V

2014 May

Chaewon has been pacing back and forth for ten minutes now, holding her phone anticipating for Je Hoon's call. He was given seven days off as a reward for his hard work and he should be out by now.

Five more minutes have passed before she got the call she has been waiting for, without letting a second pass she pressed the accept button. "Oppa," excitement, happiness, longing is evident from her voice.

"Chaewon," he breathed out giving the same feeling she has. "I just got out and I'm heading to my parents now."

She smiled contentedly just hearing his voice. "That's good; you should get some rest in your way there."

"But I want to talk with you instead," he complained and a soft squeal can be heard from the other line.

"Me too..." she settled herself from the nearby chair, "but I know you need rest now." As much as she wanted to talk with him, she knows he had a very though time in the camp the past days; if not, he won't be given this special vacation.

"Um," he agreed "and I need you too." Je Hoon closed his eyes and said, "see you in two days."

"Um, until then be good to your parents." Je Hoon nodded though she won't see it and started to drift to sleep after Chaewon hangs up the call.

He decided to spend a day at his parents’ right after going out but Chaewon insisted to spend at least two days there; she missed him for sure but she's not the only one who missed him and if someone has the right to see Je Hoon first, she knows it was his parents. A day won't be enough to catch up with their son and asked Je Hoon to spend more days with them.

After two days they've finally met after a year and a half long of being unable to see each other. They have this shared space they could use for their secret dates; Je Hoon got this place for them before he served for military and Chaewon has been taking care of the place since.

Watering the potted plants by the window, Chaewon hears a sound of the door being opened. She giggled in excitement, she turned to look at the man who was about to show himself.

Her smile couldn't get any wider; Je Hoon is walking towards her. She met him halfway, thrown her arms around his neck and he hugged her even tighter. "I missed you," she breathed out.

"Me too," he loosened his hold and lets his hands fell to her waist, taking a half step back to have a good look at her. Taking notes of what stayed the same and what has changed, from bits to bits. "I love you," he said as he moved his face closer until he closed the gap between them and lets his lips captured hers. He didn't need to hear her say these words; her response to his kiss is enough for him to know she loved him as much as he does with her.

The kiss was tender; rich with love; hunger of longing; full of passion yet still filled with gentleness. It was long yet not quite long as it seems.

While Chaewon was brewing their coffee and preparing some snacks to eat; Je Hoon toured the place that was near empty a year and a half ago, now it looked livelier with all the interior accents added to it. "This place turned out how we picture it to be," he said and helped Chaewon carry their foods to the small living area that could barely fit a small family.

"But much nicer," she circled around the coffee table and sits comfortably in the small sofa facing a medium sized flat screen TV hanged by the wall. "I did an upgrade," she said proudly.

Je Hoon followed to sit beside her, "Of course. I know you could pass to be my wife." he said putting his arm over Chaewon's shoulders but failed when she moved her body away to face him, "Wife?" she titled her head to her left.

"Aren't we going there anyway?" He turned to face her as well.

"Are we that far in our relationship now?" Chaewon asked just to annoy him; Je Hoon furrowed his brows at her question. "Did I go down so deep in your heart that you can't let me go? Thus, want me to be your wife." She continued. Je Hoon was about to speak but she didn't let him by speaking once more, "Is that your way of proposing?"

Je Hoon laughs ever so slightly, "You liked the idea too." Chaewon smiled nodding as she leaned back on her seat; so did Je Hoon, again, putting his arm around Chaewon.

"I was in a short film," she bent her head on Je Hoon's shoulder. "I played a wife to a husband who has to go on a war," she can feel him nod his head above her. "The wife waited for years... and years; until she gets old, really old..." Je Hoon gently rubbed her arm. "In the end, they didn’t really get to reunite." She looked up a bit to get a glance of him, "You'll come back for me right?"

"Of course, what kind of question is that?" he asked looking at her in the eyes.

"Not just after your military," she said not taking her eyes away from his. "Whatever situation there is... you'll come back to me, right?"

Je Hoon held both of her shoulders with his two hands and positioned her so they'd be facing each other. "Whatever situation there is, I'll always come back to you." She smiled and he brought her closer for a hug, "In exchange, be there when I comeback."

2020

Two weeks have passed, and everything went back to normal. No more reporters and journalists were bothering Chaewon. Hye Sun was offered a lot of work, after being sympathized by a lot of people,