~Part Two~
Kohina could feel nervous butterflies rising in her stomach and chest, as she checked her phone for the fifth time in three minutes. It had been two days since Jumin had come to pick up his suit. And like she had promised, his newest order (a pink necktie) was ready. But if the seamstress was being honest, her anxiety stemmed from something else entirely. . .
This was the last order she'd be able to accept from Jumin Han, before her final round of chemotherapy began. The doctors weren't optimistic, but they had signed her up in the hopes that perhaps a miracle might occur, or in the very least help her final year of life to be a pleasant one. She would be too weak after chemo to make any more orders, and she lamented the loss it would cost her. She wouldn't be able to see Jumin every week like clockwork. . . Her final happy indulgence would disappear from her life, like so many things since she'd been diagnosed.
Normally Kohina was a woman who tended to look for the silver lining in every situation, but this time she couldn't. . . Though nothing had ever been confessed aloud, Kohina loved Jumin with all her heart, and considered him to be her dearest friend. Losing him would be like having half of her heart ripped out. His absence would be duly felt and mourned.
But Kohina wasn't one to bask in sorrow. If she was, surely the news of her breast cancer would have ruined what remained of her life. But no. There was always something to be gained, so the woman now set her hesitation aside and waited with a apprehensive lump in her throat.
Kohina had always been cautious of her actions around Jumin. She never said exactly what she felt, following his lead in the matter. But now, with so much to lose, she had made the decision to be bold. If only for today, she would be courageous. The time was now, before her final attempt at treatment began.
Kohina fingered her phone as she counted the seconds, before it rather suddenly began to ring. Faster than she thought possible with her shaking fingers, Kohina answered the call.
"Hello?"
"Hello, Kohina." The deep familiar voice replied over the speaker, making her face light up with happiness. "I got your message earlier. Sorry I couldn't respond before. I was in a meeting with my father."
"No apologies necessary, Jumin. I know you're a very busy man." She could almost hear the appreciation in his tone as he answered.
"Thank you. I knew you would understand- you always do. . . Are you currently at the shop?"
"Yes, I'm here. I have your new necktie whenever you'd like to come pick it up." Though the comment was casual, Kohina knew for a fact that he'd come before the day was through. Jumin Han was never one to shun obligations, and she doubted he'd start now.
"Good. I'll be there in two minutes."
"Two minutes? How can you get here so quickly?" She laughed gently.
". . . I was already in the neighborhood on another matter of business." Both knew that there was no other business that he frequented in the nearby vicinity, but neither brought attention to the fact. "I'll be there soon. If that's alright, of course?"
"Oh yes, it's fine!" Kohina hurried to say. "I'll be waiting."
"Then I'll see you momentarily."
"See you soon, Jumin."
They both hung up, and Kohina felt like her smile would split her face in two. With purposeful steps, Kohina moved to her back room and set her plan in motion.
It was exactly two minutes later that the bell above the shop door tinkled, and Jumin Han entered. Today he wore the suit Kohina had made for him on his last visit, with a deep gray tie and matching handkerchief tucked into his breast pocket. He was dressed like a modern day king, but nothing less would have sufficed for the Han Heir.
Jumin was barely past the threshold, before he was calling out for his seamstress. "Kohina?"
Even saying her name brought a pang to his chest. . . Before meeting Kohina the idea of a single word causing emotional reactions would have seemed ludicrous to Jumin. But now it was all too believable.
When there was no immediate reply, Jumin moved over to the front counter. There resting on the surface was his new pink necktie. Without hesitation, he loosened the gray one he was wearing, and traded it out for the pink. As he tied it quickly about his neck, Jumin was pleased that it was the perfect length and width, not to mention incredibly soft and beautifully made. A pale pink cloth mixed with the slightest touch of creme white highlights- so simple and so undeniably gorgeous. It had come from Kohina, so the corporate heir wasn't surprised at the craftsmanship. The woman could make anything look good, if given the proper time and materials.
Jumin now waited with a lifted brow, before Kohina finally appeared from the depths of the backroom. As his seamstress came fully into the room, Jumin felt his breath catch in his throat. He beheld her unblinkingly and with rapture.
