He couldn't bear to see that anymore ,he left with tears in his eyes and a heart that had broken into million pieces,those moments were appearing before his eyes.
He kept walking on and on as if he was lost somewhere—Indeed ,he was lost ,drowning in the depths of his own heart— those horrifying scenes replayed before his eyes like a curtain drawn across his vision. He could see nothing else. He was that innocent young boy who had once arrived in the city, and at that very university where Ji-a studied, carrying countless beautiful dreams in his heart.
Ten years—yes, ten years ago—the scene now unfolded upon that very curtain: a chubby little girl sitting on a swing and an innocent young boy standing on the grass beside her. The girl was swaying gently as the boy pushed the swing. The only sound that filled the air was their innocent laughter.
"Mi-noo, when we grow up, if I ever get married, it will only be to you," Ji-a said with a sweet smile.
"Mi-noo, promise me that you'll wait for me," she added, raising her tiny little finger toward him.
"Come on, hook your little finger with mine. That will make it a pinky promise, and then we'll have to marry each other," Ji-a said in a playfully commanding tone.
"I will wait for that day with all my heart," Mi-noo replied. Saying this, he hooked his little finger with Ji-a's. Their joyous, carefree laughter echoed through the sky.
.....
Then , another flashback took over his vision:As he finally stepped into the university, his face carried a blend of innocence and restless anticipation. After all, ten long years of waiting had led him to this very moment. He had now reached the age where he could finally be called "an adult," and becoming one had been the very reason behind his patience all these years.
The promise he had made was still tied deep within his heart—just like two intertwined fingers that had once sealed a vow he could never forget.
He couldn't tell whether his footsteps were faster, or his heartbeat. Or perhaps, he simply didn't want to know. In both his heart and mind, there was only one image—an image he refused to let fade, even now.
After walking for a few minutes, he stood at the entrance of his department gate. He took a deep breath, as if gathering the courage he had left inside him somewhere years ago, and stepped in.
His next destination was simple: find her, and return that "image" to its rightful place in reality.
He entered the classroom—but she wasn't there.
Searching every possible corner, he eventually made his way toward the garden.
But the moment he stepped inside, the first sight before him was enough to silence even his senses.
There she was---Ji-a.
Her right hand was wrapped around the arm of a boy walking beside her. There was no distance between their bodies as they strolled together, completely absorbed in each other's presence, unaware that behind them stood a traveler who had crossed an exhausting journey just to find his destination as a silent statue.
The boy said something, and Ji-a laughed. And in that instant, it felt to him as if she was laughing at him.
His heart tried to reason,"he is just a friend."
But then another voice rose,"do friends stand this close?"It was his mind.
And just like that, a war broke out between heart and mind.And in the end, the heart won.
Without another word, he turned away… leaving them behind… and walked back toward his class.
The class was just about to begin when both of them entered the classroom. The teacher had not arrived yet.
Ji-a, who was walking in quietly, glanced toward the back of the room where a thin, frail-looking boy was sitting alone. His brown eyes, thin lips, pointed nose, and the innocence spread across his face reminded her of only one person from her memories.
Mi-noo, who was busy looking outside the window, felt someone's touch on his shoulder and turned toward that side. He could not keep his rapidly rising heartbeat under control.
"Ji-a!" Only this word escaped his lips. He tried a lot to say more, but no further words came out; perhaps the happiness he was feeling was so intense that even his ability to speak was stunned at the sight of her face.
"Mi-noo, what a surprise you gave me. I can't even imagine that I would meet you like this so suddenly," Ji-a said in a playful tone.
He was just about to say something when…
"Ji-a! What are you doing there? Come here."
Following this voice, his gaze fell on the same boy who had been with Ji-a in the garden.
"I'm coming, honey! Mi-noo, I'm leaving, we'll talk later," she said.
Saying this, she ruffled Mi-noo's hair with her hand and went over and sat beside .
.....
Everything had happened so quickly that at first he couldn't even understand what had just happened. But when reality finally sank in, a storm of thoughts began to rise within him. Then again ,a war broke out between his heart and his mind.
"Why is this bothering you so much?" the Heart spoke gently. "This is normal among friends."
"The Mind scoffed. "Normal? She didn't even stay for a few moments to talk to you properly. And 'honey'… who calls a friend 'honey'?"
The Heart fell silent for a moment, then replied softly, "You're overthinking. Not everything has a hidden meaning."
"But what if it does?" the Mind shot back. "What if you mean so little to her that she didn't even pause for you?"
"Don't be foolish," the Heart said firmly now. "You're about to destroy everything over assumptions."
The Mind grew colder. "Or maybe I'm just showing you the truth you don't want to see."
"Minoo, I can already see your woven dreams shattering before my eyes."
"No need to rush, Minoo," his heart tried to console him. "Don't let it be that, in your haste, you dig up the path to your destination with your own hands."
And in the end, once again, the heart again refused to let it go.....
So, my friends, how did you like this unfinished tale? Do share your opinions so that I can understand whether my writing is worthy enough for people to express their thoughts.