In the dark, moonless night, following the tiny light coming from the table lamp that could only make the darkness even deeper, Lee Hwang with a deep breath continued speaking while stroking the hair of his 6 years old pliant daughter.

"Are you asleep, Twinkle?"

"No, Papa. I can't sleep." the cadaverous girl replied with a barely heard voice. "When will Mamma come, Papa?"

He sighed deeply yet in a wary way. How was he supposed to tell his 6 years old little daughter that her mother has left them forever?

The way he felt after seeing the lifeless, pale body of his life partner, how can he tell that to her? How the bloody body felt against his skin giving shivers all over his body, the deep brown eyes in which he could lose his everything, were shut forever, the warmest body that she had, how it felt iced-frozen... no, he could never explain those dreadful feelings to anyone.

Despite everything he had been faced, he still couldn't cry properly, he had to hold himself as if he chained himself, he had to be strong for staying beside her daughter. And so he is doing now.

Lee Hwang carefully controlled the teardrops that were trying to roll down from his eyes. He. can. not. cry.

Leaning more towards the bed Lee Hwang kissed the fiery forehead of her feverish daughter, "Very soon." He tried to smile, "But, for that, you have to recover first, twinkle. When your Mamma comes back, you have to be healthy to play with her. So, let's sleep for now. So that you can be healthy in no time. Understand?"

"Hmm" She nodded under the blanket.

"I am here beside you, so don't be afraid. I'll never leave your side." he stroked her wavy hair with his left hand, "So try to get some sleep now."

Seeing his little twinkle close her glamorous eyes, Lee Hwang leaned her back in the armchair, eyes set on his child.

After a while, she opened her eyes worriedly searching for him in the room. As their eyes met, Lee Hwang responded, "I am here, Twinkle. Do you need anything?"

"Papa, sleep with me. I miss Mamma so much that I can't sleep. I wanna hear Mamma's stories."

After thinking quietly for a while he replied, "Okay, papa will sleep with you today."

He then went to the bed and gently lied beside her. Covering her body with the blanket, he softly said,  "Mamma will be back soon when you get better. Let me tell you stories today. Will you hear me?"

She nodded with excitement in her eyes.

He began,

"Once there was a boy named Lunas. He used to live with his family in a beautiful country surrounded by the sea. He loved the sea very much since his early childhood. Whenever he got any time, he used to sail in the sea with his yacht. He loved to feed fishes. Dolphins were his favorite." He paused for a while as if he was recalling what happened next.

Then suddenly asked the little girl holding him with her tiny arms, "Do you like dolphins, Twinkle?"

She nodded, "Yes, I do. I love them."

"Then should we visit the sea when you get well?"

"Yes! We'll have a lot of fun. We'll feed the dolphins."

"Okay," he agreed and continued the story,

"One day, when Lunas was floating over the sea, he found someone drowning nearby. He saved that girl and brought her home. He came to know that the girl's name was Yura and she was not from here. Lunas let her stay there as she has nowhere to go."

"What happened then, Papa? The fall in love, right?  And then got married and had children?" His little daughter seemed too inquisitive.

"Do you want them to get married?"

"Yes." She replied with sparkling eyes that the darkness couldn't hide from him.

"But, what if they didn't?" he almost whispered.

Her excitement died within the second of hearing his word. His little girl was still unaware of the cruel world, the world where a happy ending is not for everyone.

But his daughter was so young to know these hard words.

"Why wouldn't they get married, Papa?" Her faint words couldn't get through his ear. He was lost far away,

far away in his own PAST!

Unfinished love is the most hurtful love. Though, they had nothing more to do than just get hurt. Cause, THAT'S THE RULE OF THIS CRUEL WORLD.

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 1: 캡틴 이안 (ᴋᴀᴇʙᴛɪɴ ɪᴀɴ)- ᴄᴀᴘᴛᴀɪɴ ʏɪ-ᴀʜɴ

Dreams and love tend

To be somewhat similar.

They both start out of the blue,

Brings out hidden desires,

And feed off of illusions.

Maybe that's why...

.

.

.

...You can unexpectedly

Fall in love with someone just by

Seeing them in your dreams.

---------------

Then you wait...

...Until that person

appears in your dreams

It was just another wonted day like always. The only daystar of our planet, The Sun rose as bright as a diamond, glowing up every inch of this iniquitous world with its selfless glimmer.

Big or small, tall or short, rich or poor, WS or autistic,  irrespective of everyone's identity, social status, and credo it spreads love to all like a mother.

