Just Like That

Summary: The one defining moment in which "forever" began and never ever ended. (AU. Does not follow behind an episode. Stand alone one-shot.)

Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes. Eight thousand seven hundred sixty six hours. Three hundred sixty five days. Fifty six weeks. Twelve months.

One year.

To some, one year can feel like an entire lifetime, but to others, it can pass by in the blink of an eye - such was the case for Lee Soon Shin.

Smiling wistfully as she took a sip of her iced coffee from Drop Top, Soon Shin thought back on all that had happened in her life within the past year: her love confession to Joon Ho, the confirmation of his love for her, his kisses, their dates, the Choi Yeon Ah scandal, the truth behind her father's accident, a short breakup, the most tender reconciliation, a sudden shot to fame, and, last but not least, forgiveness within her two families.

There had been a point in her life where she hadn't been sure of how she would survive the pain and heartbreak of all that had been happening around her, but thankfully, Joon Ho had reappeared in her life at the most crucial point to help her overcome her ordeals. It hadn't been an easy ride, but at least she had made it through.

At the time, she had been confused over Joon Ho's sudden change of heart. Everything had been so perfect, so why had he suddenly chose to leave her? When the truth was unveiled; however, comprehension dawned upon her with startling clarity. Soon Shin hadn't been angry with him as it was apparent that Joon Ho had been hurting as much as she had, if not more so, but she did make him promise to always be upfront with her in the future. Part of being a couple is to rely on each other during difficult times and to trust one another. Without that, there is nothing.

Ever since that day, Joon Ho had done all he could to make up for the heartache he had caused her, even though it wasn't required, and everything had been perfect between them once more.

... Until now.

Soon Shin checked her phone again with a slight frown. What was taking him so long? Joon Ho said he would be here over twenty minutes ago. She scrolled through her phone and just as she was prepared to call him, Joon Ho came bursting through the door.

He saw her immediately at their usual table and power walked towards her, slightly out of breath. "Mianhae, Soon Shin-ah."

She cradled her chin in the palm of her hand and smiled up coyly at him. "Wae? Where have you been? Don't you know that a famous actress's time is very valuable?"

"The press conference for KOK's comeback ran a little late," Joon Ho explained as he sat down across from her. "I got here as soon as I - Wait a minute. What did you just say?"

Soon Shin suppressed the laughter that threatened to emerge from his incredulous expression. "Daepyo-nim, you should know how important every minute of an actress's time is. How could you make me wait half an hour here for you?"

"Ya," Joon Ho said with a disbelieving smile. "You sure can act smug now, can't you? Cham..."

"Waeyo?" Soon Shin retorted with a laugh, defensively tilting her chin up slightly. "Weren't you the one who was boasting about being an idol dancer, singer-songwriter? An "all around entertainer," right? At least I'm not exaggerating when I say I'm a famous actress."

"Eh?!" He exclaimed loudly, slightly offended. "Aish... You really..." After a moment, Joon Ho suddenly laughed and leaned back in his seat. "I'm really speechless now."

Soon Shin wordlessly laughed with him, feeling the same overwhelming joy she always felt when she was with Joon Ho. When their laughter died down, Soon Shin's gaze slowly lifted from her coffee to trail up his chest, past his neck, over his smiling lips, and finally to his sparkling eyes. "But Daepyo-nim... Why did you want to meet here today?"

Joon Ho thoughtfully stared at her for a moment before shifting in his seat. "Soon Shin-ah."

"Nee, Daepyo-nim?"

He boyishly smiled at her, contemplating on how to put his thoughts into words as he ran a forefinger beneath his chin. It was a subconscious movement that portrayed when he was carefully considering something, a habit he had never been able to break and a habit that Soon Shin couldn't help but fall in love with. "Soon Shin-ah, are you going to call me Daepyo-nim forever?"

"Wae?" Soon Shin replied, absentmindedly playing with the plastic straw of her drink. "What should I call you then?"

