28: Us Against The World
Boys vs Girls. Battle of the Century.
Regular - Korean | Bold - English | Italicized - Chinese | Underlined - Japanese
Narrator's POV
"-Tuan are you stupid?!" Kari shouted
"Ai, what's the big deal?" he asked nonchalantly
"the big deal is that you sort of revealed to the whole world that we're dating!" she glared
"Ai, we've been dating for the better part of 7-8 years, don't you think the world deserves to know that Mark Tuan has a girlfriend?" he crossed his arms
"um, we didn't talk for the majority of those years" Kari said
"but it's not like we stopped loving each other" Mark explained
"you're absolutely impossible" she rolled her eyes
"but you love me" he said sneaking a kiss on her cheek "our PD-nim already knows about you. He knows about Soyeon and Jiyeon too"
"how long has he known?" Kari asked
"since we got accepted" Mark said "Ai, just trust me on this"
"arasso, I need to go meet up with Danbi. I'll see you later Tuan" Kari said "ah come over later, papa wants to have dinner before GOT7 has to go back to Korea"
***
"Bi-ya! Sorry I'm late!" she said running into the coffee shop "ah, I'm sorry. Excuse me"
"hey, it's no worries girl" Danbi said "I was playing something on my phone anyway"
"yah, how long are you staying here? Aren't you ever going to go back to Korea?" she asked
"eventually, yeah. I can barely speak Japanese as it is" Danbi chuckled "Ace, I saw the article. You and Mark dating is all over the media"
"already? it's barely been an hour" Kari sighed
"you don't seem too happy about this" she said "wae? shouldn't you be ecstatic that other girls won't throw themselves at your boyfriend knowing he has a girlfriend?"
"Danbi-ah, I've had something going on with Mark since college. I mean, sure we've had a huge break in between, but I don't think I ever loved him any less" Kari said playing with her hoodie sleeves
"then what's the problem?" Danbi asked
"I expected Mark to tell the public when he like proposed to me already...I don't think he will any time soon" she said embarrased "ah eotteokhae"
"you want him to propose?" Danbi asked
"w-well I mean...I'm 28 already Bi-ya. I wanna settle down too and have a kid or two of my own. I wanna walk down that isle when my papa is still alive. I just..I don't know." Kari muttered "forget I even said anything."
***
"papa, I'm home~" Kari said as she entered the house "Daiki! Aki! Arichi! Daichi! where are you guys?"
Kari pouted and looked around the silent house. She called for Noya, relieved that her dog prodded towards her from the living room.
"igeo bwoyah" the girl said kneeling down and looking at her dog's collar. Attached was a note. "you should take Noya on a walk. He wants to go to the park. igeo bwoyah. Who even wrote this? papa?"
Kari sighed and took out her dog's leash. The girl obeyed the note and took Noya out on a walk to the park.
"aigoo, why do I feel so weird about that note koinu? hm?" Kari cooed to her dog. From the entrance of the dog park, she saw Daiki and Arichi "oh? what are you two doing here? Did you write the note?"
"iie ane" Arichi shook her head "here"
"what's this?" Kari said taking the new note from the younger girl "we're in 2031, what's up with the notes?"
"we'll take Noya from you now. Just do what the note says ane" Daiki smiled at her taking the leash
"now that your hands are free, why don't you go get some coffee :) Order your favorite. My treat" Kari read "okay, this is seriously getting creepy. What if I get kidnapped"
Nonetheless, Kari made her way to her daily coffee shop.
"konnichiwa-gozaimasu" Kari greeted the workers.
"Akari-chan" the barista on shift, Himaya, smiled. She waved her over "and what shall be your order for today?"
"the regular Himaya-chan" Kari said taking out her wallet
"I sorta figured. Favor from the mister. Specifically to Fuyuta Akari" Himaya said handing her a coffee cup. "no charge"
"but Himaya-"
"it's already been payed for Akari-chan." Himaya said taking hold of her hand "you are always our #1 customer. Don't forget that"
"why would I?" Kari chuckled "everyone's being weird today. I'm getting scared. I'll see you later Himaya-chan. Sayonara"
Kari took the note off the coffee cup and began to read it in her head 'do you know who it is yet? probably not. Go to your favorite beach. :) You'll have another surprise there' "Himaya-chan said mister...papa maybe? Mark? eh molla. We're supposed to be having dinner later anyway."
