Earned It | KSJ 🔞

Prologue

JUNE 2024

Kwon Boram's POV

The gentleness of a hand caressed my face away from slumber. His sweet voice was calling my name repeatedly, telling me to awaken from my sleep, but instead, I cuddled closer to his warmth, burying my face in the space between his chin and chest as I groaned in disapproval.

"Love, we must get up now, or else we'll be late for your graduation."

I instantly pulled away from him, eyes widened.

"What time is it?" I asked, panicking.

"Thirty minutes passed six," he replied calmly, a smile never leaving his lips as he looked at me dearly. "Congrats, my love. You've finally made it."

Was it because I knew it was still somehow early, or was it because of the way he looked at me and told me those? Nevertheless, I immediately was calm and went back in his arms. He embraced me, and I felt him kiss my forehead. "Thanks, Love."

I sighed.

Time does fly by so fast. Not long ago, I thought of postponing my dreams to prioritize my family, but now, I've achieved one of the most important events in my life.

I'm finally graduating from college.

Jin and I had our breakfast, and soon, the hair and makeup team that he had hired for my special day arrived. It took us an hour and a half to finish. My makeup matched the color of my dress, and my hair was tied in a low ponytail with the ends waved and my curtain bangs swooping seamlessly to the side of my face. It was time for me to wear my graduation dress that we picked together — it was his graduation gift for me — and so the team left the room first to give me privacy.

The dress was a pastel pink halter top dress that hugged my upper body until my hips perfectly and seamlessly loosened on the remaining end that reached two inches below my knees. I wore the pearl earrings that my mother and sister gave me as a graduation gift, and on my ring finger rested the promise ring that he had given me before.

A smile formed on my lips as my thumb caressed the small jewelry that embraced my finger. It's been almost two years since we promised to be in each other's arms forever and two years since we put our trust in each other's arms despite the fear of breaking each other. Since then, he's been vocal about wanting to marry me and build a family with me, even if he knew that I wasn't ready for something like that.

I took the box from my handbag that I had kept for the past month and opened it to make sure it was there to ease my mind. I'm unsure when he'll ask me, but why wait when I can do it? After all, he's given me more than enough assurance that our relationship will lead us down the aisle and in front of the altar to tie the knot. He's been patiently waiting for me even if I kept telling him that it still felt too early to get married, especially at my age. But now that I'm over university and starting a new life, I think I'm ready to take our relationship to another level.

We don't have to get married immediately. A year or two after, maybe, but right now, I want to assure him as well that now I'm ready and definitely sure of everything about us.

The door opened, and I quickly placed the velvety black box back in my purse, knowing that the person who had entered was Jin in his suit and tie and neatly fixed hair with his bangs brushed up instead of just being parted, which showed his whole forehead. It was my favorite hairstyle of him. He always looked so manly in that, but he doesn't always do his hair that way.

"Stunning, as always," he smiled at me through my reflection. "Do you need anything else to be fixed? If nothing, I'll tell the stylists to be on their way."