Many years have passed. A new spring is about to arrive in Ria's life. She is now seven months pregnant. Her 6-foot-3-inch tall body has become heavy, and she can no longer walk with the same agility as before. A little movement leaves her breathless, and her feet often swell.
Scene: Lee Min Ho's absence and Adis's responsibility
Lee Min Ho has urgently gone to Azerbaijan for business. It will take two more days for him to return. Before leaving, he repeatedly instructed Adis to take care of Ria. Adis is now Ria's best friend and guardian.
In the afternoon, Ria was sitting on the sofa in the drawing room, gently holding her feet with a pained expression on her face. Adis entered from the kitchen with a glass of warm milk.
Adis: "What happened, Ria? Is it hurting again? How many times have I told you not to get up from the sofa? You still think you're that college athlete!"
Ria (smiling faintly): "Adis, my body feels so heavy. Lee isn't here, and my mind feels restless. If he were here, he would be massaging my feet right now."
Adis placed the glass on the table and calmly sat on the floor in front of her. Without hesitation, he put a cushion under her feet.
Adis: "So what if Lee sir isn't here? Your crazy friend is here. He told me, 'Adis, don't let Ria be alone for even a moment.' Now tell me, where does it hurt?"
Ria looked at him in surprise. The once carefree Adis had become so serious and responsible.
Ria: "Adis, you've really changed. Ever since you cried on our wedding day, you suddenly grew up."
Adis smiled—this time without hidden pain, only peaceful sincerity.
Adis: "People change with time, Ria. Maybe I was emotional back then, but now I'm waiting for this little Lee Min Ho (the baby in your belly). I'll be the one to teach him football first!"
Ria laughed. Suddenly, the baby moved inside her womb. She winced slightly in pain, and Adis panicked.
Adis: "Oh God! What happened? Are you okay? Should I call the doctor? Or call Mem Didi? Mem Didi!!!"
Ria grabbed his hand and pulled him back.
Ria: "You fool, stop! The baby just moved a little. Just like Lee—can't stay calm even inside the womb."
Adis sighed in relief and gently placed his hand on her head.
Adis: "Don't worry. Lee sir will be back by tomorrow evening. Until then, your 6-foot bodyguard Adis is right here."
Ria looked outside the window. The sky was unusually clear. She thought to herself how strange life is. Once, she feared losing Adis, and today he is her greatest support.
That night, light rain was falling outside. The drawing room lights were off except for a dim lamp in the corner. Leaning on the sofa, Ria fell into deep sleep.
Seeing her asleep, Adis quietly brought a thin blanket from the cupboard and gently covered her so she wouldn't feel cold. He then sat on a chair nearby, eyes wide awake, watching over his childhood friend. Memories of their school days in the rain filled his mind.
Suddenly, the sound of a car came from the gate. Adis looked through the curtain—Lee Min Ho's white car! He was supposed to arrive tomorrow, but worry for Ria must have brought him home early.
Lee Min Ho entered the house quietly using his key. He saw Ria sleeping on the sofa and Adis guarding her like a sentinel. His wet hair and wrinkled white shirt showed his exhaustion, but seeing Ria erased all his fatigue.
He gently touched Adis's shoulder and whispered, "Thank you, Adis."
Adis smiled and gestured that he would leave. Lee Min Ho carefully lifted Ria into his arms. In his 6-foot-5 embrace, she looked small and safe. Half-asleep, Ria clutched his shirt and murmured, "Lee… you're here?"
Lee kissed her forehead. "Yes, Ria. Sleep peacefully."
Before dawn, Ria woke with severe pain. She clutched Lee's hand tightly.
Ria: "Lee… I can't bear it anymore. I think it's time!"
Lee quickly gathered himself and called Adis. But Adis was already at the door, prepared. The car was ready, and Mem Didi stood at the gate.
Lee carried Ria downstairs while whispering, "Everything will be fine. Our little prince or princess is coming."
At the hospital, as Ria was taken into the labor room, she refused to let go of Lee's hand.
Fifteen minutes later, a baby's cry echoed through the corridor.
"Congratulations! It's a baby boy!" the nurse said.
Lee's eyes filled with tears of joy.
But moments later, the nurse returned holding another baby.
"Sir, you have twins. A baby girl as well!"
Lee stood stunned. One child looked calm like him, and the girl opened her eyes with Ria's lively expression.
Three months later, Ria had recovered well. One afternoon, she sat by the window breastfeeding her daughter while the baby boy slept nearby.
Suddenly, Adis burst into the room with sweets.
Adis: "Ria! I'm getting married!"
Ria was shocked. "To whom?"
Adis showed her a picture. "Remember the designer girl from the dress shop? Sayra. She calls me crazy but wants to spend her life arguing with me."
Lee entered and congratulated him warmly.
