Months after Wheein and Yongsun went back to Korea together, everything felt like a dream despite being apart. Wheein is in Jeonju and Yongsun is in Seoul. Every weekend, either one of them will visit the other and sometimes when it is Wheein’s turn to visit Yongsun, she’d stay longer. After being apart for a couple of days, the excitement and the thrill of seeing each other become their addiction until it slowly becomes a frustration. They’d fight over the smallest things like should they watch a movie or have a picnic, should they bring the car or just commute, or who should drive.

Just like when Hyejin invited the couple to go bowling. While they are on their way to the said place, Yongsun realized that she forgot her phone back to her place. It was nothing, really. It’s not that big of a problem until Wheein had to say something.

“It’s because you spent so much time choosing what to wear,” Wheein, focusing on the road, said quietly but loud enough for Yongsun to hear. 

“It’s okay, I’m not going to need them tonight,” Yongsun said, gathering all the patience she could get because she knows what’s going to happen next.

“But what if you suddenly realized that you need them?” Wheein said, eyes still focused on the road.

“I don’t really need them since we’ll be together the whole night,” Yongsun’s nostrils stretched as she bit her lower lip.

“What if there’s an emergency? Why do you have to spend so much time choosing what to wear?!” Wheein’s voice is getting louder but still focused on driving. Yongsun, clearly, has reached her boiling point.

“What is wrong with trying to look good? What is wrong with me trying to ‘feel’ good?” Yongsun said, her voice is a little louder than Wheein’s.

“So you don’t ‘feel’ good anymore?!” Wheein saw a drop-off area and stopped the car there.

“Why did you stop the car?!” Yongsun asked, brushing her hands on her hair.

“Answer my ques-”

*Phone ringing*

Yongsun looked at Wheein who’s just as confused as her. It was Yongsun’s ringtone. Yongsun tried to look for her phone and Wheein did the same. They found it on the floor under Yongsun’s seat. 

“It’s Hyejin,” Yongsun said, almost whispering.

“Where are you?!” Hyejin asked. 

“We’re almost there,” Yongsun said.

Hyejin knew that they fought that night because it was shown in their faces. Hyejin almost lost herself when she found out what they fought about. Wheein and Yongsun got a really long lecture from Hyejin that night.

There's also this fight that the couple will never forget. It was when Yongsun left Wheein in the restaurant because Wheein’s having a hard time deciding what to order. That night, she chased Yongsun in the street and it was snowing pretty bad that her jacket's was not enough to keep her warm.

“Yongsun-ah, where are you?” Wheein whispered, smoke coming out of due to the cold temperature. She wrapped herself with her own arms as she rubbed them with her bare hands. 

She went to where Yongsun’s car was parked and it wasn’t there anymore. She stood there and picked her phone to call her girlfriend but she’s not answering. 

‘She must’ve gone home’, Wheein thought.

She hailed every taxi that she saw but no one stopped. She cursed under her breath due to her frustration. She wanted to get mad at Yongsun but all she could feel at that time was worry. It’s snowing pretty bad, plus Yongsun’s driving, and she’s not answering her damn phone.

Wheein gave up and decided to walk back to Yongsun’s place. She took so many turns until she got lost. She thought she was going in the right direction and it turns out that she’s not. She looked around and was reminded why she hates the city. Every street looks almost the same! She can feel her tummy grumble in hunger and her head is starting to ache but Wheein decided to continue to walk. She saw a couple of teenagers hanging out at the corner of an alley with neon lights in it. ‘I should ask them for directions!’

Wheein walked a little faster, approaching them. 

“Excuse me, do you know where this building is? I got a little confused because the streets are quite identical to each other,” she asked them politely.

“Oh, I know someone who might know,” the girl in a red beanie spoke. “Follow me.”

Wheein felt like there’s something wrong but she’s desperate so she did follow her into that dark alley with minimal neon lights lighting it.

“He’s in there but,” the girl pointed to the rusty metal door with a “personnel only” sign hanging outside. Then the girl suddenly turned around and faced her. Wheein noticed that she’s holding a pocket knife and it is pointing at her. 

With this, Wheein stepped back only to find that there’s a tall man blocking her way when she turned around. 

!

“Don’t worry, we just want your stuff,” the man said with a smirk.

‘Yongsun-unnie, where are you?’ 

