TRWBU Epilogue

PR by neji

HaYeon posed underneath the bright lights. It was a photoshoot for jeans in a magazine.

“Good! Good!”

The photographer’s excited voice urged her on. HaYeon’s poses changed with every shot.

“Good work, HaYeon-ssi! I think we can finish with what we’ve done today.”

When the photographer let her know that the photoshoot was over, HaYeon bowed.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

Every time she met one of the staff members’ eyes, HaYeon would bow in greeting. After she got changed, she approached the photographer. He showed her all the photos they’d taken that day. After picking out a few that he liked best, he told her he’d only have to make slight revisions before sending it out for publication.

“Okay, I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Work with me again next time, HaYeon-ssi.”

HaYeon responded with, ‘It would be my honor.’

Because of her mysterious aura and her subtle expressions, HaYeon was popular with photographers. And when it was discovered that she was Kang Taewan’s lover, interest in her grew even more.

Because she didn’t have any social media accounts, there were very few pictures of her available. Her pictorials went viral on the internet. Because of her mysterious aura and her dreamlike photos, she began to pique the public’s interest.

The first ones to react to her was the fashion industry. As if a dam had burst, people began to call in to request interviews and pictorials.

Various agencies tried to scout her, but HaYeon didn’t fall for their glittering offers. Instead, she only chose to do projects that were vital to her career.

“Thank you for checking. I’ll be taking my leave.”

After going over all her pictures, HaYeon bid farewell to the staff in the set one more time. A few of them asked to take a picture with her.

After taking some photos with them, HaYeon exited the studio. A warm breeze brushed against her. She stood still for a moment and breathed in the clean air.

The unique spring breeze filled her lungs.

Spring had truly arrived.

She slowly opened her eyes and looked up at the dark sky. They said that the cherry blossoms would be in bloom very soon. Apparently, some had already begun to bloom in the south. They said that the petals would fall whenever a breeze blew by.

HaYeon’s heart was already fluttering at the thought. Whenever she thought about cherry blossoms, a certain man always popped into her head.

I miss you, Kang Taewan.

With that thought, she turned her eyes to the front. Taewan was standing there like an illusion. He was wearing a coat, and when their eyes met, he smiled at her. His smile was as clear and light as the spring breeze.

HaYeon thought she was seeing things because she was tired. Taewan was at his final filming shoot, so he was very busy right now. Because he’d be working through the night, she’d only been able to see him through their video chats. Whenever he had time, he had to sleep in order to keep up with the exhausting work.

So there was no way he’d have found out about her photoshoot and come all the way here…

HaYeon was doubtful.

“Na HaYeon.”

He called out her name, letting her know that he wasn’t an illusion. That’s when HaYeon began to take a step forward. When she was standing right in front of him, she finally acknowledged that Taewan had come to see her.

“How did you get here?”

HaYeon looked surprised.

“I came here as soon as the last filming ended.”

“You’re all done?”

“Yeah.”

“Congratulations! What about the afterparty?”

“It was postponed.”

“How did you know I was here?”

When she last spoke to Taewan, she only told him that she’d be at a photoshoot. She never told him her exact location.

“I asked your manager. I and aIso let them go home for the day. I’m going to kidnap you. So can you give me your car keys?”

Taewan laughed as he held out his hand.

“You seem tired. Let me drive.”

HaYeon gazed at his gaunt face.

“I’ll do it. We need to go somewhere.”

“Where?”

“You’ll know when we get there.”

Unable to win against his stubbornness, HaYeon hesitated for a moment before placing her car keys in his hand.

* * *

After drowsing in the car for a while, HaYeon slowly opened her eyes. When she looked around, it was already dawn.

Last night, after eating a sufficient meal for dinner, Taewan began to drive them somewhere. When she asked him where they were going, he only responded with, ‘Take a nap.’

The car raced down the road. HaYeon did her best to stay awake. She deliberately began to ask Taewan a few questions here and there.

Taewan told her that they managed to finish the filming safely. After about two months of further editing, it was going to be broadcast. He must have been tired after his final shoot, but he never took his hands off the steering wheel.

HaYeon tried to fight it, too. However, as the night deepened, she couldn’t beat the exhaustion. She only planned on resting her eyes for a moment, but when she opened them, it was already daybreak.

“Taewan, how far did we go? Taewan?”

HaYeon turned her head to the driver’s seat. It was empty. She got out of the passenger’s seat and looked around.

The car was the only one parked in a secluded parking lot. HaYeon looked around nervously. When she looked further into the distance, the scenery took her breath away.

“Wow.”

With the sunrise as its backdrop, she saw a large group of cherry blossom trees.

They said that the cherry blossoms hadn’t bloomed yet…

As if bewitched, HaYeon began to walk towards the trees. As she moved uphill, she saw the long line of cherry blossom trees.

Taewan stood in the midst of the falling blossoms. His two hands were stretched out as he caught the petals.

Just like that day in their second year of high school. His whole body was covered in cherry blossoms.

“You’re already awake.”

Taewan gave her a bashful smile.

What are you doing?

The words would not leave her lips, so she blankly stared as he walked towards her.

Am I dreaming? Cherry blossoms and Kang Taewan…

She had heard that the cherry blossom petals had been falling in the south. However, where she lived, the branches were still not in bloom.

“Where are we?”

“The place where the cherry blossoms bloom first.”

“Why are we…?”

“I promised you last time. I told you I’d take you to the place where the cherry blossoms bloom first.”

“Ah…”

He had mentioned it in passing, but she had forgotten. HaYeon gave him a puzzled look as he stood in front of her.

“I wasn’t able to gather a lot, but here. Take it.”

Despite his words, his hands were filled with a large pile of cherry blossom petals. HaYeon stared at his hands before looking up at him. He held out both of his hands to her.

“Here, you like these.”

The face of Kang Taewan from their second year of high school overlapped with the face of the Kang Taewan who stood in front of her right now. HaYeon glanced up at him and bit her lip.

High schooler Na HaYeon didn’t know, but she knew now. She knew how long it took for him to gather this many cherry blossom petals. She knew it was a difficult task.

“Don’t lose any this time and take them all.”

At Taewan’s words, HaYeon held out both of her hands.

“I like you.”

The high schooler Kang Taewan had said these words to her back then. She expected him to say it now.

“Happy birthday.”

“……”

However, he said something different.

Tap.

She felt something heavy touch her palm. Between the pink petals, she saw a ring.

“And let’s get married.”

She never expected him to say this.

HaYeon raised her head and gazed at Taewan.

“Let’s get married, HaYeon. I can’t push it back any longer.”

Before he could finish his sentence, a gust of wind blew around them. The pile of petals in HaYeon’s hand flew out and began to dance around them. The cherry blossom petals settled over them.

The sunlight pierced through the branches of the cherry blossom trees.

Even though the world around them was so bright, Kang Taewan, who was wearing all black, was shining even brighter. When their eyes met, he smiled. The smile was warmer than the spring breeze.

HaYeon slowly nodded her head.

“…Okay.”

A smile as brilliant as a cherry blossom bloomed on her face.

As always, she couldn’t refuse.

Kang Taewan, the man who had come here for her. Kang Taewan, who confessed to her just as he had in their second year of high school. Kang Taewan, the man whose smile was more brilliant than the clear sky. The man who was even more lovable than cherry blossoms…

I may have never known how to deny you in the first place.

HaYeon’s eyes crinkled into a smile as she gazed at Taewan. Taewan lowered his head.

His lips touched hers as gently as a cherry blossom.