Note: I physically can't see Han keeping a wedding or even a girlfriend from anyone, so this is gonna be a little different.
Han was pacing the kitchen, driving Lee Know crazy. He'd been at it for almost half an hour now and Lee Know was sure he'd fall through the floor if he kept it up.
He slammed a hand on the table, coming to his feet. "Yah! What is this all about? I haven't seen you this anxious since debut. What is going on?"
Han yelped and jumped at his outburst, glancing away at his inquiry. "Nothing. Just... Nothing." He shook his head as if to convince himself it wasn't important.
Lee Know softened his harsh tone when he realized how upset Han was. Sure, he teased a lot, but his best friend (Hah!) was important to him. "Jisung." He looked up from the floor. "What is it? Talking about it can surely help."
Han sighed and took a seat at the table, wringing his hands and Lee Know eased back into his seat across from him.
Everything spilled from him suddenly. "I'm going to propose to my girlfriend tomorrow and I don't know if she'll say yes, or like the ring or like the picnic spot I chose or what to wear and I'm going to stutter or drop the ring or spill wine on her or ruin the surprise and I've been aavoiding her because I don't want to say something accidentally and now she thinks I'm mad at her and I think she's gonna cry when I go home and I'll feel bad and tell her everything and then she'll be sad I ruined the surprise." He had tears welling up in his eyes by the end of it, throughly upset.
Lee Know blinked at him. "Girlfriend? What?"
Han blinked mistily at him. "I didn't tell you? We've been dating for like three years." He sniffed, wiping his nose on his hoodie sleeve.
Lee Know shook his head, dazed. "Nope, failed to mention that."
A tear slipped down Han's face, another sniffle slipping out. "I'm sorry. I thought I did."
Lee Know snapped himself out of it. "No, it's ok. It's not anyone's business but yours and hers. Let's get back to the issue. Have you talked about getting married before?"
Han nods. "Yeah, we said we were ready. She didn't want to go public until after the wedding."
"Ok, good. That means she'll definitely say yes. Next problem, have you talked about ring designs?"
He shakes his head this time. "No, but all of her jewelry is silver and kinda small so I got something with a small diamond but the sale lady said something about me being a minimalist and now I don't know if she'll think I'm being cheap."
"Well, if you compare it to the rest of her jewelry, will it match?"
A nod. "But I got one with her favorite gems around the main stone, so it's a little flashier than the rest."
Lee Know grins. "You did perfectly. Next problem."
Han smiled shyly and nodded. "Will she like the place I picked?"
"Why don't you try thinking about this like I did?" Lee Know smiled encouragingly.
"Ok... She always says how pretty willows are and that she loves the river, so she should like the spot. I picked her favorite wine and made little sandwiches with her favorite toppings, so she should like those, too."
Lee Know threw his hands up. "See? You got this! Now, what's this about clothes? You're a fashion guru and so am I, this should be the easy part. What does she like?"
Han laughs and wipes his nose again. "She always says she likes darker colors and simple clothes."
"Easy, dark jeans, a button-up, and some tennis shoes." Lee Know leans back in his seat. "What else? I'm on a roll."
Han deflates a little. "She's mad at me and is gonna cry when she sees me. She hates when we fight."
His smile flattens sadly. "That's a little harder. Can you just reassure her nothing is wrong and say you'll talk tomorrow after your date?"
Han shakes his head. "We don't go to sleep or on dates upset, it ruins our day if we don't talk about it immediately. I've been avoiding her for three days."
"What if you do it now?"
Han blinks at him. "What?"
Lee Know glances at the clock. "It's only 10 AM. Go pick her up and do it now. You have the food ready, right?" Han nods. "Then, go get dressed and tell her to be ready."
Han sits there for a second before scrambling up and running for his room, dialing frantically on his phone.
That night, the group text lit up with a picture of a gorgeous engagement ring on a delicate hand and the caption, "Who wants to be my groomsmen?" from Han.
It had been five beautiful, incredible years since Gordon and Kate had become a couple. Five years of love, laughter, support, hard work, and building a life together. Hell’s Kitchen — the famous, fiery show where Gordon ruled the kitchen with his high standards and sharp tongue — had finished filming and aired two years ago, but the restaurant itself was still open, still busy, still the place where everything had first started between them.
Tonight was special. Very special.
Gordon had invited Kate to come for dinner, just like they did sometimes, but tonight, he had something huge planned. Something he had been thinking about for years. Something he knew she deserved more than anything. He was going to propose to her. Right here. In the very place where their story first began.
He had planned every single detail perfectly. He had even come up with a dramatic, crazy, brilliant idea — one that would shock everyone, scare Kate half to death, but end up being the most unforgettable moment of their lives. He knew it was a little mean to scare her like that, but he also knew it would be the memory they would talk about forever.
Kate walked into the famous restaurant, smiling softly as she looked around. It was busy, lively, filled with guests enjoying their dinner, the atmosphere warm and electric. She wore a beautiful dress, her hair styled perfectly, glowing with happiness. She and Gordon had been together for half a decade; everyone knew how much he loved her, everyone knew she was the only woman in his life, but marriage… that was the one thing they hadn’t done yet, though everyone knew it was coming sooner or later.
