Yi Jung's POV
Yi Jung's patience was being tethered to shreds. He might've held on the past year with as much patience as he could, but now standing in the airport waiting for Ga Eul was ruining his nerves. It had been an hour now waiting for her arrival.
They had been talking to each other as much as they could. They never missed a chance to send an email with their updates, but it wasn't nearly enough. He had gotten used to seeing Ga Eul in the flesh. Living with her, and holding her whenever he liked. It had been a year, but still, it felt foreign that she wasn't around him. His penthouse felt far too big for his own company.
Yet, hope had been the reason behind his resilience the past year. The physical therapy had been doing him good. Of course, he was far from being completely healed, but everyone was hopeful that it was a matter of time before he had full control of his hand.
It was an eye-opening year. Tough, but called for. It seemed his love for pottery and Ga Eul had only deepened in that year.
It was no lie he started pottery because of his family, but now, in the solitude of his own company, he had all the time in the world to learn better beyond his own arrogance towards the profession. He had approached his love for pottery with the profoundness and ambition of a beginner, and to him, it was the most exhilarated he had felt towards anything. It was solely his to do as he pleased. He didn't have any expectations to meet anymore.
When he wasn't consumed with a new set of clay, his mind would wander to Ga Eul. He had memorized her emails by heart. Every word. Over and over again, hoping each time, he would find a new meaning behind her ordinary words. She also sent him photos. They were what grounded him to Earth, and made him feel closer to her whenever he felt the distance. Her presence, though not in the flesh, was what warmed his dull dreary days.
He wasn't particularly secretive about his disdain for Stockholm. It was a nice enough city, but he was thousands of miles away from his friends and Ga Eul. He was grateful for the solitude at times but it still felt that he had been sent to exile. Well, he still had three more years to go. He'd have graduated from university, hopefully, with a properly healed hand by the end of his sentence.
In her latest emails, Ga Eul told him about her adventures, and how much she missed him. It was last month that she had told him that she planned to visit him. Yi Jung had been relieved that she had been the one to take that step since he was on his wit's end, wanting to see her by any means necessary.
He had contemplated for months and months following her to wherever she was at the time. It had eaten him up at night sometimes, but he didn't dare to intrude on her journey neither could he tell her to drop everything and visit him. He hadn't finished his therapy and he couldn't have gone to spend a few weeks by her side before he had to leave again. That wouldn't be enough for him. If he left Sweden for her, he knew he wouldn't have the heart to go back again. It went against what they both had promised each other last year.
Now, he felt proud, having done good on his words. Having been there for her after he waited patiently. He knew her visit would be a mere month, but he would take what he could get. He wouldn't be able to let her go until she would be the one demanding it. Her coming to Sweden was the best scenario for both of them.
He stood tall amidst the crowd in the airport, waiting for a glance of his love. He exhaled impatiently, crossing his arms together. That was until he caught a glimpse of ivory black hair. Hair he had loved so much. Feeling his chest swell with emotions, his feet got ahead of him, looking for Ga Eul.
She was stranded in the chaos of people, looking around her. Her eyes made contact with him as he ran towards her, pulling her in a hug. She squeaked as he lifted her off the ground.
"Oh, God. Yi Jung!" She beamed as she crushed him in the hug.
"I missed you." He said, putting her down, and hiding his face in her neck.
"Me, too. You have no idea." She replied.
He pulled back, much to his chagrin. He took her suitcase and with the other hand, he guided her out of the crowd.
"I can't believe I'm with you." She said.
"Neither can I." He replied, looking back at her.
"It feels surreal. Maybe it's because I've just arrived. You have no idea how excited I am. I was on the edge of my seat the entire flight." Her words spilling out fast.
Yi Jung chuckled. He'd never seen Ga Eul this energetic.
"What?" She asked as he loaded her suitcase in his parked car and opened the door for her.
"Nothing." He shook his head, still laughing.
"What? Is there something on my face?"
"It's not that. It's only that you have changed a bit. You've gotten livelier." He replied as he put the key into the ignition.
"Livelier? I wouldn't have guessed someone would ever call me lively." She said.
"Miracles do happen." He smirked.
"You're a jerk." She hit his arm lightly.
He held her soft wet hair in his hands while she sat before him as he blow-dried it. She had gotten out of the shower, and he offered to help her. Of course, it was a favour to himself more than it was to her.
Ga Eul sighed in his hands as he untangled her hair. It had gotten longer.
"That feels nice." She laid further backwards into him.
"Really?"
"Yes, your hands are very gentle." She replied.
"It feels like we never were apart." He confessed as he felt how mundane the situation felt. Like he spent the last year with Ga Eul in his arms.
"With my hands entangled in your hair. With you beside me like this. It's like we never left Seoul."
"It's like we never left home." She said, turning her back to face him.
"Oh, how I missed this." She said, taking refuge in his arms. He set the blow dryer aside and held her.
He pushed them back so they were both lying on his bed, her head on his chest.
"I missed sleeping next to you." She yawned, making herself comfortable.
"I don't get nightmares when I'm sleeping next to you."
"You weren't sleeping well? You never said that in your emails." He asked concerned.
