THE SUN WAS BEGINNING TO SET, CASTING A WARM, GOLDEN HUE OVER THE SNOW-COVERED PARK. Hwamin and Sunghoon, exhausted from a day of playing in the snow, were now on a bench overlooking a winter landscape. They were both bundled in thick coats, scarves, and gloves, but the chill of the day had made them rosy-cheeked and happy.
The past few days have been tame, and they were thankful for that.
Hwamin leaned back on the bench, her breath visible in the crisp air. She glanced sideways at Sunghoon, who was staring up at the sky with a content smile. The sky was a canvas of soft pinks and purples, the clouds tinged with the last remnants of sunlight.
"This day was perfect," Hwamin said softly, her voice almost lost in the gentle breeze. It felt normal. She let out a sigh, feeling a deep sense of peace she hadn't felt in a long time.
Sunghoon chuckled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "I haven't had this much fun in forever. It's like we're kids again."
Hwamin nodded, her gaze still fixed on the sky. "It's nice to just forget everything else and enjoy the moment."
For a while, they sat in comfortable silence, simply taking in the beauty around them.
Hwamin's gaze remained fixed on the sky, her thoughts drifting with the light snowfall. The serene park, now bathed in twilight, felt like a peaceful sanctuary from their tumultuous past.
Sunghoon then spoke. "You know, a pro in remembering your past lives makes you somewhat wise."
Hwamin raised her eyebrows, wondering why he suddenly said that. To her surprise, with his powers, he created an ice figure of a penguin before them. "Woah," she gasped.
"You like it?" he leaned forward to observe her expression, looking for approval of his sculpture.
"Yes! It's adorable! I didn't know you were good at art."
"I'm full of surprises. In one of my past lives, I was an ice sculptor."
Hwamin turned her head to face him, intrigued. "An ice sculptor? That sounds cool."
Sunghoon's eyes lit up. "Yeah, it was one of the coolest lives I've ever had. I used to create these incredible ice sculptures. Looking back, I was awesome. But when am I not awesome?"
"Alright," she playfully rolled her eyes. "Well. Did you ever make anything special?"
"I did. I once created a sculpture of a beautiful, intricate garden. It was so lifelike that people said it looked like it was frozen in time. It was during that time that I met your past life."
Hwamin's curiosity deepened. "How was she?"
Sunghoon's smile faded slightly, and he looked away, his gaze lost in the distance. "She was... you were wonderful. You were a beauty queen at the time. I fell in love with you when I saw you taking pictures at that ice garden. But when do I not fall in love with you?."
"I'm just that charming," she joked. "Did we ever talk? Did you ever approach me? You're the only one who remembered our past life at the time so..."
Sunghoon fell silent, the weight of his words hanging heavily in the air. After a pause, he spoke quietly. "Nothing happened. The curse happened that time like it did in all my lifetimes. I remembered being the Ice Prince, and I remembered you as the Fire Princess. No matter how much I wanted to be with you, the curse always drove us apart. As always, my ice spiralled out of control. What was once my talent became my burden."
Hwamin was at loss for words, her mind grappling with the weight of Sunghoon's words. This was the first time she fully understood the depth of his pain, and it broke her heart. The realization that they had met and fallen for each other in countless lifetimes, only for his life to be cut short, was overwhelming.
She stared at the snow-covered ground, feeling a profound sense of defeat. "That curse is relentless," she said quietly, her voice heavy with sorrow.
Sunghoon looked at her, his expression reflecting a mix of sadness and understanding. "Yeah, it is. It's been a constant in my life. I thought maybe this time might be different, but it's hard to shake off the fear that it won't be."
Hwamin's heart ached for him. "I wish there was something we could do. I wish we could change the past."
"We can try to make the most of the present. Maybe that's enough." Hwamin nodded at his remark.
Miss Chin basically said that there was no hope to fix the past, after all. So what could they do?
The world around them grew darker as the sun set. Neither of them pointed it out, though. They wanted to make the most of the remaining time they had left together.