Epilogue

Wooden Victorian chair queues in line and each pair accompanies one table for a couple. The afternoon sunlight of serene June breaches in through sheer curtains, illuminating laces pattern to tattoo the white table by the window where I’m seated. With the company of dairy milk, I swim through what the hour tells me around 2 p.m in fortitude expectation of someone. But I don’t mind waiting.

“You know, someone told me that it’s impolite to show up late on a date” I tease, aware that the seat across me is pulled out for space and a stare is pierced at my nonchalant self whom doesn’t bother looking up, meeting his guilt.

“First, I said showing up late on your first date, cupcake, because first encounters are about building impressions. That’s exactly why you can’t show up late” he states, remotely correcting my negligible flaw “and second, the crazy traffic had just cost you another 15 minutes to establish extra preparation for my glorious arrival..” he cups my chin and for the first time our eyes meet, for the thousandth time our eyes engages “..but I’m sorry that I’ve kept you waiting, cupcake”

I shrug in endless forgiveness and smile at him, giving everything away. After all, clemency is always there for him to read just as clear.

Joonmyun let goes of my chin as he rise from his seat across, our lips meet at its first encounter that day, he kisses me softly.

And I will always remember the way he kisses me, so subtle, so sublime.

Maybe this is how love tastes, unlike any other, eminently seraphic.

“Have you eaten, Aerin?” the kiss ceases and Joonmyun sits back where he belongs as we wait for the peerlessly famous Vanilla Panna Cotta.

“No, I haven’t but I had a cupcake between break at work but how about you cupcake?” says I as his lips twitches into daffy giggles escapades, Joonmyun shrugs and I continue “I ordered us milk if you don’t mind”

By another minute or two a servant delights us with a course of the previously mentioned “here’s our Vanilla Panna Cotta for the first round of dessert, served with lemon short bread and fruit coulis” she says proficiently, placing two plates before our edacious appetites. And as supposition remotes my hand to spoon our first feast I can see Joonmyun has already been eating ardently.

“You don’t wanna get chocked, cupcake, slowdown” using a serviette I dab each corner of his lips painted in sheer strawberry jam. Joonmyun has always been so feverish, he has his heart on everything he does and I take notice too dearly. The thought adds another boundary gluing my benign heart closer to him and it reasons my happiness indisputable, Joonmyun is someone whom I deem as a home where I belong to.

My baby smiles and journey his devouring, so I loiter the bite I’ve been holding for a while.

Sweet vanilla compound with strawberry as it clash entwined inside my mouth like curling wave. As I chew and chew, divine wallop develops through dancing taste buds and it colors my oral in pleasant sensation. The cake is beyond amazing yet it hasn’t reason a question I’ve been meaning to spill.

“I get it, the cake is amazing! I never question this patisserie anyway, but do you mind reminding me why did Kyungsoo asked us to do the tasting? He might not be the best baker in town, but I bet my cup of milk he can do just as good” but as I curls my fingers around the porcelain dairy cup Joonmyun takes it by surprise and gulp it to its half.

That man smiles with vague white line of lactose coloring his thin upper lip “nope, you’re right, Kyungsoo is capable to do just good—” I shrugs in thorough agreement but I know just well my man has not finished yet “—but it’s his wedding and I believe Kyungsoo should have his hands off of the kitchen and more on Gayoung”

“That’s wedding night material, cupcake” and both of us burst in small laughter.

And this is how I want to picture us, sharing what we have together.

For better and for worse.

I feel like writing a wedding vow.

I proceed devouring the very pastry down to its last spoon and before we know two slices of Black Forest Gateau served with Chantilly cream rest before our furious appetite. Name and names of ambrosial feast keeps our station at bay and satisfies my need for sweets in paramount fulfillment. Each dessert leaves its mark on my palate with sensation of remembrance even though I know the best is not yet to come. Nevertheless I feel nothing less than satiated, the feasts are marvelous.

Our last selection serves two portions of Dark Chocolate Fudge with Vanilla icing that waltz upon my tongue splendidly, the taste is divine that both Joonmyun and I can’t agree more that we will recommend Kyungsoo and Gayoung the very cake we are having. With the very accession we call it a day well wrapped. But it is not yet to pass the finish line.

