Summer returned the following year. Jisoo laid on bed one morning knowing it was a Saturday and that she’d have nothing to do except sit around pottering with her succulents. Hearing commotions downstairs, she finally decided to get up. Walking around her room, she changed out of her sleepwear and searched for her hairbrush and slippers. Then, suddenly, she stopped in her path. Slowly, she turned towards the window and looked out. There across from her window, spilling all over the wall and roof were pink bougainvilleas in full bloom. And that was not the most shocking part. Kim Jiwon’s windows were thrown open for the first time in twelve years. Her breath caught in , her heart began to hammer fast. Almost choking on her own saliva, she scrambled downstairs, nearly colliding into her mother.

“Oh Soo-yah,” her mother began, “You- ”

But Jisoo was already out the door.

When she burst through the door of her neighbor’s house, everyone looked as though they had been expecting her. Without stopping to chat, Jisoo ran up the stairs and threw Jiwon’s bedroom door open.

Standing there, like a dream was a twenty-five year old Kim Jiwon. He had grown even taller and his face had sharpened into maturity. He had glasses on that made him appear somber. Dressed in a white button-up shirt and blue jeans, there wasn’t a less cheesier way to put it than that Kim Jiwon was now a man.

“Soo-yah,” he exhaled, and his face broke into the familiar toothy grin, his eyes disappearing into crescents. In that smile, Jisoo saw the sun and moon of her childhood. She ran up and threw her arms around him, inhaling his smell, his cologne. His arms immediately tightened around her.

“I’ve missed you so much,” he whispered into her hair.

She said nothing because if she opened , she would have burst into tears.

***

She didn’t believe him when he said he had come home for good. She sat on his bed and watched him walk around his room inspecting this and that.

“Come home for what?” she asked.

“To marry you.”

“Quit fooling around,” she snapped, annoyed. “For real, why did you return suddenly?”

“I got a job at the local university,” he said, testing the sturdiness of the bookcase.

“For real?”

He turned to look at her. “Why would I lie?”

“But why here? You could have gotten a job in America.”

“But you wouldn’t want to come to America.”

Jisoo rolled her eyes.

Just then, there was a knock on their door.

“Right on time,” Jiwon said, walking over to open it.

It was Donghyuk. Donghyuk had taken over his father’s carpentry business.

“Oh, Donghyuk-ah,” said Jisoo, standing up from the bed. “Did you also hear about this idiot returning?”

Donghyuk grinned. “Yes, he called me a while ago.”

“He did?” Jisoo was surprised. And a bit annoyed. Why hadn’t he called her first?

“I called Donghyuk to ask him to make a table for me since I have obviously outgrown my old one,” Jiwon explained.

 “Oh by the way, congratulations on the job,” said Donghyuk. “And welcome back.” The two boys shook hands jovially.

Jisoo stared, mouth agape. This confirmed her doubts that Jiwon really was back for good.

“Come, Soo-yah,” said Jiwon, “Let’s take a walk and leave Donghyuk to his work.”

Still trying to register the information, she followed him out the room.

For the next few days, they fell into routine comfortably as though Jiwon had never left. They ate breakfasts at each other’s houses and Jisoo took him around town showing him all the things that had changed.

Jiwon paid her a surprise visit at the bank during lunch. He showed up holding flowers and food. Despite her protest that he was embarrassing her, she loved it. She had not felt loved, even if it was platonic, in a long time.

When Jiwon started his work at the University, he would come back, take her out for coffee and complain about all the students and the faculty politics. Jisoo would in turn complain about her new manager who made them work till late.

Jisoo once again took to looking out her window every morning. They were always open since Jiwon had to go to work early. But she still loved going over to his room. She would tell him about her dream while he walked around gathering his papers. It felt as though the empty seasons were suddenly filling up again.

Everyone in town said it was as though they had never been apart.

“Let’s go see the Cosmos in the fields,” said Jiwon one Sunday morning. “I can hardly remember what they look like.”

He took his father’s car keys and forcing a lethargic Jisoo to get in, he took the once familiar route to their old school.  

They made small talks about work as they drove. When they reached the Cosmo fields, the road had widened and the flowers were not as many anymore. It was now only half a shadow of what it used to be from their childhood. Jiwon got out of the car nonetheless and walked ahead of her, looking at the flowers.

Like all those years before, Jisoo followed, watching his back.

He then stopped in the middle of a patch.

Jisoo walked up to him. “What happened? Disappointed?”

He turned to her. “I have something to ask of you.”

“You need a loan?”

He chuckled. “I will. Eventually. But right now, I have something else to ask.”

Jisoo waited expectantly.

“Don’t you want to move out of your parent’s house?” Jiwon asked.

Jisoo stared at him, confused. “What?”

It happened so fast that Jisoo barely had time to react. He pulled something out of his jeans pocket got down on one knee.

“Kim Jisoo,” he said looking up at her sincerely, “I have known you since you were in your diapers. And I knew you when your teeth fell out, when you started to wear a bra and when you cried in my room asking me to not leave you.” He pressed the object into her hand. It was the keychain she and her father had made for Jiwon. The chain had been replaced and the paint of the two characters had faded a bit. “I know I left anyway but I’m back and want to stay by your side forever. I loved you then and I love you now. Will you do the honor of marrying me?”

“Yaah, Jiwon-ah, this is not funny…” she said slowly, dazedly, warily.

He sighed and stood up. “I know it’s all so sudden for you but I mean it.”

Jisoo grasped the keychain in one hand and held his hand with the other. The look in his eyes told her that he was not fooling around.

“Jiwon-ah,” she said, “I loved you then and I always will. I always thought it’d be nice to marry you. You said I was pretty even when everyone said I was not. You said you’d grow old with me. And you’ve come back but- ”

“But what? I’ll do anything to rectify it.”

She smiled. “No its- I- I’m ill. I have a heart condition. I won’t be able to look after you well or give you children.”

“So what?”

Jisoo blinked.

“So what?” Jiwon repeated. “I knew about it. Mother told me. I’ll look after you. And I promise I won’t be a burden to you. I‘ll be good to you. We can adopt puppies if we can’t have children.”

Despite herself, tears suddenly clouded her vision. “Are- are you sure?”

Jiwon laughed. “I came all the way back from America and you’re asking me if I’m sure?” He cupped her small face in his large hands. “I couldn’t be surer.” He wiped at her tear with his thumb. “I want to make you smile forever. And yes, I want to grow old with you.”

Time seemed to stop as Jisoo absorbed those words. 

“Then yes,” Jisoo whispered. “I’ll marry you and grow old with you.”

He smiled. “Thank you.”

When he leaned in, she closed her eyes and met his lips.

As they kissed, the sky was blue above them and the cosmos blew in the warm breeze. Summer existed for them. This time, even if it ended, they would be together