His fingers brushed down my cheek again.

“I promise,” I whispered.

A smile broke across his face, making my heart melt. But his eyes still looked sad. I wanted to take all his worry and pain away forever.

“What should I do?” he asked to himself.

I wanted to whine, but I kept it in. “What can I do for you? How can I put your mind at ease?” I’d have gotten on my knees and begged him to tell me if that’s what it took.

But he beat me to it. He sunk down on one knee and pulled a small box out of his pocket. He laughed nervously and said, “I think this is how they do it in the U.S.” He laughed again and looked up into my eyes. “Yoon Soo Yun, will you please do me the honor of spending the rest of your life with me?” The moonlight danced in his big brown eyes and the smile on his face could have lit up the world.

I sobbed and nodded, a big smile plastered on my own face. He took my left hand and slid the ring on my finger. It fit perfectly. The band was thing and silver, the diamonds in it set to look like a crown. He put his arms around my thighs and stood up, twirling me around. I squealed and giggled, happy tears flowing down my hot cheeks. His laughter rang out with mine and he loosened his grip just enough for me to slide down so our faces were level. He held me there, my feet dangling.

“A million yes. Yes, yes, yes. Why… How…?” I couldn’t finish my questions due to my laughter.

His cheeks turned a little red and he looked down in embarrassment, letting me down the rest of the way. “I watched a few movies. I thought maybe you’d like it more than how it’s usually done in Korea. More of what you were used to. I don’t know.” He scratched the back of his neck in that cute way guys do when they’re embarrassed. I put my arms around his middle and looked up into his pretty big brown eyes.

“Thank you, Hyun Joong ah. If you were any more thoughtful, you’d be a giant brain.” We both laughed and he put his hand on the back of my head.

“If I loved you any more than I already do, I’d explode.” He leaned down and kissed me with more passion and love than he’d ever had before. I melted and my body pressed flush against his.

“Were you going to run this by us at any point?” Seungri yelled, ruining our moment. We looked over to see all of them coming toward us, even Daesung and TOP behind the rest of them. They had another person with them who I thought I recognized, but couldn’t quite place them.

“Hyun Joong ah, you bastard!” the familiar guy launched himself at Hyun Joong, almost knocking him to the ground in a hug.

Jiyong took my hands and with tears in his eyes, said, “I’m so happy for you, Soo Yun ah. Oh! You’re going to make such a beautiful bride!” He gave me a back-cracking hug. Youngbae, Seungri, Bum, Joon and Min ho all congratulated me in similar manners, some of them going to Hyun Joong’s side after, some retreating back to the house. I looked at how happy Hyun Joong looked, laughing with his friends.

“Soo Yun ah?” Daesung’s soft voice came from beside me. I turned and looked at him. “Can we talk? Please?” His eyes looked sad and pleading. I glanced at Hyun Joong before starting to walk slowly down the beach with Daesung.

We walked a long way, still in sight of the boys and the house, but not close enough to hear what was going on. Daesung turned to me but didn’t reach out like I expected him to.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I’ve never been more sorry about anything in my entire life than what I’ve done to you. But you can’t marry him, Soo Yun ah. You can’t.” He took a step toward me, but I backed away.

“According to who, exactly? He wants to marry me, and I’m pretty sure I accepted his proposal. Unless something has changed in the world, I’m pretty sure that’s all we need.” He already had me so fired up and he’d just started talking. I felt my face, neck and ears start burning.

“According to me. I still love you, I’ll always love you and I can’t just let you go like that. I can’t just watch you go off and marry some guy this way. I want to make things up to you, I have to fix this. I can’t live without you. I don’t know what I’ll do if you go through with this.” He had advanced toward me again, surprising me by putting his hands on my arms.

“Daesung, you really should’ve thought of all of this when you kissed Minzy that night. You screwed this up and now you have no say in what I can and cannot do in my life. I’m in love with Hyun Joong and I’m going to marry him. I would say sorry, but I have nothing to apologize for. I have done no wrong here.” I didn’t try to back away; I wasn’t afraid he was going to hurt me. I was uncomfortable, but he was nothing to be afraid of.

He sank to his knees in the sand and water. “Please, Soo Yun. I’m begging you. Please take me back.”

I sighed and pulled on his shirt. “Get up, Daesung ah. I’m not doing this with you.”

“Not until you agree.”

I growled and shoved his shoulders, pushing him to the ground. He looked up at me in shock.

I got right in his face, grabbed a handful of his shirt and said in a quiet, angry voice, “You brought this on yourself. I loved you and I was giving you everything. I gave you my ity oh so willingly, and you take all of it, shredded it, and threw it back in my face. I forgave and forgot, Daesung, but I will never agree to taking you back, no matter what you do. I know you risked your life for me, but I risked mine for you too. Now, get. Up.” I stood up, dragging him up by the collar of his shirt. I brushed off my dress and started to walk away, not caring whether Daesung followed me or not.

Halfway back, TOP stopped me. “Is this real?” he asked.

I huffed. “Yes, Seunghyun. This is real.” I looked at him, feeling increasingly exasperated.

“You’re really going to m—”

“What is so hard for you to understand? He asked me, I said yes. This is going to happen. I’m happy. Can you too really not put your own needs aside and be happy for me?”

