A little girl dressed in her Sunday best entered through the large entrance at the back of the church, spreading colorful petals along the floor as she made her way to the front. She almost stopped to walk towards her mom in one of the pews in the middle, but remembered to reach the very end.

A young boy dressed in his small black suit and coiffed hair carefully held a pillow holding two rings as he strode down the aisle following the actions of the flower girl, but stood off to the side from the priest instead.

The orchestra harmoniously resounded as the bride, with all the grace and beauty in that moment, slowly strode to the center of the altar. All eyes were settled on her and her only. The groom's grin couldn't have been wider, and he dawned a look of complete adoration and love (and a finely tailored tuxedo). What mattered today wasn't what people were gossiping about, whether an old school friend in the audience was sitting in vague jealousy, or even of the world's troubles. Today was a day of celebration and happiness in matrimony.

The bridesmaids and the groom's best men followed, standing beside the couple for a few minutes, before departing to the first set of pews facing the beautiful ceremony. The ladies wore soft lavender dresses; the men wore black suits with lavender ties.

Jongdae looked at Yuji across the aisle, his smile growing when she looked back, as radiant as ever.

She mouthed to him, "You look great."

He mouthed back, "You don't."

She glanced around for a moment, and flipped him the bird. He blew a kiss at her.

It seemed so long ago, Jongdae mused, but how did they eventually get to this stage in their life?

"You may now kiss the bride," the pastor announced.

Jongdae, Yuji, and everyone else applauded as Jongdae's sister, Yerin, kissed her boyfriend of 5 years - now husband.

After lunch at the reception, Yuji attacked Jongdae from behind.

“Ah!” Jongdae yelled, twirling around. “Of course, it’s you.”

“Hey Jongdae! Hey Seulgi!” Yuji hugged her old comrade and his girlfriend. “Haven’t seen you two in nearly a year! Time flies, huh?”

Seulgi hugged Yuji extra tightly. “Too fast. It was nice seeing you, Yuji.” Seulgi released the hug.

“You’re leaving?” Yuji went back in to hug her tighter.

Seulgi laughed. “Yeah, I have an exam starting in a couple hours, so I should head back soon.”

Jongdae and Yuji waved to Seulgi as she left.

“How’s the internship going?” Jongdae asked, sticking his hands in his pockets.

Yuji groaned. “I’m still getting dumb tasks to do, but I’m just waiting to do the real stuff, you know?” She walked over to the food table and stuffed desserts onto a plate.

Jongdae nodded. “I have a final performance next month. Will you come and watch?”

Yuji beamed. “Tell me the day and I’ll cancel work that day!”

Jongdae ruffled her head much to her displeasure.

“Excuse me.”

Jongdae and Yuji looked down at the ring bearer before them.

The little boy twiddled his thumbs and looked straight at Yuji. “Can I dance with you?”

Yuji chuckled, nodding enthusiastically.

Yuji decided to major in computer engineering, and Jongdae pursued film studies. For Jongdae’s graduate final, he had to write and direct an original play. He met Seulgi his junior year of college, and she was pursuing to double major in Philosophy and Dance.

Jongdae watched Yuji dance with the ring bearer on the dance floor. He considered the question that Yuji asked him some time ago, when they were still teenagers. How would he describe Yuji?

Yuji was an enigma, he decided. He thought he’d know her to the point that she would become predictable, but there’s so many hidden personalities that she was composed of.

Once, she dated a boy for a couple months during senior year. She was the one to take the initiative to ask him out (because “screw gender roles I do what I want”) and she was the one to end the relationship. He didn’t expect for her to have such strong emotions as she did considering they didn’t date long and she didn’t particularly spend much time with her boyfriend. But she cried that night, and Jongdae came to console his heartbroken friend, who foolishly thought the boy she dated had no ill intentions when he pursued her.

Yuji has her blue days, but most of them occur with no reason and at odd times.

Yuji was a klutz, but when it specifically came to serious and intense times, she suddenly becomes the steadiest person in the room.

She considers herself a follower, but time to time, Jongdae notices her control difficult situations.

She surprises him from time to time. Her personality is as fluid as a river, but the rocks in the stream remain the same. Parts of her may wear away, but fundamentally, she’ll still be relatively the same as he’d remembered her.  

There was no reason to figure her out. All he could do was enjoy and appreciate having her in his life, a best friend now and, hopefully, forever.

The dance number ended and everyone applauded.

Yuji turned to the person who tapped her on the shoulder.

Jongdae held out a hand. “May I have this dance with you?”

Yuji held his hand and nodded. “I’m leading.”

Jongdae cocked his eyebrow, and then he laughed. He was not surprised.

Thanks for reading this story! I hope you enjoyed this journey of friendship! I might post bonus chapters in the near future, but for now, their journey has come to an end. Please vote for my story in Korekrypta's Tender Rose contest :) Link is in the foreward!

Any questions or comments feel free to post below or PM me! Have a nice day~