two years later

She stood proudly in front of the small gathering with friends, common friends and colleagues for the opening of her new restaurant that she recently developed after scrapping her previous plan of creating a catering business.

The view of her restaurant looked very modern - it’s attractive, classy and unique. A band is performing ballad and R&B genre of songs at the mini-stage. Rectangular tables covered with white cloth and folded linen napkins and table wares set atop and contemporary chairs propped around. White balloons are also scattered on the velvet carpeted floor and flowers displayed by the entrance and other ones in vases set on top of the tables. Even if she’s uninterested with parties and anything related to it, this turned out really pretty.

She hated parties. She barely attended birthday one unless Sooyoung would drag her and she didn't attend prom and debs during high school. She was also against having a sweet sixteen birthday and coming-of-age celebrations. Even acquaintance and graduation party in college. It's basically Sooyoung and Taeyeon’s idea to put up a party after they begged her probably for some reasons such as food, food, boys and food. And it's a huge relief they volunteered to organize everything.

It really isn't necessary to celebrate except that the weather is so fine, clouds are patching up in the blue sky like cotton candy and the sun streaming its warmth through it. The moderate breeze of Han River is very refreshing outside, keeping the atmosphere from being hot. It’s seldom for this kind of weather to occur in Korea. If it’s not too cold, it will be too humid. And it seemed like it tried to match the mood of almost every people present in one room especially that Yuri and Minho started dating again.

They managed to reconcile when Yuri came back a year ago through Minho's initiation though it took him time. He was patient, surprisingly and he has done the persuasions all by himself. He mentioned to her that Yuri is one of the important happenings that he needed to correct as he was amidst starting anew.

It's kind of funny but impressive to watch Minho proving himself once again to Yuri. He really left a bad impression because of his infatuation to Yoona. But Yuri said she doesn't completely blame Minho or her for their one sided-ish relationship. He wanted to move on and obviously, he'll keep on trying. It was hard for Minho and Yoona knew that.

Two years ago, there were quite times he'd bluntly confess he still loves Yoona and he begged her to let him do it whenever he has to until the feeling of uttering the words of love gradually disappears. It was blessing in disguise when Yuri returned. And he knew that if he's ever gonna ask for a second chance, it wouldn't be for the sake of moving on but to try giving himself the opportunity to love someone else genuinely and wholly and he wanted Yuri to be that someone.

From a corner, she watched the both of them holding each other’s hands and cuddling in their seats. Their eyes and smiles and the glow in their faces are something she haven’t seen from them. She’s probably the happiest person now that they gave each other a second chance. Other than that, there's nothing else to party about unless he is here. She missed him and hopefully he does too.

Still indulged in her thoughts, Sooyoung stood in front of her - arms folded and eyes narrowed trying to penetrate into Yoona's head. Yoona blinked her eyes, unconscious of her nescient self and it happens almost every time she thinks of him.

"Piece of advice, don't be too obvious that you want him to be here" She suggested, setting a haughty tone in her voice.

She rolled her eyes reeling her head to one side and hissed.

They both turned, hearing their names being randomly called by familiar persons. Some were greeting, displaying their gratefulness of receiving invitations and chat with them respectively. This is one of the parts Yoona is trying to avoid that's why she dislike any sort of celebration. It's difficult and exhausting to keep on entertaining people and their uniform questions she must answer consistently.

Specifically, both male and female friends are barely tolerable especially when they ask her if she have an important someone in her life and they're status. It's a little overboard to some degree because she haven't seen these people for years, half of them are only acquaintances and she wasn't very close with them. She only has one path to ride onto which is suppressing a placid smile to everyone whenever that question is being brought up.

Not that she's being cautious of herself. It only reminds her so much of that night she last saw Jonghyun a year ago. It's a complete foolishness of hers that she let him be gone for a year and she still consider it to be poorest decision she made, until now. Because she wants to make things slow for them, she made him wait and asked if he could stay by her side and he did in a heartbeat. Then it was her turn to make a choice - if he'll be gone for a year in Japan or he'll stay.  She was considering so many things when he asked her.

It's not always about her, she have known that to herself. Jonghyun, just like her, he has a life outside whatever they currently have (had). Albeit wanting him to be beside her every second of every day, her selfless ego is pulling her from that mind-set. Sometimes, she thinks her words probably have come to life, that she became unfair to him. He didn't waver when he promised he'll wait but she let him leave like she's being untruthful to her words.

And now, they have these inquiries about him and how they are together. How is she supposed to answer that when she has no idea what's going on with him and them. He's away for a year and they barely talk to each other unlike how they used to and it was always him who is equipped in talking to her all the time and how much her voice moves him and makes up for his awful day. But she never heard anything from him a month after he left.

