The Way I Loved You

Cuddles

After their cup ramyeon dinner, the two showered in their hotel room before ending up on opposite ends of the couch, awkwardly staring at each other while trying to appear discreet. It was comical, how they both sat stiff as a board like they were having tea with the president. One moment, Haein was admiring Hyunwoo's side profile, thinking that he was completely clueless while the next, Hyunwoo was eyeing her from her peripheral vision as her attention was turned to the television.

What now? They both had the same question hovering above their heads. They hadn't been a normal couple in so long, that they didn't know what to do in each other's presence anymore. At home, their usual routine was always to arrive home separately from work and retreat to their rooms immediately for the night. They didn't even have dinner together because they always came back so late and the maids just sent dinner up to their rooms.

Hyunwoo wondered if he should start a conversation. What should they talk about? He desperately tried to recall what it was like when they first started dating.

It had been a whirlwind romance, with them dating for less than a year before he proposed at the aquarium. From the moment they started talking, he felt this undeniable attraction towards her like a magnet. At the time, one of the reasons why he was so certain that she was the one was because of her ability to hold a conversation with him and keep him on his toes. Somehow, they always had something fun to talk about and constantly had mini debates between them. Even when they were tired, they sat in comfortable silence, in an unspoken agreement that they just wanted to enjoy each other's presence. He was certain that they still had that telepathic connection, he just needed to figure out how to reignite it.

Meanwhile, Haein fiddled with her wedding ring, her expression pensive. Somehow, it had only hit her at that moment that despite their constant arguments and the silent treatment, neither of them had ever taken off their wedding rings. She was aware that many couples who were separated only wore their wedding bands in public to prevent speculation, but she'd noticed that Hyunwoo wore it even when they were home alone.

Sometimes when they fought, there was that nagging fear in the back of her mind that she would walk out the next morning and see his finger bare during breakfast. She'd braced herself for it even, fearing that he would have had enough one day and decided to walk out on her. She would prepare herself to keep a neutral expression even if it felt like her heart would shatter into a thousand pieces, but the day never came.

She twisted the band on her finger, the solid weight reassuring. Even when she died, she would refuse to be parted with this ring. Yes, it cost thousands of dollars, but she would take it with her to the grave regardless. That way, even when she was six feet under, she would always feel a connection with him like an invisible string that bound them together. Maybe she would feel less alone then.

Haein's train of thought was disrupted as Hyunwoo clicked the remote to switch between different channels, each producing a string of words in German that neither of them could understand.

"They're all in German." He said absentmindedly, his eyes fixed on the screen.

"We're in Germany after all." She pointed out the obvious, and Hyunwoo turned to look at her, his cheeks tinged a faint pink. They stared at each other for a moment, sharing their desperation to escape from the awkwardness before they looked away, overcome by the intensity of eye contact.

"Should I turn it off?" Before waiting for her reply, Hyunwoo pressed the off button.

The room was plunged into an awkward silence, the tension so thick that it could be cut with a butter knife. Hyunwoo only realised his mistake in hindsight. Now that he'd switched off the television, they were sitting on the sofa doing absolutely nothing. If that wasn't awkward, he didn't know what was. Now they had to talk, or the level of awkwardness would soon escalate to a mortifying level.