The sun was unforgiving as it turned the world into a boiling oven. Jinyoung lifted the bucket hat he was wearing to shield his eyes from the strong light up a little, wiping the sweat off of his forehead. He felt his joints creaking as he stretched after hanging all the laundry. His body really catched up to his age, it seemed. He took the basket from the ground and went into the house he had been living in for the past 7 years.

The cooling air inside felt soothing after being under the scorching sun. He sighed as he took off his hat and put down the basket. He sank into the sofa, getting himself comfortable beside a little boy whose attention was focused on the sketchbook in front of him. His small hand was busy dragging his crayon over the paper, his brow knitted together. In the end, he put it down and pouted.

“What’s wrong?” Jinyoung asked.

“Why can’t I draw Appa as beautiful as Dad did?”

Jinyoung looked at the supposedly replica of his face on the framed canvas hanging on the wall in front of them. After seeing the painting, he finally knew how he looked like through the filter of Jaebum’s eyes, and understood why he fell for him at the first time. The man inside the painting was so beautiful that even he himself was enthralled by him, there was no way it was the same person as him.

The painting was in black and white, or so everyone said. Jaebum said he wanted Jinyoung to see his painting as it is, and that the painting was more colorful than any painting he had done. He wanted him to see how the colors inside him intertwined together into a white light that shone his world bright. Jinyoung didn’t think he could fully understand it, but one thing he could see in the painting was how much Jaebum loved him, and he couldn’t help but falling all over again for that man.

Jinyoung smiled at the sulking boy and patted his hair. The boy that was him and Jaebum’s child. He was so glad they made a decision to adopt him five years ago, who had brightened their days since with his cheerful and cheeky personality.

“I think it’s great though,” he said looking at the drawing, “I like it better than Dad’s.”

The boy looked at him, stars blinking in the dark of his round eyes. “Really?”

Jinyoung pulled him on his lap and kissed his forehead. “Of course, Jaejin’s is way way more better than Dad’s.”

“Whoa, so that’s how it is? I’m hurt,” said a voice that suddenly came from the front door.

“Dad!” Jaejin literally screamed. He jumped from Jinyoung’s lap and ran to his kneeling dad’s arms.

“How is our little hero doing today?” Jaebum asked.

“Appa said I draw him better than Dad,” Jaejin said in an innocently smug way. Jaebum pinched his button nose affectionately.

“So why do you want to draw better than Dad? Does Jaejin want to become a painter too?”

“Of course! Dad looks so cool when you’re painting. I wanted to be like that too!”

Jaebum ruffled the kid’s hair. “Great! That’s my boy. And for a good boy, there will always be reward. We’re going to the amusement park tomorrow!”

“Really?” Jaejin’s chubby cheeks reddened like an apple from excitement as he flung his arms around his Dad’s neck. “Dad’s the best!”

Jaebum laughed as he lifted the boy up with one arm and walked inside. Jinyoung, who had been watching the whole interaction with a fond smile on his face, finally approached them. “Welcome back.”

“I’m home,” Jaebum said, his features softened as he looked at Jinyoung. He put Jaejin down and rummaged through his bag before taking out a small white carnation bouquet. A silver band circling his ring finger reflected the sunlight that slipped through the window, identical to the one around Jinyoung’s finger, as he held the bouquet out to Jinyoung. They were the embodiment of their red string that they believed connected to each other. They were the vow that would bind them together until the end of their life. They were the symbol that signified the wearers as two people tied by a vow for life. A vow called marriage.

“Happy wedding anniversary, Jinyoung.”

--

The moon still hadn’t descend from its throne while the sun was already peeking from beneath the horizon, light slicing through the darkness. It was quiet, with the splashing waves and wheezing wind the only music filled the air. Jinyoung stood on the shore wearing a white suit and dress shoes, heart beating loudly in his chest as he smiled to Jaebum, who stood before him with similar appearance and hair slicked back, looking more handsome than ever. Beside them was a small table, covered by white cloth, a white ceramic bowl filled with water witnessed the sacred ceremony in silence.

“As I thought, that hairstyle suits you well. You look manlier like this,” Jinyoung smiled, satisfied. He had been persuading Jaebum to do that just once after they decided they would held the ceremony on the day they officially moved into their new house, not far from where they were going to do it, which was the beach where they had their first date. He whined, he sulked, he appealed, but Jaebum just wouldn’t budge. However at last, Jaebum relented to his wish with a frown on his face, yet somehow still seemed pleased as he looked at the mirror before they went. The man smiled at him, as soft as the clouds swimming above them.

“As expected, you looked more like an angel in whites. And today, the promised day has come that we make a vow before the offering we make to God, asking for God’s blessing. So, let’s not delay this any further,” Jaebum said, taking both his hands in his. He looked straight into his eyes, and his heart stopped.

“Will you Park Jinyoung, with the sea, the earth, the trees, the moon, and the sun as the witness, be a home I come back to, be the pillar of my life that keeps me tall through the ups and downs, be the lighthouse that guide me when I’m lost, be someone I share my laughs and cries with, and be my one and only true love even after death do us apart?”

Jinyoung found it hard to breath his answer barely escaped his mouth. “I will. And will you, Im Jaebum, be the safe I trust my heart and my entire being in, be the colors that painted my world, be the life partner I grow old with, until the end of our life? Are you willing to be bound to me as long as the earth is still spinning and the stars still shine?”

