Days rolled on, seasons went by, festivals took its turns, like that a year went by. Seungho’s business shot up well and sustained itself. His company owned the building they were using. Sohyun finished her internship and became a doctor. She is a doctor loved by her patients and of course favoured by not all doctors. They continued to stay at Kang’s residence, but they had the entire building completely renovated and they had their floor expanded under the guidance of Mr. Kang. The in-laws still enjoy their fights with one another though they never fail to shower their love for the couple. And Jaeha began to explore the drug science and earned himself a spot as one of the prime members in drug authorization of Korean Food and Drug Administration. Every now and then, he pops up out of nowhere before Seungho more than he does with Sohyun.

Sohyun and Seungho were the ideal couple envied by their friends and colleagues. They still fight ten times a week, but their love never waned. They fall dead tired at the end of the day, but they were never tired of each other.

One morning, when Seungho was preparing the breakfast, he saw Sohyun on the phone while anxiously walking back and forth from kitchen to living room. He knew that she was talking to her mother but, it seemed like she was trying hard to console her mom’s anger, “Mom, it wasn’t like that… We got an emergency so, I couldn’t…”. Her mom didn’t allow her to finish the sentence and went on to pour her frustrations. Though he couldn’t hear the other end of the conversation, he guessed that her mom was angry at her. So, he asked,

“What happened?”

Sohyun pouted whining, “Mom is angry at me!”

Seungho stretched out his hand asking her to pass over the phone to him mouthing, “Don’t worry, I’ll take care”.

She informed, “Mom, Seungho wants to talk to you!” and handed over the phone to him. Before she gave it to him, she warned, “Take my side!”

Upon hearing few words from her mother, he answered, “You’re absolutely right eomeonni! How could she forget your wedding anniversary?”

On witnessing him taking her mom’s side, she slapped her forehead at the incredulity.

But he continued on the phone, “Did you like the gifts I sent?”

At the second blow of betrayal, her eyes widened, and she whispered asking, “You sent gifts?”

“I’ll scold her in your name! How could she forget such an important day?”, he added fuel to the fire.

After consoling her mother, he handed the phone back to Sohyun. “Hello? Hello?”, she repeated on the phone since there was no response.

“Your mom hung up the phone!”, Seungho said, “She is really angry! You’re going to have tough time!”

She grabbed his shirt in all her anger, “I told you to take my side!”, but he presented himself smiling in all his cheekiness. But soon his smile turned serious, “Let’s have a wedding…”, he threw the words suddenly.

She knew, he wasn’t joking about it.

His hands fell on her necklace and he gently raised the chord till the ring which was stringed to it exposed in her neck like a choker. “It’s time to wear it in our fingers!”

She stood speechless for a while.

“This time, our parents will witness us exchanging the rings…”

There was no answer but the widened eyes.

“Sohyun-ah, I’m really hyperventilating… nervous to death…”, he scratched his head and breathed out after catching oxygen and continued, “my hands are frozen… my words are quivering…”

Sohyun smiled, “Wedding, then”, she replied.

“That’s all?”

“Mmm… but, I get to decide everything on the wedding arrangements…”

He nodded and raised his brows expecting a reaction, “Is that all?”

“What?”

“No tears? No screaming? Not covering your agape mouth with hands and nodding while you shed a tear? Just that?”

She laughed at his expectation of big reaction and replied, “Mmm, just that!”

They fixed their second anniversary as their wedding date and Sohyun made all the arrangements and prepared the guest list keeping Seungho in dark.

Tomorrow is our wedding and here I am, staying over in Yoonpark’s house as instructed by my wife. Like every woman who have fantasies about their wedding, every man has fantasies about his future wife. And, I always wondered about hers on the wedding. She never complained; never envied; never once mentioned about the wedding or even let out a word ‘That’s beautiful!’ while watching a wedding scene in a drama. So, tomorrow is a much-awaited day! There was a tinge of fear lingered in my excitement.

I know the Sun rose like usual, but I insist that it felt different. My outfit for the day arrived, a white formal shirt and ivory blazer and pants. No tie and no waist coat, so I undid the collar button to set aside the formal look. I styled my hair in a wet look with two to three strands of hair to fall over my forehead to pull off the casual look. I stood before the mirror chanting ‘You look cool’, ‘You are handsome’, but I felt that those chants aren’t sincere enough so, kept on adjusting my hairstyle and my suit. When I emptied the bag which had my outfit, I saw a sticky note at the bottom of my bag which read, ‘You look fabulous and stunning today!’ She knows!

