MinHee sat with Jackson, his mother, and his father, in a surprisingly bustling restaurant in the heart of Hong Kong. It was MinHee and Jackson’s last night in Hong Kong, and the Wangs wanted to celebrate their time together. 

After MinHee’s little illness episode, the Wangs brought her and Jackson everywhere. They went sight seeing, they went hiking so MinHee could see how beautiful it was, they saw films which threw MinHee off at first because of course the films were in Chinese and not Korean, that was something she needed to adjust to, they went to the theatre once, but when Jackson made a joke that left MinHee laughing so hard they were escorted out, the Wangs figured it was a bad idea to try that again. 

So here they sat, having a peaceful, family oriented dinner, which made MinHee feel so at home with Jackson’s family. She felt right at that table. She felt loved by the people who loved him so dearly. 

And it no longer scared her. 

“MinHee,” Jackson’s mother started, and MinHee immediately looked at the petite, fragile looking woman. Jackson looked a lot like his mother, MinHee had decided. “It truly has been a pleasure to have you here, with us.” She said, smiling. 

Jackson’s father nodded. “We got you a present.” He said, sliding a small black box towards her. 

MinHee frowned. “But I didn’t get you anything.” 

“You never have to, dear,” Mrs. Wang said, smiling. She reached for her husband’s hand. “My son calls home, and he sounds like himself when he talks about you. My son video calls me, and when I say your name, he lights up like he used to when he was here. You’ve already given us enough gifts.” 

Jackson nudged MinHee’s arm. “Open it.” 

MinHee reached for the box and opened the top to find a small circle with a swirling M carved into the front of the metal. She gently tugged the pendant out of the container, and her finger touched the button on the side. She tilted it and, after inspecting the button, pushed it. The front popped open. Inside was a stopwatch, but unlike a normal stopwatch, it had two faces. One was an hour ahead. 

“So you’ll always know a practical time to call and say hello.” Jackson’s father offered, and MinHee smiled brightly. “Please, accept the gift.” 

Mrs. Wang nodded. “I saw it and knew it had to be yours.” 

Jackson took the necklace and stood, moving around behind MinHee, who tugged her hair away from her neck so he could fasten the necklace for her. “It’s beautiful.” She breathed, her fingers resting against it. “Thank you.” 

The rest of the night seemed to float by, and Jackson, who didn’t feel the need to wake up incredibly early to drive to get MinHee from her apartment, decided to stay in MinHee’s hotel. The second they walked into the hotel, MinHee kicked off her heels and sighed loudly. “I don’t know why you insist on wearing heels, if they hurt your feet so much.” Jackson said, wrapping his arms around her waist and nestling into MinHee’s neck. 

She laughed. “Your breath tickles.” She said, flinching away from him. 

“You looked great tonight,” He continued, spinning MinHee to face him. He kissed her. “But you always look incredible.” 

She laughed again, pulling away from him and moving towards her bedroom, with the intent of changing into her pajamas. But Jackson followed her and, as she reached to the back of her dress, he did it for her. “Thanks,” She murmured as his lips pressed to her back. “Did someone else look at me tonight?” She asked, and Jackson stiffened. “Did someone say something about the way I look again?” 

He made a face. “Why?”

“Because you’re acting kind of territorial.” She said, turning to face him. 

He shook his head. “No, no one said anything,” As he said this, his fingers wrapped around the straps of her dress, and he eased it off her shoulders. “And I’m not acting territorial. I’m acting like I love you.” His eyes skimmed over her, slowly worked their way back up, and he stately “And I wanted to show you how much.” 

That was it. They didn’t say another word that night. Well, they didn’t hold a conversation for the rest of the night. However, MinHee did call Jackson’s name a lot, and she did try to keep in mind to apologize to whoever was in the neighboring room. 

Jackson may have let her dress fall to the floor unharmed, but she’d need to buy a new bra. He tore the catches off, so there was no way to fasten it anymore. He’d expertly lifted her and tossed her on the bed, and their lips never left each other’s for a moment. Jackson didn’t do anything until she told him she was ready, and even then he made sure not to hurt her. 

She appreciated it at the time, but she didn’t think it would matter the following day.

MinHee passed out directly after. It wasn’t a heavy sleep, like she would have wished for, but she slept at the least. Halfway through the night, Jackson got up, and immediately, MinHee shot up in search for him. 

“Go back to sleep.” He whispered, but she couldn't figure out from where, so she started to sit up, but his hand fell on her shoulder and guided her to lay back down. Before he could move an inch, she grabbed his hand and moved to the side so he could lay with her. He didn’t hesitate, and slid in beside her. She curled into him, and she fit perfectly against him. Warmth spread through her at this thought, and she smiled, closing her eyes and finding that deep sleep she’d originally been looking for.