━ garden.

@❛ jungkook j. i'm aware.
grins, tilting my head up to look at the sky before releasing a soft chuckle.
i'm not that good with words.

@❛ jungeun k. that's not that specific, cutie.
huffs with a little smile at the corner of one of my lips, fingers pinching together to tug on your cheek.

@❛ chaeyoung p. the smile that starts to spread across her lips is more than enough to set his heart at ease. he can't help but heave a sigh of relief as their foreheads come together, his hands immediately going to pluck the ring from the confines of the box so he can slip it onto her ring finger, laughing breathlessly as it fits snug and perfect around it. "i love you so much." he can only fit the words in between the tiny slot of time that she permits him before their lips come together, all of his love practically pouring out as he embraces her tightly. and just like he wishes he could before, he indulges in the saccharine taste of her lips, completely enraptured by the soft plush feel, the way her fragrance surrounds him. as much as he'd love to kiss her forever under the stars, he pulls away just so he can smile, disbelieving that he'd managed to snag the most beautiful woman he's ever laid eyes on. "i love you. now, and forever."

@❛ junyoung l. it's a moment that chaeyoung has been dreaming about for years. but now that it's here, she's nowhere as prepared as she thought she was. her breath hitches just slightly as she watches jun pull out the black box, her arms pulling away from him as her hand goes up to cover that's also parted in shock. the ring he's picked out is a mere gold band, and yet she adores it with every inch of her soul. the whole thing leaves her speechless and she has to blink several times when she feels happy tears threaten to escape from her eyes. before she even realizes it, she's thrown her arms around his neck once more and pulls him in to lean her forehead against his. there's adoration clear in her eyes and a small smile gracing her lips, her eyes flickering down to his lips before looking in his eyes once more. "i'd love nothing more than to be your girlfriend, lee junyoung." she utters these words in a soft whisper, making the moment truly their own as she captures his lips with her own for a tender kiss.

@❛ chaeyoung p. "yeah," the laughter dies down a bit, a lazy smile the only indicator of his amusement. the moment dies out as he realizes that it's time, the box in his pocket suddenly feeling heavier as he wonders how he's going to phrase the next few sentences that he's to speak. junyoung's been meaning to ask her this for years, but now that it's come to the time to actually do it, he wonders if he'll say those words just the way he wanted to. reaching into his pocket, he pulls out a small black box, thumbing over the top of it before catching her gaze with his. "it's been a long time since we started .. this, chae." he pauses, squeezing the box in his palm for reassurance. keeping one hand on her waist, he runs the pad of his thumb back and forth, hoping it'd soothe her, but really doing it for himself. "i know i was really ty and ed up for a lot of the years that we were together, and i'm sorry for it. but i want you to know i really love you. i'm not the best with words, and i'm kind of an idiot, but .. i'm your idiot." at this admission he smiles awkwardly, hoping that it comes off as endearing. "there's no other girl i'd risk it all for. really." bringing up the box, he pops it open and there sits a thin gold band. "it's not much, but i wanted to give you something to promise that i'll love you until you let me." anxiousness sits in his chest, and he tries not to avoid eye contact, trying to convey his genuine love for her. "i really love you, chae. and i promise i'll spend the rest of our time together trying to make up for every time i made you cry or, or made you sad, or angry--" he gulps, and bites into his lip, before finally asking, "be my girlfriend?"

@❛ junyoung l. "you did? oh." his own confession startles her slightly because she had been confident that she had done a good job hiding it. after all, he thinks it was the inkigayo sandwiches that brought them together. in reality, chaeyoung has liked jun since she had first laid her eyes on him and he had greeted her with that charming smile of his. to this day, she still gets butterflies when he smiles at her. she lets him pull her closer, her arms automatically twining around his nape and she leans in to nuzzle her nose against his before finally pulling away after giving him a quick smooch. "yeah? what is it?"

@❛ chaeyoung p. "kind of figured after we started going out on dates and stuff." he can't help but laugh at her confession, giving her hair a light ruffle to mess it up affectionately. the sandwiches were just a ruse for him to reel her in, to have a conversation topic for when he had finally mustered the courage to talk to her. "at least they ate them." junyoung can't help but snort, realizing that he'd practically fed her bandmates and staff for a brief period when her bandmates clearly held some sort of animosity towards him. her question brings him to the conclusion that it's probably time to ask, and so he reaches over and tugs her into his lap, straightening out as he puts his hands to her waist. "mm, no. i have something to ask you though."

