Having him staying in the hospital for the last few weeks, means the two of us barely have enough chances to date. The random trips to the garden and rooftop became the only chance for us to be together alone, though I felt lucky about those, I couldn’t help but feel how I also miss walking around in the city with him, holding hands, kissing his cheeks when I feel like it and him hugging me randomly out of nowhere. So the whole morning, I begged Mrs. Han to teach me how to cook kimbap and egg rolls and other simple side dishes I could cook.

“Never in my life have I seen you cook, nor imagine that you ever will,” she said as we were dicing some vegetables. “I’m guessing you’re up to something special,” the old lady said and I saw a smile forming at her lips as she looked at me teasingly.

“Tae Min suggested we should have a picnic, so…” I paused, knowing that Mrs. Han already knew the rest of the story.

“So only Tae Min can make those miracles happen huh?” Mrs. Han smirked at me.

I chuckled as I continued with our cooking. “Let’s just say I want to be the best girlfriend ever. I left him Mrs. Han,” I paused, swallowing the pain at my throat as I was reminded of my guilt. “So I’m trying to make up to him through these little things… these things I’ve never done before.”

Mrs. Han may have seen some expression on my face making her move towards my side then she gave me a side hug with her head leaning on my shoulder. I stopped to calm myself down. “He had never hated you YoonA,” she said comfortingly. “Tae Min wasn’t capable to hate you. He could only love you. He always did.”

I sniffed. “That’s it isn’t it? He loved me before and still loves me now and I want to repay all of it. To love him until forever… but fate wasn’t giving us that chance,” I explained. Because no matter what I do, no matter how we tried to pretend, destiny will always catch up with us, and right now destiny’s planning to take Tae Min away from me.

Stopping by at the hospital by lunch, I had a wide smile plastered at my face and the morning’s dreary conversation forgotten. Mrs. Han gave me some advice that time, telling me that I should stop blaming myself for leaving him and for being clueless about his condition. She even told me that I should smile more and just cherish every time we had.

The hospital had a policy for not patients to not leave the hospital premises without being discharge first but because of the strings I managed to pull - e.g Taecyeon- I was able to let Tae Min out for some fresh air. “How were you able to convince my doctor to let me out?” He asked as we were driving to the nearest park. “With a face like mine, no one could ever say no,” I joked. I still wasn’t ready to talk about Taecyeon to him so right it was the proper thing to do. Laughing back, Tae Min then answered, “How could I forget.”

After parking, we walked through the park and finally found a shady tree. We placed a mat on the grass and I took out all of the food I succeeded to cook. I was thanking the heavens that my food was edible. Surprised was the only look I saw on Tae Min’s faced as I opened the food containers and bento box. “Woah. Did you do all these?” He asked.

I nodded. “Of course and I got help from my fairy godmother,” I smiled as I fed him a slice of egg roll. “How does it taste?” I asked nervously. I was sure to try one before I even packed. Of course I needed to know if my food was even suited for human consumption.

“Delicious,” he said as he took some more.

“Are you sure?” I asked dubiously. “Or are you just acting?”

He chuckled at my expression. “Baby I am. Calm down okay, it’s not as if I’m going to die from this,” he said. That word. I despised that word, and I guess Tae Min read my sudden coldness and quickly apologized. “Sorry it was a bad joke.” I didn’t want to answer, I didn’t want to ruin this day so I gave him a wide grin and tried feeding him. We ate and watched the kids who were playing a few feet away from us.

After eating I settled down next to him, with my head inclined on his shoulders and his arm wrapped on mine. I could feel his lips on my forehead as I close my eyes. In my head, I keep hoping that this moment lasts. Even not for a lifetime but longer than I expected. This warm calm feeling we both have, surrounding us, protecting us from a bittersweet reality. “YoonA,” he whispered against my hair. “Mm?” I murmured in reply. “Were would you want to live?” He asked out of nowhere. The two of us never talked about the future, you know the ones that involved 10 to 20 years ahead. It was scary and hurtful, because these things we may talk about and plan about will only be plans. So as a habit the two of us just ceased on those conversations. I felt a pain on my throat but I still answered. “Maybe in the country.”

“Jinjja?” He said surprised. “Why? I always thought you’d plan to live in the city,” he explained so honestly. “I guess that’s the point? I’ve always been in the city and years from now I’d rather be spending my days in a two-story home with a wide garden.”

“That seems nice,” Tae Min said and I could just sense a smile forming on his lips. “Our kids would love it.”

“Kids?” I asked as I pulled myself up slightly and looked at him, astonished.

“Well yeah,” he said as he stared back at me. “Just picture it, our kids playing in the garden,” then he closed his eyes. “I could just imagine it, us on the swing “–and yes there will be one- holding hands watching our son and daughter playing with each other,” he said so gently and as I watch him continue I couldn’t help my tears anymore. I leaned back at him and just let my tears fall. Because in another universe, I thought of us, I thought of a Tae Min that wasn’t sick. I imagined our kids playing in the yard. I imagine the two of us married and loving each other as our hairs turned grey. But our reality . It because those things will only exist in another universe.

“Noona,” he said, as he broke the silence between. I wiped my tears and took three deep breaths before I was absolutely certain I could face him. “Ne?” I said as I stared back at his smiling eyes. “Closed your eyes?” And as I raised my eyebrows in question he went on and said, “Please, just this once.”

“Arasso,” I said in defeat. As I closed my eyes, I felt him taking my left hand. I didn’t know what exactly he did but I felt something on one of my fingers. And as I opened my eyes, there on my finger, was the prettiest Ophelia ring I’ve ever since. “Let’s spend forever of our days together,” he said so simply and with that I jumped at him. Hugging him as tightly as I could. “I will,” I said in whisper. “I love you Tae Min.”

“I love you noona.”