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When Hyunggu was born, the flowers of the cherry tree in the Kang House bloomed a little earlier. The birds who had fled to warmer places returned back sooner. The sheet of ice on the lake outside their village grew thinner than it was supposed to be at that time of the year.
The Kos watched their dying toddler miraculously heal, and the whole village said it is the doing of the little new boy born to the Kangs. No one doubted that for a second, of course. The Kos were rich, and they had used every method in the book to make their boy heal sooner, or at all. Money had flown out of their hands like water, yet nothing had worked until little Hyunggu decided to leave heaven and take matters in his own hands.
So the Kos gave their Shinwon to him, because he was his’ after all. Their boy owed his life to him, anyway.
---
Kang Hyunggu grew up with the idea of having a lover. When winter fell upon him in huge snowflakes, his mind reminded him he had someone who was waiting for him to hold his hand. Whenever it was his turn to cook, he always left a little aside for his person. Whenever he went to shop at the village market, he bought things in two.
In short, he had grown up loving Shinwon. His absence didn’t affect that either. He was irrevocably in love with him all his life. So when the news came that the Kang’s youngest boy is finally being wed to the Ko’s city boy, Hyunggu felt like he was on cloud nine.
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Ko Shinwon isn’t a talkative person. After living for an entire week with his husband and getting a total of two paragraphs out of him, Hyunggu has realized he doesn’t talk much. They didn’t go to a honeymoon, since Shinwon gets sick if he travels too much and he had to go to work too. Hyunggu doesn’t mind, though. Being with him is a vacation of its own. A dream come true.
“What time is it?” Shinwon groans, unconsciously pulling the covers off of him. Hyunggu blushes at the sight underneath. He likes to sleep naked save for underwear, and that isn’t good for Hyunggu’s heart. When his mind steps out of the gutter, he frowns. Shinwon is too thin for his height. He takes a mental note to make him lots of healthy dishes from now on.
“It’s only six,” he replies, smiling fondly. “You can sleep a little more. I’ll go and make you breakfast. Would you like some?”
Shinwon nods, his gaze settling on Hyunggu’s leaving figure. Its graceful, swift and nimble. Maybe, just maybe, this isn’t so bad.
You see, Shinwon doesn’t like life at all. It’s a chore to him. Wake up, eat, go to work, study hard in the boarding school that was quite hard to get you in, do you understand, Shinwon?, make a career out of his degree, make a house out of his career, marry a boy he has been betrothed to for as long as he can remember. All of that is a chore to him. Something he has to do, not because he likes to. All his complains have died since years. Now he only needs command and he acts. A big cowardly tin man without a heart.
So when this sweet, young boy from the village asks him if he would like to have dinner now or later, whether he likes his bath warm or cold, gives him a choice, he think maybe this isn’t that bad.
---
When he comes back from work, Shinwon find Hyunggu dozing off on the couch. He’s wearing a hood too huge for his tiny frame (Shinwon’s), and his hands are tucked uncomfortably beneath his back. In case it cuts circulation, the older goes ahead, untucking his arms gently.
“Is this you?” Hyunggu mutters groggily, rubbing his eyes from his free hand.
Shinwon is taken aback for a moment from how cute he looks. His cheeks are flushed, lips plump and eyes still half shut from sleep. Was he always this cute? It has been months since he moved here. How did he notice it just now?
“Yes, it's me, sleepy head,’’ he smiles softly. “Go to bed. Shoo”
He giggles in response. It does something strange to Shinwon’s heart.
“Dinner is set,” he says in his sing-song voice, dancing to the kitchen. Shinwon’s eyes never leave him for a second.
Shinwon has never taken interest in things. Thing exist just to be used, tasks just to be done and people just to be met and forgotten about the next day. But there’s something about his boy husband that keeps him excited. Kang Hyunggu is someone who grows on you with time. Like unripe mangoes, he gets prettier, more fragrant and exciting every day.
The littlest things about him excite Shinwon. His food, for starters. Everytime he sets his chopsticks down after filling his stomach to the brim, warmth pools inside his belly. His little boy is always watching him with anticipation, asking him about anything he doesn’t particularly like, rambling about something new he added to the menu today. It is absolutely adorable.
“Hey, look what I found in one of suitcases!” Hyunggu comes running to him on a lazy Sunday. Shinwon is cozy in his couch, a blanket draped across his body, engrossed in a documentary about frangipani perfume.
“What is it? He asks passively, his eyes never leaving the T.V.
“You won’t even look at it?”
Shinwon can hear his pout. Oh, no.
