It's been months since Yizhuo had sought out her favorite married couple's advice about her proposal. She didn't need to rush anything, Yizhuo mused to herself, but it didn't mean that she wasn't getting any work done even if she had all the time in the world.

 

She's been hanging out with a few of her trusted closest friends for a while, often planning out schedules for when she's supposed to meet who on certain days (Aeri recommended this method as to not get Minjeong suspicious). Minjeong was busy with work anyway, but it wouldn't be long before Minjeong started getting suspicious, if she wasn't already.

 

Yizhuo's sure that Minjeong wanted a ring that wasn't too extravagant — Minjeong would gleefully accept a thin metal rod molded into a circle for a ring if she could — she was always one for simplicity. The complete opposite of Yizhuo, who wouldn't accept anything less than a ring designed with the most expensive jewels known to mankind.

 

…Okay, maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration, but she would definitely not accept anything that was too simple.

 

But maybe Yizhuo was willing to bend her own preferences if it meant that it was Minjeong who would be bending her knee in front of her with a poorly molded ring in a small worn-out cardboard box.

 

She had already picked out a ring for Minjeong just a couple of weeks ago. In the end, she decided to just measure it manually; with a string around Minjeong's left ring finger. Minjeong wasn't exactly a heavy sleeper, but wasn't a light sleeper either. It was a miracle how Yizhuo even managed to wrap the string around Minjeong's finger without messing up by waking the older woman up, but she succeeded.

 

She headed straight to the jewelry shop the next day with the string, picking out a simple silver band with a gorgeous garnet stone sitting on top of a throne of diamonds. It reminded her of Minjeong in a way — simple yet never settled for less, elegant and faithful, like garnets.

 

Planning out your marriage proposal was definitely something. Something difficult, Yizhuo thought to herself with a sigh. Although it was pretty difficult to do, Yizhuo was still determined to get Minjeong to marry her. That was the point of all this planning.

 

To marry Kim Minjeong.

 

Marry Minjeong…

 

Yizhuo leaned against the headboard of her bed, hands on top of each other on her lap as she stared at the painting on the wall pensively. It was a painting of Yizhuo and Minjeong that she had painted for Minjeong on her 25th birthday. She smiled to herself, chuckling to herself softly when she realized that she was absolutely smitten with her. Blinking, she covered her face with her hands, groaning.

 

"God, I'm so in love with her," Yizhuo muttered to herself. It was hard not to fall in love with Minjeong. It was hard not to feel her heart thump against her chest and for her knees not to get weak whenever Minjeong gives her the cute gummy smile she always reserved for Yizhuo. It was hard not to miss Minjeong whenever Minjeong wasn't around and to need her by her side at all times. It was hard not to yearn for more of Minjeong's sweet kisses, with the way they were sweeter than any kind of dessert Yizhuo loved to consume. It was hard not to feel this way — flustered and lovesick — because of one Kim Minjeong.

 

Pulling her hands off her face, she reached into her pocket, pulling out a small velvet box she knew housed Minjeong's soon-to-be engagement ring. She's been carrying it everywhere. She's aware that she might lose it somewhere if she wasn't being careful enough, but something about the ring just made her feel at home. Almost like Minjeong was with her everywhere she went.

 

Sighing, she pocketed it again, hands behind the back of her head as she stared at the painting on the wall again.

 

Yizhuo had it all planned out in her head: to take Minjeong out on a dinner date with some of their close friends tonight and propose to her in front of them. Jimin and Aeri would definitely be there, as Yizhuo's 'wingwomen of honor' .

 

She checked her wristwatch. 

 

One hour and twenty-four minutes left till it's time.

 

She supposed that she could tell Minjeong to start getting ready. Marching out of her room, she starts making her way to Minjeong's room with a hand in her pocket, feeling the smooth texture of the velvet box that housed the engagement ring Yizhuo had bought for Minjeong. Biting her lip, she twisted the doorknob of Minjeong's room, inviting herself in. She was about to call Minjeong when the sight in front of her stopped her.

 

On Minjeong's bed, laid the small figure of the owner, seemingly fast asleep. The sight brought a smile to her face and she pretty much tiptoed her way to the bed, slowly sitting next to Minjeong. 

 

"Minjeong-unnie?"

 

Minjeong didn't reply. Of course she doesn't, she's still sleeping, , Yizhuo thought to herself with a roll of her eyes. Yizhuo observed Minjeong's face and gasped softly.

 

She truly is the most beautiful person ever…

 

"Hey Minjeong-unnie?"

 

Yizhuo figured it would be fine if she practiced her speech now to a sleeping Minjeong to ease her nerves before the actual proposal. 

 

But all she could utter after a series of sighs and throat clearing was a soft whisper of Minjeong's name. It might seem like an easy task, declaring your love for the person you love the most and asking them to marry you. But it really wasn't that easy. 

 

You have to take everything into account; the years you've gone through together and the years you're planning to spend together; the amount of trust that you have for your partner; the ways you can use to make up with your partner after a misunderstanding; what to avoid so as to not upset them; the things they love to do and to receive; accepting every little flaw your partner has because no one is perfect; the understanding you have of who they are and how to understand them more. You have to take everything into account before you declare that you're gonna make sure that you'll be tying the knot together.

 

And for Yizhuo, she was more than ready now.

 

"I'm excited to make you my fiancée tonight," she mumbled with determination, Minjeong's forehead with her thumb, gently brushing her fringe to the side.

 

"I really want to marry you, Minjeong-unnie."

 

"You probably know the answer to this already, but did you know that my heart beats really