“...I’m just saying it could happen, you know?”

“Baek Min-Suk, it’s only been a week. Would you please keep it cool?”

Min-Suk frowned at his wife as he flipped the piece of meat over the pan, searing it nicely. He added some salt and more flavouring. Woo-Hee, on the other hand, was plating pieces of star-shaped chicken nuggets on a decorated plate.

“I know the virtuous way is always the right way, but be honest,” he said, “You can also imagine it, right?”

Yoo-Hee gave him that look. During their almost eight years of marriage, Baek Min-Suk knew that whenever his wife gave him that look, it could mean one of two things: he’s out of his mind or she’s silently judging him. Usually, it also meant the same thing.

But Min-Suk knew his wife better.

“You can totally imagine it, huh?” he asked her, pointing the tongs at her.

“Hey, don’t point tongs at your wife, Mister!” reprimanded Yoo-Hee, holding his hand and taking the tongs away.

“But you can!”

The exasperated Yoo-Hee pursed her lips at her husband. Min-Suk, on the other hand, gazed knowingly at his wife, his smile widening as he looked at her. Yoo-Hee hated to admit it, but Min-Suk pouting and smiling at her was a weakness.

She eventually cracked a smile.

“You see! You can!” he exclaimed.

“Not so loud, Min-Suk,” she hissed, covering his mouth, “They might hear you.” She indicated to the people lounging opposite them.

Min-Suk took his wife’s hand off his face.”Honey, they’re too oblivious; they probably didn’t even hear us,” he said, “I mean look at them.” He subtly pointed opposite them. “See what I mean?”

“The oblivious or a child in a year?”

“Both,” answered Min-Suk, “Face it: when I slapped a ring on your finger, you wanted to bear my child ASAP, didn’t you?”

“Shut up!”

Min-Suk laughed as he turned over the meat, a sly smile on his face. “But seriously, honey. You know I could be right.”

Yoo-Hee shook her head as her husband continued to babble about honeymoon babies and waiting-is-for-losers concepts. As much as she hated to admit, however, she knew Min-Suk had a point. As Min-Suk continued babbling and searing, Woo-Hee smiled at the beautiful view opposite her.

Ha-Jin ruffled young Joon-Sang’s hair as he sat comfortably on Jae-Yeong’s lap. The couple, clueless to the fact that their friends were talking about them, laughed and looked at each other fondly while attending to the Baek’s son.

Joon-Sang was having a good time too as he fiddled with Auntie Ha-Jin’s pretty ring. The sun hit it in the perfect place, causing it to sparkle.

“Have you never attended a party before?”

“I have! Just not this type!”

“What, do you attend children’s parties instead?”

Ji-Woo could sense the judgement in Ki-Joo’s eyes. The former loosened his tie and looked around with uncertainty.

“They could be looking for us, you know,” he told his friend.

“The attention is on your hyung tonight, Ji-Woo. I’m sure they won’t miss you if you’re gone.”

“Wow, thank you so much for bringing up my lack of relevance,” said Ji-Woo, rolling his eyes at his friend. Ki-Joo, on the other hand, wrapped an eager arm around his friend and pointed at the open bar.

“Look at all those pretty girls standing there, my friend,” he said, “You should go talk to one of them. It’s about time you noticed the opposite .”

Ji-Woo eyed the string of girls leaning over the counter. “I don’t know. They look....”

“You’re prejudiced.”

“Says the guy whose girlfriend is the saint of all prim and proper girls.”

Ki-Joo was torn between offense, but his pride over his girlfriend won him over. He rubbed the back of his head, a sheepish smile on his face.

“Well, luck favors me.”

“And not me?” complained Ji-Woo, hitting his friend on the head, “What sort of friend are you?” He shook his head and took a sip from his glass, “C’mon, I think we should head back. The hyungs might look for us. And I’d rather stay inside a classy party than meet up with strangers.”

Ji-Woo was about to go upstairs when Ki-Joo held his arm.

“Are you really going up to socialize with old rich guys?”

“Did you just call Jae-Yeong hyung an old rich guy?”

“I didn’t mean him! I meant his friends!”

“So, Min-Suk hyung? Il-Sung hyung?”

“YOU GET MY POINT!”

Ki-Joo looked at him, clearly annoyed.

