Her breath caught.
"I remember the accident." His voice dropped, weighted with memory. "I remember you crying for me inside that broken car… bleeding yourself, but begging me not to close my eyes, begging for help to save me."
Her tears finally slipped.
"I remember how you stayed by my side," he went on. "I remember how you took care of me when I was useless to the rest of the world."
He breathed..
"I remember you checking on me every night while I slept, making sure I was breathing. Making sure I wasn't in pain when I couldn't even walk."
"I remember everything," he continued, his voice low, steady, soaked in truth. "Every cheerful word of yours. Every tease that carried warmth. Every quiet moment of care."
His thumb traced the edge of her jaw. His voice trembled slightly. "Every meal you fed me. Every time you helped me to the bathroom. Every doctor's visit. Every practice day. Every scolding you pretended was strict but never really was."
Then he smiled faintly. "Every butterfly I felt because of you. Even every breath you took near me."
He leaned closer, his breath warm against her lips. His thumb brushing her cheek. "I remember everything with you, Hauena. And I cherish those moments. Those memories. When I think of those painful days, I don't feel sad. I feel… grateful. Happy. Lucky." His voice softened. "Because I got to live them with you."
She swallowed, overwhelmed.
"You made those days beautiful, Hauena. Truly beautiful." His hand tightened at her waist. "I'm thankful to destiny even though it took such a cruel, painful turn… But it blessed me with you."
His breath trembled as he confessed the unthinkable. "And if I have to go through that accident again… if I have to sit in a wheelchair again… just to have you once more…"
"I would choose it. Every time."
Her eyes widened, her lips parting as she listened.
"I don't know about other things, Hauena. But I know this," he whispered. "But the only thing I'm sure about is you. Just you. And I'm ready to risk anything to have you by my side. Nothing matters more to me in this world than you. Nothing."
His eyes grew misty, yet never left hers. "Just stay with me. That's all I need. I'll find the courage to face the world as long as you're beside me, no matter how cruel it becomes."
She trembled.
"Don't ever think you destroyed anyone's life," he continued softly. "If Yerin's words hurt you that deeply, then listen to me. It was Yerin who walked away from me. Willingly."
His eyes darkened, not with anger, but with clarity.
"I still remember her words clearly from that day. She said, 'Good luck to you and your paralysed husband.' I heard it. Clearly."
Hauen's breath stuttered.
"She threw me out of her life, that day itself," he continued, calm but heavy. "She didn't want me anymore because I was useless to her." His fingers curled slightly against the blanket. "And if she was confused… if she truly loved me despite my condition, she would never have allowed Kevin into her life. Not in any way."
He shook his head faintly.
"But she did. And that clarifies everything." His gaze softened again.
Then a bitter smile touched his lips. "Sometimes I wonder if she ever loved me sincerely all those years. Because when I look back on those years, it was always me adjusting. Me bending. Me molding myself through every hardship we faced."
"I cared too much for her. I thought that was love." His voice lowered. "I never once imagined myself being a burden someday. Never thought about me being at the ugliest, weakest point of my life." He looked down for a moment, then back at her. "But life has its own cruel ways of teaching."
He reached for her hand, lacing their fingers together.
"It showed me the ugliest, painful truth," he whispered, squeezing gently. "And yet at the same time… it sent you to me as a cure."
His eyes searched hers, tender, certain.
"With you, I learned what true love looks like." His thumb brushed her knuckles. "I learned what the vows we took on our wedding day actually mean."
He leaned closer, resting his forehead against hers.
"And I'm glad, Hauena..." he whispered, voice warm and steady, "that you happened to me."
"Don't ever think you hurt someone… or broke something," he said at last, his voice calm and unwavering. "No. You didn't."
He leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead."And never think that things became worse because of you," he murmured. "They didn't. In fact, things became honest because of you."
She blinked, stunned by the certainty in his words.
"Everything happened for a reason," he continued softly, "and everyone ended up exactly where they were meant to be."
He paused, then added gently, "And Yerin… after everything, she still has someone like Kevin. Someone who loves her, who stands by her despite all her flaws."
His thumb brushed her cheek, grounding her."You didn't steal me, Hauena," he said quietly. "You just gave me a place where I could finally breathe again."
Her lips trembled, emotions spilling past the walls she had tried so hard to hold. Before the tears could fall, he smiled and pressed a soft peck to her lips.
"Hajima," he murmured fondly. "Tears don't suit my Hauenie."
She smiled through the tears anyway, breath hitching. He chuckled, brushing his thumb under her eye as if wiping away the weight of the past.
"By the way," he added, mischief flickering back into his eyes, "I was planning to show my sexy side to my naughty wife."
She laughed and lightly hit his chest. "Now who's being naughty?"
He chuckled, sheepish and adorable. "I promised my Hauenie, though."
She smiled again, warmth settling in her chest, the heaviness finally loosening its grip.
Then he leaned closer, his voice dropping into a whisper that brushed against her skin. "Can I?"
She looked at him, eyes bright, lips curving into a playful pout. Instead of answering, she pulled him closer.
"What are you waiting for, Mr. Kim?" she murmured. "Do it already."
He smiled at her sudden shift, a little flustered despite knowing her answer even before she gave it. She never denied him when he asked like that. She was still the same, and he knew her too well.
"Saranghae, jagiya," he whispered.
She didn't bother replying. Instead, she captured his lips first.
He responded immediately, smiling into the kiss, playful and tender all at once. The heaviness of the night softened under her warmth, unwanted thoughts loosening, melting into closeness. Into quiet fire.
He pulled back slightly, breath uneven, a soft smile lingering on his lips. He fixed her hair gently, pausing just to look at her, as if committing her face to memory all over again.
She met his gaze. "Why are you looking at me like that?" she whispered.
He didn't answer. He just smiled, overwhelmed, his heart racing with too many feelings and nowhere to place them. Instead, he leaned in again, kissing her lips, deeper this time, then along her jaw, down to her neck.
Suddenly, she flipped him onto his back, taking the lead.
He gasped at the sudden move, then laughed as she tugged impatiently at his shirt, her urgency unmistakable.
She looked down at him, eyes dark with intent, and he felt warm all over again.
He chuckled, flustered. "Jagi… hajima. You're making me nervous."
She ignored him, kissing him again, making him laugh and kiss her back at the same time. She pinched his chest lightly, earning a soft yelp.
"Umm… that tickles," he protested, still laughing, rubbing the spot.
She didn't listen. Instead, she pulled him closer once more. "Stop talking, Mr. Kim. You're wasting time," she whispered impatiently, kissing him again properly this time.
He smiled softly between the kisses, arms wrapping around her, holding her securely, completely surrendering.
And their night unfolded the way only theirs could. Playful. Messy. Intimate. Quietly watched by the raw stars outside the window.
After a long, painful separation, two souls finally found their way back to each other. Not through wounds or explanations, but through presence, warmth, and the certainty that they were finally home.