Ch.216216. A Brief Respite After the Ceremony.

“Son, it was so wonderful to see.”

That was what my mother said to me after the pyebaek ceremony, the final event at the wedding hall. While waiting for Hwa Nabi who had gone to change clothes, I gave a dumbfounded response.

“Umm, yes?”

“What do you mean ‘yes’? My son, you’re now the head of a family. Are you going to walk around absentminded like that already?”

“…Ah, no. I should stay sharp.”

“Good, I’m glad you understand. But son, aren’t you two being too affectionate? Just now when mom was taking pictures of you both, you looked so good together. At this rate, you’ll have a second child soon.”

Mother tapped my shoulder while covering her mouth, speaking in a subtle tone. I contemplated whether to tell her the truth about what had just happened, but decided to keep quiet.

Sometimes it’s better not to know the truth, isn’t it? Unnecessarily explaining might just cause trouble. And honestly, it’s not that serious. I’m sure Hwa Nabi will pretend to give in if I just help her feel better.

“Son, did you get a good look at your bride in her wedding dress? My goodness, how can someone be so beautiful? I thought a celestial maiden had descended from heaven wearing her feathered robe.”

“Ah, yes. Well…”

“You know a celestial maiden can’t leave if she has three children, right? So son, handle this well. Just so you know, mom’s position is that the more grandchildren, the better. These days, having many children is considered patriotic, isn’t it?”

Is having many grandchildren a common wish for both mothers? But well, it’s not something I can do just because I want to.

It’s a sensitive matter that requires discussion, and even if we decide to have a child, it’s not something that happens immediately.

That’s why I’m not sure what the right answer is. To her comments made with a half-joking smile, I just awkwardly brushed back my hair, finding it difficult to respond.

“What, son? Don’t you want more children?”

“No, it’s not that. It just doesn’t seem like something I should decide alone.”

“Really? Your bride said she’d like one or two more. Didn’t you hear?”

“…Nabi said that?”

This was news to me. Just as I was about to ask for details, the door to the bridal waiting room creaked open. The person who appeared was, of course, my bride, Hwa Nabi.

“Siwoo, I’ve been waiting… Oh? Mother?”

“Yes, my dear. You must have had a hard time being mindful of the elders?”

“No, not at all. It’s something I should naturally do. And it wasn’t just difficult. I received well-wishes and money gifts, so I actually enjoyed it.”

“My goodness, the more I see you, the more precious you are! Come here, let me give you a hug.”

“Yes, Mother.”

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law embraced and gently patted each other’s backs. I was completely sidelined. It seems like my mother cares more for her daughter-in-law than her son. Does she like Hwa Nabi that much?

Well, being loved is definitely better than being disliked. I stepped back and silently watched the touching reunion between mother and daughter—no, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. The two exchanged well-wishes for quite some time before reluctantly separating.

“Oh, dear. What time is your flight today?”

“Seven o’clock. Considering check-in procedures, we should arrive about two hours early.”

“Oh my, then you should leave by four to have enough time? I shouldn’t keep you too long if you need to prepare. So, son?”

“Ah, yes.”

“Our dear is carrying precious cargo, so take good care of her. Don’t let her out of your sight, and if anything seems dangerous, protect her with your body if necessary. Understood?”

Is my safety secondary to your beloved daughter-in-law, Mother?

Well, I was planning to do that anyway, even without being told. But she was so insistent that I responded several times with affirmative nods. Seemingly reassured, Mother nodded and patted my arm.

“And son, though it’s late advice, take care of yourself too. If anyone tries to pick a fight, just ignore them. Don’t engage or things might escalate.”

“Yes, don’t worry. I’m not the type to get beaten up.”

“Child, who said anything about you getting beaten up? I’m not worried about you getting hit—I’m worried you might hit someone and cause trouble.”

“…”

Ah, so that’s the concern. To that, I truly had nothing to say. Embarrassed, I turned my head away, and caught Hwa Nabi looking at me with a suppressed smile.

“…Why are you laughing?”

“No reason. …Pfft. Nothing, ahem. It’s nothing.”

It definitely didn’t seem like nothing. I narrowed my eyes and stared at Hwa Nabi. Even though she knew I was watching her intently, she pretended not to notice and avoided my gaze.

“Anyway, if you want to make your flight, you should start getting ready. Son, are you stopping by your in-laws before leaving?”

“I was planning to, but they said not to come today since we’d be tired before the trip. Instead, they asked us to visit later with souvenirs after the trip.”

“Hmm, is that so? Well, that would be more comfortable for both them and you. Alright, you can visit your in-laws first, and come to our home later at your leisure. Jiwoo won’t be there right away anyway, and your father is out too. That would be better.”

