Love is Stronger than Blood (Snowdrop Oneshots)

49- just friends part 3

Hanna-ya, do you remember when you told me you loved me and I said we couldn't be together?

Jang Hanna frowned in confusion, looking down at the piece of paper in her hand. She'd found it tucked under her apartment's door, with no trace as to how it got there. There was no name and no return address, but she immediately knew who'd written it, both from the handwriting and the contents.

I know I hurt you that day. I'm sorry. That wasn't what I wanted to do.

Lee Kangmu smiled softly as he wrote the words he knew she would read. Their future together rested on this little slip of paper, so he had to choose his words carefully.

And the right words, as his mother always said, came from the heart.

I didn't want to risk losing you again. You went through so much for my sake. I felt guilty about making you suffer even more. I thought that things might be easier if we maintained a professional distance from each other, but you know as well as I do that even more separation isn't what we want. The visit to my family made me realize that.

Hanna felt blood rushing to her cheeks as she read. She bit her lip, holding back the smile she wanted to make.

But I told you the truth that day. I only want the best for you. I don't deserve you... but you said you don't want anyone else. I don't want anyone else, either. If you still feel that way, I'll be at our old favorite picnic spot tonight at sunset.

===

Evening approached, finding Kangmu alone on a cliffside, surrounded by trees with a single path back to the road and the most incredible view of the city below and the sunset beyond the mountains of Seoul. Without a doubt, it was his favorite place in the world, not just because of its beauty, but because of what had happened there in the past. His and Hanna's first date had been there, along with countless dates after that, to have picnics or watch the stars or simply be in each other's presence, removed from the busy buzz of the city. The last time Kangmu had been here was the evening he'd proposed to Hanna six years ago. Being in this spot again brought back so many memories of their life together before it had all fallen apart. Now, he just hoped he could fix it with her.

"Lee Kangmu-ssi?"

He turned, hearing his name called. Hanna stood at the edge of the clearing, having just come from the road down the dirt path.

"Hanna-ya," he said. He'd been half-expecting her not to show up, but now she was here, right in front of him. She was dressed in a simple white t-shirt, light blue jeans, and hiking boots, but she still managed to take his breath away.

Hanna walked over to him, offering him a small, nervous smile. Kangmu tried not to stare too long at her. He wanted to say so many things, but all the words stuck in his throat.

"I— um... I didn't think you'd actually come."

Hanna laughed a little, and inside his chest Kangmu's heart skipped a beat.

"Your note was vague enough to be intriguing," she said, her voice having a light tone of playful teasing. "You also didn't specify the location at all. I could've gone to the wrong place."

"I knew you wouldn't," Kangmu said, looking her right in the eye. Hanna's breath hitched at his gaze, both of them falling silent until Kangmu broke the still air, gesturing for her to sit down at the small wooden picnic table. He'd set out a bit of food and two cans of soda, but neither touched any of it. Both were too anxious to get to the point.

Hanna reached into her pocket and pulled out the little slip of paper he'd left at her apartment. She put it down onto the table and pushed it towards him. He gingerly picked it up, his eyes scanning the written words.

"So... I suppose you want to talk about this," Hanna said.

"Yes," Kangmu said, placing the paper back onto the table. "I just want you to know... I mean everything I wrote. You know that these circumstances aren't quite ideal, but..." he slowly reached his hand across the table, "if you'll let me, I'll stick by your side through everything. I'll never leave you again. I'll always be there for you."

Hanna stared at his offered hand for a moment, before carefully placing her own inside. His hand gently wrapped around hers, gradually intertwining their fingers together. Hanna smiled shyly, almost certain that her cheeks were blazing red. His eyes never strayed from her face, while hers remained fixed on their hands. Kangmu's hand was considerably larger than Hanna's, so hers fit snugly inside, like it was specifically designed to do so.

She looked up at him, their eyes locking, with neither of them intending to break the contact anytime soon.

"Don't leave," Hanna breathed out after a moment of heavy silence. "Stay."

Kangmu's other hand came up and grasped Hanna's, bringing it up to his lips and pressing a fast but meaningful kiss to the back of her palm. He let go of her hand after the kiss, but she kept it there, and Kangmu allowed it to brush against his cheek and himself to lean against it as the warmth sank into the side of his face.

"I won't leave," he promised, his voice almost reduced to a whisper. "I'm staying with you."

Hanna smiled, getting up to switch seats so she was closer to him, on the same bench. She took his hand again. Kangmu turned to face her, and for another moment there was nothing but total, comfortable silence between the two of them, until it all was broken by one word, spoken by both of them at the same time.

"Saranghae."

Neither Hanna nor Kangmu knew who had said it first. Hanna's eyes widened, before she started laughing softly.

Kangmu had sorely missed the sound of her laughter. He couldn't help himself, anymore. Both of his hands swiftly flew up to take her face between them, and he pulled her forwards until their lips met.

His family had been right. He was still in love with Jang Hanna. He'd never stopped loving her, and he never would stop loving her, either.

As for Hanna, she'd never even thought that she and Kangmu were just friends.

===

Saranghae: I love you

Special birthday update 😊😊
—Suyeong ❣️