The Girl of an Old Mansion

32. Confession

He approached Si-ri but all words escaped his mouth when Si-ri walked toward him. She lashed out at him in a faltering voice, her eyes brimming with tears, "Get lost."

Min-ho felt shattered seeing Si-ri in tears because of him. He placed his hand on her shoulder, his voice lowered, to a whisper, "Listen to me, please."

She disenthralled her shoulder by hurling his hand in disgust, making Min-ho lose his balance on the edge of the waterfall. He looked down in despair as if his end was coming. Suspended in the air he closed his eyes and fell into the pond.

A sudden sound of splatter echoed alarming Si-ri. She turned around but couldn't find Min ho. "Min-ho!" she screamed at the top of her lungs in panic. But sadly there was no response. She continued shouting out loud the pain evident in her voice. The tears burst forth like water from a dam, spilling down her face. Her adrenaline was rushing and her heart was beating at an accelerated rate.

Without wasting a second, she rushed down. The pond was not too deep, there was no chance of drowning but it was full of sharp rocks that could easily injure a person or even kill whoever hit one of the rocks.

Fortunately, she found Min-ho half-drowned half floating. She jumped into the pond and drew him to the ground with all her force. She was patting her fingers on his cheeks and was praying for his life. But all in vain, he was not responding.

"No. Please, don't do this to me. Don't leave me, it was all my fault. Punish me marry that girl you love. I won't utter a single word but please come back. I can't live without you. I LOVE YOU!" Si-ri begged with tears streaming down her face as she hugged Min-ho.

Out of nowhere, she heard a soft whisper.

"You si-silly girl, you didn't even ask who the girl was," Min-ho said coughing.

Si-ri quickly looked at Min-ho.

"It's you, Si-ri. You are the first and only girl I've loved." Min-ho said, gathering his senses looking at Si-ri who was crying and smiling at the same time.

She hugged Min-ho. "I was scared that I lost you."

"I'll never leave you, you are my life." Min-ho gently patted sobbing Si-ri, his arms clenching her tighter.

They both clinged to each other with such intensity as if they had never been apart. Their arms clasped around each other. Warm tears flowed down from Si-ri's cheeks. She wiped away her tears with her hand and said to him," I hope you'll never abandon me again or scare me like this!" They continued to stay there in each other's embrace until time faded away.

Si-ri was delighted as she got the love she had always prayed for. As for Min-ho, Si-ri was all he had. Their love confession came out unexpected but both were at ease now.

"Si-ri, thank you so much for loving me. Before meeting you, I was just a body wandering aimlessly. You changed me, you made me literate, and you turned a useless boy into an ambitious one. You changed my life and now feel like I'm actually alive. You showed me how to find beauty in this cruel world. You are the best thing that happened to me." Min-ho told Si-ri cupping her face.

"Well, for this we must thank your silly friend, who sent you to the 'witch's' mansion," said Si-ri giggling.

"Yes, all credit goes to him. Nobody could have thought that one fine day, that the witch would be bewitched by handsome Min-ho and will fall madly in love with him." Min-ho teased Si-ri and they both laughed and spent some time reminiscing their first meeting.