I didn’t know the venue, based on the outfit that I’m wearing, may be an open garden? Beach? Aquarium? On air? Amusement park? Guesses of course went on a tangent!

Yoonpark came to pick me up. He wore a beige suit complementing mine and took his new job for the day as my . I took the back seat, and I tried to look through the window. My eyes fell on the passing cars, trees, electric poles but, my mind were completely blank. I wasn’t this nervous even when I registered our marriage. Crowd, people, mass all those words scare me now. Gathering myself I recognised the roads which led to our house. Yoonpark got down and climbed upstairs without passing any info to me. I just followed him, ‘Are we picking her up and going to the venue? Perhaps to a church?’. As I climbed the stairs, I saw the footwears that filled our front courtyard. Somehow, I felt relieved. Our parents, Jiwoo and Yoram, close knit friends and our well-wishers, Mr and Mrs Kang, they were our only audience. And there was Jaeha. As I walked in, he approached me and whispered, “‘I object to this wedding’, may slip out of my tongue so, better if you don’t ask for the audience’s approval!” I just threw him a smile, and I wanted to say, ‘Your objection is my least concern!’ But all that came out was, “Knowingly or unknowingly you brought us closer. Thank you”. His brows knitted at my words, and his reply, “But sorry, that was purely unintentional!”, knocked me out.

As I walked in, the crowd cleared the way for me, and Sohyun stood there in her wedding dress, a simple one, but on a beautiful one. I don’t know how to address her outfit, but I knew one thing, the word to describe her beauty wasn’t created yet. So, I really hoped she wouldn’t ask me ‘How do I look today?’ In a few degrees turn of my gaze, I found Mr. Kim standing beside her. I remember the slap he gave me when he was angry at out registered marriage. But, in a wedding, he stood there smiling at me. But somehow, somewhere inside my mind a thought floated, ‘He might slap you anytime’. So, I was conscious of my move. But there she stood, luring my every consciousness and attention. Her glowing eyes smiled at me and I unconsciously walked towards her and held her hand in my palm firmly. As I stood before her, there was the only thing that ran in my mind, ‘She is the one. Life, you and I, what else would I need?”

We exchanged our rings surrounded by our loved ones, the ones who wouldn’t feel that it was a pain to attend an event because they were invited or scrunch up their face because they’ve to push through their busy schedule to attend the function, but they were the ones who will be willing to rush out to us uninvited.

There weren’t any vows spelled out loud but, we were determined to live by the wishes which kept pouring in from our loved ones.

Smiles never left the lips. I saw my parents and my in-laws smiling under one roof.

Of all the marriages I have seen, ours was the best.

By the evening everyone took their leave and Seungho and Sohyun took their seats on the swing. As Sohyun leaned over his chest, his hands gathered wrapped her securely.

“Are you happy?”, she asked.

“I am happy with you!”, he replied giving the same answer she once uttered.

She smiled wholeheartedly clearly understanding the meaning behind those words.

“Are you happy? You wished for this, right?”, he asked, and his voice sounded profound.

“I’m happy. Certainly happy!”, she answered, “Though two years went by, I still want to talk a lot to you. I want to tell you many things… How our lives should be… What I think about you… lots of things. But, this one night won’t be enough…”

“Tell me… Tell me all of your wishes”, he asked lovingly and said, “Let’s ask this night to be long… Or let’s borrow tomorrow’s day for this night…”

“I’ve uncountable wishes… Is a day enough to express them?”

“Try me… I’ll shall even bow before you and wink at you, if you give me a call…”, he playfully assured her and lend his ears to her.

The sunrays through the curtains, woke him up. But he tightly closed his eyes and ran his hands on the bed trying to navigate his wife who talked through the night but the space next to him was empty. He recollected that last night, he carried her to the bed since she fell asleep over his chest. And he went to sleep while cuddling her. Wondering about her whereabouts, he dragged himself out of the bed room and saw her preparing the breakfast.

“Aren’t we going out today?”, he asked puzzled by her preparation.

“It’s for Mr and Mrs. Kang. Come and help me…”, she answered while her eyes stayed on the ingredients.

He washed himself and hurried to help her to prepare the breakfast. After the breakfast with Kang’s when Sohyun and Seungho took their leave, “Be at home before the sun sets. Just because I approve your relationship, don’t take me for granted!”, Mrs. Kang’s strict words sounded like a protective mother.

