The boy with the distinctive bowl cut fidgeted at the back seat of Hyo Jin's car while the overly-confident grim reaper drove wordlessly. It was the fifth time during the long drive that he removed the midnight blue tie that he decided to wear on top of his white button-down shirt only to re-do it. And yet, he still was not satisfied.
Hyo Jin turned to look at him from the passenger seat, already growing tired of his restlessness, and said, "There is no need to fuss since it would just be you, me, this guy Tak Gu" – she gestured towards their driver – "and those two meeting at the said rendezvous, your divinity."
"A deity should always appear impeccable no matter the occasion," Death countered as he pulled the narrow end of the silk fabric after doing an impressive Half Windsor knot.
"Well, you did not bother to hide your disinterest when Eon Jin requested for your company a week ago," she reminded him. "Funny, but it seems that you are having ants on your pants now."
Regardless, the puny immortal ran a palm over his front to smoothen the invisible wrinkles on his clothes and threw his cute nose up in the air in subtle indignation, making Hyo Jin stifle a chuckle.
"What time should we be there again?" Death asked to divert the conversation away from his apparent jitters.
Hyo Jin resumed her position, although instead of facing ahead, she turned her head to the side and stared out the window with her chin resting on her palm.
"Eon Jin mentioned to be there a couple of hours after noon so we could catch a little warmth and sunlight," she answered.
Death's curled his upper lip, then sourly commented, "As if the timing would help. Those two are both mad as a hatter to hold a wedding ceremony in the middle of this cold season."
"Perhaps guessing every living moment if this was their last day together really drove them at the brink of insanity" – she mused absentmindedly – "if not their ill-fated love story and more than three hundred years of waiting."
Clearly understanding what she meant, Death heaved out a heavy sigh.
"We are going to summon her one way or another because she is a missing soul," he said. "You should have known it from the beginning, Hyo Jin."
"I might have been completely aware that it would come to this point and I simply chose to deny it," the grim reaper admitted with implied impudence. "I know that it is something set in stone, too. Nevertheless, I cannot help but think that the gods could have been more compassionate after everything Eon Jin had to go through."
The higher being sat up straight and crossed his arms on his chest, inconspicuously rolling his eyes before stating, "If it would be of any consolation to you, Son Eon Jin's case requires me to walk on eggshells. It's not every day that the missing soul is a fellow deity's paramour."
When the makeshift path to the river appeared within her sight, Hyo Jin braved herself to appeal to the immortal, "Can I be the one to call her name if and when the opportunity arises?"
"Wouldn't that torment you?"
"I am bound to suffer for five hundred years anyway."
Death deliberated on her plea for a minute, then elected to shrug it off.
"I will leave the matters to you, then," he consented as soon as the vehicle came to a full stop at the unpaved roadside behind a parked black sedan.
Down by the dock, Kim Tae Pyung was distractedly stubbing his foot on the elevated wood of the platform and was patiently waiting for their visitors and his bride. He was brought back to reality the instant Death greeted him with his usual eerie congeniality.
"Congratulations, Officer Kim," he offered as he sauntered towards Tae Pyung with both hands clasped tightly behind him, somewhat bouncing on the balls of his feet in subdued anticipation. "Hyo Jin met up with her for last-minute talks, retouches – the works. They will be here soon."
Tae Pyung pressed his lips on a straight line, nodding as he dug his hands into the deep pockets of his thick coat. Death mimicked him when a biting wind blew, then took his place beside his equivalent as they counted down the minutes.
"Are you ready?" Hyo Jin inquired as she pushed a stray lock away from Eon Jin's face.
They were huddled together inside Eon Jin's car for a while and, like the youthful god mentioned, exchanged a few words of encouragement and thanks. She held a small bunch of creamy-pink magnolias and ivory-colored roses in her hands, nervously picking on the white satin ribbon while Hyo Jin fixed her hair.
"My heart has never been in this state of unease, Hyo Jin," Eon Jin confessed in a hushed tone. "I am giddy to a point wherein the tingling sensation in my stomach travels to the tips of my fingers and toes, sending a rush of elation to every portion of my system. It feels as if my soul has been lifted out of a dark cavern and will be seeing the light of day at last."
