Epilogue

“Tae ah~,” Sooyeong moaned as the said boy jerked her body upwards to get a secure grip on her thighs, “I told you people are going to stare at us if you piggy back me in public like this. I can walk on my own just fine...” she looked over his shoulder with a pout seeing as a few bystanders stared at them.

“You really expect me to make you walk...” he started as he made his way toward Café Shooky. “After standing for what? Like the entire day.” She filled her cheeks with air as he explained.

Currently, she was in that embarrassing dilemma because as soon as they got off at the bus stop Taehyung literally swooped her up because according to him, her legs would be tired from standing for almost the entire day because of the concert they had attended.

A couple of months after her birthday, Jackson Wang announced tour dates for an upcoming tour but because she was so focused on her trial examinations, she stopped keeping updates of him because getting into university was important for her, however, that wasn’t the case for Taehyung.

On the night prior to their Biology examination, ticket sales were going to open and Taehyung, The Biology Wizard, decided to set his test as a second priority and gaining two barricade seats as his first.

Sooyeong literally lost it when he told her about the concert because she adored Jackson Wang but at the same time, she wanted to kick him in the butt because of his crazy antics of literally giving his test a backseat.

She understood that he saw an opportunity to show his love and appreciation by getting her tickets to her favourite celebrity’s concert, which must have cost a fortune, but he didn't need to prioritize it over his paper because his education was much more important than Jackson Wang or even getting a gift for her birthday.

He simply shrugged it off and told her not to worry but how couldn’t she? Because it was an examination after all. However, when they got their results back, he did a literal hair flick right in front of her face because he pulled a 95% out of the bag, just like that.

She blew hot air onto his neck and he flinched from the sudden contact. He turned his head and he noticed her puffed out cheeks, she froze.

“What are you trying to do?” he chuckled.

“Trying to make you uncomfortable so you could put me down already.” She shut her eyes and pushed her tongue out. “Because if I recall correctly, your pabo butt stood with me the entire day as well! And you fangirled way more than I did!”

“Aish, you’re such a handful and we're here anyway.” He sighed and made his way up to the Café. “Who knew that one day I’d wake up feeling more and that I’d make you mine.” he sang softly as the bells on the door served as his background music.

“Yah,” she pinched his soft cheeks. “I am your density— I mean… I am your destiny.” She stifled a laugh at the Back to the Future  reference which so happened to have also been said inside a café.

“Yah! What’s  going on with you two?” Yoongi suddenly piped and the two customers in line turned to look at them. “Did she get hurt at the concert?”

“Aish, no, she just didn’t want me to carry her but I did anyway.” Taehyung gently set her down and they moved toward Hoseok.

“Aigoo,”  Yoongi sighed as he put away some cash into the register. “You two are honestly something else.”

“My favourite duo!” Hoseok hollered. Apparently, on the first night of the Spring Festival Hoseok wrote down all off his ideas for the Webtoon and even began sketches so basically it was taking shape at a steadily pace. Everyone couldn’t wait for it. “I’m sure it’s just two hot chocolates?”

Taehyung nodded and leaned against the counter with Sooyeong beside him.

“How was the concert? Don’t tell me you almost left Tae for Jackson?” Yoongi snorted.

She beamed, “It was amazing! Han Seojun was one of the opening acts! And no… maybe... I don’t know… but there was a high probability…” she laughed nervously.

“Seriously, when?” Taehyung’s deep, confused voice hit her ear and Hoseok turned to look at her in shock— his nightmare of these two separating because of a third party felt as if it hung in the balance.

“When he showed his abs,” she dreamily fangirled with literal sparkles in her eyes but Yoongi was the complete opposite, blank.

“I didn’t pick you to be the ab type of girl Sooyeong..." Hoseok said as he handed Taehyung the hot chocolates.

“Yah! I’m just joking.” She chuckled as she paid for the drinks.

She promised Taehyung that she’d pay for everything today— from their snacks to lunch, to Jackson Wang merchandise to the bus rides and everything in-between because he spent a ton of money on those tickets.

“Taehyung has abs and even if he didn’t, it’d still be enough for me.” She poked his toned abdomen, playfully.

“You know he has abs?” Yoongi asked with a small smirk.

