First, Eun Soo took Choi Young to a coffee shop she liked, just around the corner. It was a privately owned cute little establishment, not one of those big chain places. They made everything to order and the little tables were set on a terrace, overlooking a park. Eun Soo ordered two teas and a slice of rich chocolate cake, she was sure he never tried anything like that before.
"I'm going to be your tour guide for today," she announced. "This is a quaint neighborhood café where I spend pleasurable afternoons watching seasons change in the park and sipping my coffee," she pointed her hand, assuming her role. "Take a seat."
Choi Young looked kind of funny and uncomfortable so bundled up. He freed himself from the constraints of the scarf, loosening the tight loops. He looked at everything with curiosity, trying to learn as much as he could about her in a few hours they had left together. This is the place she likes. He tasted the cake. This is the food she likes. Sweet and bitter at the same time.
"Look", Eun Soo pointed at the two pigeons fighting over some food, laughing at their antics. "There", she excitedly stood up, tilting her head to see the top of the tree, "A squirrel." She pulled his sleeve, and he lifted his eyes to the sky, hit by the sun rays tickling his nose, he sneezed. She laughed, and stuck her nose under the sun, trying to reproduce the same response. "Upchoo", she finally sneezed.
"I love fall colors. Isn't it absolutely beautiful?" she turned to him with a bright face.
This is what you are like, Imja. Choi Young wondered how such a carefree and happy person could be so serious at times.
Eun Soo smiled watching a group of rowdy preschoolers showing off their latest gadgets. She stole a look at the general, and sighed. A few more hours…
Eun Soo was not a very good guide. The places she liked were not usual tourist attractions. She took Choi Young to the medical library at the university, where she led him past rows of tall bookshelves till they ended up in a corner next to a window.
"This is the desk I like. I used to spend a lot of time here when I was a student. Even now, when I need to think, I sometimes come here. It is quiet, and the books are like good friends – they listen and don't interrupt."
He sat in the seat where she used to seat, wondering about a younger version of the doctor, a pensive, thoughtful girl. "Over there they have a balcony. Not many people know, I used to seat there and watch the sunset, it has the best view in the city!" He checked out a small balcony, it was true, the view was expansive, the tall buildings had just enough space between them to catch the horizon with the sun going down.
"Imja, come here," he hugged her, looking at the sky. "It is strange, the sky looks almost the same, yet it is somehow different."
"Will I ever see you again?" asked Eun Soo all of a sudden.
"I would very much like that," he answered.
The next stop was metro. They rode the train. Sitting next to each other, glancing bashfully, they were smiling and holding hands. "Close your eyes and listen. Do you hear? The rhythm, the movement, tuk, tuk, tuk, it sounds like a heart beat. Cool, ah? And if you look out of the window, it is dark, and light, it feels like we are flying fast, then we stop, and the people, like ships in the sea, getting on and getting off, all going somewhere. It is fascinating," she shared.
How can there be such a person, marveled Choi Young. Layer after layer he was discovering little things about Eun Soo… but the time was ticking, borrowed time.
"Do you want to see Han river?"
"I just want to look at you," he answered sincerely, looking at her with his deep eyes.
Eun Soo, lowered her eyes and covered her lips with her palm. She smiled and bit her lips, "You are very direct."
"That is what I thought."
"I see."
"What is wrong what I said?"
"No it was not, it was just perfect."
Choi Young grabbed her hand, tightening his fingers around hers. His hand was used to the lifeless coldness of the sword, now it rejoiced with the warmth of her soft skin.
What took others days, weeks and even months, they achieved in a few hours. Each minute was a day, and at the end of the month together, they did not need to explain anything anymore to each other. When he looked - she saw, when she thought - he heard, when they touched - their hearts joined. It was a miracle, even if the time was not on their side. She understood the kind of man he was, and she understood why he had to leave. And he appreciated that he did not need to find excuses for anything he did. She was the kind of woman who was willing to accept him, without asking.
They stopped in front of the white rotunda.
"One more thing I like," Eun Soo bent to pick up a yellow flower. "This flower is simple –bright and happy, no frills. It grows well everywhere and does not require much care. It blooms when it's cold and cool and can survive hot summers also. If you look at it, you could not tell how resilient it is. This is the flower I like."
She pulled something out of her pocket, "Take it. It's my card. If you ever need to find me, it says here my name and the address where I work. If you give it to the taxi driver, they will take you there. And some cash, for the taxi and if you need to eat…" Eun Soo stuck her hand out, her eyes peering at the ground. "Just take it."
The general hesitated. If he took the card and the money and did not come back, she would be waiting, he realized. Clearly, she would not give up and hope for his return.
"I can not promise anything," he said somberly, finally accepting the inevitable. "Doctor, you never told me your name".
"It's Yoo Eun Soo", she said, "Yoo Eun Soo."
His lips quietly moving, remembering the sound of her name "Yoo Eun Soo". One last long look, the almond eyes taking a mental picture of her.
He turned and started walking toward the glow of the portal.
"Wait", she ran toward him and he embraced her, kissing her lips, taking in the last chance for happiness, tears wetting their faces. He would not stop the kiss, he could not. A couple of onlookers stopped in their tracks, a girl snapped a picture, posting it on her twitter "sexy kiss on the street". There was something transcending about this couple, who ignored the world around them. They were as one. Another constellation in the making, stars lining up in a spiral, with the one in the middle, where their hearts are, the brightest.
Behind them the light from the portal died out, the doors were now shut, giving them another chance.