"However, I am also afraid," her voice faltered as she frowned. "This kind of joy is not a gift someone like me deserved. For many years of my mortal life, it has been a struggle between doing what is right and doing what I desperately desired – and almost always, I conformed to the expectations set by my parents, the society, and the powers that be."
"And now, I am here," she concluded, turning her face to the side to look at her most-trusted confidant. "I have come to this moment wherein happiness is within my reach, wherein a comfortable life with Kim Tae Pyung seemed like a possibility. Yet, I am always watching my back as I wait for the punchline. The question of when the heavens will end my days of bliss lingers in my mind constantly so much so that it hinders me from returning the affection he is unreservedly showering me with."
"Nonetheless, I love Kim Tae Pyung," Eon Jin sighed. "I adore his kindness and humility. I worship him without the tiniest bit of shame or guilt. He is everything to me and I love him with all the broken pieces of my being. I will enter this marriage with him heedlessly and if – push comes to shove – the divinities would object, I would cohabit with him in sin without second thoughts."
"But can they just finally allow me to have my peace after a long period of suffering?" her question was a murmur that did not necessarily call for a response.
Albeit she very much wanted to give her an affirmation, Hyo Jin swallowed with difficulty, pushing back the lump that was forming on her throat – something that was making its presence known frequently as of late after several centuries of being lost in oblivion.
"Have faith, Eon Jin," she managed to reply. "Have courage and pray with utmost sincerity that they listen to your wishes this time."
At exactly three in the afternoon, Eon Jin traversed the trail descending the riverbank with the assistance of the grim reaper Tak Gu. The frosty weather made it impossible for her to wear a frilly gown – not that she wanted to – but she was still effortlessly stunning in a simple Mikado form-fitting white dress with a Sabrina neckline that flaunted her collarbones and slender neck. Instead of a veil, she wore a cosmic latte faux fur-lined cloak, the hem of its train being held by Hyo Jin who was merely a couple of feet behind her.
The slightly trembling fingers of her left hand gripped the arm of the male grim reaper as they continued that long, careful walk towards the dock while the other clutched the bundled stems of her bouquet. As soon as they landed on an even ground, she lifted her eyes and found the only person that, for her, mattered more than life and death combined in an instant.
Tae Pyung smiled as soon as he caught her tender gaze and he bit his lip to keep himself from laughing when he saw her soundlessly mouth 'handsome' with a wink. In turn, he whispered 'beautiful', grinning like a fool as he calculated the number of steps she would have to take until she reached the place where he stood.
"Hello, Officer Kim," Eon Jin said after he took her hand in his.
"Hello, my mercurial mistress," Tae Pyung uttered in jest, earning a playful scowl from his bride.
The eternally eight year-old deity who was leaning on one of the sturdy poles of the wooden platform cleared his throat louder than necessary to demand for their attention, thus putting an abrupt end to their flirting much to their dismay.
"Shall we get married today?" Tae Pyung asked with radiant exhilaration as he gently squeezed Eon Jin's hand.
She pretended to think about it for a second, narrowing her eyes into slits while her lips broke into a knowing smirk before answering with a heartwarming beam.
"Sure, Officer Kim, sure."
The ceremony was short but meaningful, with Death presiding and Hyo Jin standing as their lone witness. Eon Jin and Tae Pyung mutually agreed to forego all of the customary rites since they would be holding another one in spring (Although the plan was to hold an intimate event with only a handful of people in attendance.) except for the exchanges of vows.
Tae Pyung lifted Eon Jin's hand with care and brought it to the place in his chest where the beating of his heart could be felt.
Son Eon Jin, I will be your safe haven,
Your shelter from the storm and your refuge from the chaos of reality,
The man who cherishes you with every breath he takes, with all the love he could give,
And, for always, your person, your equal, your constant.
