Side Story 1

<60th Episode>

 

Side Story 1

 

The exterior of the Gothic-style mansion, located on a hill on the island of Capri, was so majestic and antique that it felt like stepping back into the Middle Ages. Towering old trees, their age beyond estimation, densely surrounded the mansion, creating a mystical and beautiful landscape straight out of a fairy tale.

 

Eunho and Yoonjae, who were preparing for their wedding on Capri, fell in love with the mansion at first sight when they saw its pictures online. They willingly chose the mansion as their accommodation for their beautiful wedding.

 

Having arrived on Capri a few days earlier, the two had dinner with Eunho’s family, who arrived the evening before the wedding. Even after the children and Heesu, tired from the long flight, left first, the convivial dinner continued late into the night.

 

“What’s with the alcohol for someone getting married?”

 

“Okay, okay! Just one glass.”

 

Eunho, eyes blazing, rushed at his eldest brother. Sensing an atmosphere where he was about to start a drinking session with Yoonjae the day before the wedding, Eunho put up a barrier. It wasn’t like his brother to be so clueless, and he looked genuinely puzzled as to why Eunho was acting this way.

 

“Do you know the joy of gaining a brother-in-law? How long I’ve waited for this moment.”

 

“If you arrived late today, you should sleep early, what are you doing…”

 

“I was going to have just one glass and then sleep anyway.”

 

At the word “one glass,” Eunho didn’t press further, but he needed to keep a close eye. Originally, with alcohol, once you have one glass, you want another, and then the bottle runs dry, and you only feel satisfied when you’ve drunk until you think you’re drunk.

 

Eunho wasn’t a heavy drinker, but he enjoyed drinking in a good atmosphere. However, because of the little one in his belly, he had been abstaining for almost five months, and he was sulking and acting up because he couldn’t join the drinking.

 

The eldest brother, seemingly displeased, glanced at Eunho, who was pouting, and sipped the wine he was holding.

 

“Our Eunho, the king of nagging, isn’t he?”

 

“He is… but he looks cute to me.”

 

“They say it’s always like that during the honeymoon, but you’ve really fallen hard, haven’t you?”

 

The eldest brother shook his head from side to side, scrutinizing Yoonjae’s handsome face. It was definitely the face that appeared in news articles, but how did he fall so deeply for Eunho?

 

“Hyung, why are you staring at Yoonjae-ssi like that?”

 

“Just curious.”

 

“What’s so curious?”

 

“I’m wondering what charm he found in you.”

 

The bickering pair’s gazes subtly turned to Yoonjae. Yoonjae, who was finishing his wine after the meal, raised an eyebrow at the intense looks.

 

“His very existence is charming.”

 

For a cold person who seemed like he would only say rational and logical things to say something so cheesy so casually. Eunho, unable to hide his pride, gave a thumbs up from the side, causing the eldest brother to wave his hand, saying he’d lost his appetite.

 

“Ah, seriously. Both of you, go upstairs!”

 

The two bickered but eventually burst into laughter.

 

Yoonjae put down his empty glass and stood up with Eunho. At the polite greeting of saying he would go up first, the eldest brother was about to wave his hand but then stood up. A warm heat rose from the thick hand that patted Yoonjae, wishing him well for tomorrow.

 

“Coming all the way here and having a drinking session, it’s not even the after-party.”

 

As he went up to the second floor, Eunho complained, feeling embarrassed. He wished his brother would show a more serious side befitting his role, but he didn’t like how only light-hearted conversations were exchanged. Especially because the other person was Yoonjae.

 

“It’s because he likes you.”

 

Yoonjae took the eldest brother’s side. Eunho pretended not to be appeased but was secretly grateful. Yoonjae moved half a beat slower when he had to do something he didn’t like, but he had never shown that side of himself in front of his family. Eunho felt an increasingly clear resolve in Yoonjae’s attitude of always treating him and his family with sincerity. He had to love this man until the moment his life ended.

 

“Eunho.”

 

On the second-floor hallway, Heesu, wearing a brown cardigan, approached Eunho. She had been about to go downstairs to find some water but smiled brightly when she saw Eunho and Yoonjae coming up. As Heesu opened her arms, Eunho flew into her embrace as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Eunho had grown so much that he could now look down at her, but when he was in Heesu’s arms, he became a carefree little boy from his childhood.

 

“Mom can’t believe you’ve grown this much.”

 

Born as a late child with a significant age gap from his brothers, the youngest who had grown up in many people’s hands was getting married tomorrow and going to find a new home, which made her feel emotional and bittersweet. Heesu gently stroked Eunho’s back.

