chapter 7.5 - finale

Roses, plushies, and paper planes come raining down. You pull away beaming, heart bursting with joy. Hand-in-hand, you take a bow, waving to the crowd as you catch your breath.

"y/n, you were so amazing," Mark exemplifies as the two of you exit the ice. Everything passed by so fast. Months of hard work and roller coaster emotions accumulated to the last five minutes, over before you knew it.

"Me? Look at you, mister hockey. I'm so amazed at you," you commend.

As you enter the hall again, you are met with congratulations and praise from teammates and Mark's many admirers. Although the Lovelee's may have been banished already, the crowd of cooing girls never went away.

"You were so good, Mark"

"Yeah, totally, Mark. That was so hot"

Your day was far too great for you to be annoyed at their blunt flirtatious attempts (despite your obvious presence by his side). Before Mark could muster out a flustered 'thank you', you decide to rip off the band aid.

"He says thank you!"

With no intention of hearing their replies, you lead him further down to where your friends told you they'd be to meet you.

"y/n". Coach Tanya makes herself known.

"Coach!". You bow to her.

Much to your surprise, when you come up, the older woman pulls you into a firm hug. Your shock is apparent at the warm gesture and you hesitate before hugging her back. Never has she ever expressed anything more than terse compliments to you before. This is like drinking ice water on a hot day.

"That was absolutely excellent, y/n," Tanya pulls away to shake hands with your boyfriend, "and you, Mark is it? You were wonderful for a beginner".

"Thank you ma'am". He nods politely.

"But y/n," your coach turns back to you, "I am stunned at your artistry. The emotion, the technique, you're one of my best. How would you like to go to nationals in the spring?".

Your hand shoots up to cover your gaping mouth. Tears spring to your eyes and you nod vigorously to confirm your obvious answer to Tanya's question.

"No way!" Yuna's voice sounds from behind your coach's figure. The blonde emerges shortly after, followed quickly by the rest of the gang. The boys waste no time in tackling Mark with congratulations and sharp jabs at his 'dumbass' hairstyle.

"You're here!". You wrap your best friend in an excited hug. "Coach is sending me to nationals!".

Lisa and Hope join in squealing as the four of you hop up and down at the news.

Tanya chuckles at the scene, "Yes, indeed. And it looks like you're getting a lot better, Yuna. That's a relief".

"I don't care what the doctor says, I'm gonna make sure I'm on the ice again one day," Yuna attests.

Coach Tanya leaves you to celebrate as your parents and Uncle Joe come bearing flowers. Many pictures and one uncomfortable interrogation from your parents for Mark later, you get changed and go out to enjoy the rest of the winter festival with your friends.

The results of the competition are to be announced at the end of the night and you elect to not worry about the outcome. What you've earned from this journey is more than money could buy. Anything that happens after... happens. You'll always find a way to make it through and have a great time doing it too.

All bundled up, you hop around the food trucks lining the city streets. Every restaurant in Seoul seemingly sent all their best foods for the festival: spicy rice cakes and burgers to lava cakes and hot cocoa. Live music creates a perfect ambiance to take away all the tension from the day.

The night sky is pitch black, but the whole city campus bustles with life. You swear you've seen this exact scenery in a Hallmark Christmas movie - all the cars and buildings wear their fluffy white snow caps, the sparkle of fairy lights in trees reflecting off their glass windows. Nobody better cut the cameras because it's pure magic.

"Guys they're having fireworks on the roof of the science building. We can watch them announce the competition winners from there too, let's go!," Haechan pleads with a mouth full of steaming fish cakes.

"What do you say, you want to?," Mark asks you, brushing a bit of sauce off the corner of your mouth with his thumb.

"Sounds great," you smile. Fireworks are always a win.

You weave your way through the crowded street together, heading up the hidden stairwell only students would know to reach the designated rooftop. The whole time you can't help but let your eyes linger on Jeno and Lisa's interlocked fingers. The sight sure brings a smirk to your face, but man are you not used to it.

Mark notices your fixed gaze, following it to the odd couple's joined hands. Snickering, he nudges you to stop staring.

"Sorry, it's just so... unexpected," you whisper to him as you head towards the rooftop railing to overlook the campus.

"I know, I didn't see it coming either," Mark agrees, tossing an arm over your shoulders as you moon over the breathtaking city line. Your breath makes clouds in the cold, winter air, but you feel warm as ever inside.

Out in the horizon, each blinking, twinkling light is a person living their life. Thousands of stories all at once, blissfully unique and their own. They're different colors and intensities, some are from windows and some from cars. Overhead, an airplane soars on by. In reality, they're moving at an incredible speed. But from where you admire, the little red wing lights inch on by, slow to leave your sight.

The world is full, so full. What looks like a tiny red light is a plane full of people and what must look like a speck of gold to them is the whole city of Seoul gathered together. Everything is different when you understand perspective, you realize, and it becomes so much more meaningful.

"Hey, I think that's the dean! He's gonna announce the winners of the skating competition!," Hope taps you excitedly from your other side.