@❛ junyoung l. "i have a confession," chaeyoung states, taking the final bite of her sandwich before she turns to look at him with doe eyes. "i never liked the inkigayo sandwiches. who puts potato and cabbage salad in a sandwich anyways?" she asks with a scrunch of her nose, the disgust evident on her face. "but don't worry! the other girls and our staff still ate them. couldn't let your money go to waste, you know?" she grabs one of the napkins he's laid out and dabs at her lips before she gives his nose a small smooch. he seems nervous, but she pretends not to notice and feigns ignorance. "you're not going to eat?"

@❛ chaeyoung p. the sweetness of the strawberry explodes on his tongue but he knows it doesn't come close to how sweet chaeyoung tastes when they share kisses. it must be his favorite kind of sweet, the kind that's slow to overtake and addictive. he opts not to eat right now, knowing that the nerves brewing in his stomach and an uneasy heart aren't a good recipe for the question that he's been meaning to ask for ages. he can't possibly this up, not when they've come so far, and so painfully. "ham, cheese, lettuce, egg." junyoung peeks into the sandwich and nuzzles his nose into her cheek, unable to keep himself from showing his affection for too long. "nothing too fancy. nothing like those inkigayo sandwiches."

@❛ junyoung l. she takes the strawberry from him and she's pleasantly surprised to find that he's cut off the crown, immediately popping it into afterwards. "it's sweet," she comments, reaching over to grab another strawberry and holding it up towards jun's mouth so he can taste it for himself. as she pulls back, chaeyoung scans the vicinity once more before she decides on tasting the sandwiches first. she grabs one and unwraps it carefully, stuffing the plastic wrap back into the basket before she takes a bite out of it. she hums in delight, nodding as she holds out a thumbs up towards him. "this is really good, babe. what's in it?"

@❛ chaeyoung p. "just something. you'll see." the stars seem to cascade upon them as his eyes shift towards the night sky, the twinkling reminiscent of the way chaeyoung would seem like a beacon in his most struggling times. pulling out a strawberry from the container he'd packed them in, he hands one over to chaeyoung and leans back, propped on one arm braced by a hand against the blanket. the night is perfect for him to ask, the box of the promise ring he'd bought a few days ago practically burning in his pocket. he's anticipating asking her out officially, finally putting a label on this so that she would have some peace of mind, and so that he could finally call her his. "hungry? you should eat something before i hit you with the surprise."

@❛ junyoung l. it is not the first time that junyoung has kissed her, but he still manages to make her heart flutter and have a smile grace her lips despite how long they've been 'together.' being with him brought her more contentment than she’d ever imagined. she’s experienced highs she’s never known and chaeyoung refuses to deny herself of her happiness any longer. falling in love with jun was the most exhilarating experience in her entire life. the way he makes her feel is beyond any language and park chaeyoung is sure about one thing — in his arms, she is right where she's supposed to be. as he pulls away to answer him, her eyes flicker from his lips to meet his gaze with her own expectant one. "really now? what's the occasion?"

@❛ chaeyoung p. had he given himself more time, maybe junyoung would have prepared something a bit more special, more cohesive. he probably could have outdone himself for years to come and burdened himself for every other surprise he'd try to plan, but this was all he could manage in the time that he had been given. as long as she sees the effort in it, he thinks he'll be okay. chaeyoung was always one to look past the surface, and he loves her for it. "mm," knowingly, he gives her a look, looping his arms around her smaller shoulders to bring her into his sturdy chest. it's been far too long since they started what technically was, an affair. she deserved more than that, especially after he'd taken everything and gave nothing. it's nebulous, his response, but his heart is set. a hand cups her cheek, thumb running over the porcelain of her full cheeks. the slight pink of blush is all the more endearing, and as his eyes scan down her face, they fall upon her roseate painted lips, to which he can't help but press a tender, slow kiss to. "it's a special occasion."

@❛ junyoung l. stunned, she watches in awe as he lays out the contents of the picnic basket. truthfully, chaeyoung hadn’t expected much from him, and she means this in the best way possible. she’s aware it’s jun’s first time cooking for her, so to see that he’s prepared an abundance of different foods warms her heart in a way she can’t quite explain. she reaches out to grab one of his hands and brings it up to to give his knuckles a kiss before she sits down next to him. “i see you’ve put in a lot if effort into this date. i’m impressed. is this a special occasion?” her actual question is veiled under these trivial ones — ‘are you going to ask me to be your girlfriend today?’ but she’d never dare to ask out loud in fear of pressuring him. as much as she would love to be his, she knows deep within her heart that she would be whatever he wanted her to be as long as it meant she’d stay by his side.

