//seasons (1/1)

Jaebeom thinks he’s a star on top of the Christmas tree – bright, shining, and the focus of everyone’s attention – the first to be seen when someone comes in the house on Christmas night. Jinyoung thinks he himself is the air - someone who’s invisible. It was until they were introduced to each other on Christmas Eve. The star and the air think they are both just seasons in each other’s lives like the winter that will go once March or April comes. They greeted each other with the coldness as low as the negative six degrees outside the confinement of a home’s four walls.Jinyoung knows Jaebeom (or JB like what the others call him) from school. He was the star – a basketball player, smart student even though not straight A’s, but definitely the school’s pride. On the other hand, he was the air that no one notices. Jaebeom doesn’t even know him. And he was not shocked, not even a bit.“Where do you study Jaebeom-ah?” Jinyoung’s mother asked.“At Dochakchil High School, auntie,” Jaebeom replied as politely as he thinks he should.“Really? Jinyoung is schooling there too! How come you don’t know each other?” Both mothers were surprised to know that their sons, who were on the same year and also on the same school, don’t know each other. But then Jinyoung’s mother thinks about what her son was wearing to school and she thinks he knows already why Jaebeom doesn’t notice her son.“By any chance, are you popular in school?” Jinyoung’s mother asked Jaebeom wherein he blushed but nodded anyway.“Are you a basketball player? And the smart one?” she added.“I’m not really smart auntie,” Jaebeom answered timidly, but added, “and yes, auntie, I’m a basketball player. How do you know?” he asked back with a smile.“Ooooh, because – “ she was cut off when Jinyoung pushed a bread inside her mouth.“Mom’s logic. She thinks I’m wearing bad clothes that’s why I don’t stand out and only a basketball player with straight As won’t know me,” Jinyoung replied in his mother’s place, but not looking at any of the people on the table. Jinyoung’s mother looked at him and smirked. They went on eating with little to no stories anymore. Both families sat in front of the television in the living room after eating. Jinyoung got the cake they brought to the living room table while Jaebeom got the knife in their kitchen. Jinyoung followed as he get the saucers and forks. They were both silent on the way back and ate the strawberry cake quietly – contrasts to their parents who seemed like there was no end to their stories. When they were all done with their little treats, Jaebeom’s father cleared his throat while the other three parents nodded their heads as if they are giving permission to him to say anything.“Boys, aren’t you curious why our families are together this year’s Christmas when both of you turns eighteen?” he asked Jaebeom and Jinyoung. They both shook their heads and focused on the television again. Jaebeom’s father shook his head in disbelief.“Aren’t you?” he asked again.“No, dad.” “No, uncle.” Jaebeom and Jinyoung answered simultaneously, their heads still focused on the television show. The elder Im irritatedly pulled the television’s plug and the boys groaned in annoyance.“Dad!” “Uncle…” they said – Jaebeom yelling and Jinyoung complaining but not shouting.“So, we are here today because you, Jaebeom, and you, Jinyoung, are to get married,” Jaebeom’s dad said. It left Jaebeom and Jinyoung in silence for three seconds until they burst out laughing.“Dad stop joking,” Jaebeom said, his right hand on his stomach while he left his other hand on Jinyoung’s lap unconsciously.“I’m not joking. It will happen next spring. Everything’s settled by the way so you both have no choice but to say I do in the church,” he said and the two stopped laughing. Jinyoung asked for them to go home.