It was another twenty minutes before they could drag her gear up the slope and arrive at the parking lot. For the entire stretch, she hung by his side, his arm nestled around her back. At times when she stepped away, he held onto her hand, swinging them as they gained elevation. She was unusually silent as if this was a reverie that would be broken by words.
"Ottuke?" He caught her whisper occasionally, looking up at him. In response, he kissed her forehead, believing anything else he had to offer would only be momentary placation.
Their cars were the only ones left in the dimly lit lot. He tugged her lightly to get her attention. "I hope you don't have any plans." Noticing that she was likely to shake her head in assent, he continued with the proposition. "I would like to take you someplace."
She nodded, beaming with approval. He waited in his jeep, as she ambled about outside, arranging for her Porsche to be picked up.
"How did you know I was here?" She eventually managed, once they began their drive downhill. "Or even know to find me at First Flieger?"
"I got your message." He briefly met her eyes.
Her eyebrows drew together, after a full second. "But you weren't online until after you showed up here?"
He reached for her hand. "I promise, I'll explain it later." With his hand looped over hers on the arm-rest, he guided the steering with his free hand through the bends and curves of the road.
Halfway through the drive, he caught her drift off, her head resting against the window. He registered that she was likely jetlagged with Seoul being eight hours ahead of their timezone. He took in her red flying suit and disheveled hair. Albeit fashionably disheveled in her opinion, he corrected himself, smiling. At random, his mind drew parallels to the first time they had met. Though she didn't crash land on him, the news of her being in Swiss and the decision to meet her had happened in a similar flash.
By and large, he didn't fully think through the decision to show himself to her. Therefore, he wanted to regard how best to share what had transpired in the last two years with her. Once she caught wind of the permanent shifts, he knew she would want to hear everything. He will have to rip the bandage, he concurred. It left him wanting at least a day with her without having to talk about the events that led him here. After all, it would be her birthday in a few hours. Considering what he knew about how she spent her last few birthdays, either believing he'd left or waiting unawares if he would come for her, he wanted to make it about her without a thought for the past or the future.
About ten minutes from their destination, she stirred. "Where are we, Ri Jyeong Hyuk'sshi?"
"Lungern," he said, her thumb stroking her hand in assurance. "We're almost there."
*****
After a short uphill drive, they arrived at the private driveway of what appeared to be an old estate gate. She watched him punch a keycode into his phone and the gate opened, to let them through. With nightfall, she couldn't see past the few yards lit by the vehicle, as they further navigated turns of a winding road. However, once they made it to the entryway of the mansion, the lights came on, revealing the ongoing construction outside. On the contrary, the floor to ceiling glass windows by the door presented a well put together interiors that were still bare and needed furnishings.
"Is this a friend's house? Or a relative's?" She craned her neck out the window, concluding that no property rental would lease out a half-finished house. "Is this were you are staying for this trip?"
Unlocking his door, he smiled in response and bounced out to come around the front of the jeep and opened the door for her.
Her feet began moving of its own volition, as he slackly perched against the jeep, his hands tucked inside his pockets. She kept turning to look back at him. In no time her curious glances morphed into one of surprise, just as she perused the alteratives to her former inquiry.
"We've said more goodbyes than I can count," she heard him say in a tone thick with melancholy, while she faced the front of the house. "I can no longer see you fall apart every time we have to walk away from each other."
She turned about and staggered towards him. Accordingly, he extended to take both her hands into his.
"The day I rushed you to the hospital, desperately praying you would survive," he continued, his eyes disclosing the hurt of a distant time. "I realized that loving you had changed me." Recovering from the sudden overwhelm, he smiled. "I wanted a future with you, even if it meant worrying about losing you on a daily basis."
Her vision blurred, as tears pooled into her eyes. She blinked to dispel them when he loosened his grip around her hands and cradled her face, his thumb brushing away the wetness on her cheeks. Placing a hand over his, she closed her eyes for a wink, while her mind slowly etched his words into her being. The novelty of the instance didn't escape her and yet, she shook fearing she would wake up any minute then.
"But I couldn't act recklessly without taking precautions either." Her eyes opened catching him shake his head, while an unnamed anguish clutched his voice. "It's why I didn't reach out to you until there can be some constants in my life. So that I can give us a chance to be like every other mundane couple doing commonplace things."