Joon Ho shrugged and tried to appear nonchalant, but he was suddenly feeling shy at the prospect of her calling him by any other name. To be honest, he had already become accustomed to the title, but sometimes... sometimes it wasn't enough. Sometimes, he wanted her to publically stake her claim on him, to shout to the world that they were a couple, and to remind the public that the article revealing their relationship was genuine and accurate - unlike the previous scandal that had involved Choi Yeon Ah.

"Should I call you... Joon Ho-ssi?"

At the sound of her voice, he broke out of his thoughts and chuckled quietly. "Joon Ho-ssi?"

"You don't like it?" Soon Shin bit her lower lip as she pondered another possibility. "Joon Ho oppa?"

"Oppa?!" Joon Ho choked at the idea, the tips of his ears turning red as he imagined Soon Shin calling him that on a daily basis with her sweet, lovely voice.

She frowned at his reaction before leaning forward, closing the distance between them as she rested her arms on top of the table. "Wae? You don't like that either?" Soon Shin sighed dramatically before flashing him a playful smile. "I know! How about Joon Ho Ahjussi?"

He immediately grimaced in response, glaring at her from across the table with curled lips. "Ya!"

Soon Shin's peal of laughter reverberating through the quiet cafe, the melodic sound like music to Joon Ho's ears. "Then tell me. What should I call you if not Daepyo-nim?"

At her question, Joon Ho's face turned serious as he cleared his throat. Leaning forward to match her stance, he lowered his voice as he stared at her with a blazing intensity that was now all-too-familiar to her. "What about... Yeobo?"

Soon Shin stilled at his words, her entire body frozen at the sudden and unexpected implication. Her eyes widened in shock as she carefully scanned Joon Ho's face for any possible traces of a smile or an indication that he was joking, but... there was none. He only continued to stare at her with a straight face, waiting for her response.

It dawned on her then that he was serious, utterly and completely serious.

Before she could comprehend the meaning behind her actions, Soon Shin rose to her feet so fast, her chair scraped against the floor noisily. Ignoring the curious glances from the other patrons of Drop Top, she quickly shook her head at Joon Ho. "I... I forgot I have a shooting to attend right now. Mianhae."

Fumbling with her purse with shaking hands, Soon Shin rushed out of the cafe with her heart beating in overdrive. She splayed a hand across her chest and breathed deeply to calm herself. What was that? How could Joon Ho surprise her with a proposal like that? How could he have done it so casually and so simply, as if they were discussing the weather?

Habitually biting the nail of her thumb while recalling Joon Ho's words, Soon Shin's quickened pace gradually slowed to a comfortable stroll as she approached the park near Gabi Entertainment. So engrossed was she in her own thoughts, she failed to realize that Joon Ho had been trailing behind her the entire time with an amused smile.

Finally deciding to make his presence known, Joon Ho gently reached for her arm and pulled her to an abrupt stop. "Lee Soon Shin!"

Gasping soundly as she whirled around, Soon Shin's expression clearly portrayed how startled she was. "Daepyo-nim!"

"Paboya? You don't have a shoot right now," Joon Ho said with a mild laugh, tucking his hands into the pocket of his suit pants. "Don't forget that In Sung gives me a copy of your schedule."

"Oh... That..."

"Why did you run away?" He asked, furrowing his eyebrows. "I thought you promised to never run away, to always stay by my side. Are you breaking your promise?"

Soon Shin scoffed in response. "Ya, Daepyo-nim... Who proposes so simply like that? Any girl would run away," she teased.

"Aigoo...," Joon Ho muttered in disbelief before chuckling wryly. "Who said I was proposing?"

"Eh?"

"Soon Shin-ah." He said with a slight smirk. "If I had known you were so eager for me to propose, I would have seriously contemplated doing so."

Her mouth dropped open at his audacity and with a shell shocked expression, Soon Shin struggled to get her retort out while resisting the urge to stamp her feet in frustration. "Ah... Aish... Ya! Who said I wanted you to propose? Are you crazy?" She crossed her arms with irritation and whirled around, walking away from him as quickly as possible. The man could be so infuriating sometimes!

But as infuriating as he was, Joon Ho also had plenty of good attributes, such as never failing to calm her and always chasing after her when she walked away during their disagreements. Therefore, it came as no surprise when Joon Ho shouted her name to stop her when she had only taken a few angry steps away from him. She paused, but didn't turn around, waiting for him to speak.