Adis grinned: "Sir, I'll go to Azerbaijan for my honeymoon. But I hope my kids don't turn out 6-foot-5 like you!"
Ria and Lee burst into laughter. Looking at her children, Ria realized how beautifully life had arranged everything. Adis found his love, and she found completeness in her family.
After hearing the news of Adis's wedding, Ria felt an inexplicable melancholy wash over her. It wasn't love for Adis, but rather the burning of old memories. Suddenly, thoughts of her ex-boyfriend resurfaced. That man had always mocked Ria's towering height and never shown her respect. Even now, as she stood as the consort of someone like Lee Min Ho, a prince in every sense, the old wound gnawed at her subconscious.
To calm her mind, Ria walked to the seaside alone, saying nothing to anyone.
Scene: Ria alone on the shore
The afternoon was fading into evening. The massive waves of the sea brushed against the sandy shore. The surroundings were completely deserted; there was no one in sight.
Ria wore a pure white, sheer georgette kurta today. The thin fabric clung to her body in the salty breeze. Her 6-foot-3 frame appeared ethereal in the twilight glow.
Ria gazed at the waves and let out a long sigh. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew. Her long, loose hair scattered over her shoulders and across her face. She closed her eyes, trying to feel the cold air on her skin.
At that very moment, Ria sensed someone silently standing behind her. She thought perhaps it was an illusion, a memory, or just the wind. But when she turned her head, she saw—Lee Min Ho.
Lee Min Ho wore a black overcoat. Without a word, he stood right behind her. His 6-foot-5 shadow fell over her.
Lee Min Ho (in a low, serious voice): "The sea breeze is cold, Ria. And here you are, standing alone in this sheer outfit. Whose memory are you lost in?"
Ria startled and looked at him. Lee's eyes were sharp today, as if he could read her innermost thoughts.
Ria: "Lee! How are you here? I didn't tell anyone…"
Lee Min Ho: "When your eyes stop speaking, I can tell your mind is wandering elsewhere. Ria, those who belittled you in the past are nothing but dust beneath your feet today. You are now the queen of my heart. Don't let old memories make you feel worthless."
Lee Min Ho stepped closer, gently tucking Ria's messy hair behind her ear. The warmth of his touch seemed to dissolve all the clouds in her mind.
Lee Min Ho: "Let's go home. The kids must be fussing. And remember, your beauty and your height are my pride—they are not anyone else's concern."
Ria rested her head against Lee's chest. Even louder than the roaring sea, his heartbeat felt like a powerful rhythm to her. She realized the past was merely a shadow, and Lee Min Ho was her present constant.
Ria stood still, staring at the ocean. The turbulent waves seemed to mirror her inner unrest. When Lee Min Ho lifted her chin to look at her, she gently pulled his hand away.
Ria (in a barely audible voice): "Lee… you go. I'll come. I just need some time alone."
Lee Min Ho paused, gazing at Ria. His 6-foot-5 shadow remained firmly planted on the sand. He understood that a storm was raging inside her—one he couldn't calm at this moment, no matter how much he wanted to.
Lee Min Ho: "I won't force you, Ria. But remember—come back before it gets dark. The kids and I will be waiting for you."
With that, Lee Min Ho walked slowly toward the car. Ria was alone again. The salty sea breeze caressed her sheer white kurta, and she let herself stand quietly, feeling both the wind and her emotions.The waves were flapping like wings around Jamata. Her long hair kept falling over her face again and again.
Just then, Ria's phone buzzed with a message tone. Absentmindedly, she reached for it, and her heart skipped a beat. It was a familiar number from many years ago.
Message: "I saw you by the sea. You look just as serene in white as before. Though your height and elegance have changed you, your eyes are still tracing those old memories, aren't they, Ria?"
Ria looked around. There was no one—just a black car parked in the distance. A shiver ran through her body. Could it be her ex-boyfriend? The same one who had mocked her height years ago and then left her?
Ria didn't know whether she was scared or stirred with defiance. She was alone on this deserted beach, and someone was watching her from afar. Just then, she sensed footsteps behind her.
Ria: "Who? Who's there?"
No answer came from behind, only the sound of wind and the roaring waves. Ria tried to run toward the car, but her feet felt trapped in the sand.
As she looked at the dark sea with fear in her eyes, a pair of arms suddenly wrapped tightly around her. Ria initially flinched, but then the very familiar scent and warmth calmed her.
It was no one else—Adis.
Adis pulled Ria closer to him. Against Ria's 6-foot-3 frame, Adis was no less tall. He rested his chin on her shoulder and lightly pressed a long kiss to the side of her neck. The touch instantly transformed all of Ria's fear into an unfamiliar rush of emotion.
Adis (whispering near her ear): "Telling Lee Sir to leave, and standing here alone… did you really think I'd leave you alone in this darkness?"
