Unveiling beauty " Ambw"

Regrets of the past.

Author pov early 2023

The sun shone high and bright in the cloudless sky, illuminating the streets of Seoul with a golden light that teased out the beauty of the city. But Jun had no eyes for the grandeur of Seoul - all he could feel was an unshakeable sense of listlessness, an emptiness that threatened to consume him if he let it.

He had been avoiding Abena since she asked him to go dress shopping with her. After all, it was no secret that she had a crush on him; ever since she and Hana had become friends, she had seemed to find him fascinating. But Jun simply couldn't return the sentiment. He had been avoiding Abena since their engagement.

Jun sighed and continued wandering, hands deep in his pockets. He knew Abena was a sweet, kind-hearted person, and he wasn't cruel enough to expose her to his own feelings - or lack thereof. He felt a pang of guilt for not being able to return her affections, but he also knew that he would have to accept it eventually.

Jun trudged along, the stress of his situation weighing heavily on him. He felt like he was being pulled in a million directions and he desperately just wanted something to give. Eventually, he stumbled upon an abandoned park bench with moss growing up from underneath it and weeds sprouting from around the edges. It was almost as if the bench had been forgotten, left behind, pushed aside-- but for some reason, it seemed like an oasis in this city that seemed to have no mercy.

The air was still and peaceful; the only sound was a soft rustling from the birds soaring across the sky. Watching them gracefully fly overhead brought Jun comfort and peace; his mind slowly began to wander away from his troubles towards thoughts of choices he had made, and others left ahead of him.

He and Abena knew they were living a life of lies, at least in front of her aunt. But they both continued their charade for their own reasons and no one dared question it.

Eventually, the sun went down, leaving the sky painted in oranges and blues. Jun continued on his way, until at last he stumbled upon a tucked-away café. Taking refuge in its warmth, he ordered an Americano and nestled himself into the corner. Drowning himself in the rich bitterness of the coffee, Jun was so lost amongst his thoughts that he didn't even notice when a stranger brushed against his arm.

"Oops!" a voice squeaked. Jun looked up, startled by the sound of a voice apologizing. He was met with a vision of a woman with raven-black hair, her cheeks flushed and her eyes full of embarrassment. She was dabbing at the small coffee stain spreading on his coat, her hands shaking slightly.

"I'm so... sorry," she said again, her apology washing over him in soothing waves.

Jun couldn't help but laugh at the situation as he raised an eyebrow and met her apology with a soft, "It's okay."

The woman before him smiled sheepishly and replied, "Well I should still apologize for my clumsiness. I'm not usually kind to strangers even when the mistake is mine, but you are handsome so I'm making an exception."

A smile spread across Jun's face as he began to respond, but the woman had already taken off in search of napkins to clean up the mess she had made. Jun watched as she quickly returned with several napkins and began vigorously wiping away the spilled coffee.

After the stain was wiped away, Jun thanked her for her help and asked if there was anything else he could do for her before they parted ways. The woman looked up at him with surprise before smiling warmly and shaking her head no. With that, they said their goodbyes and went their separate ways.

As Jun walked home that night, his mind wandered back to the mysterious woman he had encountered earlier. He couldn't help but think about how refreshing it had felt to be able to share a simple moment with someone who wasn't caught up in all of his troubles back home. Someone such as her didn't care about her impression of the world.