“There’s more life in this party below theirs,” he argued, “I mean admit it: you were getting kinda bored with all the rich guy socialization. You were practically reeking with boredom. That’s why I pulled you out.”

“Yeah, but you pulled me out to what...socialize with women?”

“God, Ji-Woo. You’re 24 years old and you’ve never had a girlfriend,” said Ki-Joo, “It’s time for you to have fun.”

“I’m not interested in girls.”

“Correction – you haven’t been interested in girls since Ha-Jin noona.”

“That’s not it!”

“Well why don’t you want to say hello to those girls?”

“I wouldn’t advise it.”

The young boys were startled. Il-Sung stood behind them, surveying the crowd beadily, drink in hand.

“Ah, Il-Sung hyung!” exclaimed Ji-Woo, bowing quickly. Ki-Joo mirrored his friend’s act, bowing lower than usual. They didn’t admit it, but Ji-Woo and Ki-Joo were often intimidated by this Hwang brother.

“Call me prejudiced, but I wouldn’t go for women who look too happy in these places,” remarked Il-Sung.

“Really, hyung?”

“And I’m pretty sure those girls in the bar look familiar,” said Il-Sung, eyeing them, “They might be connected to the case I’m working on.”

Ki-Joo’s eyes rounded in fear. “Oh my god, what are they? Wives of a yakuza? Wanted es?” he asked, “And to think I wanted Ji-Woo to date one of them. Omo, omo.”

Ji-Woo slapped his friend’s head. “You were about to ship me off to sketchy women?!”

“Calm down you two,” Il-Sung told them off, “I’m just saying they might know something about the case.” He took a sip from his glass of whiskey, still eyeing them. Two of them noticed Il-Sung and giggled amongst themselves, probably thinking the handsome man was probably checking them out.

“Are you going to bust them out or something?”

Il-Sung thought about it.

“Nah, I’d rather go upstairs,” he told the young ones, “I heard there’s going to be a giant cake.”

“With a girl in it?”

“A dead girl for all we know,” said Il-Sung, enjoying the alarmed stare of Ki-Joo and Ji-Woo shaking his head. Secretly, he loved teasing the dongsaengs. Before he could smile widely, he coughed.

“You boys should head up. They might look for you and I don’t want you causing trouble on my watch,” he told them sternly. Immediately, the boys nodded and rushed back to the VIP lounge, hitting each other. He watched them, hiding a smile.

He might be annoyed with them, but Il-Sung enjoyed annoying them, as well.

“Hey there, handsome.”

Il-Sung turned around to see the owner of the voice: a pretty woman, probably in her early thirties. She wore that red, body-hugging dress so well; he could see everything she wanted to emphasize. Her red lips pouted a bit, she was definitely giving some vibes.

“Want a drink?” she asked, smouldering him with her eyes.

The middle Hwang brother looked at this woman, admiring her beauty and confidence to approach him first. He took a sip from his glass of whiskey.

“Sorry, I already have one,” he said, raising his glass.

“Want to talk then? I could go on all night,” she said.

He smirked.

“Good for you, then,” he said, “But I can’t.” He pointed upstairs. “Eldest brother’s bachelor party. And I heard there’s cake.”

Without another word, he finished his drink, handed it to her, and smiled. He went his way back.

Lee Yoon-Ah smiled as she read the note. She wanted to shed a tear, but the twinkle from the gift in the pink box distracted her.

Her fingers traced the intricate details of beads and gems – a combination the pleasant shades of rose pink, pearl, and gold. It was one of the most beautiful things anyone has given her. What made it more special was the person who gave it.

He told her to wait outside his office, but she couldn’t wait to give him a hug.

Yoon-Ah took the necklace in her hands, admiring the little details.

“Oh, you’re here?”

She looked up at the sound of the familiar voice. Her heart almost skipped a beat – after all these years.

He might have aged, but Hwang Kwang-Soo looked sturdier as ever. He was accompanied by a group of men; she figured they must be his associates. Shyly, she stood up and bowed politely. Kwang-Soo, noticing her discomfort, sent his men away, assuring them that he will be joining them later.

When Yoon-Ah looked up, she saw it was just him left. Her former lover was eyeing the box she held in her hands.

“He gave that to you, didn’t he?” asked Kwang-Soo.

“Yes.”

