Chapter 4: **Shattered Hope**

The autumn leaves whispered secrets as Da-Hyun sat on the park bench, her fingers tracing invisible constellations. The air smelled of nostalgia—a blend of fallen leaves and unspoken words. She had confided in jeong's younger brother's bestfriend "Seo-Jun" was Da-Hyun close friend, hoping for solace. But his words were a blade to her fragile heart.

*"Jeong has a girlfriend,"* Seo-Jun had said, his eyes apologetic. *"I thought you should know."*

Da-Hyun's world crumbled. The paper boat of her dreams sank in stormy seas. She had watched Jeong from afar, collecting memories like seashells on a beach. His laughter was a lighthouse guiding her through lonely nights. But now, the light was extinguished.

It's been a while since their last chat—a mere echo in the corridors of time. She had texted him today, her trembling fingers typing, *"Hi, it's been a long time."* Jeong's reply was curt, *"Yes, how are you doing?"* And then, silence.

*"I'm good,"* he had added, as if their shared history was a footnote. Da-Hyun's heart ached. She asked about his school, but the message remained unread. Jeong was a distant star—a memory fading into stardust.

The seasons changed, but Jeong's silence remained constant. Da-Hyun's phone became a relic—a vessel for unspoken confessions. She scrolled through old messages, tracing the contours of their past. The paper boat of her love sailed through forgotten tides.

She stayed single, rejecting other guys. Her heart was a locked chest, and Jeong held the key. She stalked his sister's moments, hoping for glimpses of him. But the sea of social media revealed nothing—only waves of longing crashing against her resolve.

her dreams painted in shades of Jeong. She imagined confessing her love—a paper boat launched toward the moon. But reality was a tempest. Jeong's girlfriend was a phantom—a rival she couldn't fight.

Sometimes, in the quiet of her room, Da-Hyun wept. Her pillow absorbed her tears, and the moon watched, silent witness to her pain. She wondered if Jeong ever thought of her—the girl who had loved him like constellations love the night sky.

The years blurred—a carousel of missed chances. Jeong's unread message haunted her—a ghost in the machine. She clung to hope like a sailor to a lifebuoy. But the sea was vast, and Jeong was a distant shore.

(And here my love story with him end. Now I finally decided to confess my love to him when I become a successful woman and I will be waiting for that day. Today Thursday 4th April 2024 9:40 PM Nigerian clock,I'm still waiting and still working hard.The next paragraphs below and the next chapters will be fiction because the true life story ends here but I promised to continue writing from where I stop on the day he accepted my love.)

(I don't miss you but I miss something inside of me that faded away with you, I didn't love but I was ready to die for you,just for you 💔 I wanted to hold your hand but why will I do that with you ? In the end you were just the person I knew. I fell in love with storm even though i knew that I can't get out unscathed. How do i move on from this line ? I got thousands of scars on my heart and none of them was from my enemy, one is from Ji-Hoon and the other one is from you, Jeong. Their is hope but not for us.)

Continuation (fiction)

Da-Hyun became a woman—a constellation of ambition. She built her career, her heartache fueling every success. Jeong was a chapter she couldn't close. She wondered if he still loved cherry blossoms, if he missed the rain-swollen gutters and the paper boats they had launched.

Da-Hyun decided—the paper boat would sail again. When she became a successful woman, she would confess. The moon would bear witness, and the sea would carry her words to Jeong. Love, she realized, was a voyage—a fragile boat launched into uncharted waters.

*To be continued...*