A week ago, informed he'll be returning to Seoul, she gave him a voice message that required her very pride. She's not someone who openly expresses troubling thoughts and feelings gnawing in her and often, she keeps it locked in her mind and heart. She mindfully flaunted her moment of weakness but she didn't care. She's not losing it again as she have done numerous times.

"I know we haven't talked for a while" Her voice cracked, burying the device to her cheek. "I just want to you know that I miss you so much and I'm...." She pursed her lips and took a deep breath. "I'm scared. I was scared when you asked me if you should stay or not. I just can't be selfish like how others wanted me to be. And what if I did make you stay? It will just make me even more afraid because I was beginning to doubt if the day would really come that I can completely present myself to you a hundred percent. I just don’t know anymore if be enough and if I can do that” She sobbed under her words. “But I know that I love you”

She glanced at Taeyeon who’s serving at the bar and signalled her that most of the guests have arrived and settled by their respective tables.  She walked up the two-step stairs; the blonde haired in a suit, good-looking vocalist of the performing band reached for her hand and assisted her. He also handed the microphone and kindly touched her hand and displayed a smirk at one corner of his lips. She instantly withdraws her hand from contact and grimaced.

She returned to her composure, brushing down her scarlet dress with under-pleated ruffle that complements well to her pearl-white skin. Her hands clenched tighter on the microphone as she stood at the center and levelled her gaze to those in front of her. She felt so unsettled knowing that giving a speech of appreciation is not really a big deal or maybe it’s the fact she rarely do public speaking. Her eyes met from Sooyoung’s to Minho’s and he mouthed, “He’ll come” then gave her a smile which she found to be very helpful.

“I’m not really fond of talking in front of people but I feel that I have to because even if I didn’t share much history with half of you, you came and I’m very thankful that only few ditched me like my ex-boyfriend from Busan who probably chose not to show up since it will only make him more depressed that we broke up and he didn’t even try to win me back and might end up sobbing in one corner which he will dislike for me to see”

Everyone laughed in their seats except for Taeyeon and Sooyoung who are flustered hearing Yoona pulling off a joke.

“Kidding aside, thank you for coming here and I’m also thankful to Taeyeon and Sooyoung whom I dragged into this. It’s been my dream to venture into anything related to food. Food always makes most people happy and satisfied based on my experience whenever I eat. As you all know, it only started as a café two years ago which is managed alternately by my friends. And this restaurant…..”

She paused, realizing where her talk is leading her into but since he’s not here, might as well just mention quite about him.

“Well, someone helped me stay up one night two or three years ago, I think.  And it was before the scheduled submission that the land owner and the city hall asked from me. So, I was compiling all the required permits for the land, business, space and even liquor license and writing five to six letters of permission. I end up sleeping on top of my desk and he kind of did something that totally made my eyes open and completely waken up. Nonetheless, if it wasn’t for him it will take another year for this dream to exist”

It’s obvious in their faces that they’re slightly in awe but Sooyoung, as she scanned the crowd, it isn’t because of the restaurant’s back story but the awe is more centric towards the mystery guy.

“So, Yoona. Is he here?” Taecyeon, a heir of an entertainment company and her former suitor, tried asking a vague question which she understood.

She formed a placid smile and shook her head once. “Nope. He’s not here. And just to answer all your questions about that rumored special someone of mine, yes, it’s the same person. And even though he’s not here and I haven’t seen him for quite long, I learned so much when he was away.” She pressed her lips together and her eyes swept around the room, feeling surprised that they are paying attention to her speaking.

“No one is ready when they decide to be in a relationship, even those who become engaged and marry someone.  There will always be fear existing between two people, fear of what will happen in the future and fear that they might end up hurting and hating each other. Nobody can tell the possibilities in a relationship that’s why some are reluctant, like me. But why do the rest dared and are feisty to be in a relationship? Simple. Because the only thing they are sure of is that they are in love and happy and that alone is enough to have a strong built but that’s what I failed to see two years ago. I learned that I shouldn’t think of the future ahead of us but what we actually have and had because after all, the reason why our feelings are mutual is because of the past that we shared and the present that we’re spending together, not the future that haven’t existed yet. There are no ways to take the fear of these unknown instances away but what we can do is love that person as much and as long as we can. And right now, I am more than I sure that I’m in love and happy.” She sighed loudly, forgetting that the microphone is still being held about her face. “God, this is really embarrassing”

She felt her cheeks flare up as she prolongs her stay in the stage. She panicked when placing the microphone on its stand and even caused screeching sounds in the amplifier. She tried fleeing from the stage but couldn’t keep her footsteps in harmony, stumbling in her feet while running down the stairs and completely falling into a man with strong support that saved her from a second-hand embarrassment stunt. Her body, being wrapped by a pair of arms that she thought to be firm and familiar at an extent as if its embracing her.

