-

Kyungsoo waited outside Ji Hyun’s house nervously.

Today was her birthday and he wanted to ask her the big question today.

“Kyungsoo Oppa, did you wait for a long time?” Ji Hyun came out smiling brightly, dressed in a long-sleeved white dress. She looked exceptionally beautiful today.

Kyungsoo shook his head and grinned, “Happy birthday, Ji Hyun ah! Today we will be going to the amusement park first!” Kyungsoo could not hide his eagerness as he had planned for the celebration today for a long time. He remembered how they had met through the university musical production.

He was the lead actor who had a romance story with another female lead actress. Ji Hyun was one of the scriptwriters and music director, though there were unpleasant rumours about her initially. Ji Hyun had entered university at a later age, and had been recommended to join by a famous radio producer named Mr Seo Kang Joon, who was also an advisor to the musical production. Rumour was that Ji Hyun was Mr Seo’s lover and she had entered university through his backing, and she was able to join as a core member of the production team because of Mr Seo as well.

However, all these rumours proved to be baseless and Kyungsoo found himself falling deeply for her. When she first joined, some people made things difficult for Ji Hyun but she never once faltered, melting them with her sincerity and smiles. Ji Hyun was always one of the earliest to reach the set, and the latest. She joined in all team discussions, and contributed beyond her work scope.

Kyungsoo first interacted with Ji Hyun when she approached him and the lead actress to share her thoughts on their acting and some of the lines. The three of them then discussed in depth about some of the lines to make them more moving and realistic. She also sought their opinions on the songs and volumes. She was that meticulous and passionate, and these were highly attractive qualities to Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo noticed himself looking for Ji Hyun every single time he went for practice and volunteering to help out with other work such as moving of logistics and even designing of the posters and tickers just because he knew Ji Hyun would be there. At each session, he would try to be seated near her or within her line of sight, and every time, he found himself falling harder for her smiles, her chuckles, her manners – everything about her. Eventually they became closer friends and Kyungsoo would ask her out to discuss about the production, or go out casually or study together.

Once or twice, Mr Seo would drop by and he would watch Ji Hyun and Mr Seo. Mr Seo was a young successful, rich and handsome man who was well-loved by many. On one occasion, Kyungsoo plucked up his courage to speak to Mr Seo discreetly to ask about his relationship with Ji Hyun.

“She is my muse. I might have good feelings towards her in the past, but nothing happened. She is a very strong and kind girl who deserves a loving relationship. If you are interested in her, you can pursue her. But if you hurt her, I will not be kind to you.” Mr Seo stated his stance clearly.

Kyungsoo nodded his head and declared his intention to pursue Ji Hyun to Mr Seo then. Coincidentally, a few days later was Ji Hyun’s birthday and while trying to find a gift for her, he had somehow wandered into a café named Until You Return.

Then and there, he heard the café singer sang a self-composed song which reminded him of Ji Hyun and he decided that he would use the song to confess to Ji Hyun one day.

-

After the amusement park, it was time for dinner and Kyungsoo brought Ji Hyun to the café named Until You Return. The settings of the café remained largely the same – the big picture of a dainty lady remained hanging on the wall behind the counter. The café was brightly lit with round tables of different colours- red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, black, gray, pink and white.

“Kyungsoo Oppa, this place is so beautiful!” Ji Hyun exclaimed, as she felt like she just entered into a world full of colours or one big rainbow walkway. The seats were painted correspondingly to the table they surrounded. Kyungsoo led Ji Hyun to sit at the pink area. They then discussed about their rides and had dinner and Kyungsoo kept a watch on the timing during dinner.

It was about time and he noted a tall man entering the café. He exchanged quick glances with the man and excused himself to Ji Hyun. Kyungsoo moved swiftly to the small stage and exchanged positions with the previous café singer.

“Mic test, mic test. Hi everyone, I am Do Kyungsoo. I am not a café singer but I have worked together with the café owner to get this opportunity to perform here today.” Kyungsoo noted Ji Hyun’s surprised look.

“Today I would like to sing this song to a special someone, to let her know how much I really like her. I first heard this song one year ago in a café, and back then, I made up my mind to ask the composer and singer to let me perform this once to declare my confession for my special someone. During this one year, I went to his performances to convince him to let me perform this song and finally he relented, so thank you to Mr Ji Chang Wook.” Kyungsoo gestured towards the tall man who entered the café not long ago who was now situated near the café counter. The crowd in the café clapped and Ji Hyun turned to look at the man. She could not believe her eyes and ears.

“This song is for you, Ji-Hyun ah, happy birthday!” Kyungsoo’s voice brought Ji Hyun back to her senses and she turned her gaze back towards Kyungsoo.

“I really like you and I would like to ask you to be my girlfriend. You could let me know your response later, after hearing this song. This song’s title is 101 reasons why I like you, written by Mr Ji Chang Wook.” Kyungsoo took in a deep breath after pouring his heart out in front of the audience in the café, his eyes locked at Ji Hyun who had an unreadable smile on her face.

The music started playing. Ji Chang Wook, the composer of the song, stood beside the café counter with a plastered smile on his face as he stared at the lady Kyungsoo was confessing to.

“What a funny twist of fate.” Chang Wook thought to himself, “and a somewhat cruel one.”

Kyungsoo began singing with his deep alluring voice:

“There are so many reasons that I like you
I’ll run out of breath if I list every one
You can count up to 101 but it won’t end
But tonight, I’ll sit you down and tell you all of them

One, you have a lot of tears
You’re pretty when you cry
Second, you’re like a kid
When you smile
Third, your heart
Fourth, your heart
All of you is so pretty
You make a reason for all of my actions

When I see you, I wanna hug you
I wanna tell you about my day
The more I see you
The more my heart goes to you
The prettier you get

When I see you, my lips keep going to you
That’s how you make me act
So what other reason can I tell you?

I have no other greed
I like things right now
Being with you
Just wanna hug you like now
Just wanna see you like today
Every day, I wanna be with you

When I see you, I wanna hug you
I wanna tell you about my day
The more I see you
The more my heart goes to you
The prettier you get

When I see you, my lips keep going to you
That’s how you make me act
So what other reason can I tell you?

There are so many reasons that I like you
You can count up to 101 but it won’t end”

The music softened and eventually stopped. Kyungsoo bowed to the audience and walked towards Ji Hyun who had a shy smile on her face, and he noted the glistening tears in her eyes. He took out a rose from his pocket and popped the question, “Ji Hyun-ah, will you be my girlfriend?”

The audience in the café stared and looked like they wanted to scream out a “Yes” for Ji Hyun. Chang Wook stared intently at Kyungsoo and Ji Hyun.

Ji Hyun’s smile widened, and nodded her head, saying a short and sweet “Yes” while accepting the rose from Kyungsoo’s hands. The crowd in the café cheered.

Kyungsoo grinned and pulled Ji Hyun into a warm embrace, “thank you Ji Hyun. I love you.”

Ji Hyun patted Kyungsoo’s back and responded “thank you too, for everything, Oppa. I love you too.”

-

A tear rolled down Chang Wook’s right cheek quickly. His hands were trembling slightly and he had to put his hands into his pockets to calm himself down.

It had been almost two years since she left him. She looked as beautiful as ever, and stronger than before. While thoughts ran wild in his mind, he noted that the newly formed couple was walking hand-in-hand towards him.

“Mr Ji Chang Wook, thank you so much for lending me this song and being here to witness this! When I first heard this song, I thought the lyrics were just about Ji Hyun.” Kyungsoo grinned and bowed to express his gratitude.

Chang Wook could only give him a slight pat on Kyungsoo’s shoulders. Chang Wook forced a smile as his eyes moved to scrutinise Ji Hyun – Kyungsoo was not wrong, the lyrics were written about Ji Hyun. In fact, this was the song they were trying to write together, and Ji Hyun added some lines to express her reasons for falling in love with Chang Wook then.

Then – Chang Wook reminded himself that what Ji Hyun and him had was in the past.

“Chang Wook Oppa, thank you for finishing this song, and lending it to Kyungsoo. I hope you have been well.” Ji Hyun spoke and the two men were shocked.

“You know him?” Kyungsoo asked, while Chang Wook opened his mouth in shock as he would never have thought Ji Hyun would acknowledge him in front of Kyungsoo.

Ji Hyun nodded and replied Kyungsoo, “Chang Wook Oppa was my ex-boyfriend.”

Kyungsoo’s eyes widened in shock.

“We tried to write this song together and things happened and our relationship ended. He was my super idol last time and an underground artist I used to feature in my radio show.” Ji Hyun shared in a matter-of-fact tone.

Kyungsoo’s eyes shifted from Ji Hyun to Chang Wook and from Chang Wook to Ji Hyun and then his eyes stopped at the ground. A million thoughts ran through his mind, and the most daunting thought was how he had just used the song they tried to write together to confess to Ji Hyun.

Chang Wook was amazed at how Ji Hyun was in control of this situation, and being so frank and candid. For a moment, he sympathised with Kyungsoo’s current awkward situation but the reality was that Ji Hyun had become Kyungsoo’s girlfriend and that was all that mattered.

“I am doing fine and I should be entering army soon. How about you? Congratulations on your new relationship!” Chang Wook tried his best to chuckle a little and lighten the atmosphere.

“Thank you Oppa. Do take care of yourself in the army.” Ji Hyun smiled and then her look became serious. “Oppa, I tried to search for you in cafes during the past year, because I thought I should apologise to you but I haven’t been able to pluck up the courage to do so till now. Maybe because Kyungsoo Oppa is here, and I feel more courageous.” Ji Hyun tightened her grip of Kyungsoo’s hand and smiled at Kyungsoo briefly before turning back to face Chang Wook again.

“Apologise?” both men gave questioning looks. Kyungsoo understood that Ji Hyun had been hurt badly in her previous relationship but he did not probe. He believed that she would confide in him when she was ready. Chang Wook wondered why Ji Hyun would want to apologise when he was the one who had let her down.

“Back then, I left without giving you a chance to end the relationship. A relationship is present because we both agreed to it, but I ended it unilaterally. That was not fair to you – I should have given you a chance for us to talk things over before ending it. That would have been proper closure and not as how I had left that way. During these two years, I had debated with myself about what happened then, how I should have handled it, and how I could apologise to you.” Ji Hyun took in a deep breath, and steadied herself, as she fixed her gaze on the man she once loved deeply, while standing besides the man she loves now.

“Chang Wook Oppa, I am sorry. I thank you for all the times we had – happy and sad, and I thank you for your understanding. I hope you would be able to lead a better life and that you are happy and can achieve all your aspirations. I still believe in you Oppa, and I will support you as a fan and a friend, if you don’t mind.”

Chang Wook smiled, and patted Ji Hyun’s head, and told himself to not cry in front of her. It had hurt. Her departure had hurt so much. Time had helped in alleviating some of the pain but from time to time, he would wonder whether she was fine. He thought he had seen her in the crowd during some of his performances but he always dismissed them as his hallucinations.

“Kyungsoo, I hope you don’t mind my earlier action. I am just thankful for this girl, and that pat on the head is more like an affectionate gesture from an older brother to a younger sister.” Chang Wook withdrew his hand and put it back into his pocket.

“Ji Hyun-ah, I am sorry too, for the hurt then. I am very happy for you now.” Chang Wook showed Ji Hyun a relieved smile. The pain was still there in his heart, but strangely enough, relief and some happiness overwhelmed him, after watching Ji Hyun – she was determined with her new relationship as seen from how she tightened her hand around Kyungsoo’s and how she had bravely acknowledged him truthfully in front of Kyungsoo and how she had apologised to him so firmly and calmly. His little girl had grown up so much. She was always so capable and somehow along the way, he realised that their relationship had caused her to lose some of her shine as she tried so hard to keep up and support his dreams.

A proper sense of closure – both Ji Hyun and Chang Wook felt it then. They both had no regrets.

“Thank you Chang Wook Oppa for everything.” Ji Hyun smiled and gave him a little bow.

“I will take good care of Ji Hyun and do take care of yourself in the army. Thank you for coming, and I have ordered dinner for you as a gesture of appreciation.” Kyungsoo bowed too.

Chang Wook chuckled as he noted how Kyungsoo had tried to declare his position as Ji Hyun’s boyfriend in a subtle and tactful manner. “I will enjoy the dinner then, Kyungsoo. You can get going with Ji Hyun now.” Chang Wook smiled at the two and gestured for them to continue with their programmes.

Without further ado, Kyungsoo pulled Ji Hyun out of the café while Chang Wook moved to the gray area to have his dinner.

-

“Kyungsoo Oppa, are you okay?” Ji Hyun asked with concern as she noted that the events which occurred earlier could have been difficult for Kyungsoo. “I am sorry but I cannot lie to you about who he is, and I really wanted to apologise to him…”

“Did I just confess to you and make you my girlfriend by using a song your ex-boyfriend had written?” Kyungsoo broke Ji Hyun’s monologue.

“What?” Ji Hyun could not believe her ears.

“Did I just confess to you and make you my girlfriend by using a song your ex-boyfriend had written?” Kyungsoo repeated his question.

“Is this what you have been thinking about?” Ji Hyun asked with bewilderment.

Kyungsoo nodded seriously and Ji Hyun laughed loudly.

“Oppa, yes, you just did that but does it matter?”

“How does it not matter? That has got to be the worst confession and I wanted to make it a memorable one. I mean this would be memorable but not the way I had planned for it to be!” Kyungsoo expressed his disappointment with a pout.

Ji Hyun chuckled at Kyungsoo’s outburst and then leaned in to give Kyungsoo a peck on his lips.

“It is an awesome and memorable confession, Oppa, even though we both did not expect this turn of events. It doesn’t matter, Oppa. What matters is now. What matters is we are together and how we keep trying to be together from today onwards.” Ji Hyun stared at Kyungsoo intently. Through their interactions, she had found herself falling in love again. She had been afraid at first and she confided in Kang Joon who had been her former boss when she first joined the radio station in a bid to help Chang Wook promote his music. Kang Joon had seen her fall apart, and helped her to become who she is today. Kang Joon was the one who told her it was okay to have been hurt and be afraid of new relationships, and that it was okay to start a new relationship and move on as well when she felt ready.

Kyungsoo’s pout turned into a smile. Ji Hyun was right, and she kissed him!

“If I say I still feel slightly unhappy, will you kiss me again?” Kyungsoo questioned.

Ji Hyun chuckled again, “is this your response to my heartfelt confession earlier?”

Kyungsoo’s ears turned red, and he tried to explain himself, “I think you are right, what matters is us being together now and…”

Ji Hyun cut him off with another peck on his lips, but this time, Kyungsoo was not going to let go of her so easily - he pulled her into a tighter and warmer embrace and deepened the kiss.

“I love you, Ji Hyun-ah, and I am not letting you go. You will be my wife one day and we will grow old together. I will work hard for you, and for us.”

The promises sounded similar but Ji Hyun chose to believe and to love again. “I love you, Kyungsoo Oppa, let’s continue to love each other and work hard together!”

-

The End.

[Onwards, Love.]

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Note: 101 Reasons Why I Like You is a song sung by Ji Chang Wook, from the Suspicious Partner OST. I am not sure who wrote the song. The lyrics seem to be a good fit for the story and hence the addition of the song lyrics in this. No copyright infringements intended. You may visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oEA3WCQZ5c if you are interested in the song.

Until You Return is a fictional cafe with a story of its own - if you are interested, you can visit https://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/604563/fumed-firefly-without-ashes-ftisland-hongki-jonghyun-shinee . This is one of my older stories titled Fumed Firefly Without Ashes featuring Lee Hong Ki from F.T. Island and the late Jong Hyun from SHINee. 

Hope you enjoyed the story. Appreciate your comments if any:) Thank you!:]

cheers

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