Epilogue: Sealing it with A Kiss
IKASAILIA/N: Thank you all for putting up with this story. I love and appreciate all of your comments, I do, I really do. I'm just bad at replying. I'll do better next time. Till then.
Seunghyun picked up his glass of Champagne in one hand and a fork in the other. Slowly and hesitantly he stood up. He then clinked the two items together a few times and the whole floor quieted down and turned towards him. Seunghyun gulped. He thought maybe this was a bad idea now that everyone was looking at him expectantly. Even Jiyong who was sitting next to him, talking to one of his friends, turned around with a look of surprise. Too late to back down now.
"Umm.." Seunghyun gulped again, "I- I wanna say something?" He raised the glass in his hand a little. "Like a- like a toast?" Seunghyun gazed around his audience as they took their own Champagne glasses and turn their attention back on him. The audio boy handed him a mic and he took it absent-mindedly, gripping his fingers tightly around it. Great. Now I'm gonna embarrass myself on amplifiers.
He didn't notice that he had been standing there like a mannequin until Jiyong nudged him gently.
"Oh, right. Yeah, I'd like to, umm, just-" Seunghyun cleared his throat. "I feel so happy and grateful today, to be surrounded by good people, friends and family, the people I've cherished my whole life. This is how I imagined it would be, it should be, when I think about this day. I wouldn't have it any other way."
His eyes skimmed around the enclosure and landed on his parents sitting at the table right in front of his; his mom, teary eyed, wrapped in his father's arms, cheeks pressed against each other's. "To the people I love the most; mom, dad," he tipped his glass towards the couple, "I'm not--" Seunghyun paused to breathe, "I'm not very good with words."
"Well tell me about it," Jiyong cut in, teasing his husband, gaining laughter from the crowd.
Seunghyun laughed too. He puckered his lips into a pout, looking down at Jiyong who was beaming at him with a blinding smile.
"I'm sorry. Keep going." Jiyong apologized with traces of laughter in his words.
"So okay," Seunghyun inhaled deeply, "mom and dad. As you know, I'm not that good with words," he glanced at Jiyong again and the younger chuckled, and he turned back to his parents. "I've ran out of ways and words to show you, to tell you how grateful I am to have you as parents. I know I should've opened up more, I know I should've done a lot of things, I know I should've said a lot of things. I'm sorry I drive you guys crazy sometimes."
He paused to take a breath. "But you never made me do anything that I didn't want to. Instead, you become the support, become the pillar, making sure that I would achieve what I've set to achieve. I can't be grateful enough of how understanding and supportive both of you have been, are, and I know will always be, of whatever I decided to do in my life. Including this one." Another brief glance towards Jiyong and back to his parents.
"I hope you know how much I love you and both of you are the greatest loves of my life."
He turned to Jiyong yet again. "Babe, I know I said the same thing to you but-"
Jiyong laughed and the guests laughed along. "Yeah, I know. I know. I got you." He beamed at Seunghyun.
"And to my 'new' parents, Mr. And Mrs. Kwon, and lovely sister, Dami." He raised the glass to them, "I can't say how grateful I am of you for accepting me into your wonderful family and for letting me share this wonderful gift with you."
Jiyong blushed so hard, muttering Seunghyun's name under his breath.
"I promise to cherish him for the rest of my life and to love him as much as you do, if not more." He raised his glass again as Mrs. Kwon blew him a kiss with tears pooling in her eyes.
"Wrap up and tell us the story already!" Someone amongst the guests yelled out.
"Who was that?" Seunghyun asked, his eyes searched around and paused when one man bravely threw a hand up. "Zen!" Seunghyun laughed. "Zen. My best buddy, my best man, my brother. I know how smug you feel right now that Jiyong and I ended up here today. But, I gotta admit that I am so glad that five years ago, you knew me so well and recognized Jiyong as the type of person that I would fall for. You're right, man. You are right right now, you were right back then. This wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for you. So, thank you, buddy." He raised his glass, and Zen raised his. "Oh and ladies, he's single. That's the least I can do to pay you back, Zen."
