A/N: This is my 2nd fanfic surrounding Byun Mi Young and Ahn Joong Hee from "My Father is Strange" which was a Korean drama that aired on KBS TV on Saturday and Sunday nights. This is a one-shot fanfic that takes place quite deep into the future. Hope you enjoy this one as well!
Silver Heartbeat
Pohang is located approximately 3 hours from Seoul. As you enter into the heart of this town, you can easily discern its seaport roots. From the seemingly endless coastline to the fresh seafood stalls, it's obvious that Pohang casts allure for those who feel a kindred spirit with the sea. What may not be so obvious is that it's also one of the best places in all of Korea to take in a sunrise. For this reason, people will flock to this sea town, especially early in the morning, to partake of one spectacular watch.
The Appletree Hotel is one of Pohang's finer stays. Visitors of various stripes stay in this particular hotel to enjoy its numerous perks including amazing views of the sea. On this day, one couple woke up quite early to ensure that they didn't miss the sunrise. The young lady seemed to illuminate the room despite her small stature. The young man exuded a strong, but quiet, confidence. But, a closer inspection reveals that this was no ordinary couple. In fact, they were one of Korea's special celebrity couples – Ahn Joong Hee and Byun Mi Young. It appeared that they were staying in the Appletree for a special occasion.
As they stared outside their room window, he completely enveloped her in a sensuous back hug that typified their long, yet still growing, love. In a matter of seconds, he leaned in and placed a slow, sweet kiss on her right cheek.
"Good morning, beautiful!" Joong Hee whispered.
"Good morning, gorgeous!" Mi Young whispered in return.
"Happy anniversary, Mi Young-ah!"
"Happy 25th anniversary, you mean!"
"Yes. I know. Happy 25 years! Where does the time go?" Joong Hee wondered aloud.
"Why? Does it remind you that you're getting old?" Mi Young asked teasingly.
"Of course. I'm 25 years older! How did that happen?"
"You know, genius. I'm 25 years older too!"
"But the difference is that you don't look it. Mi Young-ah. You're still just as . . . no, you're more beautiful today than when I first met you!"
"When will you ever stop flattering me?"
"Never. Because I'm telling you the truth!" With that, she turned to face her sweet husband and planted a loving peck on his lips.
"Thank you. Thank you for being the greatest husband a girl could ever want!" They exchanged a few more kisses as part of their sweet embrace.
"That's what makes it seem so hard to believe" Joong Hee pondered.
"What?" Mi Young inquired.
"Don't you remember how we first met?"
"Oh. Why are you bringing that up?"
"The idea that we'd be married all these years later after what you did to me that day. Are you saying that you predicted this would happen to us?" It was an interesting query that he posed.
"No. But I said sorry!" she replied bashfully.
"Tell that to my shirt!" She then felt the impulse to playfully slap him as he started laughing uncontrollably.
"You really had a hard time at Gabi back then, didn't you, Mi Young-ah? I know that I didn't make it easy for you"
"You could be a real pain in the neck sometimes" she said with a smirk. "Still, there was something about you that I just couldn't ignore"
"Well, that's understandable. Working with someone as sexy as me would be quite the burden!"
"If my hand gets hurt from slapping you, then I'll get really mad!" she said with a fake pout.
"Don't be mad. Just kiss me. Please?" After she pretended to think it over, she obliged to her teasing husband.
"But seriously, I still can't believe that it's been 25 years" he repeated.
"25 wonderful years. We've seen it all just about" she remarked.
"Yes, we have. It's just been amazing."
"And the best is yet to come"
"So true. By the way, I'm really proud of you, Mi Young-ah"
"Really? Why?"
"Because I'm married to one of Korea's finest actresses, that's why"
"Oh stop! That's going a little too far"
"I don't think so. You started out as my manager. Then, you became my costar. From there, you just took off like a rocket!"
"You're welcome, by the way" Mi Young said.
"What do you mean?" Joong Hee looked confused.
"If I hadn't convinced you to leave Gabi and sign with Eye Entertainment, do you think this would be possible?"
"Probably not. When you're right, you're right"
Indeed, Eye Entertainment turned out to be a boon for them both. As soon as he joined his new agency, Joong Hee managed to land the leading role in a drama titled "Rise and Shine". He also got to have his wife as a manager again. Still, "Rise and Shine" might have turned into an asterisk in his career had it not been for some unforeseen circumstances. Choi So Yeon was originally offered the leading role opposite Joong Hee – much to the consternation of Mi Young. Although she clearly voiced her displeasure about So Yeon's role in the drama, she nevertheless went along with it.
As the day of the script reading arrived, there was a palpable excitement as the cast members
made their greetings. But, there was one notable absence. It turned out that Choi So Yeon was severely ill and could not attend the reading. Soon, the casting director and the cast were at a loss on how to proceed. Then, in a stroke of inspiration, Joong Hee got up from his seat.
"I'll be right back!" With that, he hurried out the door.
Mi Young was sitting in the café nearby enjoying a chai latte. Upon seeing her, Joong Hee sprinted over to her and took her hand.
"Mi Young-ah. I need a big favor from you!"
"What is it?"
"Just follow me. Don't ask any questions!"
