Another Life With You

Crossroads

Tonight, it was a proper date. Not just meeting up for evening drinks or to run errands. It was a Date Night, at a restaurant with a panoramic view of Seoul's twinkling city lights, with white tablecloths and a thick wine menu and Seo Dan looking like a billion won in a sleek red dress and sparkling earrings.

At least that was what Seung-jun told himself throughout the meal as they made small talk and he geared himself up towards asking her the big question. If it were any other woman, the progress of their relationship would have been advanced enough for both parties to consider themselves exclusively dating. With Seo Dan, however close Seung-jun felt he had gotten to her over the last months, he still felt a little unmoored and unsure of where he stood. He had to formally ask her to be his girlfriend in order to cement the relationship. She was just that sort of a woman.

"Dessert?" Seung-jun asked, knowing Seo Dan had a weakness for chocolate.

She swept her large doe-eyes languidly over the menu in front of her. "A chocolate lava cake for me," she said.

Waving the waiter over, Seung-jun ordered her cake and a coffee for himself.

"Do you sleep well drinking coffee so late at night?" Seo Dan questioned idly. Seung-jun couldn't take his eyes off her tonight, given how her shiny black sweep of hair accentuated her swan-neck and dainty mouth. The shawl she had draped over her shoulders allowed a classy, scintillating peek of clavicles and the pale hollow of her neck.

"Would you like to find out for yourself?" he responded with a grin, his tongue working quicker than his brain, as always. He was used to reacting with jokes or innuendos – some might say it was a defense mechanism of his – and Seo Dan was the only one who could make him feel embarrassed about doing so. She only raised her eyebrows at him now and granted him a stern stare. "Too cheap of a joke?" Seung-jun chuckled to cover up his nervousness. "I sleep well enough. I function best on less sleep anyway, I've found."

"Your definition of 'best' is disputable," Seo Dan retorted. He thought he caught a ghost of a smile tugging at the corner of her doll-like mouth. How was it that being disparaged by her could gave Seung-jun such a warm glow of accomplishment? It made him feel seen.

"Ah," Seung-jun put a hand over his heart, feigning being injured. "I'm amazed there's still space on my chest for your arrows to stick in."

That earned him another one of Seo Dan's steely stares, and another thrill of pleasure under his skin.

"What warrants tonight's fancy meal, anyway?" she asked, as the waiter approached with her dessert and his coffee.

So, his moment had come.

It was just as well Seung-jun had arranged for a bouquet of roses to be delivered along with their dessert. He made sure to relish the spark of surprise on Seo Dan's usually still-as-marble features as she caught sight of the flowers.

"Seo Dan ssi," Seung-jun started, the speech he had prepared flying out of his head the moment he began to speak. "We've spent a lot of time in each other's company. I know I joke too much and don't seem to take things seriously, but I hope my actions, at least, show my sincerity when it comes to you." He swallowed, trying to gather his thoughts and remember where he wanted to go with this. He found that he couldn't meet Seo Dan's eyes, he was so nervous. "What I want to say is... you inspire both awe and peace in me. I want to take care of you, but I also admire the fierce independence of you. I've enjoyed the time we've spent together more than anything else in my life, and it would be my greatest dream to spend such moments everyday with you." His speech was becoming as grand as a marriage proposal. He wondered how much more nerve-wracking an actual proposal would be. "Would you say yes to being my girlfriend, Seo Dan ssi?"