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Join the ServerAlthough there was a slight delay, the wedding photoshoot concluded successfully. We promptly changed our clothes, left the studio, and headed out for a late dinner. He had suggested a restaurant with a night view to lift our spirits, but after some deliberation, the menu I ultimately chose was bean sprout haejangguk.
“Thank goodness, this must be a popular spot.” We had simply walked into the first place we saw, yet despite the awkward hour, the restaurant was bustling with people.
“I suppose so,” he replied sullenly, following me to a seat. Unlike me, who was simply thrilled at the prospect of eating gukbap again after so long, his expression was far from pleased.
“Are you really okay with this?”
“Yes, I love haejangguk.”
“Well, if you like it…” His voice trailed off, and he pouted his lips. Anyone could tell he was sulking, but when I asked, he denied it.
When I reached out to comfort him, he immediately seized my hand. With a deep sigh, he finally relaxed his expression, suggesting we make the most of it and enjoy the meal.
“Here are your two haejangguk orders.” A staff member pushed a cart over, setting down side dishes and rustic earthenware pots on our table one by one.
“Thank you, ma’am.”
“Enjoy your meal.”
After the staff member left, I was the first to crack an egg into the steaming haejangguk. Watching me intently, he soon followed suit.
“I’ll enjoy the meal, Jung-ah.”
“Yes, eat plenty.”
Filled with anticipation, I took a spoonful of the broth, and as expected, it was incredibly delicious. A wave of emotion washed over me at the taste of proper gukbap after such a long time.
Ordinarily, I would never have been able to finish an entire bowl of rice, but the food was so exceptionally good that I scraped every last bit from the bottom.
Seeing my now-empty earthenware pot, he changed his mind, declaring that we should frequent this place more often.
“You finished yours too.”
“Yes, it was delicious.”
He pulled out a tissue, gently wiped my mouth, and then made preparations to leave, saying we were done eating.
Rubbing my bulging belly, I left the restaurant feeling content. After settling the bill, he followed closely behind me, practically pressing against my back.
“Want to feel my stomach?”
“No, it’s sticking out too much.”
“Just once, please?”
He leaned his cheek on my shoulder, acting cute. I was embarrassed and wanted to refuse, but seeing him like that, I couldn’t help but soften.
After all, what was so hard about letting him touch my stomach just once? After a moment’s thought, I nodded in agreement, and his large hand immediately grasped my belly.
“What? It’s not sticking out at all,” he said, disappointed, releasing my stomach from his kneading hands. To me, it felt quite prominent, but his standards seemed different from mine.
“You need to gain some weight, Hyung.”
“I’ve gained a lot of weight, actually.”
When I was an actor, I obsessively managed my diet to maintain my physique, but now that’s no longer necessary, so I’ve relaxed.
My days are now spent playing with Seo-woo, eating, and napping, so it’s impossible for me to be the same as before.
The only exercise I get is a bit of treadmill work, and perhaps swimming when the weather warms up.
Oh, and the s*x every night was also a form of exercise. It always left me utterly drained.
“What do you mean, gained weight? You’re still nothing but bones.”
Yet, he insisted I was still nothing but bones. Had his eyesight worsened from working so much? I made a mental note to take him to an ophthalmologist soon.
Or perhaps he was seeing me through a severe case of rose-tinted glasses, distorting my appearance. Between the two, the latter seemed far more likely.
“Just a moment.” He stared at me intently, his brow furrowing deeply. When I asked what was wrong, he grew serious, claiming I looked even thinner than before.
“Just wait here for a moment.”
“Where are you going…?”
Before I could even grab him, he turned and re-entered the restaurant. I had no idea why, but I waited.
A moment later, he emerged with five containers of packaged haejangguk in his hands.
“From now on, if there’s anything you want to eat, just tell me. I’ll buy you anything.”
Seeing the proud look on his face, I couldn’t bring myself to be angry, so I simply let out a hollow laugh.
Unaware of my inner turmoil, he, now in high spirits, gathered the packaged haejangguk in one hand and wrapped his other arm around my shoulder.
‘Looks like I’ll be eating haejangguk every morning.’ No matter how much I liked it, eating the same food daily was bound to get tiresome, so I doubted I’d crave haejangguk anytime soon.