“He has very good taste in jewellery then.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

There was a short pause between them. Despite the years of re-connection, there was still awkwardness somewhere. But they tried their best to remain normal – for the sake of their son.

“Time flies so fast, doesn’t it?” he asked, breaking the silence, “I never thought I’d get to witness it this way.”

“Ditto for me,” replied the humble nurse, fondly thinking about her son, “I never thought I would get invited.”

For a second, Yoon-Ah remembered one of those sad nights when she would look at the stars and wonder about her firstborn – was he sleeping well? Did his brothers treat him right? Was he eating a lot? There was one time when she muttered a silent prayer, hoping she could at least witness her son’s important life events – even from afar.

“We have a good son,” remarked Kwang-Soo, “I’ve been a terrible father to him. I’m humbled that the heavens gave me a second chance to witness this – and to right my wrongs to a number of people.” He then looked at her.

They never really discussed their connection ever since Kwang-Soo realized the truth. She felt that bringing it up would be awkward or just uncomfortable; after all, it has been years since the entire debacle. Plus, she was scared with the feelings that might stir.

She didn’t want any of that.

“We’re all blessed with second chances,” she replied, “I believe we have to be thankful with that.”

He looked like he wanted to say something more, but Hwang Kwang-Soo contented himself with a satisfied nod. She was grateful he didn’t add.

“Well, I guess I will see around,” he said, “You will be at the engagement party, right?”

“Of course,” she said, “I will see you there.”

He smiled at her and went his way, leaving Yoon-Ah a little flustered. She could feel her cheeks reddening, but she tried to subdue herself. Time has passed and it was time to move on; hasn’t she been doing that for the past thirty years already?

She heaved a sigh, but the glimmer from her present caught her eye. She distracted herself by reading the note again.

For the most beautiful mother in the universe; wear this on my wedding day, alright?

In all of his years facing the press and conferences, you’d think public speaking no longer threatened him. But here was – knees shaking and brain racking for the right words.

“...so I’ll keep my speech short.”

Tae-Won braced himself, taking a deep breath first. For a second, he lost his cool CEO persona; he was back to being the youngest and shiest of the Hwangs.

“I always looked up to my hyung since we were kids; so much that there were times I didn’t want him to get married,” he admitted.

There was joyful laughter in the area, guests shaking their heads.

“In my head, I thought that if Jae-Yeong hyung got hitched, he would stop caring about us; not that he was too expressive already,” continued Tae-Won, “But because he was my eldest brother, I didn’t want some girl taking him away – stealing his attention from us.”

“He rarely had crushes or liked anyone, so that was good news for me. I thought maybe my hyung would never get married,” he said, “But I was wrong.”

Tae-Won looked at her. She was wearing just a simple white dress, hair piled up in a glamorous bun, and her smile ever so radiant – similar to the first time he met her. Her eyes lit up at the words he let go.

“Of course, when Ha-Jinah came to the scene, I still didn’t want my brother to get married...for all the wrong reasons.”

He shifted his gaze towards his brother.

“I don’t wanna talk about that anymore and I’m sure Jae-Yeong hyung would kill me if I did.”

Jae-Yeong smiled at him and acted as if he was going to throw a glass at his dongsaeng. The guest laughed at the groom-to-be’s antics. Tae-Won simply grinned and continued his speech.

“But now, I realize that whether I like it or not, my brother will get married. I don’t have the right reasons anymore to stop him from achieving his happiness. And why should I hold him back from being with the love of his life?” he said, “I’m not a big believer of destiny, but for some reason, they made me question my stand.”

He looked at them with fondness in his eyes.

It took years for his brother to find his happy ending. He quickly recounted the ups and downs they all had to face to end up on this night.

“Now, I can confidently say that I am happy my brother is getting married. I have no complaints,” he said, “Simply because he never said a word when I got married. I guess he’s been rubbing on my good side so I would say yes to this marriage.”

More laughter. Tae-Won raised his glass of champagne.

“I raise my glass to one of the best couples in the world,” he said, “Ha-Jinah, congratulations on being the only girl I approve of for my brother. Please take care of each other and have many happy days.”

Everyone raised their glass to the happy couple, applauding them and congratulating them for their happiness.

As Tae-Won took a sip from his glass, he eyed his oldest brother with a smile.

They didn’t have to say anything anymore. They already knew.