“I need time to think,” Jinyoung said. They left Im’s residence not long after. Jaebeom treated his parents with silence. His parents explained their reason but he doesn’t care. His days at school were the same, but now he notices Jinyoung everywhere they bump into each other. And it became a constant event. Sometimes, he goes to Jinyoung’s homeroom just to look at him when it was lunch already and he can’t see Jinyoung anywhere. Jaebeom changed, and he knows it in himself. He just can’t understand why he does that. It’s not like he likes Jinyoung, doesn’t he?But whenever Jaebeom looks at Jinyoung in his room, smiling with his friends, he can’t help the fast beat of his heart. The placed look so bright with Jinyoung in there. He dressed differently now, with style and fashion Jaebeom would like to see in Jinyoung everyday. Maybe he likes Jinyoung now, but just a bit, just a little bit – not even a piece of nut.However, he realised it wasn’t just a bit when one day, he found him behind the school’s wall with another man trapping him with his two arms. At first Jaebeom thought Jinyoung was being bullied, but the man dove in to kiss Jinyoung which Jinyoung received with a smile. Jaebeom felt his heart crush and he walked home with a heavy burden inside it.“Mom, dad, I don’t think we can continue the wedding,” Jaebeom said during dinner. His parents were surprised because it was the first time Jaebeom mentioned it to them and he sounded disappointed.“Why?” his mother asked with pity in his voice.“Jinyoung  has a boyfriend mom. We can’t ruin his happiness,” Jaebeom said and his mother cannot help but feel sad for her son.“But, we can’t, Jaebeomie.  Everything’s already done,” his mother said and Jaebeom just nodded. He slept with a heavy heart that night.The next day, Jinyoung went to his homeroom. He talked to him about the wedding, the preparations and all but he cut him off.“Jinyoungah, are you sure about this? Do you want this?” Jaebeom asked.“What? Oh, yes. We cannot say no anyway,” Jinyoung answered with a genuine smile, but Jaebeom thought it was sarcastic so he just nodded and went silent.“Why? Aren’t you?” he asked Jaebeom back.“No…it’s just…don’t you have someone right now? Like a…boyfriend?” Jaebeom asked, his eyes not meeting Jinyoung’s.“Uh, I don’t know where you got that, but I don’t have a boyfriend. I won’t have even if I want to because I’ll have a husband which is you. And besides, I have someone in heart right now – just a crush,” Jinyoung replied.“Who?” Jaebeom asked, his eyes dark.“Just…someone. Don’t worry. He doesn’t even know, and he won’t even look at me before,” Jinyoung said smiling in the memory of his crush. Jaebeom just turned his head back from Jinyoung and walked back to his chair.Spring came, and it was time for their wedding. Jaebeom went to Jinyoung’s room, ignoring their parent’s protests that they cannot see each other before the wedding.“Just to let you know. I saw you months ago with a man behind school walls. He kissed you and you kissed him back. So if you still want to be with him – “ Jaebeom was cut off when Jinyoung kissed him on the lips. Both of them blushed.“What are you saying? That…that kiss I gave you was my first kiss. How could I have kissed somebody when it was you I actually like? Yes, I have a crush on you since forever and I dress so ugly you don’t even notice me. And how could I have kissed someone else when I’m going to be married to – “ this time, it was Jinyoung that was cut off with Jaebeom’s lips.“Me, yes. You’re going to be married to me. But, who was the man I saw then? Do you have a twin? You look so much alike,” Jaebeom said.“Maybe that’s my cousin. Soohyun hyung,” Jinyoung said and Jaebeom nodded.“Almost time kids! Jaebeom go to your position!” Jaebeom’s mother said when she barged in the room. All four of the parents were inside.“Mom, should we take a picture with everyone?” Jinyoung asked his mom, asking to take a picture with his soon-to-be husband’s family. Jinyoung’s mom nodded and called the photographer. They snapped photos together before Jaebeom’s father pulled his son to their place.“See you at the altar, Jirongie,” Jaebeom whispered, pecked his lips, and skipped happily to his place.“I didn’t know you two were…like that,” Jinyoung’s mom said. Jinyoung just shook his head, blushed and smiled.The wedding ceremony ended peacefully and happily. During the reception, Jinyoung’s parents went to them and gave them an envelope. Jinyoung opened it happily and saw inside the plane tickets to the Maldives Island.“Thank you Mom and Dad,” Jaebeom said to Jinyoung’s parents.“We want grandchildren when you get home, okay? See you!” they said. Jaebeom thinks Jinyoung is the seasons – the spring that blossoms in his heart, the summer that warms him, the fall that prepares him for the winter, and the winter that gives him the reason to look forward.Jinyoung thinks he is the air – invisible yet can be felt. He thinks Jaebeom is the star that will guide him and their family anywhere.