I Do

Hyun Woo suddenly jerked in pushing Hyun Min away and made me lose contact with his lips.

"Who the fuck are you?" Hyun Woo growled, squeezing Hyun Min's cloth in his fist.

"I could ask you the same."Hyun Min mumbled, trying to pull Hyun Woo's hold away from him.

Maybe I had lost my sense of feeling and reasoning, I just stood there and said nothing while both mounted a tournament with their glaring gazes.

I didn't have the strength to pull over to one side.

The death of my grandmother was pulling its weight on me.

I couldn't feel my feet as I stood dauntlessly.

Suddenly getting sick of their presence, I took a turn, walking away from them.

And as I continued my journey, a sight drew my attention bringing a little light back into my face.

"How…?"

A woman dressed in an elegant black gown whizzed past me and it took a moment for me to realize who she was.

Aunt?

What is she doing here?

How is she here today?

The last time I saw her after my miraculous rebirth was that very same day I opened my eyes to this world.

Where has she been all this while?

Why is she suddenly back?

Without further reasoning, I took to my heels searching for her helplessly as I ran.

My eyes plunged through each corner, each vast space, each guest, but she was nowhere to be found.

She had told me everything is a gift.

She had let my fingers be adorned with two rings which seem to be a secret to my rebirth.

I panted heavily as the world began to spin around me.

I couldn't find her anymore.

A minute she had walked right past me, and then the next she's gone.

"Why are you so helpless? Are you looking for me?" Her soft angelic voice called from behind and I took a sharp turn.

"Aunt!" I sobbed still panting.

Her lips curled up in a welcoming smile while tears blurred my vision a little.

There are lot of things I needed to tell her.

I needed an explanation as to why my grandmother had to die while I tried to save her.

Why my future cannot be changed,

Why I am in this world,

And what my sole purpose is.

She pulled me towards a bench as it seemed she was ready to tell me everything.

Everything.

°~°~°~°

Still seated on the bench alone, I quickly wiped the tears that had crept down my face away as I heard approaching footsteps.

For some reason, the rushing footsteps felt like Hyun Min.

It was probably Hyun Min.

It is Hyun Min.

I heard him let out a heavy sigh when he saw me sitting alone on the bench.

"Aera, why are you hiding here?" He queried, finally catching up to me.

I fiddled with my fingers and made up a presentable demeanor as he crouched before me.

He placed his hand over mine stopping me from playing my little fiddle game and he sighed again.

"Running away from me gets me worried, Aera. Why are you seated here?"

"Just…"

"Are you still beating yourself to it? Are you thinking your future cannot be changed just because your grandmother died?"

I raised my gaze and let my eyes fall into his.

I shook my head a bit and flashed him a smile.

"I'm fine." I muttered.

"Make me believe you are actually fine, Aera because you do not look fine at all."

What do we do Hyun Min?

"You remember the key lock we held up at Namsan Tower, right?"

He nodded wondering why I had mentioned it at such a crucial time.

"Let's go there now and inscribe our names. I suddenly feel we won't have the chance to go back there again after today." I replied, flaunting a graceful smile on my lips.

Not helping a bit, Hyun Min nodded, returning my smile with a sad one which shows he was still in disbelief.

He got up to his feet and pulled me up. A driver came to us and the car launched into the street of Seoul and it headed towards the N Seoul Tower.

"Do you even have a lock inscriber?" Hyun Min asked, removing his coat and wearing it around me, shielding the chilly feel of the night away.

"No, I don't." I blurted out softly.

He tutted a little and said; "Wait here I will go and buy one in the tower shop really quickly."

He made an attempt to turn away, but my next line of words stopped him abruptly.

"Let's end it here, Hyun Min."

My mouth was heavy.

My heart was pounding hard within me and I folded my lips as Hyun Min slowly turned back to face me.

I know I had to do it.