God knows he had been waiting for this day to come. It took two lifetimes for him to get to where he was right now.

And he couldn’t be happier.

Everyone was staring at him right now, but Hwang Jae-Yeong kept his eyes nailed at the door. The wedding entourage were already in their proper places – bridesmaids on the left and his groomsmen (Il-Sung, Tae-Won, Ji-Woo) on his side and his best man, Min-Suk, planted firmly by his side.

His parents sat right in front of him. Hwang Kwang-Soo beamed at him proudly; his wife, Hwang Shin-Hye tried her best to remain social, but Jae-Yeong knew his step-mother was finding it hard. He couldn’t blame her; in fact, he was grateful she came. Behind them, his biological mother was already wiping away tears.

He was getting a little impatient. After all, he waited two lifetimes for this.

Finally, the door opened.

He had never seen anything so beautiful in his entire life. Jae-Yeong felt his heart get caught in his throat, his nerves suddenly stopping at the sight.

Aunts and close female relatives insisted she wear something grand – a longer trail, more diamonds, or grander flowers. She, however, politely refused their offers, insisting she wanted to look simple on her special day. During her dress shopping, her friends reported that she bought the simplest dress and accessories.

Looking at her, however, Jae-Yeong couldn’t comprehend which part of her was simple.

She looked absolutely stunning in that long white gown that exposed her shoulder. All she had was a simple necklace, a bouquet of peonies, and the standard veil. Her hair was up in a gorgeous bun, emphasizing her beautiful face.

For a second, he couldn’t breathe.

“Hey, you have to get her,” came in Min-Suk’s urgent whisper.

Jae-Yeong returned to his senses and hurriedly descended the steps to meet his blushing bride. Once he got to the final step, she finally arrived. Up-close, she was more beautiful than ever. He was at loss for words.

She looked at him.

“Hi,” she said.

Finally, he found his voice.

“Hello.”

He extended his arm for her to hold. Her dainty hand enveloped his arm.

“Shall we?” he asked.

“Of course, we’ve waited this long,” she whispered. Jae-Yeong accompanied his bride towards the priest who would officiate the ceremony. Behind them, he could hear the crying already, especially from Ha-Jin’s mother.

They reached the altar and the priest smiled at them.

“It’s nice to see you again, Mr. Hwang,” said the priest, his eyes sparkling, “I see that this marriage is filled with love and happiness.”

Ha-Jin looked at Jae-Yeong curiously, but he just shook his head. He smiled widely at the priest, acknowledging their little secret.

The ceremony went through a breeze. It was still a symphony of tears, little laughter from the crowd, and the priest talking about the sanctity of marriage. All the while, Jae-Yeong couldn’t keep his eyes off of his beautiful bride.

The whole moment felt so surreal.

He remembered his final night as Wang So – old, weak, and dying. His age had caught up with him, weakening the once strong Emperor of Goryeo. Despite his power, however, he was practically alone. Servants and court ladies surrounded him as he tried to catch his breath, but he knew he was more alone than ever. No one cared for him.

Before he closed his eyes, her face came into his mind.

Soo-ya, I will find you, he thought desperately, Wait for me. I will find you.

Never in his wildest dreams did he think that he would find her. After years of forgetting who she was, life was kind enough to lead her back to him – in the most unconventional way. Still, he was grateful.

“...time for your vows.”

She was smiling beautifully at him, he wondered why his heart hasn’t stopped yet. But then again, he didn’t want his heart to stop. Everything was too perfect.

His beautiful bride looked at him with such a loving gaze.

“I don’t think I should promise you that I will love you forever because that’s a given,” she began, “So here’s what I’ll promise you instead: I promise to never leave you – no matter what happens.”

“I know I haven’t been good at keeping that particular promise, otherwise, we would’ve been together a long time ago.”

He couldn’t help but smirk at her.

“Through the good or the bad, I’ll always be by your side. You could try to get rid of me, but there’s no way in hell you’ll force me to leave. I’ve had enough. I don’t want to leave anymore,” she said, “As your wife, I will always be beside you...because I love you.”

Her was smile was so radiant, she outshone the sun. He almost forgot it was his turn to say his vows.

“Well...that’s going to be hard to top,” he started, causing the audience to laugh, “Looks like I’m going to be stuck with you 24/7 if that’s the case.”