 

“Thank you, Eunho.”

 

Heesu met eyes with Yoonjae, who was looking at Eunho with a pleased expression. Each time she raised her drooping eyelids and smiled, her wrinkles became deeper and more pronounced.

 

“Come here too, son-in-law.”

 

As Heesu released her arms, Eunho stepped back, and Yoonjae strode forward. The tall Yoonjae, whom she had to look up at for a long time, smiled brightly at Heesu. She put her arms under Yoonjae’s armpits and lightly patted his back.

 

“The company is important, but your health is the most important, so I hope you take good care of yourself.”

 

“……”

 

“Live happily with Eunho.”

 

When Yoonjae appeared as Eunho’s partner, she couldn’t welcome him with open arms. She believed that their different backgrounds would definitely cause problems. Yoonjae quickly realized what Heesu was thinking and began to persuade her, and eventually, her heart turned because of his sincere love for Eunho more than anyone else. Yoonjae expressed his feelings of thinking only of Eunho as they were. Honesty was his weapon. Since then, Heesu had become Yoonjae’s ardent supporter.

 

Running a restaurant, she knew better than anyone how difficult the position of a CEO was, so she worried about Yoonjae every day. She was concerned that he might lose his health due to work in his energetic youth. Heesu didn’t forget to ask Eunho to take good care of Yoonjae.

 

Entering the room, Eunho approached the terrace to check out the splendid night view. After gazing blankly at the full moon brightly shining above the lush trees and the starlight scattered like sculptures, Eunho grabbed the handle and opened the door wide. The sudden cold wind that struck his entire body made Eunho shrink, and he turned to Yoonjae and asked.

 

“Managing Director Kang is coming straight to the cathedral tomorrow, right?”

 

“Yeah. It’s cold outside, come here.”

 

Yoonjae, who was also very sensitive to the cold, grabbed Eunho, who was stepping out onto the terrace in just a thin long-sleeved shirt. His low, sweet voice flowed down Eunho’s ear.

 

“You can’t catch a cold.”

 

Yoonjae draped an angora cape that had been laid out on the bed over Eunho’s body, buttoning it up before finally smiling with satisfaction. However, Yoonjae, who was stepping out onto the terrace with him, wasn’t wearing anything himself.

 

“Aren’t you cold?”

 

“You know I have a lot of body heat. Or I can do this.”

 

Yoonjae, who had come up from behind, wrapped his arms around Eunho and walked out onto the terrace. The cold wind blowing from the forest rose up the building walls. Eunho, controlling his breathing as he took in the cold air filling his lungs, raised the corners of his lips at the familiar music flowing into his ears.

 

“It’s ‘Fly Me to the Moon’.”

 

Eunho hummed along to the song coming from a nearby mansion. The melody that harmonized with the cozy night sky naturally relaxed his body. Just then, the moonlight shining through the clouds gently poured over the two’s faces.

 

“I really like this song.”

 

Eunho, turning around to face Yoonjae, took his hand and intertwined their fingers. As he moved his body to the music, inviting him to dance, Yoonjae, who had been carefully observing Eunho, tilted his head.

 

“Can you dance?”

 

“You can tell just by looking that I’m a terrible dancer. I can’t dance.”

 

“You’re not a terrible dancer.”

 

Yoonjae strode closer to Eunho, who was chuckling. The terrace lights blurred over his brown eyes. Slowly, and closer. As they brought their faces so close that their breaths brushed against each other, their lips, drawn together like magnets, met perfectly. Each time Yoonjae’s soft tongue probed Eunho’s mouth, warm breaths flowed through the gaps between their intertwined lips.

 

The kiss continued long until the song ended. Yoonjae, who had been holding Eunho’s hand, was now supporting the back of Eunho’s head. As their intertwined lips parted, Eunho slowly pulled away and caught his breath. Yoonjae, reflected in his eyes, looked more handsome and reliable than ever.

 

“…I suddenly thought of something.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“When exactly did you start feeling attracted to me?”

 

At the sudden, unexpected question, Yoonjae, who had been gazing into his eyes, raised his hand and caressed Eunho’s white cheek.

 

“Hmm… the day of the interview. The bathroom.”

 

“Really? So you were attracted to me at first sight?”

 

In fact, he hadn’t fallen in love with Eunho at first sight. He had spent quite a bit of time with Eunho from eight months before his regression, so the memories that had accumulated gradually made Eunho someone he was attracted to. But Yoonjae had no choice but to nod, saying that was the case. There was no reason to tell Eunho the unbelievable story of his regression. Moreover, it wasn’t a good thing.

