Day 3
Camellia Hill welcomed them with a silence that felt alive.
Not the hollow kind, but a breathing stillness. Wind slipped through neatly trimmed paths, camellia bushes standing tall with glossy leaves and deep red blooms, their petals unhurried, unafraid. Somewhere beyond the hedges, birds murmured softly, as if exchanging secrets meant only for the flowers.
Hauen slowed her steps without realizing it.
"Whoa... This place feels… gentle," she whispered, instinctively lowering her voice, as though anything louder might disturb something sacred.
Suho watched her with a quiet smile. "Camellia Hill does that," he said. "It makes people softer. Quieter. More honest."
She stopped near a bloom, fingers hovering for a second before lightly brushing a petal. "Do you know what camellia means?"
He nodded. "It means I love only you."
She turned toward him, surprised. "You knew?"
He smiled and nodded again.
"Did you come here before?" she asked casually, unaware of how carefully the question landed.
His gaze drifted for a second, memories stirring like dust in sunlight. He nodded. "Yes. Once… with Yerin," he said honestly.
Hauen smiled, no bitterness, no pause. Just acceptance. And for some reason, that hurt him more. He immediately reached for her hand, holding it firmly. She looked up at him, sensing something shift.
"I told Yerin back then that I loved only her when we were here," he said quietly. "And I was honest then." His eyes flickered with something rare, something raw. "But today… I'm saying it to you, Hauena."
He stepped closer to her, "I only love you, Hauena. Forever." His voice didn't tremble, but his eyes did. "And I'm honest here."
She smiled, soft and unguarded, lifting her hand to gently cup his cheek.
"I know, Suho," she said calmly. "You don't have to prove yourself."
Her words were simple. Her trust is absolute.
And that was when his chest tightened.
Because she trusted him without doubt. Because her love didn't demand reassurance. Because she stood there among flowers that meant only you, unaware that forever was the very thing he was terrified of breaking.
He looked at her for a long moment before a slow smile found its way to his lips.
They walked on, gravel crunching softly beneath their shoes. The path opened into a wider clearing where camellias bloomed freely. Red, pink, white. Each flower is steady, unhurried, as if time had learned patience here.
Hauen breathed out slowly.
"You know… when I was younger, I thought love had to be loud," she said thoughtfully. "Grand gestures. Drama. Even pain." She let out a small laugh. "Like in movies."
Suho listened without interrupting, hands tucked into his pockets, his attention fully on her.
"But being with you," she continued, her voice softer now, "it feels different. Like this place." She glanced around once. "Calm. Gentle. Safe. I don't feel like I have to prove myself… or fight to be loved."
He stopped walking. She turned to him, a little surprised.
"That's why I like being with you," she said quietly. "I can just exist. Be myself. Just… a normal human." A playful smile tugged at her lips. "And you still love me like I'm some angel dropped from heaven."
She chuckled, then grew still, her eyes warm as they searched his.
"You're an amazing partner, Suho. Truly." Her voice carried no exaggeration, only certainty. "Someone has to be really lucky… or pray hard… to have a person like you."
She hesitated for a fraction of a second before adding gently, "Sometimes I wonder how foolish Yerin was to walk away like that, breaking your heart in seconds."
Something shifted in his eyes.
She went on, her voice calm yet certain."I told her back then that one day she'd regret what she lost," she said, looking at him. "And now she does."
His heart began to race.
"And I'm the lucky one," she continued with a bright, unguarded smile, "because God gave me the chance to have you. As my partner. My husband. My lover. Someone who loves me without conditions."
She slipped her hand around his arm, pulling him closer as they walked side by side.
"You know what, Teddy?" she giggled softly. "You've made some moments in my life truly iconic."
He looked at her, his eyes fixed on her face, on the joy she carried so effortlessly, on the future she was already living inside her heart.
She laughed again when she noticed his expression.
"I'll never forget them," she said. "And I'll tell them to our next generation. Our kids. Our grandkids." Her eyes sparkled as she spoke. "If I'm still alive, even our great-grandkids, too."
Her voice flowed freely now, filled with pride and wonder.
