“I never thought I would ever choose to do this but I think it’s about time, I don’t want to wait anymore, Kyungsoo, or I might regret it for the rest of my life. And so. . .”

Kyungsoo watch in panic as Yerin reached for her skirt’s back pocket. Thoughts started flooding his mind immediately which terrified him. Is she going to do something that he should be doing? Is she going to beat him into it? He just can’t imagine her doing it. It’s not about the gender he’s thinking about nor is it the double standard at all – it’s the fact that she has waited for so long for him to have the balls to even fight for her.

He should be doing this, not her. He has a lot more to make up to her. Just before she takes her hand out, Kyungsoo put his hands up to stop her and closed his eyes. “Wait, no, don’t.” He gasped.

Yerin’s shoulders fell in confusion as she took her hand out anyway and looking at her phone. “Huh?” She asked before unlocking her phone to show him something. “No, I have a surprise for you. I hid this from you because I want to make sure it’s possible first.”

After hearing what she said, Kyungsoo opened his eyes, still quite stunned. “W-what?” He asked and his eyes travelled quickly down her hand holding the phone. “Here.” Yerin did a little hop before giving him the phone. He squinted his eyes and moved the phone closer to his face while adjusting his glasses.

He then started reading. “Dear, Miss Kwon. Congratulations! On behalf of Yongguk University community. I am pleased to announce your admission for Spring 2020—wait, what?!” He widened his eyes more than ever as he glared back down to his girlfriend. Yerin giggled hard while hopping and nodding hard. Kyungsoo blinked hard before looking down to the paper again. “I c-can’t believe it, Yongguk University? Wow, babe. Come here.” He yelped in excitement before pulling her into a tight hug.

Yerin looked up with a snigger. “My parents always had my college fund and they never touched it, they always believed I would eventually want it later on. Now, I even have the option to go to a better university than they planned for me because I have my own savings too.“ She paused for a moment before moving on. “I want to study Business, just like you did. Unfortunately, I can only take their two-year program in their special campus in the same location because I didn’t take the entrance tests back in high school and I’m a mature student.” Kyungsoo continued to nod as he listened to her in joy.

She looked so happy and he couldn’t ask for more. “They made me take a placement exam which was so hard but I passed, also I have to do some remedial classes first but that’s fine. I want to help you in whatever you want to start over with, it’s the two of us now for Inyoung. That’s my real passion in life. What a better way to pursue this than going to the place where we first met, right?” She bit her bottom lip to control the excitement that’s just building up even more.

Kyungsoo nodded again before leaning in for a quick yet passionate kiss. “I love you so much.” Yerin looked up, playfully bumping their chins together. “I love you too but, hm, wait—why were you stopping me earlier?” She remembers to ask. Clearing his throat, Kyungsoo casually shifted his head to the side to hide his head on the crook of her head. “I’m so proud of you. . .” he hushed, attempting to distract her.

“You’re too silly, be thankful it’s Christmas.” Yerin whispered back but let him be in the end.

Seeing how he reacted so positively encourages her even more to thrive and reach for this new life goal she has set up for herself.

She can’t wait to start this new life with her little family.

--- T H R E E  M O N T H S  L A T E R ---

Everyone applauds as the ribbon gets cut in the middle. Kyungsoo, along with Mr. and Mrs. Kwon, bow politely as he acknowledges everyone who attended the re-opening of their new and better Antique and Craft shop. Kyungsoo was able to renovate the shop and innovate their materials as well as have better and addition staff to help Yerin’s parents through his pre-existing connection from past businesses.

Quite a few people from around the alley neighborhood came to see the renewed shop. “Oh my god, I have never had this much people in my shop all in one day.” Mrs. Kwon gasped while hugging Kyungsoo’s arm in so much joy. “These new materials are just. . . how did you find such cool antique owners to have these wonderful materials? And these woodworks. . . I still can’t believe you just met up with a bunch of people and got to an agreement for these and for the price you’re telling us?” Mr. Kwon shared the same exact reaction for the last two weeks since the shop started coming together. They stood by one corner as they let the new three staffs serve the costumers.

“Eomma helped me too, she has a lot of friends. She used to purchase a lot of handmade materials too for the house so. . . she made some connections.” Kyungsoo shyly explained while keeping his head low. He felt shyer from the fact that Mrs. Kwon is comfortably hugging him on the arm right now. He knew he just made them very very satisfied with their improved shop. “Wow, who knows we might be able to expand this into like Avantgarde with custom and handmade furniture?” Mrs. Kwon beamed making Kyungsoo laugh.

Yeah, no.

Now that’s just too far-fetched.

Mr. Kwon laugh along. “Excuse my wife, she’s just too excited right now.” He pulled her away from the young man who is now literally tongue-tied. “Yah, don’t make him any more uncomfortable than you latching on him like a child. Today is his big day too, don’t forget. Let’s give him a break.” He added. Kyungsoo smiled even wider as he bowed lightly to the two. “Are you ready, son?” The old man asked while patting his arm.

He breathed in deep as he looked around before exhaling. “Never been more ready, Abeonim.”

