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On days like today there seemed to be an inexplicable romance that imbued everything the cheerful sun touched. People walked about with a self important air that seemed to bring confidence to those around them. Even the melting, sludgy snow that most found inconvenient dripped from shoes like tears of joy. The bright shine of sunbeams on white snow blurred one's thoughts into something languid and compact, nestling gently into the back of one’s mind so they may allow themselves to enjoy the more sensual pleasures of a transient winter day.
Through a large glass window of a bakery a consciously elegant young man stared as couples walked past him in momentary revulsion at being observed. He has small romantic eyes, and a handsome tan that looked deceitfully young as his cheeks pinked with childlike happiness and the incessant chill of the January air. He sighs comfortably at the thought of being surrounded by such full, perfect love. A group of women walk past him in large bright coats that clung to them obligingly and made them look like magnificent birds. He watches them walk away with despair and then is tapped on the shoulder.
“I got cupcakes, let’s hail a cab.”
This was said by his husband, Lee Jihoon, he had a thin, confident mouth and stood with an air of eternal complacency. He inserted his thin, pale hand into the warm ones of his lover. They walked slowly and unintentionally down four full streets, admiring each other silently and with new-found passion that comes with change in a relationship. On the fifth block they noticed a taxi sleeping on the curb and got reluctantly into it. Twenty minutes later when the sky turned a gossamer orange they arrived at the lobby of Jihoon’s apartment and walked enigmatically to the elevator. As they arrived home they were greeted by his roommate, Boo Seungkwan.
“Seungkwan!” Soonyoung cried emphatically. This was normal, as was his personality, but Seungkwan starts uneasily at their furtive glances. “Oh, you’ll never guess how we spent our day—!”
Seungkwan glanced instinctively to the pastries. “Window shopping?” Soonyoung shook his head. “A—date?” He shook his head again. “Oh—just tell me!”
Jihoon removed their pressed hands from his large coat pocket. On both their ring fingers was a matching gold ring, thick and glittering.
Seungkwan cried an indignant little “Why—!” and rushed to take each of their hands for closer inspection. “You’re engaged!”
Soonyoung laughed happily, but pulled his hand away. “No, we’re—Oh, tell him, Jihoon!”
“We got married.” he says with obviously contained elation. “In the chapel downtown.”
Seungkwan stared in disbelief at them, then at Jihoon’s hand which was still in his, and then again at them. “Excuse me?”
“Isn’t it so wonderful?” Soonyoung exclaimed. “We woke up this morning and the thought just came to us suddenly at the same time.”
Jihoon nodded his head, and Seungkwan observed his faint blush with incredulous and tender sentiment. Finding there was no possible way to change this, and no reason to, he continued enthusiastically. How had they come to bring up such a discussion? Well it had been in each of their minds, more or less, they just needed a spark. They dressed and the romance of the day brought them constantly together and suddenly to a jewelry shop. Jihoon felt unbearably restless as he stared at the rings. Would Soonyoung mind—Oh, would he maybe—Had he also wanted—? And holding back an embarrassing inclination to jump wildly and sob: Yes—of course—oh, he’d just about faint!
Five minutes later, with a large rush of emotion and completely imbued within one another they arrive at the chapel. They’d like to be married, they demand of the person at the desk. Of course, they have 77 dollars each for a marriage license and—Why, no they aren’t mad. Oh, they’ll just have anyone to be their witness—just make sure they aren’t terribly boring. Vows? They feel a little too embarrassed—not nearly prepared. They kiss the groom as if it’s some enchanted dream; squarely yet faintly shy. The sun welcomed them as they exited, it glared down on them approvingly and brightened their young faces proudly. They’ll head to the bakery for a cake.
“Do you think you’ll ever—regret it?” Seungkwan asks.
They look to each other with irrevocable love, and words seem to choke them, until finally, his voice coming from him as if it was not of his control, Jihoon says: “I don’t know, I’m quite happy. What say you, husband?”
Soonyoung contains his laughter. “Why—I was just thinking the same thing, husband.”