Ri Jeong Hyeok boarded the elevator trying to tamper down the excitement he was feeling.
This was something he never thought he would be doing at this stage in his life -- on a secret rendezvous with a special woman. If he were being honest, of course he still had hesitations and that worry that this happiness would only be short-lived and whose wings will be clipped before it takes full flight.
But he had to try.
Attempting to forget Yoon Seri all these years yielded no results and only made his heart feel heavy. Some hurts cannot be repaired. However, some can only be healed by the one person who inflicted it on you. To be honest, just as he learned, what happened to them years ago hurt Seri deeply, too.
Carrying the bitterness over time did nothing, so he's going to try this other approach.
He stared at the magazines and journals he held in his hand as the lifts made its way up and couldn't help but let out a smile. She was such a thoughtful person, even when they were dating she would often buy him random stuff that reminder her of Jeong Hyeok. Once she even purchased a teddy bear for him because the toy was wearing a sweater similar to one he owned.
Upon arriving at their assigned suite, Jeong Hyeok knocked softly. He was given a key but he didn't want to just barge in, so he rapped on the door and waited. "Yoon Seri? It's me."
He heard some scuffling before the door flew open to reveal a makeup free Seri, who was as fetching as her glam look. "Good evening. I'm sorry I'm late."
Yoon Seri smiled up at him. "No problem, come in!" she stepped aside so that he could enter. "Why didn't you use your key?"
He explained his reason which made her chuckle, "Silly guy. Anyway, I'm glad you're here. Your dinner should be up soon. Go freshen up."
Scanning his surroundings, he stated the obvious, "There's just one bedroom? Didn't we agree on separate bedrooms?"
Seri pouted. "I tried but there was nothing left. There's two separate bed there."
"Thank you," he stated. Seeing that she was still annoyed about this arrangement, Jeong Hyeok pinched her nose. "Hey, remember what we agreed. We'll fix us first by having lots of conversations before we complicate things with intimacies."
"You make kissing me sound so bad," Seri said.
Jeong Hyeok narrowed his eyes at her as he tucked loose tendrils behind her ear. "No, kissing you is not bad... but it messes with my mind so much that it makes me agree with anything."
Seri grinned, "Let me kiss you then."
"NOOOOO!" Jeong Hyeok chuckled and evaded her arms by jumping across the sofa. "Hey!"
With the sofa between them now, Seri stopped her pursuit. "Fine. Go wash up. I'll set up the table for your dinner."
Jeong Hyeok seems surprised for a moment. "That's it? You give up? Seems like a different Seri from the one I knew back then."
"Oh? And how is that?" she asked, crossing her arms.
"My Seri wouldn't have stopped chasing me until she got a kiss," Jeong Hyeok replied, copying her stance.
Seri drew in a surprised breath. "Your Seri?"
Jeong Hyeok blushed but did not take it back, choosing to change the topic instead. "Different person."
"Yes. I'm different," Seri replied. "Older, braver and wiser. I'm letting you go now, Mister, but remember that we're going to be together for an ENTIRE WEEK. You will never be able to resist my charms."
Jeong Hyeok groaned. "Hey, no fair. You promised we'd take it slow."
"No, I said, I'd meet you halfway," Seri reminded him. "Like I said, we wasted ten years apart already."
Cupping his face, she kissed his nose and whispered, "Not one more minute resisting this love of mine." Gazing into his eyes, she continued, "I won't pressure you and will continue to wait but... I'm going to be right beside you this whole time."
"What did I do to deserve you?" Jeong Hyeok sighed, appreciating this wonderful woman who made him feel loved. She was beautiful and could have any man she wanted, yet here she was declaring her love for him and willing to wait when he finally gets over his issues.
Seri giggled. "You're lucky I need your help with changing my business strategies to make it more resilient in a volatile economy."
"That sounds like a thesis statement," Jeong Hyeok teased.
"Maybe I should tell Jisoo to use that for their final essay," Seri joined in. "Now, go. Wash up. I'll see you in a bit."
After his light dinner, Jeong Hyeok started nodding off, exhausted from the last minute arrangements he had to do before taking off for Jeju, the travel and the excitement / anxiety that this trip brought him.
Seri told him to go to the room and sleep and within minutes, he was in deep slumber. Crossing her legs, she sat on the floor and stared at his facial features. Kissing his nose, she whispered, "I'm glad you're here. I still love you so much, Hyeoky. Please know that I'm holding on tight this time. I won't let you go again."
*
The following morning, Seri found Jeong Hyeok tinkering with the piano by the window.
Leaning on the threshold, Seri thought back to other mornings in the past when she woke up to such sight.
Discovering the Jeong Hyeok played the piano was a pleasant and very much welcome surprise. They had been intimate for a while already but sleepovers weren't that common because Jeong Hyeok didn't want to impose on Seri, who had her own place while he lived with others in a dormitory.
However, in one of their rare spats, Seri blurted out that she felt horrible when Jeong Hyeok left her after having sex. "I know you love me but it makes me feel cheap," she admitted.
"Jagi, I'm sorry," Jeong Hyeok cooed, sitting beside her on the couch. "I just didn't know if I was welcome to stay and I didn't to assume."
Seri gave him an exasperated look. "How could you think that? Of course you can stay as long as you like! In fact, I prefer if I am able to wake up with your face as the first thing I see when I open my eyes."
"Seri, you make my heart flutter," Jeong Hyeok whispered, kissing her gently. "I would like to stay if it's okay."
Seri nodded, happily kissing him back.
"I'm truly sorry for hurting you. I didn't know you felt like that," he explained.
Wrapping her arms around him, she smiled, "I guess even a perfect couple like us has still a lot to learn about communicating."
