"Do we really have to break up, Choi Ah-Yeong?" A twenty-one-year-old Kang Dae-Hyun asked the girl sitting opposite to him. He held her hand and looked at her with teary red eyes.
His heart was torn when he heard Ah-Yeong asking for break up. As he saw Ah-Yeong giving a nod, he felt like crying. But he held all his tears and asked "Why?" His voice was cracking. If he was to stay here any longer, he would really end up crying.
Ah-Yeong took a sip of her cappuccino and nonchalantly replied "Because you are leaving me and going." She shrugged her shoulders and removed her hand from his grip.
As Dae-Hyun heard her answer, he stood up and sat beside her. Holding her hand in his hold, he pressed on it and said "It is just for five years, Ah-Yeong. After that I will be back and we can be together just like how we are." He tried to kiss her hand but before that, Ah-Yeong retracted her hand.
Seeing Dae-Hyun's face, she sighed. "I cannot wait for five more years, Dae-Hyun. My parents already want me to get married soon. Let's finish it off!"
Dae-Hyun again held her hand and made her look at him with his chin. The words which his girlfriend was saying right now, was wounding his heart. "I will talk to your parents. Please, just wait for five years, Ah-Yeong! I promise to be with you always after this... Please?"
No matter how much Dae-Hyun pleaded, Ah-Yeong declined. She removed her hand from his hold and called for the waiter to pay the bill. After doing the payment, she kissed his cheek by saying "Have a safe trip, Dae-Hyun! I will miss you."
With that, she quickly walked out of the restaurant in the fear that she would expose him, her flowing tears.
Dae-Hyun saw her retreating back and then stared at his hand. The warmth which he felt when he had held her hand was now fading away in a way how she was walking away from him.
He quickly rushed to the washroom, locked himself inside and let go of all the tears which he had been holding for a while.
****
Despite of breaking up, Choi Ah-Yeong waited five years for Kang Dae-Hyun to return. But he hadn't come. Time flew by and it had already been six years but she never saw him.
She was already twenty-seven, had a perfect job as a teacher and her parents wanted to see her married. So, they got her married.
Ah-Yeong agreed to the marriage because she felt that it was futile to wait for Dae-Hyun when they had already been separated. And just like that, Ah-Yeong got married to a man named Jung Sang Hoon who was twenty-nine-year-old and was working as a manager in DaeHan Tech.
****
"Shall we go in that restaurant?" Ah-Yeong asked Sang Hoon while pointing at the restaurant just two buildings away.
Sang Hoon who was a manager always had a hard time at work and due to that he wasn't able to spend much time with Ah-Yeong.
Nevertheless, he liked her and he wanted to be with her all the time.
Actually, Sang Hoon was an only child and his parents had spent very less time with him which made him less communicative or open towards anyone. He barely talked and he felt that people would understand you even if you don't speak up.
Yet, by spending time with Ah-Yeong, he was able to open up but he still was shy to express his feelings towards her.
So whenever, she asked him something, he would instantly agree with her.
Being with her was all he wanted and he was happy to see her happy.
So, when she asked him for going in that restaurant, he instantly agreed. Even though, they were married to one another, Sang Hoon felt that the distance between them was just too much.
It had been two months since their marriage and he hadn't held her hand at all. Forget about that, it was their second time going out together.
Seeing her hand by her side, he walked a little closer towards her. This much space was enough for him to touch her hand. He wanted to feel how her hand would be in his.
As Sang Hoon saw her looking sideways, he slowly touched her fingers and held her hand.
His heart beat louder and as he felt her small hand in his, he couldn't help but feel shy.
The restaurant which Ah-Yeong pointed at was the place where she and Dae-Hyun had broken up. It had been six years; she should have long forgotten him and the places where they visited together but she just couldn't.
Ah-Yeong was walking while thinking about that day when she felt someone holding her hand. She looked at the person holding her hand and saw him smiling. Sang Hoon just wanted to have a glimpse of her beautiful face so, he had turned his face only to be met by a pair of beautiful black eyes.
His heart beat increased more rapidly and he felt the loud thumping till his throat. Looking at his face, Ah-Yeong lowered her head. Sang Hoon also shyly averted his gaze and held her hand more comfortably.
****
Sitting inside the restaurant, Ah-Yeong had no appetite. She was hungry then, but she wasn't hungry anymore. She saw Sang Hoon sitting opposite to her and she couldn't help but stare him. He was good-looking, tall and masculine. His face was square shaped with a hard jawline.
Well, now that she noticed him from up close, he was handsome, really handsome and those neatly combed black hair fitted him perfectly.
As the silence surrounded around them, they felt awkward.
And Ah-Yeong spoke to break out the awkwardness between them.
"What shall we order?" She asked.
Although she didn't have an appetite, she didn't feel like spoiling this moment which was slowly forming in between them.