아홉

The bittersweet tingle through his veins intensified with every breath he took. Yoon JiHoo rested his body against the clear glass of his home. The night's sky beamed down upon the lone rider, and the stars sparkled above. The new oxygen gave his body a momentary release of tension. The realisation returned to his mind and heart the moment her name echoed in his mind. Min Seo Hyun. The solemn expression had broken momentarily with a flicker of a smile, the faint flicker that faded almost instantly. The inevitable stab of jealousy struck the weakest muscle in his body. The ache of pain penetrated his veins. The masculine hand held onto the small cup through the tremors, the steam had faded into the cool zephyr. Yoon JiHoo's deep brown eyes glazed over with a solemn façade of serenity. The shaking gradually increased. Emotions had reached their peak, and there was a tragic collision which left only confusion in his mind. The sound of footsteps made his shattered heart to sadden. The sound of wheels followed, and the scent of the richest vanilla came to his nostrils. The cup was placed aside to the nearest ledge within sight; emptiness prevailed.

Min Seo Hyun left the suitcase at the side of the main doors. Silence. The act of speaking to, or thinking about her brought the next tingle of discomfort. The shaking continued as the cup was raised to his rosy lips to intake the burning liquid to fill the empty void in his stomach. The footsteps came closer, and the scent overwhelmed his subconscious. It was only when they arms embraced him that he felt the void began to reduce, the warmth of their body contact almost encouraged a smile to appear – but he fought it, she could soon fade into the distance with the memories. "JiHoo-ah …" the feminine purr emitted. Her voice, her touch, her scent, -- it only allowed stitch after stitch unravel. The larger hands placed over her wrists, a moment of self-indulgence broke the selfish spell he desired like oxygen. A firm grip latched itself against her slender arms to reluctantly push her away from his warm body. Upon his face lay only sadness, the widened hues glistening with every second they lingered on the flawless woman before him.

"We need to talk …" she began, placing a hand upon his shoulder to place the other her arms around his broad shoulders. JiHoo's brown hues closed as her warmth embraced him. What a calming scent she held; the serenity of her presence penetrated through his veins. It was stronger with every second that she held onto him. "Yoon JiHoo, I am returning to France in two days." The final squeeze of his shoulders brought the close embrace to part shortly after. The beat of his heart slowed to a faint pumping, the look in his eyes glazed over with disappointment, with fear … with the same tinge of pain that shot through his body. She held out her hand for him, her slender fingers extended to touch JiHoo's palm, a gentle stroke of her fingernails against the delicate skin woke him the trance. His widened eyes stared directly into hers, the glaze left a delicate layer of salty moisture in the corner of the creamy hues. Her hand was pushed away instantly, his expression bare from emotions.

"Why did you come back?" The first question was fired, though he received no verbal answer. A soft hand stroked against his jaw line, capturing his neck with a swift slide. Once more he pushed away, the aching desire retaliated to build walls of stone around him, walls that would stood thicker than he had ever known them. "Why did you bother?" Min Seo Hyun and Yoon JiHoo's distance only increased with the awkward silence burning the aura around them. "I don't expect you to understand, JiHoo-ah." Every word increased the distance between the woman his heart desired, with the bitter reality.

A rushed pacing led JiHoo along the pathway; the silence was finally broken with the sudden contact. Eye contact captured his full attention as the words failed to reach his parted lips. The close proximity left him craving her like a drug, how could he survive when his world was falling apart? "I thought you were happy – you didn't call, you didn't visit. You forgot about us. You forgot about everything …" His words began to crack, the memories returned stronger than ever.

The young child watched his Grandfather walk swiftly from the grave site, from the two coffins baring the beloved parents the young child had killed, the two parents who had once loved this selfish child. They were dead … they were gone. The child released the bigger hand to held onto him. "Harabeoji!" he screamed for the first time, and the man had gotten into the black limo quickly. "Harabeoji!" he yelled for a second time, chasing after the car as it pulled away. "Harabeoji!"he yelled through the tears not only staining his cheeks, but also causing the high pitched voice to crack. The child tripped, the falling to the floor came with a sudden thud, and he was alone. "Harabeoji!" The final scream echoed into the distance as the car disappeared, getting smaller and smaller until he could no longer see it.

"You forgot about me." The voice was barely audible, the whisper disappeared into the aching silence. Min Seo Hyun's lips part to exhale a soft sigh. "Wae?!" The voce suddenly demanded, the loud and confident pitch left its traces throughout the isolated location. SeoHyun's hand placed to JiHoo's chest, over his beating heart to feel the faint touch of each thud before her sweet voice dared to speak. "There's an expression, JiHoo-ah, that if you love something enough, you let it go."

"Geojitmal." SeoHyun's hand removed to fall at her sides. The first tear had leaked from the creamy hues, the parted lips trembled. "Geojitmal …" he repeated, stepping backwards to once more rest his body against the glass.

