By Zephyria 
“…You’re really getting married? For real?”
“……Yeah. There are some circumstances….”
“What sudden circumstances? Was there someone like that? Like, someone you’ve known since you were a kid?”
“…It’s not like that… actually….”
Eun-won slowly confided his situation to Yoon Ji-woon. He didn’t tell him every single detail, but he provided enough context for Ji-woon to grasp the overall situation.
As he listened blankly to the story—about how his father had appeared, how there was a problem with that family leading to an arranged marriage, and even the part about how the father wanted a friend to come instead—Yoon Ji-woon recalled how Eun-won had been acting strange for a while.
He remembered how Eun-won had grown thinner by the day as if he couldn’t sleep, how he couldn’t focus on class at all, and how he looked anxious, constantly searching for things and making phone calls. Only then did he understand why Eun-won had been like that.
“So you’re… really doing it? Man, I’ve never seen anyone actually go through with an arranged marriage.”
“…Neither have I.”
“This is insane, seriously. Wow…. I’d rather debut as an idol. Why suddenly a marr— ah….”
Fearing someone might overhear, Yoon Ji-woon didn’t even finish the word ‘marriage’ aloud. He covered his face with both hands, rubbing them vigorously, before gulping down his coffee in one go.
“Right, well…. It seems like everything is already decided, so it’s not my place to say anything, damn it…. Ah, whatever. I’m sure you made the best decision you could. So, when is it?”
“…The 22nd.”
“The 22nd of next month? Hey, why is the marr— no, why is it happening so fast?”
“…No, this month…. The week after next….”
Struck by a second wave of shock, Yoon Ji-woon covered his mouth entirely and leaned his head back for a long time before finally looking up.
“Wow…. This is actually happening. Alright. The 22nd…. Then you must have it. The invitation.”
Seeing Yoon Ji-woon practically mouth the words ‘wedding invitation,’ Eun-won nodded and sent him an image of the invitation via message. After checking the message immediately, Yoon Ji-woon stared at it with shocked eyes for a long while before nodding.
“A moment ago, I was going to get mad and ask why you’re only telling me now, why you didn’t say anything until now… but hearing this, I think I wouldn’t have been able to say it either. Your dad suddenly appearing, and then suddenly this happening… does this even make sense? I feel like my mental state would collapse even if this happened over several years, but you’ve gone through all this in just one month. Are you okay?”
At Yoon Ji-woon’s final question, Cha Se-jin’s face came to mind. The honest answer should have been that he wasn’t okay… but as Cha Se-jin’s face appeared, he strangely felt that he was.
“…Yeah. I’m okay. I wasn’t before, but lately… I’ve become much better.”
“I’m glad if you’re okay…. I’ll definitely be there. And don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. There’s nothing good about this kind of thing becoming a rumor.”
“Thanks…. And I’m sorry. For telling you so late….”
“Hey, forget it. What are you sorry for?”
Feeling grateful to Yoon Ji-woon for understanding him even in a moment like this, Eun-won smiled and made a promise to himself. Once he finished the two major events looming before him—the wedding and the exams—he would definitely treat his kind friend to a luxury hotel stay.
After revealing the news to Yoon Ji-woon, Eun-won managed to coordinate a meeting with the three friends he had been with throughout high school. Though they chatted occasionally via text, they were all busy with their respective jobs, and it had been half a year since all four of them had gathered.
The three friends, who had all entered the workforce instead of going to college after graduation, spent a long time chatting and asking how Eun-won had been over cool beers after work. However, they fell silent for a while after Eun-won dropped the marriage bombshell. Then, upon hearing the details of the arranged marriage, they all burst into tears. It was because they knew all too well how much Eun-won had struggled during their high school years.
One friend got angry, asking why a father would suddenly show up and force his son to marry; another suggested that the father only appeared to make him marry and told Eun-won to just cut ties and not go through with it. In the end, however, all three friends hugged Eun-won and cried for a long time.
Eventually, they cheered him on, saying that many people live happily even in arranged marriages and that he must live a good life. They promised to make time to attend the wedding no matter what and expressed joy that Eun-won would no longer have to live such a hard life.
Looking at his friends smiling and suggesting they meet more often, Eun-won felt that it was a good decision to be honest and open with them.