"Hey!" Zen chided as the guests laughed at him and Seunghyun. "Just shut up and tell us the story."
"What story? I don't know what you're talking about." Seunghyun was confused. He really didn't know what or which story that Zen was asking about.
"The proposal story. How did it happen?" Zen cocked an eyebrow. He knew the story - every detail of it - but he was just enjoying awkward and flustered Seunghyun in front of a hundred of people too much.
"Zen, no way."
"Oh, come on!" Zen didn't give up.
"Yeah, tell us the story!" Someone else agreed with the suggestion. Seunghyun wasn't sure who but it was probably one of his cousins. But one thing he knew for sure, Jiyong was already laughing.
"A toast is supposed to be short and-"
"Pffft, who cares. We have all afternoon. Come on tell us." Zen cut him off, teasing him with a smirk.
Seunghyun turned to Jiyong, asking for his help. But from the way Jiyong was smiling, he knew there was no way out. So he took a breath, and sighed.
"Okay, fine." He glanced at Jiyong. "It was three years ago."
"Three?" Jiyong eyebrows disappeared under his bangs.
"Jiyong, you know this. It was actually three not two. Well, kind of. Because I actually proposed to you first and we only started planning the wedding a year after that, after you- well never mind." Seunghyun blurted out his defense, with the mic in front of his mouth for all to hear, gaining chuckles all around. It was always like that. Whenever they told the story, Seunghyun would go with three years, and Jiyong would go with two. "You can tell your own story. This is mine." Jiyong laughed his heart out at that.
"So, okay. Three years ago, I think we had a fight. I couldn't remember what it was about, but Jiyong could get mad because of one of two reasons." Seunghyun said, holding two fingers up. At this, Jiyong pulled Seunghyun's arm, the one that was holding the mic, to stop him from revealing his secret, but Seunghyun chuckled and pulled his arm back. "One, if I did something wrong, or two, he didn't get things his way. Oh, now that I've said that out loud, I might have done something wrong that caused him not to get something his way. BIG MISTAKE. Because I remember we didn't talk for two days. TWO DAYS."
Jiyong buried his flushed face in his hands, embarrassed from the guests laughing at the introduction of Seunghyun's proposal story.
"I'm sorry, babe. It's part of the story." He patted Jiyong's back teasingly and Jiyong looked up at him with a mock glare.
"So, yeah. Two days." Seunghyun continued. "So, on the third day, I couldn't take it anymore and I went to find him. I woke up early to catch him at a coffee shop that he used to go after his morning run during our college days."
[FLASHBACK]
Seunghyun walked into the coffee shop and his eyes naturally drawn to Jiyong's usual spot and found him there. Before he walked over, he ordered an on-the-go for himself and paid for Jiyong's coffee. He took a sip and walked up to the booth by the window where Jiyong was sitting. He noticed the slight pout on Jiyong's lips as he stared down into the cup of coffee nestling in his hands. He scoffed internally.
“I’ve paid for your coffee,” Seunghyun announced his presence, standing by the edge of the table, one hand tucked in his pants pocket.
Jiyong blinked up at him, startled. He studied the man's face, trying to gauge his expression. Is he okay? Is he still mad? Am I in trouble? Of course I’m in trouble.
“Take a walk with me."
"Okay.." Jiyong croaked and didn't get to say anything else as Seunghyun has already moved to leave the booth. So he took his cup and tailed behind like a loyal puppy. Here we go.
They walked in silence to the nearby park. Jiyong thought of starting a conversation while they were walking, but Seunghyun maintained his pace one step ahead of Jiyong, so he decided to just wait for the right moment.
By the time they reached a nice tree shade by the lake, Seunghyun had managed to finish his beverage and discarded his cup into a nearby bin.
"Are you gonna see him again?" Seunghyun eventually asked. With both hands tucked in his pants pockets, he didn't even glance at Jiyong. His eyes were mindlessly watching a swan swiftly drifting across the lake's calm water.
