Chapter 41 - My Dear Hana (1)

[He always felt alone]

"Isn't she cute?" His mother smiles at him. The baby in the cradle squeals happily at him. She waggles her chubby arms. Her eyes are the warmest shade of brown.

When he reaches for her hand that has been trying to reach him, she catches it.

"She likes you." His mother coo to him. "Her name is Hana."

[Until he met her.]

Hana. That name latches on his heart like thorny vines. She hasn't let go of his finger. His mother goes back to Hana's mother and other women, laughing and talking about their daily lives. Hana's father is reading his case file, not paying attention to the women's prattles. It's Hana's 100th-day celebration. Only a few relatives and some close friends of Hana's mother are called.

"She is the exact copy of her father." He hears her mother say and laugh. "She is going to be smart. I just have a feeling."

"You think?" Hana's mother asks with excitement.

"It's that look in her eyes. I can tell it," His mother replies.

[Indeed. She confined him with that look in her eyes.]

He stares at Hana. She smiles at him. He pokes her chubby cheeks. She grabs his hand with her both hands firmly, not letting go. A faint smile appears on his lips.

He whispers to her, "If you don't let me go, I won't let you go until your last breath."

Her grasp becomes firmer.

[It was she who chose him.]

The compelling urge becomes stronger inside him. A strong urge to take her sparkling life in his hands. This is the first time he feels like this.

[That was when he knew that he wasn't like other people.]

"I accept your decision." He smiles widely and leans down. He plants a kiss between her brows. "My dear Hana."