“I tried. I mean, they are good-looking, they have a degree and they are decent people.” Her shoulders dropped. “My heart is just not into it. I try to open my heart to others but I know something is missing. I'm still looking for something. My family was so eager for me to have a boyfriend right away. They said they didn’t want me to be single for the rest of my life. It’s pressuring the heck out of me. Are you the same with Eun Young whenever she says she didn’t like Min Ji?”
He drank on his bottled water. “No. I don’t mind people concerning themselves with my affairs especially my sister. Shes’ the only sibling I got. I’m the only brother she has. We look out for each other. If we are hurting, the first ones we ran to were our loved ones. They hurt when he get hurt. I hope you’ll understand your parents as well.”
She nodded slowly. "You're probably right."
Sometimes she was too defensive of her feelings of not wanting to let go of what she felt for Doc Darryl, that’s why she couldn’t appreciate her family’s concern for her. Now she felt ashamed of herself. She could say she had a perfect family. They gave her the best things in life. They were not rich but she had a normal childhood.
While Carter’s parents were separated. But he was still able to help his mother who had abandoned him. He also tried to understand his sister’s meddlings. He was really patient. Despite the troubles in his life, he could still see the good things around him.
"You know, you're a good person," she said to him. “I’m sure that if you were given a chance, it’ll be nice to be loved by you. You will do everything for that person you love and understands everything about her. You're romantic, aren't you? Just not that obvious.”
His smile was teasing her. “Hold on to your heart tightly, or it might just fall for me.”
She almost fell from her seat when she heard what he just said. Be still, my heart. It seemed so easy for Carter to make her fall for him. Even with Doc Darryl, she wasn’t able to get this close to him so quickly.
Cheska stood up. “Anyway. Let's just get down from here. You are pure nonsense.”
“We can’t just leave without putting a key on the Love Locks. That’s one of the reasons why tourists visit here. I even think that people were more interested in those than in the tower itself.”
"Doc Darryl promised that we will also hang a padlock on the love locks but that won’t ever happen now," she whispered.
“And so? Are you feeling guilty that he won’t be here with you to hang on the Love Locks?”
She put a hand over her hips. "Carter, you're not my forever person to be my partner in putting on these love locks."
He let out an annoying laugh. “You need a ‘forever person’ to put on the love lock? Says who? And these love locks here, pretty sure most of them broke up already. That's just a symbol of your visit here. Nothing to do with forever.”
“There are many kinds of love. Look at that guy. He was alone but he also put on a love lock. Maybe just he loves himself, that’s why.” He pointed another person on the other side. “Those two women were friends. Their love locks probably are a symbol that they wanted to be friends for the rest of their lives. You don't have to be bitter and jealous of those lovers around you.”
"I'm not bitter," she scowled at him.
He pinched her chin. "Just enjoy the experience of being here." He took out a pink padlock that has a heart design in the middle. "I bought it since it's expensive here." He also took out a pentel pen from his bag. “Write your name. If you want, you can put Doc Darryl's name in there. Or you can write my name since I’m your friend, right?”
“Is it okay if I put your name here? Min Ji won't be angry?”
He waved his hand. “She’s not here anyway. Besides, I’m not your ‘forever person’. No need for you to think too about it coz, as I’ve said, it’s just a symbolic kind of thing.”
Her heart skipped a beat when she almost put Carter’s name on the lock. "What's your Korean name?"
He shook his head. “I don’t have a Korean name. I’m Filipino."
"Korean nickname?" she appealed. "You’ve been here for a long time now. Pretty sure you have a Korean nickname already given to you by your friends or your family."
He had a wistful look on his face. “Nae sarang. That's what umma called me when she was just starting to work here in Korea.”
"Nae sarang," Cheska whispered. It sounded familiar to her. She just wasn’t sure what that means. “I like the sound of it. Nae sarang. That’s what I will call you from now on as well.”
"Sure," he replied with a smile.
Nae sarang. She felt like it suited Carter more. She wasn’t sure why, but his Korean nickname sounded nice on her tongue.
She took a picture of him while he was putting on the lock. An empty part of her was filled. And she felt like she and Carter were connected, a connection that would not be broken for a very long time.