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"I…I don't know." It was Yi Jeong's turn to feel his heart break into little pieces. She turned her eyes away from him and looked straight ahead. Yi Jeong saw the first tear fall.
"I'm really not that confident about their existence as much as before." Ga Eul was crying silently. There were no sobs; if you didn't look at her while she was talking, you wouldn't know she was crying. But the sadness was more than evident.
"Maybe you were right all along, sunbae. Maybe soulmates were really just a pigment of a silly girl's imagination." She sighed and tried to smile. She slowly wiped the tears and brought her eyes to his.
"That silly girl's grown up now." She finished. Yi Jeong couldn't help the wave of guilt hitting him. It was more like tsunami. Her eyes matched her voice, and Yi Jeong just couldn't bear to see them like that anymore.
"I'm sorry." He finally said after minutes of silence between them. Ga Eul let out a small laugh.
"Please don't think it's your fault. My idea of destiny was doomed from the start. You said it yourself." she reminded him. They were still sitting next to each other, leaning on the fountain. They weren't looking at each other as they spoke. Somehow Yi Jeong's hand found their way to hers. She looked at their hands and then at him.
"I don't want you to think about those things anymore, Ga Eul yang. I was a playboy, after all. You said it yourself." He finally looked at her and she gave him a sad smile.
"If only if it were that easy." She didn't let go of his hand. She wasn't strong enough to. No matter how much she denied it, she needed this. This kind of comfort he was giving her, she needed it more than anything. Yi Jeong squeezed her hand lightly.
"Don't give up on me yet, Ga Eul yang." He urged. When she didn't say anything, Yi Jeong pulled her up, never letting go of her hand.
"Oh!" Ga Eul was caught off guard by his sudden movement. She was thinking deep about what he said. If he told her that four years ago, she would've laughed at his face and gladly did what she was told. But, as much she didn't want it to, things change and so did she. Did she still have it in her to fight for him?
"Let's go." He said, pulling her out of their garden. Yes, their garden. Ga Eul didn't put up a fight; she didn't say anything at all. She just followed him, still deep in thought. She thought about his words just now and earlier. How he was so sure about her, about them. She remembered when she felt the same way about both things. The look he gave her earlier, when she told him she doesn't believe in soulmates anymore, it was…heartbreaking. She doesn't remember ever meeting this side of the Casanova, if she could still call him that. They got into the car and Yi Jeong looked at her expression. She was zoning out, she probably doesn't realize they were already in the car. He couldn't quite think about her words earlier and she looked when she said it. It was an image of a heart broken and Yi Jeong doesn't think he had it in him to forgive himself for breaking such a beautiful and fragile thing. But he was going to make it up to her; he was going to make it his mission in life if he had to. He was going to put that spark back in her eyes, permanently.
"What are you thinking about?" Ga Eul was snapped out of her thoughts. She doesn't even remember getting into his car but, here she was. She answered with a question of her own.
"Where are we going now?"
"I didn't totally lose it, Ga Eul yang." was all he said. He smirked at her and started the engine, not bothering to answer Ga Eul's questions about what he meant. She was going to find out soon enough.
They arrived at a familiar place. Ga Eul was reminded of the multiple times that she would come here to secure herself of his promise. She would tell herself to hold on to his words and she would replay the exact moment when he made his promise to her in her head multiple times, just to feel safe. Then she stopped going. That was around the time she realized she had to stop deluding herself, it was the time to face reality. She asked him why he brought her here.
"I want to make another promise." He said. They were in front of the same fire place again, almost an exact image of what happened four years ago. Yi Jeong wanted to remind her of that day. He wanted her to remember every detail about that moment because it was truly one of the few good moments they had where he didn't try to hurt her or push her away. That day marked the start of him truly opening up his heart to his Ga Eul.
