Chapter 25: Ai Qing Xuan Ya (Love's Cliff)

[I Paris, the sky is a blinding blue color that only accentuated the glory of the city of love. Birds chirping happily in the lush green boughs of the trees above. The air was thick with the perfume of summer. The blazing sun, the happy chatter of people walking, the simple beauty of a city alive.

Wait a second.

Why am I here? What am I doing here?

"Hurry up! Your portfolio review's coming soon!"

"Portfolio?"


"Don't tell me you forgot! That École Emile Cohl school was offering you a full ride scholarship! Don't tell me you forgot!"

"Nana... They never told me anything! What are you talking about! Hey! Quit that!"

"No time to waste, Yashi! Come on! Get in this thing!"

"... It's a dress..."


"Yes. It's a dress. You're not planning to go to an interview with a suit now do you?"

"Actually---"

"I'm in charge this time. NOW GO."

"Fine..."

She stood there, waiting outside the bathroom of the hotel that we were staying in, her foot tapping impatiently on the ground as I was forced to slip into an actual dress.

"Why do I have to do this again?"

"Because you're a girl."

"Right..."

"Come on! Let's go already!"

"Fine! Fine!"

The large portfolio stood at the edge of the bed, it almost came up to my waist it was filled with every art related piece I had ever done. Oddly enough, it was lighter than what I was used to. I had always remembered that hulking thing to be so heavy, so laden with things of sentimental value that I would have to carefully drag it behind me.

Odd that it had somehow become so light.

"Come on! Come on!"

"Alright! Alright!"

The cobbled streets of France were not exactly the easiest things to run upon, especially in heels but we were on a time crunch and thus, sprinted the whole way to the college which seemed to be miles away. Oddly enough, we were able to get there in record time. A grand building it was, lavishly covered with ornate and beautiful sculpture. Trees elegantly lined the pathways, shading and leading up towards the school which was impeccably framed with vaulting fountains that shot water up towards the sky, it was a breath taking sight indeed.

The campus was indeed beautifully crafted by none other than the greatest artists in the world. No wonder it was such an honor to be here, especially on an offer for a full ride scholarship. And there he sat. His perfectly chiseled face outlined by the blue of the water from the fountains and the sky in a profile. A perfect nose, perfect blood red lips, perfect hair. He was the very embodiment of perfection and beauty.

He looked exactly like Yunho.

The portfolio review and the aspect of possibly getting into graduate school for free became an after thought suddenly, all that mattered was that I talked to this enigma of a man.

The concrete bench was cold but what was I going to complain about? He had sparked something within me, something that I can't explain. Deeper than the love and admiration that I had for Raphael, deeper and, just something more than what I had for someone that I had cared for so much.

"Uhm... Hi..."

"Leave me alone..."

His voice, it sounds just like Yunho's. That crystal clear tone. Low, comforting, edgy, and god damned sexy.

"I... I uh... just wanted to say hi..."

"Well say hi to someone else. Don't you know the meaning of personal space?! What the hell are you doing here anyways? You don't belong here! You're some random girl who just happened to land herself at a job here. Please, as IF you could EVER attract one of us. You're out of your MIND."

"Wait... what are you talking about?!"

"You know. I don't see what Hankyung or Sungmin see in you, you're nothing but a whore who got lucky enough. Get away from me."

The scenery warped itself from the brilliant sky and fountains to the white walls that had replaced my life as I know it. The bleak walls seemed so transparent, so thin, leaning towards the sky.

"You're not needed. Not by us.."

This wasn't happening. Why the hell was this happening?! What did I do wrong? Where did I go wrong? How? I didn't know they hated me so much.

"None of us need you."

Of all the insults that I've heard from him. This, hurt the most. [/i

"GHYAAAAA!!!!!"

"Well. Good morning sleeping beauty."

"... What the hell, YUNHO?!"

There was the very person who had invaded my dreams, his arms wrapped around me, a groggy look on his face along with a bit of a lop sided grin, his hair tousled and his pajamas in disarray. He chuckled slightly, his grin still on his face.

"Good morning to you too."

"What the hell are you doing here?!"

"Why, I'm sleeping of course... well was."

"What happened to your room?!"

"The others were snoring. So I decided to sleep here."

"Why not the next door neighbors?!"

"With their refrigerator like it is, I didn't want to risk my life."

"And so you decided to invade my personal bubble?"

"What personal bubble?"

"... The one that you're hugging. Quite frankly, I think it popped the moment you walked through this bedroom door."

"Awe... Is someone grumpy when she wakes up?"