“Come here,” he stretches out his hand, patting beside him on the couch. The pouty prince grabs it and sits on his lap instead, his pout still there. 911! I’m having a cardiac arrest.
“Come on, show me” he rubs his thumb on his hand, his voice barely above a whisper. Hyunggu takes out a cable knit sweater from under his arm, slowly placing it on his husband’s chest.
“I made it for you when I was bored back home.”
He swipes his hand on the sweater. Soft, like he expected. It’s a yellow the shade of milk with a pinch of turmeric, one of his favorites colours. What a babe, he gushes.
“I know it isn’t fancy like your big store sweaters-”
Did he just stay big store? What a baby.
“-but I worked really hard making this, believe me.” His eyes are on the floor, that pout still lingering there, hand still being caressed by Shinwon’s.
“It’s beautiful. Big store sweater got nothing on this,” he leans forward, whispering into his ears like a child. Hyunggu breaks into a grin, like the baby boy he is. “Really?” he whispers back, his eyes wide.
“Then would you please wear it to somewhere for me?” his voice is barely audible, and that pretty blush is back on his cheeks. If he’s asking with this face, Shinwon would go to hell for him.
“Yes,” he smiles. “Where do you want me to wear it to?”
Hyunggu’s grip on his hand tightens, his eyes back on the floor.
“Our date,” he mumbles, his voice barely audible. Shinwon thinks he’s heard wrong so he asks again: “Where?”
“I said a date!” Hyunggu snaps, turning his head around to face him, the pout now transformed into a frown. No, why?
“I mean, we’ve been married for five months and you haven’t taken me on a date even once. I feel like I’m just here to wash the dishes and do the laundry.”
Oh, baby. Guilt floods his heart. He’s made his precious, pretty boy feel this way.
“So, a date with me,” he asks in a small voice, taking his hand back and lacing them together, his thumb back to its job of caressing that soft, soft cloud of a hand. Hyunggu hums in reaponse, hia head settling in the older boy’s lap.
“Then let’s go on a date, baby,” he declares, planting a kiss on his cheek, which turns rosy right after.
“This Friday?” Hyunggu asks through giggles, and his answer is a kiss on the other cheek. God, this boy is infatuating, Shinwon thinks.
———-
When night settles and both of them are warm in the covers and Shinwon think the baby has gone to sleep, his small voice calls him out: “Shinwon?”
“Hmm?”
“Did you not want to be married to me?”
Shinwon pokes his head out of the covers, his eyes meeting the younger’s. His face is void of a smile any sorts, which is weird because he always looks at him with a smile.
“Where did this come from?” he inquires, moving his arm from his side and placing it under his head.
“I feel like Uncle forces you to be married to me.”
When he doesn’t say no, Hyunggu’s heart sinks to his stomach.
“You know I’ve always been told I’d be married to you, right? And I always looked forward to it, but I don’t think this is right. Maybe I should’ve firgured it out when you wouldn’t meet me every time you came home, but I must’ve been blinded by love,” he chuckles, but it’s somehow bitter.
Shinwon stays silent and still, not knowing what to add.
“But now that I’ve been here for some time, I just know you don’t want me here. You always leave so early and come late, and go out with your friends on the weekend. I’m lonely here,” he sighs, closing his eyes. When he opens them, tears rush out like a flood. Shinwon panicks. This isn’t right.
“I miss home so bad,” his voice trembles. Shinwon frees his arm from beneath his head, settles it on his waist and pulls him towards him. Hyunggu settles into his chest like he had been waiting for this.
“Back home, I’m also someone precious. I know we aren’t as rich as you people, but my family says I put their heart on ease. I miss them so much,” sniff, “but I came here for you. Now that I know I’m not needed here, won’t you let me go home, Shinwon?” his voice breaks at his name, and Shinwon can tell he’s holding back his sobs.
“You’re right,” he lets out a breath. “Dad didn’t ask me about our marriage.” Hyunggu goes tense in his arms. “ I don’t love you like you love me, either.”
“But you’re a precious person to me too.” His grip on his waist tunrs loose, and he uses his another hand to lift his chin up, making him look at him and wiping his tears away. “Let me love you a little too, like your people back at home. From now on you can have all of my time, boy.” He lifts his chin up again, placing a warm, chaste kiss on his plump lips. He can feel Hyunggu’s heart go berserk in his hold, and he smiles.
“All of it?” He asks, his button eyes wide.
He breathes out a ‘yes’, pulling him closer in his embrace and burying his face in his neck. Sleep comes to them like a witch’s spell; powerful and swift.