By Zephyria Due to his own unexpected marriage, Seo-woon was spending busier days than ever. If Yi-jin hadn’t taken the lead in wedding preparations, even this would have been difficult. Even though Yi-jin was doing all the practical preparation, why was it so hectic? In the mornings he worked, during the day he looked over materials Yi-jin sent whenever he had time, and in the evenings he met acquaintances to announce his marriage news. You can’t get married twice, Seo-woon thought sincerely.
He sent mobile wedding invitations to clients. Having met them professionally was good at times like this. No one questioned Seo-woon’s marriage news.
In contrast, his acquaintances’ reactions were explosive. This was thanks to Seo-woon showing up with wedding invitations without any process of confiding that he was seeing someone or that marriage talks were happening.
“You don’t mean…”
“Did some good news come up?”
Yes. No. We didn’t imprint and I’m not pregnant. Seo-woon repeated the same words like a parrot every time he met acquaintances. After doing this once or twice, just when he was getting sick of it, the end of the wedding invitation mission approached. For the first time, Seo-woon was grateful for his narrow social circle.
The last wedding invitations were for his university classmates. This was one of the few group gatherings that Seo-woon, who preferred one-on-one meetings, regularly attended. Since there were so many people, it was very difficult to arrange meetings. Nevertheless, quite a number of people attended, surprising Seo-woon.
“Were you seeing someone?”
“Didn’t you say you weren’t when we saw you last time?”
Right. This is it. It was the expected reaction. A sudden marriage, and Seo-woon was even an Omega. Even if they didn’t say it, they must have been quite curious. Seo-woon prepared the standard answer he was used to.
“Right. I haven’t been meeting them for long.”
“Oh, don’t tell me there’s good new…”
“We didn’t imprint and I’m not pregnant. We met through an arranged meeting, so things moved quickly.”
“You went on arranged dates?”
“Hey, speak up! I know someone who’s really nice among people I know.”
“You’re quick to say that. Okay, next question.”
It wasn’t just arranged dates – he was a dick of a marriage agency. By the way, he still hadn’t gotten his refund. It wasn’t really a story worth hiding, but he didn’t bother to add it. Not because he didn’t trust these people or disliked them, but because there was no need to. Since becoming a working adult, he had gotten used to appropriately packaging himself in front of others. Probably everyone did that.
“Me! Me!”
“Call. Please ask your question.”
“Is your partner an Alpha?”
“Yes.”
“As expected, Omegas marry Alphas.”
“Wow. This is my first Alpha-Omega wedding.”
“Interesting. Will there be many Alpha and Omega guests too?”
Alphas and Omegas were significantly fewer in number compared to Betas. Perhaps because of this, there was a vague curiosity toward beings with different traits. This was why the Beta friends’ unusual reactions weren’t very surprising.
“I first saw an Omega when I came to university. Jung Seo-woon is Omega number one for me.”
“Wow, what an honor. I wish you’d given me that honor in money.”
“I am giving you money – congratulatory money!”
“What are you saying? You’re stating the obvious. Don’t forget. I even went to your son’s first birthday party.”
“You’ve met Betas too.”
While they were exchanging trivial conversation, a classmate from far away threw out a question. Like all the other classmates except Seo-woon, he was also a Beta. Yes, Seo-woon nodded.
“Is it definitely better to meet an Alpha?”
“Well, yes. After all, we’re compatible.”
“How do you know that?”
“You know through pheromones.”
“Interesting. So if the other person is recessive, are they really not attractive? Which side are you? What about your husband?”
Oh, this is a bit of a sensitive issue. For a moment, his classmates watched Seo-woon’s expression.
Pheromones were the reason for the existence of Alphas and Omegas. It was also the most private and intimate area that could never be understood unless you were an Alpha or Omega. Compared to Alphas and Omegas he met in society, it was true that Seo-woon felt relatively comfortable with these people, so this rudeness was understandable to some extent. It was a rude question, but it didn’t feel that bad.
If Seo-woon had been a recessive Omega, or if Yi-jin had been a recessive Alpha, would he have been able to brush off his classmate’s comment so casually? Probably not. Regardless of what kind of people these were, he would have felt infinitely small under the gazes of classmates inwardly waiting for Seo-woon’s answer.
