Pay With Your Heart

515 Making It Official

Eun-Sun was stunned and utterly astonished as she stood fixated on the spot — too dazed to blink or wrap her head around what was happening. She raised her eyes to the portraits again.

This... this was all Dan-Han’s doing. It was her man’s doing.

It was his handwriting, and only he could do something like this. Only he could move mountains, pluck out stars from the sky to make her feel this way.

She lowered her eyes to the card one more time and read the beautiful lines he had written just for her, but it still felt surreal.

She glanced at Hei-Ran, who was still grinning at her, an indication that all these weren’t figments of her imagination and that it was all truly happening.

Her gaze shifted to the beautifully framed pictures that lined either sides of the walls like a exhibition room, each capturing different moments she must have spent with him, yet had no idea of.

She wasn’t sure if it were the lights behind the frames that made her look beautiful, or if she was truly that beautiful. But one thing she knows, Dan-Han makes her feel beautiful.

In each picture, she looked happy, even more than she had ever thought she was. There were pictures her asleep and even in those, she looked peaceful and happy.

When did he take all these pictures of her? She mused as she looked around.

.....

Eun-Sun followed the long line of portraits till she arrived a spacious room, magically decorated with flowers and balloons, and there were also more photos of her hanging all round. But what truly had her stunned were the people smiling and waving at her as they screamed, ‘Surprise and happy birthday!!’

Eun-Sun was thunderstruck as she stood frozen.

Her eyes coursed around the room and across all their faces. Every person she had been wanting to spend the day with was there. Her mom, dad, Mi-Cha, Ni-Na, In-Ha.... everyone was there except him.

“Happy birthday, my angel.” Sena and Ki-Jun walked up to her with blinding smiles and pulled her into a tight hug.

“I’m so happy we get to share this day with you.” Sena sniffed, trying to pull back the tears pricking her eyes, but she couldn’t.

She was overwhelmed with joy and gratitude— gratitude for being blessed with an opportunity to have her daughter back and to share in her joy as she experience one of the best moments of her life.

“Honey, you’re going to ruin the flowers.” Ki-Jun said to Sena when she kept hugging Eun-Sun so tightly.

“Oh,” Sena gasped and quickly pulled away, while Eun-Sun giggled.

“Here,” Sena handed over a rose and card to Eun-Sun. “I love you, honey.” She said, once again fighting the tears in her eyes, that couldn’t be reined, so she let them fall.

“I love you too, mom.” Eun-Sun softly smiled at her, but her voice filled with so much emotions. “And you too, dad.” She said turning to Ki-Jun, who handed over his rose and card, and dropped a kiss on her forehead before steering Sena away, so others could do the same.

Eun-Sun looked over at the cards and there were two more reasons handwritten by him. They read...

‘You make life worth living and love so easy. I love you eternally.’

‘Every moment spent with you is like a beautiful dream come true.’ The other card read, and at this point Eun-Sun eyes were gleaming with tears. Her eyes eagerly darted around in search for him. She wanted to see him already, but where was he?

Her gaze toured around the beautifully decorated room, but her search for him was interrupted as the others came one after the other and handed her their cards and flowers. Each happy smiling and wishing her a happy birthday.

Everyone in the room had a rose and a card for her, even Dan-Han’s father. He didn’t smile like the others, but the warmth in his eyes were impossible to miss.

Unlike the others who had given her cards and flowers, he also gave her a small pouch. “That’s from me.” He said and walked away after giving her a gentle pat on the arm. She looked at the pouch as she wondered what was in it.

She felt it and the content seemed like a key, but Eun-Sun wasn’t opportune to confirm it before Ni-Na hopped in and pulled her into a bear hug.

“What have you done to my brother, sister-in-law? He’s so cheesy.” She chirped with delight.

“Where is he?” Eun-Sun asked, finally glad to have someone she could ask and was sure would provide her with an answer. The others had just evasively smiled at her and gave her no answers.

Her heart was in a race and all she longed for was to see him, hold him and kiss him, and tell him, he was the best gift life could ever offer her.

Ni-Na smiled as she brushed a hand down Eun-Sun’s hair to smoothen it. “He’s here, but he wants you to see this first.” She said and as if on cue, Mi-Cha brought a chair for her which they made her sit.

Eun-Sun looked around confusedly as she wondered what was going. Her heart raced with excitement and anticipation of what else he had in store for her, and she swivelled her head towards the large television screen when she heard familiar voices coming from it.

It was her parents, rather a pre-recorded clip of them and they were talking to her.

“It was twenty-six years ago when we first heard we were going to have a little angel. A little miracle.” Sena said with a reminiscient smile which touched her eyes.

“That had been the best news of our lives, because we had waited seven years to hear it. Seven years we prayed for a miracle, and just when we thought we were never going to get lucky, you came, Kim Eun-Sun.”

“You rocked our world and everyday we watched you grow into a little fighter. Your first kick had been so painful, but it was the happiest thing I had experienced and we kept late nights waiting to see you do it again.”

“And it took you three whole days just for a kick.” Ki-Jun gestured the number with his fingers, and Sena chuckled, while everyone in the room laughed at they also listened with her.

“But it was worth the wait. You were worth all the wait, my love.” Sena said with confident and happy smile, like she couldn’t be more convinced of that detail.