"I must've said something, but you don't remember."
"Impossible. I know everything you sent by heart."
"You memorised them?" She asked, befounded.
"It's the only way I had to communicate with you."
"You can't be serious. You're that in love with me, huh?" She teased, looking at him.
"Don't flatter yourself. Everything here is so dull. I'm bored out of my mind."
"Everything to you is dull. What's new?"
"Don't change the subject. You were having trouble sleeping and you didn't tell me."
"That's because it isn't a big deal. You worry too much so I left it out." She shrugged.
"But you promised to be honest with me."
"I am honest. I just kept a minor detail from you. I don't see the issue."
"The issue here is that you're travelling alone. Anything could happen to you and you need to be careful and on guard. You can't do that on little sleep."
"I am very much careful and aware of my surroundings. Don't ruin my mood. I'm too happy and comfortable right now." She said.
Yi Jung sighed. Maybe he overreacted a tad bit. It was still hard to forget the image of Ga Eul when that accident happened.
Instead, he focused on her curled-up figure covered in his clothes and her hair smelling like him. It didn't matter what happened in the past. Before him was the real Ga Eul. Alive, well and happy. For the first time in his life, Ga Eul looked carefree.
"Fine." He surrendered.
"Did you see the email that Woo Bin sent?" She asked.
"Yes."
"I never would've expected it to happen so early."
"I can't say I'm surprised. It was bound to happen, and Woo Bin never seemed to oppose it, so I guess his grandfather put everything into action quickly." He said.
"It was his grandfather that suggested this marriage?"
"Yes, that's why this marriage is going to happen so quickly. If it were his parents, it wouldn't have been so final."
"I hope she's a nice girl. He deserves a good person." Ga Eul said.
"Me too, but I'm not too optimistic. Most of these marriages are business deals. I don't think Woo Bin sounds optimistic as well."
"Yeah, I figured from his email." Ga Eul agreed.
"When will he meet her?" She asked.
"He still doesn't know anything, yet. Only that he's getting married."
"That sounds awful."
"Not if you've mentally prepared your whole life for it. It's not like he's going to stop having his bit of fun when he gets married, and neither would his future wife. I doubt either of them will."
"When you put it that way." She agreed.
"I still hope that that there was a better option for Woo Bin."
"Don't feel too bad for him. He doesn't mind the whole thing." He sighed.
"You're right. What do I know about the minds of the filthy rich?"
"I'm going to sleep now, so shut up." She said.
He chuckled and held her tighter.
"I missed your tea." She inhaled in the cup in her hands before taking a sip.
He had brewed them their favourite tea after breakfast.
"I haven't drunk tea in a while. It didn't feel right to have it without you." He said.
"It tastes just right." She said, smiling contently.
"You're smiling wider now. I have never seen you look so healthy. But looking at it, I can now see the darkness underneath your eyes. However, you still look exquisite." He observed.
Ga Eul blushed at his words like she always did.
"I feel so relieved that you're doing well, Ga Eul. I know you update me every so often, but I still worry."
"I know. If I'm being honest, I have thought about caving in and settling in with you for the past year now. Then, I stop myself at the last second because I don't want to inconvenience you or give up on what I worked for because I'm afraid. I worried about leaving you alone, and if your therapy sessions were going well. I wondered if you had been intentionally missing things out of your emails. And it's embarrassing to admit, but, I was curious if you had cute girls in your university." She laughed nervously. "It was one of the toughest years of my life, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I had let the most important person in my life go. I was stuck between wanting to move forward and experiencing life on my own and agonizing over the fact that the experiences I was having weren't shared with you."
"You felt that way?"
"Of course, you idiot." She said.
"I wanted to see you, too. So badly. I did buy a ticket to Amsterdam once. When you were there a few months ago. I was planning on surprising you, but I changed my mind last second. Turns out we weren't so truthful in our emails after all." He smiled.
"I never did buy a ticket, so technically you were more desperate than I was." She teased.
"It is true. Everyone knows you have the upper hand in this."
"Please, as if! You can't possibly think that's true." She scoffed.
Yi Jung rolled his eyes at her. Her every look and glance were what he lived by every day. Deciphering what they meant, if she was okay or not, intrigued, excited or hurt. He had spent the years by her side captivated by every subtle move, and she couldn't tell that she had him under her thumb.
For someone as observant and quick-witted as Ga Eul, she was surprisingly slow when it came to understanding the depths of people's love for her.
"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked, looking quite irritated.
"Nothing." He replied, knowing he was successful in getting a reaction out of her. As a constant study of Ga Eul, he was proud to be able to push her buttons. He was rather good at it if he had to say so himself.
"what are you trying to say?" She insisted.
"I never said anything." He said, putting the dishes in the sink, Ga Eul hot on his tail.
"You don't have to say something to actually say something, so spit it out."
"You don't enjoy being the one in the dark, do you? You could be quite slow sometimes."
"Is that why you're laughing with me?" She asked.
"Not with you. At you, love."
"That was rude. What's your deal?" She laughed.
"You could be a little blind when it comes to love that's all."
"I knew you had feelings for me before you did." She shot back.
That stung.