“I’ll make sure to bring her home safely!”, Seungho answered while Sohyun nodded.

Mr. Kang watched them who gladly fit into their roles that Mrs. Kang assigns every time.  

Sohyun asked him to accompany her to the hospital, before they proceed with their date. When Seungho asked for the reason, she replied,

“Have to collect Mrs. Kang’s report and some other things too…”, her voice diminished as the words proceeded.

On reaching the hospital Seungho suggested that he’ll wait for her in the parking lot but, Sohyun insisted to accompany her.

“Where are we going?”, he asked as they strolled through the hallway.

“You said you’ll follow me to the gates of hell?”, Sohyun retorted while pursing her lips to hide her smile.

“Is that where we are going? To hell?”, he asked playfully.

“Purse your lips and just follow me”, she said.

“Ok, I won’t say a word”, he obeyed and walked with her.

In the next few seconds, he saw a pregnant woman who was in her third trimester.

“Is this gynaecology department?”, he asked as they reached the reception. She nodded.

Sohyun greeted the nurse who was in the reception and upon seeing Sohyun, “Give me a minute ma’am. I’ll check if it’s ready”, she said and went inside a room in search of a file.

“What are we doing here?”, Seungho asked, “A test? The report? For Mrs. Kang?”, he asked controlling his laughter at his own imagination.

Sohyun chuckled.

“Why does everyone look so bloated?”, he started with his mischief.

“Hasn’t it dawned upon my genius yet?”, she asked jokingly.

The nurse who went in search of a file came back empty handed and said, “Could you wait for few more minutes?”

“No problem”, Sohyun replied and they took their seat among the pregnant women in the waiting area.

“Are they all pregnant?”, he whispered.

“Probably…”, she responded.

As Seungho saw another pregnant woman of Sohyun’s age passing by him, his eyes fell on Sohyun and back at them, his brows drew closer in doubt, “Is it what I think it is?”, he hesitantly asked.

“How would I know what you’re thinking?”, she said nonchalantly.

“The test report…”, he spelled every word carefully looking into her eyes, but the nurse called out to Sohyun interrupting them. As they followed the nurse, Sohyun noticed his clouding eyes and stumbling steps, “Are you ok?” He nodded in daze.

When the nurse entered a room, Sohyun asked him to wait outside while she went in.

“Is it your first time here?”, an expectant mother asked Seungho.

He nodded in daze barely gathering his senses.

“Don’t try to escape with just this. You should bring her every month. Don’t make excuses like my husband…”

He nodded.

“Is the scan done?”, the lady asked.

He shook his head in denial, interpreting her questions in his own way.

“I’m waiting on a full bladder. Three more glasses of water…. Such a pain”, the lady vented out. “But when you see that tiny finger in the scan, it’ll all be worth it!”, she ended in a delighted tone.

The lady’s word count increased his heartbeat, but he was saved by the nurse who asked him to join Sohyun inside the room.

He entered the room, “Sso-ya…”, he sang and found her sitting in the chair. There were no on inside, just her. Her hands fidgeted in anxiousness, her downcast eyes were filled with worry.

“What happened, are you ok?”, he asked while enveloping her hands in his’.

“I thought of keeping it a surprise, but… the doctor said the pulse was odd…”, Sohyun’s eyes quivered.

He gripped her hand firmly, “Except you, everyone was hinting me about your pregnancy… Are you ok?”

“They said, they need to do an ultrasound… they mentioned something about the heartbeat…”, tears welled in her eyes.

“Don’t jump into conclusions… let’s wait…”, he said.

Till the doctor arrived, he held her hand caressing with his thumb. When the ultrasound procedure was being carried out, everyone’s eyes were on monitor except for Seungho whose eyes were darting between the monitor and her. The doctor and Sohyun exchanged glances understanding the display on the monitor, “Now I understand why that intern was worried about the heartbeat…”, the doctor said. Sohyun breathed out in relief, on seeing the monitor.

“So… Should I be worried?”, Seungho asked raising his brow at her not understanding what really was displayed on the monitor.

“Mmm”, she hummed with downcast eyes, “You should be worried…”, her words struck him. She continued with a smile, “Coz, you need extra hands to take care of…”

“Our child?”, he asked excitedly while cutting in her sentence, “You prankster… you almost had me there…”

She shook her head saying, “Not child… But children…”

“What?”, his eyes widened at the surprise

“Twins…”, she smiled.

