Fate

9:15 AM.

“Welcome to Kwangya Jewelries! How may I help you, sir?” A woman with short black hair greets you from behind the counter.

“Hey there, I’m looking for a gift for my girlfriend.”

“Oh, we have plenty of great choices here. Do you know what her preferences are?”

"Hmm, she loves the color black… and simple designs, I think. Sorry, I don’t know much about jewelry.” you answered while scratching the back of your neck and letting out a nervous chuckle.

“It’s alright, sir. Follow me.“ She then leads you to a section in the store.

Ranging from necklaces to rings, you were amazed at how the store had such graceful and heirloom-quality types of jewelry. As you look at each one of the accessories displayed, your mind tries to imagine how your girlfriend would look with them. But, no matter what, she would still look pretty in every single one of them.

"Having a hard time sir?” The woman asked.

“Uhh yeah…” She lets out a little giggle.

“Do you mind sharing any of her pictures? I could recommend some choices for you that way.”

You were a little hesitant to show her your girlfriend’s pictures because of her reputation as an idol. Although, you won’t get that far if you choose to stay passive. So, you had to put your trust in her since you were unsure of your girlfriend’s preferences.

“Sure, but could you please keep this on the down-low?”

“Of course.”

You took out your phone from your pocket to search for a good picture to show to the woman. Stumbling across a beautiful selfie of her, you decided that it was the one.

“Here.” You show your phone screen to the woman, making her eyes widen in shock.

“This is…” She looked at you, who quickly placed a finger on the lips, hinting at her to keep this a secret. “…I see. Give me a minute, sir.”

She then looks through the several glass display cases, trying to find some choices for you to pick out. Eventually, she laid out three different accessories in their separate boxes in front of you on a glass table.

“I think these would fit well to her liking. Have a look.”

The first one on your left was a gold necklace with a cable-like design on its chain and a shiny black or almost like a gray heart pendant. For the middle one, it was a white gold ring that holds a purely black type of gemstone. The last one was a rose gold-plated bangle featuring a black pave moon and star motif. Indecisiveness takes over your mind as you were stunned by the excellent choices that she had picked out.

“So, what do you think?”

“You picked out some great options, all of these would be perfect for her.”

You continued to wander your eyes between each of them. Your brain was working on overdrive, trying to come up with the final decision of your purchase. Out of the blue, your eyes were glued upon the necklace for a while.

“This necklace is one of our latest designs. The pendant is made out of spinel, one of the rarest minerals on earth. Specially designed to fit the younger generation’s taste. It’s a little pricey, but it’s a worthwhile purchase for a lady like her.” The woman explained as she realized that your attention was on the aforementioned necklace.

Your fingers were on your chin and your upper teeth bit your lower lip gently, thinking whether or not this necklace was the one. After fighting back and forth with your thoughts, you sighed deeply, finally coming up with a decision.

“Alright, I’m getting the necklace.”

“A splendid choice indeed sir. Let’s go back to the counter to make the purchase.”

After confirming the authenticity of the jewelry and completing the transaction of your purchase, atlast, you can sigh in relief as the woman hands you a bag with the black box containing the necklace.

“Thank you so much, Miss…”

“Minjeong.” She completes your sentence, letting you know her name.

“Minjeong… Thank you for helping me out.”

“No problem, sir. I hope she’ll love the gift!”

“I hope so too. Thanks again and have a great day!” You were about to turn around and walk out of the store, but you suddenly thought of a plan. “Uhh, Miss Minjeong?”

“Yes sir?”

“If it’s not too much for me to ask, would you… reserve the ring for me?” You asked, making Minjeong smile as she knew the purpose of the task.

“Of course, sir.”

7:00 PM.

As you were waiting for your girlfriend to dress up for the birthday dinner, you browse through the Instagram app on your phone while humming to a song that you’ve been into nowadays.

“Honey, I’m ready!” Your girlfriend suddenly calls out.

“Finally, it felt like fore—ver…”

Hwang Yeji was beautiful as always, but this time it felt different. Her orange hair was tied up into a high ponytail with some hair left to be the side bangs. Although you would prefer it to be free, it doesn’t stop you from admiring her gorgeous features. Matching her white milky skin with a cute gray dress that you bought for her on Valentine’s Day, she was making your mouth open wide, truly astonished by her visuals. The infamous cat-like eyes then formed a crescent and the light pink lips smiled as the woman that took your heart walked closer towards you, making your heart beat faster than normal.

“How do I look?” Yeji asked and did a little twirl in front of you, showcasing her outfit fully. The scent of her favorite perfume lingers in the air.

Deciding that no words were needed to answer her question, both of your hands sneaked up to her waist to drive her body closer to yours. Yeji was a bit surprised at your act but quickly succumbed to it as your head leaned down to give her a deep kiss.

“You look so beautiful.” you said after you pulled away from the kiss and were greeted by the sight of Yeji smiling ear to ear while slightly blushing.

“Thank you. You’re not so bad yourself.“ Yeji said and fixed the collar of your dress shirt, then wrapped her arms around your neck before kissing you again.

"Alright alright, let’s go now, or else we’re gonna be late.”

You promptly hold onto Yeji’s hand in which she returns it happily. After putting on a face mask, both of you then leave the door of your shared apartment to head to a restaurant that is just a five-minute walk away.

Thank god that it was a Wednesday, which meant that there were fewer people around the area of your apartment. Now with both of your arms linked together, you both went through countless stores and buildings along the way to the restaurant. Yeji’s head was resting on your left shoulder the entire time, showing you how clingy and adorable she can be even under her mask.

Before entering the restaurant, Yeji looked a bit hesitant as she held onto your arms tighter as you were about to grab the door’s handle.

“What’s wrong honey?” you asked her.

“T-There’s a lot of people here… I’m just afraid that we’re gonna get noticed.”