Disclaimer: I do not own Dandelion. Dandelion is owned by the wonderful people of Cheritz who create the amazing content I've come to love.
This is dedicated to MeliZbeauty. Thank you for introducing me to the amazing world of visual novels through your incredible videos. I hope you enjoy what you read here and I am totally open to constructive criticism if you have any.
Jiwoo's Epilogue
~Heejung's POV~
My hands trembled as I gripped the brown notebook in my hands. "I have to go meet him," I murmured. For some inexplicable reason, my heart felt heavy with a feeling I could not quite identify. Is this what it meant to long for something so deeply? I was so deep in my own thoughts that it took me a few moments to realize that Heejae was still in my apartment, staring at me with concern.
We both stared at each other in awkward silence for a few moments until I could no longer stand it. "I'm sorry Heejae, but I really have to go. Can you help me clean another time?" I frantically led him out of my apartment and closed the door behind us. I felt bad for keeping Heejae in the dark like this, but I really needed to know who this mystery person was. Did I know this person before losing my memory?
Heejae seemed hurt by my sudden actions, but he gave me a small smile before leaving and told me to give him a call if I ever needed anything. "Take care, Heejung," he said, before turning the corner and disappearing from sight. I gripped the brown notebook tighter and started running. I'm glad that Heejae was kind enough not to pry, but right now finding the man who wrote me this diary was of the utmost importance.
"If you long for it…we will surely be able to meet again, okay?"
Those words rang in my head so much, that it almost felt like I was literally hearing his voice. This feeling of longing in my heart made my legs move faster, which made me cover more ground quicker. I checked all the places that I could think of, but with each new location came a new dose of disappointment. By the time I knew it, I had only one last place to look, the park.
"I hope he's here," I whisper in a ragged voice. My breathing was shallow from all of the running I did today and I could barely catch my breath. I slowed down to a walk as I entered the park, my legs still burning with exhaustion. Maybe it would be a good idea to take a short rest. Taking a look around the park though, I noticed that all of the park benches were occupied. I was about to slump to the ground in utter exhaustion, when I noticed a man with golden-blond hair get up from his seat. He took off his black fedora hat and slung his brown messenger bag onto his shoulder. He wore glasses that gave him a scholarly look. It was impossible to take my eyes off him. He was someone I couldn't recall meeting before, but somehow he seemed familiar, like from some far off dream. Could he have been the one who wrote me this diary?
Panic swelled in me as I saw him turn in the opposite direction and walk away from me. I couldn't let him leave. I tried to yell to get his attention, but all that came out was a hoarse whisper. Though my legs were already surging with pain, I started running after him. It may have been unorthodox, but I couldn't think of anything else to do. As I got within reaching distance, I instinctively threw out my hand to grab onto the sleeve of his blue button-down shirt. He whipped around almost immediately and when our eyes met his face was frozen in utter shock. Due to his fast movements, I lost my footing and started falling forward. Thankfully, he caught me around the waist and didn't let go until I was firmly on my feet.
Now that I had a proper view of his face, my breath was caught in my throat and I couldn't help but stare. His stunned, emerald-green eyes behind the glasses looked so familiar, but for the life of me I couldn't place them. However, my heart started beating like mad and a warm, comforting feeling swamped my body. Deep down, I was certain that I knew this person before I had suffered from amnesia, but what was his name? I mentally wracked my brain trying to remember at least that much. Does it start with Ji…? Ji…w…oo? Jiwoo?
"Is your name Jiwoo?" I asked, earnestly. The shocked look on his face slowly turned to one of great relief. I smiled softly in response as a wave of happiness came over me. That is until he opened his mouth.
"You're still as stupid as ever, Dumbo," he responded with a grin on his face. I instantly wanted to come up with a retort, but his arms coming around me made me stop in my tracks. It felt safe and secure in Jiwoo's arms as he hugged me close to him. It was almost nostalgic in a bittersweet sense, since my memories of Jiwoo were virtually shrouded in mystery. Nevertheless, if the feelings I felt toward Jiwoo were anything to go by, then I knew we must have shared something special together.
Remembering the notebook still clutched in my numb fingers, I brought it to his line of sight. Feeling shy, my cheeks heated up and I knew I was blushing. "I found what you left for me," I whispered meekly. When he saw the diary he wrote, his arms grew tighter and I was pulled in closer.
