forty five

"i need you to come get me out of my head, and into your arms tonight." -into your arms, witt lowry ft. ava max.

——

it had been a month since they got back together. jihoon had planned a special evening, asking misun to wear something fancy and promising he would take her to dinner.

she spent hours getting ready. her hair curled perfectly, makeup subtle yet enhancing her features, the red dress hugging her in all the right places.

she looked in the mirror, her heart fluttering. excitement mixed with nervous anticipation. after saying goodbye to her parents, she grabbed her bag and stepped out.

arriving at the restaurant early, she waited outside. the evening air was crisp, and her hands were clammy.

minutes passed. fifteen. she checked her phone again.

misun: where are you?misun: you okay?

she hesitated before sending.

she got no reply.

another fifteen minutes crawled by. anxiety gnawed at her chest. why wasn't he answering? had something happened? was he leaving her again?

her stomach twisted. she stepped inside the restaurant, hoping maybe he was already there. she sat at the reserved table, sending another message.

complete silence.

panic began to rise. she stood, pacing near the entrance, rain starting to fall lightly. it grew heavier. her dress clung to her body, chilled to her skin. she hugged herself, teeth chattering. ten more minutes passed.

finally, she could take it no longer.

"i can't... i can't do this again," she whispered to herself. she called a cab and headed home, tears streaming silently. every thought spiraled—he left me before... what if he leaves again?

when she reached home, she paid the driver and walked inside, drenched. her parents weren't home. she sank to the floor, letting herself break, sobs wracking her body.

the doorbell rang. she wiped her tears, thinking it might be her parents or a neighbor. she opened the door and froze.

it was jihoon.

he stood there, rain dripping from his hair and clothes, eyes wide with panic as he took in her tear-streaked face.

"misun..." his voice trembled.

she flinched. "you... you're late." her voice was sharp, trembling with hurt. "you didn't answer. i waited. i thought you... you left me again."

"i... i got stuck," he said quickly, hands raised as if to show he meant no harm. "traffic... my phone died. i swear, i didn't mean to—"

"you never answer! you don't understand! every time i start to think i can trust you... you do this!" she yelled, panic and frustration spilling out. "do you know how it feels to sit there, wondering if you left me again?"

"i... i'm so sorry," he whispered, voice breaking. "baby, please... it wasn't my choice, i swear. i didn't mean to hurt you."

she shook her head, tears flowing. "i... i can't... i can't just... i don't know if i can forgive this, jihoon. how do i know it won't happen again?"

his chest tightened. "because i would never... i will never leave you again. i swear to you, misun, never. i love you too much to ever make you feel this pain again."

her knees gave way and she sank to the floor. panic clawed at her chest. he knelt beside her, gently taking her face in his hands.

"look at me," he whispered. "i'm right here. it's me. i'm not going anywhere. please, baby... don't panic. i'm here."

her sobs were quiet now but relentless. "you... you don't know... you don't know what it's like to wait... to hope... to... to fall apart thinking you're gone."

"i know," he said softly, forehead resting against hers. "i know. i've hurt you, i've made you doubt me... but i promise you, i'm not going anywhere. never again."

she buried her face against his chest, trembling. "i... i can't stop thinking... what if you leave again?"

he pulled her into a tight hug, rocking her gently. "i swear... i'll never leave you again. not now, not ever. baby, listen to me—i'm here, and i'm yours. always."

her tears soaked his shirt, but he didn't let go. "please... please don't doubt me. i can't bear it, seeing you like this."

she trembled, crying into his chest. he kissed her hair, whispered her name repeatedly, holding her as though letting go would break him.

finally, slowly, she began to calm. he helped her up, guiding her to change into something dry and warm. he made her tea, didn't leave her side, holding her through every shiver, every ragged breath.

"thank you," she whispered, voice small.

"for what?"

"for... staying. for not giving up on me."

"never," he said, pressing his lips to her forehead. "never giving up on you. you're mine, always."

in the quiet apartment, the rain falling softly outside, misun realized that for the first time in a long while, she felt safe, truly safe, in his arms.