episode_0202

Although she is my future Mother-in-law, honestly, I don’t know much about Yuna’s mother.

I knew that she doesn’t appear in the media but is currently one of South Korea’s richest people due to her consecutive business successes.

Most of what I knew was that she didn’t spare financial support for her daughter, yet her attitude towards her daughter was very cold.

Because I usually didn’t specifically ask Yuna about her mother, I could only imagine her image in my mind.

And now.

The person who appeared, introducing herself as Yuna’s mother, had an appearance completely different from the future Mother-in-law I had imagined.

Neatly tied black hair and a spotless suit.

Other than that, she had a simple look, wearing no luxurious items, which didn’t fit the title of a tycoon.

Nevertheless, she was ordinary enough to shatter my perception of the wealthy, except for her outstanding beauty, befitting Yuna’s mother.

“Ah… I, it’s my first time meeting you. Mother-in-law-nim….”

“Yes. We should have met earlier, but we’re only meeting now.”

My first impression differed from my imagination, but her demeanor was indeed that of Yuna’s mother whom I knew.

A somewhat stiff expression and tone, showing the coolness of a businesswoman rather than human warmth.

Thanks to that, my nervousness grew, but I tried my best not to show it as I replied.

“I didn’t expect you to come since you said you were busy… Thank you very much for coming. Yuna will be happy too.”

“No matter how busy I am, I felt I should come to my daughter’s wedding. And there are some things I need to discuss with my future son-in-law.”

“Discuss…?”

“On my way here, it seemed no one else was coming, so shall we talk for a moment?”

Following her words, we moved away from the wedding hall entrance and headed towards the emergency stairs of the wedding venue building so we could talk alone.

It was surprising enough that someone I didn’t expect to come appeared, but what on earth did she want to talk about with me?

As I was fully tense.

My future Mother-in-law-nim opened her mouth first, looking down at the stairs leading to the lower floor, not at me.

“I don’t usually talk to Yuna often, but I’ve sometimes heard about Jihoon-ssi. She said you’re a really good person and she wants to spend her whole life with you.”

“Ah… Yes.”

“Jihoon-ssi, have you heard anything about me from Yuna?”

“…Honestly, I haven’t heard much about you, Mother-in-law-nim. But Yuna really likes you.”

“Since you’re marrying Yuna, you must have generally heard about our family’s circumstances, right? Like how I raised Yuna alone without a husband, or how the business I started with the money Yuna earned fortunately succeeded.”

“…Yes.”

The other person fell silent at my answer.

I was concerned, wondering if I had offended her.

After a brief silence, her voice was heard again.

“Jihoon-ssi, you also think I’m too cold for Yuna’s mother, don’t you?”

“No, you’re so busy, so I thought it might be because of that…”

As if she knew my true feelings without me having to try, the Mother-in-law said.

“The reason I ventured into business… was partly due to my ambition, but it was largely for Yuna. Even though Yuna had already earned a lot of money through her life as an entertainer, you never know what might happen in the world, do you? I thought that the more money there was, the more stable Yuna’s future would become.”

The other person’s gaze turned towards me, and soon our eyes met.

As I gave her an attentive look, the other person’s lips moved again.

“For a woman raising a child alone to dive into all sorts of businesses, she needed to become that much colder and tougher. There were many who looked down on me, saying things like, ‘She should just stay home and raise her child; why is a woman stepping out?’”

“….”

“As I fiercely endured in such an environment, I suddenly worried about Yuna. Could that delicate child really navigate this harsh world ahead? So I thought, Yuna also needed to become strong like me.”

“Ah….”

“That’s why I, as a mother, was cold to my daughter. I thought, if something were to happen to me and she were left alone, I needed to raise her to be independent and strong so she could overcome anything.”

The Mother-in-law-nim’s true feelings, which I couldn’t have known just by watching the mother and daughter from the side.

But what followed was even more unexpected for me.

“But at some point, I realized my thinking was wrong, and I still regret it now.”

“You regret it?”

“I suddenly realized. I was working for my daughter’s happiness, but she wasn’t happy because I wasn’t there for her. I truly regret distancing myself from my daughter all this time because of my foolish thoughts.”

So, did that mean the cold voice I heard when Yuna talked on the phone wasn’t her true intention?

