ʟᴜʟʟᴀʙʏ ♪ ʟᴇᴇ ᴅᴏɴɢʜʏᴜᴄᴋ

[89]

The sound of waves resonated in the air as they crashed against the soft sand and nearby rocks. They brought along a nice breeze, that perfectly balanced out the heat coming from the now setting sun. The beach was empty, not a soul in sight, except for two figures seated right by the sea shore.

Soomin's head laid on Donghyuck's shoulder, hand gripping his tightly. Her long, majestic wedding dress had turned into a simple and oversized t-shirt and shorts, and her tall heels had become worn-out sneakers. She had let her hair completely lose, the scent of the overwhelming hair spray now fading with time.

The more time passed, the closer Soomin got to Donghyuck, and the tighter she held his hand. She didn't want to let go, from the fear that he'd fall apart right then and there and she'd wake up from this dream-like scene.

But he was real. He was completely real.

Donghyuck turned his head, just enough to be able to glance at his lover but not cause her any discomfort. His eyes were full of euphoria, softness and an eternal calm. It felt as if time had stopped then and there, and the two existed in their small bubble with only the tranquil ocean and setting sun to accompany them. 

Eyes moving back forward, Donghyuck stared at the horizon as he began speaking.

"I always wanted to bring you here." He uttered quietly, his words barely reaching Soomin.

The girl looked upwards at his relaxed jawline from where she had her head on his shoulder. "Really?"

"Yeah." Donghyuck subconsciously smiled.

"Why?" Soomin questioned.

Wordlessly at first, he simply raised a finger and pointed towards something in the ocean. Soomin took her head off his shoulder before trying to spot where he was showing her.

In the far distance, to their right, was a small-looking island. From where they were, the girl could see that it was full of greenery- beautiful temperate forests that spread for miles and miles on end.

She looked back at Donghyuck, who's honey-pot eyes reflected the golden rays of the sunset in the most breath-taking manner.

"That's Jeju island." He explained, eyes still glued on the far-away land. "I used to live there where I was young."

"Really? That's so cool. I heard it's beautiful." Soomin cooed, also looking back at the island.

"Yeah, it is. Living there was the reason that I love the beach so much." Donghyuck smiled, reminisce appearing in his eyes. "My grandparents owned a small cottage right by the sea side. I'd walk on the beach every single day before school, and swim in the water whenever the weather was good."

Soomin stared at him as he spoke, an extremely gentle smile appearing on his lips.

"I lived there since I was seven, then came back to Seoul when I was 15 to attend a good high school. My mom hated to see me go to my father's place, since they had been divorced ever since I could remember, but I still did."

"When did you meet Yuna?" Soomin asked and Donghyuck chuckled.

"When we were 3. Our moms would hang out whenever we attended pre-k. Actually, at first, Yuna and I bickered a lot. But we soon became friends from the amount of times we spent together. I actually barely saw or talked to her when I went to Jeju. But we quickly reconnected when I came back because we went to the same school and everything."

Soomin tightened her grip on his hand, scooting even closer to him to ensure him that she was there and that she was listening.

Donghyuck sighed. "The only regret I have is that I haven't gone back to Jeju ever since I left to Seoul."

The girl raised an eyebrow. "You haven't? Why?"

"I... I'm not sure." He frowned. "I was going to return as soon as I graduated because I wanted to enroll in Jeju national university. But with everything that happened and how I've busy been with NCT... I guess I never had the courage to visit because my mom would see what's become of me." His voice was laced with sadness and embarrassment.

"Hyuck..." Soomin took a deep breath, before using her other hand to tilt his head to face hers. "You're a beautiful person. You've hurt before, and that's okay. The only thing that's become of you is a strong, intelligent man, and a son that any mother would be proud of. Not just your mother- Hyuck, we're all proud of you. I'm proud of you."

Donghyuck remained silent, his eyes set onto hers as the girl moved forward and spoke again, quieter this time.

"You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, Donghyuck. You've saved me in so many ways- you made me feel alive again. For me, nothing can beat all of the time that we've spent together. And I am so thankful to you. I love you so so so so much." Soomin smiled, feeling a warmth spreading through her body at the words that she'd been so eager to say for so long.

Donghyuck didn't respond verbally. He leaned in, taking the girl into his embrace as he hugged her tightly. Soomin was quick to reciprocate the gesture, her hands wrapping around his torso.

They moved to side to side slowly, enjoying the moment as the last of the warm, summer sun basked on them before disappearing behind the horizon.

Eventually Donghyuck pulled away, a tiny smile adorning his lips as he pressed his forehead against Soomin's.

"I love you too, Min." He muttered, before pressing a small, gentle kiss on her lips.

Soomin immediately cuddled into his chest, taking a short moment to listen to his peaceful heartbeat, the faint sound of waves crashing lulling her into sleep.

"HEY, YOU GUYS!" The two suddenly heard, and both whipped their heads to the side to find Taeyong ecstatically waving at them in the distance. Behind him was an army of figures- NCT.

Only then did Soomin spot the 3 other distinct and familiar figures that separated from the crowd in a vicious run towards her.

"Oh my god- KUN! JISUNG! CHENLE!" She yelled out in response, immediately up on her feet.

And with their hands intertwined, Soomin dragged Donghyuck along as she ran to reconcile with her new family.