Proposal - Part 2
Title: Proposal - Part 2
Author: VVIPforSeungri
Rating: PG-13 (when is it not PG-13?)
Pairing: G-Ri, Jiyong/OC
Word Count: 4787. I know.
Genre: Angsty, fluffy, happy ending <3
Summary: What happens after Jiyong marries the love of his life-- and it's not Seungri?
Disclaimer: I don't own them, no matter how hard I try.
AN: Sequel to Proposal, requested by hanub. I know I said I'd just write a sequel, but this just spawned, and it became way longer than I anticipated. Technically, it's a series, but I just combined it all to make this one super-long sequel.
Proposal - Part 2
“Congratulations.”
JiYong whirls around with a happy smile on his face, his arm tight around his new wife’s waist, ready to laugh and gush and thank his guests for being with him today.
So he doesn’t expect to see SeungRi standing there, one hand in his pocket and one hand outstretched. JiYong is so shocked he forgets to answer, but his wife smiles warmly and shakes SeungRi’s hand first.
“Thanks very much! Are you a friend of JiYong’s?” she asks, letting his hand go.
A brief smile flickers past SeungRi’s face. “I suppose you could say that,” he murmurs, his eyes meeting the woman’s in amusement. “Our families knew each other. We kind of grew up together; I’ve known him since I was a child.”
“Oh, that’s sweet!” exclaims the newlywed excitedly, “JiYongie, why have you never told me about… oh, I’m sorry! I forgot to ask your name!”
SeungRi flashes his dimples. “My name’s SeungRi.”
“Interesting name!”
“It’s a nickname…” SeungRi chuckles and gazes at JiYong. “Your husband chose it for me when I was three. My real name’s Lee SeungHyun.”
“Well, it’s very nice to meet you, SeungRi! You should come by for dinner sometime; we can all get to know each other! Isn’t that right, JiYongie?”
JiYong’s wife notices for the first time that JiYong hasn’t paid any attention to their conversation, she pokes him sharply with her elbow. JiYong drags his eyes away from SeungRi’s face to recover. “Uhm, of course. Anytime, SeungRi, you know where I live.”
“That’s kind of you,” SeungRi says winningly, “I’ll make sure to drop by when I can… though I don’t know how often that will be. See, I’m moving to America next week, and won’t be returning to Korea much afterwards.”
JiYong whips his eyes towards SeungRi again, eyes widening in shock. His wife is surprised too, but she takes it much better than JiYong. “Oh my, America! How exciting! Whatever for?”
SeungRi shrugged nonchalantly. “My partner and I just felt like a change. A fresh beginning, if you will. We’ve both been through a lot the past few months.” At this, SeungRi meets JiYong’s eyes swiftly, but he turns back to JiYong’s wife. “We can’t wait to see what America has to offer.”
“America? Partner? What?!” blurted out JiYong. His arm dropped from his wife’s waist. “You’re leaving?” SeungRi didn’t seem surprised at JiYong’s outburst, he just nodded. “Why didn’t you tell me?” JiYong winced as his wife jabbed him with her elbow again.
SeungRi stared pensively at JiYong for a moment, and JiYong thought he saw in that one instant the vestiges of pain that lurked in the back of SeungRi’s eyes. “I never really had the opportunity,” said SeungRi quietly. “Congratulations, once again,” he said lightly, looking at JiYong’s wife. “I hope you have a happy life together.”
She beamed at SeungRi. “Thank you! And good luck with your new life in America!”
SeungRi bowed politely, and handed JiYong a red envelope. “Here. I know it’s not much, but I didn’t have much time.” JiYong peeked inside and saw the familiar lilt of SeungRi’s handwriting. A letter. SeungRi bowed once more and left wordlessly. JiYong watched him leave with a horrible, sinking feeling in his stomach. The ring he wore on a chain around his neck suddenly felt tight around his throat. JiYong excused himself to the washroom, leaving his wife to accept the congratulations from the rest of the attendees.
Once in the washroom, JiYong yanked the chain off his neck and held it tightly in his hand, opening SeungRi’s letter with shaking hands.
Dear JiYong,
I realize the last time we met; I didn’t exactly say a proper goodbye. And I suppose I never said goodbye at your wedding either, and for that I’m sorry. I just didn’t want to leave on a negative note, I never dreamed that I’d one day have to say goodbye to you. Seeing as I’m about to leave Korea and probably never see you again, I wanted to take the time to say that I forgive you and that I don’t blame you like I did before. I don’t want you living your life with guilt. You should be able to begin a happy new life with your wife and raise a family like you always wanted to without having to look back to the past and feel sad because of what happened between us. Don’t worry about me. I’m beginning a new chapter in my life in a brand new country; hopefully I’ll be able to forget the past as well. I won’t be alone, either. My longtime friend YoungBae has also recently suffered through a difficult time in his life and has agreed to accompany me to America in hopes of a better future. I’ve always cared for him, and perhaps in time I’ll learn to love him like I learned to love you. It’ll be easy; it’s obvious he’s already smitten with me. So don’t look back and feel any regret, and I’ll try to do so as well. My best wishes for you and your new family, I hope your days will be filled with love and happiness.
Take care,
SeungRi
JiYong didn’t realize he was crying until a tear fell and smudged SeungRi’s signature. He sucked in a breath quickly and wiped at his eyes, not wanting to ruin the letter. His hands shook and felt icy against his skin. Overwhelming grief crashed over him, and JiYong felt his loss kick a hole through his heart, perhaps that was why it ached so. He was so confused; he wasn’t sure why he felt so abandoned. After all, hadn’t it been himself who had called off the ridiculous marriage their parents had arranged for the two of them, hadn’t it been JiYong who’d fallen in love with his high school sweetheart?
JiYong tried to tell himself that it was only because SeungRi had been his friend and that he’d miss him terribly now that he was leaving for America. But he knew it was more than that, so much more than that, just as all the years growing up with SeungRi by his side had always meant so much more than mere friendship. The two had forged a bond together, intertwining their lives at every possible level. SeungRi had even fallen in love with him like their parents had wanted him to.
It was JiYong that had ruined everything. He’d fallen in love with someone else; he’d broken the tie that had connected his life with SeungRi’s since their birth. JiYong had thought that he’d already thought it through, thought he understood the consequences of such a decision.