“So, belatedly, I tried to be warm towards Yuna like before. But when I actually tried, it wasn’t easy. A cold demeanor had already become ingrained in me, and I was suddenly afraid Yuna might think badly of it. I was scared of hearing, ‘Are you trying to be a mother now?’ In the end, I’ve remained in this state until now.”

When I first met her, I never expected to hear such a story.

However, even if not perfectly, I felt I understood the Mother-in-law-nim’s feelings to some extent.

Wanting to correct things, even belatedly, but fearing the other person might point out past mistakes.

“I’m sorry. I brought up a heavy topic for someone about to have a happy event. I just… tried to make an excuse for why an old ajumma like me was so cold to her daughter.”

An apology that sounded almost like a soliloquy.

Soon, the Mother-in-law-nim checked the time and spoke.

“Ah. It seems I’ve kept you for too long. I’ll take my leave now, so have a good wedding, and let’s meet again if the opportunity arises.”

“What? You came all this way, and you’re leaving? If it’s not because you’re busy, you should stay and watch…”

“I originally came intending to watch the wedding, but wouldn’t Yuna be surprised if someone who said they wouldn’t come suddenly appeared? There’s no need to needlessly pour cold water [an idiom about dampening spirits] on a happy day; I should discreetly leave.”

If the Mother-in-law-nim came, Yuna would naturally be overjoyed, but how deep was her guilt towards her daughter that she couldn’t even realize such an obvious fact?

The sadness subtly appearing on her face was so regrettable that I felt I couldn’t let her leave like this.

“Mother-in-law-nim.”

“Yes. Something you want to say?”

“…The wedding. Please stay and watch until the end.”

===

“Alright, then, let’s begin the wedding ceremony of the groom, Han Jihoon, and the brides, Yiseo Kang, Park Yuna, Minah Kang, and An Chaerin!”

Finally.

With the opening declaration of the wedding by my friend, who was the emcee, the long-awaited wedding began.

Soon after, my friend’s voice asked the guests to welcome the groom with a big round of applause.

As soon as I heard those words, I clutched my pounding heart and moved my steps as calmly as possible.

Clap clap clap clap.

The sound of applause from around me reached my ears as I walked towards the platform.

A somewhat smaller number of attendees than a typical wedding scene.

Of course, there was no problem.

Because we had only invited the precious people whose sincere acknowledgment we desired.

I was confident that if only these people supported us, I wouldn’t care if everyone else in the world pointed fingers.

Yuna’s mother was also applauding from her seat.

She hadn’t been able to refuse my request to stay and watch until the end.

Her expression was still complex, as if she feared her daughter’s reaction, but I had no regrets about my decision.

“Next is the brides’ entrance. As there are many of them, the brides will enter together without being accompanied by their fathers. We ask for another big round of applause!”

Clap clap clap clap clap!

The applause was much louder than when I entered, but I felt nothing but pure joy, without any hint of sadness.

The brides entered harmoniously, each in a suitable dress, holding a bouquet, to the rhythm of the music.

Only after seeing that sight did the reality of getting married truly begin to sink in.

“Huh?”

While slowly entering, Yuna’s eyes widened as she looked somewhere.

Soon, she shouted loudly towards someone sitting there.

“Momma!”

With the brightest face in the world, she waved the bouquet in her hand and greeted her.

It was an unexpected action, rare at a typical wedding, but it didn’t matter at all.

After all, since our relationships weren’t ordinary, the wedding was also planned to deviate from traditional formats and be relaxed.

“Yu, Yuna….”

The mother’s expression, having received the greeting, was complex.

Since the daughter she hadn’t been able to be honest with was greeting her with a face full of happiness, not embarrassment, she couldn’t help but have many thoughts.

Perhaps that’s why.

I had a premonition that today’s event might be the turning point that would change the relationship between the two.

“Alright, next, since this is a wedding without a presider, instead of a wedding speech, the groom Han Jihoon’s great-uncle will give a congratulatory address.”

My great-uncle, who took care of me during my high school years, came up to the platform.

A grateful person who accepted me without the slightest hint of reluctance when I was left alone in the world due to my parents’ sudden accident.

That person, who wouldn’t be wrong to call my second father, recited the congratulatory address in a trembling voice.

“My dear Jihoon. My precious Jihoon, like my own son. You don’t know how happy your great-aunt and I were when we heard you were getting married.”

My chest tightened at his sincere words.

Even if there hadn’t been a reward from the Wiki creator, my great-uncle and great-aunt would have eventually supported my marriage, it just would have taken a little longer.