Sooyeong gasped, she knew exactly what he was thinking of but it wasn’t because of their intimate act on the school rooftop which Yoongi obviously didn’t know about. He probably was just teasing. Rather, she gave him a more reasonable answer.

“Remember when we went to the beach earlier this year and Taetae found some money in his swimming trunks?”

“Oh yeah,” He drawled.

During the Spring Festival holiday, Jimin did in fact acquire his driving license so to commemorate the occasion the tight four and Jungkook's buddies took a beach trip. There she got a full view of Taehyung's dreamy toned abdomen. He would make the perfect specimen when the time came for her to study the various human muscles.

However, another memory struck her from that day. It was when Jungkook teased Jimin about parking the car and that earned him an angry-mochi expression.

The exact words were: "Park Jimin! park the car already Jimin!"

Jungkook was a literal mental case and a certified crackhead but still, he was the catalyst who aided in changing her life all because he was a busybody with a curiosity level that was off the charts.

“So you checked me out?” Taehyung asked and she looked everywhere but at him.

“Well…” she drawled and Hoseok gave a toothy smile. “I guess so because there’s nothing wrong with looking at my boyfriend. I mean you look good so why not…”

Taehyung smirked at the compliment.

“Don’t act like you didn’t check her out either.” Yoongi deadpanned which caught Taehyung off-guard and he shyly rubbed his nape.

“Yah! Yoongi hyung. How can you say that so casually?” Hoseok pointed a finger and the said man shrugged. “You'll make Sooyeong feel embarrassed too."

“You people are so crazy...” she chuckled nervously, hoping to deter the topic because Hoseok was right. “And I think we should get going now because Seokjin Oppa’s alone at home. I don’t want him to cut his bangs by himself again.”

Seokjin still lived with her but he was no longer a hired chef rather he made the decision to become her court appointed guardian just until she reached legal age. He also managed to scoop up a better and higher paying job at a fancy restaurant just a couple of minutes away from home.

“See what you did hyung, you're chasing them away.” Hoseok scolded and Yoongi threw a sugar sachet at him.

"It’s not because of that hyung's, we also have school tomorrow." Taehyung added with a soft smile.

"Aish alright, just make sure you both get home safely." Hoseok stated and they gave a bow before they turned to leave.

As they exited the café to make their way into the warmth of the evening, the lovely couple came face to face with another couple and all four of them froze for a second.

It was the sinister couple who made their lives much harder than it should have been; Hyungsik Ahro and Lee Dansae.

*

Instead of the duo getting to go home, they instead had to sit face to face with the two people who had put them through so much agony. Ahro and Dansae had invited them to sit down because apparently, they had something important to tell them.

Ever since Ahro’s moved in with her relatives, Sooyeong had only seen her and Dansae at the court proceedings. Dansae had just up and transferred to another school about a month later after the whole incident. But when Suhjin's verdict was issued, Ahro completely broke down, because she was only going to see her mother from behind a glass partition for a very long time. 

“The both of us promised each other that if we ever saw you two again...” Ahro started, her voice was soft but Taehyung only stared at them with an annoyed expression. “We’d apologise for everything we've caused and put you through.”

Suddenly, the both of them got up which startled Taehyung and Sooyeong, and they bowed.

”You don't have to accept our forgiveness because it’ll be much too difficult for you and selfish of us but we don't want any more hatred between us...” Dansae confessed.

The two glanced at each other with uncertainty written over their faces. There was no way Sooyeong could ever forget what she and Nayeon had done to her.

“Take a seat,” Taehyung’s voice was stern and they hesitantly sat down. “Dansae, there’s no chance that I will ever forgive what your girlfriend and Nayeon did to Sooyeong. It disgusts me.  In my case I’ve moved on but if you want the grudge to fade even just a bit between us you both need to explain the reasons for your actions.”

There was a short silence after Taehyung spoke. The silence was thick and awkward but finally Ahro spoke up.

“I’m really sorry unnie,” the honorific was not taunting-like. “I did whatever I did because I was jealous of you because you had this perfect little life going on for you and it just annoyed me. You had a father who looked out for your genuine interests, good friends, the house helpers even liked you and your grades were outstanding. There are other things that I can’t pinpoint right now but I believed you was this fake person that put up a kind front just to get people to like you or feel sorry for you.”

