Chapter 39: Yoon Sera

I realized it that night.

As his lips pressed against mine, as his warmth surrounded me in the cold London air, as my heart pounded so fast I could barely breathe—I knew.

I loved him.

I had always loved him.

And despite the years, despite my mistakes, despite everything I had done to push him away—he still loved me too.

For Eight years, I convinced myself that leaving was the right choice. That he would be better off without me. But standing there in his arms, feeling the way he held me like I was something precious, like I was his—

I regretted it all.

I regretted every moment I had spent away from him.

—

A few days later, we returned to South Korea.

Hand in hand, side by side.

Taesan held my hand tightly, his grip firm, as if he would never let go again. In his other hand, he effortlessly pulled both of our luggage bags.

The airport was chaotic. Cameras flashed, reporters whispered, and a sea of curious eyes followed us.

On the news, on television screens, on online articles—our names were everywhere.

"RyuYoon Couple is Back!"

A whirlwind of attention surrounded us. But even in the midst of it, I felt nothing but warmth.

Because in the crowd, in the noise, in the flashing lights—

We were still in our own world.

He glanced at me, squeezing my hand slightly.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly, his voice just for me.

I looked at him—the man who had never stopped loving me, who had given me a second chance despite everything.

I smiled. "I'm happy."

His eyes softened. "Good."

Because this time—I wasn't going to run.

This time, I would stay.

Because I was so lucky to have him.

And I wasn't going to waste another second without him.

The office was quiet, most employees already gone for the day. I had just finished organizing some files when I felt a familiar presence beside me.

I looked up to see him.

Ryu Taesan leaned against my desk, arms crossed, his sharp eyes studying me with an unreadable expression. There was something different about his gaze tonight—something softer, but also heavy, like he was carrying something he couldn't put into words.

"Come with me," he said.

I blinked. "Where?"

He didn't answer.

He just stood there, waiting.

I could have asked again. Could have refused, or demanded an explanation.

But I didn't need one.

Because this was him.

And so, without another word, I nodded, grabbed my coat, and followed.

—

The drive was quiet.

Taesan kept his eyes on the road, his hands steady on the steering wheel, but I could feel it—the tension in the air, the unspoken words pressing between us.

I didn't ask where we were going.

Something told me he would tell me when he was ready.

After a while, the streets became less familiar. We left behind the tall buildings, the neon lights, the crowded roads of the city. Instead, the surroundings grew quieter, more open.

And then—

We stopped.

I stepped out of the car and felt the cold night air brush against my skin. The scent of rain lingered from earlier, and the distant sound of water flowing reached my ears.

I turned, and my breath caught.

A bridge.

A familiar one.

But why here?

I turned to Taesan, confusion creeping into my voice. "A bridge?"

His gaze met mine, and for the first time in a long while, I saw something raw there. Something aching.

He exhaled slowly.

"This is the place where I first saw you," he said.

I felt my heart skip a beat.

"The first place where I didn't let you go," he continued, voice quieter now. "The place where I told you not to disappear."

My chest tightened painfully.

A cold realization slithered through me as I turned back to the bridge, my eyes scanning its familiar structure.

And then—

It hit me.

A memory. A night. A pain so deep I had buried it for years.

The sound of rushing water. The feeling of standing on the edge. The overwhelming weight of wanting to give up.

My vision blurred.

I turned to him, my voice barely above a whisper. "Wait… what?"

He said nothing.

I swallowed, my breath hitching. "You were the one who saved me that day? When… when I was about to—"

I couldn't finish the sentence.

I didn't need to.

Because the way his hands clenched into fists, the way his jaw tightened, the way his chest rose and fell unevenly—

It was true.

My knees nearly gave out.

Taesan.

He had been there.

All this time, I thought I had met him later, that our story had started somewhere else. That we had fallen in love in university, slowly and naturally.

But I had been wrong.

He had seen me first.

Before everything.

Before I had even known his name—he had already been saving me.

I felt my vision blur with tears. My throat burned.

"Why… why didn't you tell me?" My voice trembled.

His lips parted slightly, but no words came out at first.

Then, finally—his voice broke the silence.

"I didn't want you to remember that pain."

I let out a sharp gasp, my hands flying to my mouth.

The weight of his words crushed me.

"You carried this alone," I whispered, realization washing over me like ice.

He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly. "It wasn't something I could ever forget."

I felt my heart clench. "You—" My voice wavered. "You didn't just meet me that night. You saved me. And you never told me."

His breath trembled. His eyes glistened, but he didn't let a single tear fall.

I took a shaky step forward. "Why?"

Taesan let out a slow breath, his fingers tightening at his sides. "Because I never wanted you to feel like you owed me anything."

I choked on a sob.

He had kept this secret—not because he wanted gratitude, not because he wanted recognition—

But because he loved me.

Even before I knew it.