@❛ chaeyoung p. the blanket is spread out evenly against the grass and he lays another one down so it'd be a bit more cushioned, wanting to be comfortable rather than have to lay in possibly wet grass for the entirety of their date. opening the basket, he pulls out a few wrapped sandwiches that he was able to put together, a container of pasta and a salad that he had found the recipe for online because admittedly, he didn't know what to put in salads. the fruit comes next and he peeks into the container to make sure they're still intact, then glances up at chaeyoung and holds his arms out for her to gesture for her to come sit next to him. "it's not much, but i figured it'd be better than not eating at all."

@❛ junyoung l. chaeyoung watches as he retrieves the food from the trunk and follows his lead towards the designated spot for their picnic, baffled as to how she missed the smell of the food on their entire way there. but then again, whenever she was around jun, sometimes it did felt like the rest of the world disappeared and it was just the two of them in their own world. she watches him curiously as he prepares the picnic area, and sends a warm smile his way. "more than alright. it's beautiful here, baby." she's known him for years now so she can tell he's nervous and she hopes her words can reassure him slightly. "so... what's in the picnic basket? hehe."

@❛ chaeyoung p. as he locks their fingers together, it feels like he's securing his place in her life and nothing fills him with such joy like that does in this moment. "oh please, chae." despite the playful roll of his eyes, he shoots her an endeared smile and tugs her into his side, reaching for the food that he'd packed in the trunk to hide from her on the way here. as he leads her down the stone path, he eyes the flowers, but he can't help but think that he'd look at chaeyoung for hours over the petals any day. near the end of the path, there's a cleared out grassy area, surrounded by planters of flowers that have come into full bloom. setting the blanket down, he spreads it out even and plants the packed food down, looking to her, admittedly, a bit anxiously. "is this alright?"

@❛ junyoung l. the way he kisses her forehead so tenderly sends butterflies ablaze within her stomach and she does her best to control the smile that's about to burst on her face. however, the euphoric feeling she has is fleeting as she registers his comment right after. as he opens the door for her, she steps out with a soft 'thanks' before she turns to him with a slight squint in her eyes. "four extra portions? i don't eat that much!" she complains, but honestly? she knows she might and that's another reason why it causes her to jut her lower lip out in a pout. nonetheless, she reaches her hand out for him to take. "lead the way, baby."

@❛ chaeyoung p. "mm." he only gives a quiet hum, not wanting to say anything more for fear of bursting into a shade of red that he knew he'd be on the teasing end for. the car parks smoothly into one of the spots and he turns to face her, and the sight almost winds him. he leans forward, pulling her closer to press a soft kiss to her forehead. it might have been out of place, but in that moment he had wanted nothing more than to kiss her. "i'll make you breakfast if you want, angel. gotta prepare myself to make four extra portions." at the end he gives her a playful look, tapping the tip of her nose before slipping out of the car so he could open her door.

@❛ junyoung l. "you did?" his answer genuinely takes her by surprise. in the entire time she's known him, chaeyoung has never seen jun ever attempt to cook something. usually, they'd always order out or she would be the one in the kitchen. and although she wouldn't say it out loud, she was touched by the effort he put into this date even if she wasn't sure the food would be good or not. "i'm looking forward to tasting your cooking. who knows... maybe if i really like it, you can be the one to cook breakfast tomorrow."

@❛ chaeyoung p. "i cooked." admittedly, he had been up all night looking up recipes that he thought she'd like. knowing his girl ... friend? not-yet-girlfriend's tendency to eat everything in sight, he knew it wouldn't be difficult to appease her appetite, but he still wanted it to be special. the look he flashes her is hopefully genuine, and the smile that brushes over his features is a lot more relaxed than usual. "it's okay, i wanted to do this for you." the garden isn't too far, but the drive there feels all too long because he can't hold her in his arms.

@❛ junyoung l. the way he always kisses her fingers whenever they hold hands never fails to make her heart flutter. she's not sure if it's because how different today feels like, but chaeyoung thinks that he looks extremely handsome even though he's just in a hoodie and windbreaker combo. she uses her finger to caress the back of his hand, nodding excitedly once she hears his plans. "that sounds lovely, baby," she agrees, but turns to look at him with a slight frown. "why didn't you tell me? i could've packed some food... did you cook?"

@❛ chaeyoung p. locking their fingers this time feels different, too. there's something about it that feels so much more intimate, like it'd be etched into his heart and burned into his memory until the end of time. it was just so much more significant, now that he could guilt-free date the girl that he had been in love with for far too long without making any real moves on sweeping her away. as his lips brush against the soft curve of her knuckles, he smiles into her skin and he can't help but laugh, feeling so incredibly free. as the car turns on, he pulls out of the driveway after locking in his seatbelt, hand still held tightly. "i wanted to take you to a garden, have a picnic there. the sky is pretty clear out today, figured we could watch the stars while we eat. sound okay?"