"I'll tell them how my teddy bear ran after me on the highway just to propose, how you waited for me for months when I was taken away from you, how you searched for me even when the whole world stood against you, how you longed for me, how you ran through cold, dark streets in New York just to reach me. How you cried for me."
Her voice softened, but only grew more sincere.
"Every little thing you did just to keep me, to make me happy, to make me feel loved. Safe. Seen. Chosen."
She smiled, radiant. "I'll tell them everything."
His heart clenched hard.
The innocence in her voice. The certainty in her dreams. Not a single hint of the storm waiting ahead. Not even a shadow of the separation looming over them.
His breath hitched. Color drained from his face. His stomach dropped, a suffocating pressure wrapping around his chest. Guilt pressed in, sharp and merciless.
She kept talking, weaving a future where he was everywhere.
And his mind went frighteningly blank.
Anxiety roared, thoughts colliding, his heartbeat pounding too loud in his ears as the camellias stood silently around them, blooming… unaware that forever was already slipping through his fingers.
"Hauena…" he whispered suddenly.
She stopped and turned, brows knitting in concern. "What happened, Suho?"
He swallowed hard, Adam's apple bobbing as he forced the words out. "Stay here. I'll be back."
Her confusion deepened. "What happened?"
"I… need to use the washroom," he said quickly, already stepping away. "I'll be back."
He didn't wait for another question.
The moment his back turned, the dam broke.
Tears slipped free, fast and uncontrollable, blurring his vision as he walked straight ahead, refusing to turn, refusing to let her see him like this. His steps were steady, but his chest felt like it was tearing itself apart.
No. I can't.
I can't break her heart.
His thoughts thundered inside him, louder than the birds, louder than the wind brushing the camellias.
I really can't.
She didn't deserve this. Not her. Not someone who loved him so openly, trusted him so completely. The thought of her hurt, of her faith in him shattering, made his chest ache in a way that felt almost unbearable.
How can I do this to her?
How can I break her trust?
No. He shook his head slightly as he walked, tears slipping down unchecked.
I won't.
No matter what… I won't hurt her.
His breathing grew uneven, anxiety clawing at him, but beneath it, something else stirred. His heart spoke, firm and unwavering.
Don't be weak, Suho.
You're strong. Remember?
Strength, Courage. He had learned it from her. He could face anything when she was beside him.
Don't let her go. For a moment, his heart and mind aligned, rare and unmistakable, guiding him with sudden clarity.
He reached the washroom, stepped inside, and closed the door behind him.
Silence.
He stood in front of the mirror, gripping the edge of the sink, staring at his reflection. Red eyes. Shallow breaths. A man standing at the edge of a life-altering choice.
And for the first time in days, he knew.
He knew what he wanted. He knew what he had to do. He knew the decision he had to make.
He turned on the tap, cold water rushing loud and steady. He bent down and washed his face again and again, letting the water carry away the tears, the tightness, the storm that had been clawing at him. With every splash, the heaviness loosened. The confusion softened.
When he finally looked up, the reflection staring back at him felt different.
Calmer. Clearer. At peace.
A slow smile spread across his lips. Not forced. Just brave. A real one. His chest felt light, his heart steady, almost warm with certainty. He wiped his face, smoothed his hair into place, took one last grounding breath, and stepped out.
She was sitting nearby, waiting. Worry was written plainly on her face.
The moment she saw him, he walked straight to her, his smile wide, genuine, unmistakably him.
"I'm sorry, Jagi," he said softly. "I really had to use the washroom."
She studied him for a second, still concerned, then reached out and held his arm. "You scared me," she said quietly. "The way you walked away so suddenly…"
He chuckled, sheepishly. "I'm sorry."
Then his eyes lit up, playful now, mischief, warmth in their place. "By the way… You were talking about our grandkids, right?"
She blinked, then chuckled. "Yaa!"
And just like that, the tension dissolved.
She slipped her arm through his, and as they walked along the path again, she continued talking. About the future. About dreams. About ridiculous plans and soft hopes. About a life filled with moments, not battles.
He listened, smiling, nodding, occasionally teasing her, his heart settled in a quiet certainty.
For that moment, the world belonged only to them. Peaceful. Happy. And beautifully, unmistakably alive.