Normally Kohina wore a simple blouse and pair of slacks, or perhaps a sundress. But today, she resembled a queen. Bedecked in a pastel pink evening gown with pearl white trim, Kohina slowly walked forward. Long black waves of hair rolled down her shoulders, mimicking the shade and style she'd had before she'd lost her hair. Pink lipstick and shoes finished the striking ensemble.
Jumin regarded the beautiful woman in front of him intently, and felt his heart flip. He stood silently, merely watching Kohina as she hesitantly came to a stop several feet away from him.
"Umm. . . I-I-I. . ." She stumbled over her words, blushing despite the natural sickly pallor of her skin. She stopped and after seeing Jumin's stare, she sighed deeply, closing her eyes. "Oh I'm sorry, Jumin. . . I'm such an idiot."
Her eyes never opened, but now tears slowly trickled from the corners of her clamped lids. "When I was planning this, it seemed like such a good idea. . .But I didn't think it through. I look ridiculous. . ."
Kohina 's eyes had remained closed as she berated herself. But if she had been paying attention, she would have been stunned into silence by the look that her favorite customer gave her.
Jumin now soundlessly strode forward, closing the distance between them, before he hesitantly raised a hand to gently wipe away Kohina 's tears. At the unexpected contact, the woman's eyes fluttered open in surprise, before she met with his unrelenting gray gaze.
As the two stared at each other, Jumin's fingers brushed over Kohina 's cheeks, wiping away the last of her tears. Then, the corporate millionaire flashed her a affectionate smile that made her weak in the knees.
"You are beautiful, Kohina. Anyone who thinks otherwise isn't worth listening to." Then as he withdrew his hand, he lifted a brow and looked down at her gown. "The dress is stunning. Your own creation?"
Kohina blushed before placing her hand on Jumin's forearm. The contact was feather light, but both felt it like an electric shock. "Yes, I made the dress. . . I thought that if I wore it, it would give me courage."
He seemed intrigued. "Courage to do what?"
Kohina averted her gaze, looking at the floor before saying quickly, "I wanted to ask you for a favor, before I told you my bad news. . . But it just seems silly now."
Jumin's hand once again raised to Kohina 's face, moving her chin so that she was looking at him again. Secretly, he wished that they could remain this way forever- with her attention solely focused on him. But such dreams were vain and unrealistic, so he pushed past it.
"You have more than earned any favor I could give you, Kohina. Ask and it will be so." When she still seemed hesitant, he spoke again, eyes changing into an unreadable emotion. "Your news. . . Is it the cancer?"
Kohina nodded, unknowingly squeezing Jumin's forearm tighter than before. It broke his heart.
"I'm starting my final round of chemo treatments tomorrow, so I won't be able to make any more orders for you. . . I hate it, but there's no getting around it. I'm so sorry."
Jumin shook his head. "You have nothing to be sorry for. We both knew that this would be a possibility, so it's no good pretending that we can change it."
"You're right," Kohina agreed. "But I still wish I could find a way to continue making your clothes. It brings me joy . . . and I will miss it." I will miss you, Kohina wanted to say, but her tongue wouldn't obey.
"You can't think like that, Kohina. Your health is more important."
"I know." Kohina found that she was tearing up again, and shook her head, finally meeting his gaze once more. "But if I don't make your clothes, I won't see you anymore! And I can't bear the thought of never seeing you again! . . . I just- I just. . ."
The woman fell into dejected silence, before Jumin's expression caught her attention. He almost seemed. . . was that annoyance shining in his gray eyes?
"Kohina . . . Do you really think I'll stop visiting you because you no longer make things for me?" His tone was crisp, his question blunt.
"W-Won't you?"
Jumin sighed, as if the answer was obvious, before he surprised them both. Without hesitation, the man wrapped his arms around the seamstress and tenderly embraced her. His hands barely touched her, as if she might break, but he didn't shy away or try to play it off. Kohina 's mouth hung open in an unflattering way before she willingly returned the hug.
"I'm not going to leave you alone to face this," Jumin said quietly, as he held her. "Our business doesn't end with clothing and transactions, Kohina. It never has."
Kohina pulled back to look at him. ". . . You feel the same way as I do, don't you?"
He was close enough that Kohina could feel his cool breath on her cheeks, as he replied softly, "You know I do. Anything else would be a waste for the both of us."
