At Long Last

One Year

She was back here again at Zurich International Airport.

It was always amazing to Se-ri, how the same fresh room fragrance smelled inviting whenever she arrived, yet came across as nauseating whenever they were parting.

Right now, it couldn't smell any sweeter.

Waiting outside the baggage collection area, Se-ri waited patiently as the passengers of the Beijing-to-Zurich flight gradually emerged through the gates.

She knew better than to be eager; they always let the first class and business class people out first.

Still, it didn't stop her head from snapping up every time someone stepped through the gates.

Disappointment, again and again.

It was alright; Jeong Hyeok was somewhere inside. He would come out eventually. It was just a matter of time.

It was always a matter of time for the two of them.

Se-ri would wait, though her hands were already aching to hold him again.

Her entire being was already dying to see him again; especially since she still did not know if he had made it home safely after attempting that international call from somewhere near the China-North Korea borders.

Fear always made Se-ri irrational, leading her to entertain crazy thoughts. What if he did not make it back?

What if she waited till the last person had emerged from the other side of the gates, yet he was still nowhere in sight?

Gosh, that was a terrible thought.

Chewing on her lower lip, she sought to distract herself, by tapping messages on her phone to her family members.

Sending out text messages to her parents and Se-joon to let them know that she had landed safely in Zurich, Se-ri quickly tapped another.

"I'm waiting for you right outside the gates."

She sent it to the one, who despite not being by her side, was always among the top five names on her messaging app due to his advanced messages.

The reply came almost immediately.

"I'm waiting for you to look up from your phone."

She froze as she read those words.

Releasing an inaudible gasp, Se-ri looked up.

There he was, in the flesh, five feet away from her.

"Yoon Se-ri."

Calmly, she returned her phone to her bag, her eyes prickling with unshed tears as realization gradually seeped into her.

He's alright.

He's safe and well.

He's right here.

Se-ri hadn't even looked up from her bag when she was enveloped in a crushing embrace, lost in the protective swaddle of his chest and arms.

Her muscles lost their tension to the warmth, taking worries and agony along with them.

Cradling her like a cherished child with the longing of a lover, the feel of Se-ri's body so close to his soothed Jeong Hyeok more than he had expected.

"Ri Jeong Hyeok-ssi...thank goodness you're okay..." Her voice was a feeble whisper, evident of the magnitude of worry she had suffered.

In that moment, Jeong Hyeok's arms squeezed a fraction tighter around her. Se-ri breathed deeply, slowly, taking in his scent mixed with her salty tears.

Tightly, the reunited lovers not only brought their physical selves together, but also, gathered and joined the broken pieces of themselves.

There were so many fragments of Ri Jeong Hyeok and Yoon Se-ri lying around from being separated so many times, so all they did was hug.

Desperately, forcefully.

Putting themselves back together, so as to survive being potentially shattered once again.

It was always this morbid pattern, but neither could let go.

"I missed you." Jeong Hyeok whispered into Se-ri's hair.

Clutching him tighter, she sniffled and said, "I missed you too."

And the one year countdown began.

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If you asked Yoon Se-ri what was the best thing about having a year to spend together with Ri Jeong Hyeok, she would undoubtedly name the fact that simple, overlooked joys became attainable.

A year was by no means long, but it was long enough for two in love to lose sight at times of the impending goodbye that would come in twelve months.

For one, being together for a year meant that there was no constant sight of opened travel luggage and suitcases in the room.

The opened luggage always reminded Se-ri of a diary book.

Not merely in its physical shape, but also in how it played witness to their two weeks together, holding all their belongings and memories, before all would literally come to a close on the fourteenth day.

Unlike two weeks, when parting was constantly part of the conversations, a year was definitely a lot more merciful on their abused hearts.

Luggage, suitcases and travel bags were all kept away.

Life could actually go on, without the physical reminders of impending parting.

Among these physical reminders, opened luggage and suitcases were one, printed flight itineraries were another.

Right now, it was all about the simple joys in life. For the first time since falling in love, they could celebrate festive seasons and birthdays together.

Living together also brought memories of their time in North Korea back.

Waking up to the delicious smells of drip coffee was one of them.

Wearing his shirts as oversized boyfriend tees was another.

It was just like their lives in the military village all over again, with a lot less drama and a lot more closeness.

In the bathroom, there were two identical toothbrushes, one in pink and one in blue, hanging by the mirror. Jeong Hyeok was neat even in the way he uses toothpaste, neatly squeezing from the end of the tube, whereas hers was more of a haphazard squeeze in the middle.

He had a habit of washing all his dishes after every meal, whereas she was alright with leaving one or two in the sink to wash at a later timing.

During the weekends, they would be sure to do heavier chores together, such as changing the bedsheets or cleaning the windows in the house. Jeong Hyeok even had a way of ironing bedsheets and folding them nicely, something that Se-ri could never really do.

All these tiny details, were things that she did not really notice about him despite being madly in love with him.

One year is going to be a lot of learning and exploring, and Se-ri was very much looking forward to it indeed.