"Shaddup. I'm getting up... I got work today, unlike some of the population."

"Awe, come on... don't you wanna just cuddle up with me under the blankets? It's cold outside."

"Yes, and I also need to get paid. How was the concert?"

"... Filled with fangirls."

"That's good. It means you guys get paid."

"But they're all so annoying. All of them want a piece of us... one way or the other."

"Well, fame is a two edged sword. What do you expect?"

"A bit more sympathy from you?"

"... What do you want me to say? I love you until death does us part and I'd jump off of a cliff for you?"

"Yes..."

"Well there, I said it. Happy?"

"Why are you so mean? You like me don't you?"

"That's a lie."

"It is?"

[iOf course it is you twit. I hate you.[/i

"Of course not. I love you."

"Come again?"

Crap. Did I just blurt that out? What the hell is wrong with me? I thought I had more self restraint than that. Damn, all that psychology crap about thinking the thing you want to say and saying the thing that you want to think. What a perfectly great time to drop that phenomenon Maybe I can just B.S my way out of this.

"Uhm... sorry. I'm still sleepy... Bye."

"No you're not. I'm pretty sure you're awake. It normally takes an awake person to yell at me at that volume."

"Well, I was half sleep walking."

"Lies."

"Bye."

"Nu uh. Not until you tell me the truth." He grabbed me and pulled me into a near bone crushing hug.

"Yunho... can't... breath... life... danger... black..."

"... oops."

"GOD... next time you do that... give me a warning."

"Okay, WARNING!"

"HO SHI--- YUNHO!"

"But you told me to give you a warning!"

"Get your hands off of me!"

"No."

"And why not? I'm gonna be late to work."

"Not until you tell me if that last part was true."

"What? Going to work?"

"No. Before that."

"Giving me a warning?"

"Even before?"

"I love you?"

"Uh huh."

"And why would I need to tell you if it were true?"

"Because I want to know if I've got another fan."

"Well, now you know. Yes, you do have another fan. There, happy?"

Love is like a cliff. If it's unrequited, there's a chance that one will continue to walk along the cliff and fall forever, fall towards the sea of sorrow below and never return to the surface to see life as it is again. The only way to traverse that cliff safely is to walk with another in the dark, trusting the other to lead one to safety. That is the reason of love and its dangerous cliff.

I don't want to fall off.

"... No."

"And why would that be?"

"Because... I was hoping to say the same thing back..."

"Wait... what?"

"... I... I uhm... feel like I could get to know you a bit better Yashi... So... you know... I thought...we could uhm... well you know, get to know each other?"

"... Are you usually like this when asking a girl out?"

"Well, you're intimidating!"

"... I don't know if I should take that as a compliment."

"Well.. I haven't exactly met the kind of girl like you. First off, you're smart, and you don't take crap from people..."

"And this somehow is attractive..."

"Uh... yeah... So uhm... Will you give me a chance?"

I would have given him a chance even if he didn't ask for it. Somehow, somewhere along the time line of life, I had become infatuated with him.

"... Yes."

Why does this sound like a cheesy drama?

"Thank God... I thought this wouldn't be natural for the two of us... I mean... with all the communication problems and everything..."

Your point? Does it matter?

"... SarangHaeYo... it means... 'I love you'... right?"

"Right..."

"There, the language barrier's been broken."

"Thank God. I was beginning to think that I would never get my point across. Every time... I wanted to tell you... you were always so depressed... You kept on walking away, swearing not to love..."

"And when did I say this?"

"Your face said it."

"Right. But... I've gotta get to wo---"

Any thing after those words were completely lost to my mind at that moment. Everything was blurred out except him and the sudden kiss he had planted onto my lips.

God, I wanted that moment to last forever. His lips, his gentle breathing, the feel of his heart beat against me. God, I wanted to remember it all at once. He smelled vaguely of floral shampoo and of cologne. Something that I have to admit, I quite enjoyed.

I'd always hated the smell of cologne. It was always too over powering, too much for someone as humble as me to stand. I had never enjoyed the scent of some unknown liquid sprayed onto a man. The perfume had always made me wonder what plant had been extracted to give it that odd, alluring, overpowering, masculine scent. I'd always hate the smell of cologne, but, his was a smell, that I would hold onto forever, and imprint into my memory.

God, how much do I seriously love him at this point?

Or is it all lust?

Whatever it is.

I've fallen off of that cliff of love.

And for once, I don't mind.

Because there's someone at the bottom of it, waiting to catch me when I fall.