Dear Mom and Dad,

I missed you a lot for this past week. Don’t worry, I’ll be coming back! Well – after getting married to my girl that is. Instead of sending you a designed card I’m delivering a handwritten letter as a personal invitation to my wedding. I know you didn’t like Haneul and her outgoing personality. And I’m also aware that you still maintain I’m too young to get married right now. But…I just really love her so much.

It’s happening on March 24, 2008 six o clock at the city church (sounds like an official invitation, right?) and you are openly invited to come and bless us.

Yours dearly,

Jongin

“What date is it today?”

“Twenty fourth of March. Who is this from?” Mrs. Kim asked tip toeing behind her husband’s shoulder.

“It’s from Jongin…he’s getting married.” He told her while fixing his glasses upon the bridge of his nose.

She looked him dead in the eye and clutched her chest gasping. “My boy! When?” Mr. Kim raised his left eyebrow as if signifying ‘when else?’

“Today?! He’s getting married today?! Oh…” she paced back and forth once and resting her hands on her hips. “I had warned you to not even mention the idea of running away to him! If you could’ve just controlled your outburst he…he….oh…..you know he does whatever he wants! But no…nobody listens to me in this house!”

Mr. Kim folded the letter and sighed. “Get ready. We shouldn’t miss the wedding of our only child atleast.”

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“You’re stupid.” Haneul teased.

“You’re stupid.” Jongin replied and made a face. Haneul punched his arm and pulled him towards the door.

“Get out. I have to get ready.”

“Can’t I watch you get ready?” he pouted while leaning on the door frame.

Haneul rolled her eyes to hide her blooming smile. When he was still standing at the entrance making a puppy face at her, she stopped and rested her head on the frame as well. He looked adorable. She stared at his protruding lips and then into his eyes that held the universe for her.

“I love you.”

“What was that?” Jongin smirked.

Grazing her fingers in his locks, she repeated: “I love you Jongin. I can’t believe this is happening.”

“Seems like a dream right?” he said with a low satisfied voice and let her play with his hair.

“Dream…don’t call it a dream. Dreams end. I never want this to end.”

“Just never wake up and this dream will never end.” He smiled and leaned in for a kiss. Haneul took a deep breath and Jongin knew she was so nervous. He kissed her slowly, caressing her cheeks and hugging her as they broke the contact. “I love you too.”

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He didn’t expect everybody to be present there at the moment. All of his acquaintances from college were hooting in their formal dresses as he entered the church decorated with nothing but daises by the pulpit where the aged priest was waiting for them with the holy book in his hand. What really surprised him enough to send his lips grinning like a fool was seeing his parents sitting in the front row waving at him with teary eyes. They had objected marrying Haneul so many times he had given up on the thought they’d actually attend his wedding after all the drama he stirred up.

“Hold up! Already forgot us?” Chanyeol’s loud voice called him as he almost walked past in excitement. Jongin turned around and received a warm hug from his closest friend throughout his four years.

“You look so stupid right now.” Sehun commented and Jongin embraced him next.

“Let him be. Let him keep smiling.” Chanyeol nudged him and Jongin laughed out loud finally with his eyes forming crescents.

“I’m just so happy right now that I feel like my heart could explode.”

“I guess it surely would since your bride looks so beautiful.” Sehun made the delighted boy turn by the shoulders and his breath did stop as he saw Haneul step in along two girls following behind her with flower baskets in their hands.

There she was. The light flooding in from the church windows made her appearance resemble an angel walking forth with a smile that made her cheeks rosier than ever. The creamy shaded wedding dress went so well with her bronze tinted skin that was so much like his own. She didn’t wear a veil even thought he persisted so much but that didn’t matter. Not wearing a veil didn’t make any much difference anyway. Heck she didn’t let go of the dark make-up even today and Jongin couldn’t help but let out a girlish chuckle. She wasn’t anything he imagined his bride to look like. Not so rebellious to social norms of a wedding at all. But maybe that’s what he really fell for. This was exactly the thing about Haneul that made his heart race.

Everyone was seated with smiles glowing up their anticipating faces. All of them were young, maybe even years younger than him. And this could’ve been their first invitation to the wedding of a college mate. Don’t you think you should wait till your graduation? Some had asked. He didn’t care. He saw the chance and decided it had to happen within a week when he left home in the middle of the night to stay at Chanyeol’s place. Haneul didn’t mind. She liked being risky. It thrilled her and he could feel the thrill slip into him as well when she said yes and kissed him till he saw fireworks between his eyes.

