Chapter 13: The Turning Point (With a Twist of Fun)

Days passed after their heart-to-heart in the park, and things between Emma and Jae started to feel a little less heavy. The tension that had once settled over their relationship started to lift. They had faced the truth—both of them were in love, and nothing was going to stop them from being together. But that didn't mean their love story was going to be some fairy tale without a few bumps along the way.

It was a quiet afternoon when Emma's phone buzzed, and she nearly dropped it in surprise. It was from Jae. She had been waiting for him to make the first move after their last conversation, but she hadn't expected it to come so soon.

"Meet me at the park. I need to talk to you," the message read.

Emma's eyebrows shot up. "We just talked last night! What now?"

But she didn't waste time overthinking it. She grabbed her jacket, her shoes, and her sense of curiosity, and hurried to meet him.

When Emma reached their usual spot by the fountain, she saw Jae standing there, nervously pacing. But he wasn't alone. A group of his friends from the band were also present, hiding behind a bench and peeking around corners. Emma raised an eyebrow.

"Jae?" she called out, confused.

He turned around, his face a mix of seriousness and... panic? She'd never seen him like this before.

"Emma! I—uh, I need to tell you something important," Jae started, his voice shaking slightly. "And I wanted to do it right, you know? Like... dramatic."

Emma's eyes widened. "Jae, what are you talking about? Are you okay?"

"Of course! I'm totally fine!" he said with a nervous chuckle. "I just... well, I've been thinking about us a lot lately. About our future. About... how I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Emma blinked. "Wait, what? Are you—"

Before she could finish, Jae suddenly dropped to one knee, much to Emma's surprise (and the amusement of his bandmates hiding in the background). Her heart skipped a beat. "Are you serious right now?" she asked, not sure if this was real or if Jae was just messing around.

"Absolutely," he said, looking up at her with wide, goofy eyes. "Emma, I've spent months trying to keep my emotions in check, but here's the thing: I've realized I'm the most ridiculous guy in the world. I love you more than I love... Kimchi—and that's saying something! Will you marry me, Emma? Even though I'm a complete disaster?"

Emma looked around, seeing his bandmates trying to stifle their laughter. "Are you kidding me? This is how you propose?" she said, pointing to the men who were now doing a very bad job of hiding behind the bench.

"I'm not kidding," Jae said, looking earnest despite the awkwardness of the moment. "I may not have a perfect plan, but I've got perfect love. So, what do you say? Will you be my... very imperfect wife?"

At this, Emma burst out laughing. She had never imagined a proposal like this—chaotic, a little silly, and yet, exactly what she needed. The tension that had lingered for so long melted away. She didn't want anything extravagant or over-the-top. She just wanted him, the real, imperfect, ridiculous Jae.

"Is this how you usually propose? With a crowd of your bandmates spying on us?" she asked through fits of giggles.

"Normally, yes," Jae admitted, standing up with a grin. "But I thought this one was special. And you're the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Emma looked at him for a moment, and her heart swelled with affection. She had always known that Jae was a little unpredictable, but in this moment, it made her love him even more. She grabbed his hand, pulling him toward her.

"Well," she said, "I guess if you can't even get a proposal right, you'll need someone to keep you in line."

Jae's eyes sparkled with mischief. "You're saying yes, then?"

"I guess I am," she said, laughing. "You're a mess, Jae. But you're my mess."

And with that, the awkwardness melted away entirely. The bandmates, who had been hiding like little children, jumped out from behind the bench and cheered, shouting congratulations.

As the group celebrated, Emma turned to Jae, still smiling from ear to ear. "You know, I had this image in my head of what a proposal would be like. But this... this was way better."

"I'm glad you think so," Jae said, his grin matching hers. "I figured we should start our life together with a bang, even if it's a little weird. Besides, I'm not sure I'd ever be able to pull off something normal anyway."

"True," Emma agreed. "But it's perfect for us."

The group of bandmates gathered around, making jokes, offering playful teasing, and even pretending to be overly dramatic about the "big moment." It was loud, chaotic, and totally unexpected—but it was theirs. A moment full of love, laughter, and the promise of a future that was just as messy and beautiful as their relationship.

And just like that, the worries of the past seemed to fade. Emma and Jae were no longer hiding in the shadows. The proposal, though unconventional, was the beginning of something new. They were ready to face whatever came next, as long as they were together.

"You know," Emma said as they walked off, hand in hand, "If this is how you propose, I can't wait to see how you handle the wedding planning."

"Oh, God," Jae groaned, "I'm not sure I'm ready for that kind of chaos."

"Well," Emma said, grinning up at him, "You better start preparing. But don't worry—I'll keep you in line."

Jae laughed, pulling her closer. "You're going to need a lot of patience."

"I think we both will," she replied, squeezing his hand.