With spotlights all focus on her and Han Bin who is kneeling in front of her waiting for her answer, Chae-yeon feels her tongue goes numb. She doesn’t know how she should react. Her mind couldn’t figure the reply for him.

Yes is what everyone in the ballroom wish to listen. But she wishes to say no. It is not that she doesn’t love him. She swears to the name of God, she loves him dearly. Still, she doesn’t feel the moment has arrived for them to settle down. Everything seems too fast for her.

“Choi Chae-yeon, will you marry me?”

When he pops the questions at her again, she shifts her attention back on him. Staring straight in his eyes, there she sees sincerity and love. But deep in her heart she wishes he can see the worries and uncertainties she has regarding this proposal. Still, she nods her head as an answer.

“Hurray!” Han Bin screams and jumps in excitement. He then slips the ring into her slim and slender finger before placing a kiss on her forehead.

Claps like thunders and whistles could be heard from every corner of the ballroom after watching her reaction on screen and the emcee on stage too woo everyone to a higher level of adrenaline rush.

Once Chae-yeon is certain that no one is around after the celebration for E.D.G.E Holding comes to an end, she pulls him to have a private talk.

“Are you that miss me that you come rushing to me after I sent the guests away?” teases Han Bin while his hands carefully slip behind her back and brings her closer to him.

Chae-yeon can only roll her eyes hearing his proud statement. Punching his shoulder lightly, she shakes her head and asks,

“Kim Han Bin, why do you want to marry me?”

Frowning at her question, he takes a step back and pauses for a moment. He doesn’t know why she asks him that. As far as he is concern, they have been in a steady and healthy relationship for the past five years. And now both of them too reach the suitable age to start their family. Furthermore, both his parents like her and welcome her as their daughter-in-law with an open heart. In fact, it is them that push him to speed up his marriage proposal.

Getting no response from him makes her wonders and feels scared. Thoughts after thoughts come flooding her mind. And without her knowing, tears start to drop from her eyes and cover her face.

“What’s wrong, Chae-yeon?” Seeing her cries out of a sudden frighten him. Seriously he is clueless.

Shaking her head, she tries to blink away the tears but they just refuse to listen to her order and keep flowing down. “Han Bin, can’t you just tell me why? Why must you take such a long time to reply? Please don’t tell me that my instinct is right that you propose because you were told to?”

Gulping hard, Han Bin tries to figure out an answer that can overturn the situation but the problem is when he is nervous his mind goes blank.

“Will you accept if the reason is as simple as I love you? My heart tells me that you are the right one for me for the rest of my life and that is why I ask for your hand in marriage.” He says with confidence after a while.

For a moment, she doesn’t know whether it is because of her emotions get the better of her or so, she just can’t bring herself in accepting his answer. She pushes him away from her and says in between sobs,

“Han Bin, can we give ourselves some personal time? Can we stop seeing each other for like a month? I really need time for this.”

“Chae-yeon, why must we separate? You just said yes to me and now you ask me to stop seeing you? Don’t you think it is too …?” shock is clearly written on his face. He can’t believe that the moment his beautiful dream he has all this while starts to blossom, Chae-yeon turns it around.

“I’m not asking for a breakup, Han Bin. Just give me some time to sort out my mind, please.”

Han Bin tries to get hold of her but she is a step ahead of him by raising both her hands like surrendering. In his eyes, everyone can see the pain and disappointment he feels for being treated this way by her. But, he respects her and so he lets her go.

Turning around without looking back, Chae-yeon walks out of the room with a heavy heart. She doesn’t know why she reacted that way.

There is only one thing that they are certain of. It is time. Time is what they need now.

#                                        #                                       #

Walking into her alma-master brings back lots of memories to Chae-yeon. Though renovations have been done here and there, but it still looks exactly the same like ten years ago before she graduated. The new paint has brightened up the school and shakes away its shabby image.

Taking her time strolling down from her previous classroom to her favorite hideaway, the library, she has the sudden feeling of being a high school student again. Screams and laughter from the field reminds her athletics days representing her school in track and field. Everything just feels like yesterday, it is still so fresh and clear in her mind.

Stopping right in front of the light pink door, Chae-yeon knocks on the door before entering.

“Ahnyeong, Mrs. Park.” She greets as soon as she enters the room.

Turning around to the familiar voice she had missed for the past decade, Mrs. Park smiles till her eyes form a line. She is just too happy to see her again though they still keep in touch through KakaoTalk. Instantly she goes toward her and gives her a motherly hug.

“I miss you, Chae-yeon. How are you doing now?”

Resting her head on Mrs. Park’s shoulder, she reassures her she is doing fine. “Does Mommy you doing great like always?”

Hearing the term ‘mommy’ live from Chae-yeon brings another smile on her face. “Of course Mommy is still doing good and kicking!”

Sitting down on the familiar, Chae-yeon feels warm. This is the place here she shared everything to her Mommy. This is also the place she got picked up and started her life once again. This is the place where she shared all her secrets with her. This is indeed a very special place to both of them.

