Epilogue #2
Meanwhile, Wynter paced near the living room window, the keys to the night's big surprise clutched tightly in his hand.
Since the last Olympics, Wynter had gone into what his family was calling hibernation—he was taking time off the ice, being what Bae called a stay-at-home boyfriend, cheering on Yesoh at every turn.
The tabloids couldn't get enough of them: the Ice Prince with a tragic backstory and the small-town ballerina who defied the odds.
It was a story for generations. Recently they were on the cover of Sports Illustrated for a shoot that sold on the streets of Manhattan like hotcakes.
Bae lounged on the arm of the couch, scrolling through her phone in one of her signature designs—a bold, quirky jumpsuit that radiated authenticity. Business was booming for her lately, and she loved every minute of it.
"So, tell us everything," Sydney said, settling next to Bae with a curious gleam in her eyes. "Your shoujo-inspired store is blowing up, right? How did this even start?"
Bae grinned, tucking her hair behind her ear with a shrug.
"Honestly, it was a random idea at first. You know how I've always been obsessed with those over-the-top, cutesy romantic manga like Kamisama Kiss, A Sign of Affection, and Blue Spring Ride?
I figured, why not translate that whole vibe into fashion?
Pastels, oversized bows, sailor collars… You get the picture."
Cahya raised an eyebrow. "Sailor collars, huh? Is this your way of living out your childhood fantasy of being a shoujo girl? I should've converted you over to the shonen side of things a long time ago. I mean, did you even try Jujutsu Kaisen?"
Bae chuckled, nodding. "Maybe just for Gojo. But seriously, I wanted to make something that felt playful, nostalgic, and just a little bit dramatic. A fashion brand that's fun, colorful, and, you know, quirky."
"I mean, it definitely fits you," Sydney said with a laugh. "How's the store doing?"
"Better than I expected!" Bae's eyes brightened.
"I started small—just an Etsy shop—but once I opened the physical store in Nottingham, it really took off.
People are loving it. I have designs based on shoujo themes, like love confessions and dreamy, magical girl vibes.
There are dresses, accessories, and even socks with hearts on them. "
Sydney grinned. "Sounds like a pastel wonderland. I bet it's got the best energy. What's the space like?"
Bae leaned back, a satisfied smile on her face.
"It's everything I imagined. I've got manga panels on the walls, shelves of sparkly accessories, and, of course, lots of pink.
It feels like stepping through the pages of a love story, where everything's a bit exaggerated and over-the-top.
Customers love it. It's like an experience as much as a store. "
Cahya snorted. "An experience, huh? Are people going to expect me to wear heart-shaped glasses if I walk in?"
"Only if you're ready to embrace your inner shoujo protagonist!" Bae teased. "They might think you walked into a wall when really it's your female lead."
Sydney laughed. "You're so creative, Bae. It's amazing that you've turned something you love into something so real."
Bae shrugged with a grin. "I mean, it's all about making people feel happy, right? I want them to leave my store with a smile, maybe a cute dress too, and the feeling that life's a little more magical. Plus, if it ever flops, I'll just get my big brother to rescue me financially."
"Is that so?" Wynter rolled his eyes.
"Will you relax?" Bae said, throwing a pillow at Wynter. "You're going to wear a hole in the floor. Everything's perfect."
"She's right," Remi chimed in, sipping a glass of champagne from the bar cart. "Yesoh's going to love it. Plus, I've never seen you this nervous. It's kind of entertaining."
Before Wynter could respond, Beck arrived, fumbling through the door looking like she hadn't slept in weeks, hair messy, diaper bag in hand, and her new bouncing baby daughter balanced on her hip. The infant squealed with delight when she spotted Wynter, her chubby arms reaching out.
"Uncle Wynter!" Beck laughed, handing Jiwon over. "Looks like someone's been waiting to see you."
Wynter held his niece, a soft smile breaking through his anxious expression. "You're the only one not giving me grief tonight, aren't you, Jiwonie?" She babbled in response, tugging at his shirt.
Yesoh entered the apartment, her boots clicking softly against the floor.
She was a little older, hair shorter in a neck-length bob with bangs, dyed a shade lighter as she shrugged off her coat.
She was greeted by a sudden burst of noise as her family and friends leapt to their feet.
"Surprise!" they shouted in unison, and the room erupted with claps and cheers.
"Jesus," Yesoh cursed under her breath. "I should've known."
For a moment, Yesoh froze in the doorway, eyes wide with surprise. "What's all this?" she laughed, her heart warming at the sight of everyone she loved gathered together.
Her boyfriend of three years was the first to reach her, pulling her into a tight embrace. "Happy 21st, darling," he whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
"Happy birthday, bestest friend in the whole wide world!" Sydney called from the living room, her hands full of brightly wrapped gifts. Remi was right beside her, grinning ear to ear.
It wouldn't be Yesoh's birthday if Sydney didn't go all out.
Cahya, standing in the back, leaned against the wall with a teasing grin. "You're the guest of honor today, so try not to steal all the cake I spent hours baking."
"Oh hush, you deserve all the cake in the world," Wynter insisted, appearing beside her, his eyes soft and filled with affection. "There's something more, though."
