Stranger - a yoonmin fanfiction

Part 46

Yoongi stares out the window of his hotel room. The night traffic below is quiet, and only a few cars pass here and there. It's a nice little town they are in, there is a long river running through it, with a bridge leading to the other side. Street lamps illuminate the roads with a yellowish glow, and there are a few people outside, just enjoying the night air.

Yoongi looks at his watch. 8:36pm.

With a sigh, he makes his way towards the exit. A night stroll would do him some good.

After pulling on a grey jumper, he exits the hotel and starts down the path. The air is cold, but not shockingly so. It has an almost refreshing twinge, mingled with the smell of fresh grass.

He walks along the side of the river. It isn't a very impressive river, being only around 10m from one side to the next, but it looks pretty deep, and Yoongi would hate to fall into it.

Without realising, Yoongi has stopped in the middle of the bridge. He looks over the rail, into the swimming dark water below. The bridge looks like the one which can be seen above the Yarra River (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia), but definitely not as large or as exciting.

There is another man on the bridge next to him. He looks in his late 70s, and he is leaning on the rail. He doesn't move from his position, staring wistfully over the horizon.

Yoongi doesn't know why, but he moves next to the man. He stands beside him, and stares into the horizon as well.

They both stay there for around five minutes, until the man breaks the silence between them.

"I once had a lover."

This sentence startles Yoongi, and he looks over at the guy, who is still staring into space.

"I met her at a party in high school. She was so beautiful, with her brown hair flowing around in the wind outside. We got into a nice conversation, which ended up with us staying in contact. Turns out, we didn't live that far away from each other.

Eventually, after a few years, our friendship turned into something more. When it did, something strange happened. No one else could see it, and they thought I was crazy, but whenever I looked into a mirror, in the back of my eyes, I could see her at the party. I could see her spinning around and having the best time in the world. I knew for sure, when I discovered this, that it was because we were in love."

He pauses, and still doesn't break his gaze elsewhere.

"What happened to her?" Yoongi asks, intrigued at the man's story now.

"A couple of years after our marriage, she passed away due to cancer. I was devastated when it came to the funeral, but there was one thing I was curious to find out. One night, when I had the free time, I looked at my eyes in the mirror. It shocked me a little when I found that the scene was still there, bright and colourful as it was before. I'd expected it to be faded, or even blackened out, due to her death.

It took me a moment, but eventually I realised that the scene wasn't because we loved each other, it was because I loved her. And as long as I felt that way, the picture would still be there. To this day, when I look in the mirror, I can see her. It reassures me, almost, knowing that my love for her hasn't faded or blackened out."

He sighs, then looks at his phone.

"I should probably be going, it's starting to get late."

He walks off across to the other side of the bridge, leaving Yoongi there alone. He is tempted to call for him to come back. He has so many questions, so many things he needs answered by someone wiser than himself. But he doesn't. If the man wants to leave, he can leave. It isn't Yoongi's job to interfere.

The night passes along faster than expected. Yoongi gets back to the hotel and flops onto bed, without bothering to get changed. His brain is a muddle, but one thing he will never forget stays in his mind.

The plane leaves tomorrow.