POV: Female Lead (Jung Ha-neul)
Ha-neul stood frozen in the middle of the room.
Min-jae was gone.
Her chest felt tight, her legs weak, as if the weight of his words had drained every ounce of her strength.
"I need time."
She dropped to the floor, silent tears falling onto her lap.
This wasn't how it was supposed to be.
They had survived so much—his heart condition, her father's disapproval, the accident that stole her memories.
So why… why did it feel like this was the end?
---
Searching for Him
Min-jae didn't return that night.
Or the next.
Or the one after that.
Days passed, and Ha-neul felt like she was drowning.
She called his phone—no answer.
She went to his office—his secretary said he was on leave.
She even checked his penthouse, but the place was dark and empty.
"Where are you, Min-jae?"
Her heart ached with every passing second.
Was he punishing her?
Or was he punishing himself?
---
A Desperate Plea
On the fifth day, she drove to the only place she hadn't checked yet—his mother's memorial site.
And there he was.
Sitting on the cold stone bench, his hands resting on his lap, staring at his mother's gravestone.
Ha-neul hesitated before stepping closer.
"Min-jae…"
He didn't react.
But she could see it—the exhaustion in his posture, the weight of everything pressing down on him.
Slowly, she sat beside him.
For a long time, neither of them spoke.
Then—
"You came," he said, voice rough from disuse.
"Of course I did."
A long silence stretched between them.
Then Min-jae let out a bitter chuckle.
"My whole life, I wanted justice for my mother," he murmured. "And now I realize… I can never get it."
Ha-neul looked down, her fingers gripping the fabric of her dress.
"I don't know what to say," she admitted. "I… I don't expect you to forgive my father. I don't even know if I can forgive him myself."
Min-jae turned to her, surprised.
"But I do know one thing," she continued. "I love you. And I don't want to lose you."
His throat tightened.
"Min-jae…" She reached for his hand, this time holding on tight. "Please don't push me away."
He didn't pull back.
But he didn't squeeze her hand either.
Instead, he whispered, "I'm afraid, Ha-neul."
Her heart clenched. "Of what?"
"Of resenting you."
---
A Love That Hurts
Min-jae exhaled sharply. "Every time I think of your father… I feel like I'm suffocating."
Ha-neul swallowed hard. "Then don't think about him. Think about us. Think about how much we've fought to be together."
Min-jae let out a humorless laugh. "You make it sound so easy."
"It's not," she admitted. "But love isn't supposed to be easy."
She tightened her grip on his hand.
"You said you love me." Her voice shook. "Does that love mean nothing now?"
Min-jae's eyes flickered with emotion.
"Of course it does," he said hoarsely. "It means everything."
"Then fight for us," she whispered.
His gaze held hers for a long moment.
And then—
Min-jae closed his eyes and pulled her into his arms.
He buried his face in her hair, his body trembling.
For the first time in days, he let himself breathe her in, let himself feel the warmth of her presence.
And just like that…
The distance between them wasn't so unbearable anymore.
---