Tears welled up in the corner of Ria's eyes. She could no longer hold herself. Placing her hands on Adis's, she sobbed. This crying had no specific cause—it was perhaps the release of old memories, perhaps the peace of finding ultimate refuge.
Ria: "Adis… why did you come? I've caused you so much pain. You've arranged your marriage, so why are you here with me?"
Adis turned Ria toward him. Her wet hair fell across her face. He gently wiped away the tears from her eyes.
Adis: "No matter how many years pass, Ria, you are still my cherry friend. When I see a drop of water in your eyes, my heart still aches on the left side. Saira may be my future, but you are my past and present—for whom I can dedicate my life with a smile."
Ria rested her head on Adis's chest. The roaring sea seemed rhythmic now. She understood that Lee Min Ho could be her honor and elegance, but Adis was the root of her life—the one who loved her wholly, even in fragments.
Her tears soaked Adis's white shirt collar. He held her even tighter, looking out at the sea. There was no fear left; no message or memory from the past could touch her now. Beside her stood a selfless friend as tall as a mountain.
The sea breeze picked up, clinging her sheer white kurta to Adis. He pressed his forehead to hers. His breath brushed her face. The boy who once hid behind jokes and pranks now looked at her with a completely changed gaze.
Scene: Adis's secret confession
Adis (in a heavy voice): "Ria, you know… everyone says I'm lucky to have a friend like you. Even Lee Min Ho Sir thinks I'm selfless. But actually, I'm a thief, Ria."
Ria looked at his eyes in surprise. Tears glimmered in Adis's eyes.
Adis: "On your wedding night, when I stood in hiding and cried, everyone thought I was weeping for your departure. But the truth is, I was burying a dead part of myself. When you went to Azerbaijan with Lee Sir, I used to sit under that cherry tree every day. I couldn't tell you that when the world laughed at your 6-foot-3 frame, I silently thanked God—so no one else would love you and you'd remain mine alone."
Ria listened, breathless. Adis gripped her hands tighter.
Adis: "I am marrying Saira, yes, but my pull toward you is no ordinary love, Ria. It's an addiction. When you became a mother, I cried for the first time holding the kids, thinking—if only I were their father! I have always secretly dreamed of making you mine, even as a shadow. Standing here by the sea, I confess—Saira will be my responsibility, but my soul will always rest under your towering shadow."
Ria suddenly placed her hand on Adis's lips. Her own eyes streamed endlessly.
Ria: "Don't say more, Adis… don't. I knew. Every joke, every glance of yours always said this. But I was trapped by circumstances."
Adis smiled faintly, though it carried much sorrow. He buried his face in her neck again, whispering with deep emotion—
"Just for today, give me the right to do this, so I can live with this memory before I go to Saira."
After Adis's confession, Ria could no longer hold herself. Her inner barriers broke, and she clutched his chest, crying uncontrollably. Her sobs blended with the roar of the waves.
Scene: Ria's emotional outpouring
Ria hid her face in Adis's chest, trembling. She didn't know if these tears were for Adis's love or for the unfulfilled feelings of her own heart.
Ria (tearful voice): "Why did you tell me, Adis? Why reveal this truth after so many years? I wanted peace. You've shattered all my courage! Why did you keep so much pain inside you?"
Adis held her tighter. His own tears fell. Her sheer white kurta was soaked and heavy with their tears.
Ria: "Lee respects me, loves me. But you… you love me with my very being. Before going to Saira, you've thrown me into immense guilt, Adis. When I look in the mirror, I see more of your pain than my own!"
The more Ria cried, the tighter Adis embraced her. He pressed his lips to her forehead.
Adis: "Don't cry, Ria… I swear. I never wanted to hurt you. I just wanted, tonight, with the sea as witness, to repay the debt of my long sighs. Tomorrow, I'll return to being the old Adis who makes you laugh and plays with your kids. Let today's tears blend into the sea."
At that moment, Lee Min Ho stepped out of the car and walked across the sand toward them. The headlights cast their two long shadows dramatically.
When Lee Min Ho came to a few steps away, Ria lifted her face from Adis's chest. Her eyes were red and swollen, kajal smeared across her cheeks.
Lee Min Ho stood still, witnessing the scene. He saw his wife with her face on the chest of his dear friend, crying—but he felt no anger. He realized, even beyond Azerbaijani elegance, some stories of friendship remain unspoken yet profound.
Lee Min Ho gently placed his hand on Ria's shoulder. Adis slowly loosened his embrace.
Lee Min Ho (in a calm voice): "You've cried enough, Ria. Let's go home. Adis, please come too. It's late."
Ria looked at Lee. There was no hatred in his eyes—only deep compassion and respect. She understood that even without knowing everything, Lee Min Ho could feel much of what was happening.