Epilogue: A Love To Last A Lifetime

A few months later, the F4 families came together to celebrate Yi Jeong and Ga Eul's wedding anniversary. The occasion had also coincided with Mi Yun's term vacation, and so she flew back to Seoul, accompanied by her boyfriend Colby. Ji Hoo, who had relocated to Paris with his wife, also returned for the celebration.

The anniversary party was held on a breezy afternoon, on the Sos' modest back porch. After a sumptuous meal prepared by the ladies, and a generous barbeque manned by the gentlemen, the families sat around with coffees and soft drinks in hand, chatting and catching up with each other, while the younger kids attempted to play catch with each other.

Much later in the afternoon, the adults sat down for a special guessing game devised by some of the boys – with a slight twist, and with all necessary permission granted this time.

"Okay contestants," said gamemaster Tae Hyun, addressing the four couples before him, "Thank you all for being game enough to play the very first 'F4 Mini-Hompy Guessing Game'. The winners," he sighed, looking forlornly at his sister and her best friend, Goo Min Ae, who both grinned at each other, "As reluctantly agreed by the games committee, will have their children or god-children clean their house for a week. The losers will have their children or god-children clean all the F4 houses over a week…"

"I don't see how that's losing!" Jun Pyo piped up from his corner, "It's called character building!"

Jinsu looked at his godfather in amazement. "You're not helping, Jun Pyo-samchon! I have to clean your house for a week if you win! Min Ae-noona will be away in university by then…"

"THAT is precisely why it's a win-win situation, Jinsu-yah!" Min Ae giggled, her curly ponytail swishing as she did, "You get to build your character, AND practice your housekeeping skills!"

"Yah! That's enough, kids!" an uncharacteristically firm Ji Hoo ordered, holding Jinsu back before the lad could lunge at the smug Goo heiress. "Let's just get the game going, okay?"

Jinsu cowered behind Tae Hyun, who rolled his eyes. "Don't forget to yell your family name when you wish to answer a question," he reminded everyone. He then turned to grin at his parents, and mouthed a 'Fighting!' to them. They grinned back.

"Okay, contestants! Here is your first question. Guess who wrote this," Tae Hyun said, clearing his throat, "'I am not usually easily impressed by a guy who fights, since I too, am equipped with the ability to kick some butt! But when I saw the way his muscles rippled as he pummeled those bad guys, I couldn't help but stare in wonder…'" he ended his reading with a shudder.

"GOO!" "SO!"

"Sorry, appa…" Tae Hyun said apologetically, peeling his hand off his ears, "Jun Pyo-samchon was slightly… louder."

Yi Jeong attempted to protest, but his wife held his hand and shook her head.

"That is so obviously by the Monkey sitting over there…" a tactful Jun Pyo declared, with a wave of his hand.

"Correct!" yelled Jinsu, "One point for the Goo familiy!"

"Omo, did I really say that about your father?" Jae Kyung laughed, eyeing Woo Bin once over, "He doesn't seem to have the same… physique as before."

"Yah, Jinsu and Jin Kwang's monkey omma," Woo Bin glared at his wife and patting his barely there paunch, "I'll have you know that I'm just as strong as I was when we first met, okay?"

Jae Kyung stuck her tongue out at her husband, "I'll believe it when you actually have the strength to take the trash out when I ask you to…"

"But you'd still love me anyway, even if I don't," grinned Woo Bin in reply, reaching over to give his wife a kiss on the cheek.

"Appa!" Jin Kwang protested, closing his eyes tightly, while covering Mi Sun and Yong Yong's with his palms, "Not in front of EVERYONE!"

The younger Song son's modesty and gentlemanliness made the entire group laugh.

"Next question!" Mi Yun shouted from her seat, her head resting on Colby's shoulder.

"Next question… guess who wrote this, my personal favourite," Jinsu began, "'Sometimes I just want to rip his head apart and dig through his brain to find out what he's really thinking! Because as much as I am beginning to get used to his manners (or lack of) and mannerisms, sometimes I just can't get used to his thinking…"

"SO!" "SONG!"

"Ga Eul-imo?"

"I remember this one," she said with a sly smile, "I was there when it was being written… and Jan Di was reading it out loud when she was penning it down…"

"Correct!" shouted Tae Hyun.

