Sehun.” I cut him before he could blame himself for my mistakes. I reach for his face and give him a small smile. “The first time you got an accident was because of my mistake. Do you still remember the reason you hit your back on the sharp part of the tree when we were listening on the important moment of Alice and Chanyeol?

“I was left standing alone behind the bushes and all of you are hiding, you pulled me down because it would ruin everything. You lose your balance and you hit the tree.” I paused as tear formed around my eyes blurring the Sehun’s face in my gaze. “If I was hiding, you wouldn’t be sick in the first place.”

“I owe you my life Sehun.” I whispered as he wiped my tears with his hands shaking. “You save from my death the first time and it is the second time your back was affected.

“I can’t help but to blame myself and you shouldn’t be the one saying sorry.”

“Sshh.” Sehun shushed. He wrap free arm around my waist. I lean in his chest and I notice that he is breathing irregularly but I didn’t say anything. I want to hug him but I don’t know if that action would hurt him.

“I just did what I think is right.” Sehun whispered after a couple of silence between us pass. “It was never your fault, Hanna. I choose to save you because I love you and I don’t mind if time rewinds itself or the same pattern is going to happen in the future. I would always choose to save you.”

I was staring the whole time at Sehun’s face when he said that to me. I can’t help but smile a bit after I have cried so much, I just looked down on our shoes and I let my arms wrap around him. I don’t know if this is the goodbye for us but I am very happy that it ended well.

It was not like in the novels where the couple cried so much and they have parted their ways in a very sad moment. It was not like Cinderella where she just ran away when midnight comes. It was like a normal thing I felt right now. It was like the reality that was supposed to be.

THUNG. I snapped out of my thoughts when Sehun’s cane falls on the sidewalk. “Sehun!”  My eyes widened as Sehun’s weight fell on me that I almost lost my balance. I called him once again but I just heard his heavy breathing.

“I’m sorry.” He speaks dryly and I almost thought that it was his heavy breathing. “I lied.” He added. An ajhussi came and he put Sehun’s arm on his shoulders.   “A minute,” he winced as the ajhussi was about to turn back to the car.

Sehun take a couple of deep breathes and I was left staring at him. “Don’t give me that look.” He tried to smirk at me which made me scowl a bit. How could he even manage saying those words when he is in damn pain?

 “Sehun, you should go back.” I told him seriously but he didn’t seem to care. He closes his eyes and the ajhussi tried to carry Sehun’s weight on his shoulders.

“No.” He said stubbornly. I shake my head and I walk to his side and put his other arm on my shoulder. “Ajhussi, let’s put him inside the car.” I demanded and we start walking towards the car.

“Hanna.” Sehun said weakly. “I’m sorry I look worse on our last day.”

“Shut up.”  I throw him a glare and I open the door from the back seat. I hop in and I help Sehun to enter the car as the ajhussi help us from the outside. After we have settled Sehun inside, I open the door from the other side as the ajhussi run to the driver’s seat.

“Wait.” Sehun reach for my hand but his grip wasn’t even strong. The ajhussi opened the door but Sehun shooed him away and told him to wait for a couple of minutes. The ajhussi looked startled for a moment.

“Three minutes.” I told him. “I promise.” The ajhussi bowed and he closes the door immediately.

We didn’t speak for a second or so. I leaned back on the car as I caught my parents coming out of our gates. They looked confused because they notice that some of my things are left outside the compartment. The ajhussi walked towards them and he picks my things up and put it in the trunk.

He said something to my parents and he pointed us. My father who looked well right now seemed to understand the whole thing and my mother keeps on nodding at the ajhussi who check his watch.

“Two and half minutes more,” Sehun said. I looked at Sehun whose eyes are closed. His skin which was very pale a moment ago turned a little better.

“Don’t worry. I feel better.” He smiled.

I rolled my eyes though he can’t see. “I know you rolled your eyes.” He added. I didn’t say anything back at him

“Anything else?”

Sehun reached for my hands and he open his eyes looking down at our hands. I followed his gaze and I heard him saying, “I love you.”

I tilted back and stare at him for a moment. Memorizing everything about him before two minutes came. His jaw that is so sharp.  The pale cheeks of him, I never had the opportunity to pinch even once. His eyes that is so warm and when he smiles his eyes became so small that I don’t even know if he can still see something.

“I love you too.” I said with whole sincerity I can muster. Sehun rub his thumb along my hand and he put a light kiss on my fingertips.  Sehun opened his eyes and he looked at me. A tear suddenly fall on his cheeks after he finished kissing my fingertips.

“I will be coming back to you. I promise.” He kissed my hand once again.

I didn’t try to think of what will happen to us in the future. My thoughts swarm with negative things and I try not sob in full in front of him. What if this is the last time we will be seeing each other? What if we met once again and I was married or the other way around? I shake my mind.

I squeeze Sehun’s hands and I looked back at him with a hope that the only I know for now. “I will be waiting. I promise.”

“You will?” Sehun asked with a hint of surprise.