As it turned out, Seunghyun was mad that Jiyong's ex-boyfriend showed up out of nowhere and despite Seunghyun's protest, Jiyong went to have a drink with the guy. Although Jiyong insisted that he accepted the offer as a friend and nothing more, Seunghyun couldn't care less and hung up the phone, telling Jiyong to do whatever the hell he wanted with his life, before Jiyong could even explain himself. Jiyong went anyway, which caused Seunghyun to sulk and avoided Jiyong's phone calls and didn't reply any of his texts for days. The whole thing was a freaking drama.
The way Seunghyun reacted to the situation hurt Jiyong a little. It was like Seunghyun didn't trust him at all. Out of respect, he had told Seunghyun that the ex-boyfriend had invited him out for a drink. To be honest, he didn't really want to go, but before he could say more, Seunghyun flipped. He would've declined the invite if Seunghyun had asked him nicely instead of throwing a fit. However, thinking about it now, Jiyong thought he probably went out with the guy out of rebellion. Seunghyun told him to do whatever he wanted with his life, so whatever. Jiyong caught himself comparing the guy to Seunghyun during their meeting; Seunghyun was funnier, Seunghyun was smarter, Seunghyun was charmingly awkward, and Seunghyun was so much easier on the eyes too. So he decided that Seunghyun had raised his expectations in relationships and that Seunghyun had ruined other guys for him. No way in heaven and earth would Jiyong ever want anyone else other than Seunghyun anymore. Additionally, Jiyong also realized that Seunghyun was just jealous and was pretty blunt at showing it. Jiyong thought it was immature, yes, but kinda cute too.
Jiyong shook his head, looking down at his feet. "No, not intentionally."
Seunghyun turned and rounded on Jiyong, startling him. "What do you mean 'not intentionally'?"
Jiyong blinked. "We- well h-he kinda lives in the same city now. I might run into him sometimes. And he's also-"
"No. I don't want you to see him again." Seunghyun crossed his arms firmly across his chest. "I don't care if he's living in the same neighborhood, I don't want you to see him ever again."
Jiyong was amused by Seunghyun's reaction which rendered him speechless. Seunghyun was being ridiculous but Jiyong understand where he was coming from. So he said, "Okay, I won't see him again. I promise."
Seunghyun didn't say anything to that; he just stared down at Jiyong. He was probably satisfied with what Jiyong just said.
"I promise. I won't see him again." Jiyong restated, grabbing at Seunghyun's arms as the older tried to look away. Jiyong looked at Seunghyun straight in the eyes, pleading the man to believe his words. He just wanted Seunghyun to stop sulking because seriously, a sulking Seunghyun was tiresome. He was beginning to think that Seunghyun came to see him today just to throw another fit.
So Jiyong inhaled deeply. "Look. I didn't really want to go, you know. But-"
"But you did."
"Yes, I did because you were being childish."
"I was being childish?" Seunghyun's eyes widened in disbelieve. How dare Jiyong accused him of being childish.
"Yes, you." Jiyong folded his arms. "And you didn't let me explain and just assumed the worst."
"Explain." Seunghyun scoffed. "What was there to explain? You went out with your ex-boyfriend. End of story."
Jiyong almost spat out about what happened between them with Jin a couple of years ago but he held himself back; nothing good would come out of this if they revisit that particularly hurtful history. So he took another deep breath, shaking the bad thoughts off, clearing his mind.
"I went to see him as a friend. We broke up centuries ago, on good terms, and we remained as friends. Seunghyun, you know this."
Seunghyun kept quiet with an unamused expression on his face. He just looked back into Jiyong's eyes and didn't say anything.
"I told him about you."
Seunghyun's angry eyes softened a little bit at that.
"Although I might have unintentionally left out a little detail when I told you about him before."
Seunghyun narrowed his eyes.
"It's not important, really. It's just that-"
"Just spit it out."
Jiyong let out a nervous breath. "He's, umm.. he's- well, my father has a friend, a close friend, whom he works with at the company. He is the son of this friend of my father's." Jiyong couldn't tell if Seunghyun understood what he just said because he was not sure if he understood it himself.
"What?" Seunghyun didn't get it.