She was seated right at the chef’s table — the best seat in the whole restaurant, right in front of the glass wall looking straight into the kitchen, where she could see Gordon working, shouting orders, moving fast and sharp, exactly the fierce chef everyone knew and loved.
And standing in the kitchen, watching Gordon like a hawk, hanging onto every word he said, desperate for even a second of his attention was Jessica. Jessica had been a contestant back when the show was filming two years ago. She had come second place, been incredibly talented, but also incredibly infatuated with Gordon. Even after the show ended, she kept working here, staying close, believing that one day Gordon would finally notice her as more than just a chef. She hated Kate. She hated that Kate was the one Gordon always went home to, the one he talked about with such softness and love, the one who had his whole heart.
“God, look at her,” Jessica muttered bitterly to herself, chopping vegetables roughly, eyes glaring toward Kate sitting comfortably outside. “Sitting there like a queen, smiling like she owns everything. She doesn’t even know how lucky she is. Gordon should be with someone like me. Someone who works hard, someone who understands his world, someone right here with him.”
She tossed her hair back, standing taller, making sure she was visible, hoping Gordon would look at her, would praise her, would notice how good she looked. But Gordon didn’t even glance her way. His eyes kept drifting toward Kate, soft and full of love, before snapping back to his serious, fierce expression.
Service was in full swing. Orders were flying in, plates were going out, the kitchen was loud, hot, and intense, exactly how Gordon liked it. He was shouting, correcting mistakes, checking every single dish, his voice booming loud enough for everyone to hear.
“THIS SALMON IS DRY! IT’S LIKE EATING LEATHER! DO YOU WANT TO SEND THAT OUT?! DO YOU?!” Gordon yelled, slamming his hand on the counter, face red, eyes sharp. “START AGAIN NOW OR YOU’RE OUT! MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!”
Kate smiled from her table. She knew him so well. She knew that shouting, that fire, that intensity — it was just how he worked. She wasn’t scared of it anymore; she admired his passion. She watched him proudly, thinking how handsome he was, how amazing he was, and how lucky she was to be loved by him.
But inside Gordon’s mind, the time had come. The plan was starting.
He kept shouting, kept moving fast, but slowly, he began changing his behavior just slightly. He slowed down. He pressed one hand against the left side of his chest, right over his heart. His face twisted, not in anger this time, but in pain.
“UGH—” Gordon groaned loudly, stumbling slightly, grabbing onto the counter for support. His face turned pale, beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. He bent forward, hand pressing harder against his chest, breathing suddenly heavy and ragged.
“CHEF?!” one of the line cooks shouted, eyes wide in panic. “CHEF ARE YOU OKAY?!”
“M-my chest… it hurts… oh god it hurts…” Gordon rasped out, voice weak and shaking, clutching his heart like he was in absolute agony. He leaned harder on the counter, legs shaking, looking like he was struggling just to breathe.
Instantly, the whole kitchen fell into total chaos.
“MEDIC! CALL THE MEDIC RIGHT NOW!” someone screamed.
“CHEF STAY WITH US! CHEF!”
Everyone stopped working. Everyone crowded around him, terrified and worried. Jessica ran forward, face white with panic, reaching out to hold him, eyes full of fear — but also a tiny, selfish thought: If something happens to him, I’ll be here. I’ll be the one helping him.
But outside the kitchen, Kate saw everything.
Her smile vanished instantly. Her blood ran cold. Her heart stopped beating.
She saw him clutching his chest. She saw him stumbling. She saw his face twisted in pain. She heard the shouts of panic from the cooks.
“GORDON!!!”
She didn’t think. She didn’t care about rules or guests or cameras or anything. She jumped up from her chair, pushing it back hard, and ran straight toward the kitchen doors.
“LET ME IN! PLEASE LET ME IN! THAT’S MY MAN! LET ME GO TO HIM!” Kate screamed, voice shaking with pure terror.
The staff, seeing how terrified she was, seeing how much she loved him, immediately opened the doors. Kate rushed inside, ignoring everyone, rushing straight to Gordon’s side.
“Gordon! Gordon look at me! What’s wrong?! Where does it hurt?!” Kate cried out, voice trembling, eyes filling with tears instantly as she grabbed his arm, helping him stand, holding him tight. She was so scared, so terrified that she was about to lose him, the love of her life, the most important person in the world to her.
Gordon looked at her, his eyes half-lidded, face pale, breathing hard. “Kate… love… it hurts so bad… I can’t… I can’t breathe…”
“We’re getting you help! I’m here! I’ve got you! I’m not leaving you!” Kate sobbed softly, wrapping both arms around his waist, helping him walk slowly, carefully, out of the hot kitchen and into the main dining room, right in front of every single guest, every staff member, everyone watching with worried, sad, shocked faces.
Jessica followed close behind, hands over her mouth, pretending to be heartbroken, but her eyes watching closely, thinking this is my chance. I need to be here.
