The Mountain With Melted Snow Caps | Ateez San

Part X

"Let's run away together," San suggested while holding onto Haeun's hand.

"Then what? I'l just ruin village after village."

"But we can't stay here," he pleaded, grabbing her hand even tighter.

"You're right. You need to leave."

Before San could even protest, Haeun wrapped her arms tightly around his body. He was not use to all the affection, especially from the girl whom he loved. Even though the two only knew each other for a short period, their abnormalities made them inseparable.

"You could be happy, San." She brought his face close to hers, admiring how truly beautiful he was. She knew he deserved better. He stared back, irritated by the fact that she did not understand his feelings towards her.

"I'd rather die than live without you," he replied. She didn't know how to respond so San took the opportunity to continue on with his dreams he wished to fulfill.

"If we leave, we could start a new life. I can take you out on dates, and we can eat as much chocolate as we both want! And we can buy a big house made out of bricks so it can never burn down!" Although San meant no harm, his fantasy was bringing Haeun to tears. She knew she could never give him what he wanted, even though she so desperately wanted to. She wouldn't allow herself to dream of such things that she knew would never happen. She couldn't let him know how fond she was of him. All she was doing was holding him back.

"Don't you get it? I don't love you the way you love me, San. Please stop obsessing over something that isn't real."

He pulled back, confused on how her emotions changed so suddenly. His heart sank as he processed the words. How could she not love him back? He was only alive because of her.

"How could you lie to me like that?" His tone was aggressive now, unlike his usual calm voice.

"You can't force me to like you back! All you've been doing is pressuring me to go along with your delusions!" Haeun didn't want to say all these things. It pained her seeing the boy in front of her grow weak, but if he stayed there, he would never experience life the way he should.

"You've loved me ever since you were a little girl! You gave me a scar and now all of a sudden you're acting as if nothing happened?"

She knew she was going to regret sharing her secret, but she wanted him to hate her.

"Did you ever take a closer look at the scar?"

San paused before lifting up his shirt. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary to him until he grazed how deep the top half of the heart was. He never noticed how straight the lines were either.

"What are you trying to say, Haeun?"

"That heart was made for Mingi. That's why the top is shaped like an M."

"You're lying!"

It wasn't a lie. Haeun never wanted to tell San that the thing he cherished so much was meant for someone else, but she wanted the truth to make him realize how better off he could be.

The boy dropped down to the ground, his face drenched with tears as he wailed aloud. Haeun couldn't bare to see him as such a wreck, especially knowing that she was the cause of it. She quickly sprinted out the hut, her face soaked as well. She couldn't control her crying, but in the split second where her vision was clear enough to look at her surroundings, she noticed the smoke coming from the village. She couldn't believe what she saw. The smoke was covering almost the entire area, making the once blue sky appear gray. She was shocked beyond belief. All she could do was scream and cry. She screamed and screamed, accepting the fact that she was the cause of everyone's pain. She watched as she burned the village in the way that she watched San break down completely in front of her. Both were sights no one should ever have to witness. Her body started heating up just like how it did when she was a child. She hadn't felt that sensation in a while. She wanted the heat to engulf her the same way it did with the people she grew up with. But, San couldn't watch that happen. With no hesitation, the boy ran out of the hut after hearing her screams and embraced her in a tight hug from behind. The two cried together as the smoke quickly rose up.