Even when I had left him.

Even when I had broken his heart.

"You idiot," I whispered, my voice cracking. "You stupid idiot."

And then—

I launched myself at him.

My arms wrapped around his waist, my body colliding into his chest as I held onto him with everything I had.

He froze.

For a second, he didn't move, as if he couldn't believe I was touching him like this.

Then—

His arms crushed around me.

A choked sound left his lips as he buried his face into my shoulder, his body trembling just slightly.

I closed my eyes, gripping the fabric of his coat, holding onto him like I could somehow take away all the pain he had carried alone for so long.

"You never let me go," I whispered, my voice breaking.

His breath hitched.

I pulled back just enough to see his face. His eyes were red, but he still didn't cry.

Neither did I.

Because in that moment, I realized—

He had been saving my life since the moment we met.

And I was never going to leave him again.

—

After a long silence, I finally spoke.

"You never answered my question."

He raised an eyebrow. "Which one?"

I swallowed, looking up at him. "That night… on this bridge… why did you save me?"

He exhaled slowly, his gaze locking onto mine. "Because I couldn't let you go."

My chest ached. "You didn't even know me."

His fingers brushed against my cheek, gentle, reverent. "I didn't need to."

I stared at him, my heart pounding in my ears.

Then, before I could stop myself, I whispered, "I love you."

Taesan's breath caught.

I felt his fingers tremble slightly against my skin.

And then, his lips crashed against mine.

It wasn't desperate or rushed—it was deep, slow, filled with years of pain, of longing, of love that had never once faded.

I clutched onto him, feeling the warmth of his body, the way he pulled me closer, as if he could never get enough.

When we finally pulled apart, he pressed his forehead against mine, his breath shaky.

"I hate it," he murmured.

I frowned slightly. "Hate what?"

He smiled softly, his thumb tracing my lips.

"I hate that I love you this much."

I let out a breathless laugh, my hands tightening around his coat. "Then don't stop."

He smirked. "I never could."

And then, in the middle of that bridge, with no one else in sight, under the quiet glow of streetlights—

We kissed again.

And this time, I knew.

I finally knew.

I was never going to disappear from his life again.

The cold breeze wrapped around us, but I didn't feel it.

Not when Taesan was holding me.

Not when our breaths mingled in the quiet night, our hearts pounding in sync.

I had spent Eight years running, convincing myself that leaving was the right thing to do.

But I was wrong.

Because this was where I belonged.

With him.

I pulled away slightly, looking up at him, my fingers still gripping his coat. His gaze softened, his lips curving into a small, almost shy smile.

I had never seen Ryu Taesan look shy.

But then—

He suddenly took a deep breath, his fingers slipping away from my waist.

And before I could process what was happening—

He stepped back.

And got down on one knee.

My breath caught.

My entire body froze.

The world stopped spinning.

Taesan looked up at me, the soft glow of the streetlights casting a golden hue over his sharp features. His eyes—those damn eyes that I had loved for so long—were glistening with something raw. Something vulnerable.

Something real.

"Sera," he breathed.

I couldn't move.

I couldn't speak.

He let out a small chuckle, shaking his head as if he couldn't believe what he was doing.

"From the moment I met you… no, even before that, from the moment I saved you—" his voice trembled slightly, but he didn't waver, "—I knew you were meant to be in my life."

I felt my vision blur, tears forming in my eyes.

"You left, and I thought I lost you forever," he continued. "But even then, I couldn't stop loving you. I never stopped."

I covered my mouth with my hands, my heart hammering against my ribs.

He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small, velvet box.

I let out a sharp gasp.

He opened it slowly, revealing a stunning diamond ring—simple, elegant, perfect.

Taesan looked straight into my eyes, and his next words broke me.

"I don't want to spend another second without you, Sera."

A tear slipped down my cheek.

"Marry me."

I let out a shaky breath, my whole body trembling. "Taesan…"

His fingers tightened around the box, as if he was bracing himself for rejection. But his eyes never left mine.

He was afraid.

Afraid I would run again.

Afraid I would leave him again.

I dropped to my knees in front of him, grabbing his face between my hands.

His eyes widened in surprise.

I sniffled, tears streaming freely now. "You idiot," I whispered, pressing my forehead against his. "Of course, I'll marry you."

A sharp breath left him, his body relaxing instantly, like he had been holding it in for years.

Then—

A wide, genuine smile broke across his face.

The next thing I knew, his arms wrapped tightly around me, pulling me into his chest. I let out a choked laugh, hugging him just as fiercely, feeling the way his heartbeat raced against mine.

"You said yes," he murmured into my hair, his voice filled with disbelief, relief, happiness.

I laughed softly, pulling back just enough to cup his face. "I said yes."

And then—

I kissed him.

Not out of hesitation.

Not out of longing.

But out of love.

Because I wasn't running anymore.

I was home.