Third Person POV

"I could always video call you," Hyunjae suggests as the two walk to their cars after the last working day of the week.

"I'll see," Heiji tried to avoid the question. "But have a good weekend, I'll see you soon."

Hyunjae simply nods, standing still and waving at the woman as she got off into her car without a second glance back at him.

He couldn't deny the weird tension between them, it wasn't as though she was holding back from something, which she very well was, it was like she was trying her best to completely avoid him. And being her friend for years, he knew that's how she dealt with things.

He needn't worry for now though, he knew she would come round eventually. Or so he hoped.

Heiji on the other hand, was beating herself up mentally as she drove home. Her wedding ring sat in the compartment by her knee, where she would take it off and put it on everyday before and after work.

She wanted Sunwoo to stay happy, she was wearing her ring again and it meant a lot to him. But she hadn't ended things with Hyunjae, he couldn't see that ring.

So she drove home, arrived home, as though nothing happened. The highlight of her day was seeing her husbands face as he waited for her.

"Hey," he smiles. "How was your day?"

"Great," she nods, lying. "As great as a working day could be."

"Are you lying to me Mrs Kim?" He chuckles, standing up from the couch to come and greet her with a comforting, engulfing hug.

They stayed like that for a while, they liked to savour such moments just to be sure. For Heiji, these moments would be bittersweet. She could feel the mans ribs against her body and fingers, each day she could feel the weight that had drained from him and it made her sad.

But he was getting better, right? There wasn't much to worry about.

The two pulled away, Sunwoo placing a small kiss on her nose as she smiled up at him, before walking upstairs to presumably change.

He watched her closely, he always did. Not in a weird, obsessed way, just so he could savour moments like seeing her without physically touching her - those were just as important.

His smile shortly faded when he noticed the ring missing from her finger, which was her stupid mistake as she was too clouded by her thoughts to actually put the thing on.

She never noticed, he did though, but he decided not to talk nor argue about it.

He accepted his fate, she hadn't left him yet. She couldn't leave him, and he didn't want to think much more about why, because the thought broke his heart more than anything ever could.

So with a clenching chest, a trembling lip and a hefty sigh which was a self inflict of pain, he stayed silent.

"What would you like to do tonight?" Heiji asks, sitting down on the couch beside the man as he stared blankly at the television screen.

"Anything," he shrugs, really trying to think of an idea. "A drive?"

"Sure," she nods. "Would you like to drive or should I?"

He thought about the possibility of the woman hiding her ring, although the sight would hurt him, he still came up with the plan. "You can, is that okay? I don't feel too good."

"Sure," she nods again, standing up and offering her hand to the man as he pulled himself up and walked towards the door.

Sunwoo tried to hurry to the car door, in a causal manner so he didn't display any strange behaviours, but the woman made it to the car faster.

When she got into the drivers seat, she noticed the small shiny diamond, to which she quickly placed on her finger, watching as Sunwoo wasn't looking directly at her.

Her heart thumped in her chest, did he notice? If he noticed, surely he would have questioned it. She would tell herself that, for now.

He noticed by the time he had gotten to the car, her left hand sat upon the wheel displaying the obvious twinkle from her ring finger, and he knew her ways. He knew what she done every single day.

But she did that not to hurt him, right? That was a good thing, that was considerate. He would tell himself that, for now.

After much insisting from Sunwoo, the two ended up at that beach.

Not that Heiji didn't want to go there necessarily, but he was consistent with his pleasing and so she realised there must have been a reason he wanted to go there so badly.

He guessed his reasoning was to feel something. To sit on that beach and remember happy times spent with the woman he loves, whilst ignoring the thoughts in his head telling him to ask why she removed her ring for work.

But he knew why, and that's why he didn't ask.

"Watch out for those branches," he says, holding the two which dangled above their heads so Heiji could walk through.

Everything still looked the same, a bit overgrown since the first time, but nonetheless beautiful.

"Wow," the woman sighs, seeing the sun setting against the water. "It's beautiful."

The man simply nodded, taking her hand and leading her to the sand where he placed down a blanket for the two, the furthest possible spot from the water.

They sat like that for a while, admiring the view and each other's presence, as much as it was hurting Sunwoo to do so - but he still loved her, and being with her was a moment he would treasure nonetheless.

"Heiji?" He says suddenly, almost shocked at the words that escaped his own mouth.