She heard his approaching footsteps, but he didn't say a single word. All was silent, except for the birds chirping happily in the background. Soon Shin waited, but he still didn't speak and she finally turned around with impatience only to see Joon Ho kneeling before her on one knee.

"Dae-Daepyo-nim..." Soon Shin gasped, stepping back in surprise. "Waeyo? What are you doing?"

"Proposing," Joon Ho replied, amused at her reaction. "For real this time." He reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a small velvet box, flipping the top open to reveal a petite ring with a diamond center. It was simple and modest, just the way Soon Shin would have wanted. She was not a big fan of jewelry and Joon Ho had really taken that into consideration when choosing the most suitable engagement ring for her.

He cleared his throat nervously and rolled his shoulders back before gazing at Soon Shin with every ounce of love he possessed for her. "Soon Shin-ah... Saranghae. Nan jeongmal saranghae." Joon Ho fidgeted slightly before continuing, the intensity of her stare only increasing the butterflies he felt in his stomach. "I will cherish you forever. I will never turn you away or turn away from you. I will never run again... nor will I allow you to run from me. I will protect you and love you. You are and always will be the most important to me. I promise. Soon Shin-ah, will you marry me?"

Soon Shin continued to stare at him in disbelief, taking in his words, his facial expression full of love and hope, and the ring he held out towards her, glimmering in the sun. The significance of their current location wasn't lost on her either. She knew what the park meant to the both of them and, coincidentally, they were even standing in front of their bench... or was that intentional? She recalled all the moments they shared at that very spot: their first promise, Joon Ho bandaging her fingers, her love confession, their first kiss, their temporary breakup, and all the moments they had snuck out of Gabi Entertainment to take a quick break.

She felt her heart fluttering rapidly within her chest, bursting with the amount of love she felt for him. It was a love so strong, so pure, Soon Shin felt the tears welling in her eyes from her emotions. This was right. This was perfect. This was meant to be. The moment she hadn't even realized she had been waiting for had finally occurred... and she would not allow it to slip from within her grasp.

From the moment they collided to this very moment with Joon Ho patiently waiting for her reaction on bended knee, it was meant to be. Fate. Destiny. Soon Shin knew it deep within her heart and she would embrace it with all that she was.

Soon Shin laughed - a joyous, emotional laugh that was slightly hoarse due to the tears she was trying to keep at bay - and launched herself forward into Joon Ho's unsuspecting arms. Reflexively, his arms circled her waist, holding her tightly in place as he fought to maintain his balance. She looped her own arms around his neck and laughed again, happier than she had ever been. "Yes," she said. "Yes, yes, yes! I will marry you!"

All at once, relief washed over him, replacing the tension Joon Ho hadn't even realized he'd been feeling. He broke out into a smile so wide, his cheeks ached, but it was worth every moment. Pulling back from Soon Shin, he took the ring out of the box and slowly slid it onto her fourth finger.

The sight of the ring and its owner uniting for the first time took Joon Ho's breath away and witnessing the love sparkling in Soon Shin's eyes as she glanced at the silver ring on her finger confirmed what he already knew - that as long as he had Soon Shin, he was the happiest man in the world.

He laughed without restraint as he stood, pulling her back to a standing position with him. Joon Ho cupped her face with both hands and smoothed her hair back, caressing her repeatedly to make certain she was not simply a figment of his overactive imagination. Soon Shin tilted her face up and, as though in silent communication, Joon Ho lowered himself towards her until his lips covered hers in a gentle kiss.

His hands cradled her face with tenderness, a thumb brushing back and forth across her soft cheek as his lips moved confidently over hers, stealing her breath away only to return it right back to her. Soon Shin's hands reached for his arms, grasping the fabric of his suit jacket tightly in her fists as she fervently returned his kiss.

And it was like the last piece of the puzzle had fallen into place, as if the world was spinning on its axis just for them. All the hardships they had faced together and separately in the past had all been worth it for this one moment - the one defining moment in which "forever" began and never ever ended.

The one moment where they knew, for a fact, that... love conquers all.

Just like that.

END~