Swapped by fate

Chapter 36

Hyunjin’s POV

I woke up this morning feeling all kinds of nervous, like butterflies, but on steroids. Today’s the day. I’ve been sitting on this idea for weeks, running it over and over in my head like a damn movie. Proposing to Nami? Yeah, that’s huge. But it feels right, like we’re finally in a good place. After all the chaos with her health, the ups and downs, I just wanna lock it in and make sure she knows I’m here, now and forever.

I’ve got the ring, planned a sweet spot to pop the question, and I’m feeling… weirdly calm? Like I know what I’m doing. But there’s been this vibe from Nami lately. Like, not bad, just distant, y’know? I’ve tried to push it aside, thinking maybe she’s still dealing with stuff. But I’ll fix all that today. I’ll make her feel solid with me, I’m sure of it.

I grab the ring box, stuff it in my pocket, and head to Stacy’s house, where Nami’s been staying. The whole drive over, my mind is racing, but in a good way. I keep imagining how she’s gonna react — shock, maybe some happy tears, and then saying yes. That’s how it’s supposed to go, right?

When I pull up, I take a deep breath and step out of the car, making my way inside. Felix is the first to spot me, chilling in the living room with some of the others.

“Yo, Hyunjin! You’re here early, dude,” Felix calls out, his eyebrow quirking up. “Something going down?”

“Yeah, kinda. I got a surprise for Nami,” I say, trying to play it cool even though my heart’s racing like crazy.

Felix smirks knowingly, “Good luck, man.”

I give him a nod and make my way upstairs. My hands are already sweaty, but I knock on her door anyway.

“Come in!” Nami’s voice is soft, and I open the door to find her sitting on the bed, scrolling through her phone. Her hair’s growing back, slowly but surely, and she looks… perfect. Even with everything she’s been through, she’s still the same girl I fell for.

“Hey,” I say, closing the door behind me. “You busy?”

She looks up and gives me a small smile. “Nah, what’s up?”

I sit down next to her, pulling the ring box from my pocket and holding it out between us. My heart’s in my throat, but I keep my voice steady. “Nami, I’ve been thinking about us. A lot. And I want you to know I’m all in. I love you, and I wanna spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?”

I expect her to freak out in a good way, to light up with excitement, but instead, she just stares at the ring like she’s frozen. The room goes silent for a beat, and I feel this cold pit start to form in my stomach. Something’s off.

“Hyunjin…” she finally says, and her voice cracks, just a little. She looks down, and I can see tears welling up in her eyes. “I… I wasn’t expecting this.”

Okay, not the response I thought I’d get, but maybe she’s just overwhelmed? “I know it’s a lot,” I say quickly, “but I’ve thought it through, and I’m sure, Nami. I want this.”

She takes a shaky breath, and my heart sinks even further. “Hyunjin, I’ve been accepted into a study abroad program. I’m leaving… in a few weeks.”

Wait. What? My mind races, trying to piece together what she just said. “You’re… leaving?”

Nami nods, wiping at her eyes. “I didn’t know how to tell you. It all happened so fast, and I didn’t want to ruin things between us. But now… with this…” She gestures toward the ring. “I want to marry you. I do. But I can’t stay here, not right now.”

I sit there, stunned. The proposal — everything — it feels like it’s crashing down all at once. “You’re just gonna… go? Without telling me?” My voice comes out sharper than I mean it to, but I can’t help it. This isn’t what I planned.

“I’m sorry,” Nami says, her voice breaking. “I didn’t want it to be like this. I’m just… stuck. I wanna chase this opportunity, but I don’t wanna lose you. I don’t know what to do.”

I’m fighting back tears now, too. “Nami, we’ve been through so much together. You really think we can’t figure this out?”

She looks at me with the saddest eyes I’ve ever seen. “It’s not that simple. I need to do this for myself. And… maybe one day, we’ll find our way back to each other. But right now… I have to go.”

I don’t know what to say. My throat feels tight, and all the words I thought I’d be saying tonight — none of them make sense anymore. “So that’s it? We just… end things?”

She shakes her head, squeezing my hand. “Not like that. We’re not ending because we want to. It’s just… life is pulling us in different directions. But maybe, in the future, things will change. Maybe we’ll get another chance.”

I stare down at the ring in my hand, feeling the weight of everything pressing on my chest. I wanted this so bad, and now… it feels like I’m losing everything. But I love her too much to stand in her way.

“Yeah,” I say, barely managing to keep my voice steady. “Maybe in the future.”

We sit there for a while, not saying much, just holding onto each other like it’s the last time. And maybe it is. I don’t know. It’s not the happy ending I imagined, but it’s honest. And maybe that’s all we can be right now — honest.

After a while, I pull back and stand up, pocketing the ring. “I guess I should go. You’ve got a lot to figure out.”

Nami nods, standing up with me. She wraps her arms around me one last time, and I hold her as tight as I can. “I love you, Hyunjin,” she whispers. “I hope one day, we can come back to this.”

“Me too,” I say, my voice rough.

I walk out of her room, and it feels like I’m walking away from a part of my heart. The others are downstairs, still laughing, still hanging out, like nothing’s changed. But everything’s different now. I don’t have the energy to explain, so I just leave, stepping into the night alone.

The ring’s still in my pocket, but it feels heavy. Maybe one day I’ll get to give it to her. But not today.

Not today.