Chapter Text
Returning to KISS is a surreal experience for Kitty. Granted, it wasn't that long ago when she was last here walking the grounds of the campus, but a month ago she was mentally preparing herself that it was going to be the last time. Her mind was getting used to the fact that she had been relegated to going back to Adler amongst her old friends who would no doubt have lots of questions about why she wasn't in Seoul.
While she wouldn't have to be subjected to that potential nightmarish situation, she would have to quickly transition back into the mindset of as if she was never expelled. While she didn't get expelled for academic reasons, she would have to seriously focus on her schoolwork much more consistently throughout the entire term, and not just during the final week, trying to scrape by with the minimum passing grades.
One of the stipulations of her return was that she could no longer live in the boys' dorm with Dae, Q, and Min Ho. While that seemed obvious, it had another benefit of keeping some distance between her and the group. It's one thing to tell yourself that you're all friends, but it's another thing to actually feel it, especially given the tangled web of lies, omissions, and confusing thoughts that would definitely come up when living with each other. Kitty has no intention of avoiding anyone, but not being around them 24x7 should help her sanity.
Kitty reaches the student housing office and checks in with the clerk. "Hi. I'm Katherine Song Covey, female," she clarifies.
The clerk smiles back politely. "Yes, miss Covey. We have been expecting you. Here is your new room assignment and key card. Welcome back to KISS and good luck this semester."
As Kitty turns around and starts to head out of the office, she bumps into a figure heading in the opposite direction. She crashes to the ground, hair strewn over her face, blocking her vision.
"Sorry about that," the person exclaims. After a beat, "Kitty? Is that you?"
Kitty is slowly getting up. She thinks to herself that this person knows her, but it can't possibly be Min Ho because they apologized for bumping into her and that's something Min Ho would never do.
As Kitty brushes her hair back and out of her eyes, she sees Dae standing in front of her. "Dae!" she shouts a little too loudly. She lunges toward him and gives him a quick hug. "What are you doing here? I thought you would've just been going back to the same dorm as last semester."
"In the spirit of us going back to being best friends, the truth is that my scholarship that covers my room and board requires me to be first in the class, and since Florian had beat me, I had to think of a way to pay for this semester or move back home. Then over break, Principal Lim called me to inform me that she met with the administration, and they made an exception for me this upcoming semester. They will also change the terms of the scholarship for next year so that instead of requiring me to be first in our class, I just have to average above 90%."
Anger is building up inside of Kitty. She can't believe that Florian's cheating almost cost Dae his scholarship. "If Q knew of this and didn't tell Min Ho, he's in so much trouble," she thought.
"I'm sorry that happened to you, but I'm also curious what brought on this sudden change in decision from the school board. I mean, I'm grateful that it happened. It's just so coincidental given that Principal Lim had called me to tell me about my reinstatement too."
Kitty was never one to let questions like that remain unanswered for too long. At some point she would get to the bottom of it all, but she'll have all semester for that.
Dae continues, bringing Kitty back to the present. "Thanks for your concern. Anyways, I just need to get the room and board clause in my scholarship formally amended, which is why I'm here now. Then I was going to head back to the dorm to get settled in. Do you want to stop by after you finish settling into your new dorm?"
"Umm, sure, if it's not too late after I finish." Though she really had no intention of going over, at least not today.
…
When Kitty arrives at her new dorm room, she takes a deep breath before opening the door to let herself in. After walking in a few steps, she hears the faint thumping of a bass beat coming from one of the bedrooms.
Walking towards the bedroom door, she knocks loud enough over the music, and says "Hello? I'm Kitty, your new dorm mate."
The door swings open completely and standing in front of her is none other than Yuri. "Oh my god! Kitty, you're finally here."
Kitty stands frozen at the doorway, not believing if what she's seeing is real or not. She knew she would be seeing Yuri sooner or later, but she was hoping for a little bit of time to come up with a plan of action.
Yuri gives the mannequin like Kitty a quick hug before pulling the girl into the room.
A slight tingling sensation permeates throughout Kitty's body from the sensation of Yuri's embrace. "Keep it together," she mentally commands herself. "It's only been seconds. If this is how things are now, it's going to be a long semester."
Juliana pauses her unpacking to turn around and gives Kitty a quick wave hello. Kitty waves back, unsure of how to approach her.