JiYong hadn’t counted on SeungRi suddenly disappearing from his life like he had never been there in the first place. He had said as much in his letter, forget the past.
Hysteria slowly crept up on JiYong, panic flushing through him in waves. Because it was too late, it was all too late. He’d said his vows, he’d kissed his bride.
It was much too late for JiYong to realize he’d fallen in love with SeungRi, too.
---
SeungRi swirls the coffee in his mug around and shivers under his many layers. The coffee here in America was too bitter, the winters too cold, and the people unfriendly. Despite all this, SeungRi loves it here, in the midst of New York’s hustle and bustle over the Christmas season. It was so much more exciting here, so much more colourful and alive than Christmas in Korea had been. SeungRi never saw the same thing twice (except for the cute barista at the Starbucks around the corner from his apartment) and was constantly amazed by all of America’s grandeur.
It had taken him a few weeks, but SeungRi had slowly grown accustomed to the fast pace of American life. He had school on most days and worked at a record store on the days left over. He had been delighted to meet SeungHyun, a Korean man who shared his name and owned his own record store. He had been only too happy to hire him.
SeungRi was happy. He had new American friends from school; he had a job that was far too comfortable to be considered work, and someone to share it with at their tiny apartment. It was busy, his life, but busy was good. It meant he didn’t have much free time for his mind to wander down memory lane.
It was at that moment that YoungBae plopped into the seat opposite, clutching his own steaming mug of hot chocolate-no coffee for him, the freak. YoungBae smiled warmly and SeungRi had no choice but to smile back, he couldn’t help it with YoungBae. The man was so sweet and warm; SeungRi had a hard time imagining a person who could hurt someone like YoungBae.
“Hey, SeungRi! How was school?” YoungBae greeted, blowing on his hot drink.
“It was cool! I mean, he loaded us with another essay, but the topic I chose is totally cool!”
“That’s great! I’m glad you like school, SeungRi. It’s not too difficult, is it?”
“Nah, hyung. I mean, the English is a bit tricky, but the concepts themselves aren’t hard. What about you, how’s work at Hollywood Records?”
“Amazing,” YoungBae enthused, his eyes lighting up. “Producing American music is different than in Korea-and I already have a huge list of contacts from the industry! At this rate, my name will get out there faster than I’ve ever dreamed!”
SeungRi felt excited for his hyung, he was always in awe at YoungBae’s incredible talent with his voice. He would have definitely made it huge in Korea if he hadn’t chosen to come over to America instead.
“Actually, I don’t have much time to chat today. I have a meeting with a producer-they said Bruno Mars is interested in me!” YoungBae was saying, his face nervous, but his voice betrayed his excitement.
“It’s okay, hyung.” SeungRi smiled, waving his hyung away. “Go off and become a huge superstar. Maybe one day, I’ll be selling your records at the store!”
YoungBae grinned and picked up his drink, already making to move. He rolled his eyes and waved at SeungRi. “I’ll talk to you tonight, okay? Wait up for me; I’m sure I won’t be late.”
“’Kay,” SeungRi replied. He watched as YoungBae left the coffee shop and shivered before blending in with the crowd, on his way to work like thousands of other New Yorkers. He wished he could be like his hyung, always on the move, with a set goal for himself and a dream of a better future. SeungRi was content with school, but he didn’t hold any ambition for any particular career.
It was partly his own fault, he supposed. Growing up, he’d been so sure of his life, of his future. When he’d thought of the future, he’d seen JiYong and himself, together. He’d been stupid not to think of what if. Now he working towards his major in PoliSci, which would probably get him nowhere in a country that was as foreign to him as he was to it.
SeungRi sighed and shook the depressing thoughts of JiYong out of his mind. It did no good to remember what should have been, he should be focusing on what is. And what is happened to be a twenty-page essay he had due next week. He groaned and dug out his laptop from his bag, resigning himself to a morning of tedious essay writing.
A few hours later, SeungRi rubbed his eyes and stretched, knocking the wrappers of various pastries off the table in the process. His eyes ached from staring at his screen for two long. He sighed and got up to use the restroom.
When he got back, his cell phone was blaring at top volume and several of the other patrons were glaring at him heavily. He flushed and hastily rushed over to his seat, fumbling in his coat pocket for the phone, picking up before checking the caller ID, if only to stop SNSD’s Gee playing on a loop. He made a mental note to change ringtones immediately.
“Hello?” SeungRi greeted in accented English.
“Yah, SeungRi!” SeungHyun replied, sounding vaguely annoyed.
“Ah, hyung! What’s wrong?” SeungRi froze for a moment and wondered why his usually chill boss was calling him. He mentally checked his schedule, he was sure he’d taken today off…
“Yah, do you know who this JiYong person is?” demanded SeungHyun. SeungRi gasped and straightened up, both hands on his phone.
“What?! JiYong?!”
“Yes, SeungRi, I just said that,” SeungHyun snapped. “This idiot has been bugging me for the past half hour. He refuses to leave without speaking to you. I told him I couldn’t give out information like that, but he won’t listen! I swear, I’m this close to hitting him, customer or not. Never mind that he’s just bought twenty CDs from me.”
SeungRi had the irrational urge to laugh. “JiYong... he’s there? Are you serious?”
“SeungRi, I’m irritated enough as it is. Don’t make me repeat myself. Yes, he’s here. Though not for much longer…”
“He wants to talk to me?”
“He’s been pretty adamant on that part… listen, is he some sort of stalker? ‘Cuz you’re my dongsaeng, SeungRi, and it’s my duty to protect my dongsaengs…”
“No!” SeungRi shouted. He shot a look around him and lowered his voice at the glares sent his way. “C-can you just tell him I don’t want to talk to him?”
SeungRi heard SeungHyun speaking to someone else on the other end of the line, though he couldn’t hear what he was saying. SeungRi jumped when he heard a scuffle erupt from the other end and SeungHyun growling in annoyance. Suddenly, all SeungRi could hear was loud breathing.
“Se-SeungRi?! Is that you?!”
“JiYong?”
“SeungRi! Oh my God, it is you! I’ve been looking for you everywhere! SeungRi!”
SeungRi winced and pulled the phone away from his ear, JiYong was always too loud on the phone. “Yeah, it’s me. What do you want?”