"I used to come here, you know. Whenever I missed you, which was almost everyday." She laughed slightly at her confession. She kept her eyes on the fire and continued,
"Somehow this place managed to make me feel safe; you made your promise here and remembering that used to give me hope. I stopped coming after about a year."
Yi Jeong didn't need to ask why she stopped coming. He already knew the story all too well and it sucked to be reminded of his stupidity.
"Did you ever think about that day again? After you stopped coming here?" he asked his eyes hopeful.
"I'd be lying if I said I didn't." she answered simply. They were both looking at the fire and not at each other. Yi Jeong felt her shiver beside him. He took off his coat and wrapped it around her. She felt a sense of nostalgia kick in as he did so.
"I want to make another promise." He repeated. He took something out of his pocket and took her hand. He placed it there and looked at her to see her reaction.
She felt him take her hand and she looked at the item he placed there. It was necklace, using a ring as a pendant. She looked up at him.
Their eyes met.
"What's this for, sunbae?" she asked, her eyes never leaving his.
"It's a promise ring, Ga Eul yang, except that you wear it as a necklace. I have one too." He pulled the silver lace that was hidden behind his shirt and showed it to her. It was exactly the same.
"I, So Yi Jeong, promise to make it up to you, Ga Eul yang, even if it takes the rest of my life. I'll win you back whatever it takes." He said his eyes boring into hers. She felt herself blush again for the millionth time that night. She felt her self turn to an even deeper color as he touched her cheeks with the back of his hand.
"I missed the way you blush." He said, smirking about the fact that he still had that effect on her.
"Who's blushing? It just happens to be cold!" she defended herself. She turned her eyes to the object in her hand. She couldn't believe what it was. Another promise? Could she really risk her heart by believing again?
"It won't be like the last time," he said as he took the necklace from her and placed it around her neck. "I promise." He whispered in her ear. She felt herself shiver again and it definitely wasn't because of the cold this time. He resumed his place beside her and checked his watch. Just in time.
"Ga Eul yang," he said. She glanced up at him and saw him pointing at the sky. She looked up and as if on cue, the sky started lighting up with fireworks. It was beautiful because it was just for her. Yi Jeong watched her smile in amazement.
"I told you I didn't lose it." He said, smirking. She looked at him and raised an eyebrow.
"You did this before, sunbae. Obviously, you're running out of ideas." She told him, teasingly. She looked up the sky again and smiled. Maybe it was okay to let him in, just a little bit.
Yi Jeong couldn't help his own smile as he watched her. He remembered the garden and now the fireworks and he thinks both looked pale in beauty compared to this girl beside him.
He stooped the car in front of her apartment. It was a quiet ride but it was comfortable. They said enough already and anymore would just spoil the night.
"Tonight was fun, sunbae." She told him.
"It was. We should do it again." He couldn't help but laugh slightly at all the formality. He was about to tell her to have a good night when she cut in.
"I've realized something tonight." She said, not looking at him. Yi Jeong felt himself get excited as he heard this. Maybe she was considering…
"You seem to be serious now, sunbae. So I made this decision…" Yi Jeong couldn't believe it! She was considering it. Or maybe not just considering it, maybe she would actually tell him…
"I think we should be friends." His eyes widened at the word. Friends? What the…
"For now. I-I mean, right now. Oh, I don't know what I mean…" Ga Eul kicked herself mentally for stuttering like that. She seemed to get it right when she rehearsed it in her head. She took a deep breath and looked at Yi Jeong.
"I'm not closing my mind to anything, sunbae. I just don't think I'm ready to put myself out there so suddenly again. But tonight made me realize that I do need you in my life, and a friend is the only place I can give right now." She said, pleased to have redeemed herself. Yi Jeong was slowly losing the shock from his face and turned to her.
"If you think that this would be the right thing…"
Ga Eul nodded, "I really do. Friends?" she asked him.
"Friends." He smirked again, "for now." She shoved him playfully before getting out of the car. Yi Jeong couldn't help but think that maybe he has lost it.