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It KEY The 3rd Album 【HUNTER】 ➫ 2025.08.11 6PM (KST)

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KEY 키 HUNTER - The 3rd Album | Mood Film 1 : Trace

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MINHO | W Korea - August 2025

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hi can i please request 1253 with Seungmin? I love your works so much!❤️

Hello, thank you so much for submitting a request!

I know it took some time, but I hope you'll be happy with the little story I wrote based on this prompt. It's more of a drabble, really.

General Masterlist

Request me a story

---

Writing Prompt 1253 - “Of all the things my hands have held, you’re the best.” - Seungmin

Word count: ~800 words

Wattpad | AO3

~

Days spent with Seungmin have always been easy.

Ever since you two met, life settled into a peaceful rhythm, the chaos that surrounded your world disappearing into thin air, as if it was never there.

He grounds you, brings you stability, something you so dearly craved, yet never had before meeting him.

Always too anxious, too agitated, always thinking of the worst-case scenario, you never expected that your complete opposite would be the one person you’d fall in love with. And yet there he is - by all accounts, Seungmin is your complete opposite, and you are madly in love with him.

Whenever it rains, he is the one sun ray that makes you smile. Whenever you feel scared, he is there to provide comfort and fight off all your fears. Whenever you feel discouraged, he is there to cheer you up. And whenever you don’t believe in yourself, he is there to believe in you in your stead.

You always jokingly say that he is your sky, and whenever you do it, he calls you a star.

“You’re the only one who makes my sky worth watching. My star.”

He is poetic like that – the fact that he’s writing song lyrics for a living certainly shows – uttering comforting, loving words in the quiet late hours of the night, after long, tiring days spent away from home.

You are truly grateful for Seungmin, for how well he knows you, and for how he always knows just what to say to soothe your worries.

“I am a ship stuck in a storm, and I will sink and disappear and nothing I did would matter at all.” You told him once, and he shook his head and hugged you tightly, letting you vent your frustrations and cry your heart out until no more tears would come out, until everything melted away.

That same night, when he thought you were asleep, he hugged you again, and whispered gently:

“If anything, I am the ship, and you are the lighthouse, love. You’ve always been the light that leads me home, so how could you say that nothing you did would matter? You matter to me.”

Seungmin loves you, and you love him, and nothing would ever change that. The way he’s holding you in his arms right now, so tightly, yet so tenderly, shows this as well. His arm is draped over your waist, and you are able to caress his cheek easily since you are facing him.

“Aren’t you tired?” You ask with a small yawn, not bothering to look at the clock on the wall. You already know it’s late enough; after all, Seungmin came from the awards show about 30 minutes ago, and it lasted well into the night.

“Mhm, I am.” He replies, closing his eyes, his right hand playing with your hair gently. “How was your day, love?”

“Just like any other day.” You smile, starting to recount everything you did, from the meals you had, to the people you met. “Did you have fun today, Min?” You ask eventually, wanting to hear more about his own day.

They won an award tonight, and that was no small feat. You are so incredibly proud of Seungmin for what he was able to accomplish.

“Yeah. It was… exciting, I guess? I’m happy we won. I think I’ll never get used to this feeling.”

“Congratulations.” You smile sincerely. “I knew you would win. And yeah, I bet that feeling is incredible. I can’t even imagine how it feels to have that trophy and hold it in your hands after working for so long for it.”

“You know what? Of all the things my hands have held, you’re the best.” He says all of a sudden opening his eyes, his hand moving to the back of your head. By the way he is looking at you, it’s so obvious that he is in love. Your heart skips a beat.

“W-what?” You stutter, eyes going wide.

“All the trophies I got to hold, or awards, medals, money, jewellery, you name it… none of them could ever compare or give me the feeling I have when you’re in my arms.”

“Seungmin, that’s so…”

“Touching?” He smirks.

“No, it’s so cheesy.” You chuckle, and his grin immediately drops.

“You say that like you don’t love it when I’m cheesy.” He pouts, his eyebrows slightly scrunched in displeasure, and you immediately start laughing.

“I love you.” You say fondly, moving towards him and settling in his arms, your head in the crook of his neck.

You breathe in his familiar scent as he hugs you tighter, and peace once again settles deep in your chest.

