The One Who Got Away

Chapter 2

"Let's break up, Jiyong." She looked sadly at him. He was about to say something in protest but she put up a hand to stop him. "Please let me say what I came here to say first cause I might not have the strength to say it later. You're falling for her, Ji. I can see it in the way you interact with her. The way you look and smile at her. You looked at me like that before. Let's be honest with each other, Jiyong. I'm right am I? You do feel something for her?"

He looked at her sadly then dropped his gaze to the floor. She smiled sadly. Her eyes glistening with tears. "Let's stop this... us... while there still some love left and respect between the two of us. Because if we go on like this..." she paused and gestured at the two of them. "If we go on deceiving ourselves, we'll just end up hating each other." The tears were flowing now.

He looked up. His eyes were getting misty, too. "I'm so sorry, Dara. Believe me I never meant for us to end this way. I still love you, Dee." He hugged her gently and kissed the top of her head.

She couldn't help herself. She hugged him back. She hugged him close and inhaled his familiar scent, memorizing the feel and smell of him because she knew it would be the last time that she'd be able to do so. Because this means goodbye.

"I know some part of you still loves me. But I know you're no longer in love with me. You're in love with her. I love you too much that I can't stand to see you conflicted so I'm making the decision for both of us. Let's end this. I give you my blessing to be with her. You're free to be with her."

He tightened his grip on her and cried. "I don't really deserve you, Dee. If I were a better man I wouldn't have fallen for someone else but I couldn't help it. Unknowingly, I fell for her."

"It's okay, Ji. I understand." She rose on tiptoe and gave him a soft kiss on the lips. Their lips clung for a few warm moments and then they fell apart. "Goodbye, Kwon Jiyong. I wish you and Kiko happiness."

She turned and walk away. Her steps were hesitant at first but her pace picked up until she was running out of the building, tears streaming silently down her face.

*** *** ***

The tears fell down her face just like it did a lifetime ago, when she still called herself Dara. After all these years she still haven't moved on. She thought she was able to walk away with her heart intact. Well, she thought wrong. She unwittingly walked away leaving her heart behind in the hands of a boy whose heart beats for someone else.

Soonho, that rat of a man, keeps on sending those damn packages. He had always been their number one supporter. She couldn't bring herself to look at his pictures or read Soonho's notes but she also couldn't bring herself to send the packages back. She's a sucker for self-punishment.

Another one of those packages came in today. By accident she caught a glimpse of a picture of a laughing Jiyong. It blindsided her. The longing came rushing back with a vengeance and before she knew it she was dragged under the undertow of her raging memories.

Bom. Thank God for her. She has become a constant source of strength all these years. Sandy knew she was curious as hell but she appreciated how Bom never forced her to say anything that she was not ready to tell. Bom simply was there for her and during those dark days her presence was enough to keep her from going entirely over the edge.

Someday soon Sandy was determined that she'd tell her friend about everything. She deserved the truth for all the support that she had given her all these years. She took in a demented girl like her without questions. She never heard a judgmental word from Bom and she was grateful for that.

Bom made sure she was eating enough to stay alive for the first months when she was living like an automaton. Anyone else would have tried to ply her with questions but Bom did not force herself on Sandy. She just made little things to remind Sandy that no matter what happened she was not alone.

She left Sandy cute, little post-it notes reminding her of her classes, sometimes they were even just cute, corny jokes she read on the net, or cheezy knock knock riddles, or quirky doodles of cute little aliens. Those little notes helped her survive. She still kept them until this day.

Someday soon she'd tell Bom her story. She was determined to let everything out her chest so she could also move on with her life. She's finally decided to leave everything in the past behind. Six years is way too long to nurse a broken heart.