My Bloody Valentine - 121

Chapter 121

“You shouldn’t have just let it go.”

“I’m fine, really.”

Even after returning to the room, Taeshin still seemed angry. If he was this furious over someone just bumping into him, Han couldn’t even imagine how he would react if something worse happened.

“Anyway, there are no blind spots in this building. If we check the CCTV now…”

Han let out a short sigh and grabbed Taeshin’s shoulder, lifting himself up slightly. Then, without warning, he kissed Taeshin on the lips. The light kiss made Taeshin forget what he was about to say, his face taking on a dazed expression.

“Let’s stop caring about other people, Taeshin.”

“…”

“We don’t even have enough time to focus on each other.”

They had lost ten years together, so they needed more time to make up for it by looking at each other.

Han’s kiss had worked to distract Taeshin, but it also seemed to spark something in his eyes. Taeshin quickly took off his jacket and vest, tossing his tie to the floor.

As Han was about to bring the ice cream stick to his mouth, Taeshin grabbed his wrist. Then he kissed him passionately.

Han opened his mouth to him as Taeshin bit down gently on his lower lip. The room was filled with the sounds of heavy breathing and the wet slapping of their tongues.

By the time the kiss ended, Han’s legs were shaking.

But it seemed like Taeshin was just getting started. He pushed Han against the wall, his body already firm with desire. Han’s eyes turned to the melting ice cream in his hand, now dripping down.

“Oh, my ice cream…”

“I’ll buy you another one.”

Taeshin snatched the melted ice cream from Han’s hand and threw it to the floor. Han’s eyes followed it helplessly, then turned back to Taeshin, whose gaze was dark and intense.

Taeshin’s eyes had turned black with no trace of light in them. It was dangerous, and Han instinctively started to step back, but Taeshin had already gripped his wrist tightly.

Taeshin pulled Han’s hand toward him, pushing his tongue between Han’s fingers, which were covered in melted chocolate. Han shivered lightly as Taeshin’s rough tongue brushed against his delicate skin.

“Ugh…”

Taeshin licked Han’s fingers clean, then slid his tongue down his soft palm. Han’s hand ended up gently cupping Taeshin’s face.

The sensation of Taeshin’s face against Han’s fingers and the feeling of his tongue against his palm made Han’s face flush. He bit his lip in response to the strange feeling.

Taeshin pressed his thumb down on Han’s chin, pulling his lips free, then kissed Han’s lower lip. Han’s lip was now slightly swollen and shiny with moisture.

Taeshin lowered his head and took Han’s bottom lip into his mouth, sucking it slowly.

His tongue followed, slipping into Han’s mouth, mixing with the two of them as the taste of chocolate spread between them.

The wet sound of their kiss lingered in the air.

“So, this is what it tastes like.”

“Hah…”

“Sweet, just like you.”

It was an irresistible sweetness, just like Han.

Taeshin took Han’s hand again and brought his tongue to the tip of his fingers, licking up the melted chocolate that had dripped onto his palm. He suddenly remembered a day from the past, when Han had pulled out a chocolate from his pocket on a cold day. Han had licked it clean, even the packaging.

Suddenly, Taeshin wanted to go somewhere with Han.

There could be no better place than that. The place where their history began.

❖ ❖ ❖

As the car left Seoul, Taeshin made Han wear a blindfold. Han was confused by his actions, but he quietly wore the blindfold Taeshin gave him. Instead of looking at the passing scenery outside, he focused on the deep sound of the sedan’s engine and Taeshin’s breathing, which seemed far away.

But curiosity got the best of him.

“What’s this about?”

“You’ll know when we get there. Is it bothering you?”

“It’s not that… I’m just curious.”

“Hang on a little longer. We’re almost there.”

With his vision blocked, Han’s hearing became more sensitive. Taeshin’s voice seemed to sink into his ears, the deep, languid tone making him shiver. It was a voice that sent chills down his spine.

Han regretted not having been able to experience Taeshin’s voice as it changed, but he pushed the feeling down by thinking of the time they would spend together from now on.

“I look like I’m being kidnapped from the outside.”

Han said this with a hint of amusement, but then he suddenly remembered the first day they met.

It was after finishing his shift at the convenience store, walking along the Han River. A narrow, dark alley. The dry, dusty construction site where he had been suddenly dragged away.