He smiled widely from ear to ear. He tried to control his smile by pursing his lips but couldn’t do so. He got up unable to control the excitement. “You know, I feel like screaming out loud. But I can’t do that in the hospital or even in its vicinity right? How far should I move away from here to scream my lungs out?”, he asked earnestly making the doctor and Sohyun to break into fits of laughter.

By the time Sohyun got out of the room after adjusting her dress, her phone was flooded with congratulatory messages. Seungho has made a conference call to his parents and in-laws to inform about his fatherhood and he called few and texted almost everyone in his contact list to relay the message. Left speechless by his excitement, she just smiled at him. 

Checking everything on the list to buy, they arrived home late in the evening. Mr. Kang rushed out to see them on hearing the car engine. He congratulated them and said, “My wife is waiting inside, she wants to see you two…”

“You left this morning as a boyfriend, came back as a father… this would be a thrilling drama…”, Sohyun teased.

“Sto-”, before Seungho could speak, Mrs. Kang came out on hearing them, “Congratulations!”, she exclaimed and then whined, “I’m already old… only if we had our grandchildren a year earlier… It’s alright, take rest…”.

“Actually…”, Seungho spoke up, but Sohyun hushed him and dragged him upstairs, but he didn’t stop yet, he continued while climbing the stairs, “Last year, we had our math all worked out… that’s why-”. Sohyun covered his mouth to prevent him from explaining further and shoved him inside.

Seungho made her sit on the sofa and let her to watch him preparing her favourite food for the dinner. Though he does that once in a while, she could notice the special care that is being poured on her. An unknown worry struck her.

For the whole week, everyone paid their visit to Sohyun. There were greetings, congratulations, advises and many other things were thrown around. He was gladly welcoming them and as the number got larger, Seungho was at loggerheads. While she went ahead to help him, everyone stopped her and told her to rest. But her face shrunk at their special treatment.

After several episodes of guest visits, they finally had the time for themselves. They lied on the bed cuddling, Sohyun felt his warmth on her back from his hug and his warm breath on her crown which sent her the tingles. When she placed her hand on her stomach, he lifted his head on seeing that, “Are they kicking?”

Sohyun chuckled, saying, “Too soon for them to kick…” she exhaled out while burying her thoughts in.

He planted a kiss on her crown and said, “Sleep…”

“I can’t”

“Why?”, he asked placing his hands on her stomach.

“Everyone is worried about the baby…”, she spoke as her brows furrowed in sadness. Since they were cuddled in a back hug, Seungho couldn’t read her expression. “Everyone is saying ‘eat this, don’t eat that, do this, don’t do that’. Did anyone ask me, ‘How are you feeling?’ Even you…” she stopped as her emotions choked her. But, Seungho felt her tear drops on his arms.

“I just need an extra care not an exile from my activities. I feel like I’m a carton carrying the important item, once the item comes out, I’ll become a trash…”, she spoke her thoughts.

“Sorry Sohyun-ah…”, his words which came behind her ears was laden with sincerity.

“I’ll get bloated like those women you saw in the hospital… I’ll gain lot of weight…”

“You’ll look good, if you gain weight… I love the chubby types too…”, he spoke innocently consoling her.

“You going to a party, tomorrow right?”, she asked.

“I’ll be home early, and I promise I won’t come home drunk…”

“I can’t even drink a glass of alcohol… Did you see the diet chart? I’m already feeling dizzy just by looking at it…”

“We’ll go on the diet together… gain weight together and get pregnant together…”

“I’m so selfish… I’m six weeks pregnant but, I’m already a selfish mother…”

“You’ll be a great mom… Our children will follow your footsteps…”

“Then, I have to be the one who disciplines them and scolds them, while you get to be the cool dad… I’ll turn out to be like the drama aunties that you make fun of… They’ll love you and hate me…”

“Then I’ll scold them too…”, he tried his best to ease her emotions.

She adjusted herself to face him and asked, “This intimacy, this warmth in hug, it won’t change after our babies are born right? I want all these till the end of my life…”

“My love for you will never diminish…”, he said as he gazed at her eyes.

She smiled on realizing the greatest gift of understanding that not everyone can find in their life.

“Looks like you aren’t convinced…”, he said, “Shall I show you without breaching the limit…” He closed in, but she shoved him away saying, “I completely understand… You can save your energy for the party tomorrow…”

“Come with me to the party… You can have a glass of red wine, right?”, he asked.