He led her to the center of the room, where a small table sat with a velvet pouch resting on it. Yesoh's curiosity piqued; she glanced at him. "What's this?"
Wynter smiled warmly, pulling the pouch open and revealing a set of papers. He handed them to her gently, his voice low and steady. "I have been planning this for a very long time. I spoke to your parents about it and got their blessing—"
"Are you proposing to me at the height of my career, Wynter? Because I swear to God—" Yesoh protested.
"No, you'd never forgive me for that, would you?" he mused, a glint of mischief in his somber eyes. "I wanted to give you something special. Something yours that could also be just for us."
Her hands shook slightly as she unfolded the papers, and when she saw the heading, her breath caught. Property Deed: Jakarta.
Her eyes flicked up to meet his, wide with disbelief. "Wynter… what is this?"
"It's the deed to your future home," he explained softly, stepping closer.
"I bought it for you in the hopes that perhaps someday you'd want to share it with me.
It's the one near your mother's house we saw on that trip, so we'll always have a place to come back to whenever we need it.
It's a guarantee that you will never have to feel homesick ever again, that you have a place you can run to when it gets too much here.
Although, if you will it, I'd love to live with you—at the end of the day, this house is entirely in your name. It's yours."
Tears pricked at the corners of Yesoh's eyes, her heart swelling with love and surprise. "You—bought us a fucking house?" she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
"I know. I told him he was extra," Bae huffed, snatching baby Jiwon into her arms, playing with the cheerful, gurgling baby.
"Yesoh," Wynter spoke, his voice firm and unyielding, "I want to build a life with you. No matter where we go, I want us to have a place to call home."
The room seemed to hold its breath as she pressed the deed to her chest, her emotions overwhelming her. She stepped forward, wrapping her arms tightly around him. "Thank you," she whispered. "I don't even know what to say."
"Why don't you buy me houses?" Sydney huffed, folding her arms, and Jax just looked defeated. Cahya laughed at that.
The room filled with laughter and warm smiles as everyone moved to the dining table where the cake sat. Sydney quickly cut generous slices, and the conversation turned lighter.
"Okay, Yesoh," Bae toasted, raising her glass of champagne. "Tell us everything about the Nutcracker! You're performing at the Royal Ballet this fall, right? How's the preparation going?"
"Yes," Yesoh said, her smile widening as she took a sip of her own drink. "It's been intense, but I'm really excited. There's so much pressure, but I've dreamed of this moment since I was a little girl. I can't wait to be part of such an iconic production."
Cahya, ever the proud brother, leaned in with a grin. "I'll be there in the front row, cheering for you. You're going to absolutely crush it."
"You just want an excuse to come to England," I rolled my eyes playfully.
"I'll have you know I enjoy my tea and crumpets," Cahya defended.
"Of course she'll do amazing," Wynter said, his voice full of pride. "No one dances like my favorite girl. She's going to leave the audience in awe."
"I remember a time when I was your favorite girl…" Bae lamented sarcastically.
"My apologies," I laughed. "He switches up a lot."
"You'll always be my most expensive girl, how about that?" Wynter suggested, and Bae didn't argue.
"Yesoh, this is actually the perfect role for you. You are, in fact, my favorite nutjob," Remi added, giving her a playful look. "The world's about to see just how incredible you are."
"Hey!" Sydney scolded, resting her hand on her best friend's shoulder. "No one gets to call my best friend a nutjob. She's just unique in the mind, okay? I couldn't be prouder of you, Soh."
Yesoh looked around at all the familiar faces, the people who had supported her through every victory, every setback.
Her heart felt so full it threatened to overflow.
With Wynter by her side, her family surrounding her, and her dreams within reach, she knew that this moment—this life she was building—was everything she had ever wanted.
Yesoh sat beside Beck on the couch, helping her with the baby, Wynter beside her too. As she held little Jiwon in her arms, tears collected in her eyes at the memory of her dearest friend that once was.
"She doesn't have the white streak," Yesoh pointed out. Beck's daughter instead had a full head of curly brown hair.
Little Jiwon was born without the streak, as if fate had decided to let her carve her own path, unmarked by the threads that wove her family together.
Perhaps it is a reminder that even in the midst of bloodlines and shared histories, we all have the power to be an echo of something different, something uniquely our own.
"No, she doesn't," Beck hummed. "But look at those freckles—she's a Kwon down to her bones. She looks nothing like her dad. He was quite distraught, actually."
"She's such a bright light everywhere she goes already," Wynter said, arm around Yesoh.
The three of them were the portrait of a family.
It was then that everyone knew that this was a foreshadowing of what was to come.
That where there was once tragedy, death, and consuming darkness—every single one of the people in that room was a living testimony: there wasn't a single prophecy that could not be changed.
That where there is darkness, there is destined to also be light. Light so blinding, fulfilling, and piercing that it breathes life into everything.
As they cut the cake and passed around slices, the laughter and love flowed freely.
Unchaste, loud, and never ever silenced again.
Yesoh knew, deep in her heart, that no matter where life took her—on stage, across the world, or back to Jakarta—this was where she truly belonged.
In the hearts of those who loved her, and in the arms of the one who had awakened the true definition of love in her.