Chapter 542: It Ends Here

Hope bit her lip and buried herself in Ryan's arms.

"Hope..."

"I will miss you, Ryan."

Ryan paused, forgetting to embrace her.

"Please take care of yourself over there. I'll work hard in your absence and wait for you to come home."

Hope hugged Ryan, refusing to let go.

"You..." Ryan sighed and lay a hand on Hope's back. "What are you gonna do when I'm gone? Are you sure you wanna let me go?"

Hope remained silent as she shook her head.

"Then why are you letting me go?"

"You'll return one day. People look up to you. I shouldn't be a hindrance to your future."

"Hope, you should think about yourself too."

Hope buried herself deeper into Ryan's arms. "That's all I needed to hear."

"Hope, will you marry me when I return?" Ryan whispered into her ear.

Hope was overjoyed when she heard that.

The day he returns, will be the day they get married.

Ryan got anxious when she did not respond. "Say yes! Say yes!"

He anticipated to hear her reply.

"Yes."

It was dusk, surrounded by fog and rain. Two kindred hearts intertwined as they both listened to each other's breath.

A beautiful promise didn't change the fact that they were separating.

The day Ryan left, Hope was not there to send him off as she was scared.

She was afraid to see him leave and not being able to see him for years to come.

All she could do was to wait for him to come back. He would come back to a better Hope.

Mia thought that Ryan was Hope's sunshine, watching over her for 19 years. Now that he was abroad, his ambiance still accompanied Hope, watching her grow.

All the teachers and students thought Hope had changed. She became more cheerful and beautiful.

Hope worked hard. With every improvement and growth, she hoped to get closer to Ryan.

Days flew by and seasons came one after another.

Hope had many suitors over the years but she was always waiting for Ryan.

The vast distance was no obstacle to their love for each other.

One night, Hope had a nightmare. After she had woken up, she tried to calm herself.

...

Hope went out to the balcony and gave Ryan a call.

However, he did not pick up the phone. Hope waited a while on the balcony. She could not bring herself to make a second call.

She decided to text Ryan instead. It took her awhile to draft the message before she finally sent it.

Ryan only managed to see the text an hour later.

Hope had gone back to sleep. Ryan texted her:

The next morning, Hope cried when she saw the text.

His promise to return was the only thing keeping her company during those lonely and sleepless nights.

Aside from Mia, the whole dormitory was not optimistic about Hope's relationship with Ryan.

They all said long -distance relationships were not feasible. "Ryan will be the center of attention even when living abroad. Moreover, girls in foreign countries are bold and passionate. They are sure to make a move on Ryan," they said.

The only person who believed in Hope was Mia. She showed her support by accompanying Hope during her study sessions, her shopping trips, and her trips to the library.

Mia advised, "Hope, pay no heed to them. They are just jealous."

"I know. Their opinions don't matter. Ryan had asked me to wait for him, and I will do so."

Mia smiled. "That's my girl!"

Hope noticed her hair had grown until waist length. When Ryan left, her hair had barely touched her shoulders.

Time marched on without looking back.

Ryan had returned. He returned on a weekend.

Hope was at the library as usual. She had tied up her hair and was engrossed in her book.

Her phone vibrated. It was a text from Ryan.

Hope smiled as she tapped on her phone, and was surprised when she read the message.

She stood up in a hurry and hurt her knees as they slammed into the chair.

Everyone in the library turned and looked at her after the commotion.

Hope didn't care to apologize. She was frantically looking around.

Hope stood there, anxiously looking for any sign of Ryan. However, she found nothing.

Hope sat back down slowly. She felt dejected as she looked at the text message again.

She was about to reply when she heard a commotion. That was when she heard the voice from her dream. "Hope, I'm back."

She thought she was hallucinating.

Hope looked up and met his gaze.

Ryan still looked the same even though they had been apart for years. Tall and distant, with a smile meant only for her.

Hope's vision blurred. She lowered her head, only to realize she was already sobbing.

Ryan asked, "Hey, Hope, where's my hug?" Hope's tears were streaming down her face.

Ryan came over to her side. He gently wiped away her tears and embraced her.

"Guess I'll have to hug you since you don't want to hug me," Ryan whispered into her ear. "Hope, I'm back."

Hope whimpered, "Meany, you should have told me that you were coming back."

"It was meant to be a surprise. I have come to fulfill my promise."

Hope blushed in response.

Ryan smiled and kissed her forehead.

The two of them embraced.