The Haneul Sky Park was the very first place on Ih Na and Rae Won's itinerary. Though it was at its most beautiful during the spring and autumn seasons, it was just as pleasing to the eyes in the summer with all the luscious fields of silver grass that welcomed every guest.
"Are you sure you don't want me to carry anything?" Ih Na asked as she noticed the bulky backpack Rae Won had brought with him.
"Ani, gweanchanha (No, it's okay). Just enjoy the view... and keep me company." The latter smiled as he started taking photographs.
As Rae Won led the way, Ih Na followed not too far behind.
There may have been a sea of people at the Sky Park, but Rae Won couldn't deny that there was something about Ih Na that made her stand out. She may have had such a beautiful face, but he was sure that behind that beautiful face, was a story waiting to be told. He couldn't even stop himself from taking a photograph of her as she looked into the distance, with her hair being softly blown by the wind.
"She might have been a goddess in her past life." Rae Won said to himself as he stared at the photo.
"Nugu (Who)?" Ih Na asked, suddenly popping out of nowhere and surprising him. "Who's the goddess?"
"Uh..." Rae Won said, quickly putting his camera away. "I meant... uh... the shape of the fields... it resembles that of a goddess."
Smooth, Rae Won.
"O, chincha (Oh really)?" Ih Na uttered as she looked at the fields.
"That was close." Rae Won thought as he clutched his chest. "Neh (Yes), just look at it closely and you'll see what I mean." He said.
Despite almost getting caught admiring Ih Na's beauty from afar, Rae Won continued to work as if his heart wasn't about to pop out of his chest. He simply shook his head and laughed. It sure has been quite a while since he last felt this way, and admittedly, he missed it.
Rae Won might've gotten a bit busy later in the day, but he made sure to stop from time to time to check if Ih Na was still doing okay. When their eyes would meet, she would respond with a warm smile that had her eyes forming into inverted half-moons.
"Gweanchanha (I'm okay)!" She shouted, adorably moving her hands forward as a sign for him to keep going, and so after a quick exchange of laughter, he did.
When Rae Won knew that he had taken enough photographs and was satisfied with it, he spotted an empty wooden deck nearby. After calling out to Ih Na and signaling her to wait for him there, he walked to a coffee stand and got them two iced coffees.
"I didn't know what you liked, so I got you my usual; iced americano." Rae Won said as he hesitantly handed Ih Na her coffee.
"Well your money didn't go to waste, because guess what? It's my usual too." The latter smiled as she gladly accepted it.
Taking the empty spot right next to her, Rae Won beamed. Even in the simplest of things, he was happy that he and Ih Na were on the same page.
A comfortable silence fell upon them as they enjoyed their coffee and the wonderful view. The sun was setting beautifully in the afternoon sky, painting it with a mix of yellow and orange hues, and Ih Na couldn't help but sigh in delight.
"Whether you believe it or not, this is actually the first time in a really long time that I'm watching a sunset." She shared, casually glancing at Rae Won.
"Really? How come?" The latter asked curiously.
"Well, for most of my life, I've always been indoors. When I was young, I'd usually be studying, reading, writing, doing household chores. And then as I got older, it was all just work for me." Ih Na explained.
"What a sad life you live." Rae Won teased, to which the both of them laughed.
"But actually," Ih Na said, once the laughter had died down. "I was never really fond of being outdoors, or watching sunsets to be specific, because... my parents died in a car accident when I was 7 years old. They were on their way home from watching the sunset at a beach near our old house in Busan, when they clashed with another car at an intersection with malfuctioning traffic lights."
"I'm so sorry to hear that." Rae Won said softly.
"Aniyo, gweanchanha (No, it's okay). It happened a really long time ago anyway." Ih Na replied. "From then on, I became so fearful of being outdoors and watching sunsets because I thought that if I did, something bad would happen to me. But then, that was just some old, childish belief. Who cares." She chuckled a little. "I'm so sorry for being such a downer. What about you? I think it's pretty obvious that you've always loved the outdoors."
"Actually," Rae Won began. "When I was a kid, I was really quiet. Literally and figuratively."
Ih Na smiled.
"I don't think I can believe that." She said, taking a sip of her coffee.
"Jeongmalyo (Really)." Rae Won insisted playfully. "I started talking when I was around 2-3 years old. That was when my parents introduced me to their world; the world of photography." He added. "My dad was a professional photographer, while my mom did it for leisure. When they noticed how much of an introvert I was and how I wasn't really talking much, they decided to help me express myself through photos and the rest is history."
"I'm guessing you had such a wonderful childhood." Ih Na smiled.
"Yes, I did." Rae Won agreed. "Well that's if you take away the memories of my mom chasing me around the house because I was no longer helping out with all the chores."
Ih Na laughed heartily again.
"You know, you're a really funny guy." She complimented.
Rae Won smiled, even blushed at her kind words.
"Dangsin ieosseoyo (It was you)." He said out of the blue, causing Ih Na to shoot him a look full of confusion.
"Mwo (What)?" She asked.
"You were the one who looked like a goddess." He admitted. "Not the fields."
And just like that, the night lights at the Sky Park were switched on all at the same time. It was just like a scene for a Korean drama.
"Kaja (Let's go)?" Rae Won said as he got up.
He wanted to pinch Ih Na's cheeks so badly because of how cute she looked, just sitting there, absolutely dumbfounded at his revelation, but he contained himself.
"O, kuraeyo (Oh, sure)." Ih Na said, shaking her head a bit as she gathered her things.
"You do look like a goddess, after all." Rae Won continued. "A drunk goddess." And then he ran.
"Ya, Lee Rae Won!" Ih Na uttered, running after him.
Indeed, this was going to be such an interesting relationshi- friendship.
YOU ARE READING
Fated To Love You
FanfictionDuring a chance encounter at a bar, Lee Rae Won (Hyun Bin), a carefree, freelance photographer meets Soo Ih Na (Son Ye Jin) a stern editor-in-chief for a popular lifestyle magazine in South Korea. Ih Na, who had just gotten her heart broken over a c...