Ji Hyun’s POV

Khun has been acting weird the past few days. Come to think of it, so has Junho! Whenever they pass me in the corridor they smile, Junho amusedly and Khun…well sort of lovingly! We didn’t get to talk properly this week though, they’ve been rushing around on schedules and I’ve been attending rehearsal after rehearsal. Strangely enough though, Ryu Byung has been making me stay back longer after rehearsals for private practices. I have no idea what it’s for but I’m not about to question it.

Khun texted me asking me to meet him after work at the Namsan Tower. I refused to think of him as more than a friend, but his invitation really made my heart race. Namsan Tower was the most romantic place in Seoul and it was really popular for wedding proposals and dates. What could be the reason why he wanted to meet me there?

Nichkhun’s POV

She agreed to meet me tonight, thankfully. I wouldn’t be free to do this other days. Junho looked at me excitedly from the front seat. “Hyung, I already booked the Namsan tower for the whole of tonight! There won’t be anybody to disturb you two tonight!” Surprisingly, he was much more enthusiastic about tonight than I was. My stomach was already knotted as I thought about what I was about to do. “What if…what if she rejects my confession? I don’t think I’ll be able to handle it…maybe I shouldn’t do this…” Wooyoung, who was sitting next to me patted my back. “Khunnie ah, if you don’t try you will never know. Ji Hyun Noona seems like a nice girl, she won’t be so mean as to reject you so openly as well. Don’t worry!” I nodded, smiling in spite of myself at their attempts to boost my confidence.

I didn’t get it, I hardly had stage fright and I didn’t have many fears. What was it about Ji Hyun that made me so afraid of rejection all of a sudden? Maybe it was because I was finding it hard to live without her.

Ji Hyun’s POV

I finally arrived at the tower after being caught in the rush hour jam for 30 minutes. I glanced at my watch, 7pm. The beautiful lights decorating the tower caught my eye first. Looking up, I saw Nichkhun, waving down at me. Without hesitation I ran into the tower and took the lift up. I excitedly stepped out of the lift when I had reached the top. The view took my breath away. The rooftop was beautifully decorated with purple and sky blue balloons. “It’s so beautiful!” Nichkhun, who was waiting outside the lift gently took my hand and led me to a nearby bench, which had a full view of the skyline and the nightlights. The roof of the tower was empty, which was a very rare occurrence in Korea. “You’re surprisingly brave today, I thought you were scared of heights!” I teased Khun playfully. I gestured to the empty rooftop, “It’s also so cool that the roof is empty tonight! Almost as if it were booked just for us… it’s perfect.”

Khun looked at me seriously, so intently that I had to look away to prevent myself from blushing. “Ji Hyun, you’re right, I am scared of heights. And yes, you’re also right, this rooftop was booked for us.” “But how…” He interrupted my question. “I’m willing to do anything for you, Ji Hyun, even get over my fear of heights to make this a perfect evening for you. All this is because…because I love you.”

All the pieces clicked in my head, the odd behavior from the past few days, how panicked he felt when he thought that I was in danger, the romantic atmosphere tonight…then I realized. Apart from my initial infatuation with him and our mutual friendship afterward, I realized that as of now, I thought of him as more than a friend. My heart flipped every time he smiled, even when he was simply near to me. I…I had fallen for him as well.

He was looking at me anxiously, awaiting my reply. I took a deep breath and with a wide smile, I grabbed him into a tight hug. I whispered in his ear, “I love you too.”

Nichkhun’s POV

Hearing those 4 words made that moment the happiest moment in my life. I pulled away from the hug and looked into her eyes. “Really?” I could hardly believe it, my heart was so full, it felt like it would burst. Her expression sincere and full of love, she nodded.

It felt so natural when she took my hand and we strolled to the edge of the rooftop together. My fears were forgotten when I looked into her eyes. Glancing at the many padlocks hooked onto the metal railing, it reminded me of what Wooyoung had told me before he had left. “A common tradition here for couples would be to write their names and love onto the padlock then attach it here, so that their love would continue on forever.” I reached into my pocket and took out a brand new padlock. I handed it to her. “I may not have lived in Korea long, but I do know this, that when a couple writes their names on a lock and lock it to this metal railing, their love will be everlasting.”

A gasp escaped Ji Hyun’s mouth as she carefully the silver lock. Turning it over her fingers, she finally said decisively. “Well, what are we waiting for?” I grinned as I led her over to a box of markers that had been left there for us by Junho. She picked a sky blue colour while I picked my favorite color red. We sniggered as we noticed that the other locks that hung on the railings were also coloured In blue and red, just that the girls had picked red while the guys picked blue. I was starting to regret my choice when Ji Hyun patted my shoulder. “It’s okay Khunnie ah, we’re special.” This was one of the things that I liked about Ji Hyun, she never failed to be sensitive about my fears and make me feel better. I squeezed her hand warmly as she carefully wrote her name on the lock, then sealing it with a heart. I took it gingerly, taking a deep breath, I opened it and hooked it on the metal railing. “One, two, three!” We shouted together, before I clicked the lock. Fireworks went off right on cue.

Ji Hyun laughed out loud excitedly, bouncing adorably as she cheered at the fireworks. “Wow wow wow Khunnie did you see that? It looked just like a flower! Tonight is the best night ever, Khun, thanks so much for everything. I love you!”