As she got in the car, the driver sped away. Before she realized it, she was on the freeway. This sent her a fresh wave of paranoia being that she didn't know where she was going. All sorts of things started running through her head and she couldn't take it any longer. She wanted to wait and see where she was heading, but this was too much. Her heart was pounding, and she decided to ask the driver.

 

"Excuse me but, where am I going?" She asked, unsure if she sounded impolite or not.

 

The driver turned slightly to hand her an envelope. As he did, she caught a glimpse of his face while reaching for what he was giving her. It was a familiar looking man. Her brows furrowed in thought, trying to figure out where she met him and suddenly she realized. It was that Japanese guy from the club, and the coffee shop.

 

She pointed a finger at him, and her lips parted as if she were going to say something, but no sound came out.

 

The driver grinned widely albeit, somewhat mischievously, and spoke. "Incheon Airport, Miss."

---

 

Still in shock, the only thing Summer could do was remain silent and stare, whereas the silence droned on too long, Shota finally spoke.

 

"We haven't been introduced properly, but I know who you are." The man upfront said, but he realized what he said may have sounded a bit scary. "I mean, who doesn't know who you are? You're Summer Park!"

 

Having a stranger drive you around was not something anyone would be comfortable with, and she was not an exception.

 

The look on her face, one filled with shock and fear, made him quickly say "No, no! Not in the stalker sense, well not really but you don't need to know that. My name is Shota, I'm Jiyong's friend."

 

Now she looked at him differently, with a little bit more attention now. "Jiyong's friend?" She repeated.

 

"Yeah," he said.

 

"Then…why don't I know you, know you?" She asked, curious as to why she never knew about this friend of his. Because she did know him, as the coffee guy and the club guy, but she didn't know him as Jiyong's friend.

 

"Oh, we used to be tight until, y'know. He met this girl, told me he was crazy about her, and then we very rarely saw each other." Skeletons in the closet, she thought. So Shota was one of the things he kept from her because he was part of the past and, the past no longer mattered because they only thought of their future. At the time.

 

 "I'm talking about you, if you don't already know." He said trying to lighten the mood. She smiled but felt a tinge of guilt, separating two friends.

 

"I'm sorry." She began. "It seems as if I took you two apart."

 

"It's okay. I mean, we're still friends. It's not like we forgot about each other." He said, remembering a somewhat lonely life without a wingman. He looked at the rearview mirror and saw that she was looking down, a sad look on her face.

 

"But I thought that, he really needed someone like you. Someone who'd always be there, a rock he could hold on to, being that the way he used to live was , and trust me when I say that he was really messed up. So really, it's okay. He needed you." He said.

 

Summer spoke and asked him if that really was true, and all Shota said was "Really,"

 

She looked at the rearview mirror, and at the same time he did too. Finally establishing eye contact she said, "Well, I need him too."

 

Knowing that finally all of Jiyong attempts of winning her back were no longer in vain, he said with conviction, "Then we better get to that airport fast." And he sped away on the freeway, silently praying that Jiyong still be at that airport.

 

-----

 

They no longer spoke after that. Shota must've figured out that she was most probably still in shock and needed some quiet time. Her feelings were in a tangled ball, the type that seemed impossible to unknot and she needed a moment to figure herself out.

 

Was she thinking things through enough? Just moments ago she was ready to marry another man, would Jiyong, despite everything be accepting of that fact? Could she even face him after what she put him through, even though, she thought, everything was an after-effect of his deed? What would she say? Would she hug him? Kiss him? Cry and beg for forgiveness? She was in a wedding dress, wouldn't it seem strange to be with some other man than the one supposedly at the church altar?

 

Step out into the wild, she thought or rather, recalled someone telling her. Don't be afraid. She sighed.

 

As she stared outside the window, a black BMW motorbike passed them. Though it looked like a sweet ride, she never liked them. They were loud and scary, and she just hated them. But as she saw it speed away, she couldn't help but get goosebumps along her arms.

 

 

"I hate motorcycles, I hate them. I hate them, I do." She said, shaking her head at the monstrosity in front of her.

 

"C'mon, there's nothing wrong with this." Jiyong spoke, patting the latest material object that has caught his attention.

 

"It's a deathtrap," she spoke, eyeing the thing like it was going to bite her at any moment.

 

"It's a Ducati, Babe." Jiyong sighed, mentally giving her an eye roll. He never did understand her and big bikes. Ladies used to dig this, but Summer just wouldn't budge.