Kohina laughed quietly, her relief obvious as she returned to hugging her favorite customer, her head resting on his shoulder. His hands lazily rubbed her back, feeling both her skin and the neckline of the silk gown. The action was so foreign and yet so familiar, that they were swept away for several minutes, before Jumin finally spoke again.
"Now that the 'bad news' is taken care of, what did you want to ask me?"
Kohina let her fingers trace the line of Jumin's suit, before she looked up at him bashfully. "Well. . . It's totally silly, but I was going to ask you if you'd . . . dance with me?"
His brow lifted in question. "Why would you want to dance with me, Kohina?"
"Well, years ago when my father was still in charge of the business, he was invited to your father's Annual Christmas Ball. He took me as his plus one."
"It was the first time we met," Jumin agreed, still looking curious.
"Yes," Kohina agreed. "But I saw you before we were introduced. . . You were dancing with a beautiful young lady. She had lovely blonde hair and kept laughing when you twirled her. . . And I remember wanting to take her place. The way you glided across the floor with her, as if the dance was the most important thing you'd ever do. . . I wanted to know what that felt like. . ." Kohina now stopped, embarrassed by her admittance, but felt better when Jumin smiled at her.
"It must have been Rika," he mused. "She's the only one I've ever danced with in public, aside from my old dancing instructor…"
"You took lessons?"
"Yes, my father insisted upon it. He said it was the mark of a true gentleman." Jumin shook his head with mild amusement, before he raised his hand to Kohina with a twinkle in his eye. "If it will make you happy. . . May I claim the next dance, Miss Kwon?"
"I would be honored, Mr. Han."
Kohina's heart raced as she accepted Jumin's hand, feeling his other immediately come to grasp her waist. His fingers cupped her side, large and pleasant, and she felt chills run through her spine. She had dreamed of this for so long, that for a moment, her body didn't ache from the cancer and her sickness almost seemed to fade away.
Kohina half expected Jumin to lead her in a waltz or two step. . . But instead, he held her as close as possible and swayed with her in tow. Kohina melted into him, her head resting on his chest, as they seemed to flow across an unseen lake. Though they hardly moved, Kohina felt as if she was flying, and she hummed happily. It was only as Jumin pulled off the wig she was wearing, that Kohina was brought back to the present.
"What? Why-?"
"You don't need it," Jumin said, casually tossing the wig away. "You're lovely enough without it, Kohina."
"Now I know you're teasing me," Kohina laughed softly. "A bald, sickly woman isn't beautiful."
"She is," Jumin said calmly, his tone ordering her agreeance. "When her partner cares so deeply for her."
Kohina held Jumin's hand tighter in her own, as they continued to sway. "She loves him too, you know. . . And she adores him in pink."
Jumin now laughed, a quiet rumble that made Kohina automatically join in. He glanced down at his new pink necktie, as Kohina reached up to smooth it out. "Well, my seamstress has good taste. She picked the shade out for me."
"Well, she wanted to match you today." Kohina teased as she gestured to her gown. "Pink is our color, remember?"
"The carnations. I recall."
Jumin gracefully spun Kohina out of his hold, before bringing her back in tenderly. As his hand closed around her waist again he leaned his forehead against hers, his gaze becoming almost bittersweet.
"What time do your doctors want you to check in tomorrow?"
"Five a.m. they wanted to run some tests before I begin the chemo."
Jumin nodded, but since their foreheads were still touching, he ended up nuzzling Kohina , making the woman's breath catch in her throat.
"I'll be parked outside your house at 4:30. Plenty of time to get to the hospital and check in."
"You don't have to-"
"I want too." Jumin interjected, staring into her very soul. "You aren't going to face this alone. I won't allow it. I will be by your side, no matter what lies ahead."
Kohina felt her heart twist as she considered the sorrow that the future could hold. If she lost her battle she wouldn't be the only one to suffer. . . Jumin would be broken too. Kohina felt her eyes grow misty as she leaned forward and kissed the love of her life. As her lips melded into Jumin's, a single thought ran through her head, again and again.
Please, let me live. . . Let me live so that I won't break his heart. . .
A/N: So this story kinda exploded on me. ^^ It'll be around 2 more parts, so stay tuned! I hope you all are enjoying! I'd love to hear what you all think!
Special thanks to RandomReader for reviewing! ^^
~Lyn