This part turned out to be longer, than usual, so look at it as getting 2for1. I wanted to give credit to a very special person, whose ability to put unspeakable into words never seizes to amaze me. I had to borrow her mind for a bit and she graciously provided me with a perfect paragraph that was desperately needed. So please join me in thanks to blanorik. Could not have done it without you!
A phone rang, and Eun Soo, outstretched her arm, searching for it, eyes still shut, grumbling that it might wake Choi Young, she quickly pressed the answer button and whispered loudly, "Just a moment." She rolled out of the warm bed, and the cold air splashed on her face and bare skin. "Brrrr," shivered Eun Soo and grabbed the sweater nearby, quickly putting it on. She tiptoed barefoot to the bathroom, closed the door and only then spoke in full voice, "Hello."
Choi Young was no longer startled by the modern noises. He has gotten used to the fact that very loud sounds originated from tiny objects and that most things made some kind of sounds. Like the security alarm on the door, Eun Soo's phone, motor of a running car, the constant roar of traffic, announcements and music blaring on the street, out of the windows, behind the closed doors… The water trickling in the toilet bowl after he flushed, the soft hum of the refrigerator, and the boiling of the teakettle were on a more pleasant side. He always paid attention to everything around him, even when he was asleep, because this is how a warrior survived. He lasted this long for a reason. It was not just his marshal arts skills, swordsmanship or the use of KI; it was not just his wits and knowledge of war strategy that made Choi Young so great and allowed him to fly rising through the ranks all the way to the general; it was his ability to see and hear everything quietly, and respond when needed swiftly and decisively. So when the phone rang, he, of course, heard it and could predict what followed – Eun Soo would pick it up, try to keep quiet for his sake and run to the next room, because this is what she always did. He could not make out what she was saying, so she was still keeping her voice down. The thought that somebody cared enough not to wake him up was soothing. The little things she did to make him feel cared for always made him grin. He stayed in bed, waiting for her in case she wants to come back, to keep it warm, to snuggle in the soft comfort with her.
Eun Soo came out of the bathroom, and as predicted ran across the room, jumping into the bed, under the covers and pulled the sweater off her, throwing it in the air, not worried about where it landed. She positioned herself right between his arms, already open for her, his body molding to hers from the back, warmth enveloping her rapidly and spreading on her skin like butter. She kissed the hands that hugged her and pushed herself even closer into him. They have become lovers. She now had a lover!
After what happened last night and what they have shared, not only they confirmed what they already felt and recognized before – a connection between them, on multiple levels, but they also got to experience fully conscious the physical aspect of it. Although it seemed like a brief, passing moment, it only took that instant for the thick wall of beliefs, which they built around them during their lives so far, to be broken, shuddered like glass, into million useless pieces. Having found each other was profound and life changing. And with that realization came a revelation. The freedom to be there just for the other filled the space: Choi Young could recognize himself in her and she saw her reflection in him. It became a clear certainty that you are where you belong, with whom you should be. No more fear, no regret, no questioning, no judgment. Just presence. It is so much more than saying "I love you." You feel without a doubt that you can go to the end of the world with the person next to you. How can this be put into words? How many words are necessary? If any at all…
A simple consideration "Sorry, I woke you up" was her way of saying – "I'm with you."
A caring question "Is everything OK?" was his way of proclaiming –"I'm here for you."
From what Choi Young observed, Eun Soo did not receive a lot of phone calls, and after each conversation she would give him a brief report, kind of like a little habit she developed. But this time around she did not report anything and it alerted him.
"Can we not talk about it right now?" and she turned to kiss him on the lips.
One kiss led to another and half an hour later, they were still in bed, only now they were both laying on their backs, her head propped on his arm, eyes closed resting.
"Can we talk now?"
"It's my parents. My dad's heart is giving him trouble again. He refuses to see a doctor, so my Mom wants me to come and take him for a check up. I wanted to talk to him on the phone; he listens to me. He is so proud 'My daughter is a great doctor', he tells everybody." She smiled. "But Mom said he was not feeling well enough and refused. I have already taken two days off work, I might as well take a couple more. They owe me a vacation. The only problem is…"
"Is me."
"You are not a problem."
"But I am. You are stuck here with me, I intruded upon your life. You should go, I'll check the Hwata's gate while you are visiting."
Eun Soo grabbed his hand "And if the gate is open?" fear hiding in her eyes.
"I won't leave without saying goodbye. You know, I can't."
Both of them silently stared at each other, both thinking that whether they liked it or not, he may need to return.
"I know", she lowered her eyes. "I know I can not have you for long. I am prepared for the fact that…" she could not finish, avoiding eye contact, she turned away and buried her face into the pillow trying to stop the tears coming on.
"Imja, let's not worry about it now."
"But if I leave, I will lose a whole day or maybe two, and then what? What if we won't have any time after that?"
"Are you crying?" he tried to turn her, but she held tightly to her position.
Choi Young easily moved over her, appearing on the other side and hugged her head, kissing her hair.
"Please, don't cry." He wanted to comfort her and promise that he would never leave her, but he could not. He pushed these thoughts out of his mind, focusing on her, on the here and now. In fact, he hoped that the gate would stay closed. Maybe, after a while, they will forget about him back home and he can stay here in the comfort of this soft bed with this woman next to him forever. Just maybe…
She finally let him in, showing a sad face, covered with tears. "I will do better, don't get mad."