“I need to talk to you, SeungRi-yah. It’s extremely important! Where are you? I’ll come meet you-”
“It’s okay. I’ll come see you. And possibly save you from my boss.” SeungRi was pleased to hear that his voice hadn’t wavered. In fact, he sounded satisfyingly blasé. Probably because he was used to arguing with JiYong on the phone.
SeungRi hung up on JiYong-much to JiYong’s annoyance-and began to pack up his things hurriedly. He tried to ignore the excitement that fluttered through him, wanting to come off as cool and disinterested when he met JiYong. Though he still hadn’t let go of his love for the man, the two months apart had definitely cooled him off and he wasn’t nearly as desperate or emotional as he had been when he’d written his farewell letter to JiYong.
Of course, he hadn’t expected JiYong to fly over to America to look for him, much less actually find him. He supposed it would have been easy to find out what city he’d moved to, but New York was huge. There was no way JiYong could have found him.
Yet somehow, he had.
---
SeungRi hastily shoved his papers and his laptop into his bag and bolted from the shop, running ridiculously into the sea of people outside. The idea that JiYong was here somewhere, waiting for him, made SeungRi speed up. He cursed himself, hating that JiYong still had this kind of effect on him. But nevertheless, SeungRi skirted street lights and knocked into passersby relentlessly, his entire body rushing to the place where he could see JiYong again.
As the record shop came into view, SeungRi’s heart doubled its pace, though SeungRi stopped and slowed down. He nervously patted down his hair and looked down in annoyance at the sweats and hoodie he was wearing. Then he noticed someone standing outside, waiting for him, and SeungRi’s heart stopped.
Until, you know, he realized it was just SeungHyun. A very pissed off looking SeungHyun. SeungRi couldn’t help but laugh at the expression on his boss’ face. He approached SeungHyun, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender, which only made SeungHyun roll his eyes.
“Is he still here?” SeungRi asked immediately, trying to glance behind SeungHyun.
“Yah. You see your boss and that’s the kind of greeting you give him? I should fire you,” SeungHyun snapped, though SeungRi knew he was only joking. SeungRi was SeungHyun’s favourite employee and he wasn’t about to fire the only employee willing to pick up SeungHyun from whatever club he happened to be smashed at that night.
SeungRi grinned nervously and bowed. “Hiya, boss!”
SeungHyun just shook his head and didn’t comment. “Yeah, he’s still in there. Much to my annoyance. That guy is the most hard-headed, stubborn, frustrating-”
“I know, hyung,” SeungRi said, nodding his head in agreement. “Believe me, I know.”
SeungHyun hmph’d. “And next time, I’ll ask you not to invite your psycho friends from Korea over to my shop when they want to look for you.”
“I didn’t,” SeungRi said, frowning. “I don’t even know how he found me. I left him two months ago… uh, without saying goodbye or even telling him anything other than I was moving to the States. I don’t know how he managed to track me down from there.”
“Well, you’ve got one special friend, SeungRi,” was all SeungHyun said before moving aside to let SeungRi pass through. SeungRi surged forward, entering the shop with a renewed sense of anxiety.
The moment SeungRi’s foot stepped through the door, SeungRi heard someone shout his name extremely loudly, and in the next second someone had their arms around him tightly, squeezing him uncomfortably, while continuing to shriek delightedly.
Of course, SeungRi knew exactly who it was, and he couldn’t help the huge grin on his face. He’d recognize the arms around him anywhere, and he was relaxed familiarly into the embrace.
“Hey, JiYongie,” murmured SeungRi into JiYong’s neck.
JiYong pulled back, a reprimanding frown on his face, though his eyes were sparkling with excitement. SeungRi felt the love he’d tried to forget for this man come rushing back in an instant and fell in love with him all over again.
Well, shit.
“SeungRi! Have you lost all your manners in the two months you’ve been away from Korea? It’s JiYongie-hyung to you, mister.” JiYong smiled then and pulled SeungRi back in for another hug. “Ah, SeungRi-yah, I’ve missed you so much.”
“I’ve missed you too, hyung.”
“Then you shouldn’t have left!” Suddenly, JiYong pulled away again. “Do you know how long I’ve been looking for you?! Of all places you could go, New York?! How the hell was I supposed to find you here?!”
“Well, I didn’t think you’d come looking for me in the first place, hyung,” pointed out SeungRi. “And even if I had, I would have come here anyway. This would have been the ideal place to not be found. Or should have been, anyway. How did you even find me?”
JiYong huffed in annoyance. “I don’t even know! I’ve been looking for two damn months, SeungRi! I can’t believe that even though I got here a day after you did, it took me this long.”
“A day?!” SeungRi echoed. “What the hell?”
“Well, I missed the plane that you had left on, and the next one wasn’t until six hours later!” JiYong explained impatiently.
“B-but what about the wedding?! Your wife? Have you been here the whole time?!” SeungRi exclaimed incredulously.
“Well yes. I mean, it took me an hour or two after I read that damn letter of yours-thanks for saying goodbye, by the way,” said JiYong sarcastically. “Anyway, it was an hour before I realized that you were leaving me. So then I immediately ran out to go and stop you, but it was too late! The plane had already left! So I had to wait for the next one… I broke up with my wife on the phone, just so you know. I’m still working on the paperwork in my free time. Believe me, she is furious, which is why it’s kind of a relief to be around the world from her.” JiYong shook his head. “Bitch be crazy, SeungRi. You don’t want to get her pissed.”
“I still don’t understand how you found me,” SeungRi insisted. “This is New York City. The chances of finding me are pretty slim if you don’t know where to look.”
“Yeah, that’s why it took me so long!” JiYong threw his hands in the air. “For two months, I scoured the streets-I almost died, the food here is ridiculous and the traffic even worse-before I found you. I was just checking this store when I realized the owner, your boss, was Korean. He’s the first one I’ve met here! So of course I talked to him, I figured he might have met you as well, seeing as we’re all Korean. I never would have dreamed that you actually worked here! By the way, your boss is psycho.”
“Huh. He said the same about you,” muttered SeungRi. “And I can see why. I can’t believe you spent two months on the streets of New York looking for me. And for what?” SeungRi demanded. “Why did you find me?”
JiYong looked up at SeungRi with a sad look on his face. “Isn’t it obvious? I love you.”