So it’s okay. We’re appropriately materialistic anyway. It seems like we weren’t like this when we were young, but at some point when we came to our senses, this is how we had become. Seo-woon replied nonchalantly.
“Why? Should I wear a necklace around? Are you that curious?”
“Huh? No…”
“Hey, hey. Stop it. It’s someone else’s husband anyway – what does it matter if he’s dominant or recessive?”
“Right. As long as they live well together.”
There was no need to step in further. The other classmates tactfully defused the situation on their own. Ha ha ha, awkward laughter continued for a moment.
At times like this, nothing beats alcohol. Seo-woon suggested drinks to everyone. There was no reason to refuse. Everyone unanimously and happily accepted their glasses. The atmosphere quickly livened up. At that moment, really out of nowhere, Seo-woon thought of Yi-jin.
He had said he didn’t like sex when not sober. Especially for a first relationship. When Seo-woon was offering wine to erase the awkward atmosphere, Yi-jin had said that to him. Thanks to that, their first experience had taken place completely sober.
It certainly wasn’t typical. Seo-woon had never seen anyone like Yi-jin.
“To celebrate Seo-woon’s marriage!”
“Love for classmates, love for country!”
*Clink!* The sound of glasses clinking was particularly cheerful. “This reminds me of our freshman days.” Someone’s comment became the catalyst, and nostalgic stories burst forth from all around. These were people who had shared the most brilliant period of their lives together. Sometimes that alone was enough reason to maintain their gatherings. Seo-woon also joyfully participated in the trip down memory lane. All while never revealing whether he and Yi-jin were dominant or recessive.
“So when is the wedding?”
He’d forgotten. How long had it been since they met, and he still hadn’t given out the invitations? Seo-woon belatedly handed out wedding invitations and cards with each person’s name written on them. The moment they opened the invitations, the quest truly began. Seo-woon prepared himself accordingly.
“Wow, a hotel?”
“Oh, Jung Seo-woon.”
“We get to try hotel course cuisine.”
He still didn’t know how to react at times like this. Seo-woon smiled awkwardly without much response.
“Ahn Yi-sun? I’ve heard that name a lot…”
“Isn’t Ahn Yi-sun the name of the XX chairman? That corporate leader who got kicked out before and came back.”
It was accurate. To define that long saga in one sentence, Seo-woon was secretly impressed. As expected, the final quest was on a different level.
“What does your husband do?”
“How is it? Do you get a feeling when you see the person you’re going to marry?”
“How long have you been seeing each other?”
“Tell us your love story. I’m totally curious.”
“Don’t you have photos?”
“How old is he? Did you say he was older than us?”
“Aren’t you going to introduce us to your husband?”
“Does he have a nickname?”
He’s the youngest son of XX Group working at XX Trading. His first impression… was intense, but I still don’t feel real about this marriage myself, so I’m not sure. We’ve met a total of three times so far, and since I’ve only seen him three times, there’s no love story. If I’ve only seen him three times, would I have photos? No. Come to think of it, he’s a year younger than me? I had forgotten, so thanks for reminding me. We’re not at that level yet, so I probably can’t introduce him. But you’ll be able to see him at the wedding. He’ll be there too. We haven’t even talked about it yet, so how would there be a nickname?
Is this even words or rice wine? Once again, Seo-woon decided to select the most harmless questions and create the most harmless answers. By glossing over things like this, it becomes an ambiguous state of neither having lied nor not lied. That was what Seo-woon intended. There was no need to reveal everything about himself to others.
“He’s a year younger than us. Works at XX Trading.”
“Oh, a younger man!”
“Jung Seo-woon has good taste, doesn’t he?”
That’s what I’m saying. I don’t know if it’s okay for things to be this good. He only said this to himself. Probably would continue to do so in the future.
“What? You’re pretending not to know when I asked about his nickname.”
“There is one, there is.”
“I’ll specially listen just for today. What is it? Tell us clearly.”
Just when he thought he’d get through this smoothly, they were nitpicking at a strange point. Still, if it was just a nickname, it was difficulty level low. “There isn’t one.” Seo-woon answered honestly.
“Wow, you’re hiding it, which makes me more curious.”
“Ah, what is it?”