And there she was again. Standing across him as the priest started the recitation. Even behind the covered up face in shadowy colors, he could see her solemn smile still nervous and yet comfortable. Jongin grinned again. This was all so sudden yet so beautiful. He was going to become hers. She was going to become his.

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Daises. The entire venue was decorated with daises that were her favorite. He often picked one on his way and she would place them somewhere in her dyed ruby hair. Daisy means purity. It also symbolizes true love. She would tell him over long summer phone calls. I want daises at our wedding…how cute would that be! Because our love is also so pure. He would laugh with his signature squinted eyes in response.

And it truly was happening.

Everyone gave their speech to the couple one by one. Chanyeol was so touched that he began crying and his turn was yet the last to come. A petite man with cleanly applied eyeliner and perfectly side combed hair got up next and cleared his throat to gain attention.

“I don’t think so I need to introduce myself. You must all hear about me every so often.” Byun Baekhyun. Indeed everyone knew him so well, he was friends with all. “I’m sure half the single girls present here swoon over me but-” he paused and shook his head sadly “the one I had a crush on got married today.”

There was uproar of laughter and Chanyeol finally cackled with all the tears running down his face.

“Don’t worry! I’m fine! The lone soldier must travel across the harsh land of heartbreak. It’s a huge loss, Haneul, we would’ve made a bombastic pair. It’s okay. I know you’ll miss me. Better luck next time.” He raised his champagne glass in the air with a cheeky smile and cheered with Jongin and Haneul who did so back and everyone took a sip with another wave of chuckles.

By the time the sun had set they were slowly dancing arm in arm to The Carpenters songs. She loved the 80s music and even though he was a huge fan of Korean ballads he let her set the playlist as she wished. A hand grasping her waist, her head softly rested on his nape, they moved in sync as the chill of the summer night made them move closer to collect each other’s warmth. He pecked the top of her cherry head and sighed with a sigh filled of adoration.

In the distance he noticed his parents goofily dancing on their own while his mother struggled with the footwork. They still had smiles all over their faces, holding each other tightly for support. A curt smile formed on his own lips and he pulled her even closer in his protective embrace. Chanyeol was flirting with someone from third year and was failing miserably because he kept his lips and avoiding eye contact. Jongin laughed. He remembered his first encounter with Haneul when she punched him right in the eye mistaking him for her friend’s boyfriend who cheated. The next few days went by with intense personal care and budding friendship with the same redhead who had blackened his right socket. Who knew he would be thinking of continuing a life together with the wild girl who was nothing like his idealistic life partner. His friends kept encouraging him they had something special going on but he hesitated. It was Haneul afterall who asked him out on a date to the amusement park. He doesn’t even remember much of that day except that he couldn’t take his eyes off the most heart melting smile he had ever seen.

Having her this close to his pounding chest made him nervous if she heard it. It was embarrassing. He could never properly tell her how much he loved her because just collecting a list of all the things he admired about her was never-ending. It was always her who would share cheesy pick up lines or confess twenty times on any irregular day. And he would just laugh. Just peck her cheeks and chuckle off in response to her love-dosed outbursts.

Thinking of where they started off and where they had come right now made him feel giddy in his guts. The moon shone brightly even with all the lights wrapping the venue. He thanked heavens for the day. Everything was perfect.

“What are you thinking about?” Haneul asked lifting her head up. He shook his head.

“Just this and that.”

“Well, tell me.” she grinned.

“Silly things.” He shrugged, again unable to express his thoughts. “What are you thinking about?”

“Silly things.” she raised her brows and he sighed looking up.

“You’re impossible.” He shook his head and Haneul chuckled, pecking his neck.

“I’m thinking about you and me. We’re officially a family.”

“Just the two of us?” he asked and took her by surprise twirling her around.

“No!” she chimed as he lifted her up in the air. “Junior Jongin and junior Haneul too.”

“Children? You’re already thinking about children?” he asked, slowly bringing her down and they engaged in slow dancing again with Haneul’s smile growing wider.

“Yes…just imagine mini versions of you and me running around in our house in a short time.”

Jongin stared at her longer than intended because he wanted to deny she was being serious. She was. Haneul even looked around at other children present there and dashed more smiles at him.

“Yeah…” he finally replied and his smile started to falter.