“Yes, you are.” Ki-Jun affirmed with a smile of his own. He held Sena’s hand when she suddenly began to sniff and sob.

They watched a tear roll down Sena’s face as her voice broke. “Honey, I’m sorry for all the years we’ve spent apart, for all the birthdays we’ve missed and for every moments of your life we couldn’t be a part of. We... we’re truly sorry.” Sena apologized and Ki-Jun pulled her into his arms to console her when her tears kept falling, but the sadness were also evident in his eyes.

Sena looked up to the camera after calming down for a while. “Honey, we promise to always be here for you now. We’re going to share in every joy and sadness you have from henceforth, and I pray there are never any sad days for you. We’re going to support you and love you everyday of our lives, because we truly love you from the bottom of our hearts, and we pray you have the best out of life and love. I love you, sunshine, very much.” Sena said with tears rolling down her eyes.

“Me too darling. Daddy loves you too.” Ki-Jun said after Sena.

Eun-Sun’s eyes were hazed with tears, so much she didn’t know how much of it she had already shed. Her heart swelled so bad, she didn’t even know what to say. The tears glazing in her eyes freely fell as she turned towards her parents.

“I love you too.” She said amidst her tears.

Sena longed to walk over to her and hug her, but Ki-Jun placed his arm around her shoulders and held her back, so the event for the night could continue. He was certain, they’d both hug each other and cry all night long.

Eun-Sun returned her attention to the television and with teary eyes she resumed watching the recorded clips. There were many more messages from the people she loved, from Hei-Ran, from In-Ha, Mi-Cha, Ni-Na and even from Jae-Hyun, and everyone’s messages to her made her cry.

Eun-Sun had never had so many people say such nice things to her. She was so overwhelmed as these weren’t the kind of words she had grown up listening to. Although, Dan-Han had been trying to rewrite that, she still couldn’t help but compare.

And not to mention no one had ever really celebrated her or remembered her birthday, except for Hei-Ran and their childhood friend Ji-Sang. It was all so overwhelming.

Eun-Sun couldn’t help but burst out in tears. She couldn’t describe how she felt at the moment, but she all she wanted to do was cry.

She covered her face with her palms and cried into them, but she suddenly snapped her head up when she heard his voice.

“I thought you promised never to cry when I’m not around.” She heard him say and she opened her eyes to see him standing in front of her.

“Dan-Han,”

“My love,” Dan-Han replied, helping her to her feet. He gently wiped the tears off her face and Eun-Sun hopped into his arms and wrapped her arms around him, pressing her face against his chest.

“You did all these for me,” She muttered against his chest. “Thank you.” She said.

Dan-Han put his arms around her and hugged her close. “There’s no need to thank me. I’ll give you the whole world if I can.”

“You’re my whole world.” Eun-Sun replied tightening her hold around him, and snuggling even closer.

Dan-Han smiled at her words. “Then let’s make it official.” He said, slowly pulling away from her.

He reached for her face and wiped the remnant of tears off her face. He lowered his eyes his hand and Eun-Sun followed after him.

He stretched out a bouquet, which she happily received. She picked out the card in it and stared at Dan-Han.

“Open it,” He told her and Eun-Sun anxiously did, her heart beating hard and strong with excitement.

‘I can’t stop loving you because that’s my only chance at living. I’d wither and die with no you by side. I’d perish if I ever run out of your smiles, because they fill my lungs with air. You keep me living, my fairest of them all.’

Eun-Sun must have broken a dam in her eyes because tears were suddenly filling her eyes again, and they fell when Dan-Han suddenly went on one knee, as he held two boxes at hand. One was a ring box she had seen recently, and the other....she didn’t know, but it was bigger.

Dan-Han held it out to her. “In the last week, I’ve been writing these little notes and filling them in this box hoping to express how I feel about you, but sweetness, I realized words can’t truly define the way you make me feel, because everyday you show me a different side of your love and it’s enthralling, all of it.

And quickly realizing this, I decided I want to write you notes everyday. I want to show you the special feelings you give me every single day. I want to wake up at your side every morning, and leave a note by your side telling you how I’ve fallen in love with you again, and why you shouldn’t send me to work and just have me by your side. I want to spend my eternity with you, Eun-Sun. I want to love you, cherish you, take care of you, adore you and worship you because you’re my queen.” He said.

“I want to be your husband and father to all the angels you’ll give me. I want to be yours, now and forever, Kim Eun-Sun.” He flicked the ring box open with his thumb to reveal his mother’s ring, which he wanted her to have.

He briefly glanced at the ring and then at her beautiful face. “Marry me.” He said. “Marry me and make me the luckiest man alive.”

With no hesitation, Eun-Sun took the box of notes from his hand placed it on the chair she had been seated, before holding out her hand to him as she said, “Yes.”

Dan-Han smiled at her willingness to be with him. He pulled out the ring and slipped it on her ring finger.

Tears fell off Eun-Sun’s eyes as she leaned over and kissed him, ignoring the crowd of family and friends that went wild with excitement and clapping.

“I love you,” Dan-Han said as he rose to his feet and lifted her by the hips off the floor.

“I love you too, Dan-Han. Very much.” She told him.