There was a collective intake of breath when she fell, including hers, that drove her focus to even manage knowing that everyone rose from their seats in worry. She pulled her upper body away and a twisted smile greeted her. A heap of uneasy emotions pierced into her heart and is circling in her stomach that caused her to pale and slightly shiver. Her eyes widen and she was almost motionless, eager to move her muscles from his lounge.

There are only two certain thoughts in her head: One, he’s is not supposed to be her though she half-expected him to be and second, she needs to pull herself back together.

She tried to free herself from him. “Let me go.” There’s more intended force when she commanded him but he remained unmoving.

“No.” He persisted. “We’re gonna talk”

All of a sudden, his hand slid under her knees and the other on her back, carrying her in a clamorous manner with sound of harsh grunt coming from him.

“Since when have you gotten heavy?” He politely asked.

“Put me down!” She exclaimed in her loud voice and tried hitting him in his chest. She was unexpectedly strong but he can bear and even smirks at it.

They were already outside, undoubtedly capturing the attention of those nearby. Yoona is already nagging that this is becoming too gaudy in view but Jonghyun doesn’t care. They crossed the empty road and she noticed he’s heading them the same spot where she usually lurks and where they first talked.

He gently put her down on the grass and she staggered stepping back from him. She brushed down her dress that got crumpled and rolled her eyes at him. He just scoffed with minimal sound.

“What are you doing here?” Her words came out between her gritted teeth and appeared to be displeased and even directed disapproving gazes to him, covering her feelings with attitude.

“You invited me. Of course I’ll come”

“And you heard everything I just said?”

He nodded. “I’m really glad that we now share the same thought of taking the fear away towards the possibilities of being together because we’re simply, happy and in love”

He was pouting with his eyes narrowed, staring at her assertively. “Yoona, stop hiding your feelings behind that sulky-wanna-be look you’re trying to impose. It doesn’t work for me. I know you’re screaming of joy to see me today after Sooyoung told me that you’re hoping of seeing me"

Yoona shut her lips hard, her jaw hardened and completely ignoring him. As much as she concedes there’s truth in his words, the moment his image filled her eyes, there’s a sudden anger raging inside her that she couldn’t just ignore.

“Okay” Jonghyun began feeling hopeless if he’ll continue to act too decisive towards her. “I know you’re mad at me or maybe you’re actually loathing. So I’m sorry if I didn’t call or message you for like a year. I had to do it and I had my reasons. But it was hard for me, Yoona. I can’t even see your face and I can barely even listen to your voice. And I just put it in mind that it was the kind of karma that people like me suffers because of the reasons that I couldn’t let you know.”

 “Fine. You win.” She said. “I was really hoping you would come because I missed you so much” There’s longing in her tone but a shade of sarcasm. “But you’re just gonna show up here and apologize because you haven’t contacted me?”

“I had my reasons!” He insisted.

“I don’t have a problem if you won’t call me for a year but you could have told me why” She strongly implied. “I would greatly understand if you feel like you need a break from waiting. I don’t even think I’m entitled to get mad at you because you waited for me and you’re even here and I still feel so bad that I didn’t make you stay but I couldn’t bring myself not to burst my anger. You haven’t said anything when I gave you a voice message that took so much gut out of me and I know you know that. But….” She trailed off, feeling that her body seemed to be emotionally exhausted that she feels the need of grappling into something. Her trembling hands curled over the material of her dress, breathed heavily and flinched before she could proceed. “Whatever reason you had, you should have at least me know.”

She turned her back, walking away in a slow pace with such heavy hollowness that occurred in her heart.

We’re gonna be fine. This is just a temporary anger and he can deal with it and compromise with it like he always does. She pampered herself.

“That I’m gonna marry you?”

She felt her body freeze, only able to make the most minimal movement. Her eyes kept blinking, comprehending the matter that Jonghyun just uttered behind her that greatly silenced her. She circled back to face him from a short distance, realizing she haven’t really walked that far. 

“You heard it right, Yoona. That’s reason why I suddenly cut our ties because I was planning to ask your hand in marriage. That’s why there’s a party which you really hated and people you’ve known in there which I begged your friends to comply if possible. And that’s why I asked you to choose if you want me to just stay with you or not and when you told me that I should follow after my dad, I just knew that I have to marry you because you simply care about everything and everyone important to me. And I wanted you to realize that even if I’m not by your side, I know that you love me, that you don’t need to prove it to me because I can feel it. Every time Minho, Taeyeon and even Sooyoung kept on calling me that you’re always secretly crying and you’d doodle my name in some random paper out of your subconscious because you miss me.”