I will listen to your thoughts and your heartbeat with wonder and adulation,
Hold you close in all those good and bad days that would come,
The one who will be waiting for you at home after every sunset,
And, for always, your rock, your other half, your number one fan.
In all your pasts, presents, and futures,
In all realities and dreams,
In all the lifetimes we would be living, whether together or apart,
I will always be finding you.
With this promise, I take thee, Son Eon Jin, as my wife.
Right after he finished his pledge, he kissed the back of her hand and slid the gold band on her ring finger.
If Eon Jin did not reach up to wipe the corners of his eyes with her thumb, Tae Pyung would not have noticed that he was actually crying all this time. He placed his hand over hers as she cupped his face for a few more seconds, then turned it over to place a chaste kiss on her palm.
Kim Tae Pyung, know that I will love you,
This time around, without any fear or doubt,
With every fragment of my battered soul and with the entirety of my fragile being,
For all the remaining days of my life.
Know that I will serve you,
Be your friend, your lover, and your wife,
The burning fire in your winter, the calming rain in your summer,
Your forever partner-in-crime.
Know that I will search for you,
In my next lifetime and those that come after,
In a world that would surely be a little more forgiving,
And the universe shall conspire to keep us as one.
With this promise, I take thee, Kim Tae Pyung, as my husband.
Eon Jin's tears fell as she sought for his hand to place his ring on his finger and at once, every corner of her heart was filled with hope that maybe – just, maybe – their love for each other was enough to merit a shot at a happy ending.
She let her eyes wander for a minute, taking in everything that surrounded her and committing the scenario to memory: Hyo Jin, her long-time companion and ally, quietly weeping on the sidelines, the thin, frozen surface of the river around them, the snow-capped mountain standing out above the massive landscape with its innate grandeur, the god of Death looking at her with a hint of wistfulness – including the grim reaper named Tak Gu staring straight ahead in a futile attempt to disguise his emotions.
Lastly, Eon Jin turned to face Kim Tae Pyung, who was every inch of perfect in a gray coat over a classic black tuxedo, his hair neatly brushed back from his temples and his dimples on full display. He was regarding her as if he was a blind man who was miraculously starting to see for the first time in his life, a gaze that conveyed awe, gratitude, devotion, longing, assurance, and love.
Death's unusually somber voice pulled her out of her trance, then said, "With the blessing of the supreme beings governing this realm and those beyond it, I now pronounce thee – Kim Tae Pyung and Son Eon Jin – husband and wife."
It suddenly came to Eon Jin's mind that if she had the magic to do so, she would stop the world from turning at that precise second only to relive that glorious moment over and over. She knew for certain that she would give up her yesterdays and tomorrows for that fateful afternoon when the immortal sanctified their union, when Kim Tae Pyung drew her towards him to capture her lips in a soulful kiss, and when everything in her long and miserable life inexplicably felt right.
That evening, Tae Pyung carried Eon Jin to the bedroom of his loft-type home in his arms. How he was able to climb the stairs while she teased his mouth with light brushes, he would never know. Even so, they reached his private chamber safely without any gash, bruise, or a broken limb.
"Come closer," Eon Jin demanded breathlessly as Tae Pyung lowered her to the mattress, tugging at his collars to have a better access to his neck.
She pushed his coat off of his shoulders, prompting him to remove it in a hurry and discard it on the floor, and with her nimble fingers, she loosened up the buttons of his crisp, white shirt. Her nails grazed his skin as she mapped out the muscles in his chest, tracing every ridge as it traveled down to his stomach and then back upwards to cling firmly onto his nape as her lips reached for the hollow of his throat.
As customary, he was helpless under her charm, responding to every sensuous nibble on his feverish skin with wanton caresses along her curves, the sides of her breasts, the graceful contours of her legs, and the secret spot between her thighs that he would definitely pay courtesy to in the succeeding minutes. The sparks caused by his touch emboldened her to close that infinitesimal gap between their bodies and his low moan reverberated in the four corners of the room the instant she lifted her waist off of the cushion to meet his.
"I love you," Tae Pyung whispered in her ear as he savored the tantalizing swirl of her tongue on his jugular. "Yet, you'd have to forgive me this once."
