Epilogue: Bucket List
Best Kept Secret
It’s an hour pass midnight of September 18th when Jihyo logs in to V-chat. The leader who’s a usual early sleeper has been trying to fall asleep. But in this moment, she finds it hard to do so.
[when I close eyes, I’m having many thoughts so I can’t sleep TT TT]
[Oh did you see Home Gardening? Here’s Ang-ie next to me]
The cactus plant Jihyo potted. Jeong helped her quick think of names. Jihyo ended up with the nickname she likes. The one Sana hash tagged recently. Anggeuli, Ang-ie for short.
[amazing. I don’t have interest in plants when I was young, but I like it recently]
[hahaha you want me to do a vlive??]
[I can’t because the members are sleeping. My voice is loud]
Particularly, Sana is beside her. It’s such rare occurrence to have her partner sleep earlier than her. Feeling warm and soft, a lovely memory to remember, Jihyo is kept awake having thoughts.
[I sleep with a leg at right angle. Like exercising muffler lizard]
[ah embarrassing. Forget it. Let’s keep it a secret between us]
[have to dance dance tomorrow. It’s not spoiler. IT’S DANCE YOU ALREADY KNOW STOP GUESSING kekekekekeke]
[when I wake up tomorrow, I’ll probably be like ‘why did I stay late’ but since I chat with Once I feel it’s meaningful]
The sun has risen and Twice run for their schedule. At around 8am while on standby, Sana is the one V-chatting this time.
[Twice-morning, Once-morning, Sha-morning]
[I ate breakfast. Did you eat breakfast?]
[what should I do for the next ‘finding hobby’] Twice TV Home Gardening was Sana’s idea for the said intention. She’s onto the next saying [I wanna do something but don’t know if possible because covid]
[Park Jihyo really a spoiler kekekekeke]
[today I dreamt of my family! Went shopping to select clothes for Appa]
[I woke up with Jihyo]
[someone thinks the one who post the latest is me, but it’s Jihyo] Three days ago, a photo collection of Sana and Jihyo selca was posted on Twicetagram. They were on the set of Time to Twice, the high school edition.
Their background was the blackboard with “jjakkung <3” chalk-written on it. Using a baby emoticon, cherry emoji, red heart, women with bunny ears partying emoji, and a rainbow; it’s captioned “high school days Jjakkung.”
Since the Dispatch report, only Sana could call Jihyo their couple endearment. This is the first time that Jihyo was able to publicly pertain again to Sana as Jjakkung.
[who post my selca it’s me kekekeke it’s funny if another member posted]
[when someone post Instagram, you have doubt kekekeke Oh right, I posted Jihyo’s selca before kekekeke]
[Once… I’m going ☹ Take Care <3] Sana logs off with a heart in Jihyo’s color.
The girls are busy preparing for October, Twice’s month. Well, they always are. But they’re taking things one day at a time. No rush, they still gotta celebrate Nayeon’s birthday.
And just like there are highs, lows are inevitable.
While there’s festivity for Nayeon, Tzuyu’s 11-year-old family dog Gucci has left them. Such times may be fate’s betrayal. But the girls realize who are truly with them through their toughest.
Sana goes back to Vlive, audio-only. In acknowledging a comment about some fans’ worries, Sana says “Honestly it wouldn’t be 100% fine. Tzuyu may try to overcome. Twice will be there for Tzuyu.”
It isn’t the first beloved Twice pet that the girls overcome together. Jeongyeon lost hers overlapping Tzuyu’s birthday. With the understanding that the girls have among themselves have gone deep, they could console one another.
In the same Live, Sana chooses to acknowledge a thoughtful query. She’s asked what she thinks happiness is. Her answer, “The biggest happiness is being able to do something you like and at the end of the day, being able to sleep next to people who you like.”
Sana walks her talk living the life she likes together with her favorite people. The following day, all nine are present as Jeongyeon has joined back the schedule; filming for another Time to Twice.
When the shoot is done, Twice goes back in the usual subunits of 3 members per van. One has Sana, Jihyo, and Dahyun in it. Seated in front of the two, Dahyun starts the Vlive shooting most of the frame towards the back.
It’s a short 16 minutes and 50 seconds broadcast. But they have never been brave sending the message. Dahyun has fun reading the comments, especially the marriage proposals to Sana.
To which Sana thinks aloud, “I get that a lot. People asking marriage.”
“Wae~ “, Jihyo says biting her own tongue out.
“They want to marry me.” Sana gazes at Jihyo.