Geum JanDi watched the scene from afar, the view of the two standing together brought her head to tilt. The news of Min Seo Hyun's return to France came at its price. Silently, she sat on the floor to rest her head to the wall, the faint sound of the voices for her to hear. A soft smile broke out onto her face, the smile lighting her eyes to sparkle. "Yoon JiHoo, why is this such a bother? You've got a future here … your eyes are for only one." Her thumb wiped the small tear before tilting his chin for his features to shine in the moonlight. Making simple eye contact tingled and churned at every moment had graced him with her presence. Not a single word would he say. His hand however placed over hers to raise it to his lips. A tender peck touched the back of her hand, lingering then placing their palms to each other. JanDi could hardly fight the smile from appearing on her face, the sight of the two soothed the void momentarily to allow the vicarious happiness into her aura. "Who? Who are you talking about? Seo Hyun! Answer me … that's the least you owe me."

She sighed softly. "You don't think it hurts to see your eyes light up whenever you see Geum JanDi? JiHoo'ah has grown up into a man, and Geum JanDi into a beautiful woman. There is no need for me to invade your life." JiHoo's patience broke in a moment of deeply rooted fear. His hands gripped her shoulders as he pulled her closer, their faces were only centimetres from each other … her scent like the sweetest torture. Part of him enjoyed the aching pain in his heart, in the pit of his stomach. "Geum JanDi? Is this what this is about? Min Seo Hyun, for fifteen years of my life I only ever looked at you -- you were --- you are the only woman I can see. Why don't you understand? I want to hold you … to love you, to kiss you. Why is that so difficult to understand? You're running away again, and you're leaving me and everything we ever had. Wae? Wae?!" he released her as the first tear released from his dark hues.

Geum JanDi's eyes widened as the proximity reduced between the two. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the heartbreaking image. When they lips made their contact, she could feel the bandages falling out of the place, the shards of her heart shattering once more. Geum JanDi, stop watching … leave, she tried to encourage herself, though the ability to breathe grew difficult – each breath felt like her whole world was collapsing from beneath her. She stood now, tearing her eyes away from sight to return to the bedroom located for her. The door was closed and the lights were turned on to reveal the silhouettes as figures, the window reflecting the shimmers of light, and her body. Heartache was a lot more difficult the second time around.

"Your love is pure, JiHoo. The boy I knew had a heart of gold, and that boy grew into a man." Her fingers laced with his, holding tightly on the grip to bring their bodies closer. Eye contact was finally made between the two, the inability to look away had him lost under an insatiable spell. "Please, JiHoo-ah … think carefully. A woman's heart is not to be played with. . But I must go back to France." She released his hand to walk to the pink suitcase. "But you play with mine like it were a toy? Why did you come back?" Yoon JiHoo asked, curiosity burned anxiously. Min Seo Hyun pulled the suitcase further to JiHoo, placing it aside once more – the reminder was stronger than before, she was going … she would be gone by tomorrow, his heart would be half way across the world.

"Part of me, JiHoo-ah, thought this would be a good idea. But now I can see that it's been fruitless. Your heart belongs to another … and I am glad to see you happy, JiHoo-ah." The female's smile coated the agonizing reality that she perceived from the glance of his deep brown eyes. "There is nobody else … there is only you." frustration set in beyond the initial heart ache that left his body suddenly weakened.

This excuse alone did not block away the desire to love and protect this man. His words were processed carefully as her heart sank in her chest as he said each word. "Goodbye Yoon JiHoo." She placed a soft kiss to the corner of his lips. The soft collision of their kiss came as he tilt his head to the side to steal the last touch and taste of her presence before oceans part their contact. His arms wrapped around her waist, though the unexpected reaction caught him off guard. A passionate lock brought the protected to the protector; the life support that brought him through the clouded and foggy childhood brought him to a new path of happiness. His lips couldn't detach … like a dream, he felt as though the floor beneath him had been removed, like he was floating in a world of ecstasy.

The couple finally parted from the lip contact. Min Seo Hyun stepped away slowly, the glance on the suitcase lingered. Her hand extended to hold onto the handle, pulling it further towards the limo. "Where are you going? Noona …" JiHoo's hands dropped to his sides with a sigh of desperation. One step brought them closer together. "Your life without me, JiHoo-ah, is a lot easier. I return Friday evening, goodnight JiHoo." The woman bow gently, withdrawing to put the suitcase into the back of the limo that held his misery so strongly wrapped in the black vechile. "Min Seo Hyun." JiHoo called out, though he got no response. "Min Seo Hyun!" was once more screamed out, but the car door had closed. "Min Seo Hyun!" he screamed for the final time, watching the limo fade into darkness. He stood alone to stare up at the moon and the shining stars.