He was chuckling gently in my ear as he asked, "Did you read it all the way through?" As he asked the question, I stopped dead in my tracks. I had only read the beginning before skipping forward to the last page. Thinking back on it now I felt like the world's biggest idiot. Mortified at my stupidity, I shook my head no while avoiding his eyes completely. He simply squeezed my shoulders comfortingly and said, "I should have expected as much. Don't worry. We'll get through this together." I turned my head to look at him again and saw that he wore a confident smile on his face. I smiled back at him. Maybe this was a blessing in disguise.
~Jiwoo's POV~
I can't believe I'm here, holding her close like this. The feeling of her in my arms again, after so long, makes me feel incredibly happy. She's still a Dumbo, still somewhat slow, but she's my Dumbo. Being able to see her, touch her, hear her voice, all of it, was almost surreal after not being able to do so for two long years. She was still as beautiful as I remembered, maybe even more so now. The more I hold her though, the more I can feel her legs trembling.
I pulled away from her slightly to get a better look at her and noticed that her whole body was shaking. "Are you all right?" I asked my voiced laced with worry.
She looked up at me and gave me a slightly embarrassed smile. "I basically ran around the whole city looking for you." I stared at her incredulously for a few moments. Was she insane? Without saying another word, I took the notebook out of her hands and put it into my bag. Turning my back toward her, I kneeled down.
"Here, climb on. I'll carry you back to your apartment. You do still live there, right?" I looked over my shoulder to see her response and felt relieved when she nodded. With some hesitation I felt her climb on and once I felt she was steady, I gripped her legs securely and slowly stood up. As we started moving out of the park I noticed people staring at us, but I made it a point to ignore them. It didn't take long to reach her apartment, and as I opened the door a wave of nostalgia hit me. Despite the cringe worthy lack of care for the books strewn on the floor near the bookcase, the apartment hadn't changed much since the last time I'd been here.
Regaining my composure, I carefully walked over to the living room and gently set her down on the couch. Like I had thought, she was extremely tired. Her body sank deep into the cushions and her eyes fluttered almost completely closed, as she rested her head on one of the couch pillows. Quickly, I walked into the kitchen and filled a glass with water and carried it back to her. She took the glass of water from me hurriedly and chugged it down as if her throat was on fire. "Can I have some more?" she asked, her voice hoarse and an embarrassed half-smile on her face. We repeated this process three more times before we felt certain that she was hydrated again. It didn't take long after that for her to completely fall asleep and I was lost in my thoughts of the night I disappeared.
…
My eyes were stinging after several hours, no days, of constantly writing at a hurried pace. I needed to get everything down. Every last detail was important. Tonight was my last night in this world and I had to finish this diary as my final gift to her. If only I had come up with this idea months ago, I would probably not have to rush to get it finished. It's ironic, how I can call the people around me stupid while I may be the biggest fool of them all. Suddenly, I felt something weigh down on my shoulder. Looking over, I saw Heejung's head resting on my shoulder as she slept with a peaceful look on her face. I had to force myself to keep the tears that were forming from spilling over. Unwillingly, I turned my attention back to the notebook and continued writing.
"I thought I was going to die writing this. My arm is aching and my eyes are stinging."
Before I could stop myself, a tear escaped and landed on the page. Damn it. I'd better lighten the mood before I turn into a blubbering mess.
"Hey, and why is your head so heavy?"
I chuckled slightly to myself.
"If you're going to sleep, you should have slept on the bed. I already knew that you were only pretending to sleep to stay next to me. But, I'm glad we can be together until the end. I'm such a lucky guy."
It was true. I was so lucky to have met her. Even more so that she put up with my stubborn antics and rude behavior. I glanced at the window and noticed that the dark night sky was growing lighter and returned to my writing with renewed speed.
"When the morning comes, I'll leave this place. I know you'll cry and throw a tantrum because I'm not here, but remember. Your cabbage spaghetti was definitely the best food I have ever tasted. Also…you were the first to ever hit me."
As I wrote, the moments we shared together zipped through my mind.
"You're the first girl to ever make my heart beat and feel jealous."
No one had ever made me feel so strongly before. It's hard to pinpoint when it first started, but I knew I was in deep when I became a jealous wreck when the black cat had taken her out that one day. Time is running away from me. I'd better finish this quickly.