“I love you too.” He replies, and you just know he’s smiling by the tone of his voice.

Home.

To you, Seungmin is home, and you don’t need anyone or anything else as long as you can be in his arms.

~The End~

~

Hope you enjoyed this short story!

If you want to request a Oneshot, send me a number between 1-2675 and who it should be about, and I'll do my best!

Love,

Storm

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Dear Diary, - Kim Seungmin Fanfic - Epilogue

General Masterlist

Story masterlist - please consult it for the summary of the story, trigger warnings etc.

Wattpad | AO3

Chapter 25 (Previous Chapter) | His Diary - Story from Seungmin's Perspective (coming soon)

Taglist: @nightmarenyxx

---

Epilogue

Chapter word count: ~1.8k words

---

“Can you pass me the cereal?”

“Of course, dear.” I smile, giving my daughter the box and grabbing the orange juice. “Minnie, would you like a glass?”

“No, thanks.” He yawns as he sits down at the table. “Can you make me a coffee though? Actually never mind, I’ll make one myself.”

“No, no. Sit. I’ll make you one.” I smile again and take a gulp of the orange juice, and I almost choke to death as I hear my daughter’s question:

“Mom, why didn’t you tell me that you used to date uncle Changbin?”

“What?!” My eyes widen. “Where did you get that from? Did you tell her?” I gasp and ask Seungmin accusatory, squinting my eyes, but he just raises his arms in fake defense in front of his chest and shakes his head.

“Dad didn’t tell me shit, I happened to-”

“Hey, language!” I immediately cut her off and raise a spoon in the air, making her grimace.

“Yeah, sorry. It slipped.”

“It better not slip again.”

“You used to curse more when you were her age.” Seungmin points out, our daughter grinning.

“Hey, whose side are you on?” I ask, then turn my attention back to our daughter. “Now spill it. Where the hell did you find out about Changbin?”

“I happened to find something in the attic…” She scratches her nape, grabbing her bag and pulling out a familiar, bright pink, fluffy diary. The fluff is no longer as vibrant, and it's dusty here and there, but nonetheless, I recognise it immediately.

“No way. Did I keep this thing?” I gasp again, grabbing the notebook. It feels weird to hold it after so many years. “I completely forgot about it.”

“I didn’t have it in me to throw it away when we moved.” Seungmin explains. “I gave her a diary the other day and I might’ve mentioned in passing that you used to have one.”

“I’m sorry I snooped.” Our daughter grins again.

“Woah, what can I say? Don’t you know it’s not right to read other people’s diaries?” I squint my eyes again, to which my daughter simply shrugs. “And you – I know for a fact you used to have a diary as well. You conveniently omitted that fact, didn’t you?” I look sharply at Seungmin.

“Oh, well.” Seungmin shrugs amused.

“You’re my mom, I deserve to know how you dealt with Uni, since I’m just starting now. By the way, I’m going to a party this Friday.”

“A party?” Seungmin gasps. “No way, it’s barely the first week!”

“You guys were always going to parties, shut up!” She retorts, but Seungmin can’t deny it. The evidence is right in my hands.

We both start laughing, realising there’s no way around it.

“As long as you drink responsibly, I don’t see why not.” I eventually agree, and Seungmin, despite clearly displeased, nods and lets her have her way.

“Thank you, mom!” She exclaims, standing up and kissing my cheek. “Anyway, I have to go. I promised my friends we’ll go check out the campus today.”

“Have fun baby.” I wave her goodbye and watch as she kisses Seungmin’s cheek as well, my heart blooming with happiness.

After making some coffee for Seungmin, I also sit down, looking at the fluffy item in my hands.

“I heard there was an issue in one of our locations.” He starts, making me take my eyes away.

“Yeah, the cleaning staff didn’t do their jobs properly, but I went over there myself and everything should be okay now.” I explain, touching my old diary and smiling absent-mindedly.

“Maybe reading about your youth will inspire our daughter. Who knows, maybe she’ll inherit her mother’s ambitions and open a business that will become a chain across the country.”

“Maybe she’ll meet someone as handsome as her father and will push him away when they finally kiss.” I chuckle, remembering the night Seungmin and I kissed for the first time.

“Yeah, maybe.” He laughs. “Thanks for the coffee, love, but I need to go to the office early. I have a meeting.”

