Known Stranger

Chapter 43

TAEHYUNG'S POV

The glowing sun, a crisp circle in the bloody sky, illuminated a quivering path across the water. It bathed the meek waves and the wispy clouds in a burning red, when I first saw her getting down from the uber. She had a comely figure which was stem-thin. Her curvilinear waist didn't surprise me as much as the saffron tint to her complexion.

I waved at in her direction as she told me to and she saw me, smiled and waved back and then turned around again to pay the driver. I could feel the eyes on me. Fuck, I was pranked, I reckoned.

Her crescent shaped eyebrows inclined slightly as she saw me staring at her. I yelped at being caught. Her languid eyelashes of velvet-black blinked once slowly, as she ran towards my direction.
When she came closer, I noticed her scrolled ears and her elegant nose.

She hugged me slightly, and I couldn't believe it, it was their culture, I reckoned. I could hear my heart ringing in my ears. I shrugged, feeling a warm glow rise up into my face and somehow, I knew my cheeks were pink.

I don't blush often, but one brush of my normally pale-skinned cheek told me that my cheeks were pink.

Her luminous, heavenly-white teeth flashed as she smiled looking at me shying. Her hair was a glorious tumble of star beam-gold and her caramel-brown eyes set my heart a-thump.

She was smiling as if nothing in world could fade it and it resulted in my curved up lips.

She glanced over me once again and I could tell she was disappointed with my mask and beanie. To be very honest, I wanted to call her to the hotel but again, it was too absurd of a thought. It would have been awkward and I don't think she would be comfortable. Like, no one would be.

"You know I am an artist and it won't be good if I get caught with a girl.. I mean.. I am sorry I didn't meant anything.. Oh fuck." I closed my eyes firmly as my lips pursed into a straight line. I was flustered, no doubt and in the heat of the situation I was blabbing. Blabbing nonsense.

What if she thinks that I am belittling her.

I opened one eye to watch her expression and she was just smiling and a wave of relief rode over me. I opened both of my eyes to watch her smile, warmer than the sun and I allowed my giggles to mix with hers.

"You are shy, aren't you?" she said in between of her giggles.

"N- no what do you mean shy?"

Oh God why in the world am I stuttering. Listening to my response, her giggles led a way to a louder laugh.

"So, what are your plans?" she asked.

"Umm.. Maybe we can just hang together today and talk."

"I understand, you must be tired. You didn't have to rush it. We could have met tomorrow." she pouted.

"Cute", the word escaped my mouth without consent.

"Huh?"

"Umm... I think it was for the better.. This place is pretty good... Look those waves. Wow"

"Yeah, right. You know, we have fireworks here but not at this time. This place is the best place to watch fireworks."

I sighed. That was close. Why am I always on the verge of embarrassing myself. Crap! I didn't even complimented her. Not even a hello, nor a hug. I watched her walking towards the bench till she turned and called me to join and I simply sat beside her.

END OF TAEHYUNG'S POV

AUTHOR'S POV

"So, how's life?" she asked.

"What a stupid question" he added.

"There is no such thing as a stupid question." she said, highly satisfied by her intellect.

Taehyung just stomped her feet as an answer.

"What the fuck" she gasped.

"Did I hurt you?"

"That's a stupid ques- Fuck. I stand corrected." they laughed together easing the atmosphere.

"But I'm still gonna take revenge. How dare you stomp my feet" she said as placed her foot on his and crushed it, enjoying every moment of it.

"That was.... Cruel!" he squealed while she just nodded in response. All satisfied.

"This place is beautiful, isn't it?" he said it the second time looking at the clouds that passed by as sheeps in a flock.

"It is. I used to come here so often. When I was a kid, our whole family used to come here for picnics and day outs." he saw her smile slowly fade.

"Are you fine?" he asked almost in an instant. And she replied, "yes" hiding the exhaust she had been carrying, pretending to be strong.

"Really?" he looked at her with his deep set eyes, his voice resonated in her ears.

"Yeah. You know, I am working with Mr. Steve and he is really good looking. Like reaaalllly handsome. You think, I should ask him out?" she said carrying the semblance of a smile.

"I am trying to have a serious conversation with you "

"And I am trying to subtly avoid it." her breathing hitched.

And she finally gave up, dropped the fake smile as a tear ran down her cheek and she said, almost in a whisper, "I can't do this anymore."

Not in more than a second, she covered her eyes with her small hands and turned her back towards him.

Silent sobs was what proceeded. Her crying had no sound as if restraining herself but she was tired, tired of pretending that she was fine when she was completely broken, tired of bearing weights of everyone's expectations of how she should be reacting, tired of relations, tired of... life.

He gently turned her towards him, resting her head on his reliable shoulders, patting her head, delicately. She could hold the heartbreak no longer as her grief poured out in a flood of uncontrollable tears.

Her words broke up and all she could say were stuttering sounds. Hot tears streamed down her face, as she squeezed his eyelids shut in the hope her tears would stop. Her choppy breathing and watery eyes remained for quite some time, and he sat there unmoving, allowing torrent of her tears to soak through his shirt.

He could hear her silently screaming, suffocating with each breath she took. He ran his fingers through her hair, time and time again, in an attempt to calm the silent war within her mind as she cried.

"H- he is not my father" she confessed, placing her hand on her mouth, muffling her cries.

"I blamed him everyday, every night for leaving me but it turns out it was me who was out of place. It was always me" she said in a shaky voice.

Having no idea how he should be reacting or what he should say to make her feel better, he took her into his embrace firmly. And only let go of her when her crying was muted.

"You have no idea" she says, then pauses trying to pull herself together before she speaks again.

"You have no idea how hard it is to face someone whom you loved every single day."

She pauses again, wiping the tears out of her eyes.

"But you know what's even harder?"

She waits for a moment while he patiently wait for her answer.

"Seeing a stranger where you once called a home."