SeungRi took a step back in surprise, eyes widening. “What?”
JiYong sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I-I love you, SeungRi. I always have, really.”
SeungRi scoffed. JiYong looked at SeungRi, wounded. “What, did you figure this out after you read my letter? Realized I was actually leaving you? That isn’t love, hyung, that’s insecurity. You always needed that backup plan, didn’t you? Did you honestly expect me to take you back in just because you flew all the way over here to find me?”
“I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t love you!” retaliated JiYong.
“And if you loved me you wouldn’t have broken up with me to go get married to some chick,” SeungRi replied evenly. “You loved me? You could’ve fooled me with your stupid, melodramatic speech about how it wasn’t fair that your parents took away your freedom by promising you to me. How you loved her and would do anything to be with her. Not me.”
“I KNOW!” exploded JiYong. “I know I said all that, okay? But I was wrong, alright? My entire life, it’s been you and I, SeungRi and JiYong; we’ve always been a we. And I was so stupid, I thought I wanted more. Needed more. But then you left and I realized I’d already had what I needed, that you’d been here the whole time. Cheesy, I know, but after all these years you’ve become my other half-my better half at that. Do you know why I spent two months searching for you fruitlessly? Because without you I’m crazy and reckless and lost and I’ve always needed you there, SeungRi. And it just so happens that along the way, I fell in love with you as well. I know I’m stupid, and an idiot, but I really hope you’ll take me back because you’ve always loved me as I was-stupidity and idiocy included.”
JiYong dropped to one knee in front of a stunned SeungRi and yanked at the chain encircling his neck. A ring slid off the end and JiYong held it up, looking into SeungRi’s eyes with pure, unadulterated love and adoration shining in his eyes. The ring was beautiful, though devoid of any gaudy jewels. There was ornate detailing and the letters KJ+LS engraved on the surface. It was the same ring that JiYong had proposed him with the last time, the same ring SeungRi had kicked aside, the same ring JiYong’s parents had passed down to JiYong with this specific purpose in mind. The same ring JiYong had been wearing around his neck since he was five years old.
“SeungRi, I don’t deserve it, but I love you so much that even the idea of losing again makes me want to kill myself rather than let that happen, so I think it’d be best if I asked you to marry and never again worry about you being anyone else’s but mine. Will you marry me, Lee SeungHyun?”
SeungRi knew it was all going too fast. That he should probably think about it before making a decision. He knew he’d seen JiYong for the first time in two months twenty minutes ago, and that he’d already promised himself to forget about JiYong. He knew JiYong was technically still married and that the two were probably not going to be welcome at home in Korea anymore after this mess.
But love was crazy and irrational, and it hardly ever waited. So despite everything-from JiYong’s marriage, to moving to America, to JiYong’s sudden confession-SeungRi simply smiled and took JiYong’s hand and gently guided the ring where it belonged-on SeungRi left hand, fourth finger. “Yes, I will marry you. I love you, Kwon JiYong.”
And thus SeungRi and JiYong began their new lives in America together, as they were meant to from the beginning.
---
{Epilogue}
“Studying on the job? Tsk. Is that what SeungHyun-hyung is paying you for?” SeungRi looked up from his Biology book (he’d switched courses and was taking Biomedical classes now) and smiled, stretching from bending over the counter for half an hour.
“Hey, baby,” SeungRi greeted, kissing his husband lightly. SeungRi took in JiYong’s outfit and raised an eyebrow. JiYong still knew how to make an impression, even in America. He had a ratty notebook in one hand and an ink-stained pen in the other, his head bobbed to the beat of whatever song he was working on in his head. SeungRi smiled, admiring how beautiful his husband looked wrapped up in his music. “Did you get anything done today? Or did you slack off and go for ice-cream like last time?” he teased.
JiYong gave SeungRi an affronted look. “Yes I did get stuff done today. And for your information, it was SeungHyun’s idea to get ice-cream. That guy’s crazy about the stuff-and toys, too. So many toys.” JiYong shook his head.
“Don’t pretend you don’t like playing with them either,” SeungRi smirked. He’d found out about the secret stash of action figures JiYong kept hidden in their closet last week and was still waiting for the perfect opportunity to blackmail him about it. JiYong pouted and SeungRi laughed, kissing the pout away.
“So what did YoungBae-hyung say about the song?” asked SeungRi, reaching under the table for his bag of Smarties, which JiYong immediately helped himself to a handful of them. SeungRi rolled his eyes and accepted the Smartie that JiYong offered to his mouth.
SeungRi thought it was nice how perfectly everything had settled. SeungHyun and JiYong were best friends (no surprise there, they were both so childish) and of course JiYong was SeungHyun’s best customer. YoungBae and JiYong were perfect for each other, YoungBae producing and introducing JiYong into the music industry, JiYong’s songwriting and rapping skills giving YoungBae recognition as a producer as well. JiYong just seemed to fit perfectly into the life SeungRi had created here in America.
And of course, SeungRi’s new apartment fit the two of them perfectly. They even had a guest room where SeungHyun could crash in after a night of drinking and SeungRi going to retrieve him. SeungRi still worked at SeungHyun’s shop, more for fun than for money, and spent the rest of his time either hanging out with JiYong at the studio or studying. All in all, it was a perfect life for SeungRi.
“Bae thought it was nice… but that it would work better as a duet.” JiYong’s eyes gleamed. “He wondered if you’d be interested in singing with me.”
SeungRi’s eyes widened. “Me? Singing?!”
JiYong laughed and shrugged. “Apparently, Bae’s heard you singing in the shower enough times to think you’ve got talent. So what do you say?”
“I don’t know…” SeungRi trailed off indecisively. JiYong grinned.
“Great! Let’s go then! Bae’s waiting for us at the studio!” JiYong raced around the counter and pulled SeungRi’s hand, urging him to the door.
“But wait! I’m still working! I can’t just leave,” protested SeungRi.
“It’s okay. I’ve already cleared it with SeungHyun.”
“You mean you’re going to make me go anyway and tell him later.”
JiYong shrugged. “Pretty much.”
SeungRi sighed. JiYong was probably right. It was going to be okay.
AN: I'm quite proud at how this turned out ^^ More than I can say for my other fic. Can you believe I started a drabble... and it's at 3000 words? Why do I keeo writing such long fics?! And I have a series to be posted as well!