"Yeah?" She asks, sitting up to face the man as he stared out at the ocean. His gaze proved that he had a lot on his mind, and Heiji could read him easily. "What's wrong, Sunwoo?"

"Have you left him yet?"

"What?" She furrows her eyebrows, as the man stared forward, still not sparing a glance at the woman.

"Well, have you?" He asks quietly. "You haven't told me yet, you said you would."

"I tried to," she says honestly, her eyes too drifting towards the ocean. "I know you won't believe me, but I did try, I just couldn't go through with it."

He turns to face her, before turning his head again. "Why not?"

"I don't know how to break up with someone," she shrugs. "It should be simple, but when the moment came I chickened out. I just told him we should see each other less."

"Are you scared of hurting him?"

"It's not like that," she shakes her head, before looking down at her crossed legs. "I think that's a standard fear in a breakup, but I just don't know how without completely shattering him. I wouldn't only be hurting him, I'd probably break him."

The two stayed silent, the only sound audible was the gently crashing waves and Sunwoo's heavy breathing, which was something their ears had grown accustomed to, part and parcel with his illness.

"I've only ever been with you," she speaks suddenly, as Sunwoo clenched his eyes closed. "And we've never broke up."

"Because I've always left?" He asks, turning to face the woman as she stared at him blankly.

She was scared of breaking someone by splitting up with them, but he too realised that he was so scared of breaking her, that he always simply left.

He left and he didn't have to deal with the aftermath. That was what he'd known his whole life, and Heiji wasn't any different.

It wasn't until then, sitting on the sand, where they made their greatest memories - that he realised he could have been better. He could have been more than better.

He broke her, he deprived her of things, yet he was angry that she attempted to live without him. How selfish could he be?

She wasn't selfish for wanting more than him. But he knew, in her heart, he always had her. How was this fair? How could he have that power over someone?

She loved him regardless, even if he strayed, and she was with someone else. It was always like that. And it would be like that, even when he was no longer here.

Could he die knowing that? It seemed worse than knowing she had someone else to love and care for her.

"I know you take your ring off each morning before work," his eyes fixated in the sand. "I'm not angry, Heiji. I just knew you hadn't broken up with him yet, or else you would be wearing it proudly."

"Why didn't you say anything?" She asks, looking over her shoulder at the man.

"Because I understand why," he looks into her eyes. "I've made life too difficult for you, and I'm sorry you felt like you had to wear the ring to please me."

"It wasn't about pleasing you," she shakes her head, turning her body so their knees touched and sat face-to-face. "I wore it because I wanted to. I'm your wife after all, just in those circumstances, I couldn't."

Sunwoo nods, looking between her eyes. The eyes he had grown to love more and more each day, if that were even possible. "I understand."

"Good," she nods, giving him a small smile. "Are you cold?"

"Not really," he says, although it was a lie. He was cold, almost freezing. He felt the cold air entrap in his lungs, but he didn't want to do anything about it.

The warmth he felt in his heart when he looked at her was surely enough to heat up the rest of his body, or so he hoped.

"I love you," she says suddenly. The words were still like music to his ears each time she said them, even though they had spent years telling each other just that.

"I love you more," he smiles faintly, clasping her hand as they lay down on the blanket together, watching as the sky grew darker with every passing minute.

Yet neither of them wanted to move. They stayed like this, hands tied whilst they breathed in sync.

Sunwoo looked up at the stars which had only became visible in the last little while, and he was mesmerised as though it was his first time seeing stars.

Or maybe because he had a feeling, that this would be his last.

He looked over at the woman, who lay with her head facing towards him although her eyes remained peacefully closed, a gentle snore that escaped her agape lips made him giggle.

He admired her. For all she was, for all the beauty she held and the power she held over the man. The woman he loved more than life itself, the woman he would give anything for.

The one who loved him despite his flaws, despite how much he hurt her and continued to hurt her - he knew his inevitability would only hurt her further. And he couldn't stand that.

Tears rolled down the mans cheek, as he shivered in the cold midnight air, glancing up at the tide which was miles away from them.

The pain of each breath was immense, but he only had himself to blame. He needn't wake up the peaceful woman beside him who was immersed, and yet so beautiful, in her slumber.

He wouldn't wake her to let her know he was suffering, because he had made her suffer too, for too long.

And so, he was like the waves. He came and went.

This time, for good.