Yuri detects a slight tension in the air. She's not sure why it's there, but tries her best to diffuse it nonetheless. "Let me formally introduce you two. Kitty, this is Juliana, my girlfriend. And thank you again for helping me track her down when she was in London, and then again to bring her back to KISS." She then turns to Juliana, "And Juliana, this is Kitty. As hard as it is to believe, she and I may even have a more complicated relationship than you and me, and that's saying something. She and Dae had a long-distance thing before I highjacked him and lied to her for most of the first semester about it. I'm not proud of what I did, but know that I did it out of love for you baby."
Juliana immediately let's her guard down. "Oh, you and Dae were an item? Are you two back together now?"
"No. The lying on his part made it difficult to go back. I fault him for most of it, not Yuri. Frankly, at the time, I didn't know Yuri and she didn't know me. She was just doing what she needed to do to preserve her love for you and I can't blame her for that."
"Thanks, Kitty" replies Yuri, giving her a side hug in the process.
After getting a second hug from Yuri, Kitty doesn't know how much more resolve she'll have left.
"Well, since it looks like the two of you already staked claim to this room, I'll take the other one. See you in a bit."
As Kitty exits the room, she thinks to herself, "Whew, that wasn't too bad."
Kitty walks across the common area into the second bedroom where she finds the last unclaimed bed. It seems like her roommate was here earlier, but stepped out at present. She starts to unpack and gets into a nice rhythm. Unaware to Kitty, an hour passes and she almost doesn't notice her roommate entering the room.
When Madison sees Kitty, she covers up the mic of her cell phone and silently screams out, "Ahhhh, Kitty!" She gestures with her hand, raising an index finger to let Kitty know to give her a minute as she wraps up her call. "Sebastian is such a jerk. None of these guys compare to Min Ho. It's too bad that he wants something serious. I might make another run at him and what happens. Who knows, maybe he'll change his mind about wanting something serious or I'll change my mind about wanting to remain casual. Stranger things have happened. Anyways, I gotta go. My new roommate is here. Talk to you later."
Kitty looks up at the ceiling of her bedroom, as if trying to look through it to the skies above. She thinks to herself, "Dear higher powers. If I've done something to offend you, I apologize. I don't know what I've done to draw your ire and keep getting reminded of a certain someone, but if you could at least tone it down, that'd be appreciated."
…
As the weeks go by, Kitty is finding things to be going a bit smoother this semester. Besides school, she's been rebuilding the relationships she previously had. She's been reconnecting with Q over movie nights that for some strange reason feature Min Ho's mom more often than not. Min Ho's mom really is beautiful, and Kitty can't help but notice how much of her features carried over to her son.
During one of these movie nights, she learns from Q that Florian has come clean to Dae about cheating on the exams. Of course, Dae was so very forgiving. He didn't hold anything against Florian or Q.
As for the couple, they enacted some boundaries to help Florian focus on his schoolwork a bit more without relying on cheating. They are in a much healthier relationship now.
While things with Q and Dae are returning to a state that she's much more comfortable with, she can't quite say the same about things with Yuri and Min Ho.
She can easily describe her and Min Ho's relationship this semester so far. Non-existent. Despite agreeing to just be friends, he hasn't reached out to her at all other than the occasional "hi" when they see each other in class. To be fair, she hasn't tried to reach out to him either.
As for Yuri, it's been the opposite, ironically. With Madison being the social butterfly that she is, it usually leaves Kitty by herself most of the time. Yuri knows this so she always invites Kitty to hang out with her and Juliana. While Kitty doesn't particularly enjoy being a third wheel, she does enjoy the time with Yuri all the same.
One night, Kitty and Dae are catching up over dinner, talking about how each of their classes are going so far. After the meal, Kitty heads back to her dorm. As she walks in, she can't help overhearing Yuri and Juliana seemingly in the middle of an argument.
"We never go out where it's just the two of us," complains Juliana.
"What do you mean? Dinner tonight was just the two of us," defends Yuri.
"That's only because Kitty wasn't around. And it's not just about dinner either. Last weekend when we went to the mall, you invited Kitty at the last minute. Same for the movies a few weeks before that."
