3 months.
They were 3 months late- a first for the Great Late Date tradition, but that made it more true to things! When the whole point is being late, you can honestly be as behind schedule as you want.
Though, to be fair, neither Ong nor Sunny wanted to stretch it out this long. But, between writing, gigs, appearances, classes, a friend’s wedding, and one thing coming after another, time just got away from them like that. It’s not like they hadn’t seen one another in that time; of course not! When you live together, you can see each other as much as you want! (That’s what made the year they first moved in together so special to Sunny.) But, late-night chicken runs and afternoon cuddling (turned dog-friendly naps) weren’t quite the caliber required of their 6-year-old tradition.
So, they held out.
The young couple pushed things back each time until they were absolutely certain they could dedicate the time and attention to their October 17th anniversary, blowing far past the previous three-week record and landing it smack dab in the middle of the holidays: December 26th.
“Do you think Mikael will be mad at us for coming so late?” Sunny mused out of the blue, the eyes trained on assessing her outfit flitting over to her boyfriend’s reflection instead, catching his own gaze as he looked up from where it’d drifted during thought. His expression, initially that of a child caught with their hand in the cookie jar, quickly shifted to one of mirth and he chuckled, head shaking in bemusement.
“Probably,” he responded, words escaping on the wings of a sigh that was equal parts thoughtful exhale and an amused puff of laughter. The year before, the Hongdae bar’s owner had lectured them for 10 minutes about how hard they made it to prepare an event for his unreliable regulars—good-naturedly, of course. Shiwoo grinned, crossing the dressing room to warmly place hands on his partner’s shoulders.
Sunhee, perpetually cold, practically melted into the gesture but remained standing as he pressed a sweet kiss to her temple and murmured that she looked beautiful...promptly resulting in a shuddering cringe rolling through her.
“Heol! What’s got you acting so corny?” she teased, turning around in his embrace to face him. Her manicured hands lifted to squish his cheeks affectionately and coo her own praises. “You look beautiful, too, Ongdongie~ so tall and handsome~”
Laughing off a few moments of visible melting, the dancer brought his own hands to lightly grasp her wrists and release himself, but not before pressing another kiss to her palm. Mutual understanding shone in their eyes—they would probably be just as happy staying in and slinging gross compliments back and forth BUT, they’d been preparing for this evening for ages. Shiwoo was the first to break the spell, opting for just holding one hand and tugging Sunny along out of the dressing room and to the common area.
“Let’s head out before we miss our reservation, mh?”
“Yessir~”
♡
With a reservation-only model and a little more than an hour before closing, Banji Cafe was fairly empty by the time Sunny and Shiwoo strolled up to the storefront—joined hands swinging by way of the bottle redhead’s eager stimming. She (reluctantly) let go of Ong’s hand to allow him his gentleman’s right, giggling as the door was held open as if it were their first date instead of somewhere near a hundred.
“Welcome!” a pair of voices chimed before just one continued, “You must be Sunhee-ssi, right I’ll be with you in a moment!”
The staff’s voice chimed brightly, while the bulk of his focus remained on one of the only other customers present—a young woman whose own attention was solely focused on snapping a progress pic of her in-progress necklace. On the other side of the fairly small space, another employee sat across from another duo—showing them the next step in their own ring-making process.
The couple chimed their responses in kind, taking up residence next to one another at an empty table. Shedding her oversized leather coat, Sunny ooh’d and ahh’d while she took in the business’s decor. It truthfully wasn’t much—a handful of brown desks set up with table lamps, some sort of clamp tool, and two or four chairs; world maps functioning as curtains over the two sets of windows; photographs clipped onto string to hang from the ceiling; and, most interestingly, the bare industrial white-gray walls were covered in sharpie-penned messages from customers leaving their mark on a good memory. The counter, covered in display jewelry, and backed by what looked like cubbies full of supplies sat on the other side of the room, while a fan sat in a lone corner. It was far too cold these days to use it.
After shrugging out of his own coat, a fitted puffer, Shiwoo dragged a wide sheet of laminated paper over to their side of the table to skim over it.
“There are a lot of styles we could do,” he observed, fingers skimming over a unique-looking twisted design while Sunny leaned into his space, both to look and be closer. While she voiced her praises for it, the female staff joined them with another friendly greeting and a polite excuse while taking up residence in one of the extra chairs. She’d set down the small pole with rings of various sizes, and a series of other starter tools down and began some light small talk while setting their mutual mise en place.
“So, what are you two here for today? By chance, are you two...?” Not wanting to assume, she allowed herself to trail off, brows lifting past her curtain bangs while looking between Sunny and Ong. Naturally, the more social of the two was the one to fill the silence with an explanation,
“We’re dating,” she informed, a toothy grin taking over while affectionately nudging the man next to her with a narrow shoulder. “6 years and we’ve never even had couple rings!”
The words left her as if scandalized, her expression betraying every bit of the dramatized emotion before she settled with a giggle. At the same time, the jeweler settled from where her eyes had widened in amazement. 6 years was a long time.