“Aw, already?” I pout and also stand up. “Have a nice day, Minnie.”

“You too, Bee. Let’s have lunch together. I’ll call you later?”

“Sure.” I kiss him goodbye and sit back down at the table

I feel nostalgic as I look at the fluffy pink diary, and I decide to open the first page, and maybe busy my morning with reminiscing about the past. After all, a lot of things happened in the past twenty something years, and it wouldn’t hurt remembering who I used to be.

I flip the cover and begin reading the first page curiously. How much has changed?

---

13th of September Dear Diary, It’s 7 AM and today is finally the day I’ve been waiting for. You know which one! Come on, guess!!! Yes, you’re right. I’m finally moving out of my parents’ house! And it’s two weeks early!

---

I chuckle. So much excitement for the first time away from home? My daughter doesn’t seem as excited for the start of Uni.

I read about the dorms, about the shock I had that the bathrooms were mixed, about the cold water in the showers, about the first time I met Yuna, about the first party I've ever been to.

I read about falling in and out of love with Changbin, about our breakup, about how Seungmin and I got closer. I cry reading about my parents and how much they loved me. It feels good to remember how much care they had for me, especially my dad who is no longer around. My mom, bless her heart, is still very much active, catering to her little flower garden and waiting patiently for the next time her daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter will visit.

I read about Yuna's wedding, and I get upset for not keeping up with my habit of writing in my diary longer, for not writing about my own wedding, my pregnancy, my first business and other milestones I've had with Seungmin. They are thoroughly documented through pictures, and possibly through Seungmin’s own diary entries – I should maybe ask! – but it wouldn't have been a bad idea to document them in writing myself, as I've done with my years as a student. I make a mental note to remind my daughter to make a habit of documenting everything, even the little things.

I read about how hard dating Seungmin was in the beginning, and I remember how difficult it was to put up with his father's mistreatment that Seungmin never condoned. They had a bad falling out close to our wedding, but his father eventually apologised and welcomed me into the family, even writing me into his will, so all turned out to be well in the end.

I read about my first big move far away from home, and I find myself wishing I'd written about the other times we moved as well. Seungmin took control of the company, and they eventually opened two more branches, which meant moving around two more times, for a year each. When I got pregnant, I told him I'm done with moving. I wanted to start my own business as we've discussed many times in the past, and I wanted our daughter to have a stable life, a place to call home. He agreed, and then we settled down properly and bought a new house that we are still living in now.

I keep reading for what felt like hours, going through every single feeling my 20-year-old self felt, smiling, laughing and crying with her at the memories, and reaching the last lines, I let out a small sigh.

---

Dear future Phoebe, Are you living well? Are you happy? I hope you are, because I am currently more than happy. Every day feels like a blessing, and life somehow worked its little, weird ways to bring everything together. I hope it continued to be kind to you in the future as well. And if not, I hope you will look at these pages with a smile plastered across your face, and that these lines will make you remember how you once felt. I hope you’ll never lose hope. I hope that no matter what comes your way, you’ll find the strength to overcome it. You are strong, Phoebe. And you are incredible. Don’t you ever forget this. I’m running out of space, so I unfortunately have to stop writing soon. Although my present self won’t get to meet you, older (and hopefully wiser) Phoebe, you will get to meet me, your younger self, through this journal. I hope it helps you remember who you once were, and I hope it grounds you.

---

I smile once again, letting my fingers trace every single word on the paper. The ink smudged here and there, but that’s okay.

I grab a piece of paper and begin writing something – a message that younger Phoebe will never receive, but nonetheless, something she deserves.

---

Dear younger Phoebe, Thank you for your beautiful message. I am doing well. I am living well, I led a very full-filling life, and I am more than happy. I would love to tell you all about my life in the past 20 years, but you’ll get to live it yourself, so there’s no point in spoiling the surprise, is there? The only thing I can guarantee you is that you will be happy. No matter how difficult some days feel, you will overcome them. You will accomplish all your dreams, so don’t worry too much, and stay in the present. Enjoy spending time with your parents – they won’t always be there. Enjoy studying – you won’t always be a student. More than anything, enjoy the little things in life, you will learn to appreciate them a whole lot as you grow up. Thank you for being strong, young Phoebe. Thank you for not giving up on yourself, on your friends, and on Seungmin. Thank you for keeping your head high even when you felt like you wanted the ground to swallow you whole and make you disappear. Thanks to you, I got to become a successful business owner, I got to marry the man I love and build a little family with him. We have a beautiful daughter that is the perfect mix of him and I, and we adore her. Thank you, Phoebe, for having faith that the best is yet to come. Thank you for keeping this silly diary, for reminding myself of who I used to be. Keep holding on, Phoebe. You got this. You can do it. With love, Your future, wiser self.