Author: VVIPforSeungri
Rating: PG-13 (when is it not PG-13?)
Pairing: G-Ri, Jiyong/OC
Word Count: 4787. I know.
Genre: Angsty, fluffy, happy ending <3
Summary: What happens after Jiyong marries the love of his life-- and it's not Seungri?
Disclaimer: I don't own them, no matter how hard I try.
AN: Sequel to Proposal, requested by hanub. I know I said I'd just write a sequel, but this just spawned, and it became way longer than I anticipated. Technically, it's a series, but I just combined it all to make this one super-long sequel.
Proposal - Part 2
“Congratulations.”
JiYong whirls around with a happy smile on his face, his arm tight around his new wife’s waist, ready to laugh and gush and thank his guests for being with him today.
So he doesn’t expect to see SeungRi standing there, one hand in his pocket and one hand outstretched. JiYong is so shocked he forgets to answer, but his wife smiles warmly and shakes SeungRi’s hand first.
“Thanks very much! Are you a friend of JiYong’s?” she asks, letting his hand go.
A brief smile flickers past SeungRi’s face. “I suppose you could say that,” he murmurs, his eyes meeting the woman’s in amusement. “Our families knew each other. We kind of grew up together; I’ve known him since I was a child.”
“Oh, that’s sweet!” exclaims the newlywed excitedly, “JiYongie, why have you never told me about… oh, I’m sorry! I forgot to ask your name!”
SeungRi flashes his dimples. “My name’s SeungRi.”
“Interesting name!”
“It’s a nickname…” SeungRi chuckles and gazes at JiYong. “Your husband chose it for me when I was three. My real name’s Lee SeungHyun.”
“Well, it’s very nice to meet you, SeungRi! You should come by for dinner sometime; we can all get to know each other! Isn’t that right, JiYongie?”
JiYong’s wife notices for the first time that JiYong hasn’t paid any attention to their conversation, she pokes him sharply with her elbow. JiYong drags his eyes away from SeungRi’s face to recover. “Uhm, of course. Anytime, SeungRi, you know where I live.”
“That’s kind of you,” SeungRi says winningly, “I’ll make sure to drop by when I can… though I don’t know how often that will be. See, I’m moving to America next week, and won’t be returning to Korea much afterwards.”
JiYong whips his eyes towards SeungRi again, eyes widening in shock. His wife is surprised too, but she takes it much better than JiYong. “Oh my, America! How exciting! Whatever for?”
SeungRi shrugged nonchalantly. “My partner and I just felt like a change. A fresh beginning, if you will. We’ve both been through a lot the past few months.” At this, SeungRi meets JiYong’s eyes swiftly, but he turns back to JiYong’s wife. “We can’t wait to see what America has to offer.”
“America? Partner? What?!” blurted out JiYong. His arm dropped from his wife’s waist. “You’re leaving?” SeungRi didn’t seem surprised at JiYong’s outburst, he just nodded. “Why didn’t you tell me?” JiYong winced as his wife jabbed him with her elbow again.
SeungRi stared pensively at JiYong for a moment, and JiYong thought he saw in that one instant the vestiges of pain that lurked in the back of SeungRi’s eyes. “I never really had the opportunity,” said SeungRi quietly. “Congratulations, once again,” he said lightly, looking at JiYong’s wife. “I hope you have a happy life together.”
She beamed at SeungRi. “Thank you! And good luck with your new life in America!”
SeungRi bowed politely, and handed JiYong a red envelope. “Here. I know it’s not much, but I didn’t have much time.” JiYong peeked inside and saw the familiar lilt of SeungRi’s handwriting. A letter. SeungRi bowed once more and left wordlessly. JiYong watched him leave with a horrible, sinking feeling in his stomach. The ring he wore on a chain around his neck suddenly felt tight around his throat. JiYong excused himself to the washroom, leaving his wife to accept the congratulations from the rest of the attendees.
Once in the washroom, JiYong yanked the chain off his neck and held it tightly in his hand, opening SeungRi’s letter with shaking hands.
Dear JiYong,
I realize the last time we met; I didn’t exactly say a proper goodbye. And I suppose I never said goodbye at your wedding either, and for that I’m sorry. I just didn’t want to leave on a negative note, I never dreamed that I’d one day have to say goodbye to you. Seeing as I’m about to leave Korea and probably never see you again, I wanted to take the time to say that I forgive you and that I don’t blame you like I did before. I don’t want you living your life with guilt. You should be able to begin a happy new life with your wife and raise a family like you always wanted to without having to look back to the past and feel sad because of what happened between us. Don’t worry about me. I’m beginning a new chapter in my life in a brand new country; hopefully I’ll be able to forget the past as well. I won’t be alone, either. My longtime friend YoungBae has also recently suffered through a difficult time in his life and has agreed to accompany me to America in hopes of a better future. I’ve always cared for him, and perhaps in time I’ll learn to love him like I learned to love you. It’ll be easy; it’s obvious he’s already smitten with me. So don’t look back and feel any regret, and I’ll try to do so as well. My best wishes for you and your new family, I hope your days will be filled with love and happiness.
Take care,
SeungRi
JiYong didn’t realize he was crying until a tear fell and smudged SeungRi’s signature. He sucked in a breath quickly and wiped at his eyes, not wanting to ruin the letter. His hands shook and felt icy against his skin. Overwhelming grief crashed over him, and JiYong felt his loss kick a hole through his heart, perhaps that was why it ached so. He was so confused; he wasn’t sure why he felt so abandoned. After all, hadn’t it been himself who had called off the ridiculous marriage their parents had arranged for the two of them, hadn’t it been JiYong who’d fallen in love with his high school sweetheart?
JiYong tried to tell himself that it was only because SeungRi had been his friend and that he’d miss him terribly now that he was leaving for America. But he knew it was more than that, so much more than that, just as all the years growing up with SeungRi by his side had always meant so much more than mere friendship. The two had forged a bond together, intertwining their lives at every possible level. SeungRi had even fallen in love with him like their parents had wanted him to.
It was JiYong that had ruined everything. He’d fallen in love with someone else; he’d broken the tie that had connected his life with SeungRi’s since their birth. JiYong had thought that he’d already thought it through, thought he understood the consequences of such a decision.
