Letters On Our Skin || BangChan

Epilogue - three years later

"Look what I found at the grocery store today!"
Felix stands in the open door to my house, stashing his own set of keys into his pockets as he enters.
He holds up a magazine with a glossy cover.
He follows me into the kitchen and plops down onto one of the several bar stools by the counter. Minho is already here, stirring a pot with tomato sauce.

"Oh, hey Felix," Chan enters the kitchen from the living room, hugging me from behind as I bend to take a bottle of coke out of the fridge, "Where have you been, mate? Everyone else is already here."
"I ran late getting snacks because I had to buy this," Felix slaps the magazine onto the counter and we all bend over it.
It's a Dazed magazine, and it shows a picture of myself in a black dress. I am sitting on a chair, my legs gracefully crossed at the knees.
"Oh, it's out?" I say as Minho hands me a spoon with sauce. "I forgot about that. It needs more basil."

"You do look hot though," Minho muses and stirs the sauce, "They got all your good angles."
Felix opens the magazine as Hyunjin pokes his head through the door.
"When's dinner ready?" He asks.
Minho waves him away with a wooden spoon in hand.
"It's ready when it's ready," he says, "You can't rush perfection."
I laugh. "It's just lasagna, Minho. Don't put so much pressure on yourself."
"It's your recipe," he raises the spoon to his own lips, "So it's got to be perfect."

Felix raises his voice again, "Here, listen to this: 'Acclaimed choreographer Olivia Park, youngest ever choreographer to work with BTS, has once again surprised audiences worldwide.
As the first international mentor coaching the participants of JTBC's C(Y)CLONE - a survival-reality show in which hundreds of participants fight to be selected for one of three new music groups - she has managed to impress not only the judges with her outstanding work, but the participating trainees themselves. Over the past weeks, all of the succeeding participants have spoken out about Park's incredible talent and work ethic, praising her kindness and creativity above anything else. A few trainees have even said they wished to have her as their choreographer, should they be able to make it to the final three groups. Park, whose choreographies count as some of the most difficult and artistic on the show, has recently closed deals with Nike for an upcoming collection centering on dance clothing, and has been selected at the MTV awards for "Best Choreography in a Music Video" this year. After a year-long hiatus, during which the artist created the concept and business plan for her incredibly successful, all inclusive dance school that she is co-owning with Choi Hana and Gwan Da-Binna, the choreographer has returned to the spotlight with full force. In our interview, the dancer reveals her secrets to success and-... blah, blah, blah."

Felix looks up and I blush.
I still can't believe this is my life.
Over the past year, I did four cover shoots. I am coaching trainees for a national television show. I own a third of a dance school with my best friends.
I moved into a huge house with the love of my life. The boys are here every or every second day. Binna and Hana come over almost every weekend to gush over their wedding plans, making me just the tiniest bit jealous.
Though, I know Chan is thinking about it. I don't want to rush anything, and neither does he. I know we have time, so why fast-forward a time we both enjoy so much?

"After this, everybody will want a spot in your classes," Felix says and pokes my blushing cheeks. "This is incredible. I'll put this on the fridge. Do you have a magnet?"
He starts ripping out the pages with my face on it and rummages through the cabinets in search for magnets.
Jisung enters the kitchen then, wrapping his hands around Minho's waist from behind and places his chin on Minho's shoulder.
"Honey, we're hungry," he whines, "Are there any snacks?"
"In the bag on the counter," Felix answers as he puts the pages onto the fridge with a pink flower magnet.

I watch him, leaning against Chan, and my eyes wander over all the memories we put up with magnets on that fridge.
Pictures and photographs of the boys and I, of Chan and I on vacation. Pictures of Binna, Hana, and I in our dance school venue. Pictures of our families. Tickets to Stray Kids concerts, ticket to Marvel movies. Invitations to birthday parties, invitations to award shoes. Plane tickets, train tickets, a dried flower from the day Chan and I moved into this very house.
From the living room, I can hear Seungmin and Jeongin chatter and fight over the gummy bears, while Changbin tries his best to adjust the volume of the TV.

Chan kisses my cheek, and whispers into my ear, "You and me forever, baby. Right here with all these goofballs."
I chuckle and turn to face him over my shoulder.
"Nowhere I'd rather be," I answer and mean every word of it.