Reply 1988

Reunion

"Okay, so we're clear," Deok Sun said as Jung Hwan parked the car outside of Dong Ryo's new restaurant.

Jung Hwan nodded as he killed the engine. "We act normal, but we don't announce anything. Tonight is Dong Ryo's night, so we should only say something if they notice anything."

Deok Sun nodded, then they both got out of the car and walked into the restaurant without holding hands like they usually did.

Sun Woo was already there, and Deok Sun was pleasantly surprised to see Bora with him. Deok Sun raised her eyebrow at her sister, who nodded at her happily. It was nice to know that they had gotten back together after working through their issues together. Bora gestured at Jung Hwan, and Deok Sun winked at her sister, who nodded her understanding.

"Hey, hey, what is this?!" Dong Ryo gestured at Bora and Sun Woo as Deok Sun and Jung Hwan sat across each other. "Sun Woo?? You and Bora??"

Bora narrowed her eyes at Dong Ryo, "Hey. Do you have a death wish? Why are you speaking so casually?"

Sun Woo wrapped an arm around Bora's shoulder, "Yeah Dong Ryo, why are you speaking so casually to my Bora?"

Dong Ryo sputtered, "Your Bora??" 

Bora replied, "Only this guy is allowed to drop the honorifics." And she leaned against Sun Woo's shoulder.

Jung Hwan and Deok Sun laughed as Dong Ryo looked at the two incredulously then shook his head as he walked away from their table mumbling, "Crazy bastard. I'm going to go serve my customers."

Taek arrived soon after and the rest of the night wore on as they swapped stories over good food and drinks. Jung Hwan and Deok Sun were putting food on each other's plates and stealing glances at each other, but it didn't seem like anyone noticed anything unusual between them.

Dong Ryo was finally able to join them at the table as Deok Sun regaled them all with stories about her training as a flight attendant.

"My gosh, all the horror stories you hear about sleazy pilots are true," she rolled her eyes. Jung Hwan knew about this because she told him everything and he hated it, but he knew that Deok Sun was more than capable of taking care of herself.

Deok Sun suddenly turned to her sister, "Hey Bora, I should probably copy you so I can keep them away!" She twisted her face to imitate her sister, "Hey. Do you have a death wish?" The entire table erupted in laughter.

"Or you could tell them you're engaged."

The laughter stopped abruptly as they all turned to Jung Hwan.

Deok Sun looked at him wide-eyed, and her jaw dropped as she watched Jung Hwan reach into his jacket pocket and pull out a box.

The boys erupted into audible gasps, but Deok Sun hardly heard them as she stared at Jung Hwan.

"I was supposed to wait until graduation to give this to you," Jung Hwan said as he opened the box and put it in front of her, revealing his commemorative ring from the Air Force. Then he gestured loosely at the table, "But now might be as good a time as any, in front of all of them."

Then he looked straight into Deok Sun's eyes. "Deok Sun. I love you."

Dong Ryo yelped, "Wha---" but Sun Woo quickly silenced him with a look.

Deok Sun smiled as Jung Hwan smiled back at her, "I've loved you for so long, but every time I see you, I still feel like that high school boy who first fell in love with you."

Jung Hwan smirked as he remembered those days, "I was always so worried about you, thinking if you'd fallen asleep again in the study room, whether or not you had gotten home yet, hoping you weren't caught in the rain. And I still worry about all the same things today whenever we're apart."

Deok Sun smiled as she remembered those days too, and Jung Hwan went on, "And you've always made me so happy. I love seeing you smile. I love hearing your laugh. I love when you look at me with those bright eyes of yours. I love finding ways to make you happy. You light up my life, Deok Sun, then and now."

She felt happy tears falling down her cheeks as Jung Hwan reached for her hand across the table. "Even if I know how strong and capable you are, I'll be worrying about you for the rest of my life. And I promised you that I would always keep you safe, right?" Deok Sun nodded through her tears.

"So will you let me worry about you, keep you safe, make you happy for the rest of our lives?"

But before Deok Sun could answer, Jung Hwan squeezed her hand, "I'm not saying let's get married tomorrow, okay? I know we still have a long way to go in making our dreams come true. So we'll do it when the time is right. But I want everyone to know that it's you, Deok Sun, it's only you for me, always and forever."

He took the ring out of the box then raised it to her eyes. "So tell them you're engaged?" She nodded happily, and the entire table whooped in approval as Jung Hwan slipped the ring on her finger before standing up to pull her into an embrace.

Deok Sun hugged him tight, then pulled away to slap his arm, "We said this was Dong Ryo's night!" He squeezed her to him as she sniffled and wiped at her tears.

Sun Woo suddenly turned to Bora, "Oh no, does this mean I need to get you a ring too?"

Everyone gaped at them, "Wait, what??"

Bora blushed and waved her hand towards Jung Hwan and Deok Sun, "Back to them, back to them!"

Dong Ryo groaned dramatically and buried his head in his hands. "I'm the last to know about everything!" he wailed, then turned to Taek and clutched his shirt. "Taek, marry me."

Taek shook his head at Dong Ryo and everyone laughed.

The easy banter resumed as Deok Sun and Jung Hwan sat back down, and she caught his eye. Her heart was filled with love when she saw how happy he looked. "I love you," she mouthed at him, and he smiled, "I love you too."

They may not be getting married tomorrow, but in her heart, Jung Hwan was the only one for her too. And now she could tell the entire world about it.