“Are you sure you have the right place?” She asked Yejun, poking her head out from the bedroom.
“Yeah,” He was loving seeing her excited exploration of the apartment. “The company owns the whole building. This is one of the smaller apartments, since it only has one bedroom. When they don’t have a solo artist who needs a place, they go to producers and other people who come for a few weeks or months to work with the company. With you here, as well, you can work with us whenever and you can come with one of us to work in the morning if you need to.”
“That is a major upside,” She agreed. “It will be really nice to have that easy of a commute.”
“So,” He gave the back of his head a scratch before he asked. “This works for you? It’s okay?”
“Yeah,” She gave him a big grin. “This is good. It's really…too much.” She shook her head and gave him a playful elbow to his side. “I’ll do my best for all of you.”
“I always thought you would,” Yejun smiled back.
***
“Okay,” Claire said as she led Cheol down the hallway. “First I want you to meet my new neighbors.”
“Neighbors?” He chuckled as he followed her to one of the two white doors near the end of the hallway. She knocked on the door and gave Cheol a cheshire cat grin as she waited for someone to answer the door. Taehyun’s cute, puppyish face popped out as he opened the door. Having learned his lesson when he ripped her stitches a few months ago, he managed to stop himself from throwing himself at Claire to greet her with an exuberant hug, at least until she opened her arms to welcome it.
“Are you showing your boyfriend your apartment?” Taehyun gave an amused chortle as he released her.
“Yeah, but I figured I should let him meet my neighbors first,” She grinned up at Cheol who was still wearing a surprised expression on his face.
“You live across the hall from their dorm?” Cheol snickered. “Why didn’t we think of that?”
“Well, since your dorm is an actual house,” She pointed out. “I think it would have been more difficult to have me across the hall.”
“It’s brilliant,” He muttered to himself. “Why couldn’t we have had it that easy?” Claire gave a wave to Taehyun before she went to her own door as Cheol continued to mutter to himself.
“Okay, close your eyes,” She reached up and coaxed his eyes closed. Turning on her heel, she put the code into the lock and opened the door. With her help, he slipped his shoes off and stepped out of the alcove and into the main room. “Alright, open.”
Cheol peeked through squinted lids, not really knowing what to expect. Seeing the contrast of the beautiful stark blacks and whites of the sleek and modern interior of the apartment, he let out an impressed wow under his breath as his eyes widened.
“This place is...great,” He couldn’t have sounded much more excited as his eyes wandered over every surface and plane to take the place in. “You have an actual bedroom?” He had taken note of the absence of a bed in the main room and started for the hall to see what was down that way. “This closet is the size of your bathroom at the apartment KXO gave you…”
“I know,” Claire laughed and shook her head. “It's really so much more than I need.”
“No, this is so great,” His excitement was infectious as he grinned down at her before leaning in to kiss her cheek.
“It’s too bad that it's a little far away from your dorm,” Her hand moved up to cup the side of his neck. “I don’t know how easy it will be for you to come by very often.”
“If you don’t mind it being a little late,” He murmured, pressing his lips against her temple. “I’ll be over here every chance I have. Would you mind if Jaejin or Changho came over with me once in a while if we have something to work on? Looks like you have the space for it now.”
“No, that would be fine,” Her breath was soft against his neck. “I can probably even invest in a few extra pillows and keep the roll-up futon we have been using in case someone needs a place to crash.”
“Ooo, guests and we still would have our own room,” He waggled his eyebrows at her.
“Pretty cool, huh?” She gave him an enthusiastic look. “Like, it’s almost like...a real adult life. Freaky, huh?”
“Adult life, huh?” He burst into laughter. “Sounds good to me.”
“Yeah?” Wrapping her arms around his waist. “You like the idea of having a place to come home to? At least for a little while?”
“A little while?” His brow furrowed as he pulled back to look at her, not sure what she meant by that.