Of course, no one believed him. There really isn’t one… Seo-woon hesitated for a moment, then remembered something.
“Jin…?”
It was a nickname. Not one Seo-woon used, but one Yi-jin’s family called him. Perhaps because it was more mundane than expected, his classmates quickly lost interest.
“What? Is he the genie of the lamp?”
“Does your husband look like a genie?”
“I’m curious. Don’t you have photos?”
“No. We didn’t even do wedding photos. Come and see.”
“What? You didn’t do wedding photos? Why?”
“We’re taking snaps on the day anyway. I don’t like taking photos.”
“True. That makes sense too. There’s so much to prepare for a wedding, you don’t need to do everything.”
“Exactly. I don’t know why there’s so much to do. I’ve already skipped a lot.”
“Oh, does your husband feel the same way?”
“Yeah. He said to do whatever I want.”
“Cool. He goes along with everything. He must be very understanding.”
Should that be called understanding? Well, I can’t say it isn’t, but somehow it’s a bit… After pondering briefly, Seo-woon finally nodded. Starting with this, specific questions about Yi-jin poured out. Seo-woon methodically carried out the quest. He selected appropriately harmless questions and gave harmless answers. One classmate who had been quietly listening prepared for the final boss battle.
“Ah, ‘I have to marry this person.'”
Even the setup wasn’t ordinary. It just had to be a friend currently working as an instructor at an essay academy. Seo-woon was inwardly tense.
“When, where, what, how, why! Describe how you decided to marry him!”
It finally came. The appearance of this question meant they were racing toward the end of the quest. Of course, the answer was predetermined this time too, but every time he received the question, he found himself chewing it over several times.
“Because he seems like someone whose outside and inside are the same.”
Whether Yi-jin was really that kind of person, he couldn’t know for certain, but at least the Yi-jin that Seo-woon had seen was like that. Even if there were sides he didn’t know about, it didn’t seem like he would deliberately hide things or lie. What could he know having only met three times, but such is life – you can date for 5 years and still get ghosted overnight. It was even after meeting the other person’s parents and receiving a formal proposal. If there was anything fortunate, it was that they hadn’t separately greeted Seo-woon’s family. Thinking about it again, his ancestors had helped him.
Ah, I still get pissed thinking about it. Even now, after quite some time had passed, he was still angry, but thanks to that he had learned a lesson. Things that are meant to happen, happen. The only thing he could trust was himself. So Seo-woon decided to just trust his instincts. Even if dating Yi-jin would be difficult, marriage seemed like it would be okay. That thought remained unchanged even now. If anything, he felt it more while preparing for marriage.
“Depending on the person, they might think he’s boring… Um, he seems sincere. He doesn’t say things that aren’t true and always keeps what he says he’ll do… Of course, being boring is a fact, but he’s funny in his own way. Because he’s so absurd.”
“Wow, Jung Seo-woon. You were pretending otherwise, but you’re already bragging about your husband?”
“Why not? He’s worth bragging about. He’s cool.”
“…Let’s talk about something else now. What should we talk about?”
“Look at Jung Seo-woon being shy.”
“You’ve already set the date, what are you being coy about?”
It wasn’t because he was embarrassed. It was because it felt uncomfortable. Because he wondered what gave him the right to evaluate someone else. Since they weren’t that close yet, it felt like he had been talking behind Yi-jin’s back. Seo-woon sipped his drink for no reason.
“Someone’s phone seems to be ringing. I can feel vibrations somewhere,” one classmate said, fumbling around on the table. Everyone looked around for their own phones. Seo-woon was one of them. When he looked down, his phone was ringing enthusiastically. Caller: Ahn Yi-jin. It was a call from Yi-jin. A call from Yi-jin at this hour – it was rare. No, it was practically the first time. Seo-woon recalled the last message he had sent to Yi-jin.
[I have an evening appointment, so I might be late checking emails. Please call if there’s anything urgent.]
Today’s agenda was formal wear. With the wedding not far away, it would be a disaster if there were problems with clothes. Seo-woon immediately answered the phone.
– “I’m sorry for calling suddenly at this late hour. Are you available to talk right now?”