Ha-Jin bopped him with her bouquet, laughing as she did, but Jae-Yeong knew it was time to get serious.

“You might say you won’t leave me and I believe that, but in the event that you do, here’s what I promise: I’ll always look for you,” he said, “You know that I always will. No matter where you go or run off, expect me to search for you, because without you, I cannot be complete.”

“I can’t promise that I’ll be the best husband in the world – I will annoy you every now and then, but I can assure you that I will always be there and of course, I will always love you.”

The sparkle in her eyes was enough confirmation that she believed him. He need not say anything anymore and allowed the priest to proceed. The minutes sped by as the ceremony continued, but he didn’t care. They went through the rings and all the other ceremonial stuff, all the while Jae-Yeong felt like the luckiest man on earth.

When she agreed to be his wife in front of the priest and everyone else, he couldn’t be happier. When he was asked if he was willing to be her husband, he agreed wholeheartedly, screaming a little too loud in the microphone.

“And I now pronounce you man and wife,” declared the priest, “You may kiss the bride.”

They had shared countless kisses before this special day. Jae-Yeong had already lost count of the special kisses, the surprises kisses, and all the kisses they had. But this one was bound to be different.

As he lifted her veil, he knew it was going to be one of their many kisses as husband and wife.

Without the veil, she looked even more gorgeous than ever. Her cheeks were stained with her tears but her makeup persevered. He knew she was sharing her happiness.

Without another word, he placed an arm around her waist and pulled her towards him, causing her to bump his chest. Her eyes widened, but she expected it anyway. As the cameras flashed and the audience applauded, Jae-Yeong kept his eyes on his wife.

“I love you,” he told her.

She smiled. “I love you more.”

“Don’t leave me again, okay?”

“I promise.”

And they sealed their promise of forever with a kiss.

The days that pass by painfully

In the stillness of the day and wind

Because I like the sunshine, I smile

Passing by so busily

Even among those heartless people

Because I like my friend, I smile.

If I find a place without loneliness

Come with me to that place.

Let us go together, friend.

Thank you for being the way you are.

The sun shone brightly, slightly blinding her. Rather than focus on the warm rays, she kept her eyes closed and uttered another silent prayer.

Once she finished, she set the stone down and took another one.

The warm breeze was gentle on her skin. It also set the right atmosphere for her state; she loved it whenever the weather cooperated with her time of solemnity.

Holding the stone firmly, she let the wind carry her prayers away to the heavens above. She opened her eyes and admired the beautiful scenery – the lake was blue and peaceful, the green grass and flowers swaying lazily with the wind. She couldn’t ask for a better picture.

She thanked the heavens and set the stone on top of her pile. Carefully, she took another one.

Joyful laughter, however, broke her reverie.

“Ha-Jinah!”

The sound of her name was music to her ears. There were times when she was annoyed by it, but in the long run, him calling her name would always be the best melody in the world.

She held the stone tightly.

A pair of arms wrapped around her waist – a small pair.

“Mom!”

Ha-Jin looked down to see the cheeky grin of her daughter. Family and friends said that Soo-Jin closely resembled her mother – the same cheeks, mischievous smile, and bright eyes. But there were days when she was the exact carbon copy of her father.

Jae-Yeong finally arrived, taking deep breaths and clearly exhausted.

“Soo-Jinah, didn’t Daddy say that when you wait for him, you wait for him?” he asked, “Why do you always make your father run?”

The little girl giggled as she hid behind her mother’s back.

“Hey little girl, you answer your father,” demanded Jae-Yeong, chasing his daughter. The father and child ran around the mom, causing Ha-Jin to feel a little dizzy. Eventually, Jae-Yeong caught his daughter and lifted her in the air, tickling her.

Ha-Jin smiled as she watched them fondly.

“Okay, that’s enough,” she said, subduing both, “One of you might end up cracking their head on the ground.”

“Daddy won’t crack his head,” argued Soo-Jin, “Remember Mommy? You said he has a hard head.”

Jae-Yeong looked at his wife.

“You told our daughter I have a hard head?”

“Well, don’t you?”

“Were you trying to subtly tell her that I’m stubborn?”

“You’re the one airing it out there, not me.”

She turned away for a minute and closed her eyes, muttering another silent prayer. Behind her, she could hear her daughter.

