The Way I Loved You

Misunderstandings

They sat on the bed, both exhausted after the flurry of events that day. Being soaked to the bone after so much physical exertion hadn't been on their bucket list but life had decided to deliver that experience to them anyway. Haein could feel the throbbing ache in her muscles that pulsed along with her heartbeat. All she wanted was to crash in bed and knock herself out.

Sensing how tired she was, Hyunwoo had gone the extra mile to help her dry her hair when she struggled with the hairdryer. Feeling his gentle fingers running through her hair, carefully blow drying each section to make sure that her hair was dried thoroughly, Hyunwoo was the most attentive husband she could ask for. He even took great care not to mess up her curls and clumsily attempted to style her hair slightly with the comb. Seeing him try so hard when she knew that he had absolutely no knowledge on hairstyles was amusing to aay the least.

When he noticed the scrape on her knee, he didn't hesitate to help her bandage it. Ever so carefully, he picked a cute cartoon bandaid that she was pretty sure was meant for kids and positioned it over the scrape. As she watched him, her heart swelled with warmth that blossomed like a sunrise throughout her chest. The way his eyebrows furrowed and his lips twitched with concentration was nearly a perfect echo of the Hyunwoo from high school who had done the exact same thing for her in the courtyard.

You haven't changed one bit. You're still that awfully sweet guy that I regretted having to leave behind.

"Your hand."

She was surprised that he'd noticed. Even she had forgotten about the scrape she got when her legs decided to give way beneath her on the road. He really seemed to notice everything about her.

His touch was as gentle as the fluttering of butterfly wings as he examined her hand all over just to make sure that she wasn't hurt anywhere else. As he applied the antiseptic, she flinched slightly when it stung, but his grip on her wrist remained firm. Electricity shot up her arm and down her spine, making her stomach churn. It was a familiar feeling, but one that she hadn't felt in a long time. It was like a drug, making her feel almost lightheaded as her veins buzzed with adrenaline. She might just get addicted if she wasn't careful.

"You shouldn't be alone anymore. You always get hurt." He said absentmindedly. If he'd been looking at her in that moment, he would have noticed the way her eyes widened in surprise. Having Hyunwoo be this affectionate towards her was unusual, but she couldn't deny that she was enjoying it. Once standing alone at the edge of a cliff, she now had someone to hold her hand to make sure she didn't fall.

Why was he being so nice to her all of a sudden? She couldn't figure it out for the life of her.

Every time she'd braced herself for the empty disappointment that he'd brush her off or ignore her, he'd proved her wrong. She'd convinced herself that he didn't care, that he wouldn't go out looking for her when she was missing, yet he'd come with sweat dripping down his back and his voice hoarse from shouting. She'd thought that he would just pretend that nothing happened and leave her in his room after she was done showering, but he'd stayed. He even started a conversation with her, rambling awkwardly like he used to when they first started dating.

A flicker of hope had sparked in her chest, hope that their marriage could be salvaged in the short three months she had left. Maybe she wouldn't die alone after all. Maybe she would be able to spend her last moments with the man she loved who would finally love her back. Things were finally looking up for them and she didn't want to let this precious opportunity go.

"Will you... come with me?"

As she always did, she braced herself for rejection. It was a simple question, but she felt strangely vulnerable asking it. It felt like she was exposing how afraid she actually was to go there alone and face the uncertainties of the treatment herself. She didn't want him to know how much she actually needed him, but it was the only way she could get him to go with her. Giving him the opportunity to stomp on her heart and reject her was terrifying. Her instincts screamed at her to retract her question, to pass it off as a joke like she always did so that she could protect her heart from being broken again.