Marriage

by Han Yong-un

Soon-young was now eighteen years old, spending each day amidst joy and sorrow.

It was unclear whether spring had come to Soon-young or if spring had blossomed within her. But one thing was certain: from head to toe, Soon-young was spring itself. Her body was spring, and her heart was spring. If the scent emanating from her skin was the fragrance of spring, then the fantasies blooming within her emotions felt like the dreams of spring. Thus, she would sometimes imagine an unseen rationality in her heart and try to taste the happiness that had yet to come with her fingertips.

That day was a clear sky and even the air felt humid like summer. At the house of the innkeeper, there was a day when the barmaids were allowed to rest every two weeks, and that day happened to be Soon-young's turn. Without missing the opportunity, Soon-young decided to go to Wolmido for a swim. Having hurriedly finished her preparations from the morning, Soon-young gathered a little money she had received as tips from guests and added the one yen that the innkeeper had given her for lunch.

Jeong-soon, who had promised to go with her the day before, arrived early.

"Is that you, Jeong-soon? You came early. Come in."

Soon-young greeted her warmly, pulling her hand.

"Isn't it too early to go now? Let's play a little before we go."

But Jeong-soon shook her head.

"You have to go early to get a good spot at the beach. If you’re even a little late, it will be crowded with people and there won’t be anywhere to sit. We might be late even if we go now."

"Then shall we go now?"

Soon-young looked at her wristwatch and opened her mouth.

"Oh my, it’s almost ten o'clock already. If we go now, it will be around eleven, right?"

"Exactly. I think it will be late even if we go now. Let’s hurry."

The two hurriedly set out. As they heard the sound of the train arriving at Sangincheon Station, they quickened their pace even more. They were worried that if the train from Seoul arrived, they would lose their good spots to others.

They arrived first at the front of the regular bus to Wolmido, but the bus was slow to leave as it was picking up more people. The two were anxious and urged the driver, but it was of no use. In that moment, Soon-young thought that if all the men in the world were as indifferent to others' situations as that driver, the spring of young girls might wither away by autumn. Yet, she tried to shake off such thoughts and gazed at the distant sea.

Thanks to leaving early, they arrived at the beach first. There were still empty seats on the second floor, and the two chose a spot that opened up towards the sea. They spread out their handbags, towels, and fans to make it seem like more people were already there, preventing anyone from intruding. After that, they entered the bath to wash their bodies.

When Soon-young came out of the changing room and was about to get dressed, she paused for a moment upon seeing her reflection in the mirror. Her white, glistening skin was slightly tinted red from the warm water, resembling a doll made of jewels. Captivated by a feeling of both shyness and mystery, Soon-young felt her body was even more precious. She thought it was shameful and sinful to offer such a body to anyone. Yet, on the other hand, she also felt a sense of emptiness, like a house without a fence. Thus, a desire to be embraced in a modest and trustworthy embrace as soon as possible also arose within her.

When she returned to the second floor, the seats were already fully occupied. Nevertheless, the spot they had reserved remained untouched. Soon-young was delighted by that. The two leaned against the railing, eating snacks and drinking cider while looking out at the sea.

In the meantime, Soon-young stared blankly at the southern sea of Wolmido, and suddenly her eyes grew warm with tears.

"Why are you like this?" Jeong-soon asked, and Soon-young replied.

"I don’t know why, but sometimes when I see the sea, I feel sad."

Jeong-soon’s eyes also filled with tears. They looked at each other and smiled, but the reason Soon-young was crying while looking at the sea, where she had come out to die after being beaten by the innkeeper last spring, was something only the West Sea and Wolmido knew.