“Why does Mommy do this again?” she asked.

“Because Mommy has a lot of things to be thankful for,” explained the father, “Like Daddy.”

“And Soo-Jinah?”

“And Soo-Jinah.”

She smiled and set down another rock.

“Mommy, was that rock for me?” asked her daughter.

Ha-Jin turned around and saw Soo-Jin looking at her with such curiosity. Despite Jae-Yeong’s countless protest that she got that from him, Ha-Jin knew her daughter took after her.

“Yes, Seol,” answered the mother.

“You know, I’m never going to understand why you call our daughter that,” remarked Jae-Yeong, shifting his daughter’s weight in his arms, “Where’d you get that nickname? It sounds familiar.”

Ha-Jin smiled and said nothing, giving her daughter a peck in the cheek. She wasn’t sure if it would make sense to him, but in the future, maybe, she could share with him. Right now, it was her little secret.

“Are you done praying?” he asked her, “You still have one stone – an extra one.”

“Wow, how do you know?”

“I usually count your stones.”

“You’re that observant.”

“Of course, you’re my wife – I can’t keep my eyes off you.”

She rolled her eyes and took the last stone, brushing off the dust from the ground.

“But seriously, what’s that for?” he asked.

For a minute, she didn’t answer. Ha-Jin just closed her eyes, praying fervently, allowing the silent waves to give her serenity. Fortunately, her father and daughter tandem kept quiet, whispering amongst themselves. Once she was done, she turned to face them.

Jae-Yeong looked at her expectantly.

“I was just asking the gods that our second child won’t be as stubborn as you,” she replied.

His jaw dropped.

“What?”

She saw that he was still trying to comprehend the news.

“Are you...serious?” he asked.

Soo-Jin looked at her parents curiously, clueless to the fact that she was no longer alone. Ha-Jin caressed her daughter’s cheeks and smiled at her husband.

“Yes, I got the news yesterday.”

Jae-Yeong couldn’t keep his happiness any longer. Balancing his daughter on one arm, he grabbed his wife by the shoulder and enveloped her in a hug. Ha-Jin reciprocated his happiness, holding his shoulder tightly.

“That’s amazing!” he exclaimed.

She gently pulled herself away from him, watching fondly as he hugged his daughter, who was still clueless. He then looked at her.

“God, I can’t believe I’m that good.”

A scandalized look appeared on her face.

“Did you just say that in front of our daughter?”

“What? I didn’t say anything.”

“Yes you did! God, Jae-Yeong.”

“What?”

The couple squabbled playfully as their daughter giggled gleefully, watching her parents play around. Her father ran and her mother chased, their laughter melting into one harmonious symphony.

From afar, an aging man watched them with fond eyes.

He smiled as the happy family went their away, clueless to his presence. He was fine with that; he was already satisfied with watching them from afar.

Park Ji-Hyun sighed contentedly.

This has been his role from the beginning – to watch them from a safe distance and make sure things fall back to their proper place. The deities gave him a challenging role, but despite the slips, he managed to pull through.

In both their lifetimes.

And he was happy with what he saw.

As the family of three disappeared from his sight, he gazed up at the heavens.

“Indeed, things returned to their original place,” he muttered, “I’m glad.”

A/N: 51 chapters later and we’re done.

I kept my promise.

When I first wrote this, I was determined to finish because we all deserved closure from the ending of SHR. I hope that I did the second part justice. I truly enjoyed the writing process and times I’ve spent to come up with a good story. I’m going to miss writing this, but frankly, I’m glad it’s over. Whether we like it or not, good things must come to an end.

I hope you found the closure you’re looking for.

Thank you so much for staying with this fic for the past 51 chapters. Thank you for being so generous with your comments and for the suggestions you pitched in. While this fan fic is mine, it also belongs to you. I couldn’t have done it without the help of my faithful readers. Thank you for the encouragement and thank you for the support.

I hope you’d do me one last favour: if you think this story deserves it, upvote. I know it’s a long shot to get it featured, but I would appreciate it if you did.

Also, if you love Goblin’s Sunny and Grim Reaper, please give me other fic, When The Sun Shines, the same love and support.

As I end this fic, I can finally say goodbye to Wang So and Hae Soo, allowing them to live their second life filled with love, joy, and happiness.

I wish the same for you.

All the best,

LittleNini1994