"He's a.. he's a family friend. Our families have known each other for a long time."
"A FAMILY FRIEND?" Seunghyun scrubbed his face with his palms. He was agitated by this new revelation. "Are you saying that if we got married, I'm gonna have to bear with this guy being around you probably on regular basis like on holidays or public events, because he's a family friend?"
Jiyong was stunned and dazed. He couldn't hear anything else past the 'M' word. "Married? If we got married?" He stuttered.
Seunghyun blinked. What did I just say?
"Seunghyun, what are you saying?"
Seunghyun's gaze wavered. He looked away from Jiyong's searching eyes. He tried to say something but all words were jumbled up into a lump in his throat.
“Are you..? Is this..? Seunghyun. Are you gonna ask me the question that I would say ‘yes’ as an answer?”
Seunghyun eyes were back on Jiyong's instantly. “You would say yes?”
“Well.. Umm..” Jiyong rocked on the balls of his feet. “I think- I think it’s too soon. But, someday, who knows, when the time is right, I might say ‘yes’.” Jiyong smiled shyly.
Seunghyun pulled Jiyong into his arms. All jealousy forgotten. “That’s good enough for me. I would ignore everything about this guy if you would say 'yes'.”
Jiyong chuckled as he stumbled into the embrace, pressing his cheek against Seunghyun’s chest. “I said I might say ‘yes’.”
“I don’t care. I’m gonna make sure that you will say ‘yes’.”
Jiyong snuggled closer, snaking his arms around Seunghyun’s back. A relieved smile curved across his lips.
“But, I think I’m just gonna try my luck now. Here.” Seunghyun peeled away from the embrace and got down on one knee.
Jiyong eyes widened. “NO. What are you doing? Get up before people see us. Seunghyun! Get up!” He instinctively pulled his hoodie over his head and scrambled down to stop Seunghyun from whatever he was doing.
But to Jiyong’s surprise, Seunghyun was thrown into a fit of laughter. “You should’ve seen your face!”
“Huh? What?” Jiyong got it then. “You jerk!" He shoved Seunghyun’s shoulders, throwing the man onto the ground. Jiyong stood up and turned around, leaving Seunghyun still bubbling with laughter.
“Hey, wait for me!” Seunghyun pulled himself up and caught up with Jiyong in little jogs. “Hey..” he reached for Jiyong’s hand and turned him around.
“That was not funny.” Jiyong spat.
“I know, I’m sorry.” Seunghyun played with the strings hanging from Jiyong’s hoodie, “But, maybe a little?” He scrunched his nose up, gesturing a narrow pinch with his thumb and index finger. “No?”
Jiyong darted a glare.
“Okay, no. I’m sorry. It was not funny at all.” Seunghyun dropped his smile, pressing his lips together to hide a grin, raising both hands in the air. “But I’m not sorry for this..” Seunghyun pulled out something from his jacket; a small black box.
Jiyong blinked, eyes fixed on the velvet surface of the box in Seunghyun’s hand. It could be anything in that box. But Jiyong’s heart raced like crazy as his eyes graced upon the golden crest of the jewelry brand engraved on top of the cover.
“This..” Jiyong couldn’t form a sentence.
“This is for you,” Seunghyun helped him out, reaching for Jiyong’s hand and slid the box onto his palm. “Open it.”
Jiyong, who is still unable to give any reaction other than a stoic expression, didn’t move a muscle. Seunghyun huffed a soft chuckle and pulled the box cover open.
“I thought I said-” Jiyong trailed off looking at the platinum band sitting in the box.
“This isn’t the question. Yet.” Seunghyun took out the ring and took Jiyong’s other hand, “This is just a..token,” and he slid the ring onto the ring finger.
“A token? Classy.” Jiyong chuckled, looking up from admiring how the slick metal complement his pale fingers.
“No, not a token. It’s a.. Hell, I don’t know what to call it, Jiyong. A promise? A reminder?”
“A reminder? What am I? A calendar?”
“A promise that I’m yours and a reminder that you are mine .”
