Before you get started, I have something to tell you guys first.
First, the final voting on the previous chapter was just a simple ruse of mine, for I had always intended for this book to have multiple endings since the very beginning. Even so, I sincerely apologize for keeping that a secret.
That said, you'll be able to read each ending depending on who you are rooting for, so that's good news for you all.
This chapter is for those who are rooting for Rei. Enjoy :)
Truly, this is a very difficult choice that you have to make.
In order for this game to be brought towards its conclusion, you have to decide on who has succeeded in winning your heart in the end.
Looking back at everything that had happened, you understood that each of them deserve to have this special moment with you, for they too, are waiting for your answer.
But through it all, there is one girl in particular who had done just that, and this was more than enough to convince you that she is indeed the one for you.
Wasting no time, you headed towards the place where you first met her, as you thanked yourself for not having forgotten where you first encountered her.
"Wait for me Rei, for today I will confess my feelings to you." You thought.
You then took a bus towards the part of the town where the ice cream shop is located. Along the way, you can't help but reminisce about all the good things that you and Rei had shared ever since you two became friends.
In your mind, that particular encounter was a very unexpected one, for which you thought that perhaps it was fate that led to that meeting.
You cannot forget those times when you saw her feeling lonely and unsure of whether she will have friends of her own, especially since she always found it difficult to adjust to a country that is now her second home.
It's perfectly understandable that such circumstances had occurred, yet Rei having to go through all of that on her own was more than enough to make you feel a great amount of sympathy for her.
From that point on, you resolved to help her get used to life in Korea in the best way possible.
Thanks to that act of selflessness, you were able to show her what it means to have someone to rely on, someone who will always be there to guide her when times get tough.
With that kind of resolve, guiding her towards the happiness she sought also brought you the same feeling, one that you had promised yourself never to let go of.
You believe that even today, she feels the same way towards you.
Today, you will be able to grant yourself the chance to take that next step to your relationship with her.
Upon arriving at the shop, you immediately saw her there sitting peacefully while having the same ice cream flavor that she ordered when you first met her.
Perhaps this was her own little way of showing you that she had never forgotten all that had happened during that day, for it is a very precious memory that she cherishes even now.
Slowly, you made your way towards the entrance, making sure that she won't be able to hear you approaching as part of your surprise.
Thankfully, the woman at the counter knows you, as she cheerfully played along with your little surprise.
You then gestured to her that you will be having your usual serving of rocky road flavored ice cream, with her quietly telling you that she will bring it to your table after you gave her your payment.
Now comes the fun part.
In the most discreet manner that you could, you made your way towards the table where Rei is waiting.
By the time you were near, you saw her fiddling with her phone while enjoying her dessert, with you feeling a little sorry that you are going to have to disturb her for a moment.
But this is what you had decided for your confession, and that there's no backing down from it now.
Carefully, you went to stand in front of her, and that was when her eyes widened the moment she saw you.
The look on her face says it all.
She had never thought that you were going to confess to her today, as she firmly believed that you would choose one of the other four girls instead.
However, her assumptions were proven wrong, but this instead made her cry out in tears of joy.
"Rei..."
You were unable to mutter a single word apart from her name, as you too got caught up with this unexpected swirl of emotions that enveloped the two of you together.
Instead, she quickly stood from her seat, then proceeded to give you the most heartfelt embrace that she could ever give to you.
In a way, that gesture was enough for you to know what she truly felt about you now that you are here before her.
You then quickly hugged her back, as you felt your own tears fall from your eyes now because of the blissful feeling that you now have after you had made your decision.
Eventually, the two of you let go of the embrace, as Rei wiped her tears before she did the same to you.
You gave her a moment to calm herself down, and that was when the woman delivered the ice cream you ordered to your table.
She saw how happy the two of you are, which made her say;
"Take care of her, young man. I wish you both the best."
"Thank you, ma'am." You politely replied, as she gave you two a smile before she left.
"Y/N....umm....I don't know what to say...."
"You don't have to say anything, Rei. I'm here now, and I want you to know that you are the one whom I have chosen. Ever since I met you, I vowed to myself that I will never forget all the times we shared together. Not only was I able to help make your life a lot better in the best way I could, you too had played a part in making me who I am today. You're not the only one who changed for the better. In your own way, you showed me that being strong and steadfast to face life's many challenges will always be a good thing, and I had learned a great deal from all the struggles that you went through just to try and make your life better in a different place. What I did was to help you reach that goal, and now I can say that we both did well enough to have succeeded in doing so. All of that will always be very important for me, and I hope that you feel the same. For that reason alone, I chose you."
You then kneel before her, right before you say the few sweet words that she longed to hear from you all this time.
"Today, I can finally say this to you. I love you, Naoi Rei, and I promise that from now on, I will always be with you."
"T-thank you, Y/N. You don't know how much I waited for this moment. Now that it's finally happened, I feel so happy. I always thought that I would never have this chance to be with you, since I know that the others also felt the same way. But here you are, and you confessed to me. I...I love you too. I hope that we will be happy together for a long time."
"That we will, Rei. I will do my best to make that possible."
"Oh...but....."
But despite your confession, Rei still felt a little uneasy, as you then remembered something important.
She then showed you both of her hands, but you didn't find the special ring that Yujin described to you.
As her face turns sad again, you went on to console her.
"Don't worry. After all, we all agreed that no matter whom I choose, everyone will accept it, right? Perhaps we were never meant to be together in the end. I just hope that she will be able to find her own happiness in the future."
"Thank you for saying that, Y/N. All of us had agreed that if you didn't manage to confess to her, then we promised to keep her identity a secret from you. We believe it's for the best."
"I have to agree. Now then, let's stay for a while longer, if that's okay."
"That's fine with me, Y/N."
As you two relished your intimate time as a couple, you and Rei can agree that the future is indeed looking bright for you both.
A few days after, the night of the prom had arrived.
This is indeed one of the happiest moments that has happened to you so far, more so since you now have someone special who shares the same feelings as you do.
Your sister volunteered to drive you both towards the campus, and you can tell just how happy she is seeing you and Rei as a couple.
"Okay, here we are. I have to say, you both look good together in those outfits!" She complimented, causing Rei to blush.
"Thank you, noona. Well then, we should get going. Wait here for a moment, Rei. I'll open the door for you." You said before exiting the vehicle to open the side door for your girlfriend.
"Wow. You're such a gentleman, my little dongsaeng. Good for you!" Miyeon teased you.
"Aish, of course I am! I promised myself that I'm going to act like one from now on." You replied, as you helped Rei get out of the car.
"Thank you for driving us, Miyeon-unnie. We'll see you later." Rei said before bowing at her.
"You two have a great time, all right? Take care of her, Y/N!"
"I will, noona. I'll see you later as well."
As Miyeon leaves, you then hold Rei's hand as the two of you enter the campus.
One look at her face and you can tell how happy she is, and that you feel the same.
Starting tonight, the bond between the two of you will grow strong, as you both look forward to what's in store for you in the future.
Nonetheless, neither of you are afraid of what's to come, for you now have each other to rely on.
At the end of it all, you learned a valuable lesson.
Helping one person might not seem like a great deal, yet that act of kindness will mean the world for them. The deeds you had shown towards Rei's sake was proof that this is true.
Because of that kindness, you were able to find something else that is more special, and there can be no greater reward than that.
"Thank you again Y/N, for everything. Know that I will always be here if you need me."
"Likewise, Rei. Just like before, I will always be the helping hand who will guide you towards the happiness that you deserve to have."
Four more endings left. The next one will be up tomorrow. Care to guess who's next?
Thank you for reading.