Sincerely, Yours

18

16 April 2021

Jackson and Chaeyoung were at the almost-deserted beach, silently walking on the shore, bare feet sinking gently into the soft, wet sand. Their lips were slightly curved upward and cheeks were faintly red. Jackson looked down at their intertwined hands, both tightly clasping the other, and smiled widely. They didn't look at each other as their eyes stared ahead, watching the sunset which made the sky into beautiful shades of yellow and orange.

As the sky began to get darker, Jackson turned over to his side to face Chaeyoung. Taking her hands in his and squeezing it gently, he blushed.

Chaeyoung smiled back. She could feel Jackson's pulse beating rapidly, faster than normal, by just clutching his hand.

His hands were slightly sweaty too. Chaeyoung bit her lip and wondered why he was so tensed up all of a sudden.

Jackson thought long and hard and finally took a deep breath as he steadied himself.

His lips parted and he stammered, "I-I have something to tell you."

Chaeyoung didn't know what he going to say, but she could sense the other's intense fear. Anxiety pricking up her spine, she hesitantly nodded, motioning for him to continue.

Jackson continued, "Chaeyoung I, I want to thank you for being with me for so long. You have been with me through all my highs and lows."

Realization slowly creeping up, Chaeyoung looked half-horrified.  She assured herself, "Have faith, have faith. He wouldn't do that to you." She heaved a huge sigh and forced a smile.

"You're a really important person in my life and I really don't know what I would do without you." Jackson blushed as he smiled warmly.

A flicker of hope started building in Chaeyoung's heart. She let out a small sigh of relief.

"I don't know how to say this." He sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, "We've been dating for so long..."

Chaeyoung's heart skipped several beats. The flicker of hope which was painfully created, vanished. She braced for impact, intently waiting for anything but the word 'but'. Anything else would be better than that dreadful word. She couldn't imagine her life without Jackson. She had never felt this way for someone in her life.

However bad her day was at work, Jackson seemed to always cheer her up. She absolutely loved the nights where they both watched movies and cuddled under the comfortable blankets and dim lights. His warm hugs and kisses would make her feel like she was the luckiest girl in the world. She was glad she had him by her side, always. Always.

Chaeyoung felt she had taken him for granted and she forgot to appreciate him. Though they were standing close, her hands still in his, she could barely feel his touch. All the days spent with him flashed before her eyes.

Her vision went slightly blurry, both from tears forming in her eyes as well from her consciousness slowly slipping away.

Jackson finally noticed his girlfriend's tear brimmed eyes. He cupped her face and looked into her eyes, "Chaeyoung? Chaeyoung, are you okay?"

Chaeyoung tightly clenched her teeth to prevent the tears from falling out. She looked down and assured him, "Yeah, yeah. I'm okay. Continue, Jackson."

Jackson slowly caressed her face and wiped her stubborn tears. With his brows furrowed in confusion, he curiously asked, "Why are you crying?"

Chaeyoung hastily wiped her tears, "No, no, it's nothing. A speck of sand flew into my eye." Chaeyoung pouted and hoped Jackson would buy her lie.