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I hurry over to the mic stand, with Youngmin grabbing his guitar to join me.
Nathaniel walks through the gate, his eyes locking on to me.
Youngmin plays the opening chords, and I bring the microphone to my lips. The song is Nathaniel’s, the one he wrote with Naseol, arranged for acoustic guitar. I block out the eyes of everyone watching and focus on Nathaniel. I don’t have the most beautiful voice, but Idohave years of voice training, and anyway, I’m not trying to demonstrate my skills, I’m singing to show Nathaniel that I’m willing to be vulnerable, in front of him, in front of our friends and family. That, to me, he’s worth every small and big gesture, he’s wortheverything.
When the song is over, there’s a brief silence. Then he’s walking across the grass, and I’m standing up to meet him. I launch myself into his arms, and it’s like we’re in a drama of our own, except that it’s real.
Afterward, Nathaniel and I sneak up to my room so that I can give him back his wallet and phone that he left the morning after the awards show.
“Wait,” I say, when he starts to slide his phone into his back pocket.
I take out mine and pull up his contact, clicking the Call button. “I couldn’t find your phone, so I called it.”
On his screen, my incoming call lights up with the nameSongbird. It was his nickname for me while we were dating.
“Did you change it back or did you... ?”
“I never changed it.”
Feeling overwhelmed, I look away. “I changed yours back.” I pull up his contact and show him the screen where it saysBoyfriend.
“Back?” He lifts a brow. “Which means you changed itfrom‘Boyfriend’ to something else. Was it ‘The One Who Got Away’?” He grins.
“‘The One Who Annoys Me Endlessly.’”
“I’ll take it,” Nathaniel says.
I shake my head, amused.
I move behind him toward the door, then stop when I feel his hand slide along my waist. “I like your skirt. Where did you get it?”
I turn in his arms, peering up to study his face. “You’re stalling, aren’t you?”
“I just want to spend a little longer with you,” he says, his fingers fiddling with the band of the skirt. “They can wait.” His eyes lift, meeting mine. “I can’t.”
My heart fills with love for him. We’ve been through so much and waited so long.
“Neither can I,” I say, and bring my mouth to his for a kiss.
Epilogue
Dear Jenny,
Nathaniel and I arrived in New York safely. We’re staying at a hotel in Manhattan.Iwanted to stay at his parents’ house—his mother makes the most delicious meals, and his father treats me like his fifth daughter, which is to say, headoresme—but Nathaniel wanted to “have me to himself” or whatever ridiculous things he likes to say. I think he says stuff like that just to get a reaction out of me, and it works every time! Ugh!
I know I’m talking to you over video chat later today, but I wanted to send you a postcard. Isn’t the photo on the front gorgeous? Remember when you accidentally read the postcard Nathaniel sent me, and we had that whole misunderstanding? Ha ha. Well, this one’s for you. You can read this one.
I’m so happy, Jenny, happier than I’ve ever been, and the best part about it? I know this happiness will last. Because of Nathaniel, but also because of you and all our friends. Nathaniel and I are going to Paris next, then Milan, but we’ll be back in Seoul by the end of the year. Let’s celebrate together.
XOXO,
Sori