“So,” Sunny finished, hand finding Ong’s under cover of the desk while she spared him a brief, honeyed glance. He reciprocated the gesture with a warm squeeze, cosigning with a hum as she continued, “We decided to change that and make it extra special with handmade ones!”
♡
“Gahh! They’re so gorgeous! Aren’t they?” Sunny’s voice carried, mixing with the atmospheric noise of a Hongdae Tuesday night. The chatter of voices, music playing from storefronts, distant vehicles, and the bright trill of a nearby bell, signaling the entrance of a new customer.
The lights of the city glinted off of the newly-minted rings that rested on the couple’s fingers, especially as Sunhee lifted her hand high to get another look at hers. She nearly ran into a gaggle of people, attention completely taken despite the healthily crowded streets.
“Mhm,” Shiwoo agreed, retrieving his girlfriend’s hand from the air and initiating a swing while they continued their winter journey. “I can’t believe we actually made them ourselves. Mine’s a little...wonky.” he paused to check his pocket for the box he’d gotten while paying—very grateful that Sunny’s incorrigible sociability had taken her across the room to chat with one of the other patrons.
“But that makes it more special, I think. They mean more.”
If his words seemed a little too pensive, Sunny hardly noticed. All smiles, she turned her gaze up to him to nod firmly. A girlish giggle escaped her, despite herself as she resisted the urge to happily launch herself six feet in the air. Instead, she threw up both hands—captured one included—and cheered, “I’m keeping it on forever!”
Then, just as quickly as she jumped to that conclusion, she jumped to the next: “Oh my god, we have to take pics!”
The exclamation was complimented by her coming to a hard stop, Shiwoo being partially jerked back by the abrupt motion. He blinked incredulously, taking in their surroundings, the puffs of crystalline breaths floating between them with each breath, and, especially, the reddish tinge painting her features.
“It’s cold, Sun,” he responded, closing enough distance between them to gently, but firmly tug her coat more protectively around her form. He glanced around to case their ETA before settling back on her, “Can’t we wait until we’re inside?”
His resolve was already fairly weak, but he knew he was especially screwed when Sunhee’s expression softened into the most soul-searing puppy dog eyes right before she launched into pleading her case.
“Oh, c’monnn, Ongdongie! Just one- just two! The lights inside won’t be as pretty. It’ll be so quick, pleeease!”
By the end of it, her phone was already fished out from the depths of her inner pocket, charms clacking noisily against each other while her chilled fingers worked to open the camera in the same motion.
So, he crumbled. Almost instantly, shoulders sagging with the weight of his minute failure. “Alright, alright. Let’s be quick, okay?”
Quick being relative, of course. What should have been a quick pose-n-snap soon turned into a whole mini-event at the hands of one Miss Lee Sunhee.
Oh, I blinked-
Ah, you blinked!
Wait, let’s be cute!
“Oh, wait! Let’s, hehe, let’s do a goofy engagement pic! Just for fun! It’ll be cute!” She barely got the suggestion out through a series of eager little giggles, combat boots tap-tapping against the concrete of the pedestrian walk.
Ong swallowed, trying to not let his nerves show on his visage while his hand returned to his pocket to ensure the other ring was still there and she hadn’t somehow found him out. She seemed none the wiser, happily waving him back over into frame and explaining her vision.
Since they both had rings, they obviously both had to do the cheesy hand up pose. Whatever flair he added was his own choice.
Within a few minutes, their mini photo shoot was over. The satisfied look on Sunny’s face as she scrolled through their spoils was enough to banish the cold that threatened to seep into even furnace-like Shiwoo’s bones...even if for just the bit of time it took to hurriedly jog the rest of the way down the street and up the stairs to the bar, hand-in-hand as always.
♡
“There you two are! I was beginning to worry!”
Like greeting family tardy to a gathering, Mikael’s warm voice floated above the music and sounds of a heavily spectated Tekken match underway across the room—both lowered enough to accommodate each other and the hum of voices as other customers chatted away and yelled out in triumph or despair at a round turnout.
“Mikael!!” “Hey, man!”
Sunny and Ong’s voices coalesced, the former happily sprinting across to the bar with her arms open wide and the latter raising a hand to wave—making a much leisurely journey to their preferred stools.
The Swedish man wasted no time in accepting his old regular or, rather, friend’s hug, gently patting her head and complimenting the new color in the same breath. Chirping her thanks and doing a flaunty little pose, Sunny slipped back to the customer side of the bar while some other familiar faces from staff dropped their greetings in passing as they continued on their way with whatever given task.
“Sorry we’re a little late,” Shiwoo spoke up, already shrugging out of his coat and mirth clear in his voice. “We lost track of time.”
The owner snorted, a brief burst of air escaping his nose while he tended to a waiting customer, “Three months is a lot of time to lose.” He gave them both a pointed look while Sunny popped onto her seat. “Do better next time! You make it so hard to plan something special!”
