Side Story 5. A Midsummer Night's Letter (3) Epilogue: With Love (20)

***

As soon as his eyes opened and his senses returned, a dull pain arrived. The sensation that made him exhale a light sigh felt good.

Soram looked at the two arms overlapped on the blanket, like the two of them yesterday. Both were covered in marks. Soram wriggled his body and lightly ran his fingertips between his thighs, then laughed in disbelief as he looked at Tae-un's sleeping face.

'Tough guy.'

He remembered falling asleep as if passing out together, but in that time, Tae-un had managed to wake up, wash him, and change the bed to make it fresh.

It had been an incredible night. Soram had given up counting his own climaxes and only tried to bend his fingers for the number of times Tae-un had ejaculated, which he could at least keep track of. Just the ones inside his belly easily exceeded one hand. Add to that all the times they had thoroughly explored each other's bodies.

'...Either way, I probably won't be able to get it up for a while.'

Soram raised his body and escaped from the sleeping Tae-un's embrace. The arm pressing on his chest felt especially heavy today, causing a groan of "Ungh" to escape.

Looking down from above, Tae-un's shoulders were covered in crooked dotted lines of bite marks like traces of butterflies in flight. His neck and jawline were also full of bruises he didn't remember making. Soram's fingertips traced the marks he had left.

Tae-un, who had been ready to devour Soram yesterday, must have been tired too, as he remained deeply asleep, not even feeling the tickling. His lips, which usually didn't swell, seemed slightly puffy. When Soram poked his lips, his thick eyebrows finally twitched in response. Soram didn't torment him further and pulled the blanket up over his shoulders, whispering.

"Sleep more."

"..."

It was what Tae-un often said to Soram. Tae-un's expression relaxed again. So this is why he often whispered to me when I was half-asleep.

Soram carefully slipped out of bed and walked to the window.

Outside the room was purple. While they were intoxicated with each other, the day had passed, and while they were pressed together, turning their eyes away from the world, the sunset had come. The rain that had fallen refreshingly the day before must have cleared away the dark clouds, as the stars in the night sky were clear.

The starry sky was reflected in the private pool in front of their accommodation, which must have been included in the expensive room rate Tae-un had paid.

Looking around, he could see clothes pushed aside as if cleared away. Even Han Tae-un didn't seem to have had the presence of mind to neatly fold and organize these. Soram found his phone in one of those pockets and captured a few shots of the night scenery with the camera.

When he checked the photos in the album, they seemed to capture less than half the beauty of the scene he was looking at. After a few more attempts, he flipped through the photos and resigned himself to his own lack of skill.

In the album, just before the current night scenery photos were pictures of the church interior from last night. The next photo was also of the church interior, with a small image of Tae-un captured on one side. When enlarged, it was slightly blurred, smearing his features.

Next was the sea with rain clouds, and then photos of the cave in the coastal cliff. Although there weren't many, looking at the photos brought back memories that had been hiding.

When had it started? When he began to attach meaning to passing time and record memories.

In the days when he thought it was enough to hold just one small happiness in his hand, he only needed to bow his head low and look inside his palm. But now, he was full of happy things as numerous as the stars in the sky.

New things lingered in his hands every day, changing into different happinesses. So unlike when he was just holding onto one thing, he kept leaving things in photos. Because everything was overflowing almost every day.

He turned on the camera again, this time with the lens facing the opposite direction. The large hill on the bed, the black hair slightly peeking out from under the blanket. Soram recorded one more of his happiness.

Soram brought up that photo on the screen and crouched down in front of the window.

Laughter leaked out softly, but his throat choked up as if he might cry.

This was bad. He, who knew nothing about love, was loving Han Tae-un too much. What should he do, having fallen in love like this?

Jin Soram had been given too many extraordinary opportunities until now. He had lived a time long enough to start life over nearly twenty times.

The life that had always been tedious now made every moment precious. Sometimes he felt time was flowing too quickly, and on beautiful days like this vacation, he thought it would be nice if it could be repeated once more. This must be what it's like to live normally, ordinarily.

Because this life would really be the last.

But, Han Tae-un.

If by any chance, because I've received too many opportunities so far, I have to pay the price belatedly and perhaps leave you behind again...