'But, Joong Hee-shi!" Soon, the two entered the reading room hand in hand.
"Director. I would like Mi Young to read for So Yeon's role" As the faces in the room turned confused, they nevertheless took their lead from the director.
"Joong Hee-shi. I know that she's your manager and your wife. But, what acting experience does she have?" the director asked him pointedly.
"I understand your concern, Director. But, do we have a better option at the moment?"
After pondering the conundrum in his mind, the director uttered a slight growl before allowing Mi Young to read.
"Mi Young-ah. It's going to be OK. Just look over the lines and try to emote them as best you can!" Joong Hee reassured her.
At first, Mi Young was so frozen that she could barely hold the script in her hands. Still, with her husband's calming influence, she settled in and started to look at the lines. Despite her lack of thespian experience, she gained a keen sense of how the character would say these lines. After reading a few lines with Joong Hee, one thing was clear – Mi Young seemed like a natural. Her emotions and timing resembled those of actresses with 10-20+ years of experience. In short, the director immediately insisted that Mi Young take over as the leading female role for "Rise and Shine" in lieu of Choi So Yeon to the applause and approval of the remaining cast.
As they left the room, Joong Hee lifted Mi Young up and twirled her around like a top. The excitement of the moment overtook them both.
Soon, the first day of filming arrived. It was painfully evident that Mi Young was nervous. She desperately wanted to do a good job, except now she had two roles to cover – leading actress and Joong Hee's manager. Despite her doubts, her husband kept reassuring her that she would perform wonderfully. He couldn't have been more correct.
Audiences grew to love "Rise and Shine". From the very first episode, they appreciated the overall storyline, but more importantly, they treasured the love story between Joong Hee and Mi Young's characters even more. By the time "Rise and Shine" concluded, the star power for Ahn Joong Hee grew exponentially while Byun Mi Young's new career as an actress got off to a remarkably hot start. Twenty-five years later, she's still considered one of Korea's grand dames.
"I still can't believe that I let you talk me into reading the script for 'Rise and Shine'"
"Then where would your career be today? So, you're welcome"
"You're too funny!"
"I know. By the way, I really think you should've won the Best Actress award for the drama, Mi Young-ah".
"And you should have won Best Actor" Mi Young responded.
"Wouldn't it have been great if we had won Best Couple?" Joong Hee asked.
"Honey, we weren't even nominated. How could we win it then?"
"I still wonder about that. I mean, our chemistry is pretty good. Shouldn't we at least have gotten a nomination?"
"Joong Hee-shi. It's like I told you many times. Awards are nice, but the truth is forever. The true award for me is getting to live and work with the best actor in all of Korea."
As he stared lovingly at her, he couldn't believe that she could still find ways to endear herself to him more and more.
"I love you, Mi Young-ah. You're the best!"
"I love you more!"
As they took some time staring at the renowned sunrise, they found themselves in a tranquil stillness. Still, over time, their impulses propelled them out of the hotel room and into the sweet Pohang air.
As they walked hand in hand alongside the vast coastline overlooking the sea, they learned to appreciate all that nature could offer. They stopped by an inviting seafood restaurant and partook of an amazing meal of kuksu with fresh clams and mussels. After spending a couple more hours along the seashore, they knew that the time arrived to go homeward bound. Despite a long drive back to Seoul, they arrived in their home just as the Korean sky transformed into a starry wonderland.
As they entered their abode, they dropped their bags on the floor and walked arm in arm towards the sofa. They still basked in the afterglow of their Pohang trip. After a few more minutes of soft cuddling, Joong Hee broke the long silence.
"I have an idea."
"What's that?"
He walked over to the kitchen. He returned to the sofa with a bottle of wine and two glasses. As soon as he finished pouring both glasses, he handed one of them to his wife.
"Let's have a toast. To 25 years!" Joong Hee said.
"To 25 years!" Mi Young echoed. They tapped their glasses to seal the occasion before partaking of the customary sip.
"So, Mi Young-ah. What do you think?"
"About what?"
"About spending another 25 years with me?" he asked with a grin.
"Forget 25 years. I'm going to spend the rest of my days with you – and only you" she replied with a smile.
"Do you really think that you can keep up with me?" he asked.
"I'm worried about you keeping up with me, old man!" Soon, Joong Hee leaned in and started tickling Mi Young. After their laughter subsided, they stared at each other and exchanged a long, passionate kiss symbolizing their enduring love.
"I love you, Mi Young-ah"
"I love you more!"
As they continued their kiss, it foretold of more bliss in their future. After all, for Ahn Joong Hee and Byun Mi Young, it wasn't just 25 years of marital joy. It was 25 years of shared secrets and passions also. With their love as the foundation, a quarter of a century seemed to fly by. They knew that so long as they took care of each other, as long as they loved one another, and as long as they continued growing together, another 25 years would be a piece of cake. In short, their silver wedding anniversary would never be forgotten because they lived one precious heartbeat at a time.
THE END
A/N: That concludes this one-shot fanfic. I really hope you enjoyed it. Any reviews are greatly appreciated! Finally, I offer my best wishes to Lee Joon and Jung So Min who obviously inspired this story from start to finish. Thanks again, folks. I'll see you on the other side!