CLOSE TO ME | MARK LEE

37

I stared at Areum but she diverted her eyes to look at the floor. There was an awkward silence lingering in the air.

"Areum."
"Mark."

We both said our names at the same time.

"Mark I'm going to leave to go the airport in about 45 minutes so I'll spend it with you. Take me wherever you want to." She sounded upset even though she tried not to.

I desperately held her hand and pulled her along with me. I took her out of the busy crowd into a park with little people there. The park wasn't so big and it was dimly but prettily lit.

We both just stared at each other and without even knowing a tear slipped out of my eye again.

"Why do look so pale today? You look ill." I said worriedly as I touched her face.

She held my hands that were on her face and bought them down.

"Mark.. I don't want to leave you but I have to for some circumstances. I just want you to be happy whilst I'm not here with you. My only request is that," she started to choke up on her words and her face was quivering "you keep me in your heart whilst I keep you in mine. That way I'll be able to keep you close to me."

She started crying but wiped away her tears immediately but I could tell she just wanted to look strong on the outside.

"I will of course keep you in my heart. You're all I have. I love you Areum."

"I love you too." She stared at me with her desperate eyes.

"I had something saved for the time we were going to be in Vancouver but you're leaving now, so this is my only chance."

Areum looked confused but I quickly turned her around. I pushed her hair to the side and took out the necklace from my pocket. I wrapped it around her neck and clipped it. I turned her back around and she stared at it.

"Mark.. it's beautiful."

"This was my gift for you. The night we first talked to each other, the moon shone so brightly and it looked like this."

We both looked up to the sky and saw the moon.

"Just like how the moon is today."

Out fingers intertwined as we looked up to the sky, filled with stars and the bright moon.

"Areum, before you leave, answer my question." I said seriously.

She turned around to face me.

"As you're the love of my life and you saved me from that night, as you made my dark life be full of hope and happiness, I think of my future with you. Will you be my girlfriend?" I said gently whilst looking at her straight in the eyes.

"Yes.. I will be your girlfriend." She flung her arms around my neck as I embraced her tightly.

"Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone. I'll see you soon. I promise." She whispered.

"I promise that I'll also see you soon. On a bright night like this."

"I love you." She barely uttered out.

All of a sudden, her phone started ringing. Feeling frustrated because of our situation already, I grabbed her phone out her hands and accepted the anonymous call. Areum wasn't quick enough to stop me.

I put the phone on speaker and waited for someone to speak.

"Areum, why are you with Mark? Didn't I warn you yesterday? Wasn't that enough for you to realise that you need to stay away from him? I can cause harm to the both of you. Now get to the airport before something happens to Mark on the way to the hotel and don't you even dare think of calling the police as that isn't going to help your situation. In fact it'll only make it worse. Mark isn't yours and he was never meant to be. He'll be mine. The day I meet him, he'll totally forget about you. Don't even think of telling Mark all this as I'll finish you before you even get to the airport. It'll only take a second for me you make you vanish from this world."

The phone cut and we were both frozen. What the hell was that about? I turned to Areum and seen that she was absolutely terrified. She was shaking so much.

We sat down on the grass and I let a minute pass before I asked her.

"Areum? Is this why you were... going to go back to Korea? You were being threatened all this time?"

"Mark! Don't do anything about it. You'll get hurt!" Areum loudly said, still shaking as she was a complete mess. "Just let me go back and you'll be safe. We'll meet each other again when you come back. I don't know who they are but it's the same person who ran me over. Mark, I'm scared so for my sake don't do anything. You have a whole tour to do and I need you to be safe. I'll go back and wait for you to come back. Whoever it is, they're really dangerous." She cried.

This is the moment where I felt absolutely helpless. Even when I wanted to do something, I really couldn't. I don't want Areum to get hurt and she doesn't want me to get hurt. It all makes sense as to why she's leaving now.

"Mark, I'm going." She cried. " I'm going to miss you so much. Don't forget to eat on time and remember to answer my texts. Go back to the meeting spot, Jaehyun will be waiting for you any time soon. You need to go now. I'll message you as soon as I reach back."

"Areum.." I sobbed helplessly.

"I love you Mark." She kissed me on the lips and turned around.

"I love you Areum." I dropped to the floor, on my knees as I sobbed. I watched her as she continued walking. Suddenly she stopped and turned around.

"I'll be waiting for you," she said with a broken smile. She then held up the necklace I gave her. "And Mark, you're always close to me. Bye." She turned around and continued walking and this time she didn't turn back. Knowing her, if she turned back around, she'd end up breaking and not being able to leave. Her shadow got smaller and smaller as she left.

Why couldn't I be better person for Areum?