She moved closer to him and his hands slid down to circle her waist. Tilting her head back, she gazed up just in time to find him settle into a smile. "To fear, yet be vulnerable too," he added unrushed, with an earnestness that was akin to a man taking his vows. "To take something but give in equally. To disagree, but be ready to make up too. And to choose you again the next day, and the day after. To keep falling in love with you over the little things. To live and dream of a life with you by my side..." She was fully leaning on him now, her legs weakened from the weight of the moment. A continuous stream of tears sprung from the pleasure of hearing her man openly express his wanting for her. "I want all those things for us," he declared.
Before he could say anything more, her arms locked around his neck. She raised herself on her toes and kissed him with a fervor he'd demanded earlier. For once he wasn't sparing with his words and she felt doused with the need to respond to him in no uncertain terms. This was an end and a beginning in itself, a land of her dreams, she reckoned, remembering the times they'd walked on eggshells, never spelling out what they were to each other.
His hand raised to hold her face, his fingers curved around the side of her neck, gently easing the inhibitions with which she moved against him. Eventually, she pulled back jolted into the reality that she may not be able to stop if she didn't let go then. Her bashful eyes wavered not to meet his, at which he smiled noting her advances.
Releasing her from his hold, he led her to the door. "Take a shot at the PIN," he said slumping against the wall. Raising six fingers, he hinted that the passcode was six digits and watched her go at it with amusement. Both their birthday dates failed, nor was it the date they met at the DMZ.
"At this rate, we're going to be here all night," she sniveled, stomping her feet. He volunteered to key in a set of numbers, which she took a second to guess might have been the day they met at the Sigriswil Panorama bridge.
There was no way she would have known the day when their fates had brought them together many times before. The date was a pleasant revelation. Her excitement mellowed and her eyes softened to admit she was touched.
"For now, this is my place," he said sounding tentative. "It can be our place if you would like it to be." He gazed at her for a long moment, reflecting the same question in his eyes. Even as she mustered a response, he straightened to get behind her. In one scooping movement, he lifted her into his arms and stepped past the threshold.
He raised his eyebrows at her and she squished her eyes shut, falling against his shoulder. One part of her was filled with elation, while a sliver of doubt plagued another with an unspoken worry, which she attempted to push aside.
Clasping her hands around his neck, she steadied herself in his hold, familiarizing herself with the cut of his jaw and beginnings of a stubble that had left a burn around her chin. Smiling coyly, she looked away, as she flipped around to glean the layout of the area.
Once they reached the living room, he lowered his head to kiss her once more, before he set her down.
She ventured around exploring the expanse of the sitting area that opened up into the dining and the kitchen space. The room starkly lacked color, with everything from the walls to the sole couch in the room being white. In the kitchen, it was a mix of a modern refrigerator and stove, that sat alongside the vintage coffee grinder, Chemex, the hand press he used to make noodles and a mortar and pestle that he had back home. The unwashed bowls and coffee cups affirmed that he was already living here. There were no tables or chairs, no accents, which she gathered was intentionally left out to be chosen later.
By her? A question rose inside her, disbelieving the reality around her. Words had evaded her all evening when everything felt surreal at best. She'd cried, smiled, managed only a few sentences, which were in truth trivial inquiries or expressions of surprise. She held the sides of her forehead and took a deep breath.
It was a few minutes before she noticed he was nowhere to be seen and went looking for him. Just as she treaded into what turned out to be the bedroom, he came into view from the other end of the room.
She was still getting used to the fact that he was back in her life, let alone adjust to the visual of him approaching her. With her eyes trained at his smile, she missed the open white box in his hand until he reached her side.
"There is no key to the place. So..." He didn't complete his sentence and instead picked up a Pandora key charm that was delicately carved with filigree work. Gesturing to give him her hand, he unlatched the bracelet around her wrist and added the newest charm to the collection of memories he'd presented for her previous birthday. Just like that, her eyes teared up again.
"I don't know what to say," she mumbled, as she gently beat his chest and the charms jangled with the affectionate move. When she endeavored to do so the second time, he swiftly circled her wrist and drew it around his back, taking her into a hug.