Sunny’s bark of laughter eclipsed Shiwoo’s softer chuckle and, after some lighthearted apologies, they fell into a bit of casual conversation, easy like several months hadn’t passed since their last time hanging out at their favorite haunt.
Hours easily passed at Retrogamebar and Sunny and Ong soon found themselves bidding their partners in a game of Moniker goodbye. A little plate with the remnants of a last-minute congratulations cake (three chocopies stacked on top of each other with a single candle) sat among beer, soju, and soda bottles and a tray of mostly eaten chicken nuggets and fries.
The pair bid their favorite bartender goodbye as well, giving thanks for their good reception and their “cake,” and promising to come back sooner than later
Shiwoo didn’t drink and Sunny was only mildly buzzed. And neither of them had to be at work or anything in the morning. So, even at nearly 11, the night was still young and all of the bustling city was their oyster.
“What do you wanna do now?” Ong inquired, an arm slinging protectively over his girlfriend’s shoulder as she visibly tensed the second they left behind the warmth of indoors. She melted into his touch and hummed, responding without responding as she seriously thought about an answer.
She kind of wanted to go to the beach...only it was far colder than the other times they’d spent the Great Late Date by the sea. And the drive there would push them to an even later time. She also considered the aquarium before remembering it closed a few hours back. She also didn’t think she was up for a ride in the Namsan cable cars.
“Ooh! Didn’t Songhyeon Green reopen a few months back?” she asked rhetorically, eyes shining with anticipation as they reached the street level again. “I saw they had a light festival running this month. You could take a lot of pictures~”
Her appeal to his favored hobby made an already easy yes even easier. And the vivid image that painted itself in his head—an admittedly cheesy scene where she’s bathed in beautiful lights and he finally plucks up the courage to ask her—makes for a wordless agreement where he grins and guides her along toward the main road so they can hail a taxi.
♡
The Light Festa was just as beautiful as they’d both imagined, though perhaps it felt that much better because they’d gotten lucky enough to choose the one week where its hours were extended by just 60 more minutes for the holidays.
Attendance was sparse and many vendors had begun packing up their stalls, but that hardly mattered when the glow of artistically arranged lights turned strolling about the old park into an otherworldly experience.
The main path was already stunning—trees set alight in a cool blaze of softly twinkling white lights, but it was nothing compared to everything else.
Glowing clouds that seemed to pulse with life. A forest of dazzling Christmas trees. Rows and rows of illuminated flowers and fiber optic “plants” that reminded Sunhee of a desk lamp she had in middle school. But, perhaps, the most stunning installation of all was the Shadow Forest, an open space dotted with large lantern-like boxes, carved with intricate trees to create a dabbling effect in an array of greens and yellows.
With no food and activities to distract them, it didn’t take very long to go through everything and they’d both taken photos as promised. Shiwoo lamented the absence of his real camera before they made plans to return earlier and more prepared before the exhibit closed for the season. They were taking their time in the Forest, simply walking aimlessly and enjoying each other’s company, sometimes coming to a mutual stop to take it all in before continuing on a snail-like stroll where they didn’t get much of anywhere before stopping again.
For a few minutes, they both just stood in place, taking it all in.
While Sunny idly swung their joined hands, all thoughts on how happy she was to be there and to be there with him, Ong’s gaze drifted to her—a perfect replication of the earlier image in his head. The lights slowly shifted in color, painting her soft features in a delicate light and it was, in so many words, breathtaking. He thought about how he'd seen that profile constantly over the past six years—times where they laughed, times where they cried, times where she comforted him or he comforted her. He wanted to see that profile for the rest of his life—and all of her, really. His other hand found its way back into his pocket, firmly gripping the blue velvet box inside. He took a deep breath he hoped wasn’t noticeable and wiggled his hand free, gently to not arouse alarm.
It wasn’t unordinary—he often did it with a sheepish explanation of ‘sweaty’ whenever she’d questioned it with a heavy pout during in their early days. Now, it was simply understood: a quick sweat break. So, Sunny simply tucked her hands into her own pockets while her attention was caught by an older couple in the distance, laughing and their body language dripping amused exasperation while one tried to hold up a phone despite it all. She chuckled, more silent than typical so as not to disturb the peace of the moment. Her thoughts drifted back to Ong, back to the night that'd been the most fun she'd had in ages, and to every day before and every day that would come after.
Would they be middle-aged together—tackling the challenges of a new trend on TikTok or whatever the next hot app would be? God, she hoped so.
She really hoped so.
“Ongdongie, let’s get married.” “Sunny? Will you-”
They spoke at nearly the same time, the end of her words overlapping the start of his. She turned to him, amusement creasing at the corners of her eyes before they widened minutely, breath stopping at the sight of her favorite person on one knee, velvet box housing an entirely different ring housed in its plush interior. His deer-in-the-headlights expression matched hers, down to the stunned ‘o’ of their lips. They locked eyes, grins creeping onto their visages in the next moment before they both burst into laughter, the sound floating high into the atmosphere surrounding the still park.
"Yahh, you stole my line!"
“We're getting married, you goof! Whats yours is mine.”