"Of course, I'm not mad."
She jumped on his neck holding onto him.
He groaned with pain. She was stronger that she looked and her hug squeezed the injured ribs. She immediately let go, "Sorry."
"Would you feel better if I accompany you?"
"Accompany me?"
"To your parents house."
"Trust me, you don't want to go."
"You said I was your boyfriend. A friend who is a boy. So it's OK to bring a friend, I assume."
Eun Soo had to laugh at his rudimentary comprehension of modern terms.
"Good try. A boyfriend means that we are a couple."
"Aren't we?"
She let out exasperated sigh. "We are, but my parents do not need to know about you. They live far away, I do not tell them everything going on in my life, it's better, honestly."
"You have a very strange relationship with your parents. Can't you tell them the truth? We just recently met, I was your patient, we like each other and we want to spend all the time together, so you had to bring me along."
Eun Soo wondered whether he had a very sharp sense of humor or he completely lacked common sense, either way, his reasoning was too simple and straightforward to refute.
"You are not joking?"
"Just tell me what I need to do, what I can and can not say and I will be fine. I hold my elders in high regard. Your parents will be pleased," he said completely seriously.
He was not joking. And the thought of not having to separate soothed her heart and took away any rational thoughts she might have had on the subject. Is being in love like an illness that causes you to lose all the common sense?
"I need to make a phone call".
"Oma, I met a man… No, he is not a doctor…no, he has not proposed, Oma! Just listen. It's a long story, but he will come with me. Can you please get a spare room ready for him. And please, I beg of you, don't talk to him about marriage. You will scare him away."
They had a busy schedule. A quick shopping trip to get him his own clothing, for a change, then checking the Hwata's gate (both were relieved to find it inactive), then off to the bus station.
Luckily, he was easy to shop for, pretty much everything looked good on him, and he was not fussy, agreeing to anything that Eun Soo picked. His only request – not too tight. Too bad, he looked good in slimmer tailored trousers, but his comfort, especially with the injury came first. He now sported a new grey suit with an elegant shirt, a tie, and a pair of slick fashion fall boots which could go well with both casual and more formal ware. He also now was an owner of a coat, also stylish, but warm. She looked him over "I think you are ready to meet my parents. I'll tell you what to do on the bus, we have 3 hours to kill."
They got kimbab to go and hopped on the first bus heading to Jeonju.
"I like this mode of transportation the best", commented Choi Young, getting comfortable in the soft leather seat of a luxury intercity bus. Like a kid with a new toy, he played around with recliner and foot rest functions after Eun Soo educated him about the marvels of modern bus travel. He could get used to this life of comfort. It was warm inside the cabin, and they chatted snacking on kimbab and drinking some strange thing, called juice out of the metal container with a hole. Well, it was Eun Soo who chatted and Choi Young as usual listened carefully remembering the details of his "back story" as she called it.
"As long as we stick with amnesia, you'll be fine. Just tell them your name and that you specialize in marshal arts and swordsmanship, it's your family business. But you can not remember any specifics about your past. I'll explain to them about brain trauma and injury and that I took upon myself to help you rehabilitate, it's like a project for the hospital. Till we locate any of your family, you are staying…" she thought about where he is staying and her heart happily jumped inside, "in the intern dorm at the hospital."
"Anything else?"
"Just follow my lead."
"Sleep, you are still recovering", she stroked his hand. He turned his palm, intertwining his fingers with hers. He felt the need to hold on to her, that just like the running scenery behind the window, this happiness was fleeting. Everything moved too fast in this world, and he was afraid he would not catch up.
"Imja, I'm still learning about affection. Is it appropriate for me to hold your hand on the bus?"
"Yes"
"How about?" and his arm wrapped around her shoulder, pulling her closer.
"That is fine."
"And this?" he leaned in for a kiss, making her blank out from the electricity that surged through them.
When she caught her breath she could barely speak, "You will electrocute me one day."
"What does that mean?"
"Your KI. Sometimes when you touch me, it is too strong. The current…"
"I thought I'm doing better with controlling it. I think when I worry, when I'm not relaxed, it's harder. I promise I will try. I would never hurt you, you know that, right?"
She nodded. "Let's try one more time," and she kissed him. This time the sensation was a pleasant tingling, kind of like bubbles of champagne bursting inside of her mouth, leaving this slightly intoxicating sweet aftertaste. "Much better," she approved.
She was keenly aware that the time indeed moved too fast, accelerated like a speeding car, and she was pushing on the breaks, trying to stop it. For her, time started to slow down whenever she was next to him. The kiss lasted indefinitely and his fingers coating her palm were there infinitely. She tried to make everything last longer, not to miss even the most insignificant details. Like how he tended to slouch a little when he was thinking, or how he had a habit of biting his lip, when he was nervous, or how whenever he looked at her, his eyes filled with this amazing warmth that reached all the way inside her soul, caressing her. Or how his profile was etched by the light and shadows, and his lashes curled at the very end, disappearing into the light, when the sun hit them… Or how his lips were plump, but always a little dry and he sometimes licked them for moisture, or the way he tilted his head to the back, and gasped when they made love, how open he was with her and how trusting he was… Eun Soo realized that she had tears blurring her vision, tears of profound tenderness. She wiped them off and smiled.