Jaebum tightened his hold on his hands, affirming his answer. “I swear on my life, I will. And now, I declare you my husband, as I am to you, until the world cease to exist.”

Jaebum let go of his hands to take out a velvety box from his pocket. He opened it, revealing two silver rings inside. He took one, put the box on the table, and slid the ring through Jinyoung’s finger, replacing the wooden one that had worn out through the five years since he got it, and by then hanging on his chest by a thin chain. He took the other and put it on Jaebum’s finger. After that they stepped back, putting a little distance between them, and then bow to each other.

When they straightened back again, the tears he couldn’t hold back anymore escaped from his eyes, his heart swelled with so much happiness it was about to explode because that moment felt so mystical. The moment when they were united in wedlock. The moment when they were tied together for a lifetime and more. They closed in again, and Jaebum cupped his face as he kissed his forehead before finally finding his lips.

“We’re already a family since we put your name in my family registry a few months ago, but now we’re truly a married couple,” Jaebum said, the same happiness brightened his face as the sun shined on him. “Now there’s no you and me, but us instead. Now the only thing that’s mine you, yours me, and everything else ours.”

Jinyoung smiled, wrapping his arms around Jaebum, tightly. “I like how it sounds. Us, ours.”

“Me too,” Jaebum said, giving him one more kiss. “Now, let’s go back to our home.”

Jinyoung nodded, smiling even more.

Ours.

--

Jinyoung put the picture book on the nightstand to find Jaejin already deep in his dreamland. His little angel looked so adorable, snoring softly through the mouth that was slightly parted. He smiled as he carefully pulled the blanket up to the boy’s chest. He kissed his forehead lightly before turning off the lamp and closed the door as quietly as possible.

Outside, he found Jaebum feeding their cats. He then sat on the couch, watching them. It still stung a bit to see Nora wasn’t there, eating together with the two cats they adopted not long after Jaejin came to that house, although it had been a year since she was gone. They buried her on the backyard, followed by Jaejin’s shrill cry and Jaebum’s silent one. He couldn’t even shed a single tears because he was busy calming Jaejin down and consoling Jaebum. Although the atmosphere of the house was back to normal after a few months, the sadness still lingered.

Jaebum slumped into the couch next to him after he finished feeding the cats. Jinyoung stared at him sympathetically.

“Good work today,” he said. Jaebum smiled.

“Thanks. I’ve been running here and there for these two months because of the exhibition, but since it’s over, I can finally take a breather for a while.”

Jaebum worked as a curator at an art gallery while still painting either for commissions or for self-satisfying. His workplace was so close to their house that he would sometime come home for lunch, like that afternoon. Jinyoung himself was an editor, but he resigned after Jaejin lived with them. He couldn’t possibly take care of him with the tight deadline schedules. He then became a freelance writer. He got a column in some magazines, and released two books already.

“Are you sure you don’t want to rest tomorrow? We can go to the amusement park another day. I will talk to Jaejin and make him understand,” Jinyoung said, concerned since Jaebum looked so tired. The man shook his head.

“No, he would be so disappointed. It’s okay. Spending time with you and Jaejin is healing for me. Besides,” Jaebum slid his head down and rested it on Jinyoung’s lap, “I recharge faster when I’m with you.”

“Silly,” he said, mirroring the smile that spread across Jaebum’s face. He carded his hand through the silky threads of hair, letting them flowed between his fingers.

“Hey,” Jaebum called out.

“Hm?”

“Read this for me.”

Jaebum reached out his arm to take a book from under the table and gave it to him. Jinyoung laughed.

“I just finished reading a bedtime story for Jaejin and now you too? Are you the same age as him? And moreover? My book?”

It was indeed the book he had written, his very first published book. It was titled ‘Paint Me a Rainbow’ with stark white cover beside the title and his name, which he chose himself. Jaebum pouted.

“You’ve been giving all your attention to Jaejin lately, I feel lonely, you know.”

“Alright, alright, you elementary kid, let’s start before it gets late.”

He opened the book and started reading.

“I felt the sunlight fell on my skin, warming my face up despite the high wind blowing…”

_________________________________

P. S.:

Sorry for the long wait T_T Despite the wait, sorry for the short chapter, but there's nothing more to tell about their story. They already have a happy ending since last chapter, so this chapter is just like what it supposed to be: an epilogue. Just confirming that they're married and happily ever after.

Now, about the marriage. I was inspired by a Korean drama, Goblin. They got married with just a bowl of water, and it ticked my curiosity. However, when I searched on the internet, there was nothing. I was only able to find information about it in one website, which I will copy+paste here for you.

The bowl of water is called Jeong-hwa-soo (정화수, 井華水) which literally means “The freshest and cleanest water of the day drawn from a well at dawn”. Traditionally, Korean people often prayed at dawn in front of the bowl of freshly drawn water which symbolizes the most divine and purest offering to the supreme god.

When impoverished lovers hold a wedding without any money, or when forbidden lovers go for elopement and wed without any guest, they prepare a bowl of Jeong-hwa-soo for an offering to the supreme god and bow each other in front of the water. Even though there is no guest in this ceremony, the water means the supreme god is watching their marriage as a witness.

This water is used not only for a wedding, but also when praying for various issues like family’s safety, health, offspring etc.
(Source: https://bodashiri.tumblr.com/post/156317917591/fresh-water-in-korean-marriage)

That's all. And finally, this story has ended. I truly, truly thankful to all my readers. Thanks for liking this story by far, and I hope you like this chapter too! See you on my next work ^^