A Red Rose - Hyunlix

57

Felix's POV

A week had passed, the famous 7 days during which Hyunjin had to convince me to stay with him. And when he asked me the question, I didn't hesitate for a moment.

"Yes, of course, obviously. I'll stay," I said, as if it were the only answer. Hyunjin smiled and hugged me, resting his head on my shoulder and laughing.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," I replied.

"...Shall we go to Paris?" he asked. I widened my eyes and turned to look at him, trying to find the words to formulate a response.

"Um... When?"

"Whenever you want."

I looked at him confused, not sure what to say. The idea of going to Paris excited me, so what was holding me back? Maybe the fact that I still didn't fully trust him? Perhaps because I was afraid it might happen again?

He took my shoulders to get my attention, so I looked at him.

"Hey, it won't happen again, never again, trust me."

"Yes, sorry, you're right..." I smiled awkwardly. One last chance: let's go to Paris and see how he behaves.

"What do you say? Let's go to Paris?"

"Yes, okay," I had to trust him, I had to give him another chance, to trust him again.

He smiled at me, as if he could read my thoughts.

"Please, trust me. It won't happen again. Let's go have fun." His eyes emitted that wholesome good-guy vibe, a vortex that drew me in. His sincere smile hypnotized me, his beauty disarmed me, and I gave in to his command. I felt weak when I was with him; he had the power to control me, he knew he had me under his spell for a while, yet he never used that power, never exploited or devalued me.

"Yes, okay, agreed," I mumbled.

A week later, we were on the banks of the Seine, comfortably seated admiring the illuminated Eiffel Tower, bathed in the lights and moonlight. I sipped from a wine glass and turned to look at Hyunjin. I delved into his sharp features, his breathtaking appearance, and his shadowed gaze.

"Thank you," I said.

He turned slowly to look at me, tilting his head slightly.

"What do you owe me for?"

"For saving me," I said. He smiled and let out a faint laugh, placing the glass on the table and looking down.

I looked at him confused.

"Why are you laughing?" I asked.

He locked his eyes onto mine and smiled.

"I didn't save you. You saved yourself. You got back on your feet; I just made you think. You're much stronger than you think, you know? When you left, I fell into depression until you came back. You rebuilt your life, even started working to be independent. As for the rest, for what happened before, I just encouraged you not to give up. You're the only one capable of standing up again after all the knives plunged into your heart, after all those scars life left on you."

I opened my mouth, maybe to argue that it wasn't true, but he was right after all.

"Do you understand now? You don't need anyone to move forward; you could do everything even without me. It's not the same for me."

"You're wrong, I couldn't live without you."

"Yet you did."

"Where are you going with this?"