 

"Whatever," she said "I don't know about you, but I want to have kids, and a life, and, oh, I don't know, arms and legs?" She told him, slowly inching her way further from the thing he liked to call a beauty.

 

"No, no. Get back here. You said you'd ride it today," He told her and dragged her back, forcefully, carrying her even as she struggled until she was seated on the bike.

 

"Now relax," he told her, which only caused her to panic.

 

"I said relax! Now, I'm never letting you off that until you do what I'm telling you! Quite being such a scaredy-cat." He , which only got her irritated.

 

"If anything happens to this thing, I'm not gonna be accountable for any of it." She said, glaring at him as he strapped on a helmet to her head.

 

"Don't worry, nothing's gonna happen to you." He told her, finally grinning as his girlfriend tried her best to get comfortable on this vehicle. Cars, she liked. Motorcycles, not so.

 

"When did you even get this?" She asked him, eyeing the bike with a new spark of curiosity.

 

"A month ago…" He said sheepishly. 

 

She sighed. "Just teach me how to drive this thing." Jiyong smiled, happy his girlfriend finally accepted the scenario happening now.

 

"What you have right here are the handlebars, fuel tank, gear shift and muffler." He told her, pointing to various parts on the deathtrap, which her eyes tried to follow quickly.

 

"Wait, wait! I don't get the handlebars! Why are they like this??" She asked as she released her hands from them.

 

"The one that you twist for gas is called the throttle. That's usually found on the right handlebar." He said, placing her hand on the right bar once again.

 

"The left one is the one you pull. Those are the brakes." He told her as he dropped her hand on the left one.

 

"The gear shift can be found near where your left foot is situated. You feel it?" He asked her as she moved her left foot towards where he was pointing at. She nodded. "The higher the gear, the faster it goes. Remember that." He told her, and she nodded once again.

 

"Super bikes like this one have gears up to 5th gear." He said, smiling proudly. She only started to whine, but was shushed by his speaking.

 

"Now rev it up," he told her.

 

"What?!" She asked, panic eating her up alive again. "Twist the throttle!!" He yelled at her and was replied with an "Okay! Okay!!"

 

"Now, hold down the break." He told her, and she did. "I'm going to move the kick stand up, then I'm going to shift gears for you. Slowly release the break only when I tell you to." He told her calmly. He checked the street before them and saw that there weren't any cars. He came back to where she was and motioned to switch gears.

 

"Don't let go--" he began to say but then she turned and asked "Let go?" Before he was able to tell her not to, the bike was on it's hind wheel -causing her to land flat on the ground beneath her- and speeding forward, hitting the lamp post on the opposite side of the street.

 

In a matter of moments, the bike was lying on it's side on the street as well.

 

"Oh, God. Ji, I am so sorry." She stood up, dusting the dirt off her clothes.

 

"No, it's fine. Are you hurt?" He asked her sincerely, brushing off the fact that his bike might have gotten it's first battle scars. But his sincerity towards her only lasted a while, since at that moment, a bus decided to pass by.

 

Jiyong's eyes widened, his arms stretched forward as he motioned to move closer to the bike. "Baby!" He yelled, pain finding it's way into his chest. He didn't yell 'baby' for her, he yelled it for the Ducati. "Noooo!!" He said as the bus crushed it in half. He bit his finger to avoid spewing profanities.

 

Summer was right at his side that moment, in a state of shock too. "Ji," she began but saw that wasn't going to work. "Sh-should I get it? I can go talk to the driver. I'll go--"

 

"No," Jiyong made the slightest sound, shock still evident on his face. "Just, just leave it."

 

"Really?" She asked. He nodded, finger still in his mouth. "Are you sure?" He still did the same.

 

"Okay," she said. She was sad for her boyfriend, but she couldn't deny a part of her was happy. That piece of junk was gone. "Come on, babe. Let's go inside. Huh? How about I make you something to drink?" She asked, all motherly.

 

"Yes please," he answered her like a child.

 

As they made their way up the steps of his apartment, she told him "It's just a piece of metal Ji. You'll get over it, alright?"

 

"It was an expensive piece of metal," he told her, unable to move his legs anymore, and she had to push him up. It wasn't her fault this happened, she was just glad it did.

 

"I love you, okay? I love you, Ji." She said, trying her best not to laugh.

 

 

Don't be afraid, she thought back to the voice that spoke inside her head. Don't be afraid.

 

At that exact moment, the car halted. They finally arrived at the airport, and both she and Shota dashed out of the car.