She hummed, then held his face in both of her hands to claim his lips in a sinful crescendo.
Begrudgingly, he eased away from her, cradling her cheeks as he forced himself to regain his composure.
"I have to go," Tae Pyung informed her with obvious frustration. "Duty calls."
"What duty?" Eon Jin asked, unmistakably dumbfounded.
He blinked a few times and before he could even explain, she already comprehended the situation on her own.
Somewhat like a déjà vu, Eon Jin was reminded of the many occasions a vision came between her and Tae Pyung, her assignments inconsiderately beckoning at any time of the day. That was why she could not hold it against him if he needed to leave her on their first night as a wedded couple.
"Go," she groaned as she let go of his neck, pushing him lightly off of her.
"I'm sorry, love," Tae Pyung offered again. "I'll head back home as soon as it's over."
Eon Jin snorted, then said, "You better keep your word, Kim Tae Pyung."
He peppered her with wet kisses all over her face before thanking her for understanding his predicament. She cautioned him to go easy on the pedal as he changed into a more laidback outfit and hugged him tight, then prodded him out of the room.
As soon as Eon Jin heard the front door close, she ambled towards the corner and picked up the shirt he wore from the hamper to bring it with her, shedding off her own clothes and putting it on her body instead. She huddled on her side after she went back to bed, a content smile playing on her lips as she permitted herself to be lulled to sleep by the familiar scent of mint and pine that exclusively belonged to her husband.
"On the count of three," the photographer instructed as he prepared to take their first photo after Tae Pyung and Eon Jin's spring wedding.
Ji Won posed like a grown-up man, already self-conscious at the age of thirteen, and Tae Pyung had to poke the ticklish part on his side to elicit a grin from his son. Eon Jin laughed as he jerked between them, not caring at all if the portrait ended up to be blurred.
It took them five tries to get a decent shot all because of Tae Pyung's naughty hands that either pestered Ji Won or fondled her promiscuously unbeknownst to everyone else in the room. They had to switch positions for a few more poses and it surprised Eon Jin how much she actually enjoyed her pictures to be taken – not because she was pleased with how she looked that day but because those snapshots froze specific moments in her life when she was at her happiest.
"Let's have this one framed, love," Tae Pyung suggested as they were browsing over the files sent by the company on her laptop a week later. They were seated together by the kitchen counter after dinner, viewing the images with ample scrutiny more than once and evoking varied reactions each time.
"You are exceptionally gorgeous here," he added, then pointed at the screen to prove his argument. "See?"
"I like this one better," Eon Jin refuted after checking on the next shot of the three . "Ji Won is really charming when he smirks a certain way."
Tae Pyung carefully closed the lid, then said, "Why don't we have everything printed out?"
"Wouldn't that cost us double?" she asked.
"Who cares?" he shrugged.
Eon Jin shook her head and clicked her tongue in mocking disappointment, then chided him, "I never thought I married a spendthrift man."
"For the record, I will never have enough photographs of you," Tae Pyung reasoned out, his words sounding bittersweet instead of being coy like he intended to.
Eon Jin sensed the message he refused to explicitly verbalize right away and she nodded in agreement in spite of her better judgment.
Satisfied with his small triumph, Tae Pyung wound his arms around her waist and pulled her in, kissing the top of head consequently.
"I love you," he murmured.
"Likewise," she replied, closing her eyes the instant his lips found hers.
Three years flew by without much drama, aside from those petty quarrels about forgotten chores and cancelled dinners. And even though the delights of domesticated life tempted Eon Jin, she carried on with her business – a decision Tae Pyung not only approved of, but also very much encouraged.
Ji Won moved to the city to attend a private senior high school on full scholarship a few months back, therefore bringing some sense of completion to their family. This development urged the couple to sell both of their luxurious houses to purchase a property that was more suitable for their current set-up.
"Being the mortal vessel of a divine being has its perks," Death told Tae Pyung once. "The currency of mortals is never essential for us to acquire what we want because we have a way to get it."
