One day in Seoul 🇰🇷

🇰🇷: 14

Katarina's POV

The moment Francis walked out of the office, I slumped into my chair, pressing my fingers to my temples. I can't believe it. I slapped my own face twice, hard enough to feel the sting, just to check if this was all real. Hindi ako nananaginip. Francis had actually come to see me, standing in front of my office door, holding those flowers... Those flowers.

My heart raced, my thoughts a mess. Why now? He really made the effort to come here, after all this time, after Seoul. I told him I had a patient waiting outside, but that was a lie. I needed space... I needed to breathe. The awkwardness between us, the weight of all that had been left unsaid-it was too much for me to handle at once.

I sat there for a few minutes, staring at the delicate pink lilies he had brought. That's when it hit me-The first bouquet wasn't from Paul. It was from Francis all along. He had been trying to reach out, but I had assumed the worst. Now, looking at the flowers, I didn't know whether to feel relieved or more confused.

I fumbled for my phone, needing to hear a familiar voice. Dialing David's number, I waited for him to pick up.

"Hello, ate?" came his voice.

"David, I-I'm sorry, there's an urgent meeting at the hospital. I won't be able to have lunch with you and Sarang today. Just go home, okay? Let Sarang eat there."

David was silent for a moment, probably sensing something in my tone, but he didn't press me. "Okay, ate. See you later."

As I hung up, my heart felt heavier. This isn't the right time, I reminded myself. I couldn't reveal Sarang to Francis just yet. Not when everything was still so uncertain. I needed to think things through-carefully.

I stood up, taking a deep breath in and out, trying to gather the courage to face Francis again. You can do this, Katarina. You have to. He was waiting downstairs, and I had to go. I couldn't hide forever.

When I finally walked into the lounge area, I saw him sitting there, staring at his coffee like it held the answers to everything. As soon as he noticed me, he stood up, looking almost as nervous as I felt.

"Sorry for making you wait," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

"It's fine," he replied, offering a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. The tension between us was thick, almost suffocating. He couldn't even meet my gaze.

We stood there awkwardly for a moment before I decided to break the silence. "So, what's the real reason you came here today?" My voice was firmer than I expected, but I needed to know.

Francis paused, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. His expression was unreadable as he hesitated before speaking. "After our meeting in Seoul... I haven't been able to stop thinking about you."

My heart dropped at his words, but I couldn't stop the bitterness that welled up inside me. Why now?

"Why now, Francis? Why just now?" I asked, a little too harshly. "Why not before? Why did it take you this long to find me?" My mind raced with all the possibilities. What if he had looked for me earlier? What if we had been together from the start? Would we be a family now? But I bit my tongue before I could even think of mentioning Sarang. Not now...

He looked taken aback, his eyes searching my face for answers he couldn't seem to find. "I'm... I'm sorry, Katarina. I really am. I didn't know-"

"You didn't know what?" I interrupted. "You didn't know that disappearing without a word would leave you wondering for years?" I was mad, not just because of what had happened, but because I had allowed myself to hope, even if only for a moment.