Ch.214214. You’re Already Bound

With the exit procession of Nabi and me, the main ceremony that lasted about thirty minutes came to an end. What followed was commemorative photos with relatives from both families and guests, the bouquet toss, and the pyebaek ceremony.

Perhaps because these were all less important than the main ceremony, I felt much lighter. It’s like looking at small peaks after crossing a big mountain. I doubt anything after this would be as nerve-wracking as the main ceremony.

Maybe there won’t be anything like this in the future? I think I finally understand why people describe weddings as a big mountain. Experiencing it firsthand is completely different from watching it from the guest seats.

My heart is still pounding even as I wait in the makeshift waiting room behind the ceremony hall. It’s been more than five minutes since the ceremony ended, but the enthusiastic cheers still seem to echo in my ears.

“Phew…”

Hmm, I need to calm down. It’s not like I’m alone—Hwa Nabi is right beside me, and I can’t show her an unseemly appearance. With that thought, I took a slow, deep breath to compose myself.

But at that moment.

“Siwoo. There’s flower petals in your hair.”

-Grab.

While I was off guard, a huge mountain peak… no, Hwa Nabi approached my left arm and linked her arm with mine. Not stopping at words, she reached out and carefully removed the flower petals stuck in my hair.

“…Yeah, thanks. You have something on your shoulder too.”

Thanks to that, a soft, squishy sensation enveloped my forearm, but this isn’t the first or second time I’ve experienced this. I’m well past the point of being flustered by such things.

Acting as if nothing was unusual, I naturally pulled my arm away and gently brushed off her shoulder. She glanced at her shoulder where my fingers had touched, then wrapped her hand around my left arm again and pulled it lightly.

“Heh, thank you. I really can’t do without my Siwoo.”

“…”

I appreciate the thanks, but why does she keep linking arms with me? I tried to pull my arm away again but couldn’t. This time, she held my arm even more firmly, making it impossible to free myself.

Could there be something bothering her? Is this some kind of silent protest? I checked her expression just in case, but that wasn’t it. If it really was, she wouldn’t be smiling so brightly.

No, it’s not that I dislike having our arms linked. Being close to my girlfriend—no, my wife now—feels good. Yes, it feels good, but I’m a bit uncomfortable because I don’t understand why she’s suddenly doing this.

Having surrendered my arm, I watched her cautiously and asked carefully.

“Um, Nabi.”

“Yes. What is it?”

“Why do you keep linking arms with me?”

“Oh, this? I’m not linking arms, I’m restraining you.”

“Restraining…?”

What is she talking about now? As I questioned with just my eyes, unable to understand, Hwa Nabi looked at me and smiled prettily.

It was a truly lovely smile, but that wasn’t an answer to my question…

“Did I do something wrong?”

“Wrong? Come on, what wrong could you have done, Siwoo? It’s not like that.”

If it’s not that, then there’s no reason to hold onto me. I quickly went over our recent conversation. There must be a reason why Hwa Nabi used the word “restraint.”

What could that reason be? After pondering briefly, it suddenly dawned on me.

Restraint, beautiful restraint. Hwa Nabi’s passing comment, “Siwoo, from now on you’re restrained by me.” Putting it all together…

“You’re not saying you’ll keep restraining me like this, are you?”

“Oh, correct. Siwoo, you’re quite perceptive.”

“I thought you said I was oblivious…”

I responded naturally, but I was actually surprised. When she said “restraint,” I thought she was just saying it, but was she really planning to stay attached to me the whole time?

Of course, I love Hwa Nabi, and she loves me too, but… isn’t this a bit excessive? Even if we love each other, being together twenty-four hours a day means there’s no time to relax comfortably.

Noticing the concern in my gaze, Hwa Nabi belatedly added:

“Of course, I don’t mean I’ll literally restrain you all the time. Staying attached like this is just until the honeymoon.”

“Hmm, until the honeymoon?”

“Yes. After the honeymoon, I’ll hold onto you a little less. Is that okay?”

Restraint limited to the period before the honeymoon ends. If that’s the case, it’s what I wanted too. Given the circumstances, we’ll have to be close during the trip anyway, and I’m happy to have an excuse for skinship without feeling self-conscious.

Since it’s come to this, should I just hold her now… I was about to say something like that but held back. No matter what, this isn’t right. A person should know restraint. If we both charge ahead like runaway trains, we won’t be able to brake later.

The brakes won’t be necessary when we’re truly alone, so until then, I’ll try to hold back.

“That should be fine, then.”

With that thought, I nodded as nonchalantly and indifferently as I could.

“…Heh, if you say so.”

…Unaware of what was soon to come.

*

After a brief rest and venue arrangement, the photo session with relatives and guests was also complete. Now all that remained was the pyebaek ceremony, which concludes the wedding, and some simple staged shots at the ceremony hall.

“Now, bride, please stand right next to the groom. A little closer, a little more. Ah, that’s it. I’m taking the shot now. One, two, three!”

-Click.

The camera flash went off. Under the detailed direction of the photography director, our affectionate image was captured in the photo.

The director carefully checked the result displayed on the camera screen, then looked up and clapped his hands.

“Wow, perfect. It came out beautifully. I don’t think we need to take any more shots at this rate.”

“Oh, really? Thank you. Thanks for your hard work.”

“It’s you two who did the hard work. And congratulations on your marriage. You two look really good together, like a perfect couple.”

