"Jade's mom couldn't stop crying when she saw me." Luna told Dr.Sogeum as the sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows, making her wet lashes sparkle.
"She said that Jade always told her not to worry because she had me..." She pursed her lips as they quivered and a few more tear drops fell on her lap, "I told her I was sorry that I didnt take good enough care of her but she just said no, and that she was grateful that Jade had a friend there."
Sogeum handed her a glass of water and went back to her seat,
"Luna.. do you still regret your actions from that day? Because I thought we already established that subconscious actions-"
"Mm mm." Luna shook her head as she swallowed a bug gulp of water and exhaled, "I did, until I met Jade's mom.
She said that everything happens for a reason, even if it may not seem the best at first but God always has a plan. That perhaps Jade's death was already written and this was the least painful way to go. And if we had interfered, we could've exposed her to a worst fate."
"Jade's mother said that?" Sogeum inquired with raised eyebrows, taken aback by the woman's belief and peace with things.
"Yep." Luna nodded, much more composed now, and afterall her tears weren't tears of sadness, she was simply overwhelmed, remembering the warmth of the woman.
"Apart from when I first introduced myself, she was very composed. Her husband said that these beliefs were how she was able to cope and not go into depression. And honestly, what she said.. made so much sense and I..." she traced a finger over the, now healed crescents on her palm, "I really needed to hear that. Because it also answers so many questions that I always ask towards the sky. Maybe all that happened lead to the best. What if the path full of thorns and ditches lead to a destination full of flowers and fruits."
Sogeum smiled as Luna went on.
"I met Joy, who is so full of life, she just goes and does whatever she wants, including the things that I think of doing but never have the courage to, and then she encourages me too. I have a cousin who cares for me more than my parents, more than my own brother. And.. I met Haemin. The human embodiment of love itself. Thanks to him I experienced love and I opened myself to other people, he makes me feel alive, and I started to like myself too. Because its the way Haemin looks at you, as if you are the world's most precious treasure and you start to believe that maybe there is something worth looking at."
Closing the door to the clinic, Luna stepped out and saw the back of a peach haired guy.
She grinned, "Please don't tell me you waited here the whole hour."
Haemin turned around, "Of course not, I got us coffee." He handed her the drink, "Besides, I told you we would walk to the cafe together ."
They started to walk side by side, "Riiight," Luna drawled sarcastically, "If thats what you are here for then perhaps you don't wanna hear about my conversation with Dr.Han."
"Of course not." He rushed out, "Asking someone about their exchange with their therapist is extremely insensitive." He looped his arm with hers and looked everywhere but at her.
She chuckled. They had been hanging out non-stop ever since that day she returned from Australia. And she didn't even know when it started but skin-ship with him came as naturally as smiling to her now. Joy said that the two of them were pre-dating.
Even though Luna insisted that there was no such thing, Joy was slightly successful in persuading her to think that they were in the kind of relationship where two people who like each other hang out together all the time and don't really need to put labels on themselves because the love is just there.
"Its okay, Haemin. You of all people can ask me."
He glanced at her, with a 'really?' face.
"I mean you actually went with me to Jade's house to support me, ofcourse you can ask."
"I didn't do it to get anything in return I just wanted to help you." He patted her arm.
She smiled, "I know, I know. And you really need to stop that. Asking for something in return for whatever you do is not selfish, its how things work."
He was half listening to this because Luna had only repeated it to him about a hundred times,
"Anyways," She continued, "I told her how Jade's mom was so understanding and what she said, consoled me too."
"Ooh did you tell her that you even went to Jade's grave and didn't even cry once because you're so brave?"
"No, Haemin." She laughed, "That wasn't that important, besides Jade always wanted a different funeral for herself, one with music where people remembered their good memories with her, instead of crying. I couldn't give her the funeral but the least I could do was look at her gravestone with dry eyes and tell her that her brother and mother would live better, so that she doesn't have to worry anymore."
"What do you mean that wasn't important? You have come so far."
His animated hand movements made her shake her head in amusement, "You just think too highly of it because you yourself were bawling like a baby."
