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

Chapter 2: A Million Times

Hee Do's POV

The night is still and quiet as I continue to pen my thoughts down in my diary. The smile is etched across my face as I write down the beautiful moments between Yi jin and I. A supernatural peace rests on me. The very thought of him is comforting.

My phone rings and I immediately perk up. I dive onto my bed to get my ringing phone.

"Hello?" I answer the phone. My heart longs to hear his voice.

"Hee do ya." Yi jin's voice rings on the other end of the line and my heart swoons. I grin giddily.

"Baek Yi jin." I say his name. I could say his name a million times and never get tired of it. "How was your flight? Did you reach safely? Have you eaten?" I ask.

Yi jin laughs softly on the other line of the phone.

"I miss you." He says.

"I miss you too." I say.

"Hee do ya, I'll be in New York for a year." Yi jin says. I thought my heart would sink upon hearing that. But for some reason, there's a strength within me - a hope in me that is able to rise above it.

"A year?" I repeat.

"I'm sorry." Yi jin says.

"I told you already. You don't need to be sorry. You shouldn't be sorry for doing your job." I say. I can sense Yi jin smiling on the other end of the line. "You know, one year is only an instant compared to the rest of our lives that we will have together." I say confidently.

"Hee do ya, guess where I am now." Yi jin asks.

"Hm?" I ask. Almost as if it were planned, I immediately get an email notification from my computer.

'International Calling: Couple's Plan' I read the header of the email. Immediately, I break into a smile. "What is this?" I ask.

"Did you know the telephone plans here are cheaper, including the international ones." Yi jin says. "I'm at the telephone store now but I need your consent to buy the plan."

"What..." I laugh shyly.

"I mean... I'm going to need to hear your voice a lot." Yi Jin says. I grin eagerly as I scan through the sent document and sign it.

"Baek Yi jin, you better start drinking more coffee because I'm going to be calling you all night." I warn.

"Aigoo, knowing you, you'll end up sleeping like a log after training." Yi jin teases me.
"YA!" I exclaim. Yi jin laughs heartily. I haven't heard him laugh like that for a long time.

"It's good to hear you laugh again." I say sweetly.

"You never fail to make me laugh. You always put a smile on my face." Yi jin replies. There's the sound of the storekeeper asking him something.

"Let me ask her." I hear Yi jin tell the storekeeper. "Hee do ya, there's an option for additional warranty for the phone plan. If it ends before the stated date, there'll be a small refund. The shop wants to know if you want to opt for that." Yi jin asks.

"There's no need for that. I'm going to need this phone plan until I turn old and gray." I say.

"Until I'm old, gray and wrinkly and even more after that." Yi jin agrees.

~

Hee Do's POV

"I miss him... I miss him so much..." I sigh as I stare out of the window. It's been two months since Yi jin went to New York. I always knew it wouldn't be easy... but now it really feels like I'm losing my mind. All I can think about is Yi jin. Yi jin. Yi jin. BAEK. YI. JIN.

I miss you so much...

The only thing that distracts me from how much I miss him is fencing. But the moment training ends, I find my thoughts wandering towards him. Everything reminds me of him. When I see newspapers, I think of him. When it rains, I think about the way he held me closely as we walked through the drizzling rain. When the wind blows through my hair, I think of the way he looked at me when we sat on the beach.

"I miss him... AHHH I MISS HIM SO MUCH!" I exclaim.

"My goodness, you scared me!" My mother's voice suddenly comes from the door.

"Oh! Umma! I didn't see you there. Did you just get back? How long have you been standing there?" I ask with a tinge of embarrassment.

"Long enough to hear you scream about how much you miss Baek Yi jin." My mother says with an amused smile.

"Ah... oh that..." I rub the back of my neck shyly.

"I thought you two broke up." My mother asks as she takes a seat next to me.

"We got back together." I say.

"Ah..." My mother says thoughtfully. "Overseas correspondents usually take a year." She adds.

"I know." I say. Without meaning to, a small tear rolls down my cheek.

"Hee do..." My mother says with shock when she sees the tear. "Are you okay?" She asks as she places an arm around me.

"I'm okay." I say with a smile on my face despite the falling tears. "I just... I just... I just miss him so much." I whine.

"I told you before. You know what a life is like to be a reporter. You also know what it's like to be dating a reporter. Are you sure you're okay with this?" My mother asks me.

"Umma, when I was younger, I used to hate watching you on the news. Because everytime you were there, it meant that you weren't here. You weren't here with me." I say.

"Hee do." My mother says apologetically.

"But Umma, you know... I understand why you had to do all that. You were doing your job." I look up at her and smile. My mother pauses for a moment before speaking. She takes a deep breath.

"There are many days when I wish there was a do-over button. I wish there was a button I could press to turn back time. I'd go back in time and choose your father over every single news flash." My mother says longingly. "I was a fool to think that sacrificing time with him wouldn't cost me anything."

"Umma..." I say as I witness the vulnerable side of my mother longing for the love of her life.

"All this waiting and then giving in and eventually giving up... Are you sure you're okay with this?" My mother asks me with a worried expression.

"Umma, I can't live without Baek Yi jin." I say. "Even though we're miles away, I still have the luxury of being able to call him, to... to love him."

"And Umma," I start. "I'm sure Appa felt the same way about you." I smile.