Marriage

by Han Yong-un

The pool visible below the railing was filled with people. Some were bathing, while others were swimming. Among them, what particularly caught the eye was the sight of young couples enjoying the water together.

At the shallow water's edge, men and women mixed together, laughing and playing, while children floated on tubes. The women would splash around in the water and then come out to bask in the sun, while the men kept an eye on the children and occasionally glanced at their partners. They seemed to be subtly comparing who had fairer skin and better bodies.

Sun-young looked at the scene and asked.

“Those people are probably couples who brought their kids to bathe, right?”

Jeong-soon nodded but said it might not be exactly so. She mentioned that among those who came without children, there could be people who are not yet married. Then, she pointed out a couple who seemed to be in a romantic relationship. Sun-young was intrigued, and Jeong-soon explained that if they were married, they wouldn't be laughing while being so conscious of others.

Hearing that, Sun-young sighed, thinking that such people must have affection and fewer worries about living together, which is why they could go out and have fun like that. Jeong-soon comforted her, saying, “Are you that envious? Isn’t it possible for you to live well too?” but Sun-young could only feel overwhelmed when she thought of her own situation.

Then Jeong-soon casually asked.

“Do you want to get married?”

Sun-young retorted, “What a joke, who wants to get married?” but Jeong-soon laughed, saying that it seemed like she was envious of couples going out together.

Then Jeong-soon revealed that she was engaged. She said her fiancé was originally from Wonsan but had been living in Incheon for a long time. The moment Sun-young heard Wonsan, she was taken aback. Jeong-soon casually remarked, “In today's world, people even marry foreigners, so what's the big deal about Wonsan?”

Jeong-soon said that a marriage without love is like a grave. Sun-young felt both envious and strangely compelled by the idea of an engagement formed through love rather than an arranged one. However, Jeong-soon mentioned that both she and her fiancé were poor, so they hadn't set a wedding date yet. She also said they were planning to wait until they earned a bit more money.

Then Jeong-soon added.

“He may not have other talents, but he is very good at swimming. He’s good enough to be selected as an athlete.”

At that, Sun-young's heart wavered once again.

The two had rice curry and rice for lunch. Sun-young mentally repeated the name of the food she had never heard before several times. After finishing the meal, Jeong-soon, who was looking towards the sea, said that when the water started to rise, her fiancé would come out for a swim. Then she suggested they go watch together.

As the tide came in, covering the mudflats, water birds flew up, and the sight of sailboats approaching was grand and beautiful. In the meantime, Sun-young's heart was also shaking, unable to settle down.