@❛ junyoung l. "always ready if it's with you," she replies sweetly, the smile on her face never leaving. she lets him open the door for her before she sits down, closing the door and putting her seatbelt on as he comes around the other side. chaeyoung tries her best not to show it, but her heart is beating so fast it feels like it'll pop out of her lungs and right through her chest. there's a newfound sense of giddiness from jun's liberation that leaves the door open for many new beginnings for the two of them and it makes her hum in a pleased manner, her fingers gently drumming against the car's armrest. " so... where are we going?"

@❛ chaeyoung p. each step she takes down those stairs is a step that practically crushes the air out of his lungs. she looks stunning. it's not like she hasn't worn that outfit before, or hasn't had her hair like that before, but it's different tonight. everything feels so liberating, from the way the air fills his chest to the way the leather of the steering wheel felt under his fingers when he was driving here. it's impossible to stop his arms from shooting out and drawing her closer, nose pressing into the crook of her neck and dotting kisses there with a genuine smile. "you look beautiful as always." meeting her eyes, he tilts her chin up with a nudge of his finger, and idly rubs his thumb into the dip of her back. "ready to go?"

@❛ jimin p. I think people are scared of the dark, its goes back to being afraid of the unknown. When they in the dark they can't see ya know, so anything could be there. And like imagination is one to the worlds top dangerous things. That imagination will eat someone alive... *narrows my eyes turning to you as you finish with the cups, shrugging and shaking my head* Jimin... that seems like a waste of wine if you dont remember. I thought wines were supposed to be sipped and savored. Not downed like a you're some dehydrated man from the desert. How you gonna remember what feels the best... hm?

@❛ junyoung l. [ imessage to: jun ♡ ]
- you're the best
- coming now xo

chaeyoung hits the send button before she tucks her phone into the front pocket of her signature high-waisted baggy jeans and turns to look at herself in the mirror one more time. she's wearing a black blouse with a square neck and a pair of cdg converse, the usual precautionary mask and cap in her hands. it's just another date, she tells herself, but she's aware that something is very different today. there is no longer an elephant in the room and there is no longer the usual guilt she carries whenever she agrees to meet with him. the thought brings a small smile onto her face and she rushes to meet him outside with adrenaline pumping through her veins. seeing junyoung only makes her smile widen and it takes her lots of self-control to not squeal and run into his arms. "hey you," she greets him with a peck on his cheek before she steps away and takes in his appearance. "you look quite handsome today."

@❛ yukhei w. it does... it's funny, some people who are scared of the dark get a lot calmer by it once they get older, I wonder why people are taught to be scared of it so much.
/watches you lean back and takes out a white mat that was tucked in the side of the case begins to set our cups atop of it, leaning sideways to check if the glimmery cups needed to be wiped at all while letting out a low hum as I listened to you, poking my tongue against my inner cheek
it's funny you ask because... despite drinking a lot I wouldn't know if I am a pro... probably because when I do drink I DRINK so much that I might forget what I had... I drink way more when I drink with people I'm closer to like my members and people I've known for a long time... alcohol is kind of an experience for me, I like to taste all the different kinds to see how they feel too-

@❛ chaeyoung p. months ago junyoung wouldn't have felt so nervous. if anything, he probably would have felt like this was any other date, waiting for chaeyoung to come down those steps looking as beautiful as she always did. and yet he knows today, things are profoundly different. there isn't going to be that underlying moral issue, that question that he knew she'd always want to ask before she got into his car. 'did you break up with her yet?' this time he could finally say yes. hands clasp together and he practically wrings them together until they're numb, only deciding to lean against his car with his arms crossed to save them from any more abuse. today, he'd tried significantly harder than he did on any other date. he pulled out his best jeans -- though, admittedly, they look like regular jeans -- the hoodie he knew she liked, the windbreaker he knew she liked, and the cologne that she'd always bury her nose into. today, he'd take a step towards making up for his mistakes.

[ imessage to: chaeng ]
- i'm outside
- brought an extra jacket for you

@❛ jimin p. I think you picked a cool place mochim. I like being outside at night.. feels...peaceful *drapes and arm over the back of the bench, reclined back, eyes moving from the wine and back up to you* You're asking my favorite drink when I dont really drink. I like champagne. I like sweet things. I dont like tequila, i do like whiskey and rum. I think you're the one who gotta teach ME some things