_____________

Later on, he left the scene to go pick his daughter up from school. School just began very recently and Inyoung just turned eight and is officially in third grade. A lot of things had happened and in the past couple of months. It was really the perfect time for all of them to start anew. Do Kyungsoo’s equities in Halliway Condominiums prospered in the beginning of the year and at the same time the cost of his rental houses and office units has skyrocketed as well. He is officially business partners with the Kwon’s. Mrs. Do has recently been seeing someone exclusively – yes, you read it right. Do Seungsoo stayed put in Japan with his family but is now promoted to a higher position in a different department but in the same company he’s been with.

Mr. Do – well, they haven’t heard from him since but from what they know from some safe sources aka Kim Junsoo and some other former work friends of Yerin, he hasn’t seemed to change at all and in fact got even worse after the divorce. Avantgarde and the Do’s department store has not been doing quite well in the market after the new year started and a lot of their stockholders are retrieving their shares because of his bad reputation that was outed by the Cho family themselves after that one big incident that happened in their office involving Cho Sunhwa. Talk about karma.  

But the highlight of this new year, at least for the mean time – Kwon Yerin started university. It’s really never too late for anyone, as they say.

Because Kyungsoo’s current businesses don’t require his full attendance every single day, he’s been mostly the ‘stay-at-home dad’ for now which has also taught him a lot ever since Yerin started. It’s only been two weeks since the school year began for both Inyoung and Yerin but he already feels like a houseband, as his own mother calls him. Kwon Yerin still gets to do a lot of stuff for Inyoung in the morning when they’re both getting ready but when she gets home, she gets occupied by assignments and other school related tasks, that’s when Kyungsoo steps in. He wanted to be as much helpful as he could be to her now that she needs to focus on her studies – fair enough.

It’s his turn to refine his parenting skills.

“Stop stop stop, your lace is untied.”

He knelt down just by one corner of the hallway and made his daughter stop from walking so he could tie her shoes back. “Appa, Mr. Yang got very angry at one of my classmates and it was scary. Mr. Byun never did that in his classes, I miss having him as homeroom teacher.” Inyoung whined making him look up. “You still see Mr. Byun around, right? Just don’t forget to say hi to him every time so that you stay friends. Okay?” he reminded before looking back down to finish the lace. “Okay.” He stood up and adjusted the strap of her bag over her shoulders. “Are you ready to propose with me, sweetie?” He asked and held her hand.

Inyoung looked up. “Appa, why do I have to propose with you though? Appa, are you scared?” She asked earning a big pout from her father. “Ugh, you’re too smart. Okay, fine I will drive you home first. You want that better? I will take your mother out for nice dinner after, you know? Just wait for us and so I can cook instant ramen for you because that’s all I know how to cook and your mother might be busy with homeworks.” He kindly agreed while nodding. The kid then shyly giggled while shaking her head. “Okay okay, I’m coming Appa. I will take video too so that Halmeoni, Halmee and Harabeoji see it?” She offered, not wanting the new plan either. She calls Yerin’s mother, Halmeoni and Kyungsoo’s mother Halmee to make a difference when they’re all together. It was her own idea which the two grandmothers agreed to easily.

“Hm.” Kyungsoo looked ahead. “That’s actually not a bad idea but wait—no, actually, I think I’m going to be too nervous if you film. Maybe not, sweetie.” He shrugged his shoulders, already cringing from the idea of seeing himself proposing in a video and showing it to people. Just as they walk on, they bumped into Baekhyun who’s just leaving the building as well. “Mr. Byun!” Inyoung immediately started waving her hand eagerly as they walked over to him.

“Hello, princess. How’s class?” Baekhyun ruffled the kid’s hair before waving at Kyungsoo. “My class was okay Mr. Byun, but I really miss you. I wish you teach my class too!” Inyoung pouted hard while looking up to him. Kyungsoo tilted his head while observing the man. “You look like crap.” He bluntly said making the man look away while rubbing his eyes. “Yeah, no, I just had a lot of paperwork to finish. Didn’t have a lot of sleep.” Baekhyun chuckled faintly before looking down to Inyoung again.

Kyungsoo cleared his throat. “I’m proposing to Yerin today.” He broke the news casually, trusting the man enough to keep it to himself until it happens. Baekhyun looked up again with a much more genuine smile this time. “Oh wow, I didn’t know you had it in you. I was actually waiting for Yerin to do it, that would have been really cute.” He teased earning an unamused look from him. “Anyway, I’m pretty sure she’d say yes and hopefully we can do it sometime by the end of this year or maybe early next year. I hope you’d be able to come. Uh. . . Soyoung’s coming for sure. Do you guys still talk? Don’t tell her about it yet, though. Please.” Kyungsoo then invited him immediately.

Baekhyun gave him one short nod. “Yeah sure. Anyway, I gotta go.” He forced a smile before looking down to Inyoung. “Goodbye, sweetie. See you around, okay?” He pinched the kid’s cheek quickly before walking off first. As much as he wanted to grill the man more, Kyungsoo decided to leave him alone. He hasn’t really talked to both Baekhyun and Soyoung much but from what he has heard from Yerin about a month or so ago, the little show the two are putting on in front of Soyoung’s family is already done. He’s not fully aware if it’s really all done or if the two still talk so he can’t really tell much aside from that.

Looking down to his daughter, he grabbed her hand again. “Okay, let’s go. Shall we?”

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