"We're a perfect couple?" Jeong Hyeok clarified.
"Yup! Everyone thinks so... and more importantly... I think so," she declared.
After a few sleepovers, a friend of theirs left a keyboard in her place, which was was he was tinkering with that morning. The song he played was a classic one from George Gershwin. Both of them were too shy to sing, but Seri could almost hear the lyrics in her mind as she gazed into the eyes of the man who has captured her heart.
Only man I ever think of with regret....
"I'm a little lamb who's lost in the woods," Jeong Hyeok was singing quietly as he played the notes carefully, as if trying to recall how the song went. "I know I could... always be good..."
He struck a wrong note so loudly Seri let out a sound to alert him of her presence.
Turning to her, he smiled and greeted her, "Good morning! Did I wake you up with my noise here?"
"No," Seri assured. "I'm hungry."
Chuckling, Jeong Hyeok motioned to the breakfast table. "I made your favorite eggs."
"What?! You should have just ordered. This is our rest time, why are you cooking?" she complained.
"Because they made the eggs too runny and I know you won't like it so I just made them myself," he replied, placing the plate he made in front of her. "Here give them a try."
It was the perfect way she liked it. "Perfect consistency and flavour," she said, licking her lips. "I missed this."
As she ate, he asked, "What do you want to do today?"
"Well, I know that you want to start on your research so I'll be out of your hair. I'll take a walk by the beach. It seems like the day will be sunny," she shared.
Jeong Hyeok listened to her plans. "Seri, I know we're not really sharing to the world that we're going out and getting to know each other again... but..."
Seri looked at him, worriedly. "Please don't tell me you want us to stop seeing each other."
He was surprised at what she said and at the pain in her eyes. "Seri, of course not." Moving his chair close to hers, he continued asking, "I simply wanted to know if it's okay with you... I'd like to join you at the beach?"
"Oh," she bit her lip shyly. "Yes, I would like that."
*
"I can't believe that we're losing a whole week to get them to fall in love!"
Song Hae In turned to his side and stared at Yoon Jisoo's profile. "Well, we can't help that they have busy lives. You know that Professor Ri is committed to his studies and he contributes to the government to improve our country. I'm sure your sister's schedule is packed as well. I assume there's a lot to do when you run your own company, yes?'
Jisoo sighed. "Yes. She's in a conference in Busan for a few days and then her day is packed with meetings when she returns."
"Why are you so troubled with this anyway?" Hae In asked.
The woman beside him sighed again. "I just want my sister to be really happy. I know that being able to clear the air with Mr. Ri will be a step toward that."
Hae In patted her gently. "Don't worry. It's just one week. Come on. Let's see a movie to get your mind off things."
"Again?!" Jisoo smiled. "We've already seen everything they're showing in cinemas."
"So, let's see them again!"
Laughing, Jisoo took his hand and off they want to watch the movies one more time.
*
They had been going out for a few weeks now and she had been familiar with the staples in his attire. Ri Jeong Hyeok still preferred the clean look of a button down shirt, slacks, a leather belt and matching leather shoes. His accessories comprised of one watch and the leather bracelet he always wore.
For their beach trip, his outfit changed a little since his preferences would not really work with the setting.
Seri and Jeong Hyeok quickly reverted to their previous habits, with him letting her take the bathroom first before he took his shower. When she was done, he took his turn to wash while she fluffed her hair in the bedroom in front of the shared mirror.
When she picked up a brush, his bracelet fell to the floor so she picked it up. While checking to make sure there was no damage, Yoon Seri finally saw it.
She gasped.
The leather bracelet was held together by something she gave him years ago -- an item that matched the pendant she still kept in a safe at home.
"Seri?" Jeong Hyeok called.
Turning to face him, Yoon Seri had tears in her eyes as she said, "You kept it!"
Looking at what she held, he nodded and smiled at her. "It was your gift for our first 100 days," he said. "I couldn't throw it away."
"But you've forgotten your gift to me," Seri pouted staring at the gold bracelet she never took of, surprised when she saw Jeong Hyeok gently take her hand to touch it.
"No, I haven't," Jeong Hyeok corrected. "I worked overtime as a teacher's aide to be able to afford this."
"But you never commented on it since we've been out dating again."
Jeong Hyeok crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. "Oh, you mean like the time you kept waving your wrists in front of my face while you called a waiter?"
"But I --"
"Or when you hold your face while listening to my stories, while you fiddle with said bracelet, 'subtly' pointing your index finger to this gold item?" he teased.
Hitting him gently, "So why didn't you tell me?!"
"I didn't want to flatter myself that you kept it for me," he said. "You told me before that the quality is good so I left room for the possibility that you kept it because it's a good investment?"
Seri narrowed her eyes. "Well, let me tell you now... I KEPT IT BECAUSE OF YOU."
Jeong Hyeok approached and kissed her nose. "Thank you. Just to be clear, I kept the lock because of you, too." Sighing, he rubbed her arms and said, "I'm sorry if I can't rush into being in a relationship with you again. I just need to heal a little bit more."
Seri nodded. "Don't be sorry. I told you understand. You're here with me now, that's all that matters."
Taking her fully into his arms, he whispered, "I never stopped loving you, you know?"
"Really? But you hated me when we met again," Seri said, pointing out the anger she saw when they were face-to-face at the University.
"No hate. Hurt, bitterness yes, but... no hate," he clarified looking into her eyes.
Cupping his face, Seri said, "I know you're not there yet but... thank you for giving us a chance, Hyeoky."
"Thank you for being patient with me."
"For now, would you walk on the beach with me?"
Jeong Hyeok smiled and took her hand, "I would love to... only if you put my bracelet on me. I never go anywhere without it."