A/N: Without further adieu, here's installment # 8.

Love Conquers All Ways

Chapter 8

For the next few months, it seemed like the Midas touch visited one Ahn Joong Hee. His hit drama, "Oh My Boss", concluded as the highest rated series in all of Korea. Suddenly, this idol turned actor, whose acting was once the subject of merciless ridicule, now became the hottest acting commodity in the nation. Advertisers and companies seemingly lined up around the block to get an opportunity for him to represent their respective brands. On a personal level, his relationship with Mi Young remained as strong as ever along with her family. In all, he could hardly believe the bliss that resided now in his heart.

Yet, for all the happiness he was feeling, there lay a silent tension – something he couldn't quite explain. At first, he thought he might be feeling unnecessarily paranoid. But then, he started having trouble sleeping. Though he initially brushed it off as simply the result of his steady love for Mi Young, he realized that something deeper was at play. Still, it wasn't until one particular sleepless night that he finally attained his realization. As he sat on his couch that night, he scrolled through reams of pictures on his phone. The one commonality of these photos was that Mi Young was in every single one of them. This simple, but remarkable, fact suddenly made him take notice of something he'd failed to realize earlier. His relationship with Mi Young needed to take another step forward - whether he liked it or not.

Although he didn't know what to feel about this new truth, he understood that if he failed to respect it, then the entire relationship might suffer. After all, was he content with just dating her all the time? More importantly, was she? Could this really be as good as it got for them? After pondering these queries, he started to set up a plan. As the details of this plan came slowly into view, his smile grew wider and wider. He knew that if all his preparations went according to script, then he and Mi Young's love would never be the same.

A couple of days later, Mi Young made her way into Joong Hee's apartment. Such was the love and trust he had for his girlfriend that he willingly gave her the passcode to unlock his apartment door – an "honor" he had previously only bestowed for his mother. After a few moments, she realized that Joong Hee was not running to hold her as had become his custom whenever she visited him.

"Joong Hee-shi! Joong Hee-shi! Where are you? This is odd." Mi Young said.

"Joong Hee-shi! Are you here?" She now suspected something amiss since this was the first time that she was alone in his apartment. As she slowly traversed the place, she made her way to the kitchen. She could see a piece of paper sitting atop the counter. Upon reading it, she pondered its contents.

"Go to the living room"

Though she stared confusedly at the note, she followed its directions. As she went to the living room, she saw another note lying on the table. It was a turnabout of sorts since this was the very same table upon which she left her note to him on a morning months ago. She grew more confused upon reading the second note.

"Now go find Al"

It was with bemusement and confusion that she now tried to locate Al. Thankfully for her, a certain slow moving creature made its leisurely way into her line of sight. As she peered closer at it, she could spot on its shell a bigger piece of paper gingerly taped on it. She kneeled down to greet her boyfriend's other protector as only she could.

"Hi Al. So, what's Joong Hee-shi doing? Come on, you know something, don't you? He swore you to secrecy, didn't he? That's fine. I'll find out without your help." She uncovered the note sitting on Al and started reading it. As she got up, she suddenly felt a strange sense of excitement.

"The recipient of this note hereby earns a complimentary RSVP to JoonMinBak restaurant tonight at 6:00. Offer good only for today!"

Mi Young could scarcely believe that her boyfriend was inviting her to one of the fanciest restaurants on the outskirts of Seoul. She'd heard that reservations were typically booked for months at a time there. Still, he was a celebrity and that usually carries some weight in these situations. With a quick glance at her watch, she realized that she didn't have much time if she wanted to get more nicely dressed and made up for the impending get together. So, with that, she immediately ran out of the apartment and made her way back home.

As 5:15 rolled around, one Lee Mi Young was waiting outside her family home for a taxi. For a young lady who used to give very little thought to her wardrobe and overall appearance, she seemed determined to look ladylike for Joong Hee every chance she got. Finally, the taxi arrived to take her to the restaurant. Although the traffic was typical for that time of day, it still managed to arrive just a couple of minutes before 6:00. As she stepped out of the vehicle, she paused to gaze at the front of the restaurant. She had always wondered what it would be like to have even one meal here. But, she'd never imagined that she would actually get that opportunity. With a quick exhale, she made her way inside.

