Youngjae fidgeted nervously in the auditorium. Next to him, Daehyun was nervously wiping his hands against his pant legs. The principal was droning on about the history of the school and the prestige it had, and was currently listing several famous academia whom had graduated from TSA.

Their respective families were seated at the back of the hall, waiting anxiously for the results to be announced.

It was the middle of winter, the 2^nd week of December and finally, after a month of anxious waiting, the results would be released today. After having graduated only two or three months ago, Youngjae felt a strange sense of nostalgia stepping back into the old exam hall he had taken his CSATs in.

He hadn’t had much time to worry about his results anyway, with his new job as the pharmacist’s assistant at the SNU hospital and Dari’s father suddenly taking so ill.

He felt his nerves drain away as he thought of her. How could he not love her more, when she was so loving towards her parents? He missed her dreadfully, of course, but her father was more important at the moment.

He’d told his mother about her father’s consent and she had obviously taken very well to it.

“I know he’s agreeable. He just called me an hour ago and we talked about it.”

“You don’t have to worry about losing your job anymore!”

“Oh Jae, I’m so proud of you. Even though your father left us, you’ve still grown into such a fine young man that has even gotten the respect of one of the most respected in this country. Promise me you will never make her unhappy and always treat her right.”

“I promise on my life, mum.”

“I give you my blessing then. My heart is finally at peace.”

He couldn’t stop the triumphant smile from splitting his cheeks open. After she’d learned that Dari’s father had no objection, she’d come around surprisingly fast. Jung Ganghan did have a persuasive way around him, no matter how indirect the mention.

Now there was just her mother left, and he hoped with all of his might that she would accept him, if he’d gotten the results he’d worked for.

And suddenly all too soon the principal stepped down, allowing the emcee to start announcing top graduates. Youngjae’s palms turned sweaty.

“This year, we have 2 graduates from the cohort who have managed to get into the top 100 of the entire nation,” the emcee announced. “It is highly honoured that we have both of these graduates up on stage to receive their certificates, as presented by our principal, Mr. Moon Kimsung.”

Youngjae felt his heart thud painfully, the sweat in his palms condensing by the minute. Time seemed to slow down as the seconds ticked by slowly.

“Ms. Min Jihyun, please proceed up to the stage to collect your certificate.”

A shower of polite claps as the aforementioned Min Jihyun clambered up the stairs to the stage, barely containing her excitement.

One more left. He watched in distraction as the girl shook hands with the principal and posed for the cameras before she stepped down the stage.

“Thank you Ms. Min Jihyun.”

He could hear the blood rushing through his ears. Could it be? Would it be?

 “Mr. Yoo Youngjae, please proceed up the stage to collect your certificate.”

He did it!

As if in a trance, he made his way to the front, shook his extremely sweaty hand with the beaming principal (who had the grace to not wipe his hands immediately after they shook their hands), and then posed mechanically for the photo.

His eyes searched the back of the auditorium, where Dari was with her family. Unfortunately they were too far back for him to see, but he hoped she and her mother saw him up onstage.

He headed back down dreamily, accompanied by the loud whoops and cheers emitting from his best friend.

As the applause subsided, the emcee cleared .

“One of these two graduates have made it into the top 50 of the nation. May we welcome…”

Youngjae felt his heart race again.

“Ms, Min Jihyun up on stage again to receive a special prize from Mr. Moon!”

Youngjae felt his heart drop back to his feet.

He didn’t make it?

“Hey bro, you made it to top 100, that’s pretty good already!” Daehyun whispered into his ear, but Youngjae knew better. He’d failed himself.

He’d failed Dari.

Would Mrs. Jung even accept him now?

He tried vainly to cheer himself up. After all, top 100 was terribly hard to get into. But somehow, his heart just didn’t feel into it. He’d promised Dari silently to do his best, but had he really?

With a heavy heart, he turned towards the stage.

“Ms. Min Jihyun is placed 43^rd nationwide, having acclaimed various top 50 positions in Math and Korean, and has placed in the top 20 for the TOEIC. Thank you Ms. Min Jihyun.”

Youngjae slapped himself on the thigh painfully.

How could he be so self-critical at a time like this? He’d placed in the top 100, for crying out loud. That was a wonderful place to be in! And now, it was his best friend’s turn to receive his results, and he had to be happy for him, as he knew his own mother and brother would be jubilant with his results!

He had done his best, and his best would pull him through. He muttered a quick prayer to God, hoping it would be enough to tide Dari’s mother over.

A sudden bout of thunderous applause shocked him out of his reverie.

“Dude, they’re calling you!” Daehyun hissed sharply.

“W-whut?” Youngjae mumbled, looking around as foreign hands patted him on the back and yelled congratulations.

