A Smile He Treasured

Haejong scooted over to let her sit next to him. Mina smiled and to his surprise, hugged him.

"Thank you," she whispered. "For everything."

Haejong was quiet, simply listening to her. He knew this was the only time she would hug him and even if it was not as a lover, the fact that she considered him special enough for this rare gesture was enough for him.

"Thanks for helping Kanji finally confront his feelings," she went on. "And also for being a friend to me."

"I didn't do it for him," Haejong said. "I did it…"

He trailed off, not saying the real reason why he followed his grandfather's wish. It was to see her smile. Even if he was not the one to make her smile, he just wanted to see her happy for once.

"You're lucky," he remarked in a sad tone. "Not everyone gets this second chance."