Maybe, that's why Yi-Ahn always loved the sunny days. To her, April was the month of blessings.

With the sunrise, another soundful day of her life just began. Breaking the dreadful silence of the nights, all the household turned alive in a span of seconds, with the touch of the beautiful mother's melody and the warm touch.

The same goes for her too. As soon as she felt the warm touch of the sun emanated through the unveiled window at the rear of her bed against her bare skin, while a buoyant melody entered her cochlea, she couldn't resist her eyes from opening.

Yawning and rubbing her eyes gently, she picked her phone with her right hand from the bedside table.

"매일 밤 네게 날아가 (가)

꿈이란 것도 잊은 채

나 웃으며 너를 만나 (나)

Never-ending forever, baby

You (you), you are (you are) my universe

And I (I) just want (just want) to put you first

And you (you), you are (you are) my universe 

and you make my world light up inside"

And she turned off the alarm of her phone which was spreading the aria restlessly.

"6:30 O'clock"

Perfect timing!

Well, it got awkwardly silent for a while until she, trying to fix her messy heir, made her way towards the washroom.

She took a warm yet short morning shower, that didn't take her more than 10 minutes.

Covering her little charming soul with a blue bathrobe, she slowly walked to the dressing table, while the water dripped from her wet hair made her trace widely visible.

Looking at the mirror, she was not just a smashing girl Lee Yi-Ahn, she was a bright, confident woman who just had achieved her dreams. It was the beginning of her successful career that she dreamt of ever since she was a kid.

She picked the hairdryer from the vanity table and it was lucky enough to be able to dry her soft, silky, lustrous hair.

Doing her hair, she placed the black hairdryer back on the table and walked to the closet which was just ten steps right of her.

Opening the closet, for a second, she froze in her place. Then her emotionless face somehow started to turn into an impassioned face while her vision started getting blurry due to the tears gathered in her beautiful beady eyes making them look rheumy. Slowly, she calmed herself down taking control over the emotions flowing all through her soul, wiped the teardrops before they could ever fall, and looked ahead sighing inside.

It was the symbol of her success, her uniform, the one that have four stripes on it, which she dreamt of wearing for years.

"Can you see Papa? Your Twinkle has done it!" She uttered looking at the sky. "I wonder what you'd tell me today? You are proud of me, aren't you? I miss you, Papa. I miss you so much! See, I didn't cry as I promised you. So, please come back. I want to hug you and tell you how I love and miss you."

She blinked a few times trying to prevent the tears that were trying to flow down despite her hard reluctance. It was so hard to control them this time.

She had to train herself for years to control her tears. While people at her age used to cry by a little injury, she had to hold it all inside, just for that damn promise. But, she with her entire soul believed that "Papa will be back soon if you don't cry."

Even today, those otiose tears can't win against her determination. Getting a grip of herself, she gently placed her right hand on the hem of her uniform, caressed it a bit before taking it down from the closet with her left hand.

"Finally, the day has arrived." She uttered with a sigh as she put on the uniform where the four stripes were defining herself as the qualified captain of a commercial air jet.

Yi-Ahn then, walked to the kitchen to make her something before she leave for work. Considering her size, she didn't need more; just a cup of coffee and she was ready to go.

When she finally left her apartment, it was only half past seven. She knew she was too early, but who knows? There must have been someone waiting for her whom she didn't want to make wait till his hair turned grey. She wondered in her mind what 'he' would do today to surprise her.

She walked out of the elevator and made her way towards the underground parking lot. To make the journey tremendous, She unlocked her lucky car, a pitch-black Aston Martin. She got inside and the car smoothly made its way to the highway within the next few seconds.

There was rarely any traffic jam in the roads, so it took her only ten minutes to reach Soul Airport. She parked her car outside and decided to wait before the main entrance.

When she reached there, with her wonder, she found herself being disappointed not finding him there. She was never someone who would wait for anyone or anything in her whole f*king life. But, well he was different. Someone so special to her heart. So, she decided to wait at least five minutes, and if he fails to appear, she'll leave.

She once thought of texting him, but looking at his last text, she couldn't...

He usually doesn't like texting. He just likes to call, in his words, why bother hurting my fingers when I'll get to talk and hear your holy voice in one click? It was weird that he actually wrote those long texts yesterday, breaking his own quintessential rule.

"I should stop hoping anything from him and leave." She uttered in a very calm voice that was throwing light on the relaxed environment before a heavy storm.

While walking inside, she sarcastically mumbled, "Please never doubt me, my ***! You'll never change."

