Chapter 23

Our Bucket List

SHIN HYE was smiling from ear to ear as she was watching Hong Ki play the drums skillfully. It was her first time to see him play the drums, and she couldn’t believe that he was also excellent on it. The guy was really musically talented. Every hit on the drum set was perfect. But what was more perfect for Shin Hye’s eyes was the man sitting behind the drum set, creating that rhythmic sound.

“I’m cool, aren’t I?” Hong Ki said, grinning from ear to ear when he saw Shin Hye watching him closely. Shin Hye acted like she grimaced, but she couldn’t help but to crack a smile. Hong Ki was just too cute.

Shin Hye had not imagined things to be this way. She had not thought of being with Hong Ki like the way they were together now. For her, it was all just a dream. But she forgot dreams do come true. All the fears she had, all the risks she took—it was all worth it. He was all worth it.

“Charmed?” Hong Ki asked playfully again. And Shin Hye could only nod her head. She went closer to Hong Ki. And without precautions, she kissed him lightly on his cheek. She saw how Hong Ki was stunned for a moment, his face burning red. Shin Hye couldn’t help but to pinch his nose because he was just so adorable.

“Why?” Hong Ki asked, looking amused.

“I just want to thank you,” she said with a beaming smile on her face.

Hong Ki crinkled his nose, his lips pursing because he was curious. “For what?”

“For everything. You know that I came here because of my dream, right? But I didn’t know that what awaits me here is a much brighter star.”

Hong Ki smiled handsomely at her. She remembered those times when those lips couldn’t even twitch for a tiny smile. She remembered those times when those eyes don’t even glow. And seeing Hong Ki now, she knew they’ve come so far.

“Ah, wait a sec,” Hong Ki told her as he got himself out of the drum set. He then went to his room in his rehearsal studio and when he came back, he was already holding a familiar notebook.

“Wait, that’s my journal,” she pointed the huge notebook, her eyes enlarging. “How come?”

“I told you that Suzy gave it to me, right?” Hong Ki answered. “And since that day, I kept this. And I think this made me feel closer to you. It made me understood you more.”

Hong Ki opened her notebook to the page where she wrote her bucket list. “With this notebook, I understood your dreams. Can we also use this notebook to write down our dreams?”

Hong Ki looked at her straight into the eye. And there was no denying to the intense emotion he was feeling for her. It was all showing into his deep brown orbs. With just the way he was staring at her, she felt love.

“Then, let’s do it together,” she told him. “Let’s write down all the things we want to do together.”

Hong Ki gently pulled her near him as they sat on the floor. He flipped the notebook into an empty page.

“What’s the first thing you want to do?” he asked her.

Shin Hye tilted her head a little, thinking of something she wanted to do with her boyfriend. Boyfriend. She couldn’t help but to smile just by thinking of that word. Who would’ve thought that she’ll have a boyfriend? And who would’ve thought that the rude and irascible Hong Ki would be her boyfriend?

“I just want to do things a couple would do,” she told him after some seconds. “Just normal things. Dates and stuffs like that.”

“Then, date it is!” Hong Ki said with a smile as he scribbled the letters on her notebook. Shin Hye couldn’t help but to watch his every move. She wanted to memorize all these. She wanted not to forget every single second that they were together.

Hong Ki felt Shin Hye staring at him. He cocked his head a little, amusedly looking at his girlfriend.

“Hey, why are you always gawking at me?” he asked with pursed lips.

Hong Ki was feeling light at the moment. After all the hardships he and Shin Hye had to endure, he finally felt at ease. Having her by his side without limitations, without drawing walls to uncover their feelings, just feels so right.

Shin Hye smiled at him vibrantly. And just with that, he could already feel butterflies in his stomach. It was a very unusual feeling—something he didn’t expect to feel—but it felt so good.

“Let me write something,” Shin Hye told him as she got the pen from his grasp. He looked at him as she jotted down something.

His eyes scanned what she wrote. And then, he read it aloud. “Make every second last while we’re together?”

“Uh huh,” Shin Hye nodded. “Let’s not think of anything else. Let’s just be happy that we’re together. Let’s just think that we’re a normal couple that has just started their journey to forever.”

Hong Ki nodded with full understanding. Now, nothing could take their happiness away from them.

Shin Hye continued writing something down on her notebook. After some seconds, she had added two more things on their bucket list.

“Sing together?” Hong Ki read the words and Shin Hye nodded.

“Yes, because it is music that bind us together,” she explained.

“And, continue reaching for our personal dreams.”

Shin Hye smiled at him. “That’s because I know that we both have our personal dreams. And I want us to achieve it. Especially you, Hong Ki. I know you and your band can make it big in the industry.”

“Then, you should cheer for me on our debut stage and in every performance we’ll make.”

“No problem! I’ll be making banners to cheer you guys.”

Hong Ki held Shin Hye’s hand and pulled it to his lips. “I want you to be always there when I sing.”

Shin Hye smiled at him and nodded. “I will be there. I will always watch you.”

Her voice was almost a whisper. And Hong Ki couldn’t help but to feel a pinch in his heart. He held Shin Hye’s hand tighter as he pulled her to him. If he could only hold her like this forever, he would. If not letting her go would be the answer, then, he would gladly stay at this position forever.

“Hey,” Shin Hye poked her lightly on his forehead. She smiled at him vibrantly again, like the sun that enlightens his world. “Promise me you’ll do your best in every performance, okay? And you should also be friendly so you’ll have more fans. With that, you’ll be able to save up for our future.”

“Yes, for our future,” he reiterated, enchanted by the word future. It felt so right to dream a future with her. “We’ll live in a huge house because I made it big in the industry. You’ll live like a princess there—ah no, you’ll be the queen. And our kids will be our inheritors.”

“Yeah, that seems so nice. And every night I will tell our kids how once upon a time, you were such a beast,” Shin Hye added, making the reverie more concrete on their minds.

“I wish we can do that.”

“Me, too,” Shin Hye answered. She closed her eyes for a moment, as if reliving that dream in her head. A smile was carved on her lips.

Hong Ki pulled the notebook near him and grasp for the pen. He wrote something.

“Shin Hye,” Hong Ki called her in a whisper. Shin Hye’s curious eyes landed on his. He held both her hands and squeezed it tightly. “Let’s turn those dreams into reality.”

Gently, he showed her what he had written next in their bucket list. Shin Hye was stunned for a moment, unable to believe what was she was seeing.

“Shin Hye, will you marry me?” Hong Ki mouthed the exact words that he wrote in the notebook. He said that with all the sincerity he could muster. He looked at her straightly in the eyes. He saw a tear fell from Shin Hye’s eyes. And for a moment, he felt very nervous. He felt afraid that Shin Hye would decline his offer.

“I know… I know it’s too fast. But I have never been so sure in my life. Shin Hye, I want you to marry me.”

A smile finally escaped Shin Hye’s lips as her tears were still flowing freely down her cheeks. Then, she just hugged him tight. “I would love to marry you, my Hongstar.”

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Hello people! Are you still there?? Sorry guys to keep you waiting. It's just that a lot of thinga happened. Im sorry. Anyways, I hope this chapter will make you remember the magic you saw in this story before. Thanks. Hoping to hear from you. Lovelots. ♥♥♥