“Well, I’ll only have this place as long as I’m working with ZG entertainment,” She shrugged. “My contract is for a year, but I’m not sure it will last beyond that. Unless they have another group they want me to work with.”
“Ah, right,” He let the tension out of his body. “Maybe they will, but there are also other companies out there that would probably want you, even if they don’t. Or maybe a real school? By then, maybe your Korean will be good enough for a regular teaching position.”
“Mmm, maybe,” She nodded as she leaned her head against his chest. “It would be nice to find something more permanent.”
“I mean,” Cheol cleared his throat nervously. “You know I want you to stay either way, right? Like I want you to stay no matter what…”
“I...well yes,” She ran her hands along his back soothingly as she looked for the words she needed. “I did what I could to stay even after everything that happened. Of course I’ll do what I can to stay here, but...I have to have a job to keep my visa here, you know.”
“What if we looked into fixing that?” He didn’t meet her eyes, just kept holding her as he tested the waters.
“Hmmm?” Claire tried to pull back but Cheol tightened his arms around her.
“Maybe not right away,” He hedged. “Maybe we should just think about it?”
“What do you mean?” She shifted in his arms to look up at his face.
“This is the worst way to ask,” He blushed as he sat down on the edge of the bed, pulling her into his lap. “I don’t have anything planned at all, but...Would you think about maybe,” He paused to swallow before continuing. “Getting married? I know that we just got everything settled and in a good place--”
“자기야[82] we aren’t in a rush,” She interrupted him with a hand on his cheek. “We don’t need to rush into something just because we don’t know what will happen in the future.”
“It isn’t just not knowing what might happen,” He leaned his face into her hand. “Maybe it’s silly, but I want...you.”
“You have me,” She gave his lips a quick peck. “You have all of me. From now until forever...or at least until you get tired of me.”
“Tired of you?” He sounded incredulous. “Wha...wh...just--” His sputtering was completely endearing. “Never. Besides, it’s way more likely that you are going to get tired of me and all the problems with my life. That’s my real secret plan.” He winked. “Trap you before you have the chance to think better of it.”
“Pfft,” Claire rolled her eyes and pushed his shoulders back into the bed. “I love you. I would think I’ve proven that by now, but if you want I could probably survive one more rabid fan taking a pen to my back.”
“No, no, really, once was enough of that,” His voice was pained. “Promise me you won’t scare me like that again.”
“I’ll do my best,” She nodded. “I only ever wanted to protect you, you know.”
“I know,” He shifted her body so she was laying on top of him, straddling his waist. “You did what you thought was best. Maybe, if it happens again, you can fight that hard to stay with me, rather than to stay away from me?”
“I want to say yes,” She grumbled. “I really do, but how can I do that if I think it is going to ruin your life and hurt everyone else on top of it… Let’s just say that we will both do everything we can to avoid having to make that choice.” Cheol nodded and mumbled affirmatively into
her neck. “I love you. Never doubt that.”
***
“So you’ll help me?” Cheol addressed the room as a whole, his eyes moving over all the faces as he tried to read them.
“Of course,” Hyunwoo responded excitedly, leaning forward from his seat on the couch. The other members, seated around him as well as around the rest of the dorm living room nodded eagerly. “What are we supposed to do?”
“Come to Seoul Park on Friday morning with me,” Cheol could already feel his heart. “Between now and then, practice the song. Oh, and of course, don’t say anything to Claire.”
“You sure about the song?” Wonjung interjected, pondering the plan himself.
“No,” Cheol sighed and put his hands on his hips. “I’m open to suggestions.”
“Let me get my keyboard, I have an idea,” Wonjung hopped up and grabbed his keyboard from his room. Laying it on the coffee table, he took a seat on the floor. His fingers started playing the melody of a moody but uplifting sort. “This moment feels like I was born as a child who knew nothing. I closed my eyes again in case it would be a dream. You were standing in front of my desperate self and praying, just once, I want to walk side by side with you…” Cheol listened as Wonjung sang the song and decided it was the best choice he had heard yet, and, as a bonus, clearly Wonjung knew it well. Jaejin knew it well enough to lip sync the lyrics as it was played as did Kitae.