It was her first flight as a captain of a plane, so she in any way didn't want to ruin it. It was the best day of her life, despite everything.

How were her feelings?

No, she wasn't so nervous. Actually, she wasn't even thinking anything and just hoped everything to work out today. A guy with sweet teeth had just ruined her morning after getting her hopes up and she did never want it to get worse. She was never a coward, nor a front-row fighter. She just wanted to have a sound life without any worries.

Before taking off, she had to go through some official checkups. And it was a relief that everything worked out well for her. And finally, she was prepared for the flight. (She seemed to be)

✵°✵.｡.✵°✵

(after an hour)

About half an hour before the take-off YiAhn entered the cockpit, sweating and breathing heavily as if someone put a 50 kg load over her solder and had made her run through the whole runway. She got vanished from the airport all of a sudden and when she finally arrived at the eleventh hour, she still seemed zoned out of the world around her.

Choi Soo Bin was her co-pilot for today's flight. Well, though they never talked that much to be called friends or whatever, Soo Bin has known her for a long time. They were in the same high school though he is her junior by 2 years.

Soobin who always had an eye over her seemed worried to see her like this, "Is everything okay, Nuna? You don't look so good." He couldn't resist asking.

...

"Nuna!" He called her again rising his voice when she didn't show any reaction to his words.

...

When he found her totally lost somewhere else, he gently pressed her solder and called, "Nuna, is there anything wrong? Should we call for a replacement?"

"Hmm? What?! What are you talking about?" She didn't seem to get what he said first but was fast enough to get back to herself, "I am fine, I absolutely am. Look," she blinked twice while trying to make that serious energetic face to make her statement look real.

Soobin had known her for ages and thus he could easily tell that she was actually hiding her true feelings. She always does.

Getting the hint that she was not so much willing to share what happened, he hung his phone before her eyes indicating the missed calls and asked. "Then what are these? You've never been like this. What if someone found out that you were out of the cockpit for almost one hour straight? Do you know how scared I was after getting the text from you?"

"I am sorry, Soobin," she tried to explain, "something really urgent came up."

"I'm letting it slide this time. But, next time, be careful," he replied knowing that Yi-Ahn was considerate enough not to waste those times without any particular reason.

While they were talking and making themselves prepared for the flight, the aircrew informed that everything was prepared for take-off. Yi-Ahn and Soobin put on their microphone as the control center announced,

"Seoul 4517 

Runway 21L

Ready to depart"

They then released the wheels, turned the engine on, and hold the steer in a sharp n' pro way.

Soon, the aircraft made its way to space.

Yi-Ahn carefully released the deep sigh that she was holding into her little heart for a long while now. Little did she know what was waiting for her in the future...

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 2: 헤어지자 (ʜᴇᴇᴏᴊɪᴊᴀ)- ʟᴇᴛ'ꜱ ʙʀᴇᴀᴋ ᴜᴘ

2 hours ago

Yi-Ahn was washing her hands as she had just gotten off from the restroom. That's when her phone buzzed, showing one unread message.

She took some tissues and wiped her hands before checking the text.

"Where are you now?"

She rolled her eyes reading the text, "He didn't show up after promising me like and now he asks where am I?!"

She turned off the screen and walked outside the washroom. Her phone buzzed again. She shrugged while looking at the screen, "Aish, that jerk is now calling!"

Anyway, she received the call and without showing any initiation directly asked, "What do you want?"

"Come to the café outside the airport now," a deep, calm voice replied from the other side.

Why is that jerk now ordering me around?! He didn't even apologize and now asking me to meet him at this hour! Has he lost his mind or what?!

"Yah, are you crazy?! How am I supposed to leave now?" she rolled her eyes reluctantly.

"Lee Yi-Ahn, I just want you here. And That's The Only Thing I Know Now. Come fast if you don't want to regret later." he uttered every word in a very cold tone giving chills all over her body.

"Wait, wait," Yi-Ahn couldn't believe her own ear. How dare he talk with her in that manner after what he just had done.

"Maybe you haven't understood me. I said I Am NoT CoMiNg. Do whatever you want, I don't care." She was raging in anger as she raised her voice over him, "You better hang up before I take off all my anger over you!"

She was about to hang up when she heard his voice over the call that made her froze in her place, her heartbeat stopped and her hand holding the phone was now hanging in the air. It was a relief that she didn't drop her phone.

His deep voice was echoing in her head, hunting her poor little heart.

"헤어지자! (Let's break up!)"

