It was a cold London evening, in the stillness of the night. Raindrops were streaming down the window, dancing in the light of the city’s street lamps. The footsteps of a few people passing by could be heard, but Son’s mind was elsewhere. His heart was beating in rhythm with another heart beating somewhere far away. His eyes were fixated on the screen of the phone he was holding in his hand. He could not open the incoming message. He reached out to the screen, but it was as if his fingers were frozen.

That night, Heung-min had played a match he would never forget. He had put on a performance that had the entire world in awe. But even his immediate success did not comfort him. His struggles off the field left deeper scars in his heart. He was tired, but more so in spirit. They were two people tossed around by the same emotions, who understood each other without even speaking. However, the distances between them were measured not only in kilometers, but also in heartbreaks.

He thought about the moments he had spent with her. He remembered her face shining like the sun with every laugh, but also the sorrow she had hidden in her eyes. Every beautiful moment had a shadow and they both knew it very well. No matter how close they were, they sometimes realized how far they were.

He opened the message and the words in it came to life before his eyes. “This time, saying goodbye will be harder. But maybe it’s the right thing to do.” His heart ached. They both knew that something had changed, but this change would hurt them even more. This was a path of no return. Everything that had been experienced once could not be felt again. The beauty of the past was being replaced by the uncertainty of the future.

They would be together one last time, they both knew that. But this last meeting would close their story, leaving only memories. There would always be a place in their hearts, but that place would never be filled in the same way again.