“Ugh…”

Remembering the cruel scene made Han shiver involuntarily, wrapping his arms around himself.

“Are you cold?”

Taeshin immediately reached for the car’s console and turned on the heater. The weather was far too warm for the heater, but Taeshin didn’t hesitate.

Han felt his shivers ease, then reflected on the past.

“I just… suddenly remembered the day I met you. When I was brought in…”

“…Was it really that scary?”

Han didn’t feel the need to hide anything from Taeshin anymore, nor did he need to lie.

“Yeah. It was really scary… a lot.”

Instead of answering, Taeshin reached over to gently pat Han’s head. His hand moved slowly, tenderly stroking his ear, caressing from the cartilage to the earlobe before finally pulling away.

The voice that followed was as soft as his touch.

“Nothing like that will ever happen again.”

The firm words made Han laugh unexpectedly, thinking of a drama he had watched a few days ago.

It was a hard-boiled noir drama starring Shin Soyoung, and it had a kidnapping scene. Han had laughed at how realistic the depiction was, then found himself amused by how he had become a self-proclaimed expert on kidnappings.

Without needing to look at Taeshin’s puzzled gaze, Han started to speak.

“You know, I’ve been rewatching old dramas with my mom recently…”

“I was going to talk to you about that. You really should stop watching so much TV.”

“Huh?”

“You’ll ruin your eyes. It’s not good for your health.”

“Ah… I know…”

“I even got you a personal trainer. Why is it that you never mention going to work out?”

“Ah…”

“You heard what Dr. Pyo said—once your stamina gets better, you won’t pass out as often.”

“Yeah… I know…”

Han regretted bringing up the TV talk as he didn’t get anywhere with it.

But he did have an explanation. Lately, he had been feeling an unexplained emptiness. It was the feeling of a mountain climber who had reached the peak and realized there was nowhere higher to go.

Han had lived without clear goals or dreams, waiting for Taeshin. Now that he had Taeshin, the future seemed uncertain. Thinking back, he had always dreamed of meeting Taeshin again, but never thought much about what would come after.

Han was sitting on the couch, feeling stuck and aimlessly flipping through TV channels, when she happened to come across an old drama with Soyoung in it. The moment she saw a face that seemed to resemble her mother’s age, she thought, This is it.

Wanting to pass the boring time and now determined to follow her mother’s footsteps, Han decided to watch the oldest drama she could find featuring Soyoung on a streaming service. She soon became completely absorbed in it.

“Then just until what we were watching… I’m curious about the ending,” Han said.

Taeshin let out a laugh that sounded like a sigh. It was a sign of permission.

Outside, Taeshin was still cold and ruthless, but when it came to Han, he was different from how he used to be before his memories returned. He might have been harsh by other people’s standards, but to Han, he was incredibly gentle in his own way.

Soon, the car stopped, and the engine was turned off. Taeshin opened the car door, carefully helped Han out, and led her somewhere.

“Where is this? It’s definitely outside, but…” Han muttered.

“How can you be so sure?” Taeshin asked.

“I can smell the trees, and the earth… The ground is uneven…” Han continued, guessing. Meanwhile, Taeshin had Han stand in place and took off her blindfold.

“Open your eyes.”

At Taeshin’s words, Han slowly opened her eyes, and light flooded in. As her blurry vision focused, she couldn’t help but gasp.

“Ah…”

In front of her stood the familiar persimmon tree, the same one Taeshin had climbed to pick fruits for her. Han’s eyes welled up with tears, making them appear larger and more glassy.

“Here… Why is this tree here…?”

Broken words tumbled out of her trembling lips.

“Tomorrow, I’ll tear it down, along with everything here,” Taeshin said.

“Ah…”

“I wanted to show you before it’s gone.”

Han pressed her hand to her heavy chest, looking up at the tree’s branches, where she had once hung. She gazed at them through tearful eyes, as Taeshin asked,

“Do you like this tree?”

If she had answered yes, Taeshin would have thought of moving it somewhere else. But Han was firm.

“No, I hate it.”

Taeshin quietly stared at her. Wasn’t he supposed to cherish memories of his childhood? But his confusion was soon cleared up by Han’s next words.

“You hurt me. I hate this tree. I always hated looking at it.”

“…”

Taeshin looked at her with so much affection, as if he were falling in love all over again. Gently, he ran his fingers through her hair.

