Marriage
by Han Yong-un · 2026-03-20
Sun-young avoided Jeong-soonâs gaze and looked at those people. No matter how she looked, that person was the one she had been eagerly waiting for. The joy surged like an incoming tide, uncontrollable, but there were many similar people in the world, and she began to doubt whether she was mistaking him because she had wanted to see him so much. So, her heart became awkward, and she lacked the courage to approach him. However, thinking that she might regret missing this opportunity for the rest of her life, she eventually began to move her feet.
Sun-young took one step, then another, looking at him once, then twice with a happy heart. What she worried about the most was whether he would recognize her and greet her first, or if he would talk about the time he saved her from drowning. That made her heart race. Sun-young covered her chin and mouth, following behind Jeong-soon, lost in disordered thoughts, unaware of the overflowing emotions in her heart.
"Ah! Jeong-soon, what a surprise!"
A short man approached with a smile on his face.
"I saw you come, so I chased after you. I was on my way to the pond with my friend."
Jeong-soon replied happily.
"I was just wondering if you might come out. I was talking with this friend about you, so itâs great that you came."
He continued speaking.
"But donât you know this teacher? I think I introduced you once; this is Teacher Kim Dae-cheol, a very famous swimmer."
He spoke while looking back and forth between Jeong-soon and Dae-cheol.
"Yes, I met him once before. How have you been?"
Jeong-soon bowed politely.
"Yes, I met him once through the introduction of Seong-sik. Welcome!"
As the greetings roughly came to an end, Jeong-soon spoke.
"I will introduce you two to the teachers."
Jeong-soon wanted to greet Sun-young, and after Sun-young greeted everyone, she exchanged greetings with Dae-cheol. Sun-young's heart was not at ease, feeling an emotion as if electricity was flowing. She was concerned whether Dae-cheol recognized her or not, but he only glanced at her once or twice, showing no signs of recognition. Sun-young worried that it might be embarrassing if Dae-cheol recognized her and brought up her story, but she wanted to avoid him speaking first in front of many people.
Whether that person's existence was certain or not was not the issue. Now, she had begun to scrutinize everything about that person. She wanted to know what his appearance was like, what his health condition was, and if possible, even his personality. However, his appearance was not particularly different from what she had seen before, and his personality was hard to gauge at a glance. She felt that there was no need to discuss that person now, calming her mind and sinking into the grace and longing of that time, feeling as if her whole body was warmly wrapped in that person's embrace.
"Alright, now that it's high tide, let's go out. There are rules at the beach, so we can't go outside the designated area, so let's head to another sea."
Jeong-sik said.
"Let's swim and enjoy together."
He added while looking back at Jeong-soon and Sun-young.
"Let's go and watch too."
Seon-young did not respond to Jeong-soonâs words, but showed her willingness to comply through her attitude. The psychological state of the two young women following the two young men changed unexpectedly compared to earlier. The awkward feeling had almost disappeared, and they felt happy, delighted, and satisfied. However, what still worried them was Dae-cheolâs situation. She thought whether that person was still unmarried or not was the key to her future happiness, but it was not something she could suddenly ask. While pondering how to find out,
"Hey, how old is that Teacher Seo?" she asked.
"Heâs twenty-seven now,"
Jeong-soon answered without hesitation.
"Thatâs eight years older than you."
"Eight years older is just right; even if he were more than that, it wouldnât matter."
"But how come he hasnât gotten married by the age of twenty-seven?"
"Athletes usually donât get married early. They say twenty-seven is the prime age for an athlete. So he might want to get married."
"Maybe, so do all athletes feel that way?"
"Not all of them, but there are many who donât get married. They say getting married drains their energy."
Jeong-soon covered her mouth and laughed while glancing at Seon-young. Seon-young also looked back at the men ahead, wondering if they would hear Jeong-soonâs words, and then said,
"Damn it, youâre saying all sorts of nonsense."
and laughed.
"Why would it be a problem? If you get married early, wouldnât you lose your energy?"
Jeong-soon whispered in Seon-youngâs ear.
"What kind of nonsense is that, you silly girl?"
Seon-young poked Jeong-soonâs side with her finger.
"By the way, did you see those two swimming before?"
"I didnât see them, but I heard they both play well."
"Then that Mr. Kim, is he also a swimmer?"
"Yes, he is a very good swimmer."
"Then he must not be married, right?"
Sun-young spoke as if she was casually asking, but she rubbed her face with a towel, worried that her face was turning red.
"That's right, he hasn't gotten married yet. So he is also in the process of choosing a bride."
Jeong-soon answered calmly and looked at Sun-young, asking.
"Why, do you want to date him?"
and smiled.
"Damn it, if youâre going to say that, at least do it well."
Sun-young's face flushed, wondering if Jeong-soon was saying this because he might know her feelings.
"You always say such things. Is it wrong to ask if you want to date? If you have someone in mind, I can set you up."
They say matchmaking can lead to three cups of alcohol if done well, and if not, three slaps to the face, but Iâll make sure to slap you."
Jeong-soon walked slowly, fidgeting to distance herself from the boys.
"I don't want to hear it, you should just get married already. At least let me enjoy some party rice cakes."
Even while saying this, Sun-young was quite happy inside. Whether Dae-cheol would eventually marry according to her wishes was a separate issue, but at least the fact that he wasn't married made her as happy as if she had survived after falling into the water the day before.