Baek always wondered if he would ever get it back somehow?
His soul.
Maybe he would be able to redeem himself someday, somehow. Pay for all the wrongdoings he had committed, all the pain he had caused. Would he be able to redeem himself after failing to protect his mother and unborn sister?
It wasn't his guilt to take in the first place but he somehow felt obligated to accept it. This notion about how things went wrong because of him, was set deep in his tortured mind.
Sometimes he felt like he may never be able to redeem himself. But the most important question was did he want redemption?
That's the thing isn't it? Does anyone ever truly want redemption or is it just an illusion?
The day Grace walked into his color-less life, his tortured soul finally found some solace. Maybe she would be his redemption, he thought. Maybe she would finally be the light in his darkness.
But then how would he ever redeem himself for tainting that pure, pure soul with the darkness of his screwed up self? How would he ever apologize to her for not being the man she deserved? How would he ever live upto the expectations of being worthy of her?
All thoughts were interrupted and then flew out the window as soon as he heard his angel's sweet laugh. Grace had her hands on the air, a beautiful smile on her face as she enjoyed the wind caressing her. They took an internal route in Daegu where not a lot of people drove, so she could enjoy her time on the bike with absolutely no interruptions.
"Oppad where are we going??" She asked him, her voice barely cutting through the harsh wind.
"We have the whole day to ourselves, so I'm taking you to the beach side," he replied, slightly leaning back into her so she could hear him.
"Yayyyy!!! The beach!!! It's been so long since I have been to one. I am so excited!" Grace screamed with joy.
This was like heaven for her. Her Baek oppa gave her immeasurable happiness and she felt like she was always floating on cloud nine when she was with her.
The couple reached the beach and she immediately ran towards the rocky edges and straight into the cold water. The month of September was slightly chilly there, owing to the receding rain showers but it was the pure joy of being here that let her ignore the chill and enjoy her time in the water.
"Oppa!! Come here, we'll play in the water together," she said and it was obvious that the big bad boy would never be able to deny her simple request.
He joined her and they had fun for an hour, jumping around on the rocks, splashing water on each other. They even took pictures of their reflection in the water with her phone. All was going well and good before she began to shiver a bit and he promptly got her out. Even after leaving the water and getting back in her socks and shoes, she still felt a slight chill go through her body and without any second thoughts Baek took his precious red leather jacket off and put it on Grace's small body.
As soon as his hands touched her while he put the jacket on for her, both of them felt that jolt of electricity run through their systems and as a result he instantly blushed while he maintained his calm exterior, but his heart was racing. His heart fluttered at the sight of her, her beautiful long hair catching the rays of sun, her face glowing and beautifully pink and her small form engulfed in his jacked. Nothing ever felt this right, no one ever looked this captivating in his eyes.
He was completely smitten and in love with her and she was also sure about the fact that there was something special between them.
"Wanna go home now Grace?" He asked softly.
"Can we be together some more? Please?" Her eyes pleaded with him to never ever let go and in that moment he promised to himself that he would never let go. He would always protect her no matter what.
"Anything for you love, anything," he said and brought her into his embrace.
The young couple stayed together, basking in each other's warmth for what felt like forever, just soaking in each other. If this was what true love was, Baek never wanted to part ways with it.
Grace had never felt this safe with any other, she still didn't fully understand what it was between them, but whatever it was she never wanted to part ways with it. She understood the concept of love, but it was limited to bookish knowledge because she never saw this kind of love between her parents. Being a chil of an arranged marriage she had never experienced this level of affection and attention on either side, neither from her mother nor from her father. Somehow this once stranger and now her beloved Baek oppa made her feel things she never ever felt before and she loved this feeling
Both were silently falling for each other more and more every passing second, not knowing what the future would hold for them and not bothering about it either. As long as they were together they would beat any odds.
Their love would prevail, and they both somehow, somewhere deep down, knew it.