---

I stick the piece of paper into the notebook and initially decide to lock it away somewhere safe, out of reach. However, after a bit more thinking, I head to my daughter’s room and place it in her nightstand.

It wouldn’t be a bad idea to show her that her parents haven’t always been their current selves; that we both grew up and fought for our dreams.

Hearing my phone ring, I pick it up and put it against my ear.

“Love, I’ll send a car for you in 30 minutes. Is that okay?” Seungmin speaks, making me smile against the phone.

“Alright, I’ll get ready. Where are we going?”

“I was thinking of some sushi, but if you want something else-”

“Sushi sounds good.”

“Great! I have to go, but I’ll see you in about an hour, yeah?”

“Mhm. Love you.”

“I love you too, Bee.”

We end the call, and I start smiling to myself.

Life really turned out well, hasn’t it?

~The End~

---

(A/N) We have finished another story, and if you can believe it, it has over 70k words! To be more precise, it's somewhere around 71k and 72k, which makes it my longest story to date.

Thank you for being part of this journey with me. It was honestly something I wanted to write for a long time.

The initial idea was to have Phoebe and  Seungmin become roommates. In fact, I created a folder called "roommates uni" in my computer on the 24th of April 2024, so that's when it first started brewing into my mind. That's when I also created the word document of "Dear Diary" and it has a total of 93.2 hours of editing, or 5594 minutes.

Absolutely insane!

Anyway, for whoever isn't ready to part with this universe yet, don't worry. I've decided to rewrite it completely from Seungmin's POV, aka his diary entries and of course everything else that happened, and I was thinking of his entries starting a bit before going to Uni, and going on for all those milestones Phoebe mentioned in this Epilogue.

As in, I am hoping His Diary will be a longer, more complete story, and I will try to keep the format similar to 'Dear Diary', each chapter corresponding to a diary entry.

Now, let me know what you think about this idea. Would you like to read his diary as well?

What title should it have?!

Thank you again for reading, voting and commenting, and for being excited about each chapter, for getting upset, sad, for laughing along, and simply for following the story.

I appreciate it a lot!!!

Love,

Storm

---

Chapter 25 (Previous Chapter) | His Diary - Story from Seungmin's Perspective (coming soon)

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Dear Diary, - Kim Seungmin Fanfic - Chapter 25 (Final Chapter)

General Masterlist

Story masterlist - please consult it for the summary of the story, trigger warnings etc.

Wattpad | AO3

Chapter 24 | Epilogue

Taglist: @nightmarenyxx

---

Chapter 25

Chapter word count: ~3.6k words

---

7th of March Dear Diary, It’s been more than half a year ever since I started living with Seungmin and I must say, life next to him is very pleasant, and surprisingly easy. Before moving in together, I had some reservations. What if we wouldn’t get along in the long run? What if we’d start fighting once we’d be in each other’s personal space all the time? These turned out to be pointless fears, and if I weren’t 100% sure that Seungmin and I are made for each other, it’s clear now. We get along extremely well, and we are very compatible, to the smallest detail. It’s honestly crazy. Now, let me tell you about my new university. This is the other part that used to give me anxiety and keep me awake at night before it actually started. This program I applied to fits me like a glove. I actually enjoy going to uni, the exams were not too difficult, and all my professors and colleagues are extremely nice. All in all, things turned out well. What’s shocking to me is that during these three years, I apparently managed to fill up this whole journal with entries. Currently on the last page, I feel like it’s been a pleasant journey to document everything. Sure, I haven’t exactly been consistent (see: the dates of the last entry and this entry), but in my inconsistency, I feel like this journal’s served its purpose. I’m ready to tuck it away somewhere and find it again in 30 years. So, I feel like it’s only appropriate to write a message to my future old self. Here goes nothing. Dear future Phoebe, Are you living well? Are you happy? I hope you are, because I am currently more than happy. Every day feels like a blessing, and life somehow worked its little, weird ways to bring everything together. I hope it continued to be kind to you in the future as well. And if not, I hope you will look at these pages with a smile plastered across your face, and that these lines will make you remember how you once felt. I hope you’ll never lose hope. I hope that no matter what comes your way, you’ll find the strength to overcome it. You are strong, Phoebe. And you are incredible. Don’t you ever forget this. I’m running out of space, so I unfortunately have to stop writing soon. Although my present self won’t get to meet you, older (and hopefully wiser) Phoebe, you will get to meet me, your younger self, through this journal. I hope it helps you remember who you once were, and I hope it grounds you. Love, Phoebe