He looked ahead with his lower lip pouted, "That old man pushed himself off of his wheelchair and crawled to his wife's grave just to put flowers there and he even carefully put them there making a beautiful pattern." He dramatically placed a fist in front of his lips.
She rolled her eyes, "You feel too much."
He took her hand in his and pulled it to his chest suddenly stopping them from walking.
He stared into her eyes and said, "Yeah I do."
Luna cleared her throat and pulled him to start walking again, she needed to get to her shift and he needed to get to his. Also she was afraid she'd smash her lips into his right then and there. He was so damn kissable and always so.. inviting.
"Are you done with the engagement party arrangements?" He asked after taking a sip from his coffee that was so dark that it looked like it was the souls of the dead.
"Yeah, Iv got the party decorations down, and the invitations are half done."
"You did most of the work, what did the other bridesmaids do??"
"Well Im the only friend Joy has that knows Australia and Korea both, plus it's easier to talk to her face to face and find out what she wants. For example, she chose for the dress code to be plum red and peach, while she herself was gonna wear chic pink, but while helping me look for a dress, she ended up liking one in peach for herself so we had to change the dress code on 200 invitations."
He smiled, "Iv been too busy with uni that I didnt hang out with the both of you during the preparations, what kind of bride is she? Is she like Monica from Friends?"
"No, more like Rachel or Phoebe I guess. She's just so smitten with Jihoon that she doesnt care for anything else. I mean why else would they skip dating and get engaged in two weeks. Im just glad they didn't elope."
Haemin laughed, "Im so happy for them."
Luna smiled, so was she. Two of the people that she loved most were together and they were just what the other needed.
"Oh right did you send the invitations to her friends in Jap-"
Haemin's drink fell from his grip and he freed his arm and dashed towards the road, in the middle of which was a dog just standing there frozen in the path of a BMW.
A gasp escaped Luna's mouth as she saw that Haemin was almost with the dog but the car was coming so fast that she had to run to them, and pushed Haemin out of the way.
Thankfully he had grabbed the dog who soon wiggled out of his arms mortified, and ran away.
Haemin was heaving on the ground and Luna was on top of him,
"You idiot, when will you stop making sacrifices for others at the expense of your own well-being?!" She shouted.
"Luna." His eyes were wide, "You didn't hesitate."
She furrowed her eyebrows, "What?"
"You saved me. You didn't freeze, you just went for it."
She gasped and put her hands over her mouth, "You're right!"
He beamed at her and she lowered her hands and stopped smiling,
Gauging her expressions he also stared at her quizzically, but his expression was so adorable that she couldn't stop herself from grabbing his cheeks and bringing her lips to his.
He didn't hesitate for a second and responded by kissing her back.
When she pulled back there were two women passing by, giving them uncomfortable stares so they both got up quick and hurried along.
Maybe it was the adrenaline from the almost accident or the love hormones rushing through them from the kiss, their hearts were thumping wildly in their chests and wide smiles adorned their lips as they ran.
Giggling, they entered the cafe.
"Hey, Yubi." Both of them said together and she chuckled at them,
"You both came in together, how coincidental. Do you two still insist that you're not dating?"
Haemin smirked, "No, not today."
"Really?!" Yubi smiled widely at Luna who was shyly looking at her nails and nodded lightly.
Yubi ecstatically went to her and gave her a tight hug, "Congratulations."
"Thanks."
"Alright," said Jinwoo coming out of the kitchen, "I'm not against dating in the work place but don't abandon your duties. Haemin and Luna go get changed into your uniforms."
They both said 'yes' and went to the staff room.
As Luna was heading towards the women's changing room, Haemin pulled her back and pushed her against a locker.
She gave him a lopsided grin, "Are you looking for a high school type of romance Chef Lee?"
He looked at her from behind his long lashes with a piercing gaze, he wasn't smiling.
"I don't know about that," His voice was low and his face was just above hers, "I just know that I get what I want, when I want it and wherever I want it, Miss Pièrce."
She stared at his lips as they neared hers and then closed her eyes, losing herself in him.