Happy Endings ⁘ Chenle

57 ⁘ Proposal

OKAY WELCOME TO THIS CHAPTER

Mark and Min-jung aren't even a main couple but I am still excited about this~ 

⁘ 57 ⁘

Exactly 3 years ago, Mark had let Min-jung convince him to go see the sunrise with her. 

The piercing cold on that October morning had temporarily made him regret having agreed to her suggestion. Only as their date went on and they got used to the cool air and the slowly brightening sky, did he start to feel glad that he came along. 

Mark had asked ber back then why she would want to go see the sunrise in autumn anyway when it was so much warmer and so much nicer in summer. After all, they had been dating for a while at that point and Min-jung had never asked him to go watch the sunrise with her. 

However, her answer was surprisingly simple. 

She said that, compared to summer, she didn't have to get up so early when trying to see the sunrise in autumn. The longer nights pushed the sunrise further and further into the day. It was the same now.  

"Oh, I forgot to make coffee," Min-jung said, sitting on the park bench wrapped in a thick blanket. 

"I made some," Mark said as he reached into his bag and took a thermos bottle out of it. He unscrewed it and poured some into the bottle cap. "Here you go." 

"So considerate~" Min-jung said happily as she took the coffee. "Thank you." 

Her eyes fell back onto the sky that was turning light blue with hints of orange smudged alongside the skyline's edges. 

"I'm glad there are no clouds today," she said, eyes still on the scene far away. Out of her reach and yet so clear to see. "I've been looking forward to this." 

Mark hummed. Different to Min-jung, his eyes were stuck on his girlfriend. It was hard to look away. 

In a way, it was unfair. He knew the beauty of the sunrise. The breathtaking painting of blue-ish orange and violet-ish pink. He was excited to witness it again, excited to see the play of colours. 

And yet he felt dissatisfied when he looked at it as he bore the knowledge that he would never lay eyes on anything prettier than Min-jung. The most famous paintings, the most unique sceneries, the prettiest flowers and brightest colours - compared to Min-jung, all of it was dull. 

"Yeah, me too," he said, lost in thoughts. 

Min-jung turned her head to look at Mark. "Drink some too," she said, offering him the coffee. "It'll warm you up." 

He hummed, taking a moment to reply. "Thank you."

She smiled brightly at him. Whenever she was around him, she seemed to be in a good mood. Although the two argued every now and then just like any other couple, they had gotten good at talking it out and making compromises.

They worked well together. Being around one another felt easy and relaxing. 

"Did you know," Min-jung began, suddenly remembering something she had forgotten for a while. "Back then, I had a super long shoot on the night before our date. It wasn't supposed to be this long but it ended up taking forever." 

She laughed, thinking back to the night leading up to her date with Mark. She sighed. 

"I was so tired but when we finished there was little use in going to bed so I just stayed up," she told him. "I contemplated postponing our date but I was too excited to meet you so I couldn't." 

She adjusted the blanket as she thought out loud, 

"I am glad it happened this way. I had so much fun." 

Seeing how fondly she remembered that morning encouraged Mark who felt the same way about it. At the same time, he hoped that she would remember this morning with just as much fondness. 

"I am glad you asked me for the date," Mark said, adding to her words. She smiled, nodded to herself. 

"Of course. No way I could let go of someone as amazing as you. I had to seize every opportunity to get close to you." 

Mark laughed softly at how she spoke of him. While it sounded like she was almost going a little overboard, he knew from Da-eun that she also talked about him in this way when he wasn't around. 

The love she had for him - she happily announced it whenever she could. 

Time passed quickly through a casual conversation, leading them to almost miss the moment when the first flashes of pink mixed in with the orange. Min-jung's eyes lit up, excited at the sight. 

She inhaled deeply, lips curving up. "It's so pretty." 

Mark's eyes were stuck on Min-jung when he nodded. "It really is."

Without giving it much thought, he reached into his pocket fingers curling around the small box. He thought that he would be nervous. Maybe even anxious. 

Yet, he had never felt more at ease. Just like he said, he had never been more confident. 

He brushed the blanket off his shoulders and got up. Just a small step and he stood in front of Min-jung. A little surprised, she looked up at him. 

She didn't say anything, merely watched him in confusion as he gazed down at her for a moment. A fleeting moment that passed when Mark offered her a warm smile as he got down on one knee. 

The colours reflecting in Min-jung's eyes almost concealed her pure surprise when she laid eyes on the small box in Mark's hands. With a subtle flick of his wrist, he opened the box, the ring inside shimmering softly in the light around them. 

"Ga Min-jung, will you marry me?" 

Neither the cold nor the cool breeze that swept over them could keep her from pushing her blanket off her. She slid off the bench, crouched down in front of Mark and wrapped her arms around him as tightly as she could. 

He could tell that she was nodding as her head was on his shoulder. However, only when she answered him was he able to tell that she had a lump in her throat from the surprise and excitement. 

"Yes." She pushed herself away from him just enough to be able to look at his face. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and one more on the lips. "Yes, I will marry you." 

Behind the couple, the sky was painted in vibrant colours, one more breathtaking than the next. Behind the couple, another day was starting, the sun laying its first rays over the city. 

However, the two of them didn't mind missing the sight this time. After all, they had a whole lifetime of watching sunrises together ahead of them.  

⁘ Proposal ⁘

guess they both seized the opportunity

this proposal is so fundamentally different from the one in my other story lmao but it's cute, I think Min-jung and Mark are a pretty wholesome couple