Yet, Tae Pyung chose to follow the norm – keep his job as a senior investigator, earn and save money, and buy necessities – for the time being.
It was one evening in spring when Eon Jin became conscious of a peculiar truth while sitting in front of her vanity. Her fingers crawled up to her face and traced the faint lines of crow's feet at the corners of her eyes.
"What's wrong?" Tae Pyung asked as he stepped out of the bathroom after a quick shower.
Eon Jin did not answer; instead, she kept scrutinizing the image of the woman in the mirror.
"Talk to me," he appealed as he knelt by her side. "What's troubling you?"
She turned to look at him with a bit of reluctance, her teeth sinking into her plump lower lip as she contemplated on her recent epiphany.
"How old were you when you turned into an immortal?"
"Thirty-six."
"That means we are only three years apart now."
Tae Pyung nodded even if he failed to perceive what she was driving at.
As if all of her hopes drained out of her soul, Eon Jin touched his cheeks with the back of her fingers as she blinked away the glistening tears before providing a little clarity to her dilemma.
"The seasons went past without me being mindful about it," she mumbled, her eyes pensive as they held his. "I missed to recall that time is no longer my friend."
"Haven't I told you that I will still desire you even when you're old and gray?" he teased.
Eon Jin let out a dry chuckle and said, "That was not what I meant, silly."
"Then what?" his question came out of his mouth hastily that he almost sounded impatient.
Although the realization shattered her into pieces simply by thinking about it, Eon Jin willed herself to respond.
"It has been more than four years since we found each other and I am still not able to bear you a child."
Upon hearing her confession, Tae Pyung dragged a labored breath out of his chest, his shoulders dropping as if something heavy burdened him.
"I couldn't care less if it's just the two of us in the end," he told her. "I have built a home with you and Ji Won – and that is more than enough for me."
"But I do care, Tae Pyung," she contradicted him. "As much as I love Ji Won, I would always feel lacking whenever I am reminded of my shortcomings."
"I wouldn't want it to happen if it only brings you sorrow, Eon Jin," his words were uttered with stanch determination.
"I know," she grumbled. "However, I believe that it would make all of us happy, don't you think so?"
Eon Jin leaned down to touch her forehead with his, then proceeded to convince him with a glimpse of her heart's deepest desires.
"Imagine Ji Won growing up to be a fine man, with the same kindness and charisma as his father's," she elaborated. "In a few years, he would finish college and pick a career of his own, pave a way for himself, meet a lovely girl, fall head over heels with her, then get married and build a family."
"Imagine us spending the rest of our lives together, alone in this spacious home while our son is busy navigating through adulthood," she added. "For sure, there would be days of arguing and making up; similarly, there would be nights of pleasure and passion."
"Yet, wouldn't it be better if – after more than three centuries of witnessing deaths – I would be able to give life myself?"
Tae Pyung clenched his jaw as he seriously brooded over whether or not to tolerate the pressure Eon Jin was putting upon herself.
"If it would fulfill you as a person" – he paused, praying in silence that the higher powers would hear his wife's plea – "then, who am I to disagree?"
She brushed her lips over her husband's nose before gliding down to his mouth, kissing him with so much tenderness and need as their fingers intertwined.
"We'll keep trying," Tae Pyung assured her after briefly parting from her to stare into her doe eyes.
Eon Jin nodded, then said, "Sounds like a plan."
"When do we begin?" his boyish smirk betrayed his feigned innocence.
Euphoria washed over Eon Jin, the promise of another miracle instantaneously intoxicating her and igniting a more ardent flame that would eventually consume every fiber of their existence.
"Right now, love," she breathed against his lips before she compelled him to initiate his usual preamble. "Right now."
As Eon Jin slept soundly past midnight in his arms after hours of decadent lovemaking, Tae Pyung found himself crying softly for the first time in quite a long while, wishing that the unorthodox methods he was entitled to as a mythical being would make it possible for him to grant whatever Eon Jin's heart was genuinely yearning for.
—
Photo by Beatriz Pérez Moya on Unsplash