Sun & Moon

EPILOGUE

SEVEN YEARS AFTER

"I mean, she did catch the bouquet at my wedding first," Heiran remarks, bouncing a baby on her knee. "So I would say it's thanks to me." She pauses and glares at another child, running around and underneath tables. "Jaesuk, if you don't get your ass over here and sit down now, I will not go easy on you little mister!" she says loudly, hoping that her eldest son can hear him without having to yell.

"Right, but she caught it a second time at mine. That means, if anything, I reinforced her engagement," Jiyeon replies. She coos at the little one on Heiran's lap, smiling as the baby's saliva dribbles down his chin. "How old is this one?" she asks.

"Jaeho is eight months," Heiran replies tiredly, casting death glares at her four-year-old. "God, Taek, go get him!" she hisses to her husband.

"I can get him!" Taeyong intervenes excitedly. Without another word, he offers a half-smile to Heiran's equally tired husband before rushing off to chase the youngster. Taekwoon carefully follows, not sure that Taeyong would be the best choice in calming down a child.

Doyoung smiles as Taeyong runs off, blissful in the moment of reunification with all his friends. They all sit together at the table closest to the dance floor, waiting for the bride and groom to come out. To his left is Jiyeon and then Heiran with her husband. He had initially thought he would barely ever see Heiran, but much to his surprise, he found that she visited Korea often, despite their busy schedules. Doyoung deeply admires Heiran. As an obstetrician, Heiran is consistently working, and her husband wrapping up his neurosurgical residency only meant that the two barely have time. Yet Heiran has managed to raise, not only one but, two children already.

"You're a real trooper," Jiyeon says, shaking her head. She reaches out for the younger one, and Heiran hands off her son graciously. Jiyeon pats the baby's nose, smiling as he babbles. "These things are cute and all. Can't imagine birthing one though. Or dealing with one for more than a few hours."

This doesn't surprise Doyoung. After her marriage with Byeol, they had moved in together above her cafe. Whenever Doyoung visits for a bite, he's greeted by one of Jiyeon's three cats rubbing against his leg. The success of her cafe, with the addition of Byeol starting her job at an architecture firm, pushed Jiyeon into planning a second branch.

"You'd think after delivering so many babies, I'd have some expectation of giving birth to my own," Heiran says darkly. "I was very wrong."

"Isn't it a lot of work?" Doyoung asks, leaning towards Jiyeon to play with the baby. "I can't imagine the traveling is easy."

"It would be easier if Jaesuk listened!" Heiran exclaims, throwing up her hands. "It's like that kid's on crack! Well, you've got one of your own, so maybe you get it."

Doyoung chuckles, nodding a bit. He smiles when Jaeho's small hands cling to his finger. "Whenever I come back from a project, he's just as clingy as this one." After the Jeju project had finished, Doyoung kept his word and never went back to Skyline again. His experience led him to become a construction manager. Although it involved a lot of traveling, Doyoung found it much more to his enjoyment.

Taeyong didn't take it too well, at first. But he got busier himself, as he became a prime time anchor. Whereas Doyoung had been the face of his company from before, he's melted into anonymity. At the same time, almost every news-watching Korean citizen could identify Taeyong on the streets.

"The man is thirty-four," Heiran remarks. "But he gets along so well with Jaesuk."

"We're only a year younger," Doyoung gently reminds her.

"That makes me with my thirty-two years the youngest! When did we reach our thirties? Wow, time flies," Jiyeon says, squeezing Jaeho's cheeks.

"What's this about time flying?" a voice says from behind. Doyoung turns and sees the bride and groom smiling behind them. "We aren't thirty yet," Seulmin says.

"Hah, one year doesn't make a difference," Taeyong joins in, sitting down next to Doyoung. "Your kid threw a tantrum. So Taekwoon took him outside." Taeyong glances at Heiran and shrugs nonchalantly.

"Of course it does!" Sungyeol glares at Taeyong. "You're just jealous."

"Jealous of your loss rate? Maybe!"

Sungyeol nearly jumps Taeyong before Jiyeon quickly interrupts. "What happened to your first dance? Everyone's waiting."

"They're working on the music. Technical difficulties." Seulmin smiles sheepishly.

Seulmin and Sungyeol are a more common sight for Doyoung. He sees the former on TV at the same time as Taeyong, giving the forecast for the day. The latter always stops by to talk with Taeyong over a can of beer about his days as a rookie prosecutor, more often whining about losing cases than winning them.

When the music starts playing, Seulmin gasps in surprise. Sungyeol pulls her to the dance floor, and they begin their first dance.

Doyoung watches, only feeling content and ease. He's never felt so good. Maybe nineteen-year-old Doyoung would have never expected his life to be so perfect. Doyoung wishes he could go back in time and thank himself for working so hard. He would tell himself that it's okay. Just wait a little more. And things will turn out well.

As he slips into his everlasting, normal state of relaxation, Taeyong grabs ahold of his hand and smiles at him.

The pair's matching wedding bands gleam under the light.