Mina held Hwang in her arms, tears spilling down her face, her mouth pressed against his shoulder. He was finally safe in her arms. For one, heart-wrenching moment, she thought she had lost him, cruelly taken from her forever. That moment seemed to last for an eternity. Mina wanted to die, her precious Hwang gone. The thought of living without him was completely unthinkable. Not without her beloved Hwang, her darling Sung-Kyung. Mina had screamed, crying for him. How could fate be so cruel? Hwang was a noble, honorable man with a kind soul. How could a man like that be taken from her?

Now here he was, in her arms. She held on to him tightly, protectively, never wanting to let him go. Her tears fell on his shoulder, unable to stop crying. Mina clung to him, to her best friend, to the man she loved. She could feel his ragged breath on her neck, hurt, but alive. He was alive! She held on to him. She never, ever wanted to lose him again.

Hwang’s face was buried in her shoulder, his eyes closed. He could hear his little Mina cry, sobbing for him. His heart ached, knowing he caused her such sorrow. He was supposed to protect her, shelter her, not to cause her any pain. She was supposed to be happy, to be full of joy and laughter. That was all he cared about – her happiness. He placed an arm around his Mina, his hand on her back. He murmured softly to her, telling her he was all right, that he was here, safe in her slender arms. He felt warmth from her petite frame, feeling her body shake. He continued to murmur softly to her, telling her he was not going anywhere, that nothing could ever take him away from her.

Mina held on on to him. She gently kissed the side of his face.

“I will protect you Hwang, my darling Sung-Kyung. I will always defend you, my love.” Mina vowed to him. “This is my promise to you. So do not worry about me. Just get well.”

Love and heartache overwhelmed Hwang. His little Mina wanted to protect him! He was about to say something when fatigue took him over. He slowly lost consciousness, his face buried in her shoulder.

“Do not worry my love.” Mina whispered softly. “I will always be here for you. Always.”

She buried herself in him, holding him tight. She was never going to let him go.

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