About You: Love & Sacrifice

I'm The Wrong One....

Jihoon wandered around looking for Younha until the early hours of the morning. The number is no longer reachable due to death, maybe Younha's phone is running out of power. Jihoon had already asked some of the shopkeepers and the surrounding community, but they did not see the woman as Jihoon had pointed out. Where do his little limbs step in this vast metropolis alone?

At three o'clock in the morning, Jihoon arrived at his grandmother's house empty-handed, his sturdy body squeezing and shivering as the temperature around the beach continued to drop past zero. Jihoon did not care, he sat on the homepage and kept checking his phone, hoping Younha would call— asking to be picked up where the woman was.

Jihoon leaned against the wooden pillar while exhaling a deep breath, unknowingly leading him to what he had done seven years ago. Starting from the United Kingdom, he meets Younha and instantly drops his heart on her. It's true what Younha says if love—also a bastard. Jihoon's love was lost five years ago, when he began to renege on his own wedding vows, that he would love and protect Younha for the rest of his life. However, all Jihoon did was continue to make the woman suffer.

Maybe God was angry with her. God deliberately separated them as karma for Jihoon's actions. God deliberately turned Jihoon's heart upside down after parting with Younha so that he also felt how to love himself, love without recompense, and hurt for that love. God wanted Jihoon to know that Younha was precious to him and made him regret a very painful—as if it killed him slowly.

The iron gate creaked and Jihoon spontaneously averted his gaze and sat down with the monolid of the woman he was so worried about all night. Younha stared at the gate with the same expression as earlier this afternoon. His small body was like he was drowning in a thick coat that belonged to no one.

Jihoon got up and stepped slowly closer to Younha, when he realized that a tinge of sun almost appeared with the squeals of birds perched on a tree. Jihoon waited for Younha all night outdoors, with only long pants and a thin collared short sweatshirt.

"Where have you been?" Tanya Jihoon in a whisper. "Why worry me? Is anyone sick? Did you sleep last night? Tell me, Younha-ya."

"I want to go back to Seoul today." Younha ketus. "If you don't want to, I'll go back alone!"

Jihoon nodded in excitement, happy that Younha was still willing to talk to him. The man was very afraid Younha silenced him—Jihoon could not bear it if it happened.

"Yes, we're going home today." Tukas Jihoon's. "Did you sleep well last night? I'm so worried about you. I thought you went back to Seoul without telling me."

"That's not important."

Jihoon's frozen palms retraced Younha's blushing cheeks, the contrasting body temperature difference making Younha reflex look up— gazing at Jihoon in silence, looking at her pale face, blackened eyes and blue lips. Younha's hands were raised, touching Jihoon's forehead and cheeks with an anxious look.

"You're hot?" Younha said when it was cold it was only temporary, what she felt now Jihoon's body was unusually hot. "You're feverish. Why suddenly?"

Jihoon shook his head with a smile and brought Younha to his arms.

"I've been waiting all night for you." His murmur was very soft. "Now you're in my arms. It feels so relieved."

A moment later, Younha felt her body start to weigh as Jihoon shuffled in her arms. They fell down together but Younha gave up her arms to hit the wooden floor of the veranda house to support Jihoon's body.

"Mas Jihoon?!"

Younha panicked, patting slowly on the man's pale face which began to draw blood from his nose.

...*****...

Younha leaned against the wall, looking at Jihoon who was sleeping on the bed with a thick blanket. Grandma put a compress on Jihoon's forehead to get his fever down. The reason Jihoon was suddenly weak like that was because of the cold air, his body was almost frozen because it was all night exposed to the wind without thick clothes.

"I thought Mas Jihoon should marry Hyejin as soon as possible, so that something like this would not happen again." Younha said softly, stealing attention from the grandmother who pounded the dried tea leaves beside her.

"Heyjin?" Grandma laughed a little. "Grandma doesn't even know what she looks like." The words of Grandma made Younha surprised.

"Mas Jihoon hasn't asked Hyejin to meet grandma?"

Grandma shakes. "Say had not had time, but grandma could guess if she was reluctant to set foot in this simple hut of grandmothers. Grandma heard Eun Hyejin was the daughter of corporate commissioner Jihoon's very fashionable and stylish father. A house like this is completely inappropriate for a person like him."

"However, they must get married quickly, so that their lives are more stable and run well." Younha approached Jihoon, sitting on the edge of the bed to justify Jihoon's compress being shifted because the man was moving just now. "Mas Jihoon should be happy soon."

"What about you?"

"Me?" Younha pointed to herself. "I'll support him, Grandma. Mas Jihoon had loved Hyejin so much for a long time."

"Are you okay?"

Younha blinked, turning his eyes to Jihoon again. Being asked like that made Younha quarrel with herself, are you really alright? The man you love will marry again, will you? He will be happy with others and leave you alone. You're really gonna let go? Kim Younha, look at you—you look pathetic.

"I'm fine, Grandma." Younha replied smilingly holding back the pain. "In the future, I will also find a man who will love me sincerely. I'll catch up with Mas Jihoon happily."

Grandma's vulnerable hands stretched out to rub Younha's back, channeling support and encouragement as well as apologies for all the distasteful attitudes Jihoon had wasted Younha. Then Grandma came out to make soup so that Jihoon could eat it when he woke up.

After Grandma closed the door, Younha looked back at Jihoon's face, raising her blanket while patting Jihoon's arm as she always did Yeonjun when he was sick. Jihoon's child-like face on Younha's eyes while he was sick, made him smile to himself.

"You should be happy Jihoon-na." Whisper Younha, commenting on the thin smile. "Don't hurt and don't cry anymore. You don't deserve to cry."

Younha's right hand was raised to flick Jihoon's bangs, just now the pretty finger touched a strand of her hair—Jihoon muttered softly, saying,

"....Hyejin...... Hyejin......"

Instantly Younha pulled her hand back, then clenched her head with a quiver. Younha's manic began to tear up, though her heart cried first while laughing at her stupidity.

It's true that you love Hyejin so much, Jihoon-na. I almost believed what you said yesterday and I was wrong. You even delirious of his name in sleep. I should have been aware and not harboring hope—because you do love him so much.....

I was wrong....

...*****...