"Happy Birthday, Yoon Se Ri." Bending to reach her ears, he whispered softly.
"You really know how to make a woman's heart flutter." She tried to control her sobs while struggling to hold a broad smile. "How do you line up everything like that before I can prepare myself?"
Pulling back to look at her face, he raised a brow at her. "That's not a yes." In that instant, she confirmed that his declaration by the entryway was more than a proposal and her heart stilled.
"Oh, you aren't going to get away that easy." She spoke with mock anger. "Earn it. Make me say yes," she managed, with a firmness she didn't mean. She smiled silent, giving away the Yes he sought.
"Well, I deserved that reminder." His face exposed fake disappointment. "I forget that I am negotiating with the one who topped the Forbes list of women entrepreneurs in the Asia Pacific, this year."
"Wah," she exclaimed. "Looks like someone was keeping tabs on me."
He briefly pressed his forehead against hers. "Always."
His reply was unexpected and with it brought a rapid gush of tenderness. The word felt absolute, indicating a continuum that spanned past the eternity of time and space. "There you go again," she appeared miffed. "Making my legs turn into clay with just one word."
"Now, there is someone I'll need to attend in a bit." He said and she followed his gaze to clock the hour at ten minutes to seven.
"Who?" Her mouth rounded with curiosity and he gave a knowing smile even as he placed a quick kiss on her lips, taking her by surprise. Feeling a hot flush climb her cheeks, she covered her eyes with her hand, reminding herself that she needed getting used to being around a man who would no longer hold back.
"He is my old dean from school." He shifted to release her from his hold. "He comes over once a month to check my progress. It will most likely take only half an hour, but let's pray he doesn't ask me to play Liszt today."
She nodded smiling, as she learned the details of his routine, which gave her a glimpse of his new life. It pleased her to no end that he was playing the piano again.
"Also, I'm currently hosting people at home for a week." He said, carefully averting his gaze and began checking his phone. "Meeting you was not on the cards when you weren't even supposed to be here," he clarified. "Well, I hope you don't mind them staying here."
"Do I know them?" she asked tilting her head, somehow certain that he wasn't referring to his parents, which in turn raised the question about their whereabouts in her mind.
"Seo Dan and Gu Seung Joon." He coughed, clearing his voice before he continued. "It's Seo Dan's showcase this coming weekend and I'm accompanying her on the piano. They are spending the night at Bern. They'll be here tomorrow morning."
She shook her head as if to clear the rush of information he'd provided. "What?" Her forehead creased unable to process the joy that he'll soon be performing at a showcase, while other doubts nagged her simultaneously. She felt stumped that people were dropping by for a visit like they were only neighbors. "When did you leave Pukan exactly?"
He was about to respond when his phone rang and he eagerly received it welcoming the distraction. However, he regretted picking up the call, the next instant. Unable to bear the screams on the other end, he removed the phone away from his ears. Despite not being on speaker, she could hear Ju Mok and Eun Dong head into a shouting match wanting to be the first to talk to her.
She blinked. Her hand fluttered to close her mouth. "I'll call you back in a bit," he spoke urgently, aware she was unsettled with the extent of access others had to him.
He looked flustered, his eyes darted about to explain himself when his phone chimed delivering a dozen messages at once. One second, he indicated raising a finger.
She folded her arms, a small pout forming at her lips. She drew on a practiced indifference and yet, gasped aloud when she sighted the pictures of them hugging and kissing at the entryway on his phone.
Her eyes rounded, awaiting the same creepy bewilderment descent onto his face.
"Ju Mok!" he let out exasperated instead, as he placed a hand over his forehead, reading congratulatory messages from all four of the Ex. company 5 members.
He raised a hand defensively. "I can explain everything," he stepped forward just as she hopped back. "Yoon Se Ri," he sounded desperate.
His phone beeped again. She promptly edged to read her mother's name as the sender of the new message.
He sighed in visible surrender, as he handed the phone to her.
"Ri Jyeong Hyuk'sshi," her eyes narrowed, this time around a growing tempest showed in her eyes. "Can you tell me why everyone in the world seems to know how to reach you, except me?"
*****
Author's note: That was another long update that tired me out. I hope you all like the flow and how their post-meet-up story is shaping up. If yes, then vote up and write me a note, as always.