𓈒𓏸 solo prompts ༄.°

Ever since Wooseok met Doah, he'd been spending his holidays in Incheon with her family instead of going back home to Haepung. Slowly, Incheon had began to feel like home and Haepung began to settle in place as part of Wooseok's past. It wasn't until he got a friendly phone call one day that the thought of returning came to mind.

"Aigoo-yah, is this the Byeon family's son?" A familiar gruff voice called out from the other line, bringing a sweet smile to Wooseok's face.

Wooseok nodded over the phone and answered, "Yes, it is. It's been a while, Captain Kim. Have you been well?"

And so continued a long familiar conversation until Captain Kim finally came about the reason he called Wooseok to begin with, "Ah, that's right! I heard from your family that you're a sergeant now, a marine investigator, right?" The captain let out a drawn out breath before saying, "All you kids are all grown up now, aren't you? Anyway, we've got a senior position that just opened at the station and I thought, 'You know, the Byeon's son does this in Incheon, how about we give him a call?' So here I am, giving you a call!"

For a moment, Wooseok was speechless. He didn't know what to say. It'd been hell trying to rise through the ranks in Incheon. He'd been here for four years and thought he'd have to stick around for ten to even be considered for a senior position like this. Not only would it be a promotion, but he'd finally be near family again for the first time in a decade. This wasn't a reality that Wooseok had considered was possible. Heck, he was actively working toward a future here in Incheon, but this phone call had made him reconsider things.

Eventually, Wooseok uttered the words, "I- I'll consider it, Captain, just give me some time... Do you have a deadline to make this decision?"

"Don't worry, the position just opened up today. We'll be considering candidates and doing interviews in a couple weeks. How about you come down to visit when you have time and we can do a little interview?"

"Ah," Wooseok paused, there seemed to be a multitude of thoughts racing through his mind at the moment, but he answered, "That's doable, sir. I'll keep in touch to let you know when I'll be able to drive down."

"Good, good. Well, I gotta scurry off now, you take care, alright?" Captain Kim seemed to speak to Wooseok with a doting affection as if he were one of his own sons.

And, likewise, Wooseok responded with the same tone of affection, humming with a smile, "Mm, you too, Captain, take care. I'll talk to you soon."

After hanging up, Wooseok took a deep breath. What an unassuming life-changing call that was. Wooseok stood outside alone in silence, considering his options until eventually Doah made her way outside to fetch Wooseok back inside.

"Work call?" She asked as she poked her head outside, then closed the door behind her to give the them a little privacy from her family, "You've been out here for a while, is everything good?"

That's right, he /had/ been out here for a while now. Between catching up with the captain and getting lost in thought, time had slipped by him. Wooseok responded back with a nod, then wrapped his arms around Doah, trapping her in his embrace as he rest his cheek against the crown of her head, asking, "Do you want to go to Haepung with me?"

Doah scooped up his cheeks and craned out her neck from his embrace, then forced him to look her in the eyes. "Why Haepung all of a sudden?" She asked, struggling out of his clutches so she could look up at him, trying to read his expression, worried that something had happened. "Is everything okay?"

Wooseok nodded his head obediently to ease her concerns before answering, "I just got a call about a promotion in Haepung, a senior position." He looked into her eyes with a bittersweet gaze as she pressed her palms against his cheeks. They had been talking a lot about their future together and Haepung had never been apart of the conversation. After all, Wooseok had a steady career in Incheon at the police department and Doah had her career in the city as well as her family, who welcomed Wooseok with open arms. When they settled down together, it'd be somewhere in the city near her family who would be available to help when they had children. They'd so far as to have planned where their kids would go to school, where the best cram schools were, and the kind of future they wanted for their children. A promotion to Haepung? Sure, that sounded great right now, but what about the future? Of course, Wooseok wouldn't take it, but he'd be an idiot not to at least consider it.

Pinching his cheeks, Doah pulled Wooseok out of his thoughts. "Isn't that good news?" She teased with a smile, "Why would you scare me like that? I thought someone died." Doah pushed herself off the ground on her tippy-toes, wrapping her arms around Wooseok's neck as she d her hand over his hair. "Let's go, it's been a while since you've been home," She replied in a low, comforting tone, "What's the harm in taking a look?"

She was right. Wooseok sighed in relief at her answer and clutched onto her, leaning on her like a pillar of support. "Sorry," He apologized for concerning her and peppered her hair with affectionate little pecks, "The captain said they'd be doing intervews in a couple weeks, are you able to take a day off?"

Doah hummed in thought, uttering a small groan as her workload came to mind, but she eventually nodded, answering, "I'll make time, don't worry."

And glued together like a couple of lovebirds, they returned to the lively scene of kids running around Doah's family household, adults making conversation in their own circles, her aunts and uncles doting on their newborn grandchildren. It was a scene the two of them were soon to join, or so they thought.