"Oh my god it's happening". You grab her hand and shake it around.

Mark's grip tightens around you as the Seoul University dean steps in front of a podium set up in the school yard. A crowd gathers around, excited whispers travelling all the way up to your rooftop perch. The microphone screeches with feedback causing everyone to groan and cover their ears.

"Sounds like Haechan's singing voice," Mark whispers under his breath.

"I heard that!," the younger boy retorts indignantly.

You bite back your laughter as the dean begins to speak.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for coming out this cold night to celebrate what Seoul University is about: unity and...,"

"Blah blah blah - tell us who won!," Yuna whisper-yells, exasperated.

"You're so hot when you're bratty," Ten coos.

"I know".

This couple I swear. I'm trying to be nervous, but I can't even do that when I'm laughing.

"... first annual skating competition here at Seoul University. Our students not only excel in academics, but hold a variety of astounding talents as you folks may have seen tonight at the University rink. Each student did a phenomenal job preparing for this competition, so let's give a round of applause for all the skaters who performed tonight and the staff who made it happen!"

You clap your hands together nervously, bouncing slightly at the knee to fight the cold.

"One pair, by your vote, will be winning a grand prize of ten thousand dollars for their exceptional performance. After I announce the winners, we will wrap up the night with our famous annual firework show!".

The crowd whoops and cheers excitedly.

"Without further ado, by popular vote, the winners of the first annual Seoul University skating competition are...," the dean slits open a closed envelope, unfurling the contained page with excruciating tardiness. Pausing for dramatic effect, the excitement builds in the air, "y/n and Mark Lee!".

Your names ring triumphantly through the whole city as you're immediately crushed by seven hugs.

The festival-goers roar in congratulations and you can't hold back the tears of joy that spring into your eyes. Jumping up and down, your friends surround you in a cocoon of screaming and yelling.

Mark snatches you up, pulling you into his arms and twirling you around. Pressing a frenzy of kisses all over your face, you squeal in disbelief as he sets you down.

"You did it!," he yells, sandwiching your cheeks between his hands.

"No, WE did it!," you yell back, jumping up and hugging him close. Your friends waste no time to shuffle into a group hug, enveloping you like a love-flavored bao.

"y/n! No fucking way! Actually, we all saw it coming," Yuna smacks your butt as an I-told-you-so gesture. You don't even mind right now.

"I can't believe it," you cry into Mark's fuzzy, black coat, "I can't believe it. I- this means I can come back to school next semester".

"Hell fucking yeah you can," Haechan whoops.

The freezing air is knocked out of your body as a firework cracks across the sky, the booming sound resonating deep in your bones. Everyone's attention is turned towards the brilliant shower of purples and pinks as they light up the darkened sky.

Mark sets you down, swiping his sleeves carefully over your cheeks to catch your fallen tears.

"My baby, always crying," he jokes softly. You breathe out a short laugh as you sniff down your running nose. "But they're happy tears, right?".

"The happiest," you nod, resting your ear to his chest as the two of you marvel at the shimmering sky. An especially big firework sets off, smaller ones following all around, drawing awed gasps from all who see.

"I love you," you mumble.

"I love you too," Mark hushes into your hair.

"I love this. I love today. I love this school. I love Yuna. I love Hope. I love Lisa. I love Jeno and Haechan. I love my parents and Uncle Joe. I love Coach Tanya and I love skating".

You pause your rapid-fire declaration as you turn to face him. In his eyes, you can see the whole firework show.

"I love these fireworks and I love everyone who came to see us skate. I loved meeting you all those months ago by the basketball courts and I loved getting hit on at Yangyang's party so we had our almost-first kiss by the lake". You choke back a happy sob as you continue.

Mark has his eyes closed with a wide smile spread across his lips as he recollects the memories.

"I love going to church with you and I love when you pick me up from work. I love how you always zip up my jacket without asking and how you never wake me up early in the mornings because you know how much I hate it. You're always there for me, Mark Lee".

Fresh tears dribble down your chin and although he remains in pensive silence, shining streaks adorn his face too. You don't notice it, but your friends have stepped back to let you have a private moment.

"Oh, y/n". Mark's voice comes out thick, swallowing back tears. His hand caresses at your face and it's ever so warm. Moments pass before he's able to continue. "Always".

And you don't need a fairy tale narrator to tell you that his promise is true for you to believe it with your whole heart. You're here with him, fireworks all around, and it's as true as the plane in the sky and the lights in the horizon. You're surrounded by friends, new and old, and most importantly, friends who are here to stick around.

You were wrong in the beginning: this wasn't a story about how two souls come together.

It wasn't only two, you see. It was you and Mark and all your friends and the professors you say 'thank you' to after class and the man who sells you green tea in the morning. It's your parents and Uncle Joe and the stranger girl who fell in love with your skating tonight, sure to beg her parents for a pair of skates. The first of many.

It's all of them and so much more.

And god, you're so in love with who they've shaped you to be.