“Let’s have a drink.” Mrs. Park offers after placing a glass of carrot juice for Chae-yeon, according to her preference which she has always keep in mind.

“Thanks Mommy.” Taking a sip, her taste buds tell her it is what she has been missing for all these years.

“Looks like my little girl’s visit is with a problem, am I right?” Mrs. Park makes a guess. The first moment she saw her and the moment they hugged each other, she can see and feel how stress and burdened her little angel’s heart is.

Nodding her head, Chae-yeon knows she can never hide away from her eagle eyes and so she decides to open up without biting around the bushes.

“Mommy, Han Bin proposed to me the other day.” She pauses for a moment trying to string out her story precisely. Mrs. Park chooses to remain quiet and let her continues.

“Though I nodded my head, but deep in my heart I don’t feel it right. I was surprised when he appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the ceremony and popped the question to me. If I were to say no, he’ll get dejected and feel ashamed since he did it in public. And so after the dinner ended, I had a private talk with him and requested for a short break. And now, after two weeks of silence, he is coming after me again and his action makes me feel like suffocating.”

“Do you love him?” asks Mrs. Park.

“I do love him. But I’m not confidence in having a family with him. I mean it is not his problem. It is me. I can’t see how the future and I’m scared that it will end up like me.”

Mrs. Park can only sigh heavily as she can really understand the reason behind her unsecured feeling Chae-yeon as for Han Bin and the marriage thing. It is exactly fifteen years ago that they met and got to know her problems which led to this incredible relationship being developed.

“Good afternoon, Mrs. Park. I heard that you have asked for me.”

“Good afternoon, Student Choi. Come and have a seat over here.” Mrs. Park welcomed her and got up to prepare a glass of water along a box of tissue for her.

Chae-yeon whispered out low thanks and sat down at the designated seat as offered. She then stared down at her shoes. She was clueless to why she got called to stay back and meet up with Mrs. Park, their counseling teacher. Would it be because she fought with her classmates early this morning? She wasn’t sure.

“Here’s your water.”

Chae-yeon took the glass with both hands and offered her gratitude. Carefully she took a sip and placed it back on the table next to her.

“Will you mind telling me the reason you fought this morning? I heard that it was started because of an article in the newspaper, am I right?” Mrs. Park asked straight to the point without trying to delay both parties’ time.

Being told that the top student in school fought with her classmates shocked not only her but the whole school. Though she might not that close to her, but as a teacher who had been watching her progress over the years, she knew she held a little responsibility in helping her if she is indeed in trouble.

Just the mention of the word ‘newspaper’ was enough to bring tears to Chae-yeon’s eyes. Instantly her right hand reached out to the tissue box next to her. She had been trying to be strong but at that moment, she just couldn’t hold on her tears from falling.

Gently tapping her shoulder, Mrs. Park consoled by saying, “It is okay to cry. Cry it out loud, my child. Release all the pain and problems you have in your heart.”

Chae-yeon had her emotions under checked after five minutes of flooding the room with her tears.

“Do you feel better now?”

Nodding her head, Chae-yeon gave Mrs. Park a light smile.

“Are you ready to tell me the reason now?”

Chae-yeon hesitated for a second. She didn’t know whether she can trust the person sitting in front of her. But then her instinct told her to go ahead. And so for the first time, she opened up her secret that she had kept it tight in her heart.

“My elder brother passed away in a fire a week ago while trying to stop the robbers from getting into the cybercafé he took care of. But the reporters got it wrong and so Irene and Hae-min used it to spread that my brother was the culprit behind the burnt down cybercafé. I didn’t really want to fight but don’t you think it is an act of disrespect to my dead elder brother?”

Taking Chae-yeons hands in hers, Mrs. Park nodded her head and said, “Indeed they were wrong, seriously wrong. Still, you don’t have to fight with them? You can always go to the teachers for help. Why didn’t you do so?”

Lowering her head in shame, Chae-yeon admitted she was wrong for not referring the matter to the elders and handled it herself.

“Till now, I still haven’t contacted your parents and inform them about this. But I do hope next time you’ll come to me or any teacher when you encounter any problem. So, this time I’ll let you go. But I won’t next time.” If Mrs. Park has known that her warning could lead to another breakdown from Chae-yeon, she swore she would rather zip for good.

Wiping the tears that flowing down like the running water, Chae-yeon said in between sobs,

“I’ve no parents. My dead elder brother and three younger brothers are my only family. My parents had been out of my life for many years and I don’t know too where they are now.”

Shock was clearly written on Mrs. Park’s face after hearing that. She started to wonder how such a petite girl with such heavy family problem, but still managed to perform well both in academics and sports.

“My mother left us after my father became a gambling addict after his company went bankrupt. And when the debts he owned mountain up, he too dumped us. But there he was, my elder brother, the angel in our eyes. He chose to stop schooling though he was the top student and got offers to study abroad. He took up various part time jobs and supported us for our better future.”

