In Another Life: Han Ji Pyeong's Happy Ending (Start Up)

Chapter 22: Double Rainbow

Ji Pyeong's POV

As I pull away from Dal mi, our eyes meet and we break into a smile. Her eyes shine brightly at me with a plethora of emotion. They reflect the glow in my own eyes as I gaze upon her with affection. Someone has given me the key to unlock this door and now, I finally can love her freely and as much as I want. I wrap her in my arms.

"Oh my, you're so cold." I say, slightly shocked. I touch her cheek tenderly with my hand and feel the coolness of her skin. Her clothes are damp from the rain.

"You shouldn't have run in the rain." I say softly and take off my jacket to wrap around her.

"You're not exactly the driest." Dal mi laughs as she pulls my jacket around herself.

"Come on, you need to get out of your wet clothes." I say as I take her hand and we head to the car.

~

"The washroom is over there." I direct her to the washroom when we reach my place. "And here, change into this." I say as I pass her a spare change of my own clothes.
"I'm already so warm." Dal mi grins as she holds my hands. "You're so warm." She says happily as she leans into me. A smile breaks across my face as I wrap my arm around her.

"Aigoo, why are you so cute?" I laugh as I plant a small kiss on her forehead. All I want to do is kiss her and be close to her.

"But you still need to change, if not you'll catch a cold." I nag.

"Okay." Dal mi says and runs off to the washroom.

I start preparing the pine nut kalguksu that Dal mi had given to me.

"Boil for ten minutes." I mutter, as I read the instructions that she wrote on the post-it. I find myself smiling even at her neat handwriting. I'm silly with happiness. I'm overcome with the fluttering of my heart.
"Ah, I miss her already." I laugh as I watch the noodles on the stove, while peering towards the direction of the washroom every once in a while.

"This is hilarious." I hear Dal mi laugh as she steps out. A smile cracks across my face as I see her.

"Wah, am I that tall? How is it that my t-shirt looks like a dress on you?" I laugh with amusement as I portion the noodles into two bowls.

"I could be a dancing corn, look." Dal mi says as she puts my arms into the t-shirt and starts swaying from side to side. I almost drop the bowls of noodles in my hand as I laugh.

"Come on, eat while the kalguksu are still hot." I say in between laughter.

"Oh? What is this? Pine nut kalguksu?" Dal mi says happily. "Great! I'm so hungry." She says hungrily as she sits down. "Who would've thought it would take so much strength and energy to find you? Until I'm so hungry, I could eat a horse." Dal mi says cheekily. I throw my head back in laughter.

"To find me?" I laugh, pretending to be in disbelief. "Wah, to think I went all the way to Seonju to get your letter." I say jokingly.

"Orh why do you feel bad you had to go all the way there?" Dal mi asks me jokingly.

"Of course not." I smile as I reach forward and stroke her cheek gently. "I would go to Seonju a million, billion times if it meant it led me to you." I say gently. I mix one of the bowls of pine nut kalguksu and give it to Dal mi.

"Ji pyeong," Dal mi says. "Did you really go to Gapyeong that day to eat this?" She asks.

I smile as I shake my head.

"No, this is my first time trying them, in fact." I say as I take a bite of kalguksu.

"Oh my..." I say as I feel the flavours dance along my tongue. The creaminess coats my mouth and the taste of pine nuts is simply divine. I look into the sauce with amazement.

"This is amazing." I exclaim as I toss the noodles around in the bowl, peering at the sauce. "There are no pine nuts in this... but I can taste it! The pine nut flavour is really so good!" I say, taking another bite hungrily. Dal mi smiles at me.

"Really? Is it that good?" Dal mi asks as she takes a bite. As she takes her first mouthful, she pauses and her eyes grow wide.
"It's good, isn't it?" I laugh in amusement as I watch her expression.

"Wah, it's amazing." Dal mi says as she polishes off her bowl. Laughing, I reach forward to wipe a splotch of sauce from the corner of her mouth.

"Slowly, you'll get indigestion." I laugh softly.

~

Dal mi and I are nestled in the couch. We are wrapped in a thick blanket and a warm atmosphere of pure happiness. Dal mi rests her head against the space between my shoulder and arm. My arm wraps protectively against her.
"Do you remember," Dal mi starts. "The letter where I wrote about how I saw a double rainbow?" She asks me.

"Yes, why?" I say as I stroke the loose strands of her hair,

"You know, they say it's very rare to see a double rainbow. It's almost a 0.16 chance. So if you see one, it means you're very lucky and that one of your wishes would come true." Dal mi says thoughtfully.

"Did you make a wish?" I ask her.

"Yes."

"What did you wish for?" I ask her.

"I wished that I could find you." Dal mi says and looks up at me. Her eyes are bright. They draw me in. Each time I gaze upon her, I feel myself falling all over again. My heart flutters. How did I ever get so lucky?

"I wished that you would be by my side and I would never feel lonely ever again. Because you are here, with me." She says. I smile at her, feeling emotion bubble up in me.

"And it came true." I whisper. Dal mi smiles as I kiss her forehead briefly. She buries her face in my chest.

"I'm so happy. I'm so happy, I can't believe it. Is this a dream?" She asks.

"It's not. It's real. I'm here, you're here." I say sweetly. Dal mi pinches her cheeks.

"Ah, that hurts." She laughs and rubs her cheeks. I can't contain my laughter.

"Why would you do that? Does it hurt?" I laugh, stroking her cheek.

"Ji pyeong," Dal mi says she studies my face. "I really love your dimples." She says.

"What?" I laugh as my hand instinctively reaches up to my face.

"It means you're happy. It means you're smiling. I want to keep seeing your dimples." Dal mi says affectionately as she traces my dimples with her finger.

I feel like I'm over the clouds. It doesn't feel like I'm grounded to the earth. My heart is spinning with joy. Dal mi is right, this is like a beautiful dream. A dream that is now my reality.

"You will. I can't stop smiling when I'm around you." I say, absolutely dizzy with happiness and head over heels for the girl in my arms.