Wheein didn’t know what to do. She felt something cold and sharp poking the back of her neck. ‘The knife, great!’ She felt a hand slid in the pocket of her coat. It was the girl’s hand. Wheein looked everywhere but the guy’s face. He’s too intimidating.

“Jesus, you still use this phone? Are you traveling from the past? Christ!” The girl said as she chuckled. 

! My phone! How am I supposed to call Yong?!

“But I’d still take it. It looks like it’s in good condition. I can still sell it. But, oh!” After the girl took her phone, she slid her hand on the other pocket and found her wallet. “Woah, your wallet is quite thick! You still carry cash with you? You know there are cards that you can use. They are pretty convenient,” another devilish giggle came out of the girl’s mouth. “But it’s food for us, you know. Can I have your money?” She asked. “Of course I can!” 

Wheein saw how the girl handed the guy her phone and money but she can still feel the end of the knife poking the back of her neck. 

“Turn around,” the girl said as she pulled Wheein’s arm.

Before Wheein knew it, a fist hit her face pretty hard. She felt a little dizzy after but before she could recover, they all ran away. Wheein can feel a fluid running down her left eye. She touched it, trying to figure out where it was coming from. She traced it until she reached a cut on her eyebrow. Just as she touched it, it stung and all she can do is wince in pain. Still dizzy, she walked out of the alley and waited for a taxi. It took her a while until one stopped and drove her to the nearest hospital. 

With the help of the nurse who attended her, she managed to contact Yongsun. She texted Yongsun first before she called.

“Wheein?! What are you doing in the hospital?!” Yongsun asked.

“Why did you leave me there? You know the weather isn’t that good!”

“Because you are taking so long and you’re going back to Jeonju again tomorrow!”

“What?! That’s so random! What does it have to do with me going back to Jeonju?!”

“Because,” Yongsun couldn’t say what she wanted to say because if she will, Wheein might think she’s too selfish.

On the other side of the phone, Wheein can only hear Yongsun’s heavy breathing. She, then, knew what this is all about because she, too, hates it when they have to part. 

“Just come here and pick me up, please,” Wheein said calmly.

Wheein was sitting in the waiting area in the emergency room when Yongsun arrived. Her heart almost leaped out of her body when she saw her running towards her. Yongsun stopped and stood in front of her so she took her hand and pulled her to sit beside her.

“What happened to your face?” Yongsun asked, caressing Wheein’s pinking and swollen left eye. Yongsun can see that even Wheein’s eyeball was red. “Who did this to you?”

“When you left, I tried to find you but your car was gone. I tried to grab a taxi but no one stopped so I decided to walk but I got lost. Then there are these teenagers hanging outside some shop and brought me to an alley. They took my phone and my money. They did this too. Four stitches! Can you believe that? The little punk must be a boxer or something!” Wheein said as she pointed to the bandage on her left eyebrow. 

“I came back to the restaurant but you weren’t there anymore. I got worried because it was snowing hard and you hate the city and,”

“Shh, I’m fine. I’ll stay here for a couple of days. I don’t want Byul and Mi Ran to see this,”

There was a long silence. They both know what the real problem is but they’re just too scared to say it thinking that what they want is a little selfish but Yongsun is determined not to lose Wheein. 

“Wheein-ah,” Yongsun took Wheein’s hands and held it tight. “I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately and remember what was our original plan before? I am clearly not happy with my job anymore and, honestly, I’m starting to hate the city too because look what it did to you! Well, you’ve made changes in your life for me and I think it’s my turn,” Yongsun breathed deep. “I want to go to Jeonju with you. Can we move in together?” 

That night was the start of Yongsun and Wheein’s new life together. A month after, Yongsun finally settled in Wheein’s house back in Jeonju. Byul stayed with them but moved out after a couple of months. According to her, the couple was too noisy whenever they locked themselves in their room and sometimes, at night, she’s having a hard time sleeping. 

A year later Yongsun managed to open a small office for her to start a new interior design career in Jeonju. Wheein earned enough money to open a coffee shop nearby but even when she already had a business to tend to, she still worked as a freelance illustrator. 

***

Wheein sat on an old metal chair in her back garden sipping her afternoon coffee, reminiscing. She’s waiting for Yongsun to arrive. She said that she’ll close the office early because there’s not much work so Wheein did the same. She sent her staff home early and closed the shop. 