“Recently he bought a car after so many years of saving and even promised to bring us to the zoo after our little brother asked to go there during semester break. But, looks like it will never happen because now he has gone forever from us!”

Stepping up and sat herself next to Chae-yeon, Mrs. Park went to give her a motherly hug. Her heart ached too after listening to her story. She didn’t know that such tragedy did happen to someone like Chae-yeon.

“Chae-yeon, you must know that not every marriage will end up like your parents’. There are too ‘happily ever after’ married couples out there. One thing for sure, you must have confidence on him. Then together the two of you can make miracles happen! Disney fairytales do exist in this world. It is very much depends on you whether to fight for it or not. At the end of the day, the choice is on your hand.

#                                             #                                         #

Five years later…

In the huge living room, there she is running and giggling with a piece of Oreo biscuit. And chasing close from behind is Chae-yeon who can be seen huffing and puffing.

“Stop there, Kim Ae-rin. Mama say stop!” Chae-yeon stops after a while and sits down at the nearby sofa. Since the beginning of the week, she can feel weak easily though she didn’t work out hard.

Standing not far, Ae-rin put up a victorious smile and waves her hand. Slowly she put the whole Oreo biscuit into and that makes her mother screams at her again.

“Ae-rin, don’t put the whole thing into your mouth.” Chae-yeon tries to force Ae-rin to open and take out the biscuit but the harder she tries it, Ae-rin struggles harder to free herself from her mother.

Feeling angry at Ae-rin for being so stubborn, Chae-yeon starts to tap her buttock. “Open your mouth, Ae-rin. You can’t swallow the Oreo biscuit in one go. You may choke to death. Come on, listen to mama and be a good girl.”

Tears start to accumulate in little Ae-rin’s eyes. And in no time she cries her lungs out.

“Oh my, why is my princess crying?” Han Bin asks as he goes and carry Ae-rin up from Chae-yeon.

Ae-rin cries even louder in her father embrace as a sign of protest against her mother. Chae-yeon can only watch from the side and shakes her head. She just let the two of them have their private father-daughter talk while she goes in and reheat the lunch for Han Bin.

When she is busy arranging the food on the dining table, Han Bin wraps his hands from behind and kisses her hair. After he has managed to put Ae-rin, his legs bring him to the beloved beautiful wife who is always busy for the two of them. Chae-yeon just let him be and continues her task in hand before turning around to invite him for lunch.

“Have you eaten, sweetie? If not, come and join me.” Han Bin offers but Chae-yeon just gives him a weak smile and shakes her head.

“I don’t feel like eating now that I’ve eaten quite a lot this morning.”

Chae-yeon is on her way to the living room to clear up the mess Ae-rin has caused but Han Bin stops her by holding her hand. “Are you mad at me?”

“I’m not. I’m just tired.”

Holding her hands, he nods his head. How could she not tired when she is currently six months pregnant with their second child and still need to run around looking after their three-year-old daughter Ae-rin. He has tried to lighten her burden by recruiting a maid to help her in the house work but Chae-yeon rejected it straight away.

“I want to give Ae-rin a happy family that I missed and wished for. I want to see it myself all my children growing up into beautiful nice being that will contribute to the country and world.”

Without a choice, he has to respect her decision and let her be with what she is comfortable.

“Don’t think too much about this. I’m seriously tired because of our active Ae-rin. I’m doing okay.” Seeing the worried look on Han Bin’s face, Chae-yeon tries to reassure him she is fine.

Still Han Bin asks again with his eyes, Chae-yeon can only smile at him. His actions really funny but that touch her heart too.

After being married for more than five years, she doesn’t know whether this is the fairytale ending she has been hoping for, but one thing she is sure is that, his love for her has remained the same. He cares for her and will do everything to please her.

Every day, before Ae-rin was born, they will spend their days like those honeymooners though they still work in the morning. But once it is time to go home except that something urgent caught up, they will just enjoy themselves like the other couples out there.

But once she got confirmed to be pregnant with Ae-rin, she resigned from her post and concentrate to start their happy family. And starting from that, Han Bin will come home to have lunch with her and come home sharp. He will help in household chores.

Now that she is pregnant, she is really happy that the Han Bin she loves is still the same Han Bin. Looking back, she knows she has made the right choice.

Fairytale does exist, go and fight for it yourself!

That’s what she believes in till today.

Ahnyoung guys ^_*

Thanks for your precious time for reading this!

Well, this story is written very much based on a true story, my senior from high school. The death of her brother is real and she had then taken over the duty and raised her younger brothers well. Now she has been married to her boss where they met when they studied in Melbourne. Seeing how happy she is makes me and my teacher happy too.

So, do feel free to drop me a comment if you don’t mind. I swear I won’t bite because I really need it to improve as a better writer :)

Upvote it if you feel I deserve it.

Till my next fanfic or next update, have a great day guys!!!

~Love, NoonaYoung~