“Ahem, may Mr Yoo Youngjae please proceed up the stage to collect his special award for having placed 24^th in the nation?” the emcee cleared , looking slightly annoyed.

“Oh my god!” Youngjae shot out of his seat, a look of utter bewilderment on his face.

“Yes, oh my god, now please come up onto the stage to collect your award,” the emcee remarked drily as the hall burst into laughter.

Youngjae rushed up to the stage amidst the cheers of his schoolmates.

The award felt heavy and real in his hands, but Youngjae couldn’t focus.

He’d done it! He was in the top 50 of the nation! And not only that, but in the top quarter? He could scarcely believe it.

He pinched himself twice on the arm as he was ushered down the stage by the attendants, but it was real.

He’d made it.

---

“Oof!” the wind was knocked out of him as a whirlwind of blue barrelled into him.

“24^th in the whole nation oh my god I’m so proud of you I could kiss you!” Dari squealed, squeezing the life out of him. “Top 10 in Physics and Biology and Chemistry, top 30 in Korean and TOEIC, top 20 in Math; you’re so stupidly smart I love you so much you make me the proudest girlfriend ever!”

Youngjae pecked her forehead happily.

“I have to go see my brother! Come find me later, okay?” she planted a kiss on his cheek before zooming off.

He barely had time to watch her retreating figure as his mum and brother strode up to him. His mum was wiping her eyes as his brother beamed from ear to ear.

“My son!” his mum called tearfully as she held her arms out.

Youngjae went into them with no hesitation.

“You’ve grown into such a fine young man,” she sniffed. “24^th in the nation! I’m so happy!”

His big brother clapped him on the back, grinning away.

“Where’s she?” he smirked, obviously having caught their reunion just now.

Thankfully his mother was shorter than the both of them and couldn’t have seen that embarrassingly public display of affection.

“With her brother,” he answered. “Daehyun did pretty well too.”

“You must bring me to meet her!” his mother fretted. “I was so rude to her the other time and…”

“Don’t worry mum, she doesn’t hold it against you,” he said agreeably.

“Don’t you have someone you need to talk to now?” Youngwon-hyung remarked pointedly, looking at the general direction of Daehyun.

Youngjae caught a glance of the stately Jung matriarch holding the handles of the Jung patriarch’s wheelchair.

He steeled himself.

Both his mum and brother nodded in assent as he looked at them questioningly.

“Here I go,” he announced, heart in his stomach once again.

He hesitantly walked over to where Daehyun was being strangled by his sister’s bone-crushing hug, their parents looking fondly at the two.

“Mrs. Jung?” he asked cautiously.

She turned her eyes to him questioningly.

He took a breath.

“Mrs. Jung, I am going to be studying medicine and neuroscience in SNU the next academic year, instead of heading on to TSU. I will study for six years and get my Bachelors’ degrees, before moving on to specialising in neurosurgery. After another three or four years of study, I will attain my specialist license and start practising as a neurosurgeon. I intend to own my own house and family in eight years.”

“That’s nice Youngjae, but why are you telling me this?” she sounded amused, if not a little confused.

“I want you to know that Dari is the one who inspired me to think of my own dreams and to form my own path, instead of following whatever course life takes me through. If it were not for her, I would not have aimed to get top 50 in the country, nor would I have dreamed of going into medicine. And I swear to you, she will be one of the most important people in my life, and I love her very much,” he finished in one breath. “Please, Mrs Jung, let us be together.”

She stared at him ruefully, the corners of downturned.

“You know Youngjae,” she started. “Dari is my only daughter. She is the most important girl in my life, and I love her fiercely as her mother. But I admit, I am foolish and headstrong at times.”

“You have grown and matured so much from the first time we met you,” she continued. “You used to be insecure, unconfident, scared to stand out… But now, look at you! You even prepared a speech for me to gain Dari back!”

“It wasn’t prepared,” Youngjae said sheepishly. “I just talked off the top of my head.”

“Even better. Look how clearly you can speak now. It is so wonderful that Dari has instilled so many changes in you, and even empowers you to want to become better. But I have to ask, have you done the same for Dari?”

Youngjae felt a chill down his spine. Had he?

“Yes, Mummy, he has,” Daehyun butted in. “Dari was always so blind and immature when it came to matters of the heart, but Youngjae has taught her about life and they have experienced so many things together. She has become so much more mature and knowledgeable about herself, only thanks to him. He has been a pillar of support through their difficult times. Dari has grown up!”

Mrs. Jung looked at her husband, who nodded weakly but surely.

“Then you have my blessing,” she turned to Youngjae, smiling brightly.

Youngjae let out a sigh of relief as Dari ran to hug him, tears in her eyes.

Finally, they could be together, with no restrictions.

It's ending soon! My first complete fanfiction I'm so happy I could cry :')