After what I has been revealed to me…

"What do you mean to end it, Aera? Do we have something going on between us?" Hyun Min quizzed seemingly feigning ignorance.

"Yes, you know what I mean, Hyun Min. Don't try to play dump! I'm so sick of you."

"Aera!"

"You take me that crap of a house you live in, give me free ice-cream from your mother's refrigerator, make me eat bland free meals at your house, Do you think I look cheap? We should eat dinner at a five star restaurant, play golf together on weekends and not scrambling in that hole your mother makes little pennies at!" I ranted my voice taking a very high pitch while tears drilled down my face.

I didn't know what they kept pouring.

I didn't know how to stop them.

I couldn't stop them.

Hyun Min took a minute to process all I had said. He moved closer to me and touched my face slowly wiping my tears away.

Despite this, he still managed a soft smile.

"I'm sorry I cannot be that kind of man you have always wanted. I'm sorry we can't dine at fancy restaurants you are accustomed to. I'm sorry for everything, Aera. But please don't cry… just make it stop, please."

"Why are you acting stupid?! Do you not get it?" I continued slamming his hand away from my face.

"Because your grandmother died again in this life doesn't mean your fate will be the same. We can change it together, Aera. Everything will turn out well in the end. Just trust me." Hyun Min assured, giving me the most comforting smile ever.

I rubbed my fingers against my temple as I heard him say those words.

"I'm sick of this already, Hyun Min. I want to go back." I confessed my words, taking him back abruptly.

"Are you being sincere right now?" He asked, his eyes filled with confusion and remorse.

I made him this way.

The bright Hyun Min that glows like the sun suddenly feels like a distant shadow.

"Hmm… I'm tired of you meddling with my life, Hyun Min. We never should have met in the first place. You were never a part of my last life and you shouldn't be." I cried.

"How did I die?" He asked, swallowing a lump in his throat.

"Is that important right now?"

"Yes, it is important."

"Do you really care about me? How can you be suddenly concerned about how you died at this moment? Are you that selfish?" I raged a vast contrast to how soft Hyun Min has been speaking from the beginning.

"Yes, I am that selfish and I need to know what happened to me then. How did I die?" He questioned again.

I scoffed, looking away from him.

"Aera, we had a deal, remember? You promised to tell me this whenever I asked in the future in return…"

I made him halt to a pause, wiping the tears off my face and said;

"Suicide. You jumped off the Hangang bridge into the river, satisfied?" I howled.

Just like a cupid, a smile melted into his lips again and he took my left hand in his while softly whispering;

"If this is what will make you happy, if staying away from me makes you happy, if never meeting me in this life makes you happy, then that's enough."

Or is he just a fool?...

He slowly pulled one of the rings Aunt had given me out of my finger and immediately, my vision got blurred with darkness and then, a white blinding light intercepted the darkness bringing a cool and exchanging hands with reality which brought everything to normalcy.

My hands were still being held and the feeling felt familiar for some reason.

A little squeeze fondled my hands and I slowly opened my eyes.

Hyun Min?

My vision finally got restored and standing before me was Hyun Woo,

In the church!

On my wedding day.

"Do you, Lee Hyun Woo, take Kim Aera to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you promise to love, honor, and cherish her, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, for as long as you both shall live?" I heard the priest read out the vows.

Hyun Woo gave me a beautiful smile despite my smug look.

"I, Lee Hyun Woo, take you, Kim Aera, to be my lawfully wedded wife. I promise to love and cherish you, to support you in all that you do, and to be there for you in times of need."

And then,

It was my turn.

This future…

I looked behind Hyun Woo like I had done the very first time I got married to him just to check for Areum if she would mutter the same vow I'd be making for my snow.

Strangely enough, she wasn't where she had sat the first time. I looked around and couldn't find her anywhere.

Has my future started taking a change?

That little change brought a little spark into my heart.

Hope?

I gave Hyun Woo a little smile.

But, was I really happy?

"Do you…"

"I do." I solemnly replied.