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Her heart pounded harshly in her ears as her breathing picked up a quick pace.
“Move!” Q shouted while dodging a car that was in front of him.
“How many kilometers per hour?” He asked not taking his eyes off the road.
“150, you need to slow down!” Kitty shouted in adrenaline.
She couldn’t even see what was going on outside, Q was increasing his speed.
“Kitty I’m a runner, I don’t slow down. Plus, you are not letting him go, clear?” He asked.
“Okay but try not to kill us please!” She noticed the sweat run in the back of her spine.
“How long until the airport?” She asked as her breath increased.
“5 minutes, but we’ll be there in one. He’s not going anywhere!” Q replied.
Kitty couldn’t let him go. Not without expressing her feelings.
Minho was spending the summer in Paris with her mother, and sooner or later she had to tell him.
Kitty gripped the handle above her head like it was her only lifeline. Q swerved past another lane of traffic, muttering apologies to no one in particular.
Her heart was somewhere between her throat and the floor of the car.
“Q!” she yelled as they nearly clipped a side mirror.
“If you die Jin will haunt me in my next life!” She bickered.
“We’re good, we’re good!” he shouted back, wild-eyed but determined.
“I watched three Fast & Furious movies last night, I got this.”
“I swear to god—”
But she couldn’t even finish. She was too busy rehearsing what she’d say once she saw him.
Hi Minho, I’m in love with you. Please don’t go.
Minho, I lied. I’ve been lying. I can’t watch you walk away again.
Stay. Or at least—take my heart with you.
Nothing sounded right. Nothing sounded like enough.
She felt stupid, she should’ve not waited until the very last moment to confess.
But Katherine Song Covey never played safe.
A mixture of nervousness and relief ran through her as she saw Seoul’s airport.
“We’re here!” Q shouted as Kitty unbelted.
The car jerked to a stop at the terminal. Q threw it into park like a stunt driver and turned to her with wide eyes.
“Run,” he said, completely serious now. “Go get him.”
She didn’t even respond. She just pushed the door open and bolted.
She smiled at Q one last time, the boy, with joy and amusement in his eyes smiled back.
If she made it, she’d owed him a big one.
She turned back and ran inside, almost tripping with an old lady’s suitcase.
She heard the lady say something in Korean, probably an insult but she didn’t care. She didn’t have time.
Inside the airport was chaos. People everywhere. Bags. Security lines. Announcements overhead she couldn’t understand. None of it mattered.
She scanned the place, there was no sight of Minho.
She spotted a flight attendant. “Hi, hey.” She said in a rush. The woman widened her eyes.
“Any flight going to Paris? Like right now?” The woman opened her mouth to reply, but she was interrupted.
“Flight 209 to Paris boarding now.”
“Where is it?” She nearly shouted.
“Left corridor.” Without thanking her, Kitty ran as fast as she could.
She felt her feet burn as she passed along tourists and staff.
Her big heart pounding inside her chest, alarming her that time was running out.
She made it to the boarding gate, her feet pounded the floor as she scanned the crowd.
There was no sight of him, Kitty’s breath began to steady down but her heart didn’t.
She felt stupid, she missed her chance for being a coward.
Katherine Song-Covey always had confidence when it came about love, but with Minho it was fucking terrifying.
She took one last breath, her heart sinking in deception.
But once she turned back, she remembered something.
Minho flied in first class.
And a hopeful feeling filled her nervous stomach.
She spotted a security guard next to her.
“Hey where do the people from first class board into?” She asked.
The guard pointed to a corner, where there was a seating area with the airline's name on it, tinted glass doors blocked the interior.
Kitty couldn't see who was inside. But it didn't matter; she had nothing to lose.
Kitty ran without a second thought.
She made it infront the gates, she stopped.
But before opening them, another security guard avoided her from doing so.
The security guard, who had seen her run, stopped her. "Where do you think you're going, miss? This is a private area. Show me your ticket."
"No, excuse me, you don't understand. I need to talk to someone here. Let me through.”
The man got defensive, protecting the door.
Kitty tried to see behind him but she didn’t see couldn’t.
"Impossible. Calm down or we'll throw you out." She was nervous and about to lose it.
"Excuse me? Where are the rights here—"
"Covey?" And her world stopped.
She turned back and saw him.
Minho.
Their eyes locked.
“Minho! It’s, it’s good to see you!” She said, trying to play it cool.
“What are you doing here?” He asked clueless.
“Long story.” She laughed nervously but deep inside she was terrified.
“Ma’am you have to leave” The security guard warned her.
“No it’s okay, she’s with me.” Minho smiled to him.
The security guard frowned and backed up a bit.
“Covey, answer me?” he said, confused, his brows pulling together.
He glanced down at his boarding pass, like maybe he was imagining her.
She was breathless, hair windblown, heart beating out of her chest.
But she didn’t care. She didn’t care that people were staring.
That she looked insane. That she was insane.
She cared about him.
“You can’t leave!” she blurted, too loud, too fast. Her voice cracked halfway through it, and her hands shook where they clung to the railing between them.
Minho stared at her. “What?”
“You can’t leave without knowing,” she said, softer this time.
Her throat was tight and everything felt like it was happening too fast, too slow, all at once.
“I wasn’t going to say anything. I was going to let you go and pretend I was fine. Because I thought… I thought that was the right thing to do.”
She swallowed hard. He blinked, stunned. Silent.
“I’m in love with you,” she said finally, the words breaking out of her like a dam bursting.
“And it’s terrifying and probably selfish, but I needed you to know. I needed you to hear it before you get on that plane and fly halfway across the world and I lose the chance to ever tell you.”
A long beat of silence.
Then another.
People were still moving around them — boarding, saying goodbye, rushing past — but the noise seemed to fade into the background.
Minho stepped forward, slowly.
The gate attendant called for final boarding, but he didn’t look back.
“You’re in love with me?” he said, voice barely above a whisper.
Like he didn’t trust it.
Like he was afraid he’d heard wrong.
Kitty nodded, her eyes shining. “I guess so.”
He exhaled a shaky laugh and then shook his head.
“You have the worst timing,” he said.
And then he dropped his bag.
Approached her,
and kissed her.
Right there in front of everyone, like they were the only two people in the world.
The kiss was soft and steady.
He held the back of her neck cautiously as if she would break.
She kissed him back with grace, making her feel as if everything was right in this world.
They pulled apart.
“Did I convince you?” She asked hopelessly.
“I hoped you would.” He replied.
Minho grabbed his bag and hugged her from the side.
“Excuse me, sorry to interrupt, sir.” The guard asked.
“But you flight is leaving, like right now.” They turned to look at him.
“I don’t care I’ve got a better place to be.” He said smiling and locking his eyes with hers.
Hugging her from the side, they made their way out of the airport.
And as they stepped out into the sun, hearts still racing, she realized that sometimes love didn’t wait for perfect timing—it just needed you to run.