Kael's POV
Five days later, the car came at 5AM.
The kind of hour that belonged to airports and hard things.
She was already awake when I called. I hadn't asked if she would be. I had just known.
"I'm outside," I said.
A pause. "I can see the car from my window," she said.
"Come down."
Another pause. "Kael it's 5AM—"
"Sunshine."
She came down.
Hair loose. Oversized sweater. The version of her that existed before the professional one assembled itself each morning. She crossed the street and stopped in front of me and looked up.
"You didn't have to do this," she said.
"I wanted to see you before I left."
She nodded slowly. The street was empty. Seoul was still dark.
"One year," she said.
"One year," I agreed.
"Every day."
"Every day."
She looked at me for a long moment.
Then she stepped forward and held on. Tight and real. Both arms around me and her face against my chest.
I held her back. Pressed my lips to the top of her head.
"Fill out the form," I said quietly.
She laughed against my chest. Small. A little unsteady.
Then she pulled back and looked up at me.
And I kissed her properly.
The way a person kissed someone, they were leaving and didn't want to leave. Not dramatic. Not performed.
Just real. Just true. Just mine.
She kissed me back and her hands held my jacket and the Seoul street was dark and none of it mattered.
When we pulled apart she exhaled slowly.
"Go catch your flight," she said softly.
I looked at her one more time.
Then I got in the car.
She stood on the pavement and watched it pull away and I looked at her through the rear window until the distance made it impossible.
Then I faced forward.
And went.
---
Sunshine's POV
I stood on the pavement longer than I needed to.
The tail lights disappeared around the corner and then there was just the street and the dark and the particular silence of a city that hadn't fully woken up yet.
I pressed my fingers to my lips for a moment.
Then I went back upstairs.
Made tea.
Sat at my desk by the window.
Opened my bag.
Took out the form.
Smoothed it flat on the desk in front of me.
Read every line properly this time.
Then I picked up a pen.
And started filling it.
At 6:30 I was already preparing to go to work, when I walked into Kdx it felt like I have lost something.
oh my God I miss him already.
Director Han called me into her office at 10AM.
I sat across from her with my notebook ready because with Director Han you were always ready.
She looked at me over her glasses for a moment.
"Kael is gone for one year," she said.
"Yes."
"Which means your primary responsibilities shift to tour coordination support and administrative oversight." She paused. "Which does not require you to be in this office at 7AM every morning."
I looked at her.
"I'm giving you a modified schedule," she said. "Remote three days a week. Two days here. Any tour emergencies come to you directly." She folded her hands. "The rest of your time is yours. The full year."
"Director Han..."
"I'm told you have an application to submit," she said.
I stared at her.
The corner of her mouth moved.
"He told you," I said.
"He asked me to make sure you had the time," she said simply. "So I am making sure you have the time."
She picked up her pen. Then she paused. Set it back down. Looked at me directly.
"You have been an exceptional assistant," she said. "You will make an equally exceptional lawyer."
I stood in her doorway for a moment that lasted longer than a moment.
Then I said, "Thank you, Director."
And walked out.
Into the quiet of a KDX that was still full and busy and running perfectly.
Just missing one person.
Just missing him.
---
I sat at my desk.
Opened my laptop.
Pulled up the university portal.
Uploaded the form I had finished filling out at 6AM that morning.
Took a breath.
Hit submit.
My phone buzzed.
Kael: Landed safely. Tokyo is cold. I already miss you.
I read it twice.
Then I typed back.
Me: I submitted the form.
Three seconds.
Kael: I knew you would.
I put the phone down.
Looked at the submission confirmation on my screen.
Outside the window Seoul moved on the way it always did.
But something had shifted quietly inside my chest.
Something that was entirely mine.
Something that had nothing to do with schedules or tour dates or anyone else's life.
Just mine.
Just beginning.
---
He called that night.
Not a text. A call. Video.
His face filled my screen and he looked tired in the good way — the way that came from arriving somewhere new and still being a little overwhelmed by it.
Tokyo spread out behind him through a hotel window. All lights and distance.
"You look good," he said.
"You look exhausted," I said.
"I just flew for eleven hours."
"And yet you called."
He almost smiled. "I said every day. I meant every day."
I pulled my knees to my chest and settled into the corner of my couch.
"How was the flight?"
"Long. How was Director Han?"
"Terrifying as always. She told me I'll make a great lawyer."
Something moved across his face. Warm and quiet.
"I know you will," he said simply.
I looked at him on my screen. This man eleven hours away in a Tokyo hotel room calling me at midnight his time because he said he would.
"Kael."
"Hm."
"Thank you. For the form. For all of it."
He was quiet for a moment.
"You already thanked me."
"I know. I'm thanking you again."
He looked at me through the screen for a long moment.
"Stop thanking me and go study," he said.
I laughed.
"I just submitted the application. Classes haven't even started."
"Then go sleep. You were up at 6AM filling out forms."
"How do you know what time I was up?"
"Because I know you."
I pressed my lips together. Looked away from the screen for a moment to compose myself.
When I looked back he was still watching me. Patient and steady the way he always was when it was just us.
"Goodnight Kael," I said softly.
"Goodnight Sunshine."
A pause. Neither of us ended the call.
"I miss you already," I said.
"I know," he said. "Me too."
I ended the call.
Sat in the quiet of my apartment.
Smiled at my screen for a moment longer than necessary.
Then I went to bed.
And slept better than I had in weeks.
**END OF CHAPTER 29**