They walked slowly step by step until they were right in the middle of the dining area, all eyes fixed on them, silence heavy in the air.
Suddenly — Gordon’s legs gave way completely.
“GORDON!” Kate screamed, her heart shattering, rushing to catch him, almost falling to her knees herself as he went down. She was crouching low, leaning over him, tears streaming freely down her face, shaking uncontrollably, absolutely terrified.
“Gordon! Gordon please! Stay with me! Please don’t leave me! I love you! I love you so much!” Kate cried out, holding his face between her hands, panic taking over every part of her.
Everyone in the room was completely silent, shocked, sad, worried. Jessica stood right behind Kate, eyes wide, fists clenched tight, thinking No no no! This can’t happen! He can’t be dying! And why is SHE the one here?! Why not ME?!
And then… Gordon opened his eyes.
The pain was gone. The pale look was gone. Instead, his blue eyes were shining bright, warm, full of love, and he was smiling.
Before Kate could even process the change, Gordon — who had just been “dying in pain” seconds ago — suddenly pushed himself up smoothly, and right there, in front of everyone, dropped down onto one knee.
Kate froze completely. Her mouth fell open. Her tears stopped instantly, turning into pure confusion and shock.
“G-Gordon…?” she whispered, breathless, heart racing for a completely different reason now.
Gordon looked up at her, his face soft, happy, full of more love than she had ever seen before. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a small, beautiful red velvet box, and opened it right there.
Inside sat the most stunning, sparkling diamond ring she had ever seen — big, bright, perfect, exactly like their love.
“Five years,” Gordon started, his voice clear, loud, and full of emotion, ringing across the silent room so everyone could hear. “Five years since we became us. Five years of laughter, hard work, arguments, passion, and more love than I ever thought was possible. Two years since this place was on TV, but this kitchen… this place… it will always be where everything started for us.”
He reached out and gently took her shaking hand in his.
“A few minutes ago, I said my heart was hurting. And honestly… I wasn’t lying. It was hurting. It was hurting because for five years I have known you are the one. You are my everything. You are the best thing that ever happened to me. And my heart hurts because I have waited this long to ask you this…”
He looked deep into her eyes, smiling tearfully.
“Kate, my love, my rock, my best friend… will you make me the happiest man alive? Will you marry me?”
For a split second, absolute silence.
Then — Kate screamed happily, tears flowing again but this time pure tears of joy, nodding her head wildly, unable to speak at first.
“YES! YES GORDON! A THOUSAND TIMES YES! I WILL MARRY YOU!”
She threw herself into his arms, and Gordon stood up catching her, spinning her around, kissing her deeply, passionately, right there in front of everyone, cheering, clapping, screaming congratulations.
It was perfect. It was magical. It was everything she ever dreamed of.
But while everyone was cheering and celebrating, one person was absolutely furious.
Jessica stood frozen just a few feet away, face burning bright red, eyes wide with rage and jealousy, her hands clenched into tight shaking fists.
“NO! THIS ISN’T FAIR! THIS CAN’T BE HAPPENING!” she screamed inside her head.
She watched Gordon holding Kate like she was the most precious treasure on earth. She watched him kissing her, smiling at her, looking at her like no one else existed. She saw the ring shining bright on Kate’s finger. She realised Gordon never looked at her, never cared about her, never thought of her as anything more than an employee.
She wanted to scream, to throw things, to ruin everything — but she couldn’t. She couldn’t do or say a single thing. Everyone was happy for them. Everyone was celebrating. Everyone knew Gordon loved Kate. She had absolutely no power, no place, and no chance at all. She was left standing there, burning with anger and humiliation, completely powerless.
Gordon pulled back just slightly, looking at the ring on her finger, then at her beautiful face.
“I can’t believe I scared you like that,” Gordon laughed softly, wiping happy tears from her cheeks. “But I told you, Kate — everything I do, I do it big. And I wanted this moment to be one you will never forget. I wanted everyone to know that you are mine, and I am yours, forever.”
Kate hit his chest playfully, laughing through her tears. “You are absolutely insane! I honestly thought you were dying! I thought I was losing you you idiot! But… it was the most beautiful moment of my life. I love you so much Gordon.”
“And I love you,” Gordon whispered, kissing her forehead, holding her tight. “Five years down, a lifetime to go. And I promise you — every single day will be better than the last.”
He looked around his kitchen, his team, his guests, and caught sight of Jessica standing there pale and furious. He didn’t even give her a second thought. She didn’t matter at all. The only thing that mattered was the woman in his arms.
Later that night, after everyone had left, after the celebration was over, Gordon and Kate stood alone together right there in Hell’s Kitchen, just holding each other.
“You know,” Gordon said softly, twisting the ring on her finger, “I’ve wanted to do this for years. And doing it here… exactly where we first met… it feels right. It feels like home.”
Kate smiled, resting her head against his chest, listening to the steady, strong beat of his heart — the heart that belonged entirely to her.
“It is home,” she whispered. “Wherever you are, is home.”