Jiyong smiled, eyes glimmering. “A promise and a reminder it is.”
“I guess I should get one for you, too. You can’t tie me down like this when you can walk around, bare-, hitting on everybody.”
Seunghyun smiled. “I already got mine,” he waved his left hand and Jiyong caught the hand to look closer. “I’ve been wearing it all this while. I thought you’ve noticed. Look,” Seunghyun continued, turning the ring around his finger. “This one says ‘Jiyong’.”
Jiyong froze for a moment before he dropped Seunghyun’s hands and took a closer look at his own ring. Sure enough, engraved on the slick surface, in such elegant font, ‘Seunghyun’.
“Wear it well,” Seunghyun muttered and pressed a kiss against Jiyong's forehead.
Jiyong just lunged forward and wrapped his arms around Seunghyun’s neck, almost knocking him down. “You are so cheesy you make sick.” Jiyong mumbled into the crook of Seunghyun's neck.
Seunghyun laughed again. “I thought you like cheese.”
“I do and I can’t get enough of this one.” Jiyong pulled away far enough to press his forehead against Seunghyun’s. He bit down his lip, grinning meaningfully.
“Oh, this is the finest cheese you’ll ever have.” Seunghyun winked and tilted his head to seal their lips together.
Jiyong welcomed the kiss with a smile and a blissful sigh. But the kiss was brief. Seunghyun pulled away with a worried expression, tainted by a faint smirk.
“Shouldn’t we stop before people see us?” Seunghyun cocked an eyebrow.
“I’m petite enough for people to think you’re kissing a girl.” Jiyong leaned forward for a kiss again, but Seunghyun pulled away even farther.
“Then it shouldn’t be a problem if I still wanna try this,” Seunghyun stepped back and got on his knee again.
“DON’T!”
“Kwon Jiyong,” Seunghyun begins, trying hard to conceal his laughter.
“No! I’m not indulging you with this! I’m out of here!” Jiyong turned around and walked away.
“Hey, you can’t leave me hanging like this!” Seunghyun called out.
Jiyong waved a hand without looking back. But he shrieked in giggles and his steps quickened into a sprint when he looked over his shoulder and saw Seunghyun was already on his feet, chasing after him.
Then it was a year after that, at a family Thanksgiving dinner, overwhelmed with love and warmth from the big family, Jiyong blurted out at the dinner table. "Seunghyun, let's get married."
Everyone went still and quiet for a moment too long before Seunghyun yelled out a 'yes' and pulled Jiyong into a hug. Seunghyun had never said 'yes' louder than he did that day. Only then, the rest of the family got back into motion, took turn congratulating and hugging the lovebirds and hugging each other. It was a meaningful Thanksgiving for both the Chois and the Kwons that year.
[END OF FLASHBACK]
"And here we are, two years later." Seunghyun turned and looked at Jiyong, marveling at the glistening brown eyes. But he wasn't finished yet. "That's why it's always an argument whether it was two or three years back. Obviously I proposed first, but Jiyong always insists that it was him. In the end we agreed to stick to our own version of the story." Seunghyun gained another round of laughter for that, and a playful smack on the side of his thigh from Jiyong.
"So, Jiyong." Seunghyun offered a hand to him and pulled him up from his seat when he took it. "Kwon Jiyong. For better, for worse. For richer, for poorer. In sickness and in health. Until death do us part?" He repeated the words they vowed to each other at the altar earlier.
Jiyong looked back straight into Seunghyun's eyes. His heart thumped so hard against his ribcage and he squeezed Seunghyun's hand as he nodded, muttering in a whisper, "Until death do us part."
Seunghyun then wrapped one arm around Jiyong and continued to end his toast. "It started with a kiss," he paused and looked back at Jiyong. He raised his glass for the last time, and kissed Jiyong briefly; smiles and giggles muffled against each others lips.
"And I'm sealing it with a kiss." Seunghyun continued, eyes never leaving Jiyong's.
"Sealing it with a kiss!" The guests hailed and raised their own Champagne glasses before taking a sip of the drink.
It was the beginning of forever.
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