First meeting

Due to the amount of alcohol she had taken, Yura could feel herself becoming slightly drowsy. Nonetheless, she did not lose her senses completely yet.

Her hand held on to a wine glass as she was seated beside Ryu Yejoon on the couch. Throughout the entire time, he stared at her desperately.

She knew how he wanted her to change her mind, and a part of her was really tempted. As he had suggested earlier, things would be simpler and happier if both of them got married.

She wouldn't need to worry about getting hurt, and both of them were enough for each other. There was no need for some other people beside them.

But the bubble that they had built around them— Yura believed that both of them needed to escape that. If it wasn't for her, she was worried about Yejoon.

If things went wrong and something happened to her, she wanted him to live on happily and not lose himself completely. That would really break her heart.

She knew that she had made a lot of enemies from the next actions, and although she was the winner now, one day the game would be over for her. 

Death wasn't something she was scared of. That's why, she did not care much about it. But it was Yejoon for whom she was concerned.

His personality was crystal clear to her. Although he was cold and detached for the most part, once he gets attached to someone, it is a different story.

That causes him to develop a state where he is not able to live without that person and would do anything to have that person. It was fair to say that he becomes obsessed.

It is easy for him to get anxiety in that state, and having seen him go through that state once, she would do anything but having him face that again.

She just hoped that he could be at least as much as carefree as her.

The emotions he felt right then was clear to her while he tightly gripped on to her hand. He was afraid of letting go of her hand, and a sharp pain went through her chest due to that.

It broke her heart everytime she saw him like that and made her question why did he have to go through something like that? If she could, she would give him all the happiness out there.

"Yejoon," she said, "You know, you don't need to be nervous. You are the person I love the most. Even if I fall in love with someone and get married to him, you will be the most precious person to me. 

That's why, I don't want to see you torturing yourself like this. Please be happy. That's all I want from you."

"Then, be by my side. I will always be happy then," he expressed.

She laughed and questioned, "Do you still remember the day both of us first met?"

°°°

Five year old Min Yura cheerfully ran through the garden in front of the mansion when she noticed a figure. When she spotted Jisoo, she immediately made her way over to her.

"Jisoo!" She squealed while running over to the girl.

Min Jisoo, who was of similar age to Yura, had her hair tied into pigtails. A bright smile formed on her face as she noticed Yura.

When Jisoo stopped in front of Yura, she noticed the small hands that were around Yura's leg, and this caused her to tilt her head slightly.

Curiosity was present in her eyes while she did so.

Pointing towards Min Jisoo, she voiced out, "Is there someone behind you?"

At that, Jisoo turned back and softly said, "Yejoon, come out now. You don't have to be shy. Come on; you are a good boy!"

Slowly, the four year old Yejoon peeked his head from her hand while his hand gripped on to the material of Jisoo's clothing tightly.

He showed no signs of wanting to let go of it.

Yura then noticed how unpleasantly the boy was looking at her, but not thinking much of it, she gave him a wide grin.

"What is you name? I am Min Yura! Do you want to be friends?"

Her words caused the boy's eyes to widen, and this caused him to immediately hide his head behind Min Jisoo.

"I am sorry," Jisoo said, "He is quite shy around new people."

°°°

Spotting the familiar seven year old boy, Yura wanted to wave her hand at him. But remembering how Yejoon would only ignore her, she merely pulled her hand back.

Both of them were at a party today, and she had few eyes watching her. It wouldn't feel great to have herself embarrassed in front of all of them.

The entire time he stood at one corner of the room, and she noticed how his eyes brightened up when he spotted Jisoo. Immediately, he made his way over to her.

The scene was akin to a dog and his adored master.

Min Yura shook her head at that and observed the scene silently, having an idea that it would not be good to interrupt them.

She noticed the wide smile that formed on his face, and her eyes widened at how beautiful he appeared over all. It was such a difference to how he always scowled at her.

"What are you staring and smiling at?"

Feeling a palm on her shoulder, she turned back, and her eyes met with those of eight year old Youngjae.

She then pointed at Yejoon and said, "Him. Don't you think that he is really cute. Too bad, that he won't get close to me."

°°°

The memories caused her to start laughing loudly as she voiced out, "You were such a brat back then."

Reminiscing about of that managed to bring a wide smile on to her, and brightness appeared in those eyes of her. She felt really invigorated after thinking of all that.

Who knew that this kind of relationship could form between them?

"Why does it feel as if you are leaving me behind and moving forward on your own? 

This is as if I am still drowning while you climbed up to the surface and are enjoying the warmth of the sun," he expressed, "I am sorry. This came out harsher than I meant. You—"

Extending her hand towards him, she pulled him into a tight hug and patted his back. She could see how vulnerable he was right at that instant, and due to that, her heart ached a lot.

"Yejoon, I wouldn't go anywhere. I will pull you up from that deep sea," she stated, "No, you will have to dive up from it on your own. I will wait on the shore for you."

"I want to stay like this forever, holding on to you like this, Yura. There is nothing that is better than this," he expressed.

"I want to do the same as well," she voiced out, "But not everytime can we indulge ourselves with the things we want, right? Life's quite unfortunate."