The Way I Loved You

Red String Of Fate

Haein sat on the bed, freshly showered and changed into comfy clothing. Grace hadn't packed any of her silk pyjamas, but at least she had the sense to pack some hoodies instead of her usual outfits. Hyunwoo had left a small pile of his hoodies and sweatpants for her too which were neatly stacked at the foot of the bed.

As tiring of a day as it had been, her mind was still active. Not to mention that she didn't have her sleeping pills which made her a little nervous about her ability to fall asleep especially since she was in an unfamiliar environment. Instead, she decided to look around his room, hoping to distract herself from her hurricane of thoughts.

There hadn't been many changes to his room since the first time she visited. The only difference was probably a few empty spaces where his belongings used to be before he moved out, and a few of their wedding photos among his childhood collection. She thought it was rather sweet that even though he wasn't here to see it often, he'd left it there amongst his treasured childhood memories, moments of joy that he'd proudly displayed.

She opened his drawers, feeling a sense of deja vu when she remembered what had happened the last time she visited. She'd done the exact same thing then, finding the mp3 player and listening to it, only to go into one of her hallucinations in the driveway. That incident had happened approximately two months ago, but it felt like a lifetime. So many things had happened in between, from their tearful reconciliation in Germany to their divorce shortly after. Life had truly taken them on a rollercoaster, and it seemed like the ride wasn't ending any time soon.

Having been unable to listen to all the songs the last time, Haein settled on the bed, plugging in the earbuds. It appeared that she and Hyunwoo had a similar taste in music. She'd initially thought that it was a mere coincidence that they liked the same songs when she heard the first few tracks, but after scrolling through the playlist, she realised that he had almost all her favourite songs. Did they really have such similar tastes? She couldn't recall if he liked this kind of music.

Just then, her phone chimed with an incoming message.

HW: Are you sleeping?

H: I'm about to. Why?

I need to go to work early tomorrow, so I won't be able to see you... No, that would be weird. I shouldn't assume that she wants to see me. She made it clear that we're divorced now and have nothing to do with each other.

HW: Going to work early tomorrow.

When will you be coming home... What am I doing? Even when we were still married, I never asked when he was going to be home. It's weird to say this to my ex husband.

H: Okay.

Should I take tomorrow off? It's a tempting idea for sure. Haein just got here after a rough journey and it'll take time for her to adjust. Should I be here to help her get comfortable? She might not know what to do with herself during the day since she can't work and she'll be forced to be around both families, neither of which she is entirely comfortable with.

Can you just take tomorrow off? Even though we're kinda at odds now, it would be nice to have him around. It's going to be awkward between everyone tomorrow and I really don't want to deal with that. At least if he's here, I'll have someone to talk to.

HW: Good night

Haein sighed, deleting her message quickly. It was too much to ask him to stay just for her. Who did she think she was? His wife?

H: I'm going to listen to the songs on your mp3 before I sleep.

HW: Oh, that? How are the songs? They're all oldies.