Autumn Story Chapter 31
March 23rd, 2o09
Spring came.
But Autumn stayed inside.
While everything seemed to be calm outside,
Hearts were reaching out inside
Perhaps, even in the most intense storm,
There was calm because of love
*****
“Is that a new nest?”
Kyuhyun pointed to one tree which one of its branches was encircled by many birds. Joohyun followed his finger and nodded.
“It seems so. The old branches on that one were cracked on last winter.”
She appointed another tree on their left side.
“Resilience. Those birds must have defensive patterns against all the changes on their environment.” He suddenly was decreasing his voice. “I guess they were better than we are.”
She lifted her head from his left shoulder and turned her body around so she could look at his face clearly. He smiled and turned his face to meet her eyes.
“What?”
“You’re losing weight, Oppa.” She put her right hand in his left cheek and stroked it softly. “You should eat more. I hate to see this protruded cheekbone.”
His eyes widen, he was not anticipating this kind of intimacy from her after their ‘break-up’ last year. Let alone touching, he was not even dare to call her ‘Baby” because he was afraid she would be fuming again.
“Hyun....”
She blinked her eyes and her body got stiff as if she just realized what she had done. “Oh!”
But before she could retrieve her hand from his cheek, he had caught it and brought her fingers to his lips and kissed them softly. She blushed and bowed her head, but she did not yank her hand of his lips.
“I wanted to ask this on prom night, but with all things that happened, I decided to postpone this.’
She lifted her head again and asked softly. “What, Oppa?”
He exhaled deeply, pulling in all of his strengths and wills, and cupped her cheeks.
“I know we’re young. I know you’re so young. And I also know that currently we have issues on our own.” He stopped or awhile. “We even still have issues among us that we need to figure out. But I really need to know this.” He stopped again, looking a little bit hesitant.
“Oppa....”
He blinked his eyes that suddenly wet. “Hyunnie, do I still have a chance? Do you still love me enough to work on us? Do Us still exist?”
Joohyun felt like she could not breathe well. Like her lungs were losing their ability to inhale air. Was she really that cold that he thought she did not love him anymore? Without she even realizing her tears were streaming down her face.
“Hyunnie? Don’t cry, please? I am sorry, I should not mention that. I am so sorry for being so selfish.” He brushed her tears off her cheeks but he was crying too.
“Oppa....” She did not know why she lost her words. But at that moment, she was overwhelmed. She knew that he loved her so much that sometimes it hurt him. She vowed to herself that never again she would let him suffered because of her.
Then she did it, made the first move, showed him that she had forgiving him and herself of all the stupid mistakes and misunderstanding between them.
She kissed him.
He blinked. “Hyunnie....”
“Oppa, I....” She stuttered so he did the only thing that he knew could comfort her.
He kissed her back.
“Baby....” He stopped, forgetting about why he could not call her like that.
But Joohyun just threw herself to his arms, holding on him like he was her life line. His arms instantly enveloped her in a tight hug while his lips found her hair and kissed it softly.
“I love you, Oppa. I never stop.” She mumbled into his cheek.
He laughed whole heartily. “I love you more, Baby.”
They were hugging each other for some more minutes before he lifted her chin and crashed his lips on hers. Again and again.
So this how coming home felt like.
*****