2025 ; jungwon

CHAPTER 12

"Jungwon... "

Minjoo blinked as the memory of the past instantly vanished as her sight gets clearer, more adjusted in the dark.

Dark sky.

Lamp posts.

Bridge.

Sounds of cars passing by...

She blinked as she stared at his rather confused eyes staring at her.

1865....It's not 1865. It's no longer 1865, Minjoo. Get a grip!

Minjoo immediately retreat her hand from his cheek and instantly moved away. She avoided his gaze as she cleared her throat.

"Are you okay? "

Am I?

She nodded as an answer. She couldn't talk at the moment. She couldn't voice out her thoughts, the words that she wanted to say, the stories she wanted to tell the other.

There's a big thing clogging up her throat and that prevents her from talking. She doesn't want to get emotional. Well, at least not in front of him.

"You were not... " the looks from the man was hesitant and there's a glint of worry. "You weren't ending your─"

Minjoo immediately shook her head. "I don't! " she answered too instantly. "Don't worry, I don't. "

"Oh, I misunderstood then. "

Minjoo wanted to chuckle but she chose not to. Though that didn't prevent her from smiling given by the man's reaction. She goes to the railings of the bridge and rests her hand on it. She faced the man who seems like watching her you can tell he is deep in his thoughts.

"You thought I'd commit suicide? "

Jungwon's expression softens, he feels guilty for judging her. But you can't blame him, can you? When someone's climbing the railings late at night, looking sad and you can feel that person isn't alright, you would think the same, right?

"I'm sorry. " he spoke, walking to her side. "I didn't mean to. "

"It's alright. Really. " Minjoo smiled to assure him. "If I'm also in your shoes, I'd do what you did, just so you know so don't think about it. You're just concerned. "

Now, she wonders if Jungwon, the man whom she fell in love in the year 1865 was the man standing beside her, the one who witnessed what she did earlier and mistook her of taking her own life, will he do the same?

If he's my Jungwon, yes.

Minjoo smiled painfully.

Besides, he won't let me walk here alone. In the dark. He won't allow me to be lonely. To be alone in a city where danger is just around the corner.

She suddenly remember that one time where she first went to his tenement in the middle of the night. Where she thought the man shut the door right before her to leave her to walk alone in the middle of the darkness to the Min residence. Only for him to open the door once again despite him being exhausted from that long day...