"Well, you got me there. But if we're being objective here, you tend to be a bit thick when someone shows you affection." He said, washing a tea cup.
"That's not true."
"Further proves my case. You're blind when it comes to receiving attention. Guys would flirt with you and you never batted an eyelash. I used to think you were used to it at first, but then I realized you never noticed." He clarified.
"That's complete bullshit. Guys only looked at me because I was by your side and they always wanted to rank whatever girl you were with at the time. And you tend to be a teensy bit jealous, so I can't take your word for it."
"And why would I get jealous, Ga Eul? It's because they're looking at you." He argued.
"You're only saying that because you have feelings for me. I'm not that much of a hotshot believe me."
"Proving my point again." He shook his head, smiling.
"Then why don't you hook me up with these hot guys lining up on my door?"
"Not funny." He shot her a look.
"Come on, you've got to admit it's a little bit funny."
"Not a chance."
"Don't worry, they've got killer competition, so they're bound to lose the chance to court me for my hand in marriage." She said.
"So cheeky."
"Hey, you started." She shrugged, leaving him to lie on the couch in the open living space.
"Tell me more about this competition you mentioned." He said, looking back at her, drying his hands off.
"He's nice. Nothing special, really. Just about the most handsome specimen you'll ever meet."
He stopped in his tracks.
"You think me that handsome?" He asked, feeling giddy. As if it was the first time he had ever heard it. In a way, it was.
"You act as if you don't know."
"I don't." He said.
"And I'm the one blind to love? Yi Jung, to this day, you remain to be the most beautiful person I have ever met. As If that should be a shock to you. You're very proud of your looks."
He took a seat beside her.
"You never cared about my looks before, and while I did like that at one point, it hurt my feelings to think you don't think of me as attractive."
Ga Eul shook with laughter.
"Me? Not attracted to you? Just one look at your face makes me feel like nothing else in the world matters let alone exists. When I look at you, I forget about everything else, and that's why your face is an obstacle to me. Do you know how hard it is to tell you no when you smile at me, or when you flash those dimples at me? Those stupid beautiful dimples. I hate how much I love them. So if anyone has the upper hand here, it's you."
Yi Jung couldn't find the appropriate words to respond. Nothing came up in his mind except one thing. The only plan he had in mind and wasn't willing to share with Ga Eul until he found the perfect time. Yet, he found himself spilling the words out as a fool.
"Marry me."
Ga Eul's eyes bulged out of their sockets.
"What? Yi Jung, what?"
"Marry me. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Like this. Exactly like this." He could feel his heartbeat in his ears and his hands shaking as he pulled her close to him.
"Are you playing with me?" She asked.
"No, I couldn't. Not now, of course. I know now's nowhere near the perfect time. But, I mean it. When everything is settled. There's nothing more I'd need out of this life than having stupid fights about who loves who more. Having tea together and existing in each other's presence. You're my comfort and peace. You're my love. It's you. It'll only ever be you. Say yes. Say you'll consider it at least. Say you need me and want me as much as I do because I cannot think of a life where you're not with me. It's not possible."
"Yi Jung, I—."
"Love, look at me. Do I give you any reason to doubt my sincerity? It's sudden, yes. But, it's true. As true as I could be. I'm laying my everything out for you to accept and do as you please." He smiled, his eyes damp.
Adrenaline rushed through his veins. He couldn't believe he had said those words. He had always known that he would marry Ga Eul. To him, it was inevitable. But he had managed to keep this conviction to himself so as not to overwhelm her.
He had a whole grand plan for when he would propose to her after his graduation. He had wanted it to be perfect. To convey his feelings in a way that would make Ga Eul sure of him. In a way, he was sure that after his graduation, Ga Eul would undoubtedly say yes. She would have seen how perfect they were together. He would have proven himself to be worthy of her till the day came.
Instead, Yi Jung hammered the words that came from his heart instead. Not to mention, early. Way too early than he had planned. Before he had the chance to solidify Ga Eul's trust in him. But in that moment, he felt like choking up if he couldn't tell her that he wanted her for life. He had always been honest with Ga Eul, and if he hadn't told her right away, that would be the biggest lie. How could he have held back as the love of his life told him how much she loved him? That she only saw him?
God, he felt like throwing up if she didn't reply in the next few minutes.
She was frozen. And he couldn't tell what she was thinking. He lacked the Ga Eul knowledge to predict what she would say to this. But he couldn't hold himself back.
"Yes." She replied.
"Yes as in yes?"
"Is there any other kind of yes?" She sobbed softly.
"Yes as in there could never be anyone other than you. As in it would be a privilege to spend the rest of my life with you. Just like this. I'm utterly yours to do as you please." She cried, her shoulders shaking.
His arms snaked around her ribs, almost crushing her.
"Yes?" He asked, resting his forehead against hers. Her eyes looked so clear. So full of love. Of certainty.
"Yes." She smiled.
She let out a gasp as he lifted her off the ground and spun her in a circle. She held onto his shoulders for dear life as she cackled.
He couldn't have guessed that she loved him as much as she did or that she would say yes to his sudden underprepared proposal, but now he had his entire lifetime to understand her better.