She thought a lot overnight. She was thinking so much that she couldn’t sleep. And when she wanted to close her eyes, her alarm rang. She groaned and got ready for work.

While showering she continued thinking. She was hurt and needed to make the right decision. This was the decision of life.

She went down for breakfast after dressing up. Her mother was already in the kitchen and preparing breakfast. Her father went outside to do his morning exercise. He came in ten minutes later and helped his wife. Junghee went to fridge and took a carton of milk. She poured herself a glass and sat down.

She thought again while eating. Her parents were chatting about today’s weather and what should they be doing later. They were talking about climbing the hill when she suddenly said, “I’m going to marry Minho.”

Her father almost choked on his coffee. “Excuse me?” he said.

Her mother who was gaping at her like she couldn’t believe her ears asked, “Are you… are you sure?”

She shrugged, acting as though it was completely normal. “I mean, I’m getting older, am I notI? So, yeah... You can call him and tell him I said yes. And… give me my number if he asks.” She stood up. She kissed her both thunderstruck parents in the cheek before going to work like usual.

-*-

She paced up and down the floor. She was holding her hands together, fidgeting with her hands. Her heels clacking on the tiled floor. She was waiting for Jinki to come at the landing of the emergency exit stairs. She had texted him earlier.

She was ready to confront him.

She thought overnight that it wasn’t his fault to fall in love with Gwiboon and it wasn't Gwiboon's fault to be able to make Jinki loved her.. No one can’t stop one’s feeling. Junghee didn’t want to torture herself anymore. She accepted that Jinki wouldn’t be hers. Junghee didn’t want to hate him who didn’t know how she truly felt about him. Junghee didn’t want to hate Jinki for loving Gwiboon and not her. Junghee didn't want to hate Gwivoon either. Junghee didn’t want to ruin their friendship. They were all grown-ups now. It’s no use for her to get mad at him for such trivial things. Her heart felt much better and lighter. Letting him go was the best thing she ever did.

The emergency exit door creaked opened. She stopped her pacing and looked up over the stairs. Jinki was looking down at her. He then climbed down the stairs and stood in front of her. They stared each other before Junghee smiled genuinely at him. He smiled back.

“Is everything okay?” he asked.

Junghee nodded. Everything was completely okay. “Yeah, everything is fine.”

He smiled.

“And I,” she said. She looked down at her heels. She took a deep breath. This was it. “And I wanted to congratulate you on your engagement.” Her smile widened and it was a true smile, she wasn’t faking it.

“Oh… yeah… thank you,” he said. Junghee thought he sounded a bit shaky but maybe she was imagining it.

“And…” she fidgeted with her fingers again. “And you know I was being proposed, right?”

He looked down at her; she couldn’t read his expression as it was very unreadable. “Yeah… your mother had mentioned it. I met him at the hospital.”

“Hospital? You came to visit me?” she tried her best to sound surprised. Well, she was more surprised that Jinki met Minho.

He nodded. His expression telling her something she couldn’t put her fingers on. “Yeah, but you were sleeping... But anyway, what about it?” she thought he sounded a bit cold. Again, she brushed that off, maybe she was imagining things.

“Well… um… I accepted his proposal and… that’s about it…” she muttered. She didn’t know why she felt nervous about it.

He was quiet for a while. Junghee felt how awkward the situation was and how suffocating it was the air between them. Say something!

“Well, I guess… congratulations to you too,” he said finally. He was looking down at his shoes, hands in his pockets.

“Thank you,” she said quietly. Then she did something she never done to Jinki before. She closed the gap between them and wrapped her hands around his neck. Her heels made her slightly taller so she had no problem on reaching his neck. He put out his hands out from his pockets and hugged her back after some time she did. She thought she was imagining it again that he hugged her tighter and leaned against her. They hugged for the first time since they became friends. 

She shook her head and let him go. He was looking at her with the same unreadable expression. He looked as though he wanted to tell her something but bit his tongue back.

Junghee smiled at Jinki and said, “So, we could still be friends, right?”

Jinki was silent before a smile finally formed on his lips. His eyes crinkled. “Of course, we are.”

She put out her hand and he took it. They shook their hands and smiled at each other.

-*-

Minho called her during lunch time. He asked her if she was being serious and thought she was playing with him.

“What if I am?”

Minho was quiet at the end of the line. Then he said, “Doesn’t matter anymore. You said yes and you’re going to marry me, anyway.”

She chuckled. “Choi Minho, do you really like me or what?”

He was quiet again for too long that Junghee thought he had hung up. But he was still in line. “What if I am?” he said finally and she felt her heart fluttered.

She scoffed and told him off for making such lame jokes though he sounded serious earlier.

“Thank you,” he said at the end of their conversation before hung up. Junghee was left fluttered in her room.

-*-

Three months before her wedding – it was set earlier after her parents and Minho’s met and discussed about it – Junghee received a wedding invitation card. It was Jinki’s. She felt nothing but happy for the both of them. She prayed that their relationship would last long.