Having relieved himself of one worry and finished the final necessary preparations, the wedding was suddenly only two days away. Ten days ago, a week ago, he had been subtly busy and it hadn’t felt real, but now that it was only two days away, it felt surreal because it was so imminent.
Nevertheless, every time he saw Cha Se-jin, who existed right before his eyes in reality rather than surreality, he was reminded that all of this was actually happening in his world. To Eun-won, Cha Se-jin was a person who existed on the boundary between reality and surreality.
“I’m going to have a drink. Want some?”
Eun-won, who had been quietly watching Cha Se-jin take off his outer coat to reveal his shirt, returned from surreality to reality.
“I’m okay. I’m not very good with alcohol….”
“Have you even tried it?”
“One glass of beer, one glass of soju, and one glass of beer and soju mixed….”
“How was it?”
“It tasted terrible… but I felt good after drinking it. I felt like I had finally become a real adult….”
“Let’s become an adult one more time today.”
Cha Se-jin took out another glass, added a few pieces of ice, and poured a small amount of whisky for Eun-won. Since the alcohol content was higher than beer or soju, he didn’t think drinking much would be beneficial, so he intended to just show him what a good drink tastes like. There was no point in being wasted two days before the wedding.
“Just a taste.”
After placing the glass in front of Eun-won, Cha Se-jin also placed a glass filled with pink lemonade beside it. Honestly, the lemonade suited Eun-won better than the alcohol. It was similar to the color of his face when he blushed from embarrassment.
“Should I order some more room service?”
Since it was right before the wedding, he thought it would be good to talk about the marriage, so they had dinner at the hotel and then moved to Cha Se-jin’s private room. They weren’t particularly hungry, so they only ordered simple things like fruit, cheese, and chocolate, but he wondered if there was something more that Eun-won would like.
“No, I’m okay. I ate a lot for dinner, and I like everything here.”
“Alright, then. Let’s order if you get hungry while we talk.”
“Okay….”
Carrying his glass and the bottle, Cha Se-jin walked over to the long sofa where Eun-won was sitting and sat close enough for their bodies to touch. Slightly nervous, Eun-won took a sip of the lemonade. Just having Cha Se-jin sit beside him made his heart beat so fast that he felt flushed all over.
“Shall we drink first?”
Holding his glass, Cha Se-jin held it out toward Eun-won. Looking at the two glasses, Eun-won picked up the glass containing the same drink as Cha Se-jin’s and lightly clinked them together. The two transparent glasses met with a clear ringing sound.
After cautiously taking a sip, Eun-won found that while the smell of alcohol wasn’t overwhelming, the taste and aroma felt strangely strong, so he quickly sucked down several sips of lemonade. Realizing that hard liquor tasted bad just like beer and soju, Eun-won looked at Cha Se-jin, who was drinking effortlessly.
“Does it taste bad?”
“Yes….”
Smiling at the innocent answer, Cha Se-jin picked up a piece of chocolate and put it in Eun-won’s mouth. Since Eun-won wasn’t used to being fed, he hesitated over whether he should open his mouth, and the sight of his lips parting slightly was cute. So cute that Cha Se-jin wanted to put his tongue in instead of the chocolate. They were almost married; surely that much was allowed. His gaze, which had been intently fixed on Eun-won’s lips, slowly drifted.
“My mother asked me. If I’d had a serious talk with my Darling about how we’re going to live after marriage. I told her we hadn’t done it separately, and she scolded me. She asked what on earth we’ve been doing all this time, meeting and eating every day. So I thought about it, and… I figured it wouldn’t be bad to talk about it once. After tomorrow, we have to live in the same house together.”
At Cha Se-jin’s words, a strange tension surged through Eun-won. He reflexively picked up a cushion from the sofa, placed it on his lap, and began fiddling with the edge.
“Is there anything you’re worried about?”
“…….”
“It’s okay. Tell me everything. If not now, when? It’s better to say what needs to be said before the wedding and resolve what can be resolved.”
“Um….”
It would be a lie to say he had no worries. How could he not be worried? He was suddenly marrying someone he hadn’t known for twenty years. Eun-won organized the various worries floating in his head. As Cha Se-jin said, it seemed better to resolve whatever he could before the wedding.