They were best of colleagues, best of teammates. Everyone knew them as the golden pair, their supervisors loved their partnership.

On their family day, she invited her best friend, Sejong to attend together. "Sejong, this is Jong Kook I always talk about." Sejong giggled while extending her hand.

Jong Kook frowned, and stared angrily  at her in jest," Seong-Im, you must have said something bad. Hi, I am Seong-Im’s best partner, don't trust what she said. She hated my talent," while shaking Sejong  hand.

"Sorry, I just remembered the funny things she said about you." Sejong giggled. Jong Kook was alone and so he joined the girls for the family day. Sejong and Jong Kook hit off right away, and the three had fun.

After that meeting, Sejong messaged Seong-Im, "I think I like Jong Kook, he is handsome , attentive, smart and funny. Link us up?"

"Really he is that good? I don't think so but I would still try." Seong-Im then always included him in their outing, then slowly Sejong asked him out alone, then she asked him to be her boyfriend. He agreed.

But he felt funny dating Sejong alone,  it was not so easy to talk to her as when Seong-Im was around. Seong-Im could make everything looked easy. Sejong was a bubbly girl and when she asked him to be her boyfriend , he could not say no, he had no reasons not to. The feeling of uneasiness never left him, but he wanted to keep his promise.

Their first date, Sejong gave her a kiss on the cheek and he returned the kiss on her forehead. He never did anything more, he could not do anything more. Their first outing with Seong-Im made him felt better, he became alive again. Seong-Im noticed the intimacy Sejong with Jong Kook and felt her heart winced.  Jong Kook, on the other hand, rejoiced and spent most of his time jesting with Seong-Im.  He only held Sejong hand when she slipped her hands in his​, it was the only right thing to do.

Sejong felt something but she could not place her finger on so she ignored it. She just felt happy to be with Jong Kook. He was handsome and kind, tall and muscular, his smile charming and his manners great.

Seong-Im knew something was wrong, she felt her feelings for him had changed or maybe it was then she discovered her feelings for him. It was only then she knew she fell in love with him.

He realised his feeling between Seong-Im and Sejong was different. With Seong-Im, he was who he was and completely at ease. His heart thumped harder and he felt happier. He finally realised who his heart was beating for, it was Seong-Im and now he was stuck. He didn't know how to get out of the situation and he also knew Seong-Im would never forgive herself and him.

He could not do anything and felt miserable.  She could not do anything and just wanted to forget her feelings for him.

One day, both of them were sent on an overnight business trip. That night, Jong Kook summoned all his courage and decided to confess to her. It felt so right when he was with her, he knew he had made the wrong choice agreeing to be Sejong's boyfriend and hoped to make it right. He was nervous throughout the dinner, and suggested for a walk after dinner. As they strolled on the streets, he decided it was now or never.

"Seong-Im, have you ever regret your  decisions before?" He asked.

"Yes, I did." She sighed, the worst one been agreeing to be Sejong's and Jong Kook’s matchmaker.

"Me too. I .." He paused, "Seong-Im, I ..." He stopped and she stopped as well. He turned to look at her and she did too. "I wanted to correct my worst decision that I ever made, Seong-Im. "

She looked at funnily, her gut feel told her she needed to go. "Let's go back." She suggested and turned to flee from him, away from him as soon as possible.

"Seong-Im..." He hesitated, what if his confession caused pain to her instead. "Ok that's go back." He smiled, gently and yet in despaired.  Her heart gave in to that smile and her hand reached for his face subconsciously.  Her eyes looked softly at the man she was in loved with, she saw his eyes filled ​

He glanced into her world and felt lost in her gaze. He reached for her hand that was on his face and his lips reached for hers, the two lips touched and he could felt his world exploding.

She was lost in the kiss, his lips tasted so sweet and warm. A car honked, and she realised what had happened, she pulled back in fright her eyes bewildered, she wanted to just run away from him, all this was wrong.

He pulled her towards him instead and hugged her, not wanting her to leave him. "Jong Kook, are you mad? You are my best friend's boyfriend! " she shouted, her hands .pounding on his chest.

"I know! I had made a wrong decision, Seong-Im. I ... " her hands was over his mouth, she immediately stopped him from saying more.

“I cannot betray her and make her unhappy.” she whispered.