Tears welled up from overwhelming emotion, but I forced myself to hold them back, as I couldn’t let the wedding become a dark chapter in my history.

“Since you’ve chosen an unconventional marriage, your future might also be unconventional. However, I want you to know that as long as your decision was made with the noble emotion of love, your choice is merely unconventional, not wrong.”

“….”

“Perhaps the path you and the brides walk may be a thorny one. Those who fear the unfamiliar might throw stones. But don’t worry. I will take those stones for you and clear the thorns from the ground. I ask all those gathered here to always bless and help this couple so that their path may be a path of flowers.”

I barely held back the tears threatening to burst forth at the fact that there were people who believed in me until the very end.

Following my great-uncle’s congratulatory address, we proceeded with our marriage vows in front of those who had come to bless us.

Just as we received positive strength from their blessings, they too were receiving positive energy from us, who had chosen love beyond the walls of reality.

The happy aura spread across the faces of all the guests present was proof of this.

Thanks to this, the wedding reached its final stage in a bright atmosphere, and it was time for the exchange of gifts between the groom and brides.

A rectangular case, handed to me by my friend, the emcee.

When I opened it, the rings that were inside when I proposed to them were nestled there.

Personally, I wanted to get new rings, but the brides objected, saying there was no need to buy them again, so the proposal rings ended up serving as the wedding rings.

“Seo Noona.”

I took out Noona’s ring and stood before her.

Normally, she was shy about expressing her feelings honestly, but today, she wore a brighter smile than ever.

“Jihoon…. I’m so happy right now.”

“Me too, Noona.”

“I thought I’d spend my whole life just cursing men… but thanks to you, I could change. Thank you, Jihoon.”

“I’m even more grateful. Thank you for marrying me. Let’s be even happier than today from now on.”

I slipped the ring onto her fourth finger and lightly kissed her forehead.

The owner of the second ring I took out was Yuna.

Yuna’s face, too, was beaming with happiness.

“Getting married to Oppa and Mom coming too… Today is the best day of my life, Oppa.”

“I’ll make sure there are even more best days in the future.”

“It’s okay. Every day I’m with Oppa is the best day. Hehe.”

The ring was placed on Yuna’s finger.

After kissing her forehead, it was Minah-ssi’s turn.

Unlike the two before her, who were smiling brightly, her face was filled with shyness.

“Jihoon… I might be very lacking as a wife, but please take care of me from now on.”

“What are you saying? There’s no wife as good as Minah-ssi. I’m the one who will strive to be a good husband, so please take care of me.”

“Jihoon is truly the best husband.”

The third ring found its owner.

Minah-ssi was speechless, looking at the ring on her finger.

After kissing her forehead, I took out the last ring.

Chaerin was waiting with a pleased smile, fitting her usual calm image.

“We’re really getting married… When I first saw you, I just thought you were a perverted playboy.”

“Chaerin, I also thought you were a work-obsessed, stuck-up woman at first. Ah, is it still the same now?”

“What did you say?”

“I’m kidding. Now, you’re such a good woman that I can’t imagine not marrying you.”

“Joking even at a time like this… Still, since it’s a happy day, I’ll let it slide.”

The last ring was also placed on Chaerin’s fourth finger, where it belonged.

After not forgetting to kiss her forehead, my friend, the emcee, brought over the wedding rings prepared by the brides’ side.

Minah-ssi, as the eldest unnie, received it on behalf of everyone and, with everyone’s blessings, placed the ring on my finger.

Next, Chaerin’s father, my Father-in-law, read the declaration of marriage, and with that, all the formal procedures were complete, with only the photo shoot remaining.

“You in the red clothes over there. Please move a little further to the left!”

Everyone gathered in one place, preparing for the photoshoot according to the photographer’s instructions.

To think these people gathered to bless our love.

It’s a feeling difficult to describe in words, so I’ll borrow Yuna’s words from earlier.

Today is truly the best day of my life.

“Alright, we’re taking the photo! One, two—.”

But I don’t think today will be the best day of my life forever.

As I promised them, I need to strive to make every single day the best day.

Still, I want to preserve the feeling of today completely in a record.

Just before the photo shoot, perhaps thinking the same as me, the brides and guests alike wore bright smiles.

“Three!”

Click.

With the successful conclusion of the wedding, our happiness was captured in the photograph.