Twenty three

Jiyong stepped into his former campus gate with a big smile in his handsome face.

Today is his wife, Lee Chaerin graduation day.

All eyes is on him, no matter if he’s no longer student here, but he always be the most wanted guy in the campus even outside, too bad, he’s taken.

“Oppa!” someone called him.

He saw Minzy.

“Hey.” He waved at her.

“Whoaa you look so handsome today.” Minzy scanned him from head to toe.

Jiyong smirked, he wore a suit and bring some flowers. “Why you’re here?” Minzy hasn’t graduate yet and only invitation can go to the graduation ceremony.

“Uhm… Seungri oppa gave me invitation.”

“What? Seungri? Oh you gotta be careful of him, okay?”

“Ya! Oppa! We’re just friends.” Minzy pouted.

Jiyong patted her head, “Alrght, alright… I just think that maybe Daesung could be a better option.” He laughs.

“Oppa!”

Jiyong continue laughing.

“Lets go, Oppa, the ceremony will be start soon.” She said.

Jiyong sat on his chair beside Minzy and the Dean open the ceremony right after. He’s been waiting for this day because Chaerin will deliver a speech since she’s graduated with honor.

“She’s one of our best student, she always in big five every semester and no wonder if she’s graduating with honor at the end. She got a perfect score for the final presentation, and this is, Lee Chaerin.”

And when the crowd applaud because the Dean calling out Chaerin’s name, Jiyong never feel this proud on his life.

“Good Morning everyone.” She looks pretty in her graduation gown. “So, delivering a speech is a hard task and, yes, this is intimidating, but its such a honor for me to be standing here as representative from all student who graduates today. Here we are, leaving college to starts the new stage in life, the bigger stage… the realest.” She smiled and she keep going reading all the speech she’s been practicing the whole night.

“… to everyone who touched our lives, we say thank you, for parents who always there to catch our back, we also say thank you. For me personally, I’d like to say thank you for my husband, Kwon Jiyong for always be there for me.”

the crowd cheering and Jiyong surprised because it was clearly not in her speech cheat sheet.

He nods and tried to keep collected even though he knew his face must be red by now.

“At the end, I invite you all to take your tassels, flip them and lets toss the cap together, because we did it! We passed! And lets do it happily because we’re gonna remember this forever. And once again, sincerely from the bottom of our heart, Thank Hyun Suk University. Thank you all!”

+

Jiyong walked towards Chaerin who just finished tossing the cap with her friends, now everyone is busy taking pictures with their family.

“Chaerin, didn’t your parents come?” one her friend asked.

She smiled and pointing at Jiyong, “my family came.”

“Oh,” she looking at Jiyong and the leave, many people also looking at the two of them, however they were such a hot issue at school.

“Barbie.” He said.

“I did it, oppa!!” she squeal.

Jiyong smiled widely, “I know you will.” He gave her the flower.

“Oh so pretty…” she took the flower.

“Congratulation, Barbie.” He pull her and embrace her in his arms.

“Oppa, many people are looking.”

“Hmmm… so?”

Chaerin chuckles.

“Oppa, Unnie!” suddenly Minzy running towards them

“What’s happening, Minzy?” Chaerin asked.

“Youngbae oppa, Youngbae oppa…”

“What? What’s happened to him??” Jiyong asked.

“He called me, Dara unnie went to hospital because she’s ready to delivering the baby.”

Chaerin covering , “Oh my God!!”

“Let’s go to the hospital.” Jiyong drag Chaerin with him.

+

“Its ready now. Normal delivery.” The doctor said, she gave the nurse sign to starts the procedures.

Dara looking at Youngbae who already wearing the surgery gown completed with the hat and mask.

“We’ll start in a minute.” The doctor said to Dara while she prepare herself.

Dara nodded.

“Bae,” she said.

Youngbae come closer to her, “yes?”

“They said, laboring is between life and death, so…”

“What are you talking about??”

“That’s what I heard!” Dara said. “So, if anything happened to me, promise one thing, protect the baby with all your life, okay?”

Youngabe hold her hand tightly, “you don’t have to say that,I was gonna protect him with or without you.”

Dara smiled, she tighten her grip to Youngbae.

“And uh… Dara,” he said, “because you mention that this is a between life and death event… I think I better say this now.”

“What…”

“Dara, I love you.”

“What?”

“I’m sorry, you don’t have to love me back just yet, I just want you to know I like you since the first time I saw you at the campus, when you went there for Chaerin… And I feel everything that happened between us on the way is fate…”

“Bae…”

He kiss her forehead, “fighting, Dara, I’ll be here.”

Dara looking at Youngbae, she suddenly pull his face towards her and kiss his lips.

Youngbae surprised by her action.

“Thank you.” She said. “Thank you for telling me that, at least now I know I’m not one sided.”

“What? Really?”

Dara smiled.

“Everyone ready?” the doctor asked.

+

His name is Sun Ni, Dong Sun Ni. He’s a healthy, handsome baby boy and the couple couldn’t take their eyes from the baby.

“Seems like something is going on…” Chaerin mumbled.

“They’re parents now, that’s what’s going on, Barbie.” Jiyong said.

“No, I mean, look how they act towards each other.”

Jiyong and Chaerin who sat on the dining table inside Dara’s huge room in hospital looking at how Youngbae sitting on the edge of the bed and talking to Dara while sometimes she will laughs to what he said.

Chaerin sighed.

She keep her gaze to Dara who embraced their baby boy and Youngbae who always stick to her side.

A family.

“I need a fresh air.” She smiled.

“I’ll come with you.”

“Hey, where are you going?” Youngbae who saw them walking towards the door asking.

“The atmosphere here is too sweet, I’m afraid I’ll get diabetic soon.” Jiyong laughs.

Jiyong go after Chaerin who already leave first. He saw her walking pass the windows that displays many babies in their cribs.

Chaerin walks slowly, watching them one by one. Some of them are sleeping, the other is soundlessly crying and some other just stretching. Unconsciously Chaerin touch her stomach.

Jiyong can’t help but feel a pain in his chest when he saw Chaerin do that.

She wants baby so bad and all he could do is just trying.

Its just the matte