Even paying clients don’t show this much courtesy. So did he dislike it? Not at all. Now this way was much more comfortable. He had clearly gotten very used to Yi-jin’s way of speaking.
“Yes, I’m available. What’s wrong?”
– “What do you mean, what’s wrong?”
“What are you talking about? Why are you asking me that?”
“Oh, looks like your husband called.” A classmate who confirmed the name on Seo-woon’s phone drew everyone’s attention. The surroundings became quiet in an instant. The staring gazes were quite burdensome. Unaware of this, Yi-jin was giving his usual briefing.
– “The reservation matters you mentioned during the day all went well. I’m calling now to apologize for causing disruption to our wedding preparations due to my personal oversight.”
“Apologize? What? What happened?”
– “I’m sorry, Seo-woon.”
“What is it? Don’t drag it out – tell me quickly.”
– “It’s my fault for not perfectly understanding mom cafes.”
Mom, what? Seo-woon briefly doubted his own ears. An unnecessarily serious and weighty voice calmly continued. The surroundings were still quiet. So he could hear even better. The sequence of events was as follows:
– “I found out while catching up on posts I’d missed. Apparently, occasions for distributing wedding invitations aren’t simply occasions for distributing wedding invitations.”
“Then?”
– “They’re also occasions for introducing your spouse to acquaintances in advance.”
Ah, right. That’s true. Many people actually do that. But why is this so serious? Seo-woon couldn’t understand this situation. Then suddenly, he realized. Had Yi-jin ever received a wedding invitation from a friend? If he never had?
Come to think of it, even after the wedding invitations came out, Yi-jin hadn’t arranged even one of those common dinner appointments. Although they didn’t contact each other every single day, whenever Seo-woon reached Yi-jin, he was always at the company.
A perfect workaholic. There’s no such thing as severe as this severe. In many ways it seemed unlikely, but if it was Yi-jin, there was a strong possibility. At least it seemed certain that he had no friends.
– “However, since it’s only mentioned on the free board, it doesn’t seem to be an official procedure. Oh, by the way, ‘free board’ is short for the free bulletin board.”
“I know that much too.”
Did he think I wouldn’t know? Seo-woon became a bit exasperated.
– “Ah, you knew that too. You’re amazing.”
“…There’s a lot to be amazed about. It’s not a big deal. It’s okay. You don’t have to greet people, and if you’re busy, naturally you might not be able to. Don’t worry about it. I didn’t do it either.”
Yi-jin had recently returned from another overseas business trip. At night he still had video conferences with overseas branches. Since their schedules didn’t match at all and they decided to each get their formal wear fitted separately, how busy must he be?
– “No. I should have at least asked you first…”
“I said it’s okay. We’ll see each other at the wedding venue anyway. We can greet everyone then.”
“Hey, we’re not okay at all!”
“Haven’t you left yet? Ah, we’re going to break our necks waiting.”
No! Don’t do that! You shouldn’t make such jokes carelessly! Classmates who caught on to the conversation content started teasing from all directions. Finding Seo-woon’s confusion amusing, they eventually began chanting a magic spell they shouldn’t have called out.
“Jini!”
“We miss you, Jini!”
When a name is called, it’s human nature to appear – that’s what Jini said.
– “I’m sorry, Seo-woon. I didn’t know you were waiting. I’ll come to where you are right now. I think I can be there in about 1 hour and 50 minutes.”
Finally, the fairy had been summoned.
Although he had never really been drunk, whatever alcohol buzz remained completely disappeared. Unlike his friends who were incredibly excited, Seo-woon had to tremble with anxiety alone. He might not have known before, but knowing about Yi-jin, he couldn’t relax.
Yi-jin was a time bomb. An independent time bomb equipped with artificial intelligence at that. He was incredibly good at work, but his social skills manifested in somewhat peculiar ways. Thinking of his family members who were planning cruise parties at the formal parent meeting, it was an output he couldn’t understand at all.
– “I’ll arrive in 32 minutes.”
The promised 32 minutes had already passed. Even while having good conversations, Seo-woon kept glancing at the entrance. Classmates who noticed this sent jeering voices.
“Hey, focus a bit. You must be dying to see him, right?”
“It’s not like that.”
“Customer, your soul isn’t here right now.”