 

“Yeah, I wanted to mark you as mine at first sight.”

 

Eunho repeated Yoonjae’s words, pulling Hyunjun out from his past memories. Was that why, since he was attracted to him from the beginning, he had come on to him even knowing about his boyfriend, and said the somewhat bizarre thing about not trusting Hyunjun in order to separate the two? Eunho had found it difficult to understand Yoonjae, who had warned him by negatively evaluating Hyunjun without any basis at the time, but after time passed and he comprehensively judged the situation, he was able to find the reason.

 

“I am really sorry about back then.”

 

“About what?”

 

“I showed you a lot of embarrassing things.”

 

Looking back, the fact that his words were all correct was somewhat shocking. Eunho, who had ignored the words about not trusting his boyfriend too much, only changed his mind after directly confronting Hyunjun, who was two-timing him. In retrospect, Eunho himself was in a clumsy two-timing situation, so he had nothing to say, but the disappointment he felt towards Hyunjun, who was his first love, was indescribable.

 

It would have been better if he had honestly confessed and told him he was breaking up when he had another person he was attracted to, but his actions of keeping him by his side like a cash machine were too bitter.

 

Yoonjae pinched Eunho’s cheek without hurting him.

 

“Yeah, you really didn’t listen to me.”

 

“……”

 

“You were stubborn and acted like a rebellious child.”

 

“Oh my god, look at you remembering and dwelling on it. You held a grudge.”

 

He was already sorry to death, but being singled out and teased made him feel a little resentful. As Eunho bit his lower lip with his upper teeth and raised his eyebrows as if he was going to be difficult, Yoonjae hurriedly waved his hand in embarrassment.

 

“No, I mean… that’s not what I meant.”

 

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding. I know. I was really hopeless.” He didn’t have the composure to watch Yoonjae’s embarrassment with a nonchalant attitude. Eunho grabbed Yoonjae’s cheeks and landed his rounded lips on his red lips. Yoonjae’s stiff face gradually relaxed at Eunho’s bright smile.

 

“Thank you for catching me.”

 

As Eunho’s hair fluttered in the sea breeze, Yoonjae neatly swept it back as if tidying it up. His large hands grabbed Eunho’s cold hands and gently massaged them.

 

“You’re already cold. Let’s go inside quickly.”

 

***

 

Awakened by the sound of a ship’s horn echoing along the Sorrento coast, Eunho let out a soft, deflated laugh as he saw Yoonjae looking down at him with a gaze that seemed to pour over him. The sparkling morning sunlight cast a long shadow over his face.

 

“How are you feeling?”

 

“I’m okay.”

 

“You shouldn’t just be okay, you should be great.”

 

Yoonjae’s languid voice flowed down his forehead and around his chin. Eunho grabbed Yoonjae’s hand and placed it on his lower abdomen. In his slightly protruding belly, like a baby’s belly, the little one, who was already in his 20th week, was wriggling. Yoonjae felt the faint sensation of his palm being tapped and gently stroked his belly as if to connect with him.

 

“Strangely, he moves actively when I wake up.”

 

At the obstetrics and gynecology clinic they had visited just before coming to Italy, Eunho and Yoonjae had confirmed the little one’s gender.

 

“Pink clothes would look pretty.”

 

At the words of the doctor in charge, Yoonjae couldn’t hide his excitement and hugged Eunho and spun him around as soon as he left the examination room. And that was in the hallway of the examination room, surrounded by many people. Yoonjae, who rarely did exaggerated things in front of strangers, was now full of humanity, as if his screws had come loose.

 

Eunho had recently had a dream about the little one. As Eunho was walking through a lush forest dyed in indigo, a shallow stream appeared in front of him, and a silk goldfish that stood out among the minnows and shiners approached Eunho without being startled by his presence.

 

Its long, abundant tail, like lace, fluttered as if asking him to look at it. Eunho was fascinated by the splendid figure of the goldfish and gently put his hand into the water. The small creature, wagging its tail and approaching, fearlessly bit the tip of Eunho’s finger. It didn’t hurt, but the sensation of being bitten was transmitted from the fingertip. Eunho woke up in surprise. Thanks to this, the dream, which would usually evaporate as soon as he opened his eyes, remained vividly in his memory, and Eunho realized that it was a dream of a child.

 

Eunho burst into laughter because of the little one, who was tapping his belly and sending a signal that he was healthy and well.

 

“He’s hungry.”

 

At Eunho’s words, Yoonjae, who had already gotten up, helped him up.

 

“What should we eat?”

 

“Are you going to bring it to me as soon as I say it?”

 

“Of course.”

