He had taken careful measures to make sure the message was cryptic.

Very cryptic.

If it wasn’t so, he thought she’d find it too obvious and boring and throw it away.

But maybe that was just his paranoia thinking.

Either way, he had taken extra measures to be cryptic to her.

“Summer of 2000. Noon. Bring Jiyong.”

It was so strange, so simple, so cryptic, she was sure to be curious and come answer his call, right?

Right?

During the summer of 2000, the two had been five years old. It was the year they’d met each other. The year Seung Mi had moved into town.

Seung Mi had come out of nowhere – almost literally. Jiyong had been playing in the park, rolling in the grass and chasing butterflies. Being five then, he couldn’t remember much. He thought he’d come close to a butterfly and tripped, landing on the soft grass with cute giggles suited to a young child bearing much too much energy and happiness. He’d looked up and voila! Seung Mi was standing in front of him.

He liked to say he said something cool. Something suave, something amazing.

Something besides, “ Who are you?”

She’d giggled too.

As they ran around the park, their parents watched on, laughing at the happiness and excitement of the children’s first meeting. Under the warm, bright rays of the sun, amongst the sweet green grass, white flowers, and flitting insects, the two were hardly able to contain their energy.

Even when the scenery changed, they were impossible to contain.

Then they took a walk, deciding to walk amongst purple-pink blooms and white tree blossoms. A very sweet, serene, and calm surrounding – and yet, the children’s spirits were still running wild.

It was only after Jiyong asked Seung Mi about her past that their spirits fell.

Telling the story, Seung Mi’s tears fell onto the flowers around their feet. Things had not been easy for her, and Jiyong realized this.

And despite the fact that he was five, he knew she needed comforting.

He ran over to his parents while she wiped her eyes and held a quick conversation with them before running back over to her.

Seung Mi opened her eyes to meet the gaze of a dark, round-eyed bear.  For a moment, she was at a loss of words. She then looked over the bear, giggling when she noticed Jiyong’s feet beneath the bear’s.

“I’ll name him Jiyong!” She trilled after he’d gifted it to her, and the children walked off among the white and purple flowers, swinging Jiyong by the arms between them.

-

Jiyong wished he could stand and stare.

He liked to think she belonged there – a natural beauty surrounded by the beauty of nature. He loved the way she stood out against the flowers, how she almost glowed with peace and serenity. He loved her curious, patient, and thoughtful expression as she watched white petals gently drift down from the tree and float past her, carried by a light summer’s breeze.

He liked to think the open air was perfect for her. She had always been, after all, a free spirit, belonging more under the sunshine than holed up inside a house. It was one of the things he loved most about her.

He liked that, despite how beautiful she shone, she could still look adorable, holding a giant bear in her arms. He liked to think they were children again, seeing each other as if out of a dream under white tree blooms and over purple-pink blossoms.

“Jiyong!”

He’d only managed to shake himself out of his daydreams and thoughts before Seung Mi was in front of him, throwing her arms – and the bear – around his neck. “There you are! I was worried I read your note wrong and – yah.” She hit him gently on the chest. “What a way to call me out. You just had to be cryptic, didn’t you?”

Jiyong let the sweet girl go on, smiling, nodding, and laughing at all the right places – paying more attention to her than to anything else in that moment.

After all, today was her day. Nothing and nobody today mattered more than her.

Her, the woman he loved.

“Seung Mi.” Jiyong finally stopped her and she looked up at him, blinking her long lashed eyes with pure, innocent curiosity.

“Yes?”

“Seung Mi…” Jiyong ran a hand through her hair gently, pulling her hair away from her face. Her beautiful face. The face he wanted to wake up to every morning – the face he’d watch for the rest of his life.

And then he let go of her and got down on one knee.

She stared at him.

He pulled out the small white bear he’d kept hidden in his pocket and held it out to her. The bear’s little furry arm reached out towards her – all white fluff and fur, sparkling diamonds and silver bands.

She widened her eyes and covered .

“Seung Mi. Will you marry me?”

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