"I'm sorry, but I can't deal with this right now" says Yuri as she storms out of the bedroom. She finds Kitty standing in the middle of the living room, clearly having heard everything.
Unsure of how to proceed, Kitty asks, "You want to go for a walk? Get some air?"
Yuri gives a quick nod, and the two girls leave the dorm. They didn't have a set destination, but find themselves sitting on a bench in the courtyard outside the library.
Yuri starts, "I'm sorry about Juliana. She's normally not the jealous type, but she's been a little extra sensitive this semester. I'm sure some of it is due to my mom having shipped her off last semester, but somehow it feels like it's deeper than that."
Kitty contemplates what to say next. She determines that there won't be a better time to finally tell Yuri everything that's been on her mind.
"Juliana isn't as paranoid as you might think she is," admits Kitty, shyly. "If you haven't noticed, Yuri, I kind of have a crush on you. This is new territory for me though and I'm struggling with how I should be handling it all."
"You have a crush on me? Uhh, when… how…" stammers Yuri, unable to form complete questions.
"There's no denying that you're gorgeous. But it's more than that. It started for me the night of Min Ho's party. You saved me from Geon. Without you there, I would have made a terrible mistake with him. Then seeing you on stage, playing your set, there was this aura emanating from you that just drew me in. Up until that point, I ever only romanticized a moment like that with Dae, but with you actually being the center of those events, it didn't change anything surprisingly."
"Kitty, I don't know what to say. I'd be lying if I didn't tell you that I might have felt something during our camping trip when you got your sister to help connect me with Juliana."
Yuri empathizes with Kitty as she was in a similar position not too long ago. It can be nerve wracking when you learn something like this about yourself.
"Where do we go from here?" asks Kitty.
Without warning, Yuri leans in and kisses Kitty softly. After a few seconds, the two pull apart, sitting upright again. It was more than an innocent peck between friends, but it didn't feel especially magical or all-consuming like Kitty imagined. Compared to how she felt after that time she had the dream about Yuri, if left much to be desired. However, before thinking about this any longer, she just chalks it up to being nervous as this is her first kiss with another girl.
Realizing that they both need some time to process everything, they decide to head back to their dorm. Besides, it's close to curfew, so more the reason to not be a prisoner of the moment.
An hour earlier, Min Ho headed to the library, but not to study for an exam or finish up homework. He was going to the archives to look for and read through the recorded minutes of the 1993 debate club's meetings.
As Min Ho was leaving the library, he noticed the two of them sitting and talking on the bench. He didn't mean to eavesdrop, but when he saw them kiss, it froze him in his tracks. All he could do was look at Kitty wistfully. While he wishes he was the one to be kissing Kitty, he's glad that she's moving forward and getting the opportunity to learn more about herself, especially at this time of her life where it's most crucial.
The next morning, Min Ho is surprised to get a text message from Kitty.
Kitty: Hi there. I was wondering if you'd like to grab lunch today. I know we haven't talked much since the semester started, but we're friends, right? I'd like to be able to catch up and see how you're doing.
Min Ho: Hi Covey. I can never say "no" to you.
Kitty: Other than "no English" you mean? =P
Min Ho: Touché
At lunch time, Kitty walks into the cafeteria, grabs her food, and spots Min Ho sitting at one of the tables in the back corner. She makes her way over to him.
"Hi."
"Hi."
"Why does this seem weird?" Kitty asks.
"Because it is a little weird" replies Min Ho, a little too tersely.
Sensing Kitty's positive energy starting to decline, Min Ho realizes that no matter what he's feeling about himself, seeing Kitty upset will always hurt him much more.
"I'm sorry, that came out wrong. It's just, I've really missed you." He gives her a comforting hug and leads her to the seat across from his.
The hug immediately brings her spirits back up, but she doesn't dwell on it right away.
"I've missed you too. Before I lose my train of thought though, the reason why I asked you to lunch today is because I need to tell you about something that happened last night."
"I think I know what this is about."
"Really? How could you know?"
"I saw you and Yuri outside the library last night."
"Oh, well, I can explain."
"Kitty, I'm happy for you. I want nothing more for you than to learn about yourself as much as possible and to have these discoveries tied with memories you'll keep your entire life. Cherish that kiss that you shared with Yuri."
