happiness

⋆ 𐙚 ̊.CHAPTER 32✶⋆.˚

🇽​​🇴​, ​🇪​​🇻​​🇪​​🇱​​🇾​​🇳

The golden sun of Los Angeles bathed the city in a warm, honeyed glow as Evelyn and Minho strolled down the busy streets, hand in hand. The past few weeks had been a whirlwind—a storm of chaos, confrontation, and finally, justice. But now, things were settling down. For the first time in a long time, Evelyn felt... free. And Minho? He was right beside her, where he belonged.

"You sure you're ready for this?" Minho teased as they neared the café where they were supposed to meet Q and Kitty. "Kitty's gonna interrogate us like an FBI agent, and Q? He might just throw a party in the middle of the street."

Evelyn chuckled, squeezing his hand. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

As soon as they stepped inside the café, they didn't even have a chance to look around before—

"EVELYN! MINHO!"

A blur of energy crashed into them, nearly knocking them over. Evelyn let out a small yelp before realizing it was Kitty, hugging her tight like she hadn't seen her in a decade.

"You guys are here! Finally!" Kitty squealed, stepping back and dramatically placing a hand over her heart. "You have no idea how hard it was for me to wait without spamming your phones every two seconds."

"More like every five minutes," Q corrected, grinning as he pulled Minho into a handshake-turned-hug. "Damn, dude, it's been too long."

Minho smirked, wrapping an arm around Evelyn's shoulders. "Yeah, I had to babysit this one for a while. She's a handful, you know?"

Evelyn elbowed him playfully. "I am not."

Q gasped. "Wait, wait, hold up. Are you guys actually together now?"

Kitty practically vibrated with excitement. "I KNEW IT! I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!" She smacked Q's arm. "Didn't I say it? Didn't I call it? I should be a professional matchmaker!"

"Kitty, you are a matchmaker," Q reminded her with a laugh.

Evelyn just smiled, leaning into Minho. "Yes, we're together. And yes, you were right, Kitty. As always."

Kitty gasped dramatically, wiping fake tears from her eyes. "I am so proud of you two."

"Okay, let's grab a table before Kitty starts crying for real," Q said, guiding them toward a cozy corner.

For the next few hours, the four of them caught up on everything, memories from KISS, the drama that unfolded since they left, and, of course, Minho and Evelyn's chaotic love story. They laughed until their stomachs hurt, reminisced about their school days, and promised that no matter how busy life got, they would always make time for each other.

As the sun began to set, casting a soft golden hue over LA, Minho took Evelyn's hand under the table, intertwining their fingers. She looked up at him, her heart swelling with warmth.

As the sky outside dimmed into hues of soft pink and orange, the four friends reluctantly left the café, still buzzing from laughter and endless conversation.

"This was fun," Q said, stretching his arms. "We should do this more often."

Kitty nodded enthusiastically. "Absolutely! Next time, let's do a proper trip, maybe Seoul? Or Paris?"

Minho smirked. "Paris? Are you paying?"

Kitty rolled her eyes. "Ugh, Minho, let me dream!"

Evelyn chuckled, squeezing Kitty's hand. "We'll make it happen, I promise."

They said their goodbyes, with Kitty hugging Evelyn extra tight, whispering, "You deserve this happiness." Q gave Minho a knowing look, which Minho ignored with a scoff.

As their friends walked away, Minho turned to Evelyn. "So... what now, princess?"

She smiled up at him. "Let's go watch the sunset."

They drove out to a quiet lake, away from the city's noise. The world around them was peaceful, with only the soft rustling of leaves and the gentle lapping of water against the shore. The sky was breathtaking—a masterpiece of golds, purples, and deep reds, reflecting beautifully on the water's surface.

Minho spread out his jacket on the grass, and they both sat down, their shoulders touching.

"You always wanted to see a perfect sunset," he murmured.

Evelyn exhaled softly, watching as the last bit of the sun dipped beneath the horizon. "Yeah... and I think this is it."

Minho looked at her instead of the sky. "I think you're it."

Evelyn turned to him, her heart skipping a beat. The way he was looking at her, like she was the most precious thing in the world, made her feel breathless.

For a moment, they just stared at each other, the tension thick, their unspoken emotions lingering between them. Minho slowly reached up, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face, his fingers lingering against her cheek.

"Can I kiss you?" he whispered, his voice barely audible.

Evelyn felt her entire world slow down. She didn't need to think, didn't need to hesitate.

She nodded in small and leaned in. 

Minho closed the gap between them, capturing her lips in the softest, most tender kiss. It wasn't rushed or hesitant, it was perfect like they had waited forever for this moment. His hands cradled her face, his thumb gently caressing her cheek as he deepened the kiss, pouring every unsaid word, every unspoken promise into it.

When they finally pulled away, Evelyn's eyes fluttered open, her heart racing. Minho rested his forehead against hers, a lazy, love-drunk smile on his lips.

"Well," he said, breathless. "That was overdue."

Evelyn laughed, nudging his nose with hers. "Yeah... but it was worth the wait."

Minho grinned before pulling her into another kiss, the sky above them darkening into a sea of stars.

And in that moment, with the world quiet around them, Evelyn knew—this was love. A love that would stay, no matter what.

This was happiness.

This was home.

THE END

ruka: 

JAFHLUAWHFUYWHUHU I'M SO SORRY I REALLY RUSHED THE END BUT I HAD NO IDEA WHAT TO WRITE. Honestly, I lost motivation and I tend to do that often. Y'all can tell from the delay in updates but phew, this is finally over. and I really don't like how I ended this. like the plot wasn't engaging enough. i need a lot of experience and practice. I'll try to write more books from now on and improve my skills. I've been writing fan fiction since 2020. And since then, I have improved a LOT, like A LOT. If I read my old stories now, I'll probably cringe at them haha. 

This is the first book that I completed writing. So, I'm kinda proud of myself for not giving up, but that doesn't excuse my writer's block. phew.. 

okay BYE.