“No you’re right,” Cheol nodded as the last notes of the song rang out. “That is perfect.” He let out a nervous sigh, trying to calm the butterflies in his stomach. “Okay, so then I just need a ring and a Claire, then.”
***
The park was busy but not bustling as Claire followed dutifully behind the members of TEENz as they made their way into Seoul Forest. The fall weather was getting chilly and the leaves had begun to turn after the recent frosts. She followed behind the group of boys, well disguised in their facemasks, hats, and baggy clothes. They chatted and bounced around as they made their way into the grove of ginkgo trees, occasionally looking over their shoulder to make sure that Claire was still following along behind.
Her eyes were down on her phone as she followed them largely by sound and peripheral vision. She could hear them giggling ahead of her as they slowed down. Her eyes finally flicked up to see all of them looking back at her. Unable to think of why they would be looking back at her, she turned around to check if there was something behind her they were looking at instead.
“What?” She gave them wide eyes.
“Come here,” Yejun motioned her over. She took a few timid steps toward them as Taehyun came to meet her half way. He came around behind her and pushed her forward with his hands on her shoulders. As they passed through the group of the other members, she looked around at where they actually were. They were standing on a long straight path lined by tall trees that had turned golden with the cooling weather. Along the surface of the path were a smattering of fallen, fan-shaped leaves that had been trampled into the soft soil. A few meters ahead of them she saw the members of YTHTonic gathered in a group along one side of the path.
“Why--” She started to speak but stopped when Wonjung played the first notes of a song. A few passers-by paused at what appeared to be an interesting busking group. At least no one seemed to have recognised any of them yet.
“As if I was reborn as a child who doesn’t know anything. I thought it was a dream, so I closed my eyes and opened them again. I am standing in front of you as if I was praying I want to walk side by side with you at least once, just once.” Wonjun sang the first verse as Cheol took a tentative step out of the group. Behind her Yejun gave her a little push forward, further into the gap between the two groups.
“Taken by the soft wind to your world,” Seunghoon began, giving all of his heart into singing as he stood beside Wonjung and his keyboard. “I go right next to you and you ask where I came from. You asked so innocently so I answered that it is a secret because if we just walk together like this wherever we go, it’ll be heaven.”
Cheol took her hands and pulled her into a hug as Kitae began the next part. “You are more dazzling than Michael. Who can ever oppose you? I won’t forgive anyone who does. Just like the first person to step on Eden, every day, I will only go toward you and trust you with my heart.”
“Even if it’s a small thing, I want to protect you for always,” Cheol took the next verse for himself and took Claire’s hands in his own. “So you won’t ever have to suffer, I’m eternally love.” He slowly went down on one knee, making her heart stop in her chest. “As your guardian angel, I will block out that strong wind, even if everyone turns their back against you, on hard days, I will wipe away your tears. If only I can be that kind of person, wherever we go, it’ll be heaven.”
“I have come to love you now,” Hyunwoo took over the next verse as Cheol fished in his pocket for the ring. “There’s no place for me to go back, my wings have been taken away, oh no,” He pulled it out, managing to present it to Claire despite the roiling nerves churning in his stomach. “Even if I lost eternal life, the reason why I’m happy is because my forever is now you. Eternally love.”
“I ride the soft wind into your world,” Wonjung and Seunghoon combined their voices for the final portion of the song.
“Claire I know you thought I was asking for all the wrong reasons,” His mouth felt dry as he finally started to get the words out.
“I go right next to you and you ask where I came from, you asked so innocently so I answered that it is a secret.”
“I do want my forever to be with you,” He looked up at her face.