At first, Kitty thinks Min Ho is being defensive, but the more she stares at him, the more she realizes he's being genuine. "You really do mean that, don't you?" she asks.
"Of course. At the end of the day, the truth is what matters the most. I fully support you in your journey to find the truth about yourself. That trumps everything else that may be going on."
Min Ho never ceases to surprise Kitty. She catches herself staring into his eyes a little too long before coughing to break the spell that he had cast over her.
"Spring break is coming up. Do you have any plans?" Kitty asks.
"Not really. I was just going to stay in Seoul. And yourself?"
"Lara Jean and Peter are coming to visit. I'm so excited. They're coming from San Francisco and arrive Friday night. My last exam is earlier that afternoon. Anyways, if you're free sometime during the break, I'm sure they'd like to see you again too."
"Sure, that'd be great."
"I don't know what the itinerary will be while they're here, but I do know that one stop will be at Seoul Tower. When we were here on our family vacation several years ago, Lara Jean bought a lock and wrote her and Peter's initials on it. They said they would one day come back together to place the lock at the top of the tower with the other love locks. I'm so happy for them that they get to do this."
"Just another confirmation of your greatness as a matchmaker, it seems. You're the reason they get to celebrate their love in this special manner."
Kitty hates how simple statements like that always seems to make her blush when they are said by Min Ho.
When Kitty returns to the dorms after her afternoon classes, she's surprised to find Yuri, Juliana, and Madison all present. It seems like it's the first time all four are there at the same time when it's not late night or early morning.
Madison rallies the girls together. "Alright roomies, spring break is coming up, but before we get there, we have to make it through exam week. Now, to get us prepared for exam week, I propose we have at least one group dinner. I think the bonding session will help strengthen our resolve to study hard."
The other three girls are staring at Madison, in shock at what she's saying, given that she's the same girl who has snuck out of their dorm no fewer than three times a week to party downtown.
"I'm just messing with you, but only about the studying part. I do think it'd be nice for the four of us to eat in tonight and just hang out."
The girls decide to order way too much takeout food and eat in their dorm. In the middle of the meal, Madison asks, "So, how's everyone on the relationship front?"
Juliana goes first and says, "Yuri and I are going through some things at the moment, but I'm confident that we'll be able to get through this and in the end, we'll be stronger for it." She then leans over and gives Yuri a quick peck. Yuri chimes in, "What she said."
Kitty goes next and says, "Well, seeing as how last semester, I literally was the lowest ranked person to pass their classes, I've mainly spent this semester trying to get my grades up, so I haven't really been focusing on relationships. Luckily my sacrifice wasn't in vain. Professor Lee no longer looks at me, tsk-ing disapprovingly."
Before anyone can question Kitty further, she continues, "How about you, Madison?"
"Boys suck! I mean, sure, they can be fun at times, but in the end, they always find a way to disappoint. I think Min Ho had the right idea about getting into a committed relationship."
Kitty chokes a little on the water that she's drinking, but no one seems to notice. "That could've been bad had Q been here," she thinks.
Madison proceeds. "I had dinner with Min Ho the other night and he had this aloofness about him. It was like when we first met. Anyways, I tell him that I regret how we ended things during the camping trip and that if he's up for it, that I'd like to try and have a committed relationship with him. I was hoping he'd jump at the chance, but he just apologized saying that he's in a different place now. It's so frustrating. I don't get him at all."
The dread that Kitty was beginning to feel is suddenly replaced by a huge sense of relief. She gives a silent thank you to the powers above.
After dinner, Juliana and Madison retreat to their respective rooms, leaving Kitty and Yuri to clean up in a peaceful silence.
Yuri breaks the calm. "Hey Kitty. Are we good? We haven't really talked much since… you know."
Kitty knew this conversation was bound to happen sooner or later, but surprisingly, it's not feeling like it would be as difficult as she imagined.
"I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but the feeling I had after our kiss wasn't what I expected. In my head, I was picturing fireworks, but it just fell flat for me. I thought it was because I was nervous kissing my first girl, but the more I thought about it, the more I came to realize that what I really wanted from you was just genuine friendship. No lies. No drama or baggage. I think I misplaced some feelings when I got a glimpse of what things could be that night of the party."
