Fall quarter of 2011. A struggling UCI student dejectedly approaches the bulletin board after her genetics class. She sees a post for Trajectory Tutoring and e-mailed some seemingly smart Asian guy for an appointment. The process went smoothly and they were promptly set to meet the following week at the Courtyard Study Lounge.
Within 15 minutes of meeting each other, Ashley knew this young man was unlike any other tutors she’s had. Maybe it was his face, his voice, or his gestures. Whatever it was, he sparked a strong visceral feeling inside of her: annoyance.
“Who in their right mind would tease a student in distress!?” Ashley thought indignantly shortly after Jared nudged her a few times with his elbow in response to a poorly executed remark that she did not find funny. Surely she paid for a tutor, not a comedian. After their first session, she seriously contemplated other suitable options, but to her dismay, he was the only option.
[Clearly she had no sense of humor. - Jared's commentary]
Eventually, she passed the class and was excited that she would never have to put up with him again, that was until she had moved onto the next class in the sequence--molecular biology. Soon enough, she found herself composing a text message to him after many months of peace and quiet: "Hey, Jared! I don't know if you remember me, but..."
3 years passed, and their friendship progressively blossomed. Jared openly and confidently identified Ashley as a best friend. Ashley declined his one-sided promotion because her new title held little benefits. But whatever, he thought--nothing weird or complicated could ever get between them.
Ashley woke up one day and decided to change that.
Maybe it was his face, his voice, his gestures, or maybe he just wore her down over those three years. Whatever it was, thinking about Jared stirred a different kind of feeling in Ashley. Admiration? No-- this was attraction!
Unwilling to sit on these sudden, unexpected inklings, Ashley took a risk and bravely admitted her feelings to Jared... via text message. Jared immediately and definitively declined the notion that the feeling was mutual--in the nicest and most reassuring way possible, of course. Following a brief transition phase of residual awkwardness, their friendship was restored to its fullest form.
However, Ashley entered a season of unprecedented change. Her eyes brightened; her face radiated joy; her heart beamed with love like never before. Indeed, the love of Jesus was finally breaking through. Witnessing this happen firsthand, Jared could no longer deny that something was brewing in his heart as well. He sat her down one day and confessed his growing affection for her and asked if dating was still on the table. Fortunately for Jared, she grudgingly admitted that it was-- in the nicest and most reassuring way possible, of course.
After two good years together, Jared and Ashley parted amicably. Unbeknownst to them, their story wasn't over.
As newly single individuals, Jared and Ashley each grew tremendously in unexpected ways. Equipped with newfound professional, emotional, and spiritual maturity, they sensed themselves being drawn to each other again but prayerfully waited--though not for long. In what felt like several seasons, but in actuality was only about 2 months, it became clear that what they had was back and better than ever--and there to stay. By early July 2018, Jared initiated restarting the relationship, and the rest is history.
On May 18, 2019, Ashley arrived at Journey Evangelical Church with her good friends--most of whom were "coincidentally" in town that weekend. Ashley was led to believe that she had recruited them to test out a Super Mario mobile escape room for a startup company, but it was part of Jared's elaborate scheme all along.
Upon completing the final puzzle, Princess Peach popped out of a treasure chest, handing Jared a puzzle block box and Ashley a Mario plush. They were ushered through the doors to the fellowship hall, where Ashley turned the corner and was enthusiastically greeted by several dozen family and friends.
Then Jared got down on one knee and opened the puzzle block, revealing the dazzling ring. With a cheeky grin on his face, he asked, "Will you Mario me?"
It might have been the hilarity of the situation, or it could have been shock at the realization that all of her plans for the day ended up being part of a giant hoax. Whatever the reason, laughter was aplenty, but no tears were shed... except maybe Jared's mom's.
["What's with 'Jared's mom crying?' I did not!! ... Actually, I don't remember." - Jared's mom]
When California was under lockdown, Ashley and Jared reconsidered their wedding plans, unsure when would be the right time to get married. Meanwhile, Ashley faced the challenge of virtual classes over Zoom while Jared worked on the frontlines. Weeks passed without any signs of improvement with the pandemic, and that's when they had to rethink the idea of waiting out the pandemic to get married. After many prayers and challenging weeks apart from each other, they felt strongly that it was better to face the pandemic together. In less than two weeks with the collaboration of their families, Jared and Ashley pioneered the first Zoom wedding amongst their peers and got married at Jared's parents' backyard on April 25, 2020.
Turns out getting married was the right choice. Who would have thought the pandemic would persist for over 2 years!? After the wedding, Jared completed his Internal Medicine residency at LAC+USC and entered a season of 12-hour study days in preparation for his board exam while Ashley excelled in her role as Community Representative on her island in Animal Crossing. Jared completed his exam and started making a “real doctor” salary as a hospitalist at Kaiser Permanente in Downey, where he has happily (over)worked since. They accidentally bought a home in Whittier where they now reside (a story for another time) and started raising Douille ("Dewey") Wellington Wong, the cutest corgi ever.
…And that was just 2020!!
Throughout 2021, Jared continued working so he could delve further into investments while keeping up with Ashley’s accumulating student loan debt, which has thankfully been on hiatus from accruing interest until May 2022. Fortunately, Ashley survived her fieldwork, graduated magna cum laude from her occupational therapy program at Stanbridge University, passed her board exam, and is now eligible for gainful employment so Jared can buy more Bitcoin and take Ashley out for dinner dates at Sugarfish.
Jared’s current interests include online Bridge with his family, workout VODs at home, board game double dates, and naps with Dou after his night shifts. Ashley enjoys frequent trips to Disneyland, meticulous travel planning, finding the best escape rooms, and scheming clever new ways to spend Jared’s hard-earned money.