Ahro stared at Sooyeong after she spoke.

“Nothing about my life was perfect Ahro, my dad was always supportive of me but at night I still found myself crying because I missed my mom. I just wanted to be strong for him so he could be strong for himself.” She felt Taehyung's hand snake into hers. “And I don’t have many friends because I've always felt like I would hurt people somehow because middle school does things to you but somehow in high school I managed to make a few good friends that I know will always be there for me. And as for studying, I sat down any minute I had free because I’m not a born prodigy, studying is a tiresome task for me but I push myself because I have dreams. Looking at other people’s lives and comparing it to your own especially when you don’t know their story is not going to help you in any way.”

“I finally understand, I really misjudged you,” she bowed in her seat. “You were already going through a lot and mother and I put you through worse. What Nayeon and I did to you is heinous because a girls hair means a lot to her. I only took advantage of Nayeon because she became really obsessive over Taehyung Oppa...” said admitted and Taehyung furrowed his brows in discontent. “and I really disliked you so I basically fuelled a fire I should have never started. All of those taunts at school and for whatever I did to you at home— you don’t need to forgive me— but I sincerely apologise for everything. Moreover, what’s happened to mother made me realise that I need to change.”

“Taehyung is right, I won’t be able to forgive you or Nayeon because I made really bad decisions after what happened in that restroom stall which I’m ashamed of.” She looked down and she felt Taehyung’s stares on her because he knew what she was talking about. “But as long as you’re learning to differentiate right from wrong and willing to do better then I’m happy.”

Ahro smiled, sincerely, “Thank you, unnie. And one more thing,”

Everyone paid attention.

“Mother was a coward,”
Sooyeong was surprised at what she just called her own mother.

“She gave you copious amounts of chores so you’d have less time to study. Then the bad grades would follow and you wouldn’t be able to get into university so she could have you move to Jeju and live with your relatives where you’d have to settle for a minimum paying job there. It was like two birds with one stone. She really didn’t want you in the middle of her fortune…”

Taehyung gasped, annoyed, “She really is Satan! How can you ruin another’s life like that when she did nothing wrong?”

Ahro nodded in agreement, “I didn’t know that my own mother planned all of that. I just thought she hated you just like I did, because you weren’t her blood child.”

Sooyeong furrowed her eyebrows, confused, “Then did you know about the Will?”

“No, I didn’t know there was an original Will. I always believed mother because she showed me the documents.”

“I see…” Sooyeong breathed and recalled all of the times Ahro fought with her when she mentioned that everything was hers. She probably acted that way because she honestly didn’t know.

“And I’m really sorry Oppa,” Ahro looked at Taehyung who gave an unwavered expression. “The day before the start of the Spring Festival, the two of us as well as Minho and Nayeon wanted to convince Sooyeong that you were just using her for pleasure and was wasn’t looking for anything more. I lied about not telling Nayeon.”

“You know I would never do something like that— to any girl for that matter.” Taehyung announced and looked at Dansae. “If I love someone, I love them with everything because that’s just the way I am.”

“And it really shows,” Dansae finally spoke up, his tone was not double edged. “That night I hacked your account because it was the easiest option but I’m sorry to the both of you for whatever conflict it caused. I’m just happy that you both worked out somehow.”

“Yeah, whatever.” Taehyung leaned back and sipped on his hot chocolate. “You both plus your two flunkies did a lot of shit throwing and this isn’t even the half of it.”

Dansae sighed, “Your anger is justified, Taehyung, but my actions towards you was simply jealousy just like Ahro. You got along with everyone you came into contact with. You even got chosen as class president yet you gave it up and I got it by default…”

“Really? That’s your reason?” Taehyung intercepted, disbelief hung on his features. “On your birthday, what joy did you expect to get out of that?”

“To make you feel inferior than me, make you lose face and a few friends but people still looked at you the same…”

“That’s because I treat people the way they treat me and through you I’ve realised who my real friends are. But that night Sooyeong also made me realise how important kindness and how you make people feel is. So, through all of those hardships and lies you just taught us valuable lessons.”

