Start-Up

Bidding

"The top two contenders in the bidding for the self-driving car project are now at the starting line," the voice-over on the television said as Ji-pyeong watched the broadcast.

Without taking his eyes off the screen, he reached into his pocket to pull out his phone to answer it.

"Are you watching?" In-jae said on the other line, and he smiled as he saw her on screen, as the camera panned to the Cheong Myeong Company team.

"Yes, I'm watching along with everyone at Sandbox," he replied, surveying the room as they all gathered at the main lobby to watch the bidding.

"On the right side of your screen is the self-driving car by Morning AI, led by Mr. Won Doo-Jung, and on the left is the self-driving car of Cheong Myeong Company, under the leadership of Ms. Seo Dal-mi," the report continued, and Ji-pyeong bit his lip as he watched the two cars begin driving down the road.

Everyone watched in anticipation as the two cars maneuvered the road, and they breathed a collective sigh of relief as the cars stopped at every obstacle.

"This is amazing," he breathed into the phone, and he could see In-jae smile as she replied, "It is, isn't it?"

Suddenly, the Cheong Myeong car came to a gentle stop in the middle of the road. "What's happening?" he asked In-jae worriedly, and she said, "I don't know, we're not picking anything up here."

"It appears that Cheong Myeong's car has stopped because of a cat crossing the road," the reporter's voice came on, as their camera focused on a kitten in front of the car.

Everyone gasped as the kitten began to cross the road, and the Morning AI car suddenly lurched forward as Won Sang-su slammed on the brakes, allowing the kitten to cross safely. The entire audience could see how the passengers inside the car were all thrown by the impact of the sudden stop.

"Did you see that?!" Ji-pyeong exclaimed into the phone, sure that In-jae was smirking triumphantly now. "We've got this," she said confidently.

All too soon, the cars completed the course and returned to the starting point, and Ji-pyeong watched as Dal-mi and Do-san exited the car and jumped around with the rest of the team.

"Hey, don't hang up okay? Keep watching, I have a surprise for you," In-jae said into the phone, and Ji-pyeong watched as the camera caught her pocketing her cellphone right before gathering the team around for the announcement.

"Based on the results of this test, we have decided to award this project to Cheong Myeong Company!" The entire Sandbox erupted in cheers at the result, and Ji-pyeong watched as the team celebrated.

Won Dong-Jung was throwing a fit and was caught saying, "They got lucky because of that cat!"

The celebration died down as the lead inspector took the microphone and said, "The test results have shown that aside from responding to an external factor that was not part of the simulation, Cheong Myeong's self-driving car gave a smoother ride, the transition from start to stop was more seamless, and the voice activation of the vehicle's features was very accurate. Over-all, it is truly the more superior self-driving car compared to Morning AI. We hope this clarifies the results."

Ji-pyeong pumped his fist as he watched In-Jae and Dal-mi come on screen next as the reporter asked them about their plans. He smiled as he watched the sisters talk about the future of Cheong Myeong Company, then his eyes widened in surprise at what In-jae said next.

In-jae took the microphone and said, "I would like to take this opportunity to formally announce that I shall no longer be known as Won In-jae. While I thank Won Doo-Jung for everything that he has done for me, I believe that it is only right that Cheong Myeong Company, which is named after our father, will be run by his two daughters, Seo Dal-mi and Seo In-jae. Thank you."

Ji-pyeong covered his mouth with his hand as he stared incredulously at the screen, and he raised his phone to his ear as he heard In-jae's voice on the other line.

"Are you there?" she asked as he stood frozen in his spot.

"Meet me outside Sandbox when you get here," he managed to say before racing for the entrance. This was it, the moment he had been waiting for.

It felt like an eternity as Ji-pyeong hopped impatiently from one foot to another, until at last he spied In-jae coming out of the car with the rest of the team. "You guys go on," she said to everyone as Ji-pyeong approached her.

She yelped as he grabbed her by the wrist and began walking away from Sandbox. "Slow down," she laughed, slipping her hand into his and tugging him gently.

They had walked about a block from Sandbox when Ji-pyeong suddenly stopped in the middle of the sidewalk then faced her and took a deep breath to steady himself.

"Right here," he said, looking into her eyes, "Right here is where I first fell in love with you."

She smiled as she realized where they were standing, and Ji-pyeong continued, "I think I had loved you even years before, as we exchanged letters, because I always felt safe telling you my deepest fears. You had told me to write to you if I wanted someone to know the real me, and that's what I've done all these years. I've shown you the real me, and for some inexplicable reason, you love me for me."

She shook her head, "It's not inexplicable, you--"

Ji-pyeong put his hand on her cheek and laughed, "Are you really going to interrupt me while I'm proposing to you?!"

In-jae shut her mouth with a smile and her eyes shone with happy tears as she watched Ji-pyeong pull out a ring box from his coat. "In-jae, you've seen the real me, and I want you to know that all this time, I've seen the real you too. I see you. I see your strength, your intelligence, your independence. I see the way you care for me every day, I see how you show your love for me in the smallest ways. I see your fears, your vulnerability, your trust in me. I see it all, and I love it all."

She sniffled as he got down on one knee in front of her and opened the ring box, "I love you, Seo In-jae. I realized it that first time I pulled you into a hug right here, because I felt that I just wanted to have you in my arms forever. So will you let me spend forever with you?"

She nodded through her tears and exclaimed, "Yes! Of course, yes!"

Her hand shook as he slipped the ring on her finger, then he stood up and grabbed her in a tight hug. Ji-pyeong pulled away just enough to look down at her, then holding her face with both hands, he dipped his head down to kiss her. In-jae wrapped her arms around his neck and let him pull her close, as she kissed him with all the love she felt in her heart.

Finally, they pulled away and grinned at each other. "Now we're really engaged," Ji-pyeong said, his dimples deep as he beamed at her and In-jae nodded happily.

"But, now it's my turn to ask you to wait," he said, and In-jae raised an eyebrow at him. "Wait for what?"

He tucked her hair behind her ear and she caught the mischievous glint in his eye. "I want you to wait for Dal-mi to say she wants to scale up. I have a plan and it's so much better if I don't tell you what the plan is. Just trust me that you'll know what it is and you'll know how to go along with it, so just don't tell her anything yet."

She nodded, then put her hand out in front of her to admire her ring. "You got the one I wanted," she grinned, and he knocked his forehead gently on hers, "Of course I did, I saw how you smiled when you saw it. It's the one I liked best too."

They grinned at each other, then In-jae carefully slipped off the ring and put it back in its box. "No reason to flaunt it to everyone just yet," she winked at him. 

Then, hand in hand, Ji-pyeong and In-jae began walking back to Sandbox, their hearts bursting with joy now that they were another step closer to forever.