"And…about your mapping out a new life…you're working hard on it, right? Well, it's probably not as good as mine but I'll take a look at it one day. If you long for it…we will surely meet again, okay?"
I'm feeling so exhausted, I can barely keep the pen in my hand. Please, let me finish. I just need a little more energy to be able to write what needs to be said.
"Whew, I think the sun will rise soon. If you have lost your memories by calling me to this world, I promise I will come find you. I'll appear in front of you as a better man. Far more better than just a rich guy. So please wait for me until I come back for you. And also, there is one last thing I haven't said. I…"
Rays of sunlight streamed through the window signaling a new day and that my time was up. I tried finishing my last sentence, but the pen slipped out of my hand. Desperate, I kept trying to grab the pen, but my hand just could not grip it. That's when I noticed my body was slowly and quite literally disappearing from this world. It wasn't painful, but as I saw my body, gradually, vanish I quickly became filled with anxiety. "No!" I yelled desperately. "I'm not done yet! At least, let me finish what I have to say!" I got no response from the Wizard. My vision was getting blurry as more and more of my body disappeared. Before I knew it my vision was filled with white and I lost consciousness. When I woke up, I found myself lying on top of a hill overlooking my family's estate. They were selling it due to bankruptcy. I had been granted my wish for revenge while I lost the one person I truly cared about.
…
~Heejung's POV~
My body was stiff as I sat up on the couch. How long was I asleep? It must have been a while, since it was already dark outside. A slight shuffling sound caught my attention and I turned my head. Jiwoo was busy sorting through the books on the floor and organizing them on my bookshelf. The books were meticulously organized into their respective genres, while also being in alphabetical order by author last name. All the books were neat and structured order.
I stood up from the couch and stretched. My muscles screamed in protest at first, but I felt better as I moved around. Kneeling next to Jiwoo, I started helping him organize the books. We kept in amicable silence as we worked and it felt peaceful. Before we knew it our job was already done. As I looked at the books on the shelves I couldn't believe how many romance novels I had. Was I really one of those people who read such weird things?
My concentration was broken when I looked over at Jiwoo, who had a distant look on his face as he stared at the books. After a few moments, he caught me staring and I saw his cheeks turn bright red as we made eye contact. I wanted to speak, but my mouth had gone dry, making it harder to form words. The awkward moment was broken when Jiwoo walked over to his messenger bag and dug out the notebook. He walked back over to me and placed the notebook into my hands.
"I think it would be best if you kept reading this. It's most likely the key to restoring your memories, so please keep it with you." His beautiful green eyes were filled with such anxiety that it took me by surprise. Did he really care about me that much? I hugged the notebook close and nodded.
"Of course I will. I want to regain my memories as soon as possible." I felt a smile spread across my face. I wanted to know more about Jiwoo too and the time we had spent together. I wanted to remember everything about him. I wanted to remember the person I was. It was time for me to take the first step in doing so by actually reading this notebook Jiwoo had written for me.
*Two Weeks Later*
I sat on the couch curled up with a blanket around me, reading the notebook. Jiwoo was out working, writing up financial reports for clients. He told me he found the work dull, but it provided him a steady salary so it wasn't all bad. Sometimes I would find him scribbling away for hours. When I asked him what he was working on he simply told me it was a manuscript for a book. I wasn't allowed to read it until he was finished. That was fine. I was already engrossed in what I was reading now. I was currently at the part where I had supposedly ambushed him with cabbage and stole a kiss from him underneath the dining table. Reading the scene and letting it play out in my mind's eye made my face feel hot. Had I really been that bold?
Marking my place before closing the book, I got up and went to the bathroom to splash my face with cold water. I had to calm down, but thinking of Jiwoo and reading what he wrote made that difficult. Despite the slow process of remembering, the longing feeling in my heart grew larger with each passing day. Every time I caught a glimpse of him it made my heart flutter and whenever he blushed or got flustered it made me smile. Even when I annoyed him and he would lecture me, I still found him to be quite cute. I quickly came to realize that whenever he called me Dumbo or stupid, he didn't do so out of malice. He did it out of concern for me, because he wanted me to succeed. My heart always skipped a beat whenever I saw the tenderness in his emerald green eyes. I had to do something to show him how much he means to me.
