The story starts in Buffalo. Steph was in her super senior year and single. One thing about Steph is she doesn't like younger guys. Since it was her super senior year, most people her age all graduated so she wasn't looking for a partner. So instead she poured her heart and energy into her club, HKSA. The club she loves running so she can order people around which earned her the nickname "tyrant". One summer in Buffalo, Steph had a friend named Kevin that was making a weekend trip back down to the City. She hopped in the car with him to go back down to the city for that weekend. When the weekend was over, she hopped back into Kevin's car to go back to Buffalo. This time Kevin said he was also going to drive his cousin up to visit Buffalo as well since he will be starting school there in the upcoming semester. An extra person in the car for 8 hours? Perfect! More people to talk to. Unfortunately for Stephanie Kevin's cousin sat in the shotgun seat and basically did not interact with anyone else in the car except Kevin. Steph thought it was the first time and probably the last time she would see Kevin's cousin, Colman. Steph did bump into Colman twice after that encounter, once at Around the World (ifykyk) and once during TA hours for Chinese class but she did not pay much mind to it as she only remembered him as Astro's cousin. During one HKSA club meeting Steph was looking for people who were interested in filling spots for her E-board as current E-board members were graduating. Colman was encouraged to join the club to be more social. Steph thought he was a freshman so she gave him an opportunity to join the club as the PR Rep. PR Rep would give him lots of chances to meet other Reps from other clubs and also be a social advocate for HKSA. Besides running HKSA and going to school full time, Steph also worked at K-Cafe. One day K-Cafe's owner was looking for a delivery driver and Colman was hired for that spot. Eventually Steph and Colman ended up spending almost the entire day together. They would need to prep food for tabling events for HKSA, attend E-board meetings for HKSA, go to other club activities, and then work at K-Cafe. They would finish work at K-Cafe in the early AM hours and go to eat Denny's together. Sparks were starting to fly but the only problem was Steph thought he was a freshman. Sparks flew—though Steph hesitated, still thinking he was younger. Eventually, she learned Colman was actually her age. Bonding over K-pop and Running Man, the rest is history. Eleven years later, the universe had done its work.

It all began with a sweet double date at Barn Joo with Colman’s sister. Throughout dinner, Colman believed he was gracefully guiding the conversation, but in truth, he was quieter and more nervous than usual — a sign of just how much this moment meant to him. After dinner, Colman, with a little help from his sister, came up with a casual excuse to lead Stephanie toward the rooftop proposal. He suggested they check out a “rooftop bar,” which immediately made Stephanie suspicious. After all, she knew Colman couldn’t handle alcohol, and she was already questioning this unusual decision. They arrived at the spot, located right next to the Empire State Building. During the elevator ride, Colman grew more nervous as he overheard Stephanie remark that the place looked more like an office area than a bar. Luckily, she still had no idea what was about to unfold. When they stepped out of the elevator, they were greeted by someone at the front desk, who directed them toward the door that led to the rooftop. Once they stepped out onto the rooftop, they were met with a breathtaking scene: candles, twinkling lights, and flower petals leading to a floral arch. At its center, a sign illuminated the words, “Will You Marry Me?” As Colman and Stephanie approached the arch, Stephanie was still in shock. Colman knelt on one knee and asked the question. Stephanie, stunned and taking a moment to process the significance of the moment, finally said “yes.” And from that moment, a beautiful new chapter began for them.