JiYong hadn’t counted on SeungRi suddenly disappearing from his life like he had never been there in the first place. He had said as much in his letter, forget the past.
Hysteria slowly crept up on JiYong, panic flushing through him in waves. Because it was too late, it was all too late. He’d said his vows, he’d kissed his bride.
It was much too late for JiYong to realize he’d fallen in love with SeungRi, too.
---
SeungRi swirls the coffee in his mug around and shivers under his many layers. The coffee here in America was too bitter, the winters too cold, and the people unfriendly. Despite all this, SeungRi loves it here, in the midst of New York’s hustle and bustle over the Christmas season. It was so much more exciting here, so much more colourful and alive than Christmas in Korea had been. SeungRi never saw the same thing twice (except for the cute barista at the Starbucks around the corner from his apartment) and was constantly amazed by all of America’s grandeur.
It had taken him a few weeks, but SeungRi had slowly grown accustomed to the fast pace of American life. He had school on most days and worked at a record store on the days left over. He had been delighted to meet SeungHyun, a Korean man who shared his name and owned his own record store. He had been only too happy to hire him.
SeungRi was happy. He had new American friends from school; he had a job that was far too comfortable to be considered work, and someone to share it with at their tiny apartment. It was busy, his life, but busy was good. It meant he didn’t have much free time for his mind to wander down memory lane.
It was at that moment that YoungBae plopped into the seat opposite, clutching his own steaming mug of hot chocolate-no coffee for him, the freak. YoungBae smiled warmly and SeungRi had no choice but to smile back, he couldn’t help it with YoungBae. The man was so sweet and warm; SeungRi had a hard time imagining a person who could hurt someone like YoungBae.
“Hey, SeungRi! How was school?” YoungBae greeted, blowing on his hot drink.
“It was cool! I mean, he loaded us with another essay, but the topic I chose is totally cool!”
“That’s great! I’m glad you like school, SeungRi. It’s not too difficult, is it?”
“Nah, hyung. I mean, the English is a bit tricky, but the concepts themselves aren’t hard. What about you, how’s work at Hollywood Records?”
“Amazing,” YoungBae enthused, his eyes lighting up. “Producing American music is different than in Korea-and I already have a huge list of contacts from the industry! At this rate, my name will get out there faster than I’ve ever dreamed!”
SeungRi felt excited for his hyung, he was always in awe at YoungBae’s incredible talent with his voice. He would have definitely made it huge in Korea if he hadn’t chosen to come over to America instead.
“Actually, I don’t have much time to chat today. I have a meeting with a producer-they said Bruno Mars is interested in me!” YoungBae was saying, his face nervous, but his voice betrayed his excitement.
“It’s okay, hyung.” SeungRi smiled, waving his hyung away. “Go off and become a huge superstar. Maybe one day, I’ll be selling your records at the store!”
YoungBae grinned and picked up his drink, already making to move. He rolled his eyes and waved at SeungRi. “I’ll talk to you tonight, okay? Wait up for me; I’m sure I won’t be late.”
“’Kay,” SeungRi replied. He watched as YoungBae left the coffee shop and shivered before blending in with the crowd, on his way to work like thousands of other New Yorkers. He wished he could be like his hyung, always on the move, with a set goal for himself and a dream of a better future. SeungRi was content with school, but he didn’t hold any ambition for any particular career.
It was partly his own fault, he supposed. Growing up, he’d been so sure of his life, of his future. When he’d thought of the future, he’d seen JiYong and himself, together. He’d been stupid not to think of what if. Now he working towards his major in PoliSci, which would probably get him nowhere in a country that was as foreign to him as he was to it.
SeungRi sighed and shook the depressing thoughts of JiYong out of his mind. It did no good to remember what should have been, he should be focusing on what is. And what is happened to be a twenty-page essay he had due next week. He groaned and dug out his laptop from his bag, resigning himself to a morning of tedious essay writing.
A few hours later, SeungRi rubbed his eyes and stretched, knocking the wrappers of various pastries off the table in the process. His eyes ached from staring at his screen for two long. He sighed and got up to use the restroom.
When he got back, his cell phone was blaring at top volume and several of the other patrons were glaring at him heavily. He flushed and hastily rushed over to his seat, fumbling in his coat pocket for the phone, picking up before checking the caller ID, if only to stop SNSD’s Gee playing on a loop. He made a mental note to change ringtones immediately.
“Hello?” SeungRi greeted in accented English.
“Yah, SeungRi!” SeungHyun replied, sounding vaguely annoyed.
“Ah, hyung! What’s wrong?” SeungRi froze for a moment and wondered why his usually chill boss was calling him. He mentally checked his schedule, he was sure he’d taken today off…
“Yah, do you know who this JiYong person is?” demanded SeungHyun. SeungRi gasped and straightened up, both hands on his phone.
“What?! JiYong?!”
“Yes, SeungRi, I just said that,” SeungHyun snapped. “This idiot has been bugging me for the past half hour. He refuses to leave without speaking to you. I told him I couldn’t give out information like that, but he won’t listen! I swear, I’m this close to hitting him, customer or not. Never mind that he’s just bought twenty CDs from me.”
SeungRi had the irrational urge to laugh. “JiYong... he’s there? Are you serious?”
“SeungRi, I’m irritated enough as it is. Don’t make me repeat myself. Yes, he’s here. Though not for much longer…”
“He wants to talk to me?”
“He’s been pretty adamant on that part… listen, is he some sort of stalker? ‘Cuz you’re my dongsaeng, SeungRi, and it’s my duty to protect my dongsaengs…”
“No!” SeungRi shouted. He shot a look around him and lowered his voice at the glares sent his way. “C-can you just tell him I don’t want to talk to him?”
SeungRi heard SeungHyun speaking to someone else on the other end of the line, though he couldn’t hear what he was saying. SeungRi jumped when he heard a scuffle erupt from the other end and SeungHyun growling in annoyance. Suddenly, all SeungRi could hear was loud breathing.
“Se-SeungRi?! Is that you?!”
“JiYong?”
“SeungRi! Oh my God, it is you! I’ve been looking for you everywhere! SeungRi!”
SeungRi winced and pulled the phone away from his ear, JiYong was always too loud on the phone. “Yeah, it’s me. What do you want?”
