Seven years later
"Yijeong, hurry up! We still have to pick up the cake!"
"Okay, okay. Relax, Jieun. There's still plenty of time left."
"Just hurry up. I don't want to be late. You know she'll get upset waiting for so long."
Yijeong and Jieun rushed their way out of the building, straight to the car parked by the entrance where Yoongi was waiting for them.
"Let's go. We can't be late! Yoonah is waiting for us." Jieun reminded them again.
Yoongi drove immediately and headed to the bakeshop where Jieun picked up a pretty purple cake. They then drove straight to Yoongi and Jieun's home.
—
After three years of being together, Jieun and Yoongi decided to get married. It was just a sudden plan, something that they would obviously do in an instant, considering how spontaneous their minds are.
They preferred the ceremony to be a simple and solemn one. Inviting only their families, closest friends and the Genius Lab team, their wedding was as intimate as how they wished it would be.
They bought their own house somewhere quite distant from the busy streets. They wanted to build their family in a quiet and peaceful environment and fill their home with nothing but love and music.
They were making everything happen little by little. A year after they got married, they had their first baby, Yoonah. She was as pretty as Jieun and as smart as Yoongi, almost a perfect combination of her parents. She was their greatest treasure.
—
Today was Yoonah's third birthday. Jieun, Yoongi and Yijeong arrived just in time for the preparation of their simple celebration.
Upon noticing the car parked outside their home, Yoonah ran outside the door and into the wide garden where the pretty daisies bloom. Beomgyu followed, running faster to catch up with the girl.
"Gotcha!" Beomgyu carried Yoonah in his arms.
The little girl was chuckling loudly while pulling her poor uncle's hair in different directions. She only stopped when she heard Jieun's voice.
"Eomma! Eomma!" She was now pulling the collar of Beomgyu's shirt and was pointing to the direction of her mother's voice. Beomgyu walked his way to the gate and approached the three who just got in.
"Weejeong!" Yoonah struggled her way out of Beomgyu and reached out her arms to Yijeong. The latter took her and carried her.
"Happy birthday, my princess! Uncle Yijeong's got a gift for you."
"Gift?" She repeated the man's word.
"Yes. Here!" He took out the paper bag he's been hiding and gave it to the girl.
"Yoonah, what will you say to uncle Yijeong?" Jieun held her daughter's hand.
"Weejeong, more gift!"
They all laughed at the girl's silly request. Yoonah looked at everyone with wondering eyes but later on joined the laughter.
"Alright, let's go inside and prepare the food." Yoongi suggested.
They had a very simple celebration for Yoonah's birthday. Yoongi and Jieun helped each other in cooking the dinner while Yijeong was busy decorating the dining room. Yoonah was left with Beomgyu who was again suffering, getting beaten every now and then by his niece. She sure loves her uncle a normal amount.
Yoongi called Jieun's attention who was very serious with cooking her daughter's favorite spaghetti. "Geumjae hyung called. He said he'll just mail their gifts for Yoonah. They couldn't come because they're busy with the new cafe."
"Oh, that's sad. Eomma couldn't come either." Jieun checked her watch. "But I invited a special guest and she'll be here soon. I'm sure Yijeong would be happy."
"Did I just hear my name?" Yijeong approached the couple who were almost done with cooking. They just gave him a weird smile.
"Aish. What is it now? Are you plotting something crazy again? Don't tell me you're setting me up for another blind date. It's Yoonah's birthday. Give me a break."
"Calm down, bro. Don't worry. We're not gonna do that again." Yoongi started arranging the food on the table.
"Then what is it?"
"It's a surprise. You'll see."
Yijeong was still forming questions on his mind when suddenly, the doorbell rang. Jieun hurriedly went to the door and opened it, revealing their surprise visitor.
"Sooyoung?" Yijeong's voice instantly caught Sooyoung's attention.
The lady was surprised as well. She was not ready to face her past again.
"Unnie, what the hell? You said he's away." Sooyoung whipered to Jieun. The latter was trying not to show her emotions but was failing miserably. She couldn't help but smile at her friend's reaction.
"Yoongi, do you know anything about this?" Yijeong wanted to disappear. He was glaring at his two mischievous friends.
Yoongi just shrugged his shoulder. After noticing the awkward silence, he called everyone's attention. "Dinner's ready! Let's light Yoonah's birthday candles!"
