NOVEL WEB Chapter 175: Forgive me
Reaching the vending machine, Brandon gazed at the familiar figure standing in front of him, the vending machine's light reflecting her purple hair.
His gaze squinted slightly, looking at her back, her baggy jacket, and her jeans.
Hearing footsteps behind her, the woman turned with an apologetic smile "Just a sec, I will-"
But her words died in her throat as she looked at the handsome youngman standing in front of her.
Yverine looked at her and muttered "It's fine, take your time. We are not in a rush."
However, she was confused to see the woman standing there as if she had just seen a ghost.
She then glanced at Brandon and saw that he is also standing like that.
'What... is happening? Are they shocked to see each other? Love at first sight? Huh?'
Brandon's eyes trembled in disbelief "...Yeon?"
Yeon took a step back in utter horror and her heartbeat quickened to see him after so long.
Her lips quivered as her mind struggled to comprehend what is happening "Kael.."
Hearing his name from her lips, Yveriene raised an eyebrow 'They know each other?'
Yeon panicked "W-What? What are you... When... huh."
Brandon quickly snapped out of his surprise and glanced away, closing his eyes for a moment.
Regaining his composure, he looked at the woman "I didn't think I would ever see you again."
An awkward silence hung between them.
He glanced at her face and she looked as beautiful as the day he first saw her.
His memories with her came rushing back to him: her kisses, her cuddles and late-night sex.
Their 8-month relationship.
Yeon let out a trembling breath and glimpsed at Yveriene standing beside him.
She looked down and muttered "Y-Yeah, been a while there."
Yverine looked at both of them in mild confusion 'Old friends? Ex-girlfriend? Which?'
With a soft nod, he asked "How are you doing?"
Hearing him speaking in korean, she replied "I am doing great... in Japan. A surprise to run into you here."
-_- Yverine stared at them flatly as she didn't understand what they are talking about.
Brandon looked at her and didn't know what to talk about, but he noticed the softness and longing in her eyes.
He glanced away in irritation as she looked at him with such softness in her eyes 'Don't look at me like that. You are the one who ditched me...'
Looking at the vending machine, he spoke "Did you get your drink?"
Huh? She snapped out of her trance and hurriedly nodded "Y-Yeah, I am getting it now."
Yeon turned back toward the vending machine, staring blankly at the rows of brightly lit drinks.
Her trembling hand reached out and pressed a button.
A bottle of iced tea dropped into the tray.
She crouched and picked it up, clutching it tightly in her hand as she turned to look at Brandon.
"Take care, Kael."
With that, she slowly walked away from there, leaving them alone.
As she left, Brandon let out a deep breath and took a step to the vending machine.
Yverine looked at him and asked in a soft voice "Someone you know?"
Clicking the button in the vending machine, he nodded his head "My ex girlfriend."
Her gaze condensed subtly "I see, what a small world for you to run into her here."
A tinny clunk echoed as the can of coffee dropped into the retrieval compartment.
Brandon bent down to pick it up and then straightened before cracking the can open.
He took a long sip to steady his nerves as he stared out at the quiet sidewalk beyond the vending machine, where Yeon had disappeared into the night.
A breeze passed through again, rustling the leaves above them.
Brandon leaned against the vending machine now, holding the can between his hands.
Yverine looked at him for a moment and asked again "You still have feelings for her?"
He glanced at her and his eyebrow knitted faintly, then turned back to the sidewalk. "I don't know."
"But now… seeing her again, it's like reading a book you loved as a kid and realizing you don't remember the story as clearly as you thought. Just the feelings it gave you."
Yverine blinked slowly, taking in his words "I see..."
She took a slow breath and walked past him toward the vending machine, retrieving a bottle of green tea for herself.
She cracked it open with a faint hiss and took a sip, standing beside him now.
"Do you still love her?"
Upon hearing this, he paused for a moment and then he shook his head "No..."
---
The streets were quiet, painted in silver by the moonlight and the pale glow of scattered streetlamps.
The rain had stopped, but the pavement still glistened beneath her feet as Yeon walked slowly.
She held her phone tightly in one hand, the other hand pressed over her chest as if trying to keep her heart from breaking apart all over again.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as they blurred her vision.
"Forgive me, Kael…" she whispered to the empty street, lost in the quiet air.
"But I'm scared. I can't be with you."
She stumbled a little and caught herself on the side of a mailbox.
"I-I love you so much… but…" Her voice cracked, and the words trailed into a sob.
She looked up at the sky, where stars peeked through slowly clearing clouds.
"Forgive me…"
Yeon stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and leaned against a lamppost.
She pulled out her phone and opened the home screen to look at Brandon's face.
Her fingers trembled as she tapped the power button to darken the screen.
She wiped her face with the sleeve of her jacket, taking a long, shaky breath as she tried to steady herself.
"Seems like he has already moved on from me…" she whispered with a bitter smile. "Good for him."
Her lips quivered and the smile didn't last long.
Her apartment building was only a few more blocks away.
The cold began to settle in, but she barely felt it.
She turned the corner and reached the door of her apartment complex.
Entering in, she stood in the dark, staring at her shoes before finally slipping them off.
She made her way to the window and pulled open the curtain.
Her hands rested on the sill as she stared at the city glowing under the starlit sky.
"I'm happy for you, Kael," she murmured, tears slipping once again down her face. "Even if it's not with me."