The two walked around the derelict orphanage building, and countless memories flooded back.

Han hesitated and tried turning the door handle, but it was locked. As she glanced at the window covered in cobwebs and dust, Taeshin asked her,

“Do you want to go inside?”

“It’s locked.”

Despite saying this, Han still stood on her tiptoes, looking toward the second floor where their room used to be. Taeshin took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. Then, with a kick of his boot, he struck the door.

The rusty door gave way with a loud noise after a few strong kicks from Taeshin.

“Come here.”

Standing on the fallen door, Taeshin reached out his hand to Han. She slowly removed her hands from her ears and took his hand. It was large, firm, and strong.

“Wow… this place…”

The two of them went upstairs to the area where the children used to live, and were hit with a wave of memories. There was nothing left to steal or furniture to take, just the marks of time.

“It’s exactly the same,” Han said.

Even the bed they used as children was still there. Taeshin casually sat on the mattress with no blanket. Han tried to sit next to him, but Taeshin stopped her and placed his jacket on the spot beside him.

“Huh? My clothes are dusty…”

“It’s fine.”

Taeshin pulled Han toward him and made her sit on the jacket on the dusty bed. Han couldn’t help but feel uneasy, noticing the expensive fabric of his jacket.

All of Taeshin’s clothes were tailored to fit him perfectly, as ready-made clothes would never fit his tall and muscular build.

For some time now, Han had become someone precious to Taeshin. Perhaps she had always been, from the very beginning. It was just that it took her time to realize it.

Han gazed down at the luxurious fabric of the jacket she was sitting on.

Was it just an immature desire to be pampered by his care, wanting to be rewarded for the long wait and the difficult times she had endured while experiencing him?

However, something had come out of those long years. Han realized that she hadn’t been as weak as she had thought. In the end, with an unknown courage, she had even run toward Taeshin, rejecting what seemed to be a rosy future.

Han gently placed her hand on Taeshin’s large hand, which was resting on the bed. She remembered when she had held his tiny hand as a child, when he was scared in the unfamiliar environment of the orphanage. Now, their hand sizes had completely reversed.

On the bed they were sitting on, Taeshin had left her a letter, promising to return. And now, here they were, fulfilling that promise.

“We’ve really come a long way,” Han whispered.

Sometimes, Han wondered if it would have been better if she had clung to Taeshin when he had no memories, and patiently told him everything from start to finish. Or maybe she could have asked Jina to tell her everything she knew.

But as soon as those thoughts arose, she shook her head. She had wanted Taeshin to remember her on his own.

It was like the childish desire to protect something precious from being tainted by someone else’s touch or help. She wanted to take apart the parts that were touched by someone else and reassemble them with her own hands.

With a trembling voice, Han spoke.

“Taeshin, thank you… for keeping your promise to come back.”

“…”

Taeshin silently gazed at her as Han stood up and walked a few steps forward. She stood in front of the wardrobe, where one door had fallen off and the remaining one barely hung on. Inside, the faint traces of the two children they once were seemed to linger.

In this place, where their history had begun, they were now starting over. And Han, too…

“Now… I think I can finally begin.”

Han muttered to herself, and Taeshin asked,

“What?”

Han turned around, paused for a moment, and then smiled brightly like sunlight.

“Anything.”

Han didn’t seem to be crying, but she looked as though she was, appearing sad as though she was letting something go, yet at the same time filled with more hope than ever.

Her face, filled with so many emotions, captivated Taeshin. Her face, shining brilliantly in his sight, was so beautiful that it took his breath away.

No words could describe the two of them in this moment. Even the word “love” felt inadequate.

They were everything to each other, and perhaps they were each other’s destiny.

Han felt like she couldn’t bear not saying anything.

“Taeshin.”

“…Yeah?”

“I love you.”

For the first time, Taeshin felt he understood the feelings of people who worshipped a god.

The way Han smiled and said, “I love you,” was like a beam of light.

Looking at Han, Taeshin reflected on how he had become the darkness. He knew there had never been a history where darkness defeated light.

He could never defeat Han. He would likely live the rest of his life, always in fear, wondering when his shadow would finally cover her, constantly anxious every moment.

Taeshin willingly declared his surrender.

“I love you.”

Even defeat felt as sweet as chocolate, because his opponent was none other than her.