Chanyeol's face edited on to a regal Joseon prince's robes- need I say more. Swooned, everything was ignited by some pictures and lots and lots of real-life heartbreak, ironically partnered by lots and lots of hope.

Skip on ahead to the first chapter if you're not up for a short, personal story.

A more naive me began this private project to find a distraction from the haunting of now (thankfully) past dreams. I desired completeness above all else, but apparently, one becomes less whole the more he desires. My measly total viewing hours of nature shows have taught me that my response was only natural- when you find yourself thin and worn out, survival relies on the conservation of energy. Though some people might disagree, I did try to let my heart rest and stand still- so unmoving I acknowledged myself as "cold", "distant", "detached". One shouldn't mistake safety and mere survival  for peace. Until one day (and as it may, this "until one day" does not mean I got what I wanted), I found myself loving the most lost of causes- in fact, several thousand kilometers away from the right direction. Safety was out the window. Survival was no longer about living. It transformed instead into wanting to win. Nearing this end, he said three words that melted the frost.

"You became warmer."

And I have. I always was. It is the truth that pain buried in most of us- a short-term protection for the naive versions of ourselves. The good news is that all of us grow and blossom when we are finally ready to present our warmest selves to the universe. Quoting a poem rumored to be by Charlie Chaplin, "As I began to love myself, I found that anguish and emotional suffering are only warning signs that I was living against my own truth. Today, I know this as Authenticity." 

So how does this even relate to "Ripe Fruit"?

My "until one day" is yet to turn to "happily ever after". Although the realization is quite recent, this story has evolved from a distraction to a comforting tale of second chances. The shot at happiness is ours to take, even if it takes more than one lifetime.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE

1. Everything will be written in English but italicized words are supposed to be read as if the character is speaking in Korean. (*applies to first set of chapters only because I got lazy with the next ones.)
2. Each update (hopefully) will be two, related chapters: 1 set in the Joseon Era and 1 set in the modern times, respectively named as "[1]. [CHAPTER TITLE]- JOSEON" and "[1]. [CHAPTER TITLE]- MODERN". 
3. I did five minutes of historical research for this so please point out any errors. 
4. My style of writing isn't typical fanfiction. Each chapter has a minimum (I repeat MINIMUM) of 1,500 words each. 
5. Special appearances by (list is updated): Kim Jongin, Do Kyungsoo.
6. I have this tendency to lose my determination to finish chaptered fics and I plan to lose that tendency so I promise to finish this fic even if it takes me another five years.