As she bowed to the restaurant host, she stated that she had a reservation.

"Miss Lee Mi Young-shi?" asked the restaurant host.

"Yes, that's me" with a hint of surprise.

"Please follow me miss" As the host brought her to a prime table located towards the back of the restaurant, she noticed two things right away. First, the restaurant was fancier than she had previously imagined. Second, she was the only person seated. As she pondered these thoughts, the waiter came by and presented his services.

"Can I get you something to start with, miss?" the waiter asked.

"Just water for now." But before the waiter could retrieve her beverage, she asked a follow up question.

"Excuse me, sir. But, is a Mr. Ahn Joong Hee coming here soon?" she inquired.

Unbeknownst to Mi Young, this was all part of Joong Hee's elaborate plan. He had already booked the entire restaurant for that particular night. Also, he instructed all of the restaurant staff not to divulge anything regarding his plan to Mi Young no matter how often she asked. It's under this arrangement that the waiter coyly replied.

"It's possible, miss. If he shows up, then we'll seat him accordingly."

"Thank you, sir." She still found the whole situation quite odd, made more so by the fact that Joong Hee still had not arrived.

"I wonder where he could be. Did he get stuck in traffic?" she wondered.

The second part of the plan involved Joong Hee staying in a room in the hotel right across the street from JoonMinBak. Since he didn't have to worry about driving to the restaurant, he could focus on making a grand entrance. Leave it to an actor to come up with such grandiose ideas.

As 6:00 rolled around, Joong Hee looked at his watch and then looked in the mirror one more time. Although he was also dressed to the nines, he understood that it was his demeanor that would have to carry the night. With a quick exhale, he made his way out of the hotel room and across the street.

As Mi Young casually sipped her water, she wondered how much longer she'd have to wait for her boyfriend. To her relief, the wait came to an end.

"Oh. Mr. Ahn Joong Hee. It's a pleasure to see you again, sir!" the host exclaimed.

"You have my table ready, sir?" Joong Hee asked.

"Of course, sir. Please follow me!" the host replied. As he approached, Mi Young stood up to face her love for the first time that day. Within seconds, he was within distance to give her a warm embrace.

"Joong Hee-shi! Are you crazy? This is a public restaurant!" Mi Young exclaimed.

"I can see that." Joong Hee replied with his characteristic grin. "By the way, have I told you lately how gorgeous you are?"

"Not in the last 12 hours" she replied with a grin of her own. "So, what's all this about?"

"Let's sit down first" With that, they were both finally seated.

"I'm sure you must have a few questions" he said.

"Yes. But the biggest one is why here? Why did you want to eat here of all places?" Mi Young wondered.

"Like I told you, I've wanted to take you out to a really nice dinner – just the two of us. So, I finally decided to make it happen" he replied.

"And what happens when other customers start coming in?" Mi Young asked.

"That's not going to happen" he replied.

"How do you know that?" Mi Young inquired.

After a slight pause, he continued, "Because I booked this place for the entire night"

"You what?!"

"I booked it for just the two of us. Also, I already asked all of the staff here to make sure that there are no interruptions of any kind. So, tonight is really our night, Mi Young-ah"

As he finished his words, she couldn't help but feel moved by the entire gesture. As became her custom, she reached over and warmly grabbed his hand and held it tightly.

"Thank you! That's really sweet what you've done!"

"Of course. So, what do you say that we order now? I'm starving! Order anything you want. I mean anything." Although the restaurant offered a myriad of outstanding foreign themed dishes, Mi Young wanted to keep it simple for herself with a plate of Spaghetti Carbonara while Joong Hee went with Veal Scallopini. As they waited for their dishes, he finally mentioned the scavenger hunt he put Mi Young through.

"So, you got all three notes. Good work!"

"Yes. That was quite an interesting game you had me play" Then her face turned more serious "Do you know how worried I was when I didn't see you? I thought something bad had happened to you! I was really worried sick!" As her countenance became more pained, Joong Hee suddenly felt the familiar pain of regret at causing his girlfriend angst.

"I'm sorry, Mi Young-ah. I was just trying to come up with a fun way to get you to come here. I really wanted to surprise you. But, I could've found a better way. Sorry. Hmmm?"