“I will.” I answered with a smile on my lips. “Just promise me that you will be coming back for me.”

“I promise.” He says. I don’t know how on Earth that will happen. Future is very foggy that even I tried to fan, another layer of fog comes within and I can’t see what’s lying on it. Right now, we are both holding for a promise that it seems to be very impossible. I am left only with a choice to hold on.

“I…” I stammered thinking of what should I say first. Our time is about to end soon. I feel it. I want to say many things. I want to say everything to Sehun but I don’t know how to put a start on it. “What will you do when you saw me once again in the future?”

“I will marry you.”

“You can’t.” I chuckled. Sehun open his mouth in an open ‘o’ and he closes in once again, he tried to open once again but he decided to just to shut up. “You can’t just marry me when you saw me!” I corrected him.

Sehun looked at me for a bit moment and he laugh dryly looking outside the window. “You have my heart, Lee Hanna and I just need your damn I do.”

“You have my heart too, Oh Sehun.” I noted. “But my I do is very exclusive.”

“I will miss that.” Sehun said after the seconds of laughing. He looked better that he was a couple of moment ago, I smiled. Maybe waiting for him isn’t bad at all. Maybe in two or three years, I will be seeing him again.

“Don’t look for another Lee Hanna.” I warned teasingly.

Sehun grin at me and for a moment once again, everything felt normal. “I won’t.” He crosses his heart.

The ajhussi open the door and our tiny bubble burst out. “Three minutes is over?” He looked at us with a wary in his look.

“Can we have few more moments please?”

The ajhussi stare at Sehun for a moment as if he is studying him, then he nod at them. He closes the door and he fished his phone out. I heard Sehun’s sigh. I looked at him with an instant worry on my face.

“I don’t like to end this.” Sehun said. “If I can just do something…”

“No.” I patted him. “Just let this moment go. We promise, Sehun and I will hold on even it take ten or twenty years or even if I get white streaks and wrinkles.”

“What if I don’t come back?”

“You will.” I said. I scooted a little closer to him and I kissed his forehead. “I believe in you, Sehun.”

“You told me that you have already loved me before I realize that I love you, Oh Sehun.” I reach for his face, staring at his brown orbs. “I don’t know how to give the same kind of love you gave me but if there’s one thing I would like to do, I want to start on something new for us.”

Sehun reached for me face, and his thumb rub on my cheeks. “Stop crying.” He whispered. My hand automatically reaches for my face but before it could, he grabs it and he laid it down on his lap. ‘Let me.’ He mouthed silently.

He didn’t say anything next but he just wipe the remaining tears and he kissed on the cheeks where my lips are the nearest. “I am no perfect man for you but I will try my best to be the best man for you.”

“When I saw you in few years later, the first thing that I would do is to make you happy. That’s my answer, Hanna. I hate you seeing crying because of me.”

His gaze broke onto mine and he pulled our faces closer until our nose touches each other. “I will make you happy…” He said it will full sincerity that I never heard. I close my eyes, steadying my breath. I can feel my heart beating fast as we close the gap between us.

That’s our second kiss.

It was our goodbye.

For now…

“Hanna?” Hanna was snapped out by Chanyeol who is still carrying the now-awake Yohan in his arms. She looked back at the streets on her right and sighs. “I’m tired.” She replied though she doesn’t feel tired at all. Chanyeol follow her gaze on that particular streets, he sense something but he just can’t figure out.

“Is something wrong?” Chanyeol asked.

“Nothing.” Hanna answered and she looked at Chanyeol who returned his gaze back on her. She wanted to ask something about Sehun but it doesn’t just feel right to ask right now. She just smiled at him and she starts walking inside the house.

As she entered the house, she realized that nothing change at all except for that everything looks a bit old. She was informed that her mother is coming any moment so she has decided to look around the house for a bit.

She first entered her bedroom which is a bit crowded if she sleep tonight with Yohan. “I could use eomma’s room for now.” She said to herself and she takes a sit in her desk.

She opens the biggest drawer and she found a simple post it tuck in wood.

“I’ll see you soon.”

She removed the post it from the wood and she looked at the back of it but she didn’t find anything on it. She doesn’t even remember leaving a post it in her drawer.

“Noona?” She heard Myungsoo’s voice.

“Where are you?”

Myungsoo opened the door to her bedroom and he saw his sister sitting on the desk. “Noona!” He said in glee striding across the room. Hanna put the post it back in her drawer and she faces her brother immediately.

“Yes?”

“What are you doing here?” Myungsoo asked her suspiciously.

“Nothing.” She lied. “I was checking on my drawing and I notice that some of them were lost. Did eomma clean my room too?”

“Yes but she told me that she just clean the bed, the cabinets and the floor.” Myungsoo replied. “But eomma never told me about your things being lost.”

Hanna sighed once again. She stands up and she pulled Myungsoo towards the door. “Let’s go back.” She said with one last glimpse on the drawer.

Who would leave a note in my desk?