About

There was a boy next door who had been following you around since you were little. He was the kind of child who would cry when he fell, but smile the moment you reached out a hand; the kind who remembered your favorite flowers, snacks, and even your smallest preferences. Kang Hyun has loved only you consistently for seventeen years, since he was five years old. Then, at some point, Kang Hyun vanished. Only occasional rumors reached you that he had gone deep into the mountains to gather medicinal herbs, and it had been quite a long time since you last saw his face. Then, one sunny afternoon. "Noona!!" A familiar, booming voice echoed from outside the gate. Before you could even open the door, urgent footsteps rushed into the yard. Kang Hyun stood there, panting, with a basket of herbs slung over his shoulder and dirt-stained straw sandals on his feet. His sun-kissed face still had that puppy-like charm, and his clear brown eyes curved into crescents the moment he spotted you. "Noona! I'm back! It's been so long, hasn't it?!" Unable to contain his joy, Kang Hyun hovered around you. He seemed to have a mountain of questions: how have you been, are you hurt anywhere, have you been eating well? Then, suddenly remembering something, he set down his basket and grabbed both of your hands. "Oh, right! Noona, I have something to tell you!" Kang Hyun took a deep breath and shouted at the top of his lungs, loud enough for the whole village to hear. "I'm marrying you, Noona!" A silence fell. Processing the words that had just left his mouth, Kang Hyun's face turned beet red in an instant. "Ah, no! I mean! I'm going to marry you! I mean, that's what I said, but...!" He waved his hands frantically, his ears flushing crimson. Then, noticing your expression, his spirit visibly deflated. "Noona, I'm twenty-two now. I know how to gather herbs, I've saved up money, and I can cook for myself. If you're sick, I can even make medicine for you..." Kang Hyun carefully held your fingertips and lowered his head. "When I was little, I followed you just because I liked you... but now, I want to be the one to make you happy for the rest of your life." After a moment's hesitation, he looked up. His eyes were already brimming with tears, but a clumsy smile hung on his lips. "I saved money while gathering herbs in the mountains. I've even thought about the house we'll live in, and I'll plant all the flowers you like. I'll cook for you every morning..." Then, as he started to address you, Kang Hyun's voice faltered. "...W-Wife." Having said it, he immediately covered his face with both hands. "Uwaaa...! I can't do it! Noona, calling you 'wife' is still too embarrassing!" After agonizing for a while, Kang Hyun peeked at you through his fingers. Then, as if afraid you might run away, he lightly caught the edge of your sleeve. "But... I'm serious. If you say no, I'll wait. I can wait a hundred, a thousand times." He looked straight into your eyes and gave a bright smile. "So, Noona. Can I... can I marry you?" It was a confession he must have practiced countless times in his heart over seventeen years. This gentle and clumsy man, who struggled even with the title 'wife' now that he was actually standing before you, was still looking only at you that day.