He slowly walked towards her. His warm hands cupped her face; his anxious thumb brushing over her cheekbone. He looked at her everlasting angelic face carefully that he always longed to see and now, his eyes are meeting hers again, staring at them deeply that never falter to calm his demeanor and soften his heart.

“I’m also afraid, Yoona, just like you. But I’m happy and in love and I want to be with you, that’s what mattered most to me. And when I heard you saying almost the same thoughts as mine, you have no idea how much it made me very happy. And I’m sorry if I made you think that you’re not enough when in fact, you meant more than anything in this world to me”

All of a sudden, Jonghyun kneels down in one knee. Yoona gasped, her hand clapping over . Almost everyone inside the restaurant is drawn outside to witness a very important start in the lives between two people. His hand fished something inside the pocket of his coat. A small red box rested within his fingers presented in front of her. He carefully opened the box- the explicit diamond ring shimmers on its own.

“I had to carry you all the way here because I want to propose where it all started and I’m not really a fan of cheesy stuff but I have to do this because I love you so much. I want you to be the first thing I see in the morning. I want to have a family with you, grow old and play the water hose with you” He finally made her laugh. He cleared his throat and let out a breath then held her hand. “Will you marry me, Yoona?”

She started crying; emotions packed into a tight ball that she couldn’t hold any longer. She knows her heart skipped a beat, maybe two beats when she heard him asking her to be his wife.

“Yes, I will” He nervously slipped the ring on her finger in perfect fit and embraced her in his arms that meant they belong together.

She isn’t sure of what’s going on like everything suddenly faded around them but everyone is astonished and kept on coming over to her to say their congratulations and that they apologize for keeping it a secret but she doesn’t mind. All she understands is that, just like Jonghyun, she’s happy, in love and she’ll finally be with him for the rest of their lives as his wife.

The place is almost deserted where it’s only them who’s left- Sooyoung, eating some left overs and Taeyeon, fixing the tables and chairs. While Jonghyun and Yoona are at one corner, still filling up everything that they missed from each other for the whole year.  They are smiling, laughing, giggling and even hitting each other where Jonghyun is always the victim – so full of enamor evident in their every action and words.

Minho has been watching the two as he’s left alone after Yuri needed to leave early. A grin is plastered on his face, staring at them dreamily like it’s a mandate of heaven that Jonghyun and Yoona are the missing pieces of each other.

“Hey, Jonghyun” Minho pranced to their table. “Do you mind if I take a moment with Yoona?”

“Yeah, sure” Jonghyun smiled. He kissed Yoona’s forehead before giving the best friends their private time. Minho took Jonghyun’s seat. He rested both his arms on the table and locked his hands together.

“Congratulations to both of us” He greatly remarked. “I’ve compromised things with Yuri and then you, you’re getting married and I’m very happy for you though I know you might be pissed because none of us told you about it”

Yoona chuckled. “Well, I could have done my ritual again to Jonghyun if he didn’t propose so you’re all saved. I’m also happy for you. I mean, like I used to, you always thought you’ll be stuck with only one person for a really long time but you didn’t and that worth so much”

“If you weren’t there for me, I don’t think I can make it this far” He said. “I’m always the weaker one and even if I almost brought down, you stood up and pulled me up with you. I don’t know anyone who would do that for me”

Yoona grabbed his hand and looked at him in a gratifying motion. “It’s not only me, okay. I wouldn’t be here too if it wasn’t for you and I know you already knew that” His eyes fell on her hand grasped within his and smiled.

“Thank you” She uttered.

“And thank you”

= E N D =

a/n: THE END. Thank you guys for supporting this fanfic which I never thought to have garnered this much readers despite the cliche plot. The ending is kind of an open ending, I think, because I want you guys to share your own thoughts and opinions with the ending I presented to you. It was difficult when I was writing this because I just don't know how to end it then I realized that this a MinYoon fanfic and I just have to end it with a MinYoon scene so I ended up having this ending - a simple regards between two friends who went through a lot but remained as they are. Since this ended, I can follow up Substitute Husband since that fanfic is ending too. Yes, that's kind of sad. And I think I can update We Got Married as well, I just don't know when. I'm focusing on the our new fanfic since the ideas are still very fresh in our heads so the writing flow would be continuous, I guess (I hope so). It's such a challenge in terms of writing and outlining the plot but i think we can do it. I'm very confident. I hope you'll support it too. Thanks again, guys :)