She rode a boat to Yaeyama islands and was surprised when she saw an elderly couple with Aki and Daichi.
"obaasan! ojiisan!" Kari screamed in joy, hugging them both
"magomusume*" the old woman smiled kindly "Akari. What a beautiful lady you've grown into"
"the last time I've seen you both was during mama's funeral" Kari said holding her grandmother's hand "I missed you both"
"well my dear, you were awfully busy" obaasan said her cheek "I apologize for your ojiisan. I'm afraid that sometimes even he can't remember me."
"ojiisan" Kari smiled up at him "do you know who I am?"
"musume?" he asked weakly. She smiled sadly and shook her head
"iie ojiisan, I'm Akari, your mago*" Kari said gently
"iie iie, you're Aizumi. You look like Aizumi" he said
"I'm not" Kari said again
"this is Akari, she's our magomusume" obaasan said "believe me"
"ojiisan doesn't know me either" Daichi frowned
"ojiisan is sick, it's okay" Aki said patting his head "he'll remember you at another time, otouto, just not now"
"okay" Daichi nodded
"your ojiisan is right though, you look like your mama" obaasan said
"wait why are you here?" Kari asked
"we can't tell you yet dear, at least not yet" she said
"but here ane" Aki said handing her another note
"I hope you liked your surprise, it was a bit difficult bringing your obaasan and ojiisan here from the countryside, but I know they're really important to you after your mama and other grandparents died :(" Kari read "do I just stay here?"
"iie, go to mama's grave!" Daichi smiled
"mama's grave? nani?" she asked
"it's the final step" Aki said
"we'll see you again soon mago" obaasan said giving her another hug "here's some fare money for the next boat. Now go quickly, he must be very anxious"
"who's he?" Kari whined
"you'll find out soon" obaasan said ushering her away.
Kari blew a raspberry, she was starting to get annoyed, but curiosity overtook her other emotion. Those were only living grandparents, her mama's parents. Her papa's parents died earlier, when she was about 2. Both of them died from a car crash. When her own mama died, Kari's papa grieved with not only her siblings, but her mama's parents as well. Kari recently found out that when he was at his weakest point, her papa went to her obaasan and ojiisan. He wanted to hide his vulnerability from the kids. Kari couldn't blame him. She took a deep breath when she arrived at the cemetery. Kari hasn't visited her mama's grave in 2 years. Nonetheless, she walked inside and went towards her mama's burial spot.
"papa? you were the one who sent me on this wild goose chase?" Kari asked as she saw him a section before her mama's grave
"I helped, but no. I'm going to take you to him" papa said turning around and walking. Kari trailed after him to see Mark standing before her mama's grave, a bouquet of flowers in his hand
"Mark? what are you doing here?" Kari asked curiously "you did this? why didn't you just ask me to come straight to the cemetery?"
"cuz it's no fun if I'm being direct" he smiled cheekily at her
"so why are we here?" she crossed her arms
"I wanted to ask your mother something" Mark said placing the flowers on her tablet. He closed his eyes and clasped his hands together "Before anything, I hope it's okay for me to call you mama. I know that I betrayed your daughter during one of the hardest times in her life, Akari trusted me during her adjustment to a foreign college. I was on the same boat as her and I should have been nicer to her, but I chose to hurt her and saw her less than what I was. I was a jerk to Akari for most of college and I regret everything that I've done to hurt her. For the better part of 7 years, I've loved her with all my heart. For the years that we were apart, I've thought about Akari every single day. Even when I tried to date another girl, I couldn't stop thinking about her. Thank you for bringing Akari into this world, for bringing the first and last girl that I love. Mama, I hope that you'd give me your blessing of marrying your daughter"
"bwoh?" Kari asked, but he didn't look at her
"I promise you, I will cherish her and never make her frown again. Akari will be my life's priority. I wouldn't do anything again to hurt her. I love her with all my heart" Mark finished
"papa, I'm confused" Kari turned around to him
He only gave her a gentle smile "turn around, musume"
Kari did as he said and looked down to see Mark on one knee, a small box in his hand.
"Fuyuta Akari, will you give me the satisfaction of being my wife?" Mark asked. Kari couldn't hide the smile that crept onto her face and nodded
"you didn't even have to ask me" she said throwing her arms around him
***
After Mark's little proposal, the three of them drove back to the Fuyuta house and had dinner with Kari's family. When dinner was finished, Kari and Mark went up to her bedroom with Noya.