*The Next Day*
~Jiwoo's POV~
The sweet scent of flowers surrounded me as I looked at what the flower shop had to offer. The red roses looked enticing, but maybe they were a little too cliché. In almost all of the romance novels I had read and the soap operas I watched the male lead would always give his love interest red roses. Well, I wanted to be different. That's when a bouquet of yellow tulips caught my attention. They'd go beautifully with Heejung's eyes and they were pretty in their own humble way. As I was paying, the lady working the cash register gave me a knowing look. For no extra charge, she added baby's breath to the bouquet and wrapped the bouquet with a matching ribbon.
As the lady passed me back the bouquet she smiled at me and said, "She must be a very lucky girl to have someone like you."
Taken aback slightly I simply replied, "No, I'm the lucky one." I thanked her again for her service and made my way hurriedly outside. I had received a call from Heejung earlier today. She told me to meet her at the park today after work. She had something special planned. Curiosity took hold of me and I made my way there as quickly as I could.
As I walked into the park I actively started looking for her. It didn't take long before I found her sitting underneath a large tree. She was dishing out containers of food on plates arranged on a picnic blanket. The sight of her took my breath away. She looked happier than I had ever seen her before. Looking at her like this put a smile on my face. Making my presence known, I walked closer to her. When she noticed me, the smile that already was brightening her face grew. Seeing her smile like that made my heart skip and I could feel my face quickly heat up. I was definitely blushing as I took a seat next to her.
"These are for you," I told her as I held out the bouquet of tulips.
"Jiwoo…" she gasped as she took the flowers. "You didn't have to do this."
"I wanted too. This is a special moment so I wanted to give you something." I took one of the tulips from the bouquet, snapped it from its stem, and placed it in her hair. Like I thought, the yellow tulips complimented her eyes perfectly. Before I knew it she kissed me on the cheek.
"Thank you," she said, blushing. She handed me one of the plates of food, her hands slightly shaking. "You mentioned in the notebook that my cabbage spaghetti was the best thing you have ever tasted, so I thought I'd try to recreate it. It took me a few tries, but I think it came out all right." I could tell by the tone of her voice that she was nervous.
I looked down at the plate and I could feel my emotions bubbling up. I took a bite of the cabbage spaghetti and I could feel tears stinging in the back of my eyes. This is better than I remember. I couldn't hold it back anymore. I had to tell her how I felt. Taking a deep breath, I got ready to tell her the one thing I should have told her a long time ago.
"Heejung, I love you," I blurted. She didn't respond, just looked at me shocked. I waited for her to respond, but she didn't. She just sat there staring at me with bewildered eyes. How could I have been so stupid? I should have handled the situation better. Well, it's too late now. "Just forget I said anything. I—"
I was cut off when she kissed me with such passion that it left me dizzy. I was left speechless when she pulled back and softly grasped my hand. She squeezed my hand gently and I could feel myself blushing again. Finally she said, "I love you too, Jiwoo." I hugged her close to me, not wanting to let go.
"I missed you so much." Against my better judgment, my voice came out shaky with raw emotion. She grabbed onto me even tighter and I knew she felt the same way. I truly am a lucky guy.
Author's Notes: Well, Jiwoo's epilogue is finally finished. To tell you the truth I feel very emotionally drained right now. It's been a long time since I've written a piece of fanfiction, so I'm not even sure if this is even any good. That's one down and four more to go.
Also, I would like to mention why I made Jiwoo give Heejung yellow tulips rather than traditional red roses. At first I thought it would be good for Jiwoo to be unique, so I scoured different websites for flowers and their meanings. That's when I randomly came across an article called "The Surprising History and Meaning of Tulips". I was definitely surprised when I found out that tulips generally symbolize perfect love. Yellow tulips in particular used to symbolize hopeless love, but the meaning eventually evolved into an expression of cheerful thoughts. In some ways I think this reflects Heejung's and Jiwoo's relationship, since their love was kind of a hopeless one since they were separated and it wasn't clear if they would ever find each other again. Also, Jiwoo finds happiness in his life through Heejung and vice versa. The fact that the yellow of the tulips matches Heejung's eyes is an added plus.
Anyway, I hope you've liked what you've read!
