It took less than five rings before her called was answered which surprised her because she was expecting her call to be dropped or worse hit the voicemail the second she pressed call in the first place.

 

 

She really wasn't about to call her. She was the last thing on her mind actually but when she saw her girlfriend in a Sunday dress in the backyard playing with her little cousins and niece that's when it hit her. Today is the day. She needed to call her. She wanted her to be the first to know.

 

 

"Hello." The voice from her device tore away her attention from her girlfriend who was currently getting a new hairdo from her cousins.

 

 

"Hi." Was all that came out of . What that's it? You had a purpose right? Don't be such a wuss right now. Her mind told her as she mentally cursed herself for losing it when the conversation has just begun. 

 

 

You can do this. She told herself as she sat on the chair on her Aunt's back porch. 

 

 

Right there's nothing to worry about. It's been years. Plus she wouldn't have answered your call if she was mad at you right? She said to herself as she tried to gain more confidence before trying to speak to the woman on her phone again.

 

 

"So how are you?" The voice on the other line asked to break the silence which she was thankful for. She answered a simple, "I'm good" before asking her the same question as a sign of courtesy to which she was met with the answer, "Everything's okay. Thanks for asking."

 

 

Silence reigned over when the pre-requisite greetings and courtesies were exchanged. She wasn't sure whether to tell her plan straight away or just hang up the call and make an obnoxious excuse so she could delay telling her the reason why she called in the first place.

 

 

All the while she was internally debating with herself, the person on the other line spoke oh so quietly that the words were almost caught under her breath, "How is she?"

 

 

How is she? The question made her look at the woman who was now talking to her parents. If she wasn't on a serious call right, she'd excitedly walk over to her and compliment her new hairstyle which was designed by her not so professional ten year old cousins.

 

 

How is she? Easy. Still as beautiful as ever. In fact she only got more beautiful as time went by. Probably the most attractive twenty-six year old woman on the planet today, tomorrow, and the next day after that.

 

 

With that floral Sunday dress paired with her plain flat shoes, the sun must be embarrassed to even show up today. She outshined the stars and sun no matter what day it is.

 

 

Her pretty smile as she played with her cousins and niece was just icing on the top. She bet that even the breeze would have directed another way if she wanted it to. She's so carefree that she doesn't know that all eyes are on her especially hers.

 

 

But did she told these things to her companion over the phone? Of course not. That would be too insensitive of her. Instead she answered, "She's doing great too." to which she heard a hum on the other line as a response.

 

 

"Uhm...so why did you call?" The voiced asked this time. 

 

 

But why did she call her? Out of all people, she was the one that came to mind when she made her decision not just moments ago.

 

 

Simple. She just wanted to tell her. She wasn't going to ask for her permission. Neither she was about to ask for her advice. She just wanted to simply tell her but she doesn't know how. It was so easy to press the call button earlier but now that she was on the spot she just couldn't let it off .

 

 

This is her friend for goodness's sake. Well she does still treat her as her friend but after all that have happened she just doesn't know if the person on the other line feels the same.

 

 

"Hello? Still there?" The voice asked when she didn't respond for a while.

 

 

"Uh yeah, I was just..." Her voice trailed off when she couldn't think of an excuse for her unsolicited silence. 

 

 

"You're nervous. Why?" A chuckle was heard from the other line which shocked her. She haven't heard that for a while. Hell it's been three years.

 

 

"I'm not nervous." She said way too quick for her liking which made her sound so defensive.

 

 

"Yeah, lie better next time. So what is it?" She couldn't argue with her. After all that they've been through, she knew her better than anyone.

 

 

So what now? She asked herself. She was about to reach for her glass of wine on the table beside her when the voice suddenly said, "You're about to ask her are you? That's why you called me." which made her stop in mid-air and made her retract her hand from the glass and back to her lap.

 

 

The voice wasn't accusing. There wasn't any anger either. She could only describe it as the sound of defeat. Even though they were hundreds of miles apart she could hear her heart breaking over the phone. And as much as she hated it that she was one of the reasons for her pain, she wasn't going to go back at her decision. 

 

 

"Ah yes." She answered after regaining her voice. The line went silent for a while but she knew that the call was still on since she could still hear the intake of air of the other person on the other line.

 

 

"You're not about to ask me for any tips are you?" The voice answered playfully which brought tears to her eyes. She knew, she just knew that her friend was smiling on the other line even though she can't see her and hearing her just made her heart burst.