"You know, there are times I really want to punch you in the face! But, how could I possibly mess up such a beautiful face like yours? You . . . you just drive me nuts sometimes!" Mi Young smirked.

"And you're so beautiful. Still mad?" Joong Hee asked with some caution.

"I'm not mad. I just can't believe sometimes that I have the strangest boyfriend on this planet."

"As long as you're not mad. Well, look, our food has arrived" As the waiter properly placed the respective dishes; they made the usual dinner blessings before enjoying their special meal. As the dinner progressed, they felt the same comfort eating here as they did eating in his place or her family's home. With bellies and hearts refilled, they both felt better about the night.

"That was delicious. This restaurant really is special!" Mi Young beamed.

"I'm really glad you liked it. We should come here again sometime." Joong Hee agreed.

"Do you think you can reserve the whole place again?" she asked.

"Say the word and I'll make it happen!" he replied.

"Thank you for tonight, Joong Hee-shi. I've really enjoyed it!"

"Well, it's about to get even better" he offered.

"Why? What else do you have planned?"

"Just wait a few. You'll see" After he had paid for the meal and both thanked the staff for their incredible hospitality, he helped guide her towards the building across the street. As they held hands, she grew more incredulous as she realized that he was taking her inside a posh hotel. Soon, they made their way into his temporary abode on the 7th floor. Upon opening the door, they both entered a fancy suite with a window that boasted a wide panoramic view of Seoul. She could scarcely believe what a magical night she was experiencing.

"Joong Hee-shi. This room is amazing. The view!"

"Yes. It is amazing, isn't it?"

"So, this is where you were earlier?"

He nodded his head affirmatively "It was all part of my plan".

"What am I going to do about you?" she asked with a smile. As she turned to face him, she noticed that he was starting to shift uncomfortably. Although she couldn't quite figure out why, she also knew that something wasn't quite right.

"Joong Hee-shi! Are you all right? Are you feeling sick? What's going on?" As she asked these questions, Joong Hee looked like he needed to sit down. But, he feigned the motion of sitting in a chair and instead set his body onto the floor in a perfect kneeling position. As he took one of her hands into his and reached for a tiny box with his other hand, it seemed clear what would happen next.

"Yes. I'm fine, Mi Young-ah. In fact, I'm more than fine"

"Mi Young-ah. I've told you before that the love we have is truly righteous. But, I've figured out that it's much more than that. Ours is a love that's thicker than water. Ours is a love that's stronger than steel. So many people in this world go their whole lives looking for the love that we have and never find it. I should know. I used to be one of those people"

"Before I met you, I thought that if I could keep myself happy, then that's all that mattered. But, you've shown me that giving my heart for someone else adds so much more meaning. Plus, your family has helped me see that those bonds made me a better, stronger man. It's only that kind of love that's allowed me to be who I am today.

If we can be together, then we can truly be happy the rest of our lives. If we can be together, then I can take care of you every day. If we can be together, then we can soar to the heavens . . . and never come back down. So, Mi Young-ah, will you marry me?"

As his impassioned soliloquy ended, she stood there motionless and words could not form in her mouth. But, she knew which way her heart leaned. So, she nodded her head affirmatively.

"Yes? You're saying . . . " Joong Hee offered.

Finally, the words came to her "Yes! Yes! Joong Hee-shi, I will!" With that, he leapt up for joy and twirled her around a couple of times. After she landed back on solid ground, they exchanged a few sweet, passionate kisses. Then, he finally took the opportunity to gingerly place the shiny ring onto her finger. As the two of them stared at the bedazzling jewel and then at each other, they kissed again as if to consummate their impending nuptials.

"I love you. I love you so much!" Mi Young finally said.

"I love you too. I love you more!" Joong Hee rejoined.

As he put Mi Young into one of his special back hugs, they both stared out the window and onto the Seoul landscape below. As he predicted, this night would be one they'd never forget. Still, for the happiness that they were experiencing in the moment, they also understood that challenges awaited. After all, no marriage is 100% easy. But, as long as they stayed together, it was not only possible. It was meant to be this way – two hearts becoming one.

A/N: As usual, any and all reviews are welcome!