Jihyo suddenly closes mouth making a stern look. It’s not sitting well with her so she says, “Andwaeji.”
Sana sniggers then, pans away as she fixes own collar. Jihyo lets out one sneering laugh. Looking ahead, Sana asks “Why? WHY can’t I get married?”
Smiling, Jihyo looks to the window and throws caution to the wind. “You can’t”, she utters. Then, breaks the 2-second silence and goes for it.
“Because you’re my Jjakkung.”
Sana giggles, “I like it.”
“You like these facing here?!” Jihyo hollers at Sana while adjusting the lounge chairs a bit.
“Yup the view is pretty”, Sana is coming back from the mini bar with a tray of snacks and drinks.
“Alright”, Jihyo then wades into the pool splashing some on Sana. She smiles mischievously as the other shrieks. She tells her “O~ Come with me, since you’re already wet.”
"Hmm just a sec." Sana lets the tray afloat, without stepping into the water just yet. Instead, she lounges first appreciating the view. Jjakkungs are overlooking by the villa’s cliffside. The sky colors of purple and orange, as the sun sets dusking.
For Sana, what makes the view even prettier is a happy and healthy Jihyo reeling her in to share the precious moment. Sana joins in carefully. She takes a satay, bites off a portion, and offers feeding the other through the mouth.
This was just a little thought back in 2020 of July 18th. Jihyo went on Vlive, her first solo broadcast in a long while. She got the courage to push through as Nayeon and Momo dropped by quick.
After scrolling through those Kang Daniel comments, Jihyo found one to read aloud. “Where do you want to travel after this pandemic?”
“I really want to travel to Hawaii. Or- I planned a family trip to Bali but I couldn’t make it because I was sick then. So, I want to travel to Bali because I couldn’t go.”
Sana too had expressed similarly in August 28th. “I’d love to visit all the countries where Once is, for a tour. But if I go on vacation… I’d like to go to Bali.”
For Jihyo, in creating personal memories which she could claim as exclusively Jjakkungs’, it can’t be the usual Hawaii. After many years, Sana and Jihyo find the chance and spend their honeymoon by the Bali oceanfront.
The latter’s phone rings. Jihyo is the one now asking a timeout for a video call. Sana goes for a backhug and lets her.
“Annyeong, congrats again!!”
“Hey idiot…”
“Uhh Jihyo unnie?”
It’s the members overlapping each other through the camera excitedly greeting. But NoJams Jeong and Chaeng seem to have something to say. Worriedly, Mina snatches the camera and tells it.
“Yah Jihyo-yah, about Chaengie’s gift… It’s not for THAT, I repeat it’s not for that.” Mina adds, “It’s for surfboards!”
“Jihyo unnie knows, right? Aren’t you gonna learn surfing soon? That’s why I gifted that”, Chaeyoung explains herself.
“Don’t rub it on each other, okay?!” Jeong yells.
Mina shushes the embarrassing two. Jihyo merely chuckles and instead, greets congratulations back to Mina for establishing businesses over there in Hawaii.
Among others, she co-owns a health bar with NaJeongMo and a merch shop with DaChaeTzu. That’s where Chaeyoung got the strawberry wax gift to the newlyweds.
“Unnie? Hello?”
“Araseo, araseo. I won’t start lessons yet anyway. We’ll still have to move our stuff when we get back to Osaka”, Jihyo shares.
Osaka, Japan. Because “THIS has no place in Korea.” It isn’t any kinder for this kind of partnership but there’s progress. Besides, where else could Jihyo practice her fluency? Eventually, Sana takes Jihyo in to her hometown.
The place where Sana raised hamster, rabbit, sparrow, dog, duck, and squirrel as she had shared in a Vlive, May 23rd of 2020. Sana too had expressed raising a cat, as she grew fond of it.
But delayed it knowing the responsibility of raising a life while busy being Twice. Now that they’re free to choose a life for themselves and that Jihyo has Bbuyo, Sana decides to help caring for her partner’s beloved cat.
Jihyo is already happy being with Sana like this. Yet, the place itself has its wonders. There are surfing spots an hour away and fields to plant on at the backyard.
Sana and Jihyo alights the car, arriving at their own little forest. The latter smiles as she looks at it remembering her family back in Korea. Because it’s made extra special by her architect father.
With the vision of living together for a long time, Sana and Jihyo discussed with Park Appa to take inspiration from the Jikka by Issei Suma.
They might have the glimpse while it aired in Netflix and got their attention, as two ageing women decided to live together in a place that literally means real home.
Sana takes Jihyo by the hand and tells her, “Tadaima!”
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