Side Story 5. A Midsummer Night's Letter (2) Main Text: The Island of Runaway Lovers  (17)

The next in line was naturally their other friend, Seo Min-ki.

As soon as Min-ki answered the phone, he let them hear the noisy surroundings.

–I'm out right now. At a company dinner. If it's a long story, I'll call you back later.

"What kind of company dinner is on a weekend?"

"..."

His silent sigh seemed to say, 'I think the same.' When they said it wouldn't take long, Min-ki pushed through the crowd and went out to a quiet hallway. In between, they could hear familiar voices of Busan branch members.

–So, what's the matter?

"Ah, we're going to get married now, so we wanted to let you know."

"..."

His expression changed abruptly. Min-ki's eyes darted busily between Soram and Tae-un's faces on the screen.

–You and... you?

"Yeah. Me and him."

"..."

Min-ki blinked rapidly, then wiped his mouth, looked around here and there, even covered his forehead once and bumped the back of his head against the wall before his gaze returned.

–You two, uh, are you just combining households because it's hard for us 1st-grades to find other people to marry anyway, or...

"Ah, I get what you're trying to say. It's not like that."

It's impossible for hunters to meet ordinary people, and as Ga-eul said earlier, it's often the case that bonds stronger than friendship form between those who have fought together risking their lives. Since they couldn't leave behind children anyway, there were often those who took steps to leave their assets to their fellow hunter colleagues after death.

Soram belatedly thought of that too, but it wouldn't be too late to consider it after returning to Korea. For now, the immediate moment was important.

"We're getting married because we love each other. Both of us."

The answer Soram was about to give to Min-ki came out in a more resolute form from Tae-un. It felt like raindrops that had subsided were now falling gently on his ticklish cheeks. Soram nodded and rubbed his cheek against Tae-un's shoulder.

Min-ki looked at them with a surprised expression for a moment longer, then lowered his voice and moved further into a corner.

–You really..., ha. How can you talk about such things so carelessly?

"It's not careless. We're telling you because it's you."

–I know your weird behavior isn't anything new, so I guess you're dating and getting married in an unusual way too, but other people...

"I know that too. We're public figures, so we won't openly talk about it. But we don't plan to hold back too much on what we want to do because of others' gazes. We have our own lives besides being hunters, you know."

Min-ki, who had been wearing a complicated expression, soon smiled.

–You've thought it through well. And both of you...

–Seo Min-ki, what are you doing there? Are you bothering Jin Soram again?

"Director, please congratulate us too!"

Soram shouted to the person who had come close. And then he spoke to the black hair that appeared at the edge of the screen.

"We're getting married. Right now."

Director Shin Gi-hyeon looked at Min-ki with a face that said, 'What is he talking about?' Min-ki just nodded and answered, "They say they've been dating and are getting married."

The Director lowered his voice and asked again. When Min-ki explained once more that his understanding was correct, he sighed with a complicated expression.

–It doesn't seem like a joke.

"No, it's not."

–...Live well together.

"Send us a congratulatory gift."

–Come and receive it in person.

After that voice, voices calling for Seo Min-ki and Director Shin Gi-hyeon erupted in a buzz. Min-ki lowered his voice to the speaker.

–Ah, yeah. I'll contact you later. I'll tell you in detail then.

"Okay. Go on now."

Not even a few seconds after ending the call, a message came from him right away.

[Congratulations on your marriage. Sincerely.]

[I'll come to Seoul with the Director soon and tell you in pers]

They could clearly picture him secretly typing the message under the table while being dragged back to the drinking party. It was very much like the Seo Min-ki they knew.

And then, Tae-un took out his own phone from his pocket.

"Then can I make a call now?"

"Oh. Who are you going to call?"

Soram's eyes, which had been watching Tae-un's actions, filled with shock. It was several times more shocking than when he had been thrown into the water earlier.

"Han Tae-un, wait! I don't need to go that far..."

–Is that Tae-un?

But the other person answered the phone quickly.

"Yes, Mother. This is a video call. Is Father there too?"

–Tae-un's dad, come here. To the main room! Is Soram there too?