I hope you won't be too sad even if you're left alone.

He knew this was just a frightened assumption. They had desperately achieved peace, so there was no need to dwell on negative thoughts.

But loving too much was a scary thing. To think it made him have thoughts like these. Like how shadows seem darker when seen from an infinitely bright place.

"Han Tae-un. You know."

"Yeah."

The approaching footsteps stopped right beside him, and Tae-un sat down behind Soram with a thud. Then he hugged Soram from behind.

"Love me only until the end of this life."

Tae-un held Soram for a moment, almost to the point of suffocation, before giving his answer.

"Jin Soram, you are my last."

"..."

"I told you. Even if you have to start life again somewhere else, because my last, which is you, hasn't ended, I will go anywhere with you."

Something that had risen in his throat increased in volume.

"You're too good with words..."

"I'm planning to live off of that for about half of this life."

"Don't be good with words to just anyone. Only to me."

Soram turned and nestled into Tae-un's embrace. Tae-un pulled Soram's head and back firmly into his arms.

Soram doesn't know how to say beautiful things like Tae-un. That's why he could only squeeze out unglamorous words filled with sincerity.

"Tae-un-ah, you are my world."

"I know. What I am to you."

He gave firm words from a distance where Soram couldn't help but be certain of his body temperature, scent, and voice being nearby.

"Because you think of me as your world, I will stay by your side until the real end comes."

"..."

"Of course, I only say things like this to you."

One of the lovely memories of the last life...

He greeted the morning in the arms of the person he loved.

The sun that had cut through the darkness and passed through the long night rose, coloring the sea beyond.

It felt like this moment would be etched in his memory forever, even without capturing it in a photo.

4) Postscript

As soon as they arrived at the airport duty-free shop, Soram bought the largest carrier. He filled it with all kinds of souvenirs, from magnets to health supplements.

Tae-un, watching his husband's overspending, wore an expression without complaints for the first time. This was because the card Soram was swiping incessantly was Tae-un's.

Soram, who had lived only at headquarters as Korea's guardian, hadn't felt the need to make his cards compatible for overseas use when he got them issued. All the cards he had were 'domestic only'. In contrast, Tae-un's card was an ordinary Visa card.

Although the shopping list was excessive, Tae-un agreed to this spending. The last item on the wedding procedure list was, of course, return gifts for the guests. Since it was good to give small gifts not only to the guests who attended the wedding but also to colleagues and friends, Soram couldn't help but be excited about this.

"We should give good ones so they'll come to the second wedding too."

"The phrase 'second wedding' sounds a bit strange..."

Was it because of the elated feeling the travel destination had given them? Even knowing that there would be no small amount of adversity until same-sex marriage was established in a country like Korea, somehow it felt like the day when he would hold a grand wedding with Soram would come soon. Receiving overflowing congratulations befitting heroes who had saved the country.

While Tae-un was lost in imagination as white as the duty-free shop's lights, Soram was picking up a new box of chocolates as big as his torso. Even the duty-free shop employee had an expression that said, 'I've never seen anyone buy that before.'

"Who's that for?"

"I'll send one to the Reconnaissance Bureau. They say it's good to remember people even if you're not close when there are congratulatory or condolence events."

"Right. Good thinking."

The Reconnaissance Bureau will probably think, 'Chief Jin Soram went on an overseas trip and even gave us gifts...? Why on earth...?' but.

Tae-un, following behind Soram, picked up a postcard with the sea drawn on it from a stand. Then he placed it on top of Soram's pile of purchases at the checkout counter.

"What are you going to use it for?"

"I'll keep it and stick it on the wall of our newlywed home."

Newlywed home... Soram, chewing on the word, smiled broadly.

"When we get back, we should set a moving date first."

On the way back to their daily lives from a distant foreign land, the two walked holding hands with their free hands while carrying their luggage in the other.

"For now, let's go back to the house we're living in now."

Since when had they started calling the dormitory home?

Ah, anywhere you are, I could call home.

Even if it were an empty, hollow place, it would be filled.

My world, my spouse, my home.

If footprints were left from their steps now, those places would be filled to the brim with expectations.

End of Cloudless Sky Side Story