"I'm so relieved that's how you feel. You're a great friend, Kitty. If we switched places, I don't know if I'd be able to deal with myself after everything Dae and I put you through. I think I was momentarily caught up in that. But at the end of the day, Juliana is the one I love."
They share a hug before continuing with the rest of the cleanup.
…
It's the week before spring break and everyone is focused on making it through their exams unscathed. Kitty and Yuri are in the quad, sitting on a blanket they've laid out underneath a tree. Kitty takes in the scenery and still can't believe she gets to have this experience.
"I feel so lucky that the school changed their mind and let me come back. I'm also glad that this time around my grades are much better. I wanted to prove to them that it wasn't a mistake to reinstate me. I'm glad I had the chance to do so."
"The way this semester is playing out is all because of you, not luck. Though I do admit that you needed the chance to prove yourself. For that, it was less luck and more about Min Ho." After a brief moment, Yuri follows up with, "Shit, sorry. Pretend you didn't hear that."
Kitty had forgotten about details of the call she got from Yuri's mom regarding her return to KISS. She had mentioned that if Kitty were to thank anyone for this, it should be Min Ho.
"What do you know about Min Ho getting me back into KISS?"
"I really shouldn't be telling you this. Things with my mom have been getting better recently and I'm pretty sure this is something she wasn't supposed to tell you, or at least have you find out from her."
"Well I'm finding out from you, not her," replied Kitty.
"Fine, but you didn't hear this from me. Granted, this was a phone call so I only heard what my mom was saying, but I could figure out what the context was. Anyways, Min Ho called to ask that your expulsion be reconsidered and to have you reinstated. I tried bringing up the topic with my mom the day you flew back to the states, but she wasn't really hearing it. When Min Ho brought it up though, it sounded like he was threatening the school with legal action. My mom started sounding nervous because she was mentioning the video that your ex-roommate recorded of you while you were sleeping. It seems like he was saying the school should have done more to handle the situation and when nothing was done, that you shouldn't be blamed for finding a safe space."
"I can't believe he did that for me."
"I can't either. He played a risky game against the school, but I'm glad it worked out."
"Along those lines, I never thanked you for entering into that fake relationship with Dae."
Confused, Yuri asks, "What do you mean?"
"Well, it was because of that fake relationship that you ended up paying for Dae's tuition, and thus letting him return to KISS at all this year."
"About that too, I only paid for the first semester. So this also falls under the previous classification of things I shouldn't be telling you, but Min Ho is paying for Dae's tuition and room and board."
"That makes no sense. Dae told me that the school allowed him an exception to still have his scholarship cover his room and board even though he didn't rank first last semester."
"Then he probably doesn't know."
Kitty is floored by what she's learned, especially given the fact that she didn't even talk to Min Ho for the better part of this semester. "You hypocrite" she thinks to herself, as she tries to hold in a cry of happiness. "You said you could never lie to your friends or people you care about, though I guess an exception can be made in these cases."
…
It's the last day of exams and Kitty cannot wait to head to the airport to pick up Lara Jean and Peter later that afternoon, once she finishes.
It's 5pm and Min Ho had just finished his last exam. He's walking across campus and going back to his dorm when he notices one classroom that was still filled with a class frantically writing in their exam book. On the white board, scribbled in blue marker was "Exam end: 7:00 PM"
"Did that class just start their exam?" He said aloud to himself. Shrugging and about to turn back around, he spots someone looking particular stressed out and seemingly rushing even more than the other students. "Kitty? Isn't she supposed to be heading to the airport to pick up Lara Jean and Peter?"
Min Ho doesn't know why Kitty's class is just starting their exam now, but he knows he has to do something to help her. He pulls out his phone and calls his driver.
"James, can you please do me a favor? Can you drive to the airport as quickly as possible and look for an arriving flight from San Francisco? There should be two people coming in on that flight, Lara Jean Song Covey and Peter Kavinsky. Please find them and tell them that Kitty Song Covey is stuck at school and unable to meet them at the airport, but that she'll see them tomorrow. Also please offer to take them to dinner at Jungsik on me before retreating to their hotel. Tell chef Yim that I'm calling in the favor he owes me when I got him tickets to the premiere of my mom's last movie."
…
At 7pm, Kitty sprints from the classroom and is immediately on her phone, trying to reach Lara Jean.
