《我明白》-[w.jh]

[14: stay]

"I have to go."

He knew what would happen. He knew what she would say. He knew she wouldn't agree.

What Jun hadn't expected was for her to leave so soon.

He thought he had enough time to persuade her into doing what he wanted. He thought that Seoyul would be willing to stay with him longer than just three short days.

Well, everything he thought he knew was wrong.

He watched Seoyul panic when he made the request, her eyes blanking for a few seconds before she scrambled to get her things, ready to leave.

Ready to leave him.

Again.

He didn't want that. He didn't want her to leave him again with no message, just silence for another year.

He grabbed her hand and turned her around.

Seoyul stared at him with a frenzied expression, which turned into confusion when she looked into his eyes.

"Jun?" She asked, her tone worried.

He silently leaned in and brought his lips to hers.

She froze for a few moments before melting into his arms. He slipped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer, sending wordless messages to her, telling her exactly what he wanted.

All Jun wanted at that moment was just a moment. Another night he could spend with her. Just the both of them. Before she left and he would never hear from her for months, maybe even years.

If Seoyul understood what he was trying to say, she didn't show it. Instead she ran her fingers through his hair, tangling her fingers in the strands.

They broke apart, gazing into each other's eyes. His voice was low and longing as he spoke.

"Stay with me. Just one more night. Please."

"It's not that I don't want to. I would stay here for the rest of my life if I could."

"I promise I won't complain when you leave tomorrow."

Seoyul looked down at the floor for a few moments, before giving him the answer he wanted.

•••

"You're beautiful."

He couldn't count the number of times he had told her that, and the number of times she had laughed and told him no. His words were always the same; as was her reply.

Jun reached his hand out to caress her cheek, gazing longingly into the pair of dark, brown eyes Seoyul owned. His fingers grazed lightly at a spot near her lips, and felt her shudder so very lightly at his touch.

"You always say that."

"Well, I'm not lying."

Seoyul sighed, knowing nothing she said could ever change his mind.

"Sometimes I don't know what I would have ever done if I had never met you."

He looked at her curiously. "What do you mean? You're rich, you're beautiful, you had suitors after you. Even if I didn't exist, you always had other choices."

"They were never really what I wanted."

Jun doesn't know how to reply. He knew she had her own problems being rich and popular, but he wasn't on that side of the spectrum. He had never been.

"Then what were you looking for?"

She took his hand and brought it to the side of her face, staring deeply into his eyes, her gaze so deep it seemed to penetrate his soul.

"Someone who wouldn't want me just because I was wealthy and powerful. Someone who wanted me even if I lived without all my powers. Someone who just wanted me for who I was."

"And you think I want you the way you think I do?"

"You loved me before I told you who I was, Jun. You loved me without knowing anything about my background. Why should this be any different?" She reached out and pulled him closer, taking him by surprise as she placed a chaste kiss onto his lips.

Jun studied her closely. There was something off with her, something she wasn't telling him. Seoyul seemed closed up, somehow, and he didn't know why.

"What are you not telling me, dear?" He asked, wishing she would tell him, wishing she would open up her heart for him. Seoyul was more open than she was in the past, but she was still reserved, keeping to herself. It was as if talking about emotions and her past was tiring and she didn't wish to go down that route.

Jun wanted her to be open with him. He wanted to know her better than anyone else did. He wanted...more, he supposed. More than just this. However, he knew this was all he could ask for because of their current predicament. He didn't have a choice; he could offer her what he was hiding in his drawers another time.

"Seori...my sister...I think she wants to kill me."

That, was definitely not what Jun had expected to come out from her lips.

He said nothing but pulled her closer, pondering on why someone would desire to kill her only sister. Was Seoyul really bad, worse to others and gentle to him alone, or was it just an argument, or maybe...

"You're thinking too much, Junhui." Seoyul lifted her hand and rested it on his cheek.

"How did you know?"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "I can read you like an open book, I suppose."

"Will you be fine when you return? You won't die, right? I won't..." The words were hard to form when he thought about them. "Lose you."

Her gaze bore into his, with some form of emotion he couldn't name. "I won't let that happen, Jun. I promise you that."

She moved in to embrace him, and he let her, enjoying the small amount of time he had to spend with her. She made him happy, and he had never felt better when he could be with her.

But before he let himself sucuumb to the temptation of sleep, he had one request.

"Take my soul with you tomorrow when you go."

Her eyes widened, but her gaze was soft. "I don't want to die, Jun, but I don't want you to die either."

He bit his lip. "But...it's what I really want...I want to be with you when this whole thing is over."

Seoyul shifted in the bed and looked at him, her eyes serious this time. "Are you sure that's what you want?"

"You want this too," Jun countered.

"I want to be with you, but not at the price of your soul. I can't do that. I couldn't do that."

"Please, darling," Jun whispered. "That's all I ask of you."

Seoyul contemplated the decision, before asking again, "Are you sure?"

He nodded, knowing nothing was going to change his mind.

She leaned in and pressed a small kiss to his lips.

"You don't have to do this, Junhui."

"But I want to."

Nothing would change that.

And nothing could change what he felt when Seoyul brought her soft lips to his, her fingers resting lightly against the back of his neck, bringing him into a place where he hoped he could stay in forever.

a/n
i kinda feel bad for leaving this for nearly 3 months...i suppose saying that i had life-deciding examinations and writers' black won't be able to excuse what i've (unconsciously) done...hope you enjoyed this!