“I need to talk to you, SeungRi-yah. It’s extremely important! Where are you? I’ll come meet you-”
“It’s okay. I’ll come see you. And possibly save you from my boss.” SeungRi was pleased to hear that his voice hadn’t wavered. In fact, he sounded satisfyingly blasé. Probably because he was used to arguing with JiYong on the phone.
SeungRi hung up on JiYong-much to JiYong’s annoyance-and began to pack up his things hurriedly. He tried to ignore the excitement that fluttered through him, wanting to come off as cool and disinterested when he met JiYong. Though he still hadn’t let go of his love for the man, the two months apart had definitely cooled him off and he wasn’t nearly as desperate or emotional as he had been when he’d written his farewell letter to JiYong.
Of course, he hadn’t expected JiYong to fly over to America to look for him, much less actually find him. He supposed it would have been easy to find out what city he’d moved to, but New York was huge. There was no way JiYong could have found him.
Yet somehow, he had.
---
SeungRi hastily shoved his papers and his laptop into his bag and bolted from the shop, running ridiculously into the sea of people outside. The idea that JiYong was here somewhere, waiting for him, made SeungRi speed up. He cursed himself, hating that JiYong still had this kind of effect on him. But nevertheless, SeungRi skirted street lights and knocked into passersby relentlessly, his entire body rushing to the place where he could see JiYong again.
As the record shop came into view, SeungRi’s heart doubled its pace, though SeungRi stopped and slowed down. He nervously patted down his hair and looked down in annoyance at the sweats and hoodie he was wearing. Then he noticed someone standing outside, waiting for him, and SeungRi’s heart stopped.
Until, you know, he realized it was just SeungHyun. A very pissed off looking SeungHyun. SeungRi couldn’t help but laugh at the expression on his boss’ face. He approached SeungHyun, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender, which only made SeungHyun roll his eyes.
“Is he still here?” SeungRi asked immediately, trying to glance behind SeungHyun.
“Yah. You see your boss and that’s the kind of greeting you give him? I should fire you,” SeungHyun snapped, though SeungRi knew he was only joking. SeungRi was SeungHyun’s favourite employee and he wasn’t about to fire the only employee willing to pick up SeungHyun from whatever club he happened to be smashed at that night.
SeungRi grinned nervously and bowed. “Hiya, boss!”
SeungHyun just shook his head and didn’t comment. “Yeah, he’s still in there. Much to my annoyance. That guy is the most hard-headed, stubborn, frustrating-”
“I know, hyung,” SeungRi said, nodding his head in agreement. “Believe me, I know.”
SeungHyun hmph’d. “And next time, I’ll ask you not to invite your psycho friends from Korea over to my shop when they want to look for you.”
“I didn’t,” SeungRi said, frowning. “I don’t even know how he found me. I left him two months ago… uh, without saying goodbye or even telling him anything other than I was moving to the States. I don’t know how he managed to track me down from there.”
“Well, you’ve got one special friend, SeungRi,” was all SeungHyun said before moving aside to let SeungRi pass through. SeungRi surged forward, entering the shop with a renewed sense of anxiety.
The moment SeungRi’s foot stepped through the door, SeungRi heard someone shout his name extremely loudly, and in the next second someone had their arms around him tightly, squeezing him uncomfortably, while continuing to shriek delightedly.
Of course, SeungRi knew exactly who it was, and he couldn’t help the huge grin on his face. He’d recognize the arms around him anywhere, and he was relaxed familiarly into the embrace.
“Hey, JiYongie,” murmured SeungRi into JiYong’s neck.
JiYong pulled back, a reprimanding frown on his face, though his eyes were sparkling with excitement. SeungRi felt the love he’d tried to forget for this man come rushing back in an instant and fell in love with him all over again.
Well, shit.
“SeungRi! Have you lost all your manners in the two months you’ve been away from Korea? It’s JiYongie-hyung to you, mister.” JiYong smiled then and pulled SeungRi back in for another hug. “Ah, SeungRi-yah, I’ve missed you so much.”
“I’ve missed you too, hyung.”
“Then you shouldn’t have left!” Suddenly, JiYong pulled away again. “Do you know how long I’ve been looking for you?! Of all places you could go, New York?! How the hell was I supposed to find you here?!”
“Well, I didn’t think you’d come looking for me in the first place, hyung,” pointed out SeungRi. “And even if I had, I would have come here anyway. This would have been the ideal place to not be found. Or should have been, anyway. How did you even find me?”
JiYong huffed in annoyance. “I don’t even know! I’ve been looking for two damn months, SeungRi! I can’t believe that even though I got here a day after you did, it took me this long.”
“A day?!” SeungRi echoed. “What the hell?”
“Well, I missed the plane that you had left on, and the next one wasn’t until six hours later!” JiYong explained impatiently.
“B-but what about the wedding?! Your wife? Have you been here the whole time?!” SeungRi exclaimed incredulously.
“Well yes. I mean, it took me an hour or two after I read that damn letter of yours-thanks for saying goodbye, by the way,” said JiYong sarcastically. “Anyway, it was an hour before I realized that you were leaving me. So then I immediately ran out to go and stop you, but it was too late! The plane had already left! So I had to wait for the next one… I broke up with my wife on the phone, just so you know. I’m still working on the paperwork in my free time. Believe me, she is furious, which is why it’s kind of a relief to be around the world from her.” JiYong shook his head. “Bitch be crazy, SeungRi. You don’t want to get her pissed.”
“I still don’t understand how you found me,” SeungRi insisted. “This is New York City. The chances of finding me are pretty slim if you don’t know where to look.”
“Yeah, that’s why it took me so long!” JiYong threw his hands in the air. “For two months, I scoured the streets-I almost died, the food here is ridiculous and the traffic even worse-before I found you. I was just checking this store when I realized the owner, your boss, was Korean. He’s the first one I’ve met here! So of course I talked to him, I figured he might have met you as well, seeing as we’re all Korean. I never would have dreamed that you actually worked here! By the way, your boss is psycho.”
“Huh. He said the same about you,” muttered SeungRi. “And I can see why. I can’t believe you spent two months on the streets of New York looking for me. And for what?” SeungRi demanded. “Why did you find me?”
JiYong looked up at SeungRi with a sad look on his face. “Isn’t it obvious? I love you.”
SeungRi took a step back in surprise, eyes widening. “What?”
