36 MINUTES TO FALL, jaemin ✓

37 | epilogue: with you, the future is bright.

"Wait, wait, let me get this straight," Yumi looked at him with wide eyes. "You actually said that to her face? You're joking!"

They were at the school, taking a break from painting the mural. It looked great so far, and nobody had taken the news about Yumi's blunder too badly. Except for a few who looked devastated at the loss of their beautiful sketching, but they easily redid that. At the moment, they were sitting cross-legged in various spots around the front area of the school. Yumi and Jaemin sat together, of course, and though that earned a few glances, nobody questioned it.

Jaemin shrugged, taking a sip of his soda. "She needed to know," he said. "I love her, she is my mother. But sometimes you just need to say what you need to. And as far as things she needed to know goes, the difference between how she treats us is way up there."

"Well, yeah," Yumi conceded, squeezing her own empty soda can. "But just going up to her and saying, 'Mom, you need to do a better job of parenting' sounds like the sort of thing that would get me grounded for a week."

"I know," he said. "But I got off and she promised to do better, didn't she? Speaking of which, have you talked to your parents yet?"

She shook her head. "I did tell them that I needed to talk about something important," she said. "And that I'd tell them tonight when I get back from my hang-out with my 'friend.'"

"Who do they think you're out with right now?"

"Any girl from the art club," she said. "I never bothered specifying and they didn't ask. I think they're wondering what it is that's so important to talk about."

"Just don't chicken out," Jaemin cautioned. "You'll never get it done if you don't."

She rose from her chair, swiping his soda can from him. "I know," she said. She walked to the trashcan they had set up in the corner, tossing it in. She returned and sat down next to him again. "I'm not going to chicken out because they're not going to let me go without telling them what it is, and I'm not a very good liar."

"You can go home now, if you want," the supervisor called out. She had been assisting them, too, as it turned out she had quite a good hand for the finer details of painting. "That's enough for a day. Good work, everyone!"

"Thank you!" echoed the voices of the students. As one, they all got to their feet and gathered up their things, walking out of the gates, laughing.

Jaemin glanced at Yumi. "Let's get out of here," he said, getting to his feet and holding out a hand for her. She accepted it and rose to her feet herself. "Date at two?"

"Of course," she said with a smile. "I only wish you could pick me up, you know, for a classic date and all that. It would be the highlight of my day. Unfortunately, everyone in the house would have a fit if you did."

"You really need more freedom."

"I'll earn it somehow," she countered as they picked up their bags and began walking to the bus stop. She hoped this became a habit. "I actually have a plan to make them agree with us dating."

"What's that?" he asked.

"Graduate with the highest scores that I can," she said. "And then when they're actually happy with me for once, I can reveal our relationship and prove that me being in love will not get in the way of my studies. And that you're a good person."

"I like that you have faith in us for being long-lasting," Jaemin mused.

"Don't you?"

"Of course I do," he laughed, coming to a halt at the deserted bus stop. "I very much believe in us being long-lasting."

"I'm glad we're both clear on that fact," she smiled at him, not even caring that all the love and affection she felt for him was shining clearly through her face. "I know that we can get through anything together. I believe that with you, the future is bright."

She then stepped forward and kissed him, startling him. His wide eyes and muffled yelp was kind of cute, but then, of course, he melted into it, too. It was funny when things like this happened; when he, the confident one in the relationship, was thrown off by the things she did.

She really did believe that with Jaemin, the future was bright. She believed that with him by her side, there wasn't anything she couldn't achieve as long as she tried.

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WORD COUNT: 786