“Because if we just walk together like this wherever we go, it’ll be heaven.”
“Claire Faroe, will you make an honest man of me and marry me?” He would have sworn his heart was about to climb out of his mouth as he finally got the proposal out.
“Oh, Cheol,” Claire could feel her face on fire with the blush to end all blushes. “You really can be too much.”
“In a bad way?” He asked, giving her a hopeful grin.
“No, not in a bad way,” She laughed. “And yes, I will marry you.” She let him slide the ring on her finger and leaned down to give him a quick kiss. Cheol pulled himself up and took Claire in his arms and spun her around happily.
“Yeah?” He laughed happily and he hefted her up higher, gripping her around her thighs.
“Yeah,” She nodded and sniffled. The gathered members and the passers-by who had stopped to see whatever was happening, clapped happily to see the couple become engaged. A few people had pulled out their phones to record the event, including FX and Yejun, both of whom had figured the pair would want to remember this moment.
Cheol let her down and everyone moved in, wanting to give their best wishes to the couple. There was hug after hug from every member of both groups, all of whom could not have been happier to see their friends make things official. After a few minutes of giving them joyful congratulations, the crowd seemed to be growing and the likelihood of someone recognising everyone grew as well. Everyone now left as one large group, heading for the apartment building which Claire and TEENz now called home since the two places combined would provide more than enough space for everyone to celebrate.
Arriving back at the apartments, they ordered copious amounts of food and, with the doors open to both apartments, had a cross hall party. The groups mingled and got to know each other as they took a few hours of well deserved leisure. The members of YTHTonic got to see her apartment for the first time which dropped their jaws on the floor much as it had Claire and Cheol, when they first saw it. Hyunwoo asked if he could move onto the couch since his room felt lonely when Cheol stayed the night over at her place. Claire said that would be okay sometimes, before Cheol could jump in and say a solid no. FX and Changho made themselves at home on the couch with Junwoo, playing jenga on the coffee table. Wonjung and Jongsu entertained themselves singing ballads around the keyboard at the kitchen table in the dorm. Hy
unwoo and Minjun moved aside all the furniture in the dorm’s living room to dance covers of songs with Sanghoon and Taehyun, having fun teaching each other choreography and moves they loved. Yejun and Shiwoo took over Claire’s kitchen, making a dessert buffet filled with all sorts of sweets and goodies they had bought before the surprise, with a congratulations cake with candles and sparklers they presented to the couple when they could finally get everyone in the same room.
Sometime later in the evening, the party died down and the members of YTHTonic, minus Cheol, made their way back home and TEENz retired back to their own dorm. Claire and Cheol made their way to bed early after a shared shower, promising to finish the last of the clean up sometime the next day.
Cheol approached the company a couple of days later, confessing that he had asked her to marry him. Oddly, they seem to have been expecting this to happen sooner or later and requested that he wait until the end of the cycle of promotion was done to do anything. It was not much to ask and Cheol knew that there was too much on his plate to do much of anything.
After a few discussions, the couple decided that they wanted a small and intimate ceremony that combined traditional Korean wedding elements with more current trends. Their friends from both bands would, of course, be there, and Cheol wanted his family to come. Claire wanted her mother there, and planned to invite her father, even though she wasn’t sure he would come. She also invited all her friends from New York and asked Roz to be their officiant at the ceremony. They were sure there would be others who they would want to be there or who would expect to be invited, but they had to let the most important people in their lives know so they could actually get there.
Right after this promotion cycle there would be a lull in the commitments of the group and, not knowing when another good time would be, they set about getting everything ready to get married in three weeks. They contacted everyone and got all the international people flights to come in a few days before the ceremony. Even on short notice they were able to secure a location at a beautiful traditional venue that would allow them to have a blended ceremony and they would take care of most of the preparations. Claire and Cheol had to go by for a fitting and to make some final decisions on the menu, but other than that, practically everything about the day was planned and organized for them.
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