JiYong sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I-I love you, SeungRi. I always have, really.”
SeungRi scoffed. JiYong looked at SeungRi, wounded. “What, did you figure this out after you read my letter? Realized I was actually leaving you? That isn’t love, hyung, that’s insecurity. You always needed that backup plan, didn’t you? Did you honestly expect me to take you back in just because you flew all the way over here to find me?”
“I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t love you!” retaliated JiYong.
“And if you loved me you wouldn’t have broken up with me to go get married to some chick,” SeungRi replied evenly. “You loved me? You could’ve fooled me with your stupid, melodramatic speech about how it wasn’t fair that your parents took away your freedom by promising you to me. How you loved her and would do anything to be with her. Not me.”
“I KNOW!” exploded JiYong. “I know I said all that, okay? But I was wrong, alright? My entire life, it’s been you and I, SeungRi and JiYong; we’ve always been a we. And I was so stupid, I thought I wanted more. Needed more. But then you left and I realized I’d already had what I needed, that you’d been here the whole time. Cheesy, I know, but after all these years you’ve become my other half-my better half at that. Do you know why I spent two months searching for you fruitlessly? Because without you I’m crazy and reckless and lost and I’ve always needed you there, SeungRi. And it just so happens that along the way, I fell in love with you as well. I know I’m stupid, and an idiot, but I really hope you’ll take me back because you’ve always loved me as I was-stupidity and idiocy included.”
JiYong dropped to one knee in front of a stunned SeungRi and yanked at the chain encircling his neck. A ring slid off the end and JiYong held it up, looking into SeungRi’s eyes with pure, unadulterated love and adoration shining in his eyes. The ring was beautiful, though devoid of any gaudy jewels. There was ornate detailing and the letters KJ+LS engraved on the surface. It was the same ring that JiYong had proposed him with the last time, the same ring SeungRi had kicked aside, the same ring JiYong’s parents had passed down to JiYong with this specific purpose in mind. The same ring JiYong had been wearing around his neck since he was five years old.
“SeungRi, I don’t deserve it, but I love you so much that even the idea of losing again makes me want to kill myself rather than let that happen, so I think it’d be best if I asked you to marry and never again worry about you being anyone else’s but mine. Will you marry me, Lee SeungHyun?”
SeungRi knew it was all going too fast. That he should probably think about it before making a decision. He knew he’d seen JiYong for the first time in two months twenty minutes ago, and that he’d already promised himself to forget about JiYong. He knew JiYong was technically still married and that the two were probably not going to be welcome at home in Korea anymore after this mess.
But love was crazy and irrational, and it hardly ever waited. So despite everything-from JiYong’s marriage, to moving to America, to JiYong’s sudden confession-SeungRi simply smiled and took JiYong’s hand and gently guided the ring where it belonged-on SeungRi left hand, fourth finger. “Yes, I will marry you. I love you, Kwon JiYong.”
And thus SeungRi and JiYong began their new lives in America together, as they were meant to from the beginning.
---
{Epilogue}
“Studying on the job? Tsk. Is that what SeungHyun-hyung is paying you for?” SeungRi looked up from his Biology book (he’d switched courses and was taking Biomedical classes now) and smiled, stretching from bending over the counter for half an hour.
“Hey, baby,” SeungRi greeted, kissing his husband lightly. SeungRi took in JiYong’s outfit and raised an eyebrow. JiYong still knew how to make an impression, even in America. He had a ratty notebook in one hand and an ink-stained pen in the other, his head bobbed to the beat of whatever song he was working on in his head. SeungRi smiled, admiring how beautiful his husband looked wrapped up in his music. “Did you get anything done today? Or did you slack off and go for ice-cream like last time?” he teased.
JiYong gave SeungRi an affronted look. “Yes I did get stuff done today. And for your information, it was SeungHyun’s idea to get ice-cream. That guy’s crazy about the stuff-and toys, too. So many toys.” JiYong shook his head.
“Don’t pretend you don’t like playing with them either,” SeungRi smirked. He’d found out about the secret stash of action figures JiYong kept hidden in their closet last week and was still waiting for the perfect opportunity to blackmail him about it. JiYong pouted and SeungRi laughed, kissing the pout away.
“So what did YoungBae-hyung say about the song?” asked SeungRi, reaching under the table for his bag of Smarties, which JiYong immediately helped himself to a handful of them. SeungRi rolled his eyes and accepted the Smartie that JiYong offered to his mouth.
SeungRi thought it was nice how perfectly everything had settled. SeungHyun and JiYong were best friends (no surprise there, they were both so childish) and of course JiYong was SeungHyun’s best customer. YoungBae and JiYong were perfect for each other, YoungBae producing and introducing JiYong into the music industry, JiYong’s songwriting and rapping skills giving YoungBae recognition as a producer as well. JiYong just seemed to fit perfectly into the life SeungRi had created here in America.
And of course, SeungRi’s new apartment fit the two of them perfectly. They even had a guest room where SeungHyun could crash in after a night of drinking and SeungRi going to retrieve him. SeungRi still worked at SeungHyun’s shop, more for fun than for money, and spent the rest of his time either hanging out with JiYong at the studio or studying. All in all, it was a perfect life for SeungRi.
“Bae thought it was nice… but that it would work better as a duet.” JiYong’s eyes gleamed. “He wondered if you’d be interested in singing with me.”
SeungRi’s eyes widened. “Me? Singing?!”
JiYong laughed and shrugged. “Apparently, Bae’s heard you singing in the shower enough times to think you’ve got talent. So what do you say?”
“I don’t know…” SeungRi trailed off indecisively. JiYong grinned.
“Great! Let’s go then! Bae’s waiting for us at the studio!” JiYong raced around the counter and pulled SeungRi’s hand, urging him to the door.
“But wait! I’m still working! I can’t just leave,” protested SeungRi.
“It’s okay. I’ve already cleared it with SeungHyun.”
“You mean you’re going to make me go anyway and tell him later.”
JiYong shrugged. “Pretty much.”
SeungRi sighed. JiYong was probably right. It was going to be okay.
AN: I'm quite proud at how this turned out ^^ More than I can say for my other fic. Can you believe I started a drabble... and it's at 3000 words? Why do I keeo writing such long fics?! And I have a series to be posted as well!