Gary woke up early in the morning. Jihyo was sitting by his bed, asleep and changed out of her hanbok. His own hanbok was folded neatly by the table, stacked on top of hers.

He tried to prop himself up, but he was too weak to do so. Even so, he woke Jihyo in the process.

“Oppa…” she mumbled, stirring awake. “I’ll get the doctor,” she said, standing up. Gary pulled her back.

“Stay,” he said weakly.

Jihyo nodded as she sat back down, patting his messy hair. Tears welled up in her eyes as she did. Gary knew something was wrong with him, but he chose not to question her. Instead, he smiled back at her, his own tears streaming down.

A while later, a nurse came in for the routine checks and realised that Gary regained consciousness. She alerted the doctor, who came in to check up on him. His family was also notified. Everyone gathered by Gary’s bed. There was an unspoken tension between all of them.

“Your vitals are normal now…” the doctor started. He paused to clear his throat. Gary took the chance to interrupt him.

He turned to Jihyo. “We’ll get married here.” Everyone turned to him in surprise. Even Jihyo herself wasn’t sure of what she just heard.

“We have our hanboks. We can just do it here. Now.”

Jihyo blinked again. “What are you talking about…?”

With much effort, he sat up. His brother held on to him to support him. “We have everyone here already- my parents, your parents. We just need to carry out the ceremony. It doesn’t matter-”

Jihyo’s mother interrupted him. “You can’t do that! How can people get married in a hospital? Marriage is a sacred ceremony, but hospitals… they are inauspicious. How can you-”

Gary shook his head and interrupted her, urgency in his voice.

“Isn’t the hospital a sacred place too? Here, we can witness the birth of new lives, as well as witness the dead leaving the world. Our lives begin in the hospital, and end in the hospital. A place where life and death, hope and despair intersect... Is there any other place more suitable for our wedding than here?”

Silence fell in the hospital room. Only the beeping of the machines could be heard.

Gary spoke again, in tears now. “I know my condition took a turn for the worse. I don’t have ten days left. Maybe I don’t even have one more day.” He paused. Jihyo reached out to hold his hand, shaking her head infinitesimally, willing for him to stop.

“But still, I want to continue my wish- our wish… please?” He looked into Jihyo eyes, which were shiny with tears. She nodded. Now, the decision lies in their parents’ hands.

In the bed beside Gary, the patient hobbled over.

“Let them do it,” he said, his voice was low and hoarse. “I was a marriage officiant in the past. I can help to lead the wedding.”

A young nurse spoke up. “We have a function room for our internal meetings, I think it can be used for the wedding ceremony.”

“The wedding march can be conducted at the garden,” another nurse offered.

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