“I heard from my brother, but where did father go?”

“He left right after your pyebaek ceremony to attend to business. Didn’t you hear?”

Ah, so that’s what happened. I wondered why only Mother remained. It seems all the men in our family except Mother went to handle company matters.

Well, they’re such busy people that I’m not particularly disappointed about not seeing them. For people who find even 24 hours in a day insufficient, keeping them longer would be inconsiderate. After all, the living expenses that Hwa Nabi and I use come from there, right?

Additionally, my brother arranged this entire honeymoon. Hotel reservations, destination selection, permission to use the private jet, and even handling the expenses afterward.

He took care of everything from trivial details to important matters. It would be unconscionable to complain about him leaving early. Really.

“Oh, was that the case? I should have at least seen his face before the photos.”

“You can see him anytime when you visit home. Those greetings can wait, so today just focus on yourselves. I should be going now too.”

“Ah, shall I drive you?”

“Child, am I an old lady? No need. My legs work fine. You focus on your bride, not your mother.”

Mother’s gaze shifted to Hwa Nabi. Hwa Nabi turned to look at me, and soon our eyes met in mid-air.

‘Did you hear? Your mother said you should pay attention to me.’

‘I’m already giving you plenty of attention.’

‘Then you should give me even more attention than now.’

‘What more do you want me to do here?’

We’re already together all the time, so giving more attention than this wouldn’t be consideration—it would be obsession. In fact, don’t we already look half-obsessed to others?

Without exaggeration, we spend more time together than apart. It’s natural since we live under the same roof, but still.

‘That’s for you to figure out.’

‘…You want me to figure it out myself?’

When she asks me to pay attention on my own, it leads to certain fantasies. Am I the strange one? But it doesn’t seem entirely my fault, as Hwa Nabi’s outfit is noticeably short.

Perhaps because of the warm weather, her skirt barely covers her thighs, and her top is a frilly t-shirt that’s almost sleeveless. As a result, her shoulder line and armpits are completely visible.

“…”

I almost found myself licking my lips before catching myself. How can I be like this already when we’ve only been teasing each other for a short while? Is my brain really located in my lower body?

While I secretly bit my tongue slightly, Mother said one more thing.

“Then I’ll take our family car home. Dear, be careful on your trip. If you meet any strange people, make sure to cling to your husband, okay? He takes after his father and has quite the strength.”

“Yes, I know. If anything happens, I’ll cling to him like a cicada.”

“Good. Might as well make use of that large frame. Mom’s really leaving now. Son, handle things well. Understood?”

“Ah, yes. I will.”

—Oh, and don’t forget to visit your grandfather’s house after your trip! He has something to tell you!

“Yes, I got it!”

Finally, Mother, who had repeated the same instructions several times, left. The once noisy corridor suddenly became quiet. The time was already one in the afternoon.

Soon it would be time for the next couple to arrive, so we needed to vacate the space. I turned to look at Hwa Nabi.

“Well… shall we get going now? Oh, you’ve finished talking with your friends, right?”

“Yes. I think I wrapped things up adequately. There are a few things I didn’t get to say, but I can do that later by phone or chat, so it’s fine.”

“Good. Then I’ll go change too. I need to return the clothes.”

“Ah, wait a moment, Siwoo!”

Just as I was about to enter the groom’s waiting room that served as a changing area, Hwa Nabi suddenly called out to me. Wondering what was up, I turned around to see her tugging slightly at my suit sleeve.

“This suit, I bought it, so you don’t need to return it. Put it in a shopping bag and bring it with you when you come out.”

“Oh, really?”

I thought it was rented, but when did she pay for it? Surprised by this new information, I looked at her as she added:

“Yes. So don’t forget to bring it, okay? You’ll need to pack it for our trip.”

“Do we need a suit there?”

“Yes, it’s for matching our dress code.”

Ah, dress code is important. If everyone else is in formal attire and you show up in casual clothes, you’ll at least get uncomfortable stares, and in severe cases, might even be denied entry.

“Okay, got it. I’ll pack it.”

-Click.

I opened the door and entered the groom’s waiting room. As I changed into the clothes I had stored in the locker and packed the suit into a shopping bag, something Hwa Nabi had said suddenly crossed my mind.

…Didn’t Hwa Nabi just say it was for matching dress code “with her”?

If it’s about matching a dress code for a venue, the subject should be the place. Why did she express it as matching “with her”?

“Is there an occasion where just the two of us need to match dress codes…?”

Pondering this sudden thought, I soon shook my head. It was probably just a slip of the tongue. Right? Now that the ceremony is over, what kind of event would require us to wear matching formal attire?

“…Well, it’s probably nothing.”