I tried to walk past him but he grabbed my arm, stopping me again. “This is going to kill Dae, not to even mention how much it hurts me. Are you really going to do this to him?”

“Him? HIM?! You’re worried about him?! I can’t even comprehend what you two are thinking. I know you guys got roughed up and I still haven’t come to forgive myself for what I brought on you, but it happened to me too. Min Ho got shot, for Christ’s sake. Daesung kissed Minzy. I don’t know if you’ve forgotten, but I haven’t done anything wrong to him. I was wronged.”

Hot tears were streaming down my face and I was almost screaming, I was so angry.

“Soo Yun ah, I—”

“Just don’t, Seunghyun. I thought you were my friend. I guess I was wrong.”

I yanked my arm free and ran in the other direction, down the beach. He called after me but didn’t follow me. I was glad. I couldn’t handle anything else right now.

After several minutes of running, my chest was heaving with sobs so I had to stop. I sat down in the sand and tried to fight hyperventilating. I didn’t want to have a panic attack. My head started to feel light and dizzy. I growled in frustration, then broke down in tears. I called out Hyun Joong’s name quietly, even though I knew he wouldn’t hear me. I put my face in my hands and let the tears come.

“You called?” a gentle voice said from behind me. I looked and Hyun Joong was standing a few feet away, all gorgeous in black slacks and a black button down shirt, ed to about a third of the way down. His hair had been dark for a few weeks down and the whole sight of him was surreal. He smiled at me, but he looked sad. He took a few more steps and kneeled down next to me. “Don’t cry. Angels aren’t supposed to cry. Especially my angel.”

He held his arms out for me and I gladly went to him. His arms wound around me and he picked me up. I kissed all over his face, making him laugh softly. I didn’t do it long, just enough to hear that wonderful music escape his lips. When I pulled back, he stared at me, his smile growing.

“God, you’re beautiful,” he breathed. “There’s someone very important I’d like you to meet. If you’re up to it.”

I nodded. “Anybody that’s important to you is important to me, Hyun Joong ah.” I smiled.

“Are you sure? I understand if you just want to rest. Then we can talk in the morning and you can meet him tomorrow. He’ll understand too.” He adjusted me in his arms and started back toward the house.

“No. I’m okay. I promise.” He nodded and set me down on the patio, taking my hand. He lead me inside where they rest of the guys were having wine with pretty girls that had appeared since I left and talking animatedly, all looking very happy, except for the two usual absentees being… well, absent.

“There’s the couple of the hour!” Seungri yelled when he saw us coming in. I smiled and stepped a little behind Hyun Joong. Luckily, the pretty girls were distracting most of the boys so I didn’t have to endure being in the spot light long.

“So, is this the lady that’s making my Hyun Joong so lucky?” a soft voice asked, making me look up. Hyun Joong’s arm went around my waist, his hand resting on my hip.

“Soo Yun ah, this is Jaejoong, my closest friend. Jaejoong, this is my fiancée, Soo Yun.”

Jaejoong smacked Hyun Joong’s stomach hard. “You didn’t tell me how gorgeous she was, Hyun Joong,” Jaejoong said, making me blush.

Hyun Joong chuckled. “You just met her and you’re already hitting on her. Not to mention she’s taken.” He nudged Jaejoong with his elbow.

“It’s nice to meet you, Soo Yun. Hyun Joong is a very lucky man to have a girl like you to make him happy.” Jaejoong smiled at me. “I can already tell I’m going to like you. How’d Hyun Joong get you, anyway?”

I smiled up at Hyun Joong. “He kind of saved me one night and I just haven’t been able to stay away since,” I answered.

Jaejoong and Hyun Joong laughed and started talking again. Everybody seemed so happy and relaxed. Jiyong and Seungri had turned this into a kind of party for us, Bum and Joon breaking out the alcohol. I was asked to dance several times, a few of the girls asked me how I got Hyun Joong to like a girl like me, normal small party things happened. All of the guys made me feel special and like I was family to them. Hyun Joong and I were forced to do a love shot in front of everyone and a few other couple things that embarrassed us.

Finally, most of the guys were drunk and occupied by pretty girls so Hyun Joong and I escaped outside, back into our little candle circle. We were both giggled at each other, even without having to say anything. He pulled me in close and held his hand out. I put my hand in his, sliding the other one up to his shoulder. We danced for a few seconds before I giggled.

“What?” he laughed.

“We don’t have music to dance to.”

“Ah. You want music?” he asked. I nodded.

He started singing to me, still dancing with me slowly. My heart totally melted and I could have turned into a puddle at his feet if possible. I waited until he was done to attack him with kisses.

He chuckled. “I take it you like it?” He held my wrists and made me slow down.

I blushed. I’d listened to his music before and loved it, but hearing it in person, acapella, having him sing directly to me like he'd written the song just for me was more romantic than anything I’d ever seen, heard, or read about.

“I love your voice. I love you. Why are you so perfect?” I looked into his eyes and he smiled. That gorgeous smile that I would never see enough of.

“Because I have you.” He hugged me to him suddenly and told me he loved me. We kept dancing and laughing and singing and kissing all night. I felt closer to him that night than I’d ever felt with anyone. He’d worked his way into my heart and I knew that no matter what happened in the future, he’d always be there.