Jasmines In June

YES

Jun made it a point to stop by a jewelry store. He'd meant to do it long ago. Thought about doing it a long time ago. Fantasized about him and Jasmine walking to the store and letting her pick up an engagement ring. Anything you want baby. Any ring you want and it's yours.

He'd wind up going to the store all by himself. He wanted to surprise her today. Jasmine has been through a lot, he knew that. He wanted to protect her and this is the best way he knew how. He loves her, and he knew she felt the same. When most men runs away from commitment, Jun is running towards it.

Jun walked up to the counter and swallowed. The thought of choosing a ring made him nervous. The thought of asking Jasmine the ultimate question made him nervous.

"Can I help you sir?" The lady asked from the jewelry store. She had a glittered smile that matched her eyes.

"I need to pick a ring. A nice engagement ring."

The lady's expression lit up. "Congratulations, we have the perfect selection for you."

Jun nodded as she led him to the finest selection of engagement rings for him to choose from.

*****

Hoon sat on his living room alone. It had been quiet and lonely at home without Jasmine. He stared at the television watching a show, they used to watch together. It's not the same without her. He didn't find the humor funny or found the show entertaining. It had come to his realization that Jasmine made him laugh at things and paid attention to the world around him. She made him feel alive and want to live. She made him feel things that he no longer care to experience.

It had been hard to concentrate without her. She's all that occupied his mind. Hoon felt so empty without her.

He should call her. Beg her to come back one more time. Tell her how much he misses her. Hoon suddenly felt the urge to hold back. She'll probably ignore him again. Tell him to give up. That she's in love with someone else. Say all those things that will hurt.

So he debated with himself...

and debated...

until hours passed and he had not gathered the nerve to call her. Hoon soon fell asleep alone in the couch with Jasmine occupying his dream.

*****

Jasmine picked up her phone at the buzzing sound of notification. She checked the screen and saw a familiar number. She had not bothered to add Hoon in her contact. She didn't want to talk to him or hold on to the connection they have. Jasmine only wanted to move on from everything.

He'd sent her a short message.

I miss you, Jasmine.

Pain and guilt slashed through her sharp like a knife stabbing her in the heart. It hurts her to know Hoon is hurting.

She didn't mean to lead him on. He should have known better to fall for her. There was nothing she could offer him.

But still,

She read the message once again as though etching each word permanently in her memory. Finally, her fingers hovered over the phone, contemplating on a response....

I miss you too.....

Don't message me anymore....

Lose the number....

In the end, she decided on deleting his message instead and tucked away the thoughts of Hoon in the back of her mind where she would never reach it.

*****

Jasmine noticed the exhaustion on Jun's haggard face as soon as he came home. She walked into his arms and wrapped hers around him tightly. She knew it had been hard for him too and she's ready for everything to be back to normal. To have their lives back in order.

"What happened?" She asked, her voice laced with concern. She noticed his hand wrapped in a bloodied towel.

Jun lifted his hand barely glancing at it. The pain throbbed but he had gotten used to it. The skin from his knuckles stripped from his repeated punches.

"Let me take a look at it. " Said Jasmine.

Jun tucked his hand away into his shirt. He didn't want to explain what he did and why he did it. He didn't want her to get upset and tell him he messed up.

He did not mess things up and he didn't have to convince himself what he did is justified. Yuan deserved every blow he had given him. He knew Yuan would probably call the cops on him, he'd probably file a restriction, file paperwork to keep him away from the company. He knew the kind of evil Yuan can unleash given his outrage.

Jun has lawyers, powerful lawyers that could deal with Yuan. And he has Jasmine that could press charges against his oldest brother. Yuan should be scared because Jun is prepared to go against him. Bury him six feet under, blood relation or not. He would do anything to protect the woman he love.

"Jasmine." He said in a voice too quiet.

Jasmine lifted her eyes to him. Her voice equality silent. "What is it?"

"Before I left Taipe, I bought an apartment outside the city. It's much bigger than this." He scanned his apartment. It's big enough to house a family with children but the interior is too modern too celibate. Jun pictured a more cozy home that Jasmine would prefer. He'd seen her apartment when they first met and wanted something exactly where she could feel at home.

Her eyes widened. She doesn't know why he's telling her this. She'd been with him for a while now, and yet, still clueless of his net worth. How rich he actually is, and Jun never told her. He never talked much about his fortune actually. He simply lived his life like a regular person and she admired that about him.

She had simply assumed the new property is part of his real estate portfolio.

It wasn't. Jun bought the house because he'd been planning something. He wanted to settle down and start a life with her.

"I think, I found the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with." Jun confessed, his eyes bright with hope and love for her. He fished for the ring in his pocket and got down on one knee.

"Will you marry me, Jasmine?"

Jasmine clapped her hands to her mouth. She had not expected him to do this so sudden. She was not expecting this at all from him. The months of wishing and day dreaming that he would find her enough, and he would love her enough that he would want to start a family with her.

This is the happiest moment in her life. She'd marry him in a heartbeat. She would have married him the first time they met. The first night they slept together. There's only one response in her mind, and it's an absolute... totally...utter..."yes! Yes! Yes!"