Another day, another class. I yawn as I make my way towards the gate, but I stop dead in my tracks, as I see someone I recognise waiting – for me.

“Mr. Kim.” I bow politely and smile, and he smiles back, but it doesn’t seem to be reaching his eyes.

“Phoebe, dear, are you done with your classes?” Seungmin’s father asks.

“Yes… But I assume you already know that, since you’re here.” I reply, and he lets out a soft chuckle.

“You would be right about that.”

“When did you get here?”

“Our flight just landed a few hours ago. My wife wanted to see Seungmin, so here we are.” He explains with a short laugh.

“I see. And to what do I owe the pleasure?” I ask, and we start walking together through the campus.

“Let’s sit down first. Shall we, dear?” He replies, leading me to a bench and inviting me down next to him. “I wanted to talk to you about him. Or rather, about you and him.”

“Alright…”

“Why are you really here, Phoebe?”

“I’m not sure I understand what you mean, Mr. Kim.” I say, and he lets out a soft sigh. The sternness in his eyes is still visible, but I don’t ponder too much on it. I am reminded of the first time I met him, when he thought that I am simply using Seungmin, and I fight the urge to shudder.

“Dear, it’s not a problem to want to climb the social ladder. Everyone wants that. But does it have to be at Seungmin’s expense?”

“Excuse me?” I squint my eyes and frown. “That is not what I am trying to do.”

I can’t believe his opinion didn’t change. It’s been years since then.

“Isn’t it? Dear, it’s not a good look for you, don’t you think? He’s paying for your food, apartment, bills, even for your University. Don’t you think it’s too much?”

I stay silent for a second, but Seungmin’s dad keeps asking questions relentlessly.

“Wouldn’t it be better for Seungmin to find someone who could help him advance in his career instead?”

“Why?” I find myself asking back. “He’s more than capable of advancing on his own.”

“Because you’re only dragging him down. There’s nothing you could offer him that would help him, dear. It’s nothing against you personally. I know you are smart, beautiful and above all, capable. But Seungmin deserves…”

“More?” A chuckle gets stuck in my throat.

“Yes. Exactly. See? You and I are on the same page.”

“I don’t… we don’t see things that way, Mr. Kim. We just love each other, and there’s that.”

“Is love ever enough?” He laughs and looks away. “Phoebe, Seungmin is currently on an arranged date with the daughter of one of my friends. If everything goes well, she could help with our business. Why don’t you go see for yourself that she’s simply… better suited for him?” He insists, handing me a small note with an address written on it.

My breath hitches in my throat as I grab the piece of paper and stare at it without a word more. It’s not surprising that he thinks this, not at all. I was expecting it.

However, I foolishly thought that after Yuna’s wedding, things could be different, even though we are from separate worlds altogether. Seungmin’s parents and mine got along, they seemed to understand and even accept that we are together, and we are happy.

Apparently, it’s not enough.

“I’m sure you’ll take the right decision for the both of you.”

I continue looking at the address while Seungmin’s father stands up without me realising. When I notice, I stand up as well and bow politely. He deserves the respect, even though his words sting.

As I look at the piece of paper, my mind starts clouding with doubt. Is he really on a date? Why didn’t he tell me anything?

Should I really go and see for myself what his father meant?

But the more steps I take forward, the more I realise how pathetic I’m being.

This is not the type of thing I should obsess over on my own. This is the type of conversation I should be having with Seungmin. We are together, and we are a team.

