It was Kim Eun Ri and Lee Taemin’s seventh month anniversary of dating and together, they went on a trip. It was near the mountains and Taemin had volunteered to drive.

Eun Ri looked at Taemin’s side profile while his hands were placed on the steering wheel. Eun Ri suddenly blushed when she thought how blessed she was. They met a long time ago. The only thing that kept them away in the past was Eun Ri’s ignorance of his existence.

“Hey, Eun Ri, that guy likes you,” commented Eun Ri’s friend and jerked a thumb towards a boy with soft, short curls.

Eun Ri shut her locker and turned to her friend.

“I’ve already said, I don’t date ‘till college.”

“But he’s hot!” argued Eun Ri’s friend.

“I don’t care!”

“Fine.”

Eun Ri chuckled a bit, not knowing why she thought of that foolish idea. She could have loved earlier to enjoy Taemin’s warm embraces, kisses and murmurs of ‘I love you’ more. Taemin turned back, surprised at the sound that just came out of Eun Ri’s mouth. They were silent the whole ride and she just laughed. But Taemin couldn’t help but smile at her.

“What’s wrong?”

Eun Ri shook her head, smiling secretively.

“Nothing.”

Taemin shrugged his shoulders and turned his attention back to the road. They were curving up upon a slope and Eun Ri could see the vast collection of bunched up green trees that lay below. It looked wonderful and breathtaking.

She relaxed back again and played the videos of the past in her mind once again.

“Hi, my name is Taemin. I like you. Can you be my girlfriend?”

Eun Ri looked around and only saw a deserted hallway.

She pointed to herself and said, “Me?”

Taemin nodded with a nervous smile.

“Sorry, I don’t date until I’m in college.” Eun Ri defensively put a hand up and backed away.

Taemin looked a bit sad, with the corners of his lips down but slowly let out a small smile of hope.

“I’ll be waiting for you then. You’re 16, right? I’ll wait just a couple of more years.”

Eun Ri just gazed Taemin’s eyes. That moment signified the hardship that Taemin had to go through in the future to earn Eun Ri’s love, or at the very least, friendship so he could love her from afar.

“I love you,” muttered Eun Ri softly.

Taemin’s lips twisted at the corners of his lips as her heard her. Pretending to not hear, he leaned his ear in.

“What did you say?”

Eun Ri blushed lightly and shook her head softly.

“Nothing,” she answered in a monotone.

“Aw, come on, tell me,” begged Taemin with pouted lips.

Eun Ri just starred at them, knowing that they would not affect her at all. Taemin finally gave up and turned back with a disappointed face. Eun Ri felt bad but she just didn’t know how to apologise properly. She was always that kind of person who was hard headed that did would not ever give up.

“Sorry,” she said quickly and quietly.

Even though it was very quiet, Taemin heard as he was used to her mumblings. He grinned silently. Eun Ri stuck her tongue out, embarrassed. Hiding her embarrassment, she turned towards the outside of the car and snuggled her face into the chair.

“Hey, Eun Ri, where’s the boy?”

“What boy?” I asked as I placed my head on my arms, sliding myself closer to the table in front of me, my chair making a slight squeaking nose.

“The guy that likes you,” said my friend, smiling mischievously.

“Don’t know and don’t care,” I mumbled from my arm.

She was about to ask another question but closed quickly as our teacher came walking in.

During the whole class, all because of my friend, I pondered about Taemin’s whereabouts. He couldn’t have just left, after perusing me for so long. Now that I’m in college, he’s a closer step to his dreams.

Taemin’s being missing for these past few days and even though I should be happy, I’ve been secretly hoping that as soon as I turned my head around, he would be there, smiling goofily at me. But every time, my heart would just sink with disappointment.

“… revision is a necessity for the test two days later.”

I shook my head out of the thoughts and directed my attention back to my professor. I didn’t want to miss my valuable lessons.

“Taemin-ah?”

Without leaving his eyes off the road, Taemin asked, “yes?”

“Where… did you go missing for a few days?”

Briefly, Taemin looked at Eun Ri with a frown on his face and turned back to the narrowing road.

“When was that?”

“That was before we dated. Remember?”

Taemin tried hard to remember and finally, a scene flashed in his head.

“Ah, yes! Why do you want to know?”

“Because I-I missed you…” Eun Ri mumbled the words at the end.

Taemin wore a teasing grin.

“Oh, so was that when you fell in love with me?” Taemin smiled at Eun Ri while she quickly looked somewhere else to avoid his gaze.

“No! Of course not!” I fell in love with you earlier, Eun Ri longed to say but dignity to her was more important, “and, you haven’t answered my question yet!”

“I just visited my hyung and noona,” Taemin explained simply, winking at Eun Ri. Eun Ri pouted. That was not the answer she expected.

“It couldn’t have been that simple!” Eun Ri rested her hands on her hips as she narrowed her eyes at Taemin.

“Aw, don’t be like that, sweetheart. I’m telling the truth,” blinked Taemin innocently. Numerous times Taemin had called her ‘sweetheart’, and it never failed to make her shiver in delight. She was very lucky to have this man and yet, in the past, she failed to recognise him earlier.

Eun Ri’s lips twisted into a smile and gave in. “Fine, I believe you.”

“Aw, thanks honey!”

Butterflies fluttered in her stomach again. How she gave into this man’s love was too easy.

“Eun Ri, did you miss me?” I heard the lovely voice of Taemin and it stabbed me in the heart. I ignored him. Could he just go and come back like that?

I stepped into class, completely ignoring Taemin. Did he realise how much tears left my eyes when he left for so long?