Junghee texted Jinki and teased she wouldn’t be coming. But the man took it seriously and said he would not come to her wedding.

-*-

Gwiboon did remember Junghee. The moment the figure skating athlete had her eyes on Junghee, she squeaked. “Aren’t you the girl that walked in on us and the one made Jinki’s nose bled when you two were kids?” she asked when Junghee came to congratulate them on their wedding. Junghee came with her parents and Minho.

“Yeah, that was me,” she answered sheepishly. Then Gwiboon hugged her and told her she was glad Junghee came to her wedding. Junghee then congratulate the couple.

Gwiboon and Jinki looked so beautiful in their wedding attires. Especially Gwiboon, in her white silky long gown. She looked like a true queen. She was smiling radiantly at everyone. She was really friendly too. Junghee was ashamed of herself for hating her and thinking the woman was a bad witch.

-*-

Her own wedding ceremony went well too. Minho and Junghee read out the wedding vows together and they were husband and wife before she knew it. Minho had treated her like she was a queen and would take a bullet for her – his words. Junghee grimaced at his corny statement but appreciated it all the same.

Their first night was awkward because they got married when they were not in love with each other. Junghee wasn’t ready on doing it with him. In the end they played monopoly and slept with Junghee in Minho’s arms. She was shocked when she woke up the morning but then realized there was nothing wrong about it.

Minho had already called her ‘sweetheart’ when he woke up some hours later. He kissed her cheek and left her blushing like a teenage girl.

Junghee’s life went much better than it used to be. Minho was a good husband and he respected her so much. She thought his parents taught him well that he grew up becoming a great man. Though he was a year younger but when she was with him, she felt like he was ten years older than she was. She assumed that maybe true men like him were like that after they got married.

Junghee and Jinki had stopped seeing at the stairs because they were afraid people might think they were having an affair. Of course, they could say no, but who were they to stop people from thinking and talking. In the end, they spent their time in the pantry or any opened places. And Jinki told Junghee that every time he would tell Gwiboon first before he came to see Jinki. Junghee didn’t believe this and went to ask Gwiboon herself. And Gwiboon had confirmed it.

Gwiboon and Junghee had become close friends as well. Every weekend, the two women would hang out together and gossip about their husbands behind the men’s back. Gwiboon had spilled that Jinki was like a baby when he came home. He would always want Gwiboon’s attention and would sulk if Gwiboon was focusing more on her own work. That made Junghee laughed. At least she knew that Gwiboon and Jinki were doing well. While complaint that Minho was so quiet sometimes, they couldn't communicate that much. He also spent most of his time reading philosophy and motivational books. 

“How about you and Minho? Have you two done it yet?” Gwiboon asked shamelessly. Junghee sometime couldn’t keep up with the woman’s blunt mind.

“Not yet, I wasn’t ready,” replied Junghee wile twirling her hot cocoa with the small spoon.

Gwiboon sighed sadly. “Well, you should do it fast. It wasn’t like you’re getting any younger… and… it was easier if you get pregnant now than later. Like me.”

Junghee shrugged and kept twirling her hot cocoa. Then she stopped abruptly. She raised her eyes and stared at Gwiboon who was drinking her smoothie, she raised her brow and smirking. Then she cupped with her hands. “Oh my God!” she shrieked. “Oh my God! CONGRATULATION!” she stood up and went to hug Gwiboon who was like her second sister.

Gwiboon giggled. “Does Jinki know?” Junghee asked.

Gwiboon shook her head, “Not yet. I’m going to tell him, tonight.”

Junghee agreed and they planned together on what Gwiboon should do.

At 10 PM, Jinki texted Junghee. 

‘IM GOING TO BE A FATHER!!!!’

Junghee was all but smiling  brightly in happiness. She replied him with a simple congratulation and telling him that she's going to be the godmother no matter what.

“What are you smiling about?” asked Minho from her left side. He was leaning against the headboard, reading a book before going to sleep like usual. .

“Nothing,” she replied curtly.

“Are  you having an affair?” he asked without looking at her. She suppressed a smile when she caught his jealousy tone.

“Maybe,” she said.

Minho sighed loudly and closed his book. He put it down on the bedside drawer and turned off the lamp. The room was now dimly lit with from her side of lamp. He got under the blanket and lied down on his side, his back on her. He was sulking. She giggled silently. She put down her phone on her bedside drawer and crawled to him. It was a large bed.

She put her hands on his shoulder and pushed him down so he’d be lying on his back. She got on top of him, her legs cradled his torso. She put her hands on his side near the neck. His face was full of shock but he put his hands on her thighs. “J-Junghee…” he stuttered.

“Tsk tsk, I’m older than you,” she said, smiling in amusement. He was gaping and tried to say something but stopped immediately as she leaned down and kissed him more passionately and romantically than she ever did before. Junghee wanted a baby too.

---

a/n: please don't give up on me yet :)))