 

"Go!" he said. "You're already checked-in! I'll make sure your bags get on the plane." He told her and she nodded, saying her thanks, then making her way inside the airport.

 

In her wedding gown, chasing down the man who wasn't her fiance but the man she loved, with only a passport and wallet in hand, the unusual suddenly seemed very, very normal.

 

 

She went past security quickly; past the check-in counter for she already had a ticket and boarding pass ready for her. She ran, and ran, not without receiving a handful of stares but she didn't care. She only had to get to her departure gate. That's when all of this would have mattered.

 

Past the x-ray machines in the entrance of the departure area, past the infinite number of shops and restaurants, she finally found herself facing Gate 23.

 

She smiled, finally allowing her body to feel some ease as she took in big gulps of air. But then a look of confusion crossed her face. The boarding area was empty. She checked her boarding pass. 

 

Gate no. 23; Boarding time 7:50PM; Departure time: 8:30PM. 

 

It was already 8:40. The gates were closed.

 

She held on to the closest pillar to steady herself. And when she felt she could, she slowly made her way to the huge window before her, broadcasting the planes as they took off outside.

 

She sat down on the seat facing the window as one by one the planes sped up and flew above.

 

Fists clenched tightly, tears silently made their way down her face. She made no motion to wipe them away. The words she dreaded to hear finally came out the speakers surrounding the entire airport. 

 

"Flight G188 bound for London is now ready for take-off."

 

A few moments later, a huge plane sped up the runway, it's body tilting upwards until it finally soared up, away from the ground.

 

All she could do was sit at an empty boarding gate, and think about how cruel fate could be.

 

Maybe we really weren't meant to be together, she thought to herself as more tears fell from her eyes. Maybe this was all child's play, and maybe this was the universe telling her to grow up, that not everyone got what they wanted. That happy endings didn't exist.

 

There was a song that had those words, she thought. What was it, again? Ah, she remembered what the lyrics were. 'If happy every after did exist, I would still be holding you like this.'

 

She shook her head in disgust. In moments like this, how could she be thinking about ridiculous songs? These songs weren't going to bring Jiyong back. They weren't going to make the pain any less painful, or acceptable. In fact, they only amplified her frustration.

 

She stood up, and walked towards the exit of her gate more determined than when she arrived.

 

"Screw fate," she said. "I'm making my own happy ending."

 

----

 

Jiyong sat on the row of chairs closest to the window while waiting for his flight in Gate 23. He liked looking outside; he saw an endless amount of possibilities, infinite like the sky above.

 

But now he sat alone, staring blankly ahead of him, ignoring everyone who even smiled at him in politeness. He wasn't in the mood, he didn't think he'd ever be.

 

He looked at his ticket and then his boarding pass. 

 

"Heathrow Airport? In London??" He said aloud, wondering why this was even the place he was being sent to. It  could've been Japan, or China. Why Europe?? This was ridiculous. Were they just showing off how rich they were? Did they really think he was going to wreck a wedding? Psh, he thought. Did they seriously think he was that kind of person?

 

" this," he muttered so only he could hear his curses. He stood up shoving the important documents into the recesses of his carry-on bag. Then he left Gate 23, intentionally missing his flight.

 

He shook his head in distaste. He couldn't be bought off. He wouldn't be told what to do. He would never be forced into doing something he didn't want, and he didn't want this.

 

Letting anger seethe off him, he made his way to one of the better airport restaurants to see what he would make of his life right now. But as of this moment, this second, he could only think about eating all his stress away.

 

He sat down on one of the tables and was immediately given a menu, and a glass of iced water. Slouching on his seat, a frown found its way to his face. Disregarding the menu, he played with the rim of the glass as he found a slight amusement with the droplets of water trickling down its side.

 

"We're never going to get tap water there," a voice said in his head. He raised a brow as he recalled the memory, tentative if he even wanted to go down that path. But he did.

 

 

"What else aren't we going to get in England?" He asked her, entertaining her dream of backpacking through the United Kingdom. 

 

"Korean food," she said, practically stating the obvious. She stuck her tongue out at him, knowing that he was only asking about her wish just to humor her.

 

He clucked his tongue at the roof of his mouth before speaking again. "Why do you want to go there so badly, anyway?" He asked her now, seriously.

 

"I don't know. It just seems…fun," she told him as she faced the ceiling of her living room. They were both lying down on the floor, couches moved to the far walls of the room, giving them enough space to pretend star gaze at the small splotches of glow-in-the-dark paint above them.