"Please pick up, please pick up."
Staring at her phone distractedly, she bumps into a figure. Looking back at the person she collided with, she only sees their back. "I'm so sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going. Are you ok?".
The reply that she got was something quite unexpected. As the person turns around, she hears, "No English" floating through the air in a thick Korean accent.
It takes her eyes a moment to adjust to the dim evening setting. "Min Ho? What are you doing here?"
"I finished my last exam earlier and as I was walking back to the dorm, I saw you in that classroom over there and read on the board that it wouldn't end until 7pm. I decided to wait for you to finish."
"That's actually very sweet of you, but I'm kinda freaking out right now. I was supposed to be at the airport already to pick up Lara Jean and Peter. I've been trying to reach her, but she's not answering." Her breaths are becoming shallower and faster as she's explaining this.
Min Ho cups her face in both of his hands. "Calm down, Covey. Just breathe. I remembered you saying that they were flying in tonight and when I saw you in that classroom, I knew you wouldn't be able to pick them up. I called my driver to meet them at the airport and everything should be taken care of. You can see them tomorrow."
"I… I don't know what to say. You're always looking out for me. Thank you."
Trying to hide his blush, Min Ho quickly changes the subject. "Since both our plans tonight kind of went out the window, what do you say about joining me for dinner? I can whip up something quick and easy."
"I'd like that," said Kitty as she and Min Ho walk back to the boys' dorm.
Min Ho makes a simple tofu and rice dish with a side of galbi and kimchi. It's not anything as fancy as what he made for Chuseok, but it tastes just as good if not better.
"So I hope that I'm not coming off like the 'Seoul Stalker' you so famously coined, but I remember you were reading a letter about your mom when we were flying back to Los Angeles for winter break. You mentioned someone named Simon possibly being your mom's boyfriend at KISS, before she ever met your dad."
"Yeah, that's right. Why are you bringing this up?"
"Did you have time to look into that this term?"
"Sadly, no. I really wanted to keep my grades up this time and so that didn't leave me with much time to learn anymore about my mom and Simon."
"Well, I found out who Simon was."
"What?! You did? Please, tell me."
Min Ho hands over a packet of papers.
"What's this?" asks Kitty.
"Details about the 1993 debate club. Your mom and Simon were members and from what I gathered, fierce competitors, especially against each other, at their debate practices. They were always on opposing teams and got into a bunch of heated discussions. Some of them became borderline personal. But in the end, it was just how they pushed each other to get better. It seems their shared passion was what sparked their romance."
This revelation scares Kitty because it mirrors her and Min Ho's relationship to a degree. Something must have happened given that her mom and Simon obviously didn't end up together. Of course, she's grateful her mom met her dad, otherwise she wouldn't be here, but what she's starting to feel for Min Ho, she doesn't want to follow the same trajectory as her mom and Simon.
Kitty breaks the silence and states, "I'm sorry, Min Ho but nothing can ever happen between us." She gets up from her seat, grabs her backpack, and runs out of the dorm.
Min Ho can only stare in the wake of Kitty's retreat, crestfallen.
The next morning, Kitty calls Lara Jean and is relieved to finally hear her sister's voice.
"Lara Jean! I'm so happy you and Peter got here ok."
"Kitty! Yes, we made it in one piece. It was strange at first when we spotted a chauffeur holding a piece of paper with our names on it. However, he explained he was Min Ho's driver and that you were held up at school. He ended up taking us to a really fancy restaurant and we had a meal that Min Ho covered. I don't know what sort of magic you performed on the boy since this was the last thing I expected after how things ended during New Years."
"About that, I wouldn't expect that sort of treatment to continue the rest of your trip here."
"Uh oh. What happened?"
"I'll explain later. I promise. Anyways, I just want to spend today with my big sister and her giant puppy."
Suddenly, Lara Jean's voice is off in the distance. "Kitty says you're my giant puppy." After a second, she's back on the line. "Peter says he's hurt."
Without any regrets, Kitty remarks, "I said what I said."
…
Kitty, Lara Jean, and Peter spend the day exploring several different tourist attractions around Seoul. Their last stop of the day is Seoul Tower. Kitty is wandering aimlessly as Lara Jean and Peter are taking everything in and excited to place their lock amongst all the others.
