invitation
“honey, what are you doing back there? the boat’s here already!” wonwoo called out, squinting into the sun as he adjusted the bags in his arms. the dock shimmered under the afternoon light, the salt-heavy breeze tugging at his shirt as he balanced the boxes, floral arrangements, canned goods, and imported fabric, all carefully chosen in the city for sunoo’s wedding. it was a lot to carry, but he didn’t mind, it was for his son.
“coming!” sunoo yelled, his voice bright and winded.
he slipped the envelope into the mailbox with trembling fingers, the clink of the metal flap closing sounding louder than it should have. it would be picked up later today and delivered in two, or maybe three days and he hoped—no, he needed it to arrive as soon as possible.
he turned on his heel and sprinted toward the dock, his shoes clacking against the wooden boards as he caught up with his father just as he stepped onto the boat.
they both settled in, placing the supplies in the small cargo area and arranging things to prevent anything from sliding during the ride. other passengers climbed aboard, some locals, a tourist couple, someone with a dog. then the boat gently rocked as the engine hummed to life.
“what were you doing back there? you took longer than I expected” wonwoo asked him, glancing sideways as he tightened the strap on one of the bags.
sunoo hesitated only a beat “i was just dropping off the rest of the invitations, for jake’s other friends in the city” he added casually, forcing a lightness into his voice he didn’t quite feel. wonwoo nodded, satisfied with the answer turned his attention back to the bags.
“alright, just don’t forget anyone” sunoo smiled tightly and turned his gaze toward the sea. the sunlight reflected on the water like shattered glass, warm and dazzling. he let it hit his face, hoping it would ease the knot forming in his stomach.
they didn’t speak for the rest of the ride, as the ferry cut through the waves in rhythm while chatter surrounds them. sunoo tapped his fingers on his knee, restless and wonwoo as always, sat still, his silence not cold but consistent it's like something he had rehearsed for years.
they were opposites in nearly every way. wonwoo was quiet, observant, and composed while sunoo was vibrant and expressive, and full of emotions that danced across his face. but there were traces of wonwoo in him, his high cheekbones, the graceful stillness he carried when deep in thought, the quiet attentiveness in the way he observed people he loved, and then there were the parts that didn’t quite match his dad at all... his bright, open eyes, the kind that gave away everything he felt, and a warmth so effortless it felt like it came from someone else entirely.
an hour later, the boat docked at the island. jake was already waiting, waving from the shoreline, his sleeves rolled up and a grin on his face
“you two look like you bought half the city, what'd you get me?” jake laughed as he helped unload the bags.
“a headache” wonwoo muttered dryly though his tone held affection, sunoo giggled.
“don’t tempt me, mr. jeon” jake replied with a laugh. they have loaded everything into a cart, jake pushing it steadily up the rocky path toward the jeon's home. wonwoo had taken another route, saying something about dropping by jeonghan’s house on the way back.
once they were out of earshot, jake glanced at his fiance. “so... did you do it” he asked gently, and sunoo nodded, “yeah.” jake didn’t say anything right away, he just walked beside him, hands firm on the cart, the wheels creaking against the stone.
the silence stretched around them, not uncomfortable, just waiting.
“i needed to do it, even if it turns into nothing. i just... i’ve always felt like something was missing, you know?” sunoo said, his voice low. jake gave a small hum, nudging his shoulder with his. “you don’t have to explain it to me love, i get it.”
“i love daddy, you know that. he’s my whole world.” sunoo added quickly.
“i know, and you’re not trying to replace him, love. you’re just... looking for the rest of the story” jake said.
he stopped walking for a second, eyes on the ocean in the distance “what if I hurt him by doing this?”
“you might, my love” jake said honestly, but gently. “but you’re not doing it to hurt him, you’re doing it because you deserve to know where you came from. that’s not wrong.” sunoo looked at him, eyes soft, brimming with things he hadn’t said aloud until now.
“what if he comes? what if he is really my dad?” jake smiled, that calm, grounding smile he always gave when sunoo felt the world is too big “then, we’ll deal with it together whatever happens”
“thank you, for not freaking out” sunoo reached for jake’s hand, squeezing it tightly.
“i mean, i’m definitely freaking out,” he said with a grin “but I’m still here” sunoo chuckled and leaned into his side as they kept walking. behind them, the faint sound of waves breaking against the dock. ahead of them, a letter is on its way... and so is everything it might bring.
it was two days later when the letter arrived at mingyu's house.
mingyu was in the middle of wiping down the counters when it dropped through the slot.
he didn’t think much of it at first maybe just another bill or promotional flyer, maybe something from his landlord... but something about the envelope made him pause. it was handwritten, addressed to him, and with no return address. the postmark was from an island he hadn’t thought about in years.
he turned it over, heart thudding. then slowly, he opened it... it wasn’t long, just a few lines written in simple, neat handwriting.
Dear Mr. Kim,
I hope this letter finds you well. I’m getting married this summer, and I’d love for you to come to the island. I think... I think you might be my dad?
Sincerely, Sunoo Jeon.
mingyu sat down, he read it again, then again. the cloth in his hand slipped onto the floor, forgotten. it was like someone had opened a trapdoor beneath him and he was falling through time, through memories of warm summer nights, salt on skin, laughter that made his chest ache, and a boy with dark eyes who had stopped him in his tracks the first day they met.
wonwoo.
he hadn’t thought of wonwoo in years, or rather, he had tried not to, he had tried to fold those memories into something distant and manageable, something that wouldn’t hurt when touched. but here it was, a letter, a name.
sunoo jeon.
his hands shook; he should have stayed, he was supposed to stay.
he had returned to the island three weeks after he left, ready to stay for good. he had stood at the shore, suitcase in hand, sun in his eyes and someone had just told him that the one he came back for wasn’t alone anymore. that he had moved on, that he was with someone else already. he didn’t know who the man was, it was just that he spoke with certainty and smiled with something like pity when he said to mingyu that "you’re too late, mingyu-ssi" so mingyu turned around, board the boat, and left. convinced it was the right thing to do, convinced his presence would only make things worse, now that wonwoo had already settled with someone else, not him, like how they had planned it.
and now... this?
he read the letter again, more slowly this time.
sunoo jeon.
a summer wedding.
an invitation.