"What was wrong with my thinking?!" an indignant Jun Pyo bellowed at his wife, "I'll have you know that I put on my thinking wig a lot when I have conversations!"

Woo Bin and Yi Jeong sniggered. "I always knew the hair wasn't real…" Yi Jeong whispered dramatically to his wife, who slapped him on the shoulder.

"YAH! Do you want to di-" Jun Pyo's threat of death was successfully intercepted by is wife, who covered his mouth and gave him a death stare.

Jinsu turned to Tae Hyun with a sigh. "This game is a lot noisier than I thought."

"The F4 will always be the F4, I guess," the younger boy said with a hint of pseudo-wisdom, as they returned to the game.

…

An hour later, the Goos unceremoniously emerged the champions of the game, thanks (or no thanks) to the vocal advantage of the group. The Yuns, on the other hand, weren't as well versed in the area of mini-hompy histories, and had the lowest scores. Since they had no children, Tae Hyun, Ji Hoo's godson, was tasked with the cleaning duty.

"Does this mean I get to go to Paris to clean Ji Hoo-samchon's house?" Tae Hyun asked his parents, with a hopeful grin.

"This means," Ga Eul replied with a knowing smile, tapping her son's nose, "That your samchon and imo won't be engaging the hotel's housekeeping services until they leave next week."

"Nice try, dongsaeng," chirped Mi Yun, "But you know that was going to happen."

Tae Hyun pouted and was just about to fold his arms, when he felt a tug on his shirt sleeve.

"Oppa, come here…" Mi Sun whispered, gesturing for him to bend down to her level.

After a few moments, Tae Hyun stood back up and cleared his throat.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said in a loud and confident voice, getting everyone's attention, "On behalf of my parents and my siblings, I'd like to thank you again for spending this special day with us. It always means a lot to my family to have such a big, extended family by our side."

He paused and reached for his younger sister's hand, gently guiding her to face everyone. "My little sister has prepared something for my parents, and would like to present it to everyone. Please welcome So Mi Sun."

The garden was filled with thunderous applause and loud cheering, as the little girl curtsied, and unfolded a piece of paper she held in her hand.

"Love Is…" she read loudly and clearly, "By So Mi Sun."

Ga Eul and Yi Jeong looked at each other, and smiled.

"Love is a funny thing," began Mi Sun, "And I'm too young to understand it, like what my oppa tells me. But I think I know what love is when I look at my omma, and my appa.

"Love is when my appa drives out late at night after coming back from work, because he wants to surprise omma with ddeokboki from her favourite roadside stall..."

Oohs and ahhs could be heard from among the group, and Yi Jeong just shushed everyone, motioning for his pearl to continue.

"Love is when my omma tells my appa that his kimchi pancakes are good, even if they are not, because she wants him to be happy…"

Ga Eul giggled at the memory. Sadly, Yi Jeong never tried cooking again after he'd set off the fire alarm the last time.

"Love is when omma tells appa that his wrinkles make him look even more handsome. Love is when appa tells omma that he now has more of her to hold..."

Those lines made Ga Eul cover her mouth in slight embarrassment. She leaned her head against Yi Jeong's shoulder, which was shaking from his laughter.

"Love is when omma and appa help each other, and work together to make things happen, and to keep us together…"

Ga Eul briefly looked up at her husband and smiled, while her head remained on his shoulder.

"Love is when omma and appa talk and laugh and fight. Love is even when they don't talk, but they are still together..."

By then, Ga Eul felt tears slowly welling up in her eyes.

"Love is when they tell me and my oppa and my noona that they love us. And love is when we tell them we love them back.

Love is just like glue; love is what keeps my parents together, and it's what keeps my family together. Love is what will keep us together till the end of time. The end."

Yi Jeong and a teary Ga Eul gave their daughter a standing ovation, as the rest of the F4 families cheered her on.

As the applause faded, the Sos went forward, hand in hand, to embrace their youngest daughter, joined also by their two other children.

"All of you," Yi Jeong whispered in the midst of the family hug, "Are the best gift I could have ever dreamed of."

Ga Eul held her family tighter, and closer to her. "We love you all, so much."

And the Sos continued to hold each other tightly, not just in each other's arms, but also, in each other's hearts.

...

THANK YOU for the support and love for this story and the characters :) I will be sure to come back with more stories for y'all! Do check out my profile for other stories in the BOF fandom, and others :)

-R xx