Everything Seventeen

Jihoon (Woozi) Appreciation One-shot

Dating Lee Jihoon requires patience. Lots of it. No, he's not like those who shower you with gifts or cling on to you. Heck, it was hard enough to get him to confess his love for you. He was best portraying his feelings through songs.

Every song he wrote me, every time he held my hand and every single word of affection that he spoke were treasured to heart. They were rare but I know those little things meant a lot to him.

How about dates? Walks around the neighbourhood when he takes a break from work, a simple picnic at a park or just simply eating at a restaurant nearby together. It's not always him who initiated it but me too. I would drag him out the studio for a break every now and then. I knew my limits. I never took any time we spent together for granted.

Sometimes I would go down to the studio and sit or lay down on the sofa. It was just so I could feel his presence. It was quite amusing to watch him create masterpieces in the little room. He would jump up and down or make some sort of happy sound when an idea came to mind. Then if he forgets something or the tracks do not match, he would clench his fist or slam the table. Occasionally, he would curse. Other than that, he was silent. His eyes darting across the screen. The room filled with the clicking of the mouse or a pen.

"Carat?" he called out, breaking the peaceful silence.

I hummed. I stood up to see his cup empty. I smiled.

"You need more coffee, huh?" I guessed.

He seemed a bit more jittery. He was probably just cold from being in this small air-conditioned room for the whole day.

"Not just that..." he hesitated.

I chuckled to myself. He was awkward with words. It was rather cute. I waited as he mustered up the courage to say what he needed. He stood up and placed his restless hands in his hoodie pocket. He stepped towards me. He opened his mouth then closed it. He opened his mouth again for a longer time but nothing came out.

"F this" he cursed under his breath.

He grabbed my hand, pulling me towards him and placed his lips on mine. It took me by surprise at first but I eventually melted into the kiss. This man can be full of surprises. He gripped my hand, showing he had longed for this. He would never be able to do this in front of his group mates. That was why he liked this room. He had his own privacy. No one could or would dare disturb him. It was freedom he could never find in the dorm. Lasting as long as we could, we treasured that moment. No one to barge in on us at 3 in the morning. No one watching us. No one to tease us. It was just me and Lee Jihoon, the man I loved with all my heart.

We pulled away, gazing into each other's eyes. He got embarrassed and looked down quickly.

"No one's here to make fun of you. It's just us. It's fine to expose yourself. I'm your girlfriend aren't I?" I reassured him.

He nodded and lifted his head to look at me with more courage. A genuine smile formed on his face. He held my hands tightly and maintained eye contact.

"Carat. I just wanted to say thank you for always being there for me. You know I'm awkward at this thing called love and I can't openly show my affection but you don't mind and still love me anyway. Thank you for loving me and taking care of me who can't give you as much affection as other guys. I always feel afraid that one day, I would lose you or that your love for me would fade. However, it's been 4 whole years and you're still here, by my side. Really, thank you. I-I love you so much," he struggled to say the last line.

My jaw was jammed and I was at a lost for words. He chuckled.

"You thought I forgot our 4 year anniversary, didn't you?" he smiled sweetly.

I remained silent, still speechless. In the midst of preparing for a comeback, he remembered. He turned around opened the drawer beside his table. He took out something and quickly hid it behind his back when he faced me. He returned to his spot in front of me. He brought out a rectangular box from behind his back. It had a rose on top of it. He coughed and gestured to the little note beside the rose.

"Happy 4 years anniversary, Carat. May there be more years to come. <3"

I swore I teared up with what he did. I gently took the box from his hands. I thanked him. He got me to open the box and take a look at what was inside. I removed the rose and the note and slowly lifted the lid of the grey box.

In the box nestled a silver bracelet and a ring, both with our names engraved on them. Jihoon explained that he had the same exact bracelet before lifting his hoodie sleeve to reveal the said bracelet. No wonder he never rolled his sleeves up today. I asked about the ring. He blushed and scratched the back of his neck.

"It's a promise ring. To promise you that I'll keep loving you like how you have loved me all this while and to promise that..."

He reached for the ring and it put it on my finger.

"I'll definitely marry you in the future," he completed his sentence.