A Homecoming

If You Want to Dance then Dance with Me

Until he just had enough. The realization that there's no one best to pick him up and dust him off other than himself just hit him like a rogue wave. It was time to stop living for others, he realized, and start living for himself. And so he did.

However, it would be a great disservice to leave out just how significant his move to the island is. That, and all the people around him who supported him even when he was being insufferable. 

"It's always ourselves we find in the sea." Jisoo said, breaking into Haein's thoughts. Smiling, he nodded. "E.E Cummings, yes?"

"It will always be relevant for me."
"Is that why you're also here?"

It took a moment before Jisoo could respond. Saying that she chose Siargao on a whim feels rather flimsy, as well as its distance away from everything she's trying to run away from. For the first time in a long time, she's allowed herself to be confronted with her choices - one in particular.

"To be honest, it seemed like a place where I can start anew. Where no one really knows me so I can.. I can try to be myself." She started, looking far ahead as they continued to walk. Jisoo was blissfully unaware of the dwindling gap between them, until she felt his arm brush against hers. Unable to stop herself, the contact, and his lack of sign of moving away, made her smile. Jisoo didn't know when or how she developed a strong liking of feeling Haein's skin against hers. Instead, there are two things she knows for sure — one, she doesn't want the feeling to go away and, two, there's a constant, nagging feeling of wanting just a little bit more.

"Since coming here, this island has become my safe space. Where I can be.. just me. No severe pressure to live up to my name." Jisoo looked up at Haein, only to catch him looking back at her. As their eyes meet, Haein flashed him a reassuring smile, urging her to continue.

"The people here, they like me as me. Nothing more, nothing less."

Nodding, Haein smiles but stayed quiet, letting the ambient sound of the waves crashing in the distance and the humming of crickets rule between the two of them. He thought about the things Jisoo said and realized just how alike they are - two people running away from hurt, leaving the things they have known for almost all their lives to seek refuge in a place both strange yet familiar to them.

Is it coincidence?
Or is it fate?

Shortly, Angkan comes into view, posing as a reminder of the impending end of their time together. If it was up to Haein, he would have added a kilometer more just to buy him more time with Jisoo.

"Do you miss it?" Haein blurted all of a sudden, shifting his body so he can face her as they continued their way inside the Angkan's premises.

"Miss what?"

"Being a doctor. Saving lives. Changing lives."

Jisoo absentmindedly stuck out her bottom lip in thought. "I wanted a new life, and being a doctor is such a huge part of me that when i left, it was one of the things I had to let go. But..." Jisoo paused, rather disappointed that they are now a couple of feet away from her room. "I honestly don't know. But when I do, you'll be the first to know."

"I am going to keep that in mind." Haein said, moving to the side to make way for Jisoo. They are now right outside her door, both hanging on each other's last words, yet still, no one seems to want to call it a night.

Biting down a shy smile, Haein took a step closer to Jisoo. He gazed at her, trying his best to articulate the jumble of feelings bubbling, steadily rising to his chest.
He reached out, lightly brushing Jisoo's hair to the side of her face. "You said earlier that the island has its magic.."

"But you know, I think.." Haein paused, the drumming of his heart in his chest getting in the way of his voice. He let his slightly shaking finger brush against Jisoo's soft cheek. He watched as her heart-shaped lips he often thought about softly part as she sighed when he finally cupped her face gently with his hands.

Where he got his self-restraint, he doesn't know. Because right now, all he wants is to feel her lips warm and tender against his.

In response, Jisoo clutched at the hems of Haein's shirt. This close proximity is threatening to cause her to hyperventilate. Numerous times they've been physically close, sometimes even too close, but it never made her crave for him as much as this.

"I think the magic of the island lies in the people.." Haein said, his voice barely a whisper and his breath warm against her lips. "People like you."

Slowly, Haein leaned closer until he could feel his lips brush gently against hers. He could feel her breath against his lips and it made him inhale shakily. It became clearer to him now, how essential Jisoo has become now in his life. It feels so crazy to him how she managed to turn his life around so quickly, so effortlessly that a part of him feels so frightened to believe that any of this is even remotely possible.

But sometimes.. sometimes it's better to leap before you look.

Pulling her close, Haein caved in and met her lips with his, just gently, like how you would thread unsure waters. He kissed her, taking his time in basking in the mix of sensations this moment is giving him, or maybe, just maybe he's subconciously allowing her to step back. To accuse him of crossing a forbidden line. To tell him to stop.

But goddamn he wish she wouldn't.

When their lips met, something in Jisoo clicked. Since the first time they met, he has always left her reeling. Not in a winded and disoriented way, but, like chaos. The organized kind where you can still pick up and find stuff but you just know it's different. In such a short time he's managed to leave an indelible mark in her that only she can see and feel. He's changed her in a way that he.. he made her want to care so deeply, so boldly and so selflessly despite her brokenness.

Reaching up, Jisoo caressed Haein's chest and kissed him back, breathing in shakily through his lips. His lips feels so soft and his kiss so tender, yet she could feel it all over her being.

It would be dishonest to say or to even think that she has never, even once, thought of how this, how kissing Haein would feel.

But as far as she's concerned, this was nothing she could have ever imagined.

Smiling against her lips, Haein caressed Jisoo's cheek and slowly pulled away. He gazed at her, with her eyes closed and her heart-shaped lips just ever so slightly parted, urging him to kiss her again just one more time. And kiss her again he did. Pulling her close, he placed a light smooch on her upper lip before finally pulling away.

He let his hands fall on her shoulders and her arms, giving her a light squeeze before stepping back. He watched as her eyes slowly fluttered open and a faint blush rushed to her cheeks. Smiling at her, he took a step forward and pulled her into a tight hug.

"Thank you.. for tonight. And for barging into my life when I thought being alone was the answer." With a final kiss on her forehead, he pulled away, only to take Jisoo's hand to give it a squeeze. "Goodnight, Jisoo. I'll see you tomorrow."

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Author's Note:
Yay! Congratulations! You've made it to the end of the first arc! Thank you for keeping up with the slow and irregular updates, but rest assured that I will keep this running until the proper end.

Second arc will come soon and maybe we'll see new character/s along the way. 🤭

Til the next!