“No, but it’s strange. It’s past the time he should have come…”
“Traffic must be backed up. It’s Friday.”
Today was Friday, and the meeting place was in Gangnam, crowded with people and cars. It wasn’t that he didn’t know this fact, but given who the other party was, he was concerned. That said, he didn’t feel like calling. He might be driving.
Of course, it was an excuse. The truth was they weren’t close enough to call comfortably. Although they were going to marry in just a few weeks, there was such a thing as emotional distance between people. This was also the area most lacking between the two of them.
“Seo-woon, you have a call…”
“Hello!”
Jung Seo-woon is no joke. He must be thrilled to death. His classmates openly whispered. Can you hear everything? Seo-woon focused on the call while feeling embarrassed. “Seo-woon,” a low, polite voice called his name. Fortunately, it seemed nothing had happened. Except that he was a little out of breath.
– I arrived 9 minutes late due to traffic. I’m sorry. I was driving, so I’m calling you now.
“Ah, traffic was backed up. It’s okay. It must be because it’s Friday.”
– That’s right. Friday is a good day for working overtime. It’s not just me. I’ve just parked and I’m coming up now.
What? There’s such a day? You said you worked at the American branch, but why do you have the most Korean mindset of anyone? There were many things he wanted to ask, but he didn’t bother. Right, well. That could happen too. He just let it pass. The person was too different from him to dare understand Yi-jin with his own perspective. With such people, you had no choice but to just accept them. This is what this person is like. There are people like this too.
“When you get off the elevator, turn left and it’s right there. We have a lot of people, so we’re at the innermost table…”
Before he could finish speaking, the entrance door opened. Even from afar, a tall, well-built man in a suit entered. As if he had run up the stairs, his broad chest was heaving up and down. The man looked at Seo-woon and walked straight toward him. Every time he took a deep breath, the chest area of his shirt stretched taut. Before they knew it, his classmates’ gazes were all directed toward one place.
The man who had stridden up to Seo-woon’s group loosened his tie a bit as if frustrated. Wow… Someone sighed quietly beside him. Seo-woon was staring blankly at Yi-jin. Yi-jin first apologized to Seo-woon.
“Sorry for being late.”
No. Thank you. Thank you. Seo-woon almost said that without realizing it. The alcohol he thought had worn off must still have been lingering. Coming to his senses belatedly, Seo-woon introduced Yi-jin to his classmates. Yi-jin bowed his head in greeting once again.
“Hello. I’m Ahn Yi-jin. Thank you for waiting.”
“Oh, wow… Not at all. Don’t mention it!”
“Nice to meet you, Jin!”
“Nice to meet you!”
*Clap clap clap!* Suddenly his classmates started applauding. Oh, I know this. I saw this at the family meeting too. Without understanding why, Seo-woon received applause along with Yi-jin. Yi-jin, who he thought would be most awkward in this situation, was quite naturally receiving people’s welcome. He looked like a chaebol family member attending a press conference.
When Yi-jin raised his hand, his classmates unconsciously stopped clapping. Seo-woon found this situation incredibly absurd. What is this? Scary… Having skillfully calmed the audience, Yi-jin proceeded to the next step.
“Then I’ll start with a simple self-introduction.”
I know this too. I think he did exactly the same thing at the family meeting. If left alone like this, he was ready to recite everything from his own traits to his family members’ traits, various educational backgrounds and career history. Like a troublemaker who had burst into a press conference, Seo-woon hurriedly stopped Yi-jin’s introduction.
“I already did that, so sit down first. Sit and do it.”
“Did you? Thank you for your consideration.”
“Wow, you two speak formally to each other.”
“First, have a drink! Hey, pull up a chair.”
“What? Wait, I think I saw our company’s vice president…”
“I saw an executive director…”
It was complete chaos. Even leaving a child by the water wouldn’t be like this. At least you could carry a child on your shoulders. Seo-woon struggled alone in the pandemonium. He seated Yi-jin and even defended against classmates who were trying to push drinks on him, saying they should bring tea instead because he was driving.
“He really takes care of him.”
“It looks good, hey!”
“You two suit each other well!”
You crazy bastards, stop it. Stop it! Seo-woon found this situation utterly unfair. The genie sitting next to him who should output when there’s input didn’t seem to feel that way.
