After that very special day, Hyun Ae’s life changed for the better. Now free from the restrictions of academic perfection, Hyun Ae actually had time to pick up different hobbies and realize who she really was.

Though her grades were not nearly as stellar as they once were, she still remains at the top of the class with Bobby close behind.

After their most recent English test, Bobby tapped her on the back.
“I’m catching up to you; ya better watch out!”

“Pft. No way. That is my spot until we graduate.”

“Wanna bet on it?”

“Sure, what would you have to do if you lose?”

“Oooh, so confident.”

“Of course I am,” Hyun Ae said with an exaggerated hair whip.

They both laughed as Hyun Ae turned back around to concentrate on the lesson.

Even though she had fallen behind Bobby a few times in test scores, she was never scared about coming home ever again. She proudly walked home, happy to have received the grade she did with a healthy amount of sleep and a proper diet. Her dad was proud of her as well. Though he was still adjusting to the idea of her becoming a composer or a musician like her mother, Hyun Ae’s genuine smile assured him that everything would be alright. They even found a common interest they had: looking back at Mom’s photos and music. By looking back at her mom's stuff, Hyun Ae realized how her mother still brought the family together even when she wasn’t physically there. After weeks of going through her mother's stuff and keeping her memory alive, the father-daughter pair made a date to visit her tombstone together – something they hadn’t done since the first year Hyun Ae's mother died.

“Long Time No See” had become a huge hit in class once performed; even though Hyun Ae was off-key while Bobby did not remain in sync while dancing, they had fun performing a song that meant so much to both of them. They each had copies of the song stored in their notebooks for memories.

Following the days after her incident, Bobby slowly introduced her to the beauty of Seoul. They visited the most popular tourist destinations, the nooks and crannies of each store, and most importantly, the different places where Bobby had once held a job or got inspiration from.

Throughout their trips, music was present. Music, alive and bustling throughout the entire city of Seoul, was the connection that had brought Hyun Ae and Bobby together. Music was the subject that had brought eight year old Hyun Ae back to life. She now frequents the same inspirational places that Bobby had shown her, writing compositions on the go. With Hyun Ae’s composing skills and Bobby’s tweaking and lyrical talent, the two make an outstanding pair in the musical field.

Through music, Hyun Ae had gotten out of her shell to meet the second most influential teacher in her life: Bobby. Through his lessons and experience, she truly got to see all the things that life had to offer. Through music, she was able to change her decided path to one that reflected her hopes and dreams. Through music, she was able to experience the versatility of the world around her. She began to notice things that she hadn’t ever thought about before: how sweet the flowers smell in spring, how beautifully the snow lands on tree leaves during the winter, how beautiful the evolution of those same leaves were in the fall as they changed and fell, and how dreamy the clear skies were in the hot summers.

Though she still had a lot to learn in discovering what other opportunities awaited her in life, she was making tremendous progress. Bobby was a proud teacher, watching Hyun Ae grow from the timid girl she was before to a confident and happy individual. Though she was still a bit awkward during social gatherings, she managed to find a small group of friends that managed to connect with both her and Bobby’s passion for music.

Bobby finally rediscovered the eight year old girl that attracted his eyes back then. Hyun Ae was radiant now, practically glowing everywhere she went. Her eyes glistened with sparkles; her nose was always crinkled with laughter, and the crescent shape that her eyes got whenever she said “hi” to him made his heart thump. Though Bobby knew they wouldn’t be dating anytime in the near future, he would continue to wait until that option became available. For now, he was happy to be by her side, watching her grow and develop through his lessons.

“Hey Bobby, are you free tomorrow – around six?”

“Yeah, why?”

“I wanna show you one of my most sacred places.”

“Oh?”

The next day, Hyun Ae brought him to the cemetery not too far away from her house. Bobby now knew where they was going. Hyun Ae grabbed his hand and interlocked her fingers with his as she walked him to a special tombstone.

Yun Young Mi

Melodic, Prosperous, Eternal, and Beautiful

A wonderful wife and mother

December 13, 2006.

“Wow,” Bobby said, his eyes wide. He was at a loss for words.

“Yeah. It’s almost her anniversary again. 12/13/14 this time, so it’s really special.”

“The inscription below her name, is that what her name means?”
“Yup. I think it fits perfectly, don’t you?”

“Definitely. But, in that case, what does your name mean?”

She smiled as she recounted the same episode with her mother.

“Yun for melody, Hyun Ae for wise and loving.”

Bobby smiled. A perfect fit for a perfect girl.

“Anyway, I wanted to show you this tombstone because you’ve helped me so much along the way. Because of your kind words, I am now able to live life with less regrets. I’m sure my mom would have been proud, and it only seemed fitting that I got to show my mom the person who has become so influential in my life…,”

Bobby grasped Hyun Ae’s hand even tighter, happy to have been shown such a special place.

He leaned toward the tombstone, lightly brushing off some of the dirt and weeds that had grown onto the tombstone.

“Thank you for raising such a talented and beautiful daughter.”

Hyun Ae felt the heat rise in her cheeks as she tried not to grin too brightly.

She thanked her music teacher in her mind for bringing the two of them together; she thanked her mother for teaching her the beauty of music. She also gave great thanks for music in general since it influences so many people’s lives.

But most importantly,

“Thanks for teaching me about what life truly has to offer.”

“Well, you’re a great student – I expected no less from you. I hope you continue to explore life with the same strength, confidence, and intelligence that you show now, if not more.”

Hyun Ae nodded, a strong determination showing in her eyes.

“And I hope I get to be with you every step of the way,” Bobby said, a small smile on his face.

They stared at each other in silence. Neither of them directly admitted how they felt about the other, but looking into each other's eyes told them all the things that words would never be able to match up to.

They slowly walked back to Hyun Ae’s house, enjoying the simplicity of life in that moment.

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Welp, that's it guys!! Thanks so much for reading LHTL and I hope you guys enjoyed the last chapter.  I tried hard not to make it too cheesy, but with it being Christmas and me pigging out on Korean drama cuteness, I couldn't help myself.

Happy holidays and I hope you guys learn all the things that life has to offer as well.

Though we all have expectations set for us, don't let that restrict you on what you want to do in life.

Cause in the end, it's YOUR life and YOUR happiness.

I may or may not do a sequel, nothing has been set in stone - but I'll let you guys know if I do make one. This definitely isn't the end for Bobby and Hyun Ae, but I'll let you guys wonder for now what they may do from now on :)

~thucthuc