✵°✵.｡.✵°✵

Yi-Ahn was sitting in the cafe across her boyfriend facing her whom she had been dating for the last two years. They were from the same high school and she was the one who fell in love with her at first sight. He is one of the top businesses men of Korea now.

She met him 2 years ago on a flight to Mexico from where they started dating. She always found herself lucky to meet her never-ending crush. She always thought their encounter was something that can be called "Destiny".

Looking at her serious cold-straight face, she could remember their ever-sweet moments that she saved as the most cherished memories in her mind.

How can he keep that straight face while kidding about them breaking up?

Was he always this good at acting?

He must be.

There is no way In the world... for him being serious.

That can never happen, right?

He must be pranking on her.

That's what she was thinking as she clenched the part of her clothes, holding her emotions from overflowing until he broke the dreadful silence between them, "Let's end everything here."

Was she hearing wrong or what?

He can never do that to her. No, He can't.

Gathering all her courage together she managed to utter, "Y-you must be kidding me, right?" But ended up shuttering. "Look, you can't do that to me. We've been dating for 2 years straight."

She tried to smile her face off trying to make the heavy atmosphere a bit light, "You must be pranking over me. It's not funny at all. Please drop that act and just tell me that you are joking. Why are you having that straight face?!"

He heard her pleading silently. And again with that deep yet emotionless voice replied, "Because I am serious. I want us to break up."

She couldn't hold herself any longer. Warm teardrops started to roll down from her eyes as she looked down without showing any efforts to hide them. She really needed to cry now. Cz' it was the only thing she could do. The only person she had beside her, who used to comfort her during her good and bad days is the person hurting her the most right now.

Could life be any worse?

It took away her mom in a plane crash when she was a kid, unknown of what death itself is. Her father who took her side, comforted her, was also disappeared two years later. Leaving her to face the world all alone. The next one, she trusted and gave her everything to was her so-called boyfriend who is sitting in front of her now.

Maybe "happiness" the word itself was disappointed in her. Everyone she trusted and loved ended up leaving her with a scar on her little heart. Maybe, she was just born with misfortune. Words like love, happiness, success were not for her.

She lifted her head up to meet his deep brown eyes in which she used to lose her everything. She parted her lips as she uttered helplessly while the teardrops that she held inside for a long time were flooding outside, "Why? Why did you say that?"

Still having a little hope that seeing her cry, maybe he would change his mind. Maybe he would wipe the tears and hug her again comforting her like he always used to do.

But...

NO.

She was wrong all the way.

"I am just sick of you." He cleaned her throat before replying to her, "My family wants me to get married soon. And obviously, I am not gonna marry someone like you."

"Why can't we get married?" She asked making a fool of herself again while her mind was foggy, "What is wrong with me?"

He shrugged and raised his voice that made her flinch, "Are you insane, Yi-Ahn?! How am I supposed to marry some minor pilot or what like you?!"

"Look, I am not just some minor pilot anymore. I've worked hard and completed over 1500 flight hour and-" Yi-Ahn tried to convince him but was cut off by him in the middle.

"Lee Yi-ahn. Get back to your sense. Your getting a promotion doesn't mean anything."

Wow! He just said the word. He knew what it meant to her and still he was actually sitting there telling these bullshits to her piercing her heart with words as sharp as a thousand niddels.

Yi-Ahn bit her lower lips and sighed, "You just said it like that!"

"Not that I am lying." he didn't even seemed a bit guilty seeing how his words were affecting her.

"Let me be honest with you. You are lucky that I had even dated someone like you! Why do you think your father left you alone and disappeared? You never deserved to be happy. I can't even believe that some random girl like you was dreaming of marrying the top businessman of Korea! People like you just don't know their place."

It was different. It was not the 'he' she loved. He was always a sweet and considerate person. Never in this 2 years he raised his vice at her like that. Even the text of last night... How could a person change so much overnight?

She couldn't protest. All she had now beside her was her tears. She knew that she never deserves someone like him, but she truly loved him. For a long time. So, she couldn't shoot back when he hurt her mentioning her father and her misfortune. Just for one reason, SHE LOVED HIM.

"H-how could you say that? We were happy together and I am sure that we'll be," she sniffed and was breathing heavily while she talked as she was having trouble with respiration.

"That doesn't matter anything now. I don't wanna mess with you anymore. You may leave. Hope we never cross paths again. And even if we do, please pretend you can't see me." his voice was calm as ever as he stood up and was about to leave.

He said, "Mess"? So that's what her love meant to him?

How could he say that? How could he say that he never wanna cross paths with her? One night, just one night filled this much hatred in his mind for her?