Sooyeong smiled a little. Even though it was tough at that time, with him she fought through everything and they learnt a lot about love, life and each other. It wasn’t something they would look back at and say they were glad that it happened because of the lessons learnt but rather it was something they’ve used to become better individuals.

“The attitude you both have; I really admire that.” Ahro spoke. “Because of you both I changed my perspective on things after I moved to a new school. At first, I was an outcast but I only realised that if I wanted good friends, I’d have to be good and kind just like you both. And when Dansae transferred things got a lot easier because he was the one I always shared everything with and I love him a lot.”

Sooyeong found herself smiling because Ahro was really morphing into a better person. “I really am happy for you Ahro. I hope things go well for you,”

“I really did mistake your kindness for weakness Sooyeong,” Dansae looked towards the said girl. “I said and did a lot of bad things to you which I really regret now, and that message on that sticky note, I was so dumb. You had just lost your father and I did something terrible like that. I wish every day now that I could take it back but I know I can’t. I’m just really sorry for everything I did.”

Taehyung leaned forward, “We may not be able to forgive you right now because we’re still healing but because of the remorse I can see in both your eyes, I am willing to put this passed us and not dwell on it, but if it’s okay with Sooyeong as well.”

Sooyeong looked at him, doe eyed, and he just gave her a subtle smile. Maybe he really didn’t want any bad blood or the past to hold them from making a future.

“I guess we can put it behind us because I don’t see or sense any enmity,” she gave a soft smile. “At least you’ve thought of making amends so that’s a start.”

Ahro and Dansae smiled then got up to bow, “Your kindness is beyond words, unnie and Oppa. We really appreciate it.”

“It’s fine,” Taehyung had a pleased look on his face, “Just take care of each other.”

“You both as well.”

*

“That was surprisingly surprising.” Taehyung breathed as they walked under the light of a thousand stars, making their way home.

“It definitely was,” Sooyeong snuggled into his side, filling him with her warmth. “I’m just glad she’s finding her way. I wonder if Nayeon would ever do that someday.”

“Minho seems to like her a lot so it’s possible, I guess.”

“You guess?” she was appalled. “Have a little faith in Minho, okay.”

“I’ve had faith in too many people, Soo.”

“That’s why lesser friends mean lesser pain and drama.”

“That reminds me…” he looked down at her. “What happened in middle school?”

She sighed, “I helped out a girl that was being bullied for her looks but it backfired on me. I lost my friends because they were too embarrassed and I lost my friendship with her as well because the bullies made her believe I pitied her which I didn’t. I just wanted to help out and thought she needed a friend.”

“I’m really sorry that happened.” Taehyung hugged her tighter, “And you really have that passion in you to help people, yah. I just know you’re going to be great at your job in the future.”

“Aish,” she blushed. “You’ll do great too.”

Taehyung smiled and looked ahead, suddenly getting lost in his thoughts.

“By the way,” his sudden and very deep voice caught her ears. “Our baby misses you…”

She took her deepest breath in after his words, “Kim Taehyung.”

“What? I'm serious. He does.”

“I told you this a thousand times already—”


“That Yeontan is our baby and I’m not going back on my ninja way.”

“Yah!”

Taehyung had finally convinced his wonderful grandfather to let him adopt Yeontan and since Sooyeong was his girlfriend now, he had taken that baby joke a little too seriously.

“Sometimes I just want to cancel you. That joke is months old.” She whined.

He only laughed.

“I'll stop by tomorrow, mmh?”

“Yeah, but don’t let him steal all of your attention though,”

“Someone sounds jealous.”

“No,”
“Yes,” she smiled up at him.

He sighed, “Why are you like this?”

She laughed and snaked her arms around his nape, “Because I’m your girlfriend and I’m madly in love with you,”

“Is that so,”

He smirked and leaned down to close the gap between their lips, taking her into a sweet kiss.

A U T H O R ' S N O T E

This book is finally completed! I hope you guys really enjoyed it! If you did, please let me know in the comments!

Also, there was supposed to be a bonus chapter after this for Soo's birthday but I'm not sure if I'll get around to doing it, we'll see.

With much love and appreciation, I thank you all for supporting me!

Stay safe, happy and healthy!

Author, Lu 💜