As soon as she heard Yongsun’s car get parked outside, she stood up and welcomed her girlfriend from the front porch. 

“You closed the shop too?” Yongsun asked as she walked towards Wheein.

“Yeah, I feel like it’s unfair to have you chilling here while I’m pulling my hair at work,” Wheein said as she s an arm around Yongsun’s waist and welcomed her with a kiss.

It’s been four years since Yongsun moved in with Wheein and their days are just getting better and better. They still fight, though, but they’ve learned. They walked inside their house hand in hand meeting their adopted ‘children’. Aldo, a golden retriever, and Tok, a pug, came running towards them with their tails wagging. 

“Aigoo,” Yongsun said as she kneeled down to meet them.

“I wonder when Yogi will welcome us the way his brothers do,” Wheein said, drinking her coffee.

Yogi is a three-legged gray cat that Wheein took in. She saw him getting shoo-ed by Mi Ran from her lawn. Wheein fell in love with him as soon as she laid her eyes on him. 

“If we were about to get murdered in this house, that cat would just watch everything,” Yongsun said as she stood up.

“Yeah, if he can, he might even make tea and drink it as he watches us fight for our lives,” Wheein agreed, pulling Yongsun close to her. Wheein then snuggled close to Yongsun and hid her face on Yongsun’s neck. She took in all the scent that she could get and started to kiss it. “You went to the site?” Wheein asked.

“Yeah, why?”

“You stink,” Wheein said, grinning.

Yongsun tried to push her away but Wheein just pulled her closer.

“But this is just one of the many things I look forward to every day while I wait for you to get home,” Wheein whispered. She then pulled away to put down her cup of coffee and went back to Yongsun.

Just like that night, before Yongsun left for Seoul, Wheein hummed the same song and they swayed slowly while in each other's arms.

“You never told me the name of the song,” Yongsun said but Wheein didn’t answer. Instead, she just continued to hum.

“Before, I wanted to stop the time to be with you longer. Now? I don’t even think about it because I know tomorrow will be better than today and I long to witness that,” Yongsun whispered.

“How are you so sure?” Wheein stopped humming.

“Because you are with me,” Yongsun said. She can’t help but shed a tear.

“Yong?”

“Hmm?”

Wheein pulled away, enough to look at Yongsun’s damp eyes.

“Will you marry me?”

There was a long pause. Wheein took something from the pocket of her robe. It was a wooden box and Wheein opened it, revealing a ring and instead of a diamond, it was a teal-colored stone, docked in a manually molded metal with ocean wave design.

“I know we’ve been living together for years and I know that it is impossible to get married here but we can make a small ceremony with our closest friends. We may not be married in papers but,” Wheein breathed deep, struggling to find the right words to say. “You know what I mean right?”

Yongsun’s tears started to fall continuously. She nodded and pulled Wheein for a kiss. A long and tender kiss.

“Of course, I’ll marry you! I’ll marry you as many times as you want!” Yongsun said.

Both women laughed and Wheein pulled away.

“Since you said that you’ll marry me, you’ll have to wear this,” Wheein took the ring from the box. “It’s a stone that I bought from my second year of traveling. That time, I was thinking of marrying myself since I never really saw myself being with someone. When I met you, and had the chance to get to know you, I knew you are the one I want to spend the rest of my life with.” Wheein breathed deep, preparing herself. “Let’s live together with lots of love and happiness, unnie,” Wheein said as she slid the ring to Yongsun’s finger

“Yeah, let’s do that,” Yongsun said, pulling Wheein close and watched their furry children with huge smiles on their faces. “Want to shower together?” Yongsun asked and Wheein nodded quickly.

“Let’s go!” Wheein said as she pulled Yongsun’s hand, dragging her. “Let’s have wine in the tub after too.”

***

Wheein never thought that she’d be where she is now. She never thought that she’d be this happy, that she’d find a new life after everything that had happened to her. A new life that showed her what’s beyond the wall of fears and doubts. Wheein, then, realized that whoever she has become and wherever she is now, it all started with one thing:

“Leap of faith”

HELLO! Well, this is the last update!

I want to thank u all for following this story even if the start was poorly written. I didn't know that many of u will like it hehe. Thank you, thank you! I also deeply appreciate the comments that I get. You guys are wonderful!

I wish for your safety!! xoxo

AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE GREAT JUNG WHEEIN!

funny how she's a year older than me yet I look waaay older than her lol