Beomgyu carried Yoonah to the dining area while Jieun gently pulled Sooyoung's arm to follow her. Yijeong was already seated together with Yoongi. They all gathered around Yoonah who was excited to eat her cake.
After singing her a birthday song and blowing Yoonah's candle, they began eating their dinner. Jieun felt so happy seeing Sooyoung and Yijeong together with her again, and this time, she also have Yoongi, Beomgyu and her little girl with her. She felt so complete.
The tension between Yijeong and Sooyoung was slowly fading with the help of the couple. They also gave them time to talk while Yoongi and Jieun were busy helping Yoonah open her gifts. In the end, they both agreed on starting over as friends.
After all her gifts were opened, Yoonah ran towards the small shelf by the living room where she took out an old notebook.
"Appa! Yoonah gift!" She approached Yoongi and gave the notebook to him. She took a piece of paper from it and handed it to Jieun. "Eomma! Yoonah gift!"
Yoongi felt nostalgic after seeing the notebook given to him by his daughter. It was an old lyric pad where he used to write his songs when Genius Lab was still starting. He wondered how the notebook reached his new home though.
Jieun was surprised to see what was in that piece of paper given to her by Yoonah. There she found an old sketch of a boy sitting by the bus stop and a girl standing, offering him something—tangerines.
"What did you get?" Yoongi was curious with what Yoonah's 'gift' to her mother was.
Jieun held the paper close to Yoongi and showed the drawing. Yoongi was surprised with what he saw. He was reminded of that moment where he was first brought to Tablo's home. He stayed up all night thinking about the girl who saved him from his thoughts of giving up, which made him draw that piece of memory from his mind.
"Yoongi..." Jieun wanted to ask, but she was so much in disbelief. She could vividly remember a time in her life when she was exactly in the same situation as the girl from the sketch.
Yijeong and Sooyoung were also surprised with what they saw. They almost forgot how the story of the two exactly began. They both knew and Jieun was the only one left clueless.
"I saw that notebook from hyung's pile of old tapes and CDs. I kept it with the other papers but I don't know how Yoonah found them." Beomgyu explained after sensing the confusion from everyone.
"They're mine. The notebook's mine...and that drawing...that's also mine." Yoongi was still in a daze.
"Yoons, don't tell me Jieun doesn't know about—"
"About what?" Jieun cut off Yijeong's question. "Yoongi, by any chance, is this boy in the drawing..." She couldn't even finish her question.
Yoongi closed the notebook he was holding and began telling his story.
"Years ago, one winter evening, I was in a deep trouble. I had nowhere left to go. I was lost. I stayed by the bus stop and gave up eveything in life. I figured it would be better to die frozen than to go back home. That was when this curious girl appeared out of nowhere and asked me tons of questions. I was too annoyed that I drove her away. But she never felt bad about it. Instead, she gave me her food before leaving. She left those tangerines for me. And that was when I thought I found my angel."
"Yoongi...do you...after all these time, do you know..." She was stuttering that she couldn't even make up her sentences.
"Yes, Jieunie. That time at the studio when we argued for the first time, I already knew it was you."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I...I don't know. I was too young then. I was scared, maybe. But I tried. I wanted you to know before but it was not easy so I ended up keeping it all to myself."
"This is crazy."
"I know. And I'm sorry, Jieunie. I guess I was not completely honest. I should have told you before."
Jieun approached Yoongi who was starting to feel frustrated with himself.
"Don't be sorry, Yoongi. It's all part of the past now. And if that day was how fate wants to bring us together, then it's one of the things we should be thankful for."
Yoongi felt relieved. He has always been anxious that this moment would come, but now that Jieun already knew and that she didn't feel disappointed about it, he finally felt free.
"Jieun, thank you for saving me. Thank you for giving me light. You have always been my hero. You have no idea how much your presence meant to me that time."
Jieun chose not to answer anymore. Instead, she gave her husband a tight hug. Yoongi hugged her back. He felt so lucky to find his home.
"Yoonah wants hug too!" Yoonah ran and gave them her tiny hug—big enough for her parents to feel her love.
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This is it, the very last part of Winter Tangerines. Thank you so much for giving this story all the love and support. I could not ask fo more. See you again soon!💙💜❤