I clutched my roll of pennies as I pulled into the zoo parking lot. I was fifteen minutes early to work. I scanned the parking spots, hoping that Jimin hadn't arrived yet. If he had, my job would be a lot harder. 

I didn't see his car. What if he didn't arrived at all?

If he didn't, I'd find another way. I was going to fight for him. That's who I was. When I put my mind to something, I gave it my all. I'd been doing that for everyone else in my life lately, but not for myself. 

Namjoon was standing alone by the café and I was happy for that. I needed him to help me in. 

"Hey," I said.

"Suzy," he said. "I missed you on Saturday."

"I'm sorry I didn't give you notice."

"It's okay." He scanned his clipboard.

"Has Jimin checked in yet?" I asked.

He smiled at me. "No. He wasn't here Saturday either."

"He wasn't?"

"No. Is he coming today?" he asked. 

"I don't know. I hope so." I bit my lip. "Can you do me a favor?"

"I can try,"

"Can you put me with Jimin today in the Farm?"

He laughed. "Now you're going to make the requests?"

"What do you mean?"

"It's usually Jimin. Can you assign me with Suzy? Is Suzy here yet? For the last six months that's all I've been hearing."

"For the last six months?" Tingles spread down my body, causing the hair on my arms to stand up. "Really?"

"Yes, really. That boy has a big crush on you."

"Me too. I mean, I have one on him, too."

"The zoo, making love connections." Namjoon laughed. "Yes, I'll put you in the Farm with Jimin today. You actually need to work, though."

"I always work."

He wrote my name down. "I know you do."

"And . . . will you not tell him that I'm here? I want it to be a surprise."

He shook his head. "Young love. Yes, I will keep your secret. You better hurry before he shows up."

I looked over my shoulder, worries he'd seen him, but there was nobody. "Thank you!"

I tore open the roll of pennies as I headed toward the path. Every fifteen steps or so,  placed one coin, heads up, on the ground. I didn't do them in a straight line, but at various spots along the trail--some off to the right, some in the center, some to the left. It was possible he wouldn't see them or notice them right away, but he'd have to notice at least a few. There were fifty of them. 

Then I waited, inside the barn, on a stool, by the true-to-real-size fake cow. It was an educational cow that had signage all around it telling the kids about itself. "You think this will work?" I asked her. 

She had nothing to say in response.

The last five pennies were inside the barn and I could see them glinting in the light shining in from the open doors. I hoped they were my lucky pennies today. Or that Jimin considered them lucky when this all played out. I was getting more and more nervous by the second.

The barn smelled like manure and I gave a side eye to the pigs. Perhaps this wasn't the best place for this.

I checked my phone. It was too late to change location. He should be arriving any minute now. If he came today. "Please, come today, Jimin," I whispered. I didn't want to wait another minute.

And I didn't have to.

Jimin appeared, looking at the ground, obviously following my trail. My heart immediately raced to life at seeing him. He bent down and picked up the next penny. I could tell he had a handful by the way his hand was positioned. 

I stepped out of the alcove and into view. 

His head whipped up. "You scared me," he said. 

"I'm sorry." 

He held up his hand. "Did you do this?"

"I wanted you to have the best day ever."

"If it's better than last week, I'd be happy."

My nervous heart seemed to drop with that statement. "I'm so sorry. I ruined a perfect night. I was awful. It wasn't about you. So many things had been happening to me, and I had just found out people were using me, and I took it out on you. This whole thing is new for me and I haven't handled it well. And I'm sorry I didn't believe you."

"So you trust me now?" He looked hopeful or maybe skeptical, I couldn't tell.

I closed my eyes. "I think I always trusted you. I didn't trust myself."

"What changed?"

"Well, I lay down, emptied my mind, and relaxed each muscle until it felt like I'd melt into the floor. Then I let it all go. All the expectations, all the worry, all the things other people want for me but I didn't want. And I figured out what I thought. I was staring at a certain lucky penny when I did this. That might've influenced me a bit."