****
“Seo-woo,” I called out the child’s name as soon as I opened the front door. Passing through the long corridor leading to the living room, we saw Seo-woo playing, who recognized us and giggled delightedly.
I rushed over, embracing the child and inhaling the sweet, powdery scent. Only then did it truly sink in that I was finally home.
As I was kissing Seo-woo’s soft cheek and playing, he silently approached and gently took Seo-woo from my arms.
“You must be tired; go shower first.”
“Just a little longer…”
“Hurry up.”
Whatever his urgency, he kept nudging my hesitant self towards the stairs.
I eventually had no choice but to go upstairs to the second floor, but my gaze remained fixed on Seo-woo, who was smiling brightly, oblivious to my reluctant heart.
‘I could have showered a little later.’ Even after entering the bathroom, my grumbling didn’t stop. Since things were this way, it seemed better to just finish showering quickly and then stick close to Seo-woo until bedtime.
‘Tomorrow will be busy too.’ There was less than a week left until the wedding. The silver lining was that there would be a brief respite after that, before Seo-woo’s first birthday.
I had considered going on a honeymoon during that time, but Seo-woo still struggled with being away from us for too long, so we decided to postpone it.
‘Should the three of us go somewhere nearby?’ Even if it wasn’t as grand as a honeymoon, going somewhere not too far and seeing the sea together wouldn’t be a bad idea.
The weather would be too chilly for water play, but Seo-woo would surely enjoy sitting on the sandy beach, building sandcastles, and collecting seashells.
‘I should ask him about it.’ The plan I’d formulated during my shower was perfect. Feeling proud, I stepped out, put on my pajamas, and opened the door, only to find the house strangely dim.
‘Did he turn off the lights?’ The switch for the second-floor hallway light was next to the stairs. Fortunately, even with the lights off, it wasn’t so dark that I couldn’t make out objects.
There was a faint light near the stairs, and as I followed it, something felt odd. The light was too reddish to be a fluorescent bulb, and it flickered erratically.
As if swaying in the wind.
‘What is it?’ With questions swirling in my mind, I headed towards the stairs. As the wall obstructing my view vanished, the scene before me was vastly different from just moments ago.
‘What is all this?’ A path made of candlelight led to the first floor, where hundreds of vibrant red roses bloomed below, creating a breathtakingly beautiful scene, as if I had stepped into a dream.
“Joon-hee Hyung.” Following the voice that called my name, I found you there. In the center of the flower garden, I slowly moved towards you, guided by your welcoming gesture.
I descended to the first floor and stood before you. Your eyes, holding a beautiful smile, curved as you looked at me. My heart thumped wildly, a flutter of emotion.
Only then did I realize. This was a proposal. A marriage proposal, right before the wedding — the order was truly topsy-turvy.
But then again, that was so us.
“When did you prepare all this?”
“Hmm, while you were showering, Hyung?” He shrugged lightly and took my hand. As we gazed at each other in silence, countless memories flashed through my mind.
The foolish past and the long separation, the miraculous second chance, and the two of us, reunited once more.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Probably the same thing as you, Hyung.”
He took a step closer, gently brushing my damp hair back. A wave of warmth spread wherever his touch lingered.
“I know we’ve come a long way, Hyung. But now, instead of regretting the past, I want to live looking forward to the time I’ll spend with you. You know, I can’t live without you, Hyung.”
Except for that one time you confessed while drunk, you had never wanted to tell me what those three years without me were like.
Even when I subtly probed, you’d try to dismiss it as ‘something from the past,’ but each time, the fleeting expression on your face looked incredibly pained.
“I’m already yours, and that fact will never change. But I’ve started wanting to give our relationship a slightly different name. A relationship where being by each other’s side is simply a given.”
Slowly, he knelt on one knee and pulled a small box from his pocket. My gaze followed, dropping to meet the ring nestled inside the box.
“So, Joon-hee Hyung, will you marry me?”
You tried to act calm, but I could see your hands trembling. I approached your nervous form and kissed you. To your wide eyes, I gave the answer that had been decided all along.
“Yes, let’s get married.”
Only then did you smile radiantly.
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