30 minutes and 30 years

2021

"And then, they lived happily ever after."

Sana looked at her children whose eyes were fixated at the illustrated pictures of the book with amusement.

"What happened to the prince and princess after they got together, dad?", her daughter looked at her dad with her doe, round eyes she got from her mom.

Yuta thought of an answer, "Hmmm, let's see... I think they got married and had twins."

"Twins? Just like us?" She looked at her twin brother with her pouty lips in surprise, believing the made up story her dad told her.

Her twin brother's almond eyes widened in surprise as a response to his twin sister's reaction.

Yuta and Sana laughed at their children's innocence, reminding them of themselves back in the days.

"That's enough for tonight." Sana tucked their children to sleep. "You have to sleep early so that your immune system will strengthen, especially that CoVid-19 is still around, we have to stay healthy so that we will not get infected and we will not infect others, okay?"

Yuta smiled at the sight of his wife and children. They gave their children goodnight kisses and went out of the room.

Sana went outside and grabbed her almost 21 year old cassette player. She was listening to It Had To Be You, Harry Connick Jr.'s version. The same song she listened to 21 years ago on her way to school on the same day Yuta gave her a The Smiths cassette tape, and the same song that was played during their wedding 2 years ago.

She reminisced. The warmth of Harry Connick Jr.'s voice hugged her with familiarity, with a feeling like she's on cloud 9. Nostalgia's a funny thing, she thought, how ironic is it that this song has stuck with her the longest, longer than any other person.

-3 YEARS AGO-

Sana was fixing her floral shop while listening the exact song, arranging lilies and peonies. It was a busy day, she just hoarded books for her to read, and brought about 20 books she read to display in her café. While arranging her books in the shelves, she picked up Love, Rosie from the box and stared at it for a while. She held that book close to her heart, it has been with her for ages, but somehow, she just can't let it go. After some consideration, she decided to put it in the café, for she knew she no longer needed it, and that she had to let it go and move on. For some reason, she had always waited for Yuta to walk right in her shop, be it the café or the floral shop, just like how Alex walked in Rosie's inn at the last part of the movie. She has held onto that fantasy, as for all these years she still loves him and was still waiting. Although she loved Jungwoo, her heart always belonged to Yuta, for nobody else gave her a thrill like him and she hated how she can't control what her heart wants.  But she a part of her already accepted that, maybe, they just weren't for each other, and that she was ready to start anew, though she didn't know what was there for her. As she was drowned in her own mind, the bell door rang. She wondered who it was, as her workers were all on a day off today. 

"I'm sorry but we closed 30 minutes ago!" she shouted for her to be audible, without looking back. She heard footsteps towards her way. Annoyed, she put down the book and faced the stranger inside her shop. 

"I'm sorry but I was hoping I could buy flowers." the stranger smiled.

Her doe eyes widened in surprise and she quickly stood up and straightened her posture. It was Yuta. He looked very tired, clearly because of the long flight.

They stared at each other for a while, Yuta was smiling at her. The silence didn't feel awkward to them, but it felt right. The silence was there to be filled up with the things they kept deep inside them, like an empty pool to be filled up with water.

"Oh yeah, sure. Here, Yuta." Sana led him to the counter and gave him the Language of Flowers book. In some way, she didn't feel the need to ask him why he was here. 

Yuta looked around the shop and picked flowers, notably 10 white orchids, 10 pink camellias and 10 red chrysanthemums. Sana wondered why, Yuta was not the "I love flowers" kind of guy. But she knew what those flowers meant. White orchids symbolized sorry, pink camellias symbolized longing while red chrysanthemums meant love. Her heart ached and her stomach churned, "Who could this lucky girl be?"

Yuta turned them over to the counter. While Sana was arranging the bouquet, Yuta started the conversation. "How are you, Sana?" "I'm doing very good, Yuta. Everything's going great for me." she replied without looking at him, she was afraid that maybe her tears would fall when she looked at him. "That's good. I'm glad." 

Sana grabbed an unwritten note and got a pen. She was still avoiding eye contact. "Do you have a message for," She paused and swallowed. "-for this lucky girl?" She now looked at him, she smiled. "In fact, I do. I have a lot to say to her, but I'll keep it short." Yuta smiled.

"Write down," Yuta was now nervous. "Write down, I bought 30 flowers, each flower symbolizes something, and I know you know what it means." He looked at her, and now, she stopped writing and was looking at him too. He swallowed, "Please forgive me for always being 30 minutes late and I am very sorry for taking 30 years to realize that, that I love you." 

His eyes were now misty, tears threatening to fall. "For, Minatozaki Sana"

Sana put her pen down, tears were streaming down her face. She has waited almost all her life for this moment, and she couldn't ask for more. She picked up the bouquet and hugged Yuta. Yuta reciprocated the hug, and wrapped his arms around her waist tightly. 

They looked at each other's eyes and dived in for a kiss, a short but very memorable kiss, a kiss that's one for the books. 

"I love you too, Yuta. Even after 30 years." Their foreheads touch and they smile at each other.

An old door closed for the both of them, and a new door opens for them to enter together.

-END OF FLASHBACK-

"What are you thinking about?" Yuta sat beside Sana and put his arm around her. "Oh, nothing." Yuta shrugged in reply. He was listening to Sana's cassette tape.

Sana sat straight and grabbed something from the desk. "Oh, by the way. Jungwoo sent a mail."

"A mail? Who still sends mail? Jungwoo is an old man trapped in a hot guy's body."

Sana rolled her eyes jokingly. "Here, he's inviting us to his wedding next month."

Yuta stared at her and gasped, "Sana, are you perhaps, jealous? Do you want a divorce and pull a 'Speak Now by Taylor Swift' act on Jungwoo's wedding?"

Sana's eyes widened and gasped in return, "No, silly! I love Taylor Swift and that song but no, I already have your last name and your kids, I'm not going anywhere." They both laughed.

"In all seriousness though, we should buy a gift by next week." 

"Okay." Yuta smiled at Sana. "I love you by the way."

Sana smiled in return and leaned back on Yuta's chest and Yuta caressed her hair and kissed the top of her head. "I love you too, Yuta."

It had to be you It had to be you I wandered around and finally found The somebody who Could make me be true Could make me be blue Or even be glad, just to be sad Thinking of you
Some others I've seen Might never be mean Might never be cross Or try to be boss But they wouldn't do For nobody else gave me a thrill With all your faults, I love you still It had to be you, wonderful you It had to be you

Some others I've seen Might never be mean Might never be cross Try to be boss They wouldn't do For nobody else gave me a thrill With all your faults, I love you still Baby, it had to be you, wonderful you

Had to be you.

-THE END-