Stranger's Kiss ✔

50

Yeonjun carried on, talking as the rain came down to make his explanation harder to convey. "As we grew up, I grew fond of her and... And fell in-love. I was young and naive back then."

Haesoo could hear Yeonjun's breathing.

Yeonjun stared on the wet ground. "First year of high school, I met TXT. We didn't have a name back then—we were ordinary kids doing reckless stuff. Beomgyu was closest to me. He was bullied a lot. His parents were politicians—you probably know that. I cared for him because his life was at risk every single minute. He literally got death threats."

Haesoo could feel Yeonjun's shaking voice. Her lips were trembling themselves. She placed her hands to the side of both her arms as she listened—she felt cold, and so did he.

"That day, second year, I planned to confess to Joohan. My parents wouldn't allow me to drive, so I don't have a car. It was Beomgyu's—the one I crashed." Yeonjun revealed to Haesoo. "B-but if there was one thing my parents granted me, that was my one wish." Yeonjun paused as he did a short sigh. He looked at Haesoo's eyes. "My wish to get married."

Haesoo was suddenly taken aback. She looked at Yeonjun, fazed. "W-what are you saying?"

"My parents and Joohan's planned to marry us, because I initially said I wanted to."

Haesoo looked at Yeonjun, eyes serious and mind's confused. Haesoo moved, a bit uncomfortable, trying to find words to say. She couldn't explain what she felt. "W-what? You... You were in an arranged marriage? Did she know?"

"I let her know... That day I confessed—the day of the accident." Yeonjun continued. "We were driving to our beach house. I planned to tell her there, but that did not happen. Because we got caught in the accident."

"What?" Haesoo looked away out of bewilderment. She sneered at the situation. Haesoo thought it was unbelievable and ironic that he had a first love whom he would've wished to have in the marriage level, when he told Haesoo that he never even had a special someone before she came around.

Yeonjun knew it would confuse Haesoo.

Haesoo either wanted to laugh or to smirk, but instead she was just feeling bad about what Yeonjun said. And after that, she looked at Yeonjun with a little less trust and a little more craving for the truth that everyone seemed to know except her. "This is what I've always wanted to ask, Choi Yeonjun. This is the only time I would ask you, so if you can't answer me, don't force yourself," she remarked. "Why would the accident happen?" Haesoo looked at Yeonjun with her eyes anticipating a different answer from what her guts are telling her. "You... Did not do it on purpose, right?"

Yeonjun stared back, silent for the first few seconds. "I..." His voice sounded like shivers. "I didn't."

"You hesitated."

"I know you would hate me if I tell you more."

"Whatever is it that could make me hate you, Yeonjun?"

"I confessed," he said. "I told her my feelings, and she said it wasn't mutual." Yeonjun could remember the pain—every single needle that got pinned to his heart. "So I told her about the marriage, and... She didn't want it."

"How is that the cause of the accident? How would that make me hate you–"

"Because I threatened her." Yeonjun couldn't look at Haesoo anymore. "I told her I would kill us both, and that I would crash that car if she rejects me."

"W-what?"

"I tried to manipulate Joohan and force her into something she didn't want."

Haesoo felt like the world has shifted upon hearing Yeonjun's words. Her eyebrows were furrowed and her heart was throbbing in pain. She took two steps back, unable to take in the sentences thrown to her. He tried to end their lives? Haesoo seemed to be unable to process everything he said.