Kitty thinks back to everything that's happened to her since she first decided to come to KISS. Starting with coming to surprise Dae, to developing a crush on Yuri, to breaking up with Dae, to getting kicked out of school, to getting back in, and finally to where she is now, celebrating spring break, nothing has turned out the way she had thought they would go. While it's great to have a plan, the best things in life are the unexpected moments that teach you more about yourself than you would have learned otherwise. She realizes that this applies perfectly to her and Min Ho.
Frantically looking around for Lara Jean and Peter, Kitty spots them taking some selfies. She runs over to them saying, "We have to go, now, hurry, please."
Lara Jean and Peter are trying to get Kitty to explain herself, but she's already almost at the stairs about to head down.
As Kitty is about to descend the steps, she sees Min Ho climbing up.
Lara Jean senses that something amazing is about to happen and tugs Peter by the sleeve of his shirt, pulling him aside and fading into the background.
"Min Ho…" says Kitty.
"I had to come find you. I just need you to know one thing."
Kitty stares back, her mind so full of thoughts that it prevents her from saying anything.
"Break my heart, Covey. Break my heart into a thousand pieces. Do whatever you want."
Lara Jean and Peter are bursting with joy on the inside. They can't help but notice the parallel to their own story.
Kitty and Min Ho slowly walk towards each other, meeting in the middle. Kitty has a single tear rolling down her face and Min Ho takes his thumb to gently wipe it away.
Kitty looks up at him and with the emotional weight of the world behind her simple delivery, says, "I love you."
Min Ho's eyes soften immediately, and with his emotions starting to swell at what he just heard, at what he's been wanting and waiting to hear for months now, he replies, "I love you, too."
With a soft, encouraging smile, Kitty reaches out her hand, hesitating for a moment before lacing her fingers with Min Ho's. She can feel the warmth of his touch, and a wave of affection washes over her. Min Ho, feeling emboldened by her touch, leans closer, their eyes locked in a gentle gaze.
As the distance between them diminishes, time seems to slow down. The sound of their pounding hearts drowns out everything around them. Their breaths intertwine, a gentle dance of anticipation.
Finally, their lips meet in a soft and tender kiss, the culmination of a twisting, winding relationship that has blossomed into something more. It's a gentle touch, filled with innocence and the sweetness of youth. In that moment, the world seems to fade away, leaving only the two of them, their connection sealed with a shared heartbeat.
They stay locked in their embrace, savoring the moment, their lips gently parting before they pull away, their eyes opening to find the other's gaze. A mixture of awe, wonder, and joy paint their faces as they realize the significance of this milestone.
The world around them slowly comes back into focus with the sound of joyous cheers coming from Lara Jean muffled by Peter who's trying to contain her and not completely ruin the moment for Kitty and Min Ho. They exchange a shy smile, their faces still flush with the warmth of the kiss.
They come together again, their foreheads resting against each other. Their breathing has become synchronized. Suddenly, Min Ho slowly drops to one knee. Kitty's not sure what's happening, completely flabbergasted by the action. A part of her wonders if Min Ho is doing what she thinks he's doing. Another part of her wonders what it'd be like if she said yes. As if in slow motion, she sees Min Ho's arms reach out to her and is just about to faint when she notices his hands staying low to the ground, sliding over to her left shoe and begins to tie her shoelace.
"Sorry, I just noticed that your shoelace was untied and didn't want you to trip and or bump into someone because of it."
As Kitty begins to regain her senses, she ruffles his stupidly perfect hair because she knows how much that bothers him. "Oh my god, you jerk. You gave me a heart attack, thinking you were already going to propose."
Min Ho rises and takes Kitty's hands in his own. "If I'm ever so lucky to get the opportunity in the future, I'll make sure it will be something you'll never forget."
Kitty fully believes him.
"However, for now, what do you say we take it one day at a time, my little sasaeng?"
Never one to let a slight go unreturned, Kitty states, "Let's just get one thing straight. If anyone is the sasaeng in this relationship, it's you. Oh, and I hate you." Kitty is absolutely adorable when she pretends to be annoyed, though her smirk is a dead giveaway.
Min Ho can only smile, and says, "I love you, too" before leaning in for another kiss.