 

"Is that it?" He asked her in disbelief.

 

"I want to see the castles," she said in all honesty. "I've heard they're really beautiful in Scotland. And there are ruins of them in Northern Ireland. Of course they still have a few in England, and palaces too. But in Wales, I really want to see Cadair Idris." Then she gave a short laugh. "I used to think maybe I'd meet my prince charming in a castle, that was enough to make me want to go there, but now, I really, really just want to." She said almost dreamily, as if before her she could already see vast mountains hiding forts and castles behind them.

 

Jiyong looked at her as she spoke. He had no interest in seeing castles or lakes, or hundreds of sheep flocking mountain slopes but the way she said it, the passion in her voice as she spoke, was enough to make him say "Then let's go backpacking in Britain."

 

She looked at him and shook her head. "Stop bluffing, Ji."

 

"No, I mean it. We'll go there."

 

 

Jiyong let go of the glass he was holding and immediately got his bag, rummaging through its contents just to look at his ticket.

 

"Heathrow, Heathrow's in London." He told himself as he skimmed through the piece of paper. , he thought. He was supposedly headed for England.

 

He glanced at his watch, 8:30. The gates were already closed.

 

", , ," he cussed under his breath as he made for the exit of the departure area in hopes of purchasing a whole new ticket to England, fueled just by the slightest notion that possibly, Summer was on that plane.

 

---

 

 

He ran to the ticketing booth and was pleased to find that there was only a few people in line.

 

As he finally got up front, he spoke quickly. "When's the next flight to London?"

 

Shocked by the abruptness of her customer, the attendant replied "It's at 11:30 tonight,"

 

"Great," he said. "Can you book me on that one please? I missed my flight earlier. Here," he said and gave her his flight details. She nodded, and re-scheduled his trip.

 

"Thank you," he said once she was finished and, gratefully however nervously, accepted the ticket.

 

So he got a flight, but what was he to do once he got there?

 

Deep in his thoughts, he almost ignored this woman in a wedding dress, a mere two feet before him. But how could a person ignore someone dressed like that? Strange, he thought as he eyed her from bottom to top.

 

It wasn't a big puffy dress, he saw. And in her hand was a newly bought ticket bound for London. It looks like they were on the same flight. As soon as he got to her face, he couldn't help but stop dead in his tracks. Tears were streaming down the woman's face.

 

"I thought you left me," she spoke in between sobs, and he knew she was talking to him.

 

Jiyong, for the first time in a long time, was rendered speechless. This couldn't be happening.

 

But it was.

 

"I remember," she said, referring to the letter that he gave her, taking a small step forward, trying her best to show a smile despite the tears. "And I'm sorry," she said, choking on air that couldn't even find it's way into her lungs.

 

"I'm sorry," she said again. "I love you. I didn't know what I was thinking, walking down that aisle. I just, I want you. And I need you. It took me so long to see that it's always going to be you. I mean, look at me!" She said almost frantically.

 

"I'm in my wedding dress, and I'm here, and I'm telling you all of this in front of a bunch of people I don't even know and---it's just… You're my everything, Ji." She told him as she tried desperately to breathe and to stop the tears from falling.

 

"Summer," he began as he noticed a crowd of spectators forming around them. He didn't know what to say, or how to react. He wasn't expecting this, not at all.

 

"And if it's alright," She began again. "You could be my way of life," She finally finished. A minute passed, then two. And all he did was look at her. Finally, the silence became uncomfortable and she no longer felt as confident as she was before.

 

"Please, Ji. Say something." She said, but was unable to utter another word because in the next moment, he was closing the gap between them.

 

With one arm snaking its way around her waist, and another moving her head closer to his, he pulled her close and kissed her hard, showing her just how he felt, that he'd never not need her, that he himself was sorry, that he would always want her. She reciprocated his kiss; and that one connection instantly told them that even when the sun would no longer shine, or when the moon refused to rise, when the stars no longer needed the sky, they would always love each other.

 

The two lovers heard a round of applause surrounding them, and he pulled away from her, finally grinning the way that made all her insides tingle. There was a glint in his eyes, of happiness, or relief, but she wasn't sure. He saw the same sparkle in hers as well as he said, "you could be my way of life." 

 

 

It isn't always conventional, but sometimes the unexpected was just what you needed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a/n

Don't you just love happy endings? I know I do. :) Hold on, guys! I still have your epilogue!