"Ah, hello. We're on a trip and just called for a moment."

Don't. Soram expressed his intention that he couldn't convey verbally by firmly gripping Tae-un's back.

The hunter colleagues they had called so far had at least seen them living intimately together and fighting through desperate battlefields together. Therefore, even if they might not fully understand the relationship between Soram and Tae-un, they were people who wouldn't fail to congratulate them on having found a companion in their lives as hunters. They were also mutual acquaintances of both.

Tae-un turned to look at Soram, who showed signs of bewilderment. But your parents are different. It's your own unique world. You don't have to concede that much to me.

Tae-un smiled faintly, then brought the screen that had been between them towards himself.

"Mother, Father. I like Soram with special feelings. There's never been anyone like this in my life."

The words 'don't do it' that had risen to his throat turned into a warm lump at those two sentences uttered calmly in a low voice.

"You expected this, right? I've liked only Soram so much since I was eighteen."

"..."

There was a moment of silence from beyond the screen.

–That's right. You even awakened because of him, didn't you?

"Yes."

–Then, what about Soram?

It was still a concise question that was difficult to fully grasp the meaning of. Tension flowed through Soram's back. Soram stopped Tae-un, who was about to answer for him, and brought the screen towards himself.

"Ah, ah. I. I'm so, so sorry for telling you like this... That, I'm stronger than Tae-un, and I'm confident I'll never make him worry about money for the rest of his life. I really, really will treat Tae-un well."

Even with dozens of repeated lives, his smooth eloquence that even flies would slip on didn't come out at this moment. He knew his voice was trembling terribly.

"I also, Tae-un, like him a lot, no, I love him..."

Soram finished speaking without being able to lift his head.

–He was born as an only child in a village with no peers, and we thought he was destined to live alone forever when he said he couldn't marry anyone after awakening... But if you've found someone you both like, that's good.

"Ah..."

–Next time, come down together.

Soram's breathing from his lips became a little faster.

"Yes! I will... definitely come to visit you!"

Only after the call ended did the tension finally leave Soram's shoulders. Soram entrusted his full weight to Tae-un's arms as if melting.

"Why were you so nervous?"

"How could I not be nervous..."

A long breath was exhaled. Soram really lost even the energy to sit up straight.

Although his body was tired from the release of excessive tension, the rippling that had been growing with each call had now fully swelled up.

"I'm glad. That they liked me."

"Of course. What parents wouldn't like the person their son has been chasing for almost 10 years?"

"You didn't even meet me when you were a student in this life."

"But I studied with your picture stuck up. While promising myself that I had to get into a university in Seoul and move up there."

"No, what..."

"That's how I came to meet you in this life."

"..."

"You understand, right? If anything, I'm the one who wants to boast loudly about finding the person I'll spend my life with."

Tae-un tapped on the screen while holding Soram in his arms. Soram, leaning on his chest, could see the entire screen as well. The tilted display, deliberately angled so Soram could see well, showed a chat window.

"These are friends I stayed close with throughout middle and high school and kept in touch with even after awakening."

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[It's sudden, but I'm getting married. We plan to have a quiet ceremony with just the two of us. Still, I wanted to let you all know. Sorry I can't invite you.]

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The message, so plain it was perfectly clean, was sent immediately. The numbers slowly disappeared.

Surprised, somewhat intense reactions passed by. And then.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Thanks for telling us. And congratulations ᄏᄏᄏ]

[You dynamic bastard introduce us sometime]

[Don't worry about keeping it secret]

[Anyone who leaks this outside of here will be buried that very day]

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I've finished delivering my share of wedding invitations too."

They had held the wedding and sent out invitations. As if following the reversal of time, the ceiling gradually brightened.

Soram gently closed his eyelids and then opened them again. In that brief moment, he felt as if he had been invited to a completely new world.

"So what do we do now?"

"Hmm, honeymoon?"

"Right. Let's go."

The rain that had been falling also stopped. The two left the small chapel behind and went outside.

They walked very slowly along the white sandy beach back to their accommodation, as if walking down a wedding aisle.

With the sound of waves like a wedding march, their lips met deeply once more.