Make the right decision for the both of us? It doesn’t make any sense for me to decide on my own something about our shared future.

So what if that woman is better than me? What if she comes from a better family, has money, or looks better? Does it even matter?

No. What matters is that I have to trust Seungmin, and I have to talk to him about it.

I decide to crumble the note and throw it in the nearest trash can, and I make my way home.

~

“Phoebe, it’s so nice to see you, darling.” Seungmin’s mother says as soon as she sees me approach the building.

“Hello.” I smile politely and let her hug me, however, I can’t help but raise an eyebrow. I was not expecting to meet her too, not so soon, anyway.

“Where have you been? I was waiting for you! Seungmin didn’t want to give me a key, that ungrateful son…” She mumbles under her breath.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were coming.”

“My husband said he’d message you to let you know to come here directly after classes.” She explains as I lead her towards the apartment, rummaging through my pockets for the keys.

“I’m sorry. There must’ve been a mix-up as I wasn’t informed about this. I would’ve hurried back had I known.” I smile apologetically, but she waves her hands in dismissal as she follows me inside.

“The apartment is so clean!” She exclaims as soon as she walks in. “Do you have staff?”

“No… Seungmin and I decided to just… do everything ourselves.” I tell her. I don’t explain it’s because I feel uncomfortable with “staff” cleaning around and cooking and doing everything for us.

Maybe we really are from different worlds. I fight the urge to frown.

“I see.” His mother nods. “And does Seungmin clean as well?”

“Sometimes. We take turns. If I cook, he does the dishes, and so on.”

“That’s sweet. And he’s happy to do this?”

“He never complained about it.” I chuckle. “In fact, he’s the one who suggested we do things this way. He even gets upset when I do his share of chores, but since I’m home a bit more, I sometimes feel the need to pick up the slack. That doesn’t stop him from getting mad at me though.”

“Sounds like my son. Stubborn.” She chuckles as well as we sit down at the kitchen table.

“Should I make you some coffee, or a tea?” I ask, and she nods.

“A coffee sounds good. I didn’t get much sleep on the plane.”

“It’ll be ready in just a moment.” I stand back up, going to the coffee machine and pressing on some buttons. I’m glad Seungmin insisted on getting one of these, and I’m glad I used to work in a coffee shop where I’ve learned how to use it.

“About Seungmin…” His mother starts, and I close my eyes and take a deep breath in. Whatever she wants to say, I don’t feel ready to hear it after the conversation with her husband.

“What about him?” I force a smile.

“Phoebe, what are your plans? You’re almost done with University, and he’ll soon be able to move back home… Are you thinking of getting married and starting a family soon?”

My eyes instantly widen.

“I’m not entirely sure. We haven’t spoken a lot about it… I mean, we talked about marriage at some point before we moved together, but ever since then, he’s been pouring a lot into the business, and I’ve been focusing on my studies.” I explain, and she nods along.

“I’d rather you got married sooner rather than later. Seungmin’s father is getting impatient and he’s getting stupid ideas, but I like you, Phoebe, You’re good for my son.” She says in a breath as I put down the coffee cup in front of her, and I almost spill it from shock.

It’s the complete opposite to what her husband told me not even an hour ago.

“Really?” I can’t help but ask. Does she mean it?

“Of course! You two seem very happy together. Ever since he’s met you, Seungmin’s been doing great. He’s very optimistic and excited about the future, he’s willing to take on new challenges, and he’s even more interested about the business. He wasn’t like this before, Phoebe. He used to do it all because his father told him to, but now, he actually has a drive to do it, and he even told me himself it’s because he needs to work hard for you two.” His mother smiles at me kindly, and hearing her words, I feel like tearing up.

“But what if his father wouldn’t… approve of me?” I ask with a frown.

“It’s not his marriage, dear.” She nods just as we hear the front door opening.

“Bee, are you home?” Seungmin’s voice interrupts our conversation.

“Yes, in the kitchen.” I say back, and moments later, he walks in, his expression slightly annoyed – I notice after I see the way his forehead and nose scrunches, as if he’s displeased.

“We need to talk- oh! I didn’t know you’d be here too. Hello, mom.” He smiles when his gaze lands on her and hugs her side before coming to me and pressing a chaste kiss against my lips.

