25... and Forever (Twenty Five Twenty One Fanfiction)

Chapter 12: Where We Started

Hee Do's POV

"Where are you going?" My mother asks me as I head out of the house.

"Yi jin asked me to meet him." I explain.

"You two lovebirds. I thought the honeymoon phase should have ended by now." She jokes. "Have fun. Don't come back too late." She nags.

As I walk towards our meeting point, I pass by the bookstore where Yi jin used to work. I smile at the memory of our first few encounters. The way I started bawling when I returned a damaged Full House volume. How I yelled at Yi jin for not reserving a Full House volume for me.

"Ah... Na Hee do, you were such a whiny brat last time." I laugh as the memories float in my mind.

"Oh? Why are the lights out?" I wonder as I look at the streetlights above. They don't shine their usual light. Everything is dim and dark.

Yi jin had asked me to meet him at the tunnel today. As I get closer, the night seems to grow darker.

"Ooh... This is scary..." I shiver as the level of visibility drops. I rely on my sense of familiarity with this neighborhood to know that I'm very near the tunnel.

Brilliant lights suddenly fill my vision. It takes my eyes a while to adjust to the sudden change in lighting. As the warm glow of lights start to paint my surroundings, I see Yi jin standing at the entrance of the tunnel. The soft lights highlight and magnify his beautiful features. The curl in his smile... The twinkle in his eyes... The strongness of his jaw...

"Did you do all this?" I ask in wonder as I look at the array of fairy lights and candles that line the tunnel. Yi jin nods gleefully.

"This is for you." Yi jin says as he hands me the bouquet of flowers in his hands.

"What's all this for?" I smile with pleasant surprise and gratitude. My heart leaps and twirls as I allow my senses to take in this beautiful sight.

"Happy 4th year anniversary." Yi jin says as he holds my hand in his.

I look at him and gaze upon his face. My senses are overwhelmed with love and affection.

"Hee do ya," Yi jin says. The way he calls my name... The sheer volume of affection in those words makes my heart flutter. "Do you remember? Many things have happened at this tunnel."

"Here, you told me that you'll share every happiness, sadness and burden with me. You comforted me at my lowest point. I thought I had ruined Yu rim's reputation but you still chose to love me nonetheless. You made me smile again." Yi jin says with a look of wonder in his eyes.

"And this was also the place where I realized I can never live without you." Yi jin says. "For those short moments when we had split up, when we were apart..." Yi jin breathes deeply. "I thought I was going to fall apart. I felt like I couldn't breathe anymore." A tear wells up in his eyes. My eyes get blurry with tears as well.

"And I thank my lucky stars everyday that we found our way back to each other. Our paths always bring us back to each other." Yi jin holds my face delicately in his hands as he speaks. Our bodies are like magnetic poles that draw us together. We can't help but lean towards each other, longing to be close to one another.

Yi jin's eyes shine when he looks at me. There was a point of time where Yi jin's eyes resembled the crashing waves of a storm but now, his eyes are the crystal clear waters of a gentle river.

"And I want to ask you, to continue to walk this path of life with me, Na Hee do." Yi jin says. He takes a deep breath.

My heart stops as he gets down on one knee.

"Na Hee do, will you marry me?" He asks with a voice overwhelmed by emotion. Yi jin's eyes sparkle with sincerity and love. The world around me goes quiet and all I can see is him. Him. Baek Yi jin. The love of my life. My first and only love.

It feels like I can't breathe as sheer happiness swells in my chest.

"Yes." I say but the word comes out of my throat as a squeak. Tears fly out my eyes and I start crying like a baby. Yi jin laughs affectionately at my reaction.

"Is that a yes?" He asks. "I can't get up until you say yes."

"YES! I WILL!" I exclaim and laugh as I wipe the tears away from my eyes. Yi jin's smile is brighter than all the lights which surround us. He gets up and takes my hand in his. The heavens open as he places the ring on my finger.

"I love you." He says.

"I love you too." I whisper back.

I feel on top of the world. I feel like I could do anything, I could overcome anything. With Baek Yi jin by my side, I'm not afraid of anything.

I wrap my arms around him. "I'm never letting you go." I whisper with my face buried in his shoulder.

"Good. Because I'm not intending to either." Yi jin says as he holds me tightly.

When he leans in to kiss me, it feels like my heart is bursting into a million sparkles. The touch of his lips against mine sends electricity coursing through my veins. 

I've never felt so alive.