“It’s alright, I’ll wait for you here…”

“I really hate making you wait… I made you wait for months to live in together after we got married, I made you wait for me to mature even after we lived in together… I don’t want to make you wait anymore….”

“Then… help me chose a dress for tomorrow…”, she signed up for the party.

“Let’s buy one…”, he suggested.

“No way… you’ll make me do the ramp walk…”

“I won’t…”

“You will…”

“Just three dresses?”, he pleaded

“No way…”

Months passed by, and one morning Seungho saw Sohyun who stood before the mirror draped in a white towel after her bath with her 34 weeks belly. As she looked at her reflection in the mirror, Seungho caressed her belly saying, “You look beautiful!”

“It’s so easy to say that… Walking around with a huge tummy like a bedding roll. And on top of that, get kicked…”, Sohyun retorted.

Seungho took of his shirt and stood beside her, protruding his belly forward, “Don’t I look like at least 20 weeks pregnant?”

She let out a quick laugh, “That’s beer belly isn’t it?”

“No!” he retaliated, “We are dieting together remember?”

She chuckled at his remark and shook her head not believing his words.

The wait seemed long but, soon the D-Day arrived.

I don’t remember the pain I went through in the delivery, which I thought I never could forget in my life or even want to experience again. I saw him suffering as he looked at me struggling with the contractions. I saw him cry as he forced himself to unwillingly witness me going through labor. He never tore his eyes away from me and so did I. All I could remember during the labor was the picture of him in anxiousness and worry nothing else. After the delivery, my memory was engulfed by the picture of him with our kids. Tears left his eyes again, but his eyes and lips smiled.  She couldn’t tear her eyes of them enticed by the scene that she wished all her life to unfold before her.

As he held their children, his eyes stayed still on the kids. He looked at them mesmerised, “He is a good looking fellow…”, and she finished his sentence, “same as you!” He chuckled and continued, “She is beautiful… like you”

“I don’t have any secured finance, but I am the happiest man in the world!”, he said as the smile never left his lips.

After placing them in the cradle, he gently spoke, “Henceforth all is for them… All things should be beautiful around them… They should be happy. I don’t know what’s written in their life, but I’ll correct if anything has been written wrong!”. His proud eyes but loving stare etched itself in Sohyun’s memory.

He took his steps towards Sohyun and placed a firm kiss on her forehead, “Anything for you and anything for them…”, he vowed and sat beside her on the bed and cupped her face in his palm. Never forgetting to caress her cheeks he whispered in her ears, “Of all of my blessings, you were the best!”

“They should be lucky in love, like us. I’ll tell them our story… our lives in the small bedroom, our struggle to make the ends meet; no money with us, but we had the best time of our lives, right? And I’ll always be with you Sohyun-ah. Loving you crazily like I always do, and I think you do too, right?”

Sohyun nodded smiling. And he continued with excited eyes, “I should tell them our love story too…. From the moment, where the gap between us rose like those pillars to the today, where my shoulder weaves together with your breath… We will keep on adding expected and unexpected to our memories as the seasons change and years pass by!”

The night arrives after every day to let us dream again because, that way we don’t lament seeing our dreams wear out. Their dreams took shape through each other’s eyes. If their love took a shape of a letter, they'll always be 'Yours lovingly'.

Author's thoughts:

Thank you, thank you and thank you so much for reading the story:) I hope you enjoyed it. If this story gave you at least an inch of a smile, it will be my greatest accomplishment :)

Thank you for forgiving the typos, and some serious clichés ;) Thank you for pulling through some boring sequences. Thank you for supporting this story :)

Pics: It belongs to the rightful owners. Credits in the pic :)

//you can skip the following part//

I thank all the readers and subscribers! I might not have addressed my thanks for the subscribers individually, but my immense gratitude will always be extended to you:) All the comments were my source of motivation! Every single comment made me jump out of my seat in happiness (literally ;) Every view, every single subscriber and every comment occupies a part in motivating me to write the story.

To my fellow Shyshy shippers, thank you for your support :) Shyshy couple blessed me with new friends too!!! I originally wanted the story to be available to all (even non-members) but, I restricted it to the members coz I feared exposing my first story to every comment and criticism. But you guys are really awesome!!! I still remember the times when I posted the foreword and you all gave me the strength to proceed with the story :) My vocabulary is limited, and the dictionaries are of no use to express my gratitude to you all :) Love you all!

P.S: I heard our Shyshy couple had the same filming site!! What a fateful coincidence!! My fav on cam but off their character moment,