“Eun Ri-ah, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to leave for so long.” He grabbed my hands to halt me. I swung his hand off of me and walked to the furthest corner of the room next to a girl and Taemin took a seat away from me reluctantly.

As soon as the lecture ended, I grabbed my stationary and textbooks, shoving them in my bag. If I was lucky, I could beat Taemin out of this classroom and bolt off. But luck wasn’t on my side and it was pretty clear that I would be too slow.

Taemin came up to me with a worried face but I just slung my bag over my shoulder and walked passed him. I avoided his eyes and couldn’t dare to look at how hurt he was. I walked quickly outside the classroom and as soon as I thought, with a pang, that Taemin didn’t come after me, someone suddenly grabbed my hand, swirled me around and place something soft on my lips.

My eyes opened widely as I saw Taemin’s lips on mine, his eyes closed, savouring the moment. I wanted to remove his lips and used my hands to thrash at him but he just held it tightly in his hands, pushing me closer to him. Finally, I gave in, loosening my arms.

Taemin pulled away after a while.

“I’m so sorry, Eun Ri-ah,” he apologised, gazing at me sincerely.

I wrapped my arms around his body and sobbed into his chest.

“Did you know how worried I was?”

“I’m so sorry, Eun Ri-ah.” He wrapped his arm around my shoulder, pulling me in closer.

“Don’t ever do that again, okay?”

“I won’t, I promise.”

We stayed there silently for a while and I wanted time to stop as he held my in a warm embrace.

“So, does this mean we’re together?”

My face fell. He just totally ruined the moment! I let go and walked away with him yelling my name from afar. An arm wrapped around by waist from behind and a voice mumbled into my neck an apology. Exasperated, I let out a deep sigh and an automatic smile pasted on my face.

“Yes.”

Taemin turned me around immediately.

“What?”

“I said, yes.”

I saw a smile spread across Taemin’s face and I couldn’t help but smile wider, showing my teeth.

“I love you, Eun Ri!”

Eun Ri smiled back at the memory that played vividly in her head. She would never forget that day, a day full of joy and happiness.

“What can I do, Taemin-ah? What can I do?” she whispered inaudibly while she observed his face.

“You’re perfect…” Eun Ri imagined herself tracing his pink lips.

“How can I live without you?” Her hands cupping his face.

“What would I do without you?” And her fingers his cheek.

And finally, tiredness took over her body and she let her eyes close to fell into a deep slumber.

“We’re here,” murmured Taemin while softly shaking Eun Ri up.

Eun Ri fluttered her eyes open and blinked to adjust her eyes to the surrounding. A look of confusion casted over her face as all she saw was darkness outside the car. The only light that lightly shadowed the concrete floor outside was a light outside a small house, cottage almost.

Eun Ri sat up and used her elbows as support. “Where are we?” she asked.

“Come, let’s go.” Taemin smiled charmingly and got out of the car, heading towards Eun Ri’s side of the car to open the door.

Taemin took Eun Ri’s soft hand in hers and pulled her out of the car. He then lead her towards the door while Eun Ri hesitantly followed. The area outside seemed beautiful, with small gnomes scattered around the small front, gateless garden. Cobbles of stones paved the sides of the pavement that headed towards the front door. The grass was neatly trimmed and, because of the soft rain last night, shimmered in the moon’s light.

They arrived at the front door and the light provided was hanging on the veranda’s roof; the light was enough for them to see. Taemin took out some keys from his pocket and poked it into the door, twisting it before swinging the door open.

The sight in front of Eun Ri caught her by surprise. It was absolutely splendid. The hallway was lit up with a soft, cream coloured light and the walls were of a vintage pattern. A petite chandelier hung from the roof and the lights from the tiny particles on it reflected both of their eyes.

The room felt homey and warm. Eun Ri smiled brightly and immediately walked towards the middle of the room and turned to the nearest room. Taemin smile broadened watching his sunshine happy. He knew she would like these things. She was a normal, plain type of person and anything too elaborate was definitely a turn off for her. This contributed to one of the reasons he loved his honey pie.  

A muffled gasp escaped from Eun Ri’s mouth as she saw the living room. It was lit a little bit lighter than the hallway but still carried the same atmosphere. A fireplace stood at the end of the room, it’s fire cracking and sizzling behind the fenced gate. There were two seats next to the fireplace; one rocking chair and a comfortable sofa in cream colour that blended well with the background. The circular carpet covered the wooden floor underneath just before the fireplace but far enough to ensure safety.

“It’s beautiful, Taemin!” whispered Eun Ri in amazement while hung open. She turned around and yet again, another surprise caught her. In front of her, her handsome boyfriend kneeled and held out a golden ring in his finger.

Eun Ri’s hands automatically came to while her eyes widened.

“Eun Ri, my dear girlfriend, are you willing to marry me?” Taemin sincerely asked.

Eun Ri staggered a few steps back in surprise. Taemin was heartbroken because he thought she did not take this relationship seriously but his face lit up with happiness when finally, Eun Ri cried out a yes and ran into his arms.

Taemin held Eun Ri in his arms as they rocked back and forth on the wooden rocking chair, looking at the fire spurt and crackle on contenting silence. Eun Ri finally decided to break the peaceful silence.

“Taemin, why did you suddenly bring me here?” Taemin looked down to Eun Ri’s face.

“I wanted this to be a special place, a place for you to remember that I proposed to you here and to also introduce you to our future home.” Taemin smiled bashfully.

Eun Ri’s heart wanted to explode with happiness but she kept her cool. Three words lingered in her head but she did not want to say it. It was embarrassing for her but, he deserves to know, she thought.

Throwing away her dignity, she finally muttered the words that Taemin had always wanted to hear:

“I love you.”