Love or Rainbows (Twenty-five Twenty-one Fanfic)

Soft Oranges and Deep Blues

Yijin shifted from foot to foot nervously as he waited for Heedo to answer the door. Sigh, he asked for the date yet he was more nervous that he did wrong than right. They had only met up yesterday, was it right to ask for a date so suddenly?

The door clicked and Yijin stepped back to allow the door only to meet the eyes of Heedo's mum. "S-Sunbae..." He said, more nervous now. She smiled and let him in. "I stopped being your Sunbae years ago. Just call me Aunty, you are Heedo's friend after all." She said and walked past him to the living room, Yijin trailed after her.

"Sit. How have you been?" Jae Kyung said, pouring him a cup of water and gesturing for him to take it. "I've been well, hope you have been as well, Sun... eh, Aunty." He answered. She chuckled lightly and retorted, "Just call me what you're comfortable with, ok? I see you are here for your date with Heedo. She's not back yet though, you should have called her."

"Oh. I don't have her number yet so..." He said, looking down at his hands and feeling ridiculous. "We only met up again yesterday after a long time. I didn't get a chance to ask for her number..." I feel like a teenager caught smoking, Yijin thought. Ground, now is a good time to open up and swallow me.

"Oh relax. I understand, okay?" She said, leaning forward to pat his shoulder. "But as her mum though, I have to ask. What are your plans? All those years ago, when we had a similar conversation right here, you said you were only friends. But you are past that age now and should have the right intentions. So what are your plans?"

Yijin expected this question so he knew what to say. Years ago, about three years into therapy,  Dr Jang had asked same. He still remembered that conversation with him. "If you were to get back with Na Heedo today, what are your plans?" He had asked.

At the time, Yijin was non-plussed. His only focus had been his regrets and what he had lost but he hadn't thought about what he could do to recover and after he recovered. "You haven't given it much thought, have you? You said the young lady was the type to focus on recovery and gain rather than regrets. If you are to be with this young lady eventually then you must have a plan."

Dr Jang had said so at the time and that had motivated Yijin. The following six years or so was filled with living intentionally and making plan after plan, investing and working hard to meet what he felt was a standard fit for Na Heedo. His family had noticed it and each got jobs as well to supplement their income, including Yihyun who was in college. Six years had prepared him for this moment, for this question.

"Well, Sunbae, I plan to marry Heedo in two years. I understand that she may need time to recover from her previous relationship and I am willing to wait even if she needs more time. I also plan to quit my job as anchor at the station when I'm forty. I plan to focus on meaningful documentaries and special interviews. I'm currently in school getting another degree in production and a minor in psychology. I also plan to be around if Heedo decides to have a child with me." Yijin said, looking into the former anchor's unshifting gaze, meaning every word.

Jae Kyung sighed, it's like I raised a son-in-law for myself, she thought. "I definitely didn't choose wrong back then. How about your family? A marriage, is after all, the love of the couple and the blessings of the two families." Yijin smiled slightly, taking a sip from the cup offered to him before responding. "Well, Yihyun, my little brother likes her, and my parents will be happy as long as I am."

Jae Kyung folded her arms, defensive and asked, "Do they know she's divorced? I hope it won't be an issue but not everyone is as open minded. This is 2011 after all. I don't want anyone hurting my daughter. At the time she married Jun Ho, I was not as close to her as I am now. She seemed happy so I agreed, I mean she's someone who needs a lot of love and acceptance. I can't make the same mistake as back then." She looked away, her jaw shaking from holding in her emotions.