He shook his head. "You have a really good memory. I think those are the exact words I used."

"I know. It's freakish. I'm sorry."

"No, not freakish. Just you."

"Thanks?"

"So what did you figure out, Suzy?"

"I don't want to lose you. I want you in my life."

A slow smiled spread across his face but he stayed where he was, across the barn from me. He looked at the handful of pennies he still held. "Am I about to get lucky?"

My cheeks went hot. "Well . . . I . . ."

"That came out wrong." He put the pennies into his pocket.

"I think it came out right." I took a few hesitant steps forward.

"I want you in my life, too," he said.

"You do?"

"I've wanted it for a while now and I didn't think you were interested and then it seemed like you were."

"I was. I am."

"Is there a reason we're talking to each other from fifty feet apart?" he asked.

"I wanted to give you space."

"I don't want space," he said.

And then we were both moving toward each other until we crashed in a hug at the center of the barn.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered by his ear.

He kissed my neck, then my cheek, then my lips. I kissed him back, holding on to his shoulders like I was going to lose him again.

He pulled back and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. "The pig barn? That was your ideal location for this? It really stinks in here."

I threw my head back. "I'm sorry. I didn't think of that until after."

"And now we're going to have to shovel manure after this?" he asked. "I have a pocketful of pennies that should help us bribe out way out of manual labor."

I smiled. "You make work fun."

"That was a yes, wasn't it?"

"We can get one of those lemonade slushies when we're done."

"I just want to do more of this when we're done," he said, taking my face in his hands and kissing me again.

"I can get behind that plan, too," I said. His lips tasted like a cherry Jolly Rancher. "You taste good."

"You too." He backed me up against the railing to the pigpens and kissed me some more.

I put my hands on his chest to separate us slightly. "I need to tell you something. Maybe I should've told you first."

"You won the lottery again?" he asked, his eyes sparkling.

"Funny."

He shrugged. "I thought so."

I took a deep breath. "I'm going to Seoul University."

"Oh. Seoul University?"

"Yes. But I really want to stay together . . . um, if you want to. You are perfect for me. I think we balance each other out well. And long distance won't be too bad, right? And I'm going to try to come back two weekends a month to see my family, and you, if you want." I was talking to fast, letting my nervousness show. I shut my mouth.

"I want."

"You do?"

"Of course, Suzy." Jimin grinned. "I tried to get your attention for over six months. You think I'm just going to let you go after all that work? I don't work that hard for anything."

I laughed. "So then maybe you can come see me sometimes, too? I talked to a financial advisor yesterday. He put my money in investments and we worked out a budget and I told him travel back and forth was important for me. And we have a fund set aside specifically for that. And there are other funds for other things of course, but the point is, I can afford to fly you up."

"I could drive up. It's only 4 hours."

"4 hours and 6 minutes of time I'd rather be spending with you. Will you let me bring you out to see me at least one weekend a month?"

"That will be hard for me."

"To see me? To travel?"

"To take your money."

I kissed his hand. "I know. But think of it as me buying myself a gift."

He laughed. "I'm your gift?"

"Yes . . . And . . . will you let me loan you some money for college?"

"You don't have to. I got a scholarship."

Joy jolted through me. "You got a scholarship?"

"I did."

I threw my arms around him. "When did you find this out?"

"Yesterday."

"I'm so happy for you."

"Me too."

"So see, it will work out. It will all work out," I said.

"It will. I have fifty pennies' worth of luck to back us up."

"Luck is for losers," I said. "We'll have a hard work."

"Says the girl who won the lottery."

"Says the girl who won you."

That's it! This is how I am ending the story, I hope you all enjoy the ride!

I like to thank everyone, yes, even you silent readers, for reading this story. I felt this story wasn't too interesting, but kept going either way. I hope you all will give my other stories a read as well! There is a two series story: Let's Kill Her and Let's Hunt Her. This is more focused on action rather than romance. I wanted to try a new theme and hope you all will love it.

Thank you! Have an amazing day!