 

 

She wasn't expecting her to be so...well she never expected anything in the first place. She wasn't expecting her call to be answered at all.

 

 

"I got it covered." She said before putting her hand on her pocket to make sure that the ring was still in there.

 

 

"Well good luck I guess?" The voice said more quietly this time. And she surely didn't miss the deep sigh that was released by the other line.

 

After all this time huh? She thought to herself. Just then she met that gaze of her girlfriend from across the backyard who signalled her to come quickly because her parents were already looking for her. She answered her with a gesture that she was on a call with someone important and that she'll be right there in five minutes.

 

 

"Thanks." She answered meekly not sure of what else to say knowing that feelings still hang around in the air for her companion.

 

 

"No, thank you. I mean for calling me. You know for telling me beforehand." The voice said more quietly this time. She heard something squeak and feet shuffling on the other line which made her think that she probably sat down.

 

 

"Are you okay?" She automatically asked. It was a natural reflex. They've known each other for more than a decade and a half, they know by instinct when one of them was going something tough.

 

 

"If I say I wasn't, would you still ask her? Would you still do it?" The voice asked straightly this time not wasting any second.

 

 

"I called because I wanted to tell you my plan. I wasn't asking for your permission. I'd still do it regardless if you're fine with it or not." She answered truthfully. Yes she was nervous because she wasn't sure how her friend was gonna react but she was sure that she's going to do it anyway whatever her opinion was.

 

 

"You do deserve her. Take care of her, Aeri." Once again tears swelled in her eyes when she heard her name come out of . It has been three years since the last time that she heard that word from her. And this time she knew that she was genuinely happy for her. 

 

 

All was finally forgiven and okay. Surely mistakes were done on both sides but what mattered right now is that they were okay. Healing was finally here.

 

 

"You did deserve her too, Minjeong." She says reassuring the other person on the line.

 

 

"But I let her get away." Minjeong breathed.

 

 

"Now I'm making sure that's not gonna happen to us." Aeri answered as she took out the ring that was resting on her pocket.

 

 

"Only if she say yes!" Minjeong once again. 

 

 

"Yah Kim Min—" But before she could even finish her sentence, Minjeong cuts her off with that gentle voice of hers, "Goodluck Aeri." and the line went dead.

 

 

Wiping the tears that have manage to fall, Aeri reached for the glass of wine and drank it in one go. She needed courage to the thing that she was about to do.

 

 

 

With almost of her family present at the Sunday gathering, she was sweating beads just by thinking of proposing right in front of them.

 

Well hell, you just told your girlfriend's ex who happens to be your best friend that you're about to propose so I guess the hardest part is already over. Her mind reminder her just in case she forgot about the conversation with Minjeong earlier.

 

Yes. You can do this, Aeri. She said to cheer herself up.

 

 

Mustering all the courage that she have left, she slowly stood up and cleared to get the attention of all the people in the table.

 

 

"Uh, I have something I have to say..." She started awkwardly when she saw that all eyes are on her now. A couple of seconds passed by where not a single word left which made her relatives think that she spaced out already and her Uncle was about to say something when she suddenly dropped on one knee beside her girlfriend and pulled out the ring out of her pocket.

 

 

"Jimin..." She started and with shaking fingers she reached for her girlfriend's left hand. "I know that this isn't the perfect time for this but I just...I can't...I mean—after all that we've been through not just in the past three years but over all, I just wanna be with you. I can't ask for more, you're everything I've ever wanted ever since that day that I met you when I was sixteen. I know that ours wasn't the typical type of love story but will you marry me?"

 

 

The cold breeze and the sound of waiting breaths are all that can be heard once Aeri popped the question. If there were a million saints up there then Aeri have already named and called them all at the moment because for her this was the longest silence of her life. She didn't dare look back at her relatives, she wouldn't be able to take in their pity if Jimin says no. 

 

 

She was about to get up when tears started falling from her girlfriend's eyes. Her heart was about to break but was stopped when Jimin hugged her and whispered the answer that she have always wanted to hear from her.

 

 

Loud whistles and remarks of congratulations filled the backyard once Aeri slipped the ring on Jimin's finger.

 

 

Wiping away Jimin's tears with the back of her hand, Aeri knew just by looking at her girlfriend's eyes that she wouldn't make the same mistake that her best friend did. For sure, eternally and legally, Aeri wouldn't let Jimin get away.

 

 

 

AN: always have wanted to write this ever since I heard LANY's Get Away. Also the first time I've written a Kariselle one-shot.