“What is this?” Joonmyun asks, not looking for an answer.

A slice of Prinzregententorte served with another cup of warm dairy arrives before him in an abrupt manner. He is surprised but is not shocked, glee lingers on his crescent eyes emphasizing the perpetual beauty that will always have me on my knees. Smile plastered over his face, the one that show dental and escapes giggle sounds—that dreamy smile of his.

I answers “obviously it’s a Prinzregententorte—“ I spoon a size of his bite and feed my man “—for you, because eventually today is a special day”

Joonmyun smiles, embracing my treat as he devour with lavish appetite “happy anniversary to you too, Aerin” escapes his mutter dearly before I have the chance to reveal the particular occasion. He chews each bite like it is his last to savor, tentative but entirely. Our eyes meets “happy anniversary” says us.

“You remember?” I ask in partial disbelief-in a good way. This is clearly not our dating anniversary, this is…

“We first met here, in this very store, this very seat too, Aerin, if you remember—“

I soon notice yes, even the seat is the same. He remembers!

“—approximately three years ago both of us were in charge of particular friend’s wedding. One day, they were about to do the cake tasting when a particular relative from out of town visited suddenly. It was inevitable, but their misfortune brought me something I couldn’t ask for more, someone irreplaceable—” Joonmyun wraps his palm covering mine inside his warm grip, his eyes looking deep into mine but no longer searching. I know, what I’ve always find in him, he find in me “—as the story goes, the brother of the bride asked this very beautiful young woman to do the cake tasting in favor of her friend and as the good person she was, she profoundly did as it complied”

“Jongin” I mutter with glee stretching my lips into a crescent, something that Joonmyun’s presence have always brings me.

“Marching to the patisserie, this beautiful young woman met a particular young man whom had been waiting nervously for her arrival. This particular young man was too nervous he arrived half an hour earlier from the appointed time of meeting, he wanted to make a great first impression, he wanted to impress her—“

I chuckle “the young woman was impressed, cupcake”

“—they met, they did the tasting together, everything went just fine until a particular old lady asked whether they were getting married—”

I laugh my exhales out, driving my breath out into thin air.

“—the woman said no, but the man deliberately lied and said that they were about to get married. That old lady seemed to be so contented, cupcake, I think she had a crush on us”

Laughter escapes my lips too naturally, this is the effect that Joonmyun has on me; this strong, this intense, yet blissful.

“Getting out of the patisserie their story continues until sometimes later, fate brings them to the very place they start“ Joonmyun rose from his seat and reaches my lips in a subtle kiss. Our lips brushes then kneads, feeling the curves of one another that completes each other. His kiss is a drug that keeps me happy, that reminds me how alive I can be when I’m with him. I close my eyes briefly before ceasing the contact in a soft pecking vocal. I love it when we do.

“Aerin, we met here three years ago as we are now. And I’m beyond happy that after everything we have through nothing changes, that you can still give me butterflies and make me feel like I’m the luckiest goof in whole wide world”

As I try to respond about how much he does the same, Joonmyun bends on his knees “cupcake..”

“But I will never be completely happy if I don’t share what I feel with you—“ from inside his jacket Joonmyun fishes blue box covered in smooth velvet, a white satin knot crowns its lid “—and I don’t mind trying every single day to make you feel the way you make me feel”

My eyes caught the tiffany box inside his grip as he pulls the lid into its opening.

“Shim Aerin, will you do the honor of marrying me? Will you give me the chance of trying to make you the happiest being on earth?”

I nod as tears prickle each corner of my smiling eyes.

“Because I want to make you feel the way I feel, beyond happy and beyond complete, cause when I’m with you there’s just no limit. And I can’t get enough of you”

There it lies, white gold ring that holds a diamond on its extremity. I whisper my “yes” vaguely yet in complete confidence “yes, Joonmyun, yes”

Joonmyun takes the ring and rest it circling my wedding finger. His touch graze my surface like feather, so tender and subtle “One day it will be your day, Aerin—“

I look up meeting his eyes in recognition of phrase he just said.

“—and that day will be our day”

And for the first time in my life, I discover how infinite happiness can be;

How lucky I am to ever feel it, how lucky we are to ever establish such bliss.

Because when I’m with Joonmyun, I don’t only understand what love is. But also what life is.