Sooyoung has never thought that she will be back in Rome. Moreover with her boyfriend, Kim Namjoon. After all, Rome is the city where her precious memories with her long-lost ex, Kim Taehyung, is kept. But is it only the memories that lie in the cit...
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You have no idea how the world has advanced.
Internet is a huge privilege when I moved to Italy for my study. It was the time when we have to go to pc rent places to access the internet. Still, it was rare to find. Sooyoung and I have no choice but to exchange letters to communicate at that time. And it took 2-3 weeks to come with the fastest service.
A long-distance relationship was hard during that time. And we failed miserably.
"So," she said with an awkward cough, "Do you want to talk about it?"
After the short lunch, we continue cruising via del Corso. The serendipitous journey which was once filled with laughter is now perplexing.
Sooyoung is a topic I have kept hidden in a golden chest inside the deepest part of my hippocampus for so long. I did not talk about Sooyoung to anyone. Not even my family. And they know better not to mention her.
It was too painful.
"You stopped writing," I said, looking far ahead.
After her letter stopped, I was basically a mad man. My inspirations were all gone and life was dull. Sooyoung disappeared from me without any reason. I wondered why. Did I do something wrong? Was I not good enough of a man for her?
Life was hard without her, my support system. Sometimes, It feels like I don't even want to continue studying in Milan. I wanted to hop on a plane and knock on her door as soon as possible. But my condition was not allowing me to for some time.
I was on a very tight budget of a scholarship. I even have a part-time job so I can live comfortably. I also have lots of schoolwork which was burdening cause the system, the language and the culture was foreign. Compared to the natives, I have to work twice as hard. I also have to be always on top of my game cause I have the scholarship to uphold and myself to prove.
"May I know why?" I continue.
We are walking on a very busy street, yet the sounds of vehicles, chatters and life that encircled us are just muted. Our surroundings pass in a blur as if time is stopped. What matter is just both of us at this moment.
"I stopped writing," Sooyoung starts answering, "Cause you stopped writing."
What is this? A paradox?
"I didn't," I said confounded, "Well, I did. But that was probably after a year of non-existence reply?"
"Huh?" Her huge eyes look at me with wonder, "When was the last letter you got from me?"
"March, I think. It was at the beginning of spring."
"Me too!" She said in bewilderment, "I received the last letter in March. I sent a reply but no more posts after that."