“About what?” I start fidgeting with my hands, but it’s like he senses my anxiety, for he immediately places his hand on top of mine and stops me.

“I went on a date, apparently.” He says slowly, articulating every word and looking at his mother. “Did you know about it?”

“That damn old man.” She curses under her breath.

“I’m sorry, Phoebe, I-”

“It’s okay. I know already.”

“What?”

“Your father visited me after classes and told me.”

“And you didn’t say anything? You didn’t… call or text?” Seungmin frowns.

“No. I trust you, Minnie. I know you would never do anything to hurt me, no matter if you go on a date or whatever.”

“See, I would’ve never gone if I’d known. But I didn’t. He said it’s a business meeting. Thankfully, the woman he tried to set me up with was very understanding, and we ended up actually talking business after she realised that I’m not interested.” Seungmin explains, his grip on my hand tightening.

“I told him to stop interfering, but unless he sees you two getting married, he won’t stop it, I’m afraid.” His mother sips again on her coffee.

“Knowing him, maybe not even then.” Seungmin scoffs.

“Anyway, it was good seeing you, son. Let’s go out for dinner tomorrow. I feel very tired and would like to go back to my hotel for now.” His mother stands up and we follow her to the front door, both of us hugging her goodbye.

“Would you like me to call you a driver?” Seungmin asks, but she shakes her head and pats his shoulder.

“I’ll be alright. See you tomorrow. Phoebe, I hope you’ll make some time to come too.”

“Of course.” I nod, taken by surprise once again.

As soon as she leaves, Seungmin turns to me and grabs my hands, making me face him.

“I’m really sorry, love. I didn’t know…”

“Your father gave me the address of the restaurant. He said I should go see for myself how much better she’d be for you.” I chuckle bitterly at the memory.

“Bee, I hope you didn’t… you didn’t listen to him. I don’t care about anyone else, I-”

“Don’t be silly.” I chuckle. “I love you, and you love me, and we work well together. I don’t care about what your father says. I won’t lie and say it doesn’t hurt, but… at the end of the day, only you and I matter in this equation, right?”

“Right.” He smiles kindly. “I’m sorry he is being this way. He sees any type of relationship as a business transaction, and… I guess it simply doesn’t matter to him that I want you, and that I’m happy with you.”

“It matters to me.” I hug him tightly, before pulling back and kissing him. “Although it also made me wonder why you want me… I guess he made me realise I’m nothing special.”

“Who’s silly now?” He chuckles. “Of course you are special. You are special to me.”

“I hope he’ll come around, eventually.” I confess, hugging him again, even tighter.

“After we get married.” Seungmin chuckles.

“Mhm. Maybe.”

“Do you want us to, Bee? I mean, I want to marry you, but I’m not sure it’s the right time when we’re still over here…”

“Minnie, of course I want us to get married.” I chuckle. “I love you. You’re my everything. But we made some plans, haven’t we? Both of us have goals we want to accomplish before settling down, and that’s okay. We are still going to do it all together anyway, and we can get that piece of paper when we’re back home. There’s no need to rush.”

“Mhm. There’s no need to rush, considering you’ll never get rid of me.” Seungmin chuckles, pressing a kiss against my cheek.

“Luckily for you, I don’t want to get rid of you.” I laugh as I turn my head around and kiss him.

He deepens the kiss, his hands moving around my waist, to my back.

“You’re so touchy today.” I say, rolling my head back and letting him kiss my neck.

“I missed you, and I need to feel you.” He says, making my whole body tremble in anticipation. He takes me to the bedroom, guiding me to the bed.

As he climbs up on top of me, the weight of today’s events settles heavy in my chest, and I suddenly can’t think about his lips on my neck anymore.

“Seungmin…” I mumble, feeling my eyes tearing up. It’s as if he hears the urgency in my tone, for he immediately moves to face me.

“Yeah?”

“I’m worried.”

“About what?” He plops down next to me, his arm still around my waist. I turn on my side to look at him properly, and I try to smile, but it feels hard to.

“Are you sure… you want this?”

“This?” He raises his eyebrows in confusion.

“Us. Me.”

“Bee…” Seungmin frowns. “What kind of question is that?”

