a better life // hwang hyunjin ✔️

chapter sixteen

cherish the relationships you create with others

"look, all i'm saying is that you could have told me this 'talk', wasn't really a talk." minho groans, crossing his arms as hyunjin a seulgi laugh hysterically.

"i'm sorry, minho, it wasn't planned." she chuckles. minho only rolls his eyes.

"you're lucky i'm still young and agile." he jokes. "otherwise daehyun would have run in there, he was worried that hyunjin was hurting you." the two couldn't help but laugh even harder at this. "i'm not gonna be the one to have 'the talk' with him." minho adds, making a dramatic disgusted face.

"oh god i have to have the talk with him." seulgi groans, recalling yet another one of her parental duties. it was now minho's turn to laugh.

"good luck with that." minho chuckles. "anyway, now that the coast is clear, i'm gonna go get daehyun. i'm meeting with jisung later, so i should get home soon."

"when am i gonna meet this jisung?" seulgi questions.

"never." he teases, walking towards the backyard, calling for daehyun to come back inside.

"hi baby! did you have fun outside?" seulgi asks, pulling him into a hug, crinkling her nose as she does so. "it sure smells like it." she chuckles, earning a laugh from daehyun.

"she didn't have a breakdown or anything, did she?" minho suddenly asks hyunjin, his voice lowered as seulgi and daehyun talked.

"huh?" hyunjin questions.

"when you had sex. did she freak out?" he clarifies.

"um... well no. why would she?" he asks awkwardly.

"she hasn't been with anyone since chan."

"yeah... she told me." hyunjin nods.

"i'm glad she trusts you."

"me too."

"alright, well daehyun is gonna go wash up, and you have a date." seulgi interrupts their quiet conversation, teasing minho.

"it's not a date." he rolls his eyes.

"whatever you say." she pats his shoulder. the two boys couldn't help but realize how much happier seulgi seemed. and it warmed both of their hearts, she was finally getting the happiness she deserved.

"alright, i'm out of here." minho says, patting hyunjin on the back.

"bye uncle minho!"

"bye daehyunnie!" he coo's waving bye to the pair before leaving. seulgi sighs, watching the front door close, her eyes traveling over to daehyun's closed door. letting out another sigh as she plops down on the couch. hyunjin sits next to her, immediately throwing his arm around her shoulders.

"you okay?" he asks.

"i'm more than okay." she says with a smile, a single tear falling down her cheek.

"then why are you crying?" he wipes away the tear.

"everything is just so perfect... ch- chan would've loved it..."

"seulgi..."

"life is so interesting, you know? right now, it feels like i'm getting everything i ever wanted, and... and i'm so happy. i'm so fucking happy."

"hey-"

"so... why didn't chan get to experience the same thing? he... he was a much better person than i could ever be. but, here i am, living the life he should have gotten..."

"was he happy?" hyunjin asks.

"what do you mean?"

"the... the last time you talked to him. was he happy?" he clarifies. seulgi smiles at the memory.

"yeah... he just finished singing a song to daehyun, and... and he told me he loves me, and daehyun. he... he had the brightest smile when he walked out the door..." she smiles bittersweetly, remembering his warm, comforting smile.

"so, in his mind, he did get a happy ending. everything he wanted was right in front of him, he had all he could have ever wanted." seulgi nods slowly, realizing she hadn't thought of it that way before.

"i... i guess you're right." she leans her head on his shoulder.

"can i ask you a question?"

"yeah." she replies.

"i feel like i'm a little late on asking this, but... do you want to be my girlfriend?" the question shocked her, the thought of putting a label to their relationship hasn't even crossed her mind. maybe it was because her and chan never really broke up. so the thought of someone else taking the boyfriend role seemed virtually impossible.

but if it was going to be anyone, she was glad it would be hyunjin.

"hey, don't go quiet on me after i ask something like that... you're gonna make me panic." he chuckles, jokingly poking at her side.

"sorry... i just..." she was about to give another speech about chan. but she didn't want to bother hyunjin with the constant talk about him. of course, he would be fine with hearing her talk about him, after all they never got a chance to say goodbye. he completely understood. "yes, i'll be your girlfriend." she says confidently, she was ready for this. she had to be.

of course there would be many more times where she would bring up chan, he was so important to her. she wanted to celebrate all of life's ups and downs with him. he popped up frequently in her head, he was a huge part of her life, and he will always be. he is the father of her son.

hyunjin knew that chan would be a part of their lives always, despite him not physically being here. and he had absolutely no problem keeping his memory alive, it was something he knew he had to do. he would never be daehyun's father, the last thing he wanted to do was to replace him.

"hyunjin?" seulgi chuckles, waving her hand in front of his face.

"h-huh?" he stutters, being pulled from his thoughts.

"does it bother you when i bring up chan?"

"of course not!" he instantly replies. "i think it's nice that you talk about him. he's just as much a part of your little family as i hope to be some day."

"hey..." she lifts her head from his shoulder, turning his head to face her. "you already are a part of my little family..." she says, stroking his cheek with her thumb.

she felt fully certain of hyunjin, no longer having a single doubt in her mind. he had proved time and time again that he was in it for the long run. and knowing that he accepts chan, was the cherry on top.

i love him, channie... she thinks, hoping by some grace, that he could hear her.

she connected their lips, the both of them smiling into it.

they love one another.