The Way I Loved You

A Peaceful Afternoon

Hyunwoo woke up as per normal when his alarm went off, slightly disgruntled from the earlier waking time. Back in Seoul, Queens Town was pretty close to the Queens building which made commuting to work easy. Now that he was back in Yongduri, he was reminded of how he used to wake up at the crack of dawn just to board the bus for Seoul. Perhaps he had been taking everything for granted, he thought as he yawned and stretched the soreness out of his muscles. Lucky for him, Moh Seulhee had failed to seize his car since it was technically his and she had no right over it. Although all the Hong's assets were frozen, his were not because he had a separate account. Perhaps it had been a blessing in disguise that the Hongs were paranoid over financial disputes and banned joint accounts.

He got dressed quickly, determined to beat the morning congestion, but just as he was about to put on his shoes, he remembered that he hadn't checked on Haein yet.

Dropping his shoe haphazardly on the ground since his mother wasn't around to tell him off, he padded off to Haein's room, pushing the door open softly so as not to wake her. She was still sound asleep, a testament to how exhausted she was the night before. She was curled up on the bed, her face practically buried into the pillows.

And just as he'd suspected, she hadn't closed the windows like he'd advised. Of course she didn't. She'd seemed a little grumpy last night after their conversation, and probably stubbornly refused to take his advice just to get back at him. It was childish, but very characteristic of Haein. So much so that he couldn't help but chuckle.

Crossing the room carefully, he pulled the curtains shut so that she wouldn't be awoken by the bright light coming in. She needed all the sleep that she could get, he didn't want her waking up any earlier than necessary.

In her sleep, her features were relaxed and peaceful. Even without her makeup and pretty clothes, she looked beautiful with her hair fanned out behind her, her cheeks tinted a faint pink in the dim lighting. Wait, did she have a fever? The weather was starting to get cold lately and the blanket had gotten kicked off a little during the night.

Worried, he felt her forehead with the back of his hand, feeling his own forehead in comparison. She felt a little warmer than him, but not high enough for it to be a fever. He would ask his mother to check on her throughout the day to make sure that she was alright.

Ever so gently, he tugged the blanket up to drape over her shoulders, ensuring that she was properly tucked in her cocoon of warmth. Honestly, seeing her like this tugged at his heartstrings. Oh how he wished he could sit by her bedside and just admire her face until she woke up, but he knew that if he stayed any longer, he would be late for work.

"Bye Haein ah, I'll be back soon." He murmured, brushing her hair out of her face so that she could admire her better. "I love you." He added, his heart jumping a little at the confession.

Peeling himself away reluctantly, he walked out of her room, only to walk straight into her aunt.

"Gomonim." He bowed quickly, nearly slipping in his socks. "Is there something wrong?" He asked worriedly upon seeing her teary eyes.

"Ani." She sniffed, blinking rapidly as she looked up at the ceiling so the tears wouldn't fall. "I heard what you said. Whatever you and Haein have is beautiful, and you are a good man. I apologise for ever doubting you."

"I'm sorry. I did terrible things to her too, but I'll do what I can now to make up for it."

"I'll be indebted to you if you could do that. It's just... our Haeinie is always trying to be strong. She doesn't talk to anyone about her worries, other than you that is. You really mean a lot to her even if she doesn't show it sometimes."