The director approached the platform where we were standing and extended his hand. I took his hand and shook it lightly to express my gratitude.

“By the way, the photos will be delivered to you, but it will take about a week. I need to do some retouching and various embellishments, which takes quite a bit of effort.”

“Oh, a week? Is that how long it usually takes?”

“Well, it depends on the shooting schedule and backlog of work—sometimes it’s faster, sometimes slower. But regardless, I’m going to put my heart and soul into your photos, my fellow student. It might be a bit late, but don’t worry. The wait will be worth it; you won’t regret it when you see the results.”

The director laughed heartily and nodded his head.

Well, this director is someone I can trust and wait for. After all, he’s the one who made our previous wedding shoot look like a professional wedding pictorial.

Smiling back, I gave Hwa Nabi a subtle glance. Recognizing this was the time to express gratitude, she bowed her head to the director.

“Thank you for your attention to detail, Director.”

“It’s what professionals do. But you know, the more I look at you, the more beautiful you appear, Bride. You remind me of my daughter; I can’t help but smile.”

“Oh, really? Your daughter must be quite beautiful then.”

“It might sound like I’m bragging about my daughter, but yes, she is. She’s as beautiful as you. I think I showed you her picture before, didn’t I?”

“Ah, yes, that’s right. Your daughter who works as a model? Yes, she was very beautiful.”

“Haha, thank you. But as they say, clothes make the person—she’s not as stunning as you in your wedding dress. When I first saw you, I thought an angel had descended from heaven.”

The director and Hwa Nabi exchanged compliments and smiled at each other. Is this what professional lip service looks like? I inwardly marveled as I observed.

The atmosphere seems good, so there’s no need for me to interrupt. I’ll just wait for an appropriate moment to take her away.

With that thought, I was observing the situation when suddenly my phone, which I had put in my pocket, vibrated. Wondering who it was, I checked and saw it was a message from my brother.

Brother [Siwoo. Is the ceremony over? Sorry for leaving without saying anything. Something urgent came up, so Grandfather and I left early.]

Me [If it was urgent, what can you do. So, did you handle the urgent matter well?]

Brother [Yes. I’ve dealt with the urgent part, but there’s still more to discuss, so I don’t think I can come back. I’m really sorry. I’ll make it up to you double later.]

Me [It’s not like you owe me anything. It’s fine. But was it really that urgent?]

I understand if it was urgent, but I’m still curious about what was so important that he had to leave without even saying goodbye.

I stepped back slightly and continued checking the messages.

Brother [Yes. It was a bit urgent. I was meeting someone important.]

Me [Someone important, could it be the President?]

I meant it as a joke, but there’s no response.

…Could it really be true? A chill ran down my spine, and I unconsciously gulped.

-Ding.

Brother [Not the President, but slightly below that.]

Me [Then, the Prime Minister?]

Brother [It could be, or it might not be. It could just be someone with the same name?]

“…”

Is this a roundabout way of saying I’m right? My hand holding the phone unconsciously tightened.

This guy. I wondered where he disappeared to during the wedding, but who on earth is he meeting? Going to see the Prime Minister in person? It’s such an unreal statement that I was just staring blankly at the screen when another message arrived.

Brother [Oh, but there’s some good news. Siwoo, as a wedding gift, they’re going to propose an amendment soon. Your brother put in a lot of effort for this, you know?]

“What is he talking about now…”

Can the Prime Minister even propose amendments? I don’t know enough about politics to respond. But I don’t understand what law they’re amending as a gift to me.

If they’re amending a law as a gift to me, are they reducing the gift tax or something? Not understanding, I quickly replied.

Me [What are you talking about? Explain it so I can understand, brother.]

Brother [I can’t tell you the details because it’s confidential… but, well, I guess I can tell you this much. Hey, Siwoo?]

Me [Yeah, what?]

Brother [Um, try to have one more child before you graduate from university. It’s difficult, but you can do it, right?]

“…Have what?”

What has this guy been eating? I was so dumbfounded that I spoke out loud.

“Siwoo. What’s wrong?”

At that moment, coincidentally, Hwa Nabi approached me and asked. I hesitated whether to tell her honestly, but then decided to just share it. Let my brother-in-law face some scolding later.

“Yeah. I was just chatting with my brother… Want to see?”

“You were talking with your brother-in-law? Is it okay for me to see?”

“Sure, why not.”

Since I wasn’t talking nonsense, I showed her without hesitation. Taking the phone, Hwa Nabi began to slowly examine the chat history.

She tilted her head, seemingly unable to understand our conversation, but gradually her face turned red. Judging by her reaction, she had definitely seen the last message about having another child.

“See, I told you my brother is like this? He’s a good person, but sometimes he says such strange things…”

“—Ahem, um, Siwoo?”

“Huh, yes?”

“I think we need to have a second child quickly? If possible, right now.”

“…You’re still pregnant with our first.”

Hwa Nabi coolly ignored my complaint and grabbed my right wrist.

Then she pulled me, trying to take me somewhere, and in my surprise, I couldn’t even think to resist and was unilaterally dragged along by her.

“W-wait. Nabi. Where are we going now?”

“The wedding is over now. We need to go on our honeymoon right away!”

“No, we haven’t finished the pyebaek ceremony yet? Wait, you’re not really planning to—”

“…Geez, really. Why is a man being so reluctant? I’m in a hurry right now. So come quickly-!”