Still, in a last attempt, Yi-Ahn grabbed his arm from behind, "Please forgive me if my words before offended you. I promise that I'll be better. Just don't leave me. Please, I beg you." It took her ages to utter these words as she was a crying mess.

She can't lose him. Even if it takes her to beg to him. Even if it is too humiliating.

She begged again, "I-I don't know what's going on or why you are acting like this. But, please dont do this to me. Not today. You know how much this day means to me. Please."

She was pathetic, begging someone to stay who's moved past her. Cause, she knows loneliness.

It's not anything bearable.

Something crossed his mind as he heard her. He grabbed her hand that was holding into his arm and pulled her towards him that made her collide with his hard muscular body. His face was slowly approaching hers...

His pink plum lips approached her and reaching her earlobe, he whispered into hers, "Only if you still want to be my girlfriend even after my marriage. You can be my personal secretary and always stay with me. All we need to do is to do things behind my wife's back and we'll never get caught. And I promise I'll be gentle in bed."

All the anger fumed inside her and she couldn't bear it anymore for Pete's shake! He did insult her, her fortune, even her dear father which she underlined all. But this was just too much. What does he take her for? Some ****? How could he even utter those words about someone so pure like her?

What did she ever do wrong to hear those words? Because, she wanted someone beside her in good and bad days? because she wanted a chest where she could lose herself without any worries? Because she wanted a solder to comfort her? Because she wanted to be loved?

The next second what he could feel was his right cheeks heating up as he felt some pain there.

Yes, She did it! She slapped him and stormed out. It took him a second to understand what just happened. He smirked as he got everything and approached the lady sitting two tables after theirs.

"Good luck with your life, Lee Yi-Ahn," he whispered to himself carefully.

Yi-Ahn ran into the restroom of the cafe and locked herself inside the toilet and turned the flash on and cried like a maniac. Her eyes, nose, and fair face turned red from extreme crying. She was breathing heavily with her mouth wide open as she felt herself running out of breath. As if someone was choking her to death.

She just wished to disappear like her father, disappear from everything and everyone so that none can play with her feelings again like that.

Suddenly she heard some noises outside like someone had entered the restroom. She was fast enough to cover her mouth with her palms to stop them from hearing her. She bit her palms hard to secure her mouth from creating any noise.

"You're leaving for Paris at 11 AM?" 1st stranger lady asked and a water splashing sound could be heard as someone turned the tap on of the sink.

"Yup," 2nd stranger lady replied shortly.

1st stranger: "I've heard that the captain of that flight is a lady at her 25s."

2nd stranger: "How could you know that?"

1st stranger: "My husband was talking about it yesterday. He told that it was really hard to promote as a captain in your 20s. You must work like a dog for that. Even though the possibility is only 6%, most female pilots can't make it. I wonder how she did it. Is she a wonder woman or what?"

2nd stranger: (gasp) "Jinjja? Aww.. I am lucky then. Ah.. I am already excited."

1st stranger: "Palli, or you'll be late."

2nd stranger: "Yeah, let's go!"

As they left, Yi-Ahn carefully released a sigh and put her hands down. She was shot back to reality as she heard them talk. It is her first flight as a captain. How could she forgot that?!

She took her phone bank quickly texted Soobin, the co-pilot.

"Soobin, Please help me.

I need some time.

I am stuck somewhere.

I'll be late, can you please handle things for me? And

please talk with the operation manager on my stead.

You owe me one.

I promise that I'll be back soon."

She slowly wiped her tears and get off of there. looking at the mirror, she looked like a puffy and red tomato. She washed her face a few times but it didn't seem to be of help at all. She once heard somewhere that ice is the best remedy for puffy eyes.

But where could she get ice now?

Oh, wait! Isn't she at a cafe now?

She walked back to the cafe carefully not to bump into him there again. And finally asked the receptionist for ice. And she looked at her as if she had just seen a ghost.

"Sorry?!" She exclaimed, "I apologize mam, but it is a cafe, you can't just randomly ask for ice or water or coffee beans here."

"Oh, then just give me an Iced Americano!" She rolled her eyes.

"Please wait a bit, mam," she told her before giving her a weird smile.

She took the Iced Americano after paying for it and rushed towards the restroom. She poured off all the coffee into the sink and took off the ice. She applied it all over her face, especially under her eyes.

Well, it'll be wrong if she says that it didn't work at all. Maybe it didn't work like 100%, but it did work.

She washed her face clean and rushed to the airport then. Suddenly his text from last night came to her mind,

"Did he mean this by the gift?"