 

Eunho, who lightly dismissed Yoonjae’s confident words, walked down to the first floor. It wasn’t that he suspected Yoonjae would bring him the wrong thing he wanted to eat, but that he might be late for the ceremony if he waited for that.

 

The two had breakfast with a healthy salad with lots of olives, calzone, and lemonade, and then moved to a small cathedral located at the end of a hill on Capri with their family.

 

Although it was approaching early winter, the Mediterranean weather was as cool as autumn in Korea. The dazzling sunlight poured brightly between the trees the two were walking through. The spire of the cathedral, soaring towards the sky, was getting closer and closer. Yoonjae, who had moved to a shady place under a tree, grabbed Eunho’s hand and slowly walked up the stone steps of the cathedral. With each step they took, the sound of the bells, ringing sacredly like keeping time, purified their hearts.

 

The high ceilings were densely filled with ornate paintings and intricate sculptures full of longing for God. Beneath the ceiling, the colorful sunlight passing through the stained glass softly and subtly illuminated the dark interior. Eunho, wearing a beige suit, and Yoonjae, wearing a dark gray suit, sat facing each other in front of the altar, a hand’s breadth apart.

 

Unlike Eunho, who had a baptismal name, Yoonjae had barely received one before coming to Italy. The two were already legally married. The day after Yoonjae took Eunho back to Korea from the United States, Yoonjae had taken his lunch break to go to the district office with Eunho and complete their marriage registration.

 

The guests at the wedding in Italy were all of Eunho’s family, Taeoh, and Olivia. Chief Yoon was unable to attend due to his newborn baby. The guests, gathered in groups of three or five in the chairs lined up on both sides near the altar, were busy taking pictures of Yoonjae and Eunho.

 

As the deep and solemn melody of the organ echoed through the cathedral, the priest in white vestments, who would bestow grace upon the two, stood on the altar. The priest, who had neatly swept back his graying hair, slowly raised the glasses that had slipped down his nose and met eyes with Yoonjae and Eunho, who were sitting below the altar. The wrinkles on the priest’s face, which contained the traces of time, softened each time he smiled.

 

As the wedding mass of the officiating priest continued, the interior became even quieter. The guests, gathered with interpreters in between, focused their attention on the altar.

 

“Sposi, giurate di sposarvi.”

 

(Groom and bride, swear to be married.)

 

The two came forward to the altar and signed the marriage certificate. The lily of the valley boutonniere on the left side of Yoonjae’s chest gave off a subtle fragrance each time he moved his arm. Eunho turned his head and looked up at Yoonjae. His handsome, bold features came across intensely. His broad shoulders seemed particularly reliable and splendid today.

 

“Siamo qui riuniti oggi per vedere i due diventare uno.”

 

(We are gathered here today to see two become one.)

 

The white-haired, wrinkled priest met Yoonjae and Eunho’s eyes. Then, with a warm and dignified smile that came from years of experience, he asked them.

 

“Vi promettete di amarvi e rispettarvi a vicenda per il resto della vostra vita davanti a Dio?”

 

(Do you promise to love and respect each other for the rest of your lives before God?)

 

“Sì, lo prometto.”

 

(Yes, I do.)

 

The blessed rings were placed before them. Standing before the precious rings that had served as a link during their time apart, they briefly reminisced about their memories. In the past 10 months, quite a lot had passed between them. They picked up the rings and slowly placed them on each other’s left ring fingers. The rings, delicately engraved with Roman numerals, shone brilliantly on their knuckles.

 

“Vivrò amandoti, rispettandoti, considerandoti e seguendoti sempre.”

 

(I will live loving you, respecting you, cherishing you, and following you always.)

 

Their eyes, meeting in the sacred ceremony, sparkled brilliantly. Warm and affectionate gazes, enough to bring tears to their eyes, promised a future together. As Yoonjae and Eunho walked out through the guests after the wedding mass, they held hands tightly.

 

At the end of the solemn and majestic path, dimly lit, the church door stood wide open, shining brightly in the sunlight, almost blindingly so. Eunho’s family, Taeoh, Olivia, and even the villagers who had come to bless them. Eunho and Yoonjae stood facing each other in front of the people who were throwing rice and sincerely congratulating them on their marriage.

 

“I love you.”

 

His fluttering hair danced in the air. Yoonjae’s shadow fell over Eunho, who looked up with innocent eyes. The lips that slowly touched his were soft and so very warm.

 

They had achieved a life of lying under the same blanket, watching the setting sun together, and welcoming the rising sun together again. A life of cherishing and loving each other, looking in the same direction.

 

Now, before them,

 

Brilliant time was passing.