“Thank you.”
How polite. His classmates each bowed in return. Even in their somewhat intoxicated state, they instinctively remembered their social manners. Somehow, Seo-woon felt a little sad. Everyone’s having a hard time. It’s not just me who finds it difficult to earn other people’s money.
“Jin!”
Cough. Seo-woon, who was drinking cold water, choked. The day of the family meeting came to mind like déjà vu. Did he hear? He couldn’t have heard, right? Seo-woon sincerely hoped Yi-jin hadn’t heard.
“I heard Jin is a year younger than us.”
“Whoa, a younger man!”
This is driving me crazy. Why are those crazy bastards so excited! Seo-woon just rolled his eyes around, watching Yi-jin’s reaction. Fortunately, there was no sign of displeasure.
“That’s right. I’m a year younger than Seo-woon. Are you the same age as Seo-woon?”
“Yes. We’re college classmates. This is also fate, so let’s be comfortable with each other. In society, a one-year age difference makes us friends!”
“What?!”
“That’s surprising! Why?”
When you think about it, it wasn’t a strange sight. The scene of wanting to get along comfortably with a friend’s spouse with the help of alcohol could be seen anywhere. Still, it was a bit much. Seo-woon didn’t even know what he was thinking.
“Yes. Please do so.”
“What?”
That’s surprising… Only the innocent classmates were startled by Seo-woon’s loud reaction. I was more surprised! Seo-woon was even more surprised because of Yi-jin, who nodded readily. Among all these people, only Yi-jin was unfazed. What on earth is he thinking? Does he really want to become close with my friends? Surprisingly, he even had that thought.
“But why haven’t you dropped the formality with Jin yet?”
“Doesn’t Jin have a nickname that Seo-woon calls him?”
High-difficulty questions he’d never experienced before poured out like bamboo shoots after rain. Let me get my head straight. If I let my guard down, it’s over. Seo-woon solemnly approached the quest.
“I haven’t dropped it because it wouldn’t be proper. There’s no nickname. Do you need one?”
His reaction speed was unnecessarily fast. The fortunate thing was that everyone except Seo-woon and Yi-jin was appropriately drunk. Seo-woon quickly moved to supplement before his classmates noticed the strange atmosphere.
“Ha, haha. We’ll create something like that gradually. We have plenty of time.”
“I see. I’ll keep that in mind.”
“You don’t need to keep it in mind… Everyone please be careful. As you can see, we’re still quite inexperienced.”
“What does inexperienced mean?”
“I’ll take questions all at once when we’re alone.”
Seo-woon whispered quietly enough for only Yi-jin beside him to hear. It was almost like ventriloquism. “Yes, understood.” Yi-jin also lowered his voice accordingly. Did he know why he was doing that? Probably not. Yi-jin was still incomprehensible. His manners, social skills, and awareness were all strange. The funny thing was that he wasn’t completely without them either. At this point, it seemed almost fair.
“But why did Jin become Jin?”
“Isn’t it because of his name? His name ends with ‘jin.'”
“Aw, what? That’s all?”
Yes. That’s all there is to it, but couldn’t you stop with that genie talk? Seo-woon very much wanted to hit himself from an hour ago.
“That’s right. They call me that after the last character of my name. My father likes naming people that way. But this is interesting.”
“Huh, your father?”
“What’s interesting?”
“How did you all know the name our family calls me?”
“Here!”
Seo-woon raised his hand high. The attention focused on Yi-jin was dispersed, however slightly. Seo-woon shouted loudly.
“Could you bring us some menus please!”
“Oh, Jung Seo-woon. Aren’t you overdoing it?”
“It gets bitter when the alcohol runs out. Ha, haha…”
It was a moment of crisis that only Seo-woon knew about. Seo-woon completely dispersed attention by passing the menus to his classmates. Come to think of it, had he eaten dinner? Seo-woon looked at Yi-jin belatedly. Their eyes met. Seo-woon belatedly found this situation unbearably awkward.
Yi-jin was the first to speak. Was it his imagination, or did he have a somewhat admiring expression?
“As expected of Seo-woon’s friends.”
“What do you mean?”
“There’s nothing you don’t know. I’m surprised you even know our