“It’s dumb, I know.” I close my eyes and breathe in, finding his hand on the mattress and squeezing it tight. “I think just need some reassurance. The chat with your father was… unpleasant.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I love you, Bee.”

“I love you too.”

“Of course I want this. You’re the most important person in the world for me.”

“But what if I never moved here, Minnie? Would we still be together?”

“That depends. Would you have broken up with me?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think so.”

“I wouldn’t have broken up with you.” He replies softly and I finally open my eyes, looking into his. “I would’ve done my best over here to return to you faster.”

“That’s sweet.” I smile, feeling the weight lift off my heart.

“I want you, and no one else, and I want us to spend our lives together.”

“I want that too.”

“If you need more reassurance, hell, I can even propose to you now, but it’s gonna have to be with some improvised ring since I didn’t buy one.”

“Silly.” I chuckle. “I don’t want you to propose to me now. I have goals of my own before that, you know?”

“Really?” He raises an eyebrow. “Anything you want to share?”

“Mhm. I was thinking of using this degree for something useful, maybe opening up a business. Why not a bakery since I already know how it works from my parents?”

“Would you like to do that?”

“Yeah, I think I would… I’d like to do something on my own… my own thing.”

“That sounds good. If you need an investor, I can-”

“No.” I cut him off with a chuckle. “I appreciate it, but I feel like it’s time I start using my savings for something, since you don’t let me pay for anything. Besides, we still have more than a year before we return home. Plenty of time to get a job and save up.”

“You know, Bee? I could really use an assistant. You know how I work, how I organise my documents, how I take notes… why don’t you come work with me again, just like in our second year? Since you want a job and all, I wouldn’t mind us working with each other again.”

“What would your father say?” I chuckle again. “He already thinks I just want to climb the social ladder.”

“Honestly, I really don’t care what my father thinks. I’ve done everything he asked, and even more. The business is already successful. If you wouldn’t have joined a master’s program, we could’ve gone home already. I did what he wanted, I’m ready to take on the main business, and if he won’t give it to me just because I want to marry you instead of whoever else he chooses, then so be it. I’ll just work at your bakery.”

“At my bakery?” I burst out laughing. “Doing what?”

“No clue. I’m sure you’ll find something for me. You could finally teach me how that coffee machine works.” He laughs as well.

“I would. Or you can… do the dishes or something.”

“Bee.”

“What? You like doing them anyway! You always scold me if I do them instead of you.”

“I actually hate doing the dishes.” He confesses with a soft chuckle playing on his lips.

“Why do you insist on doing them, then? I could-”

“Precisely because I hate it. I don’t want you to have to do it.”

“Minnie… You can be really sweet sometimes.”

“Just sometimes?” He raises a challenging eyebrow.

“Yeah. The other times…”

“The other times what?” He laughs, getting back above me and starting to kiss my neck again.

“Other times you’re like fire. You make my whole body burn up.”

“Like now?” He teases, moving his mouth lower on my collarbone, sucking spots and painting my skin with purple bruises.

“Mhm, just like now.”

“My body sure feels the heat, Bee.” He chuckles against my chest, his hands finding the hem of my shirt and raising it to expose my abdomen.

“Mhm, mine too… Touch me more.”

“Say less.”

His mouth moves lower and my head tilts back, as my back arches, his hands holding my waist steadily as he keeps sucking on spots.

“I love you.” I blurt out, and Seungmin stills on top of me for a few seconds, before humming against my stomach and removing my pants in one swift motion.

Being naked in front of him is something I’ve done a million times before, and his kisses are no longer foreign, yet they still give me butterflies. I still shiver when his mouth connects to my core, I still grip the sheets for support when he pushes himself into me, and I still feel my heart grow in my chest when we come together.

“I think I’ll never stop loving you, Minnie. It keeps… growing.” I say, lazily drawing circles on his chest with my fingers.

“I feel that way too.” He smiles and grabs my hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing it. “And I meant what I said earlier. I want this.”

“Forever?”

“Forever.”

The promise wraps around us like a warm blanket, and I feel comforted, safe, and happy as I close my eyes. My chest feels lighter, my breathing syncing with Seungmin's, and I know that no matter what, he will be here for me, and I will be here for him.

~

Chapter 24 | Epilogue