“Excuse me, are you alright?” He asked once again.
“Yes, I’m alright.” I assured. He sat down towards me and an awkward silence filled in.
“Did you faint?” He asked.
“I guess so. I couldn’t quite remember.” I lied, trying to hide how embarrassed I was. He smiled again, so charmingly.
“There’s a clinic down the road, I can accompany you there.” He offered and pointed west, he looked back at me.
“No, it’s okay. Thank you by the way.” Both of us stood up. I brushed off the sand from my arms and smiled awkwardly.
“Are you sure?” He asked, concerned. I nodded.
“I’m Park Jung Su by the way. You can just call me Leeteuk.” He held out his hand. I shook it and introduced myself as well. Leeteuk looked so charming, a dimple appeared on the left side of his face whenever he smiled. He wore jogging pants and a plain red sweater, it looked like he was out for a morning jog. Sneakers paired up with it.
And from that day I met Leeteuk, my idle life started to change. Both of us smiled at each other, as a ship passed by on the ocean behind us.
***
During the first three months after meeting Leeteuk, we began to be close; rather, we’ve spent time together as acquaintances. I would see him at the same beach, taking a morning jog. Or at times, we’d bump into each other at cafes. Though we didn’t really have much in common, being with Leeteuk somehow eased the always-gloomy aura that everyday enfolded. He told me stories of when he enlisted the Korean Military at a very young age, his life had its ups and downs too; he was born and raised in Seoul and but he didn’t live the everyday life of a busybody in the city. His mother owned a coffee shop in Apgujeong, Gangnam-gu and he had an older sister, a ‘typical Korean family’, he would say. Leeteuk was a simple guy. Just like Donghae, he was a Korean Marine and recently took a leave from the profession just when the new batch came. He said that he wanted to unwind a little and enjoy life as a normal person, walking around the city without any worries or heavy responsibilities to keep track of.
There was a part of him that was somehow similar to Donghae, perhaps it was something regarding their way of talking. Like Donghae, Leeteuk listened to my not-so-important stories intently. He’d let out a cute laugh and share his stories as well. I enjoyed having company, though I was an introvert. Leeteuk became a really good friend and I was enlightened to have met him. We didn’t share a romantic relationship between each other, to a certain extent, it was just friendship; and the two of us were completely aware of that.
***
Five years have passed since Donghae’s departure, he hasn’t come back yet.
It was inevitable for me to witness nostalgia all over again. I missed Donghae. I missed how he’d call me every morning for a ‘Good Morning’, laugh with me, stroll on the beach, stare at the sky, how our hands intertwined as if it was the pieces of the puzzle that fit perfectly. I couldn’t count how many months or even days more until he would come back.
I’m sure all of you were wondering about what happened between Donghae and me.
Poignant to say or even think about; we broke up.
Yes. “Separate ways” for me, meant nothing more or less than simply breaking up.
I’ve contemplated the whole thought about it. I’d bidden farewell to the past, or is that what I’m trying to feed my mind. There wasn’t a day when I forgot about Donghae. Though we’ve broken up, it doesn’t seem like it at all. It was as if he went to a faraway place, well in truth he did, but nevertheless our souls seemed to be still intertwined; my whole perception on this was simply based on my own personal feelings. I wasn’t aware of how he felt. I just didn’t know, nor did I have a way to find out.