"tell me, where did you learn all that Japanese?" Kari asked bringing Noya to her lap as she leaned against her headboard.
"Bangtan taught me" he shrugged sitting opposite of her "it was a bit embarrassing. The 7 of them made it completely hard to be composed. Teasing me and all that about what I wrote"
"it was cheesy, I have to admit" she said
"hey, I was being sincere" Mark pouted
"it was also touching and the sweetest thing that anyone's ever done for me" Kari said moving to give him a slight kiss "thank you"
"it was only right for your mama to know" Mark said
"now who taught you that proposal line? that is the oldest and most cliche way of asking me to marry you" Kari laughed as she scratched behind Noya's ear
"Jimin told me" Mark said
"of course he did" she chuckled "that kid is the greasiest person I know"
"yah..Danbi told me something-"
"ugh I knew I never should have said anything" Kari whined "did you only propose to me because of that?"
"ani, but it sorta influenced me a bit" he confessed "I've been thinking about this ever since I saw you again at that ceremony. I was caught between proposing to you on stage in front of the fans or doing what I did earlier. When Danbi told me that you were disappointed about me telling the media that we were just dating, I just sorta knew that I needed to propose. Ai, trust me, I've never not thought about marrying you. I've been wanting to have a family with you for a while now"
"okay...I believe you" she muttered "but now what do you say to the media?"
"I'm not going to tell them straightout that I proposed. I'll wait like a couple months, basically when we're nearly done with marriage details" Mark said grabbing her hand "I'm not going to leave your side again"
"but you're going back to Korea tomorrow" Kari said
"which is why I want to know...if you can come back with us. I know you love being home here, in Japan, but I need to go back and I'd really want you to be with me" Mark said "please?"
"let's start packing Tuan" she got up, putting Noya on the floor
***
About 8 months later...
"-today's the big day! Wake up sleeping beauty!" JJ shouted in Kari's ear. The Japanese girl groaned and rolled over in bed
"unnie, ka" she whined
"andwae! Today's our maknae's wedding day, now get the up before I kick you awake" JJ said aggressively
"Jiyeon-ah, chill" Suzy chuckled and pulled Kari up by her arm "ireona Kari-ya~"
"it's 4:26 am" Kari whined "the sun isn't up yet"
"it is in my dictionary" JJ said "now come on. We have to meet Danbi at the hair salon"
With much difficulty, the two older girls eventually got the bride out of bed and dragged her to their usual hair salon
"man, the last time I went here was for my wedding" Suzy said
"-which was two months ago" JJ said
"yah, what about you? are you and Jackson gonna tie the knot?" Suzy asked
"molla, maybe. Depends if I like him that much or not-"
"oh please. You're absolutely head over heels for Jackson" Danbi said joining in their conversation
"did I ask you Song Danbi?" JJ snapped her head
"rawr, what's up with miss cranky today?" Danbi crossed her arms
"Jackson lost her favorite glove a few days ago and she's a bit pissed" Suzy said
"a little? that mofo-"
"so how's our lovely bride?" Danbi asked interrupting JJ's eventual rant
"tired" Kari yawned "I want to sleep"
"you can sleep in 18 hours" Suzy said and the hairdresser called them.
---
Transformations
[Girls: hair | dress | shoes ~ Kari: hair | dress | shoes]
"Jirongie just texted me" Suzy said looking through her phone "they arrived at the beach already"
"guys, I'm hungry" Kari pouted
"good, because look what we brought~" Jamie beamed walking in with Yerin
"you girls look so pretty" JJ smiled at them
"food!" Kari grinned reaching for the bag. She gorged down the bagel "thank you girls so much, I was starving"
"we only have 3 more hours until the wedding. Let's go the venue already oh? We stay at the beach house until uri bride has to walk in" Suzy said "oh and your family's already there"
"alright, let's go" Danbi said
"jamkamman, I'm getting a call" Kari said picking up her phone "yeobosayo?"
"Ai-ya" Mark said through the other line "I know I'm basically not supposed to talk to you until the actual wedding, but...I just wanted to say I love you"
"I already know that, Tuan" she chuckled "nado"
"you're not thinking of backing out are you?" he panicked
"never have, never will" Kari said "wae? have you?"
"aniyo! I'm just saying!" he defended "I'll see you soon?"
"mm, we're heading over there now" she said
"bye Mrs. Tuan, aieru wa" Mark smiled before hanging up
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