“What about me?” he asked, his voice strained.

She sighed, he deserved his happiness too, just not with her.  “We are just not meant to be.” her tears fell as she said those seven words. The words only left bitterness in . She left him standing in the middle of the street and returned to the hotel.  She had made an important decision. that night, she could not sleep.

The trip back, both of them was quiet, both didn’t want to break the silent. She handed in her resignation the following day. No one could stop her, he didn't too. Both him and Seong-Im  suffered in silent, his heart pained every time he thought of her. Her heart winced if he popped up in her head.

He broke up with Sejong after three months, they were too different and they often argued heatedly over small things and they became unhappy with each other. He missed Seong-Im  terribly but he did nothing. There was nothing he could do, not even to find out how she was doing. He was just afraid that he might go to look after her and made her angrier and sadder.

He did try to mend his broken heart and forgot her. After a year later, he still could not find a soul mate just like her. He gave up, his heart was just like an impenetrable wall, no one could get in and he could not let her go out, trapping her forever in his heart.

“Jong Kook, does you know, Seong-Im is getting married! I saw her trying out a wedding dress.” one of their mutual friends called him one day.

He was stunned and quickly put up a smile to hide the emotional turbulence in his heart. He had thought he had forgotten her, but he did not.  She was just buried deep into his heart and the news just has awoken that love and all the feeling he had felt for her. He was both happy that she found her happiness and sad that he was not hers. His love each would be unrequited but he still was joyous that she would be happy. He felt lost, maybe he had thought that they were finally together but they were just 2 persons who had met at the wrong time, making the wrong decisions together.

He did not sleep well at nights after that, his days were just in a daze. He could not recall how he spent his week, he had lost the beacon in his life.

An unexpected message came that day,”Jong Kook, you remembered that I told you Seong-Im was getting married? Actually, it was not her. I bumped into her and she told me it was her best friend, Sejong instead. I was so embarrassed! Just to let you know.” he felt his heart beating again, the air felt cleaner, the birds were chipping merrily and his head clear.

“Is it true?” he asked, trying to calm the emotions he was feeling.

“Yeah! Oops.. Sejong was your ex… I am sorry again friend” his friend messaged.

“That was a long time ago! I am happy for her. How is Seong-Im doing?” he asked.

“She good but still single. Her phone no didn't change as well.” his friend feeding him information about her but he had the feeling it was because she wanted him to know. He smiled, maybe his chance had come. He took action immediately.

“Hi there, how are you.” he messaged her. He had earsed her number from his phone but never from his heart.

“Hi yourself,” she said. “I am fine. How you been doing?”

Her reply made him felt happy, he felt bolder, they had wasted too much time. He wanted to just skip the formalities and reached for what he had wanted for so long.

“Missing you. I am missing you so much!” he wrote back. She didn't reply, and his heart felt wrecked, had he read her wrongly, had he lost his chance again, he should just have taken it slow. regrets immediately fill his heart.

“You are cheesy,” came the reply five minutes later.

“But I am missing you too.” a second message came immediately. His heart rejoice!

“You free? Let's meet up now.” he suggested, there was no time to lose.

“Are you mad, it's midnight!” she said.

He called her, she answered immediately  “We lost too much time and I missed you for too long.”

She chuckled, “Where is the patient man I knew? Has he changed?”

“That man was gone when he knew he can be with you now. He had missed you too much and too long to care for himself. He needed to be with his love now.” he uttered lovingly, although he felt he was just too cheesy.

There was no reply from the other end, “You are right, we had been apart for too long.”

“I can come to your place,” he suggested. She agreed and gave him her address. He drove there as fast as he could. His finger trembled as he pushed her doorbell.

The door opened, and in front of him was the face that had appeared only in his dreams and haunted his nightmares. He stepped in, she closed the door behind him. He reached for  her and pulled her into his embrace. Never would he let go of her again, he vowed to himself.

They stayed like this, she laid on his chest, listening to his heart beat. He felt her warmth on his arms. Just need to know they were really together again.

It was her that broke the silence. “Let’s sit down.” she took his hand and they sat on the sofa.

“You do know me, taking the hints perfectly.” she giggled.

“and you scared me.” his brows frowned as he remembered the false news.

“I didn't, your friend did. Sejong made me tried on a wedding gown as I was helping her to choose one. How I know he would just assume.” she explained.

“I could never forget the night you disappeared from my arms. You could not betray her and I could not stop loving you.” he felt his eyes watering. “and now she found her happiness, we should too. Seong-Im, I only discovered I love you after I promised  her, maybe it because you are always there with me. But it was her that made me saw it. I was too slow and stupid, but I have not stopped loving you. I have always love you, my love, please love me back.”

Her hands were on his face liked that night, “she made me knew I love you too. But the realisation came too late, I was equally dense. Love, I have always loved you. I had been waiting for you since Sejong found someone new but you never came. I thought you had forgotten me until I met our friend. He told me you are single and lonely, let's when I decided to make us happen. Even if you don't come for me, I would have come for you.” with that she pulled his face towards hers and their lips touched and fireworks burst in their heart. Nothing would separate them again.

His heart was elated when he heard confession, his brain scolded him for his stupidity. She had been there for him and nothing had changed. That night, they spent time in each other arms. And from that night onwards, they were making up for the lost time, they got to know each other again. They found each other both familiar and yet a stranger but the changes were good.  They both had matured and they could communicate better than before.

Three months after they became a couple, he took them to a beach house. He coaxed her to take a nap while he carried out his plan. When he was ready, he kissed his Princess awake. She opened her eyes and looked into his. “Seong-Im, wake up,” he whispered. “I already did,” she grumbled.

He gave her a kiss on her forehead, “I prepared a surprise,”  he scooped her in his arms. “You wanted to see it like this or change into something I prepared?” he asked.

She paused then smiled. “Changed. Take me to the washroom. “ She requested. He did, waiting patiently for her to change, she didn't take long. When she came out, she looked stunning in the white dress he had chose.

“You are beautiful. “ He stuttered, he knew she would look pretty in this dress but it was beyond his imagination that she looked this great.

She gave him a look, then smiled. “You do have good taste.” As she turned a round for him. He took her hand and led her outside.

The sun was setting, the sky was coloured with red, orange, pink, purple and blue. The orangey sun setting on the horizon, slowly dropping into the sea. There was a table, by the house. Yellowish candle lights lit the table, he took her to her seat and helped her sit down.  Then he brought out their dinner, it was a simple meal but they ate heartily. After the meal, he put in some music and invite her to dance under the full moon and starlit sky.

She was in his arms, they were slowly swaying to the music.  When the music stopped, he went on one of his knees.

“Seong-Im, could you marry me?” he took out a ring from his pocket, it was twinkling under the bright moon light.

Seong-Im gasped, although she had felt it coming, she was still touched by his sincerity. “If I say no, what would you do?” she asked, her tone teasing.

His eyes twinkled with mischief, “Why don't you try?” he challenged.

“Ok, no.” a pair of hands started to try to tickle her, she quickly ran away but he was hot on her trail. She stumbled but found herself  in his arms instead.

“I will protect you from harm,” he whispered his promise to bribe her. “We will work together for our happiness. We will always find time to snuggle every day, I will promise I will listen to your woes and not comment unless you wanted me too. I will not go into lessons just because I think I know more. I also want to share mine, so that you would know what is bothering me. I want to share your happiness and you share mine. I promise you I will kiss you every day. I will help out with housework, at least 50% of it. If we have kids, I will take care of them and let you have your time for yourself. I wanted to share my life with me forever“

“still no,” she said, she was so touched at his promises and she knew he would keep his promises yet she wanted to more. She would keep the same promises as him, but she wasn't going to tell him that now.

“Then…” he started to tickle her and she started to laugh uncontrollably.

“Ok ok I gave up,” she said, laughing till out of breath. “I will marry you!”

“I didn't make you.” he insisted,  wanting her reassurance that she wanted him too.

“But..” when she saw his approaching hands. “ok you didn't, I agreed voluntarily.” she nodded her head as she giggled away . He helped her up, dusting the sand away. He reached for her hand and put on the ring on her ring finger.

"I love you," she said. "I wanted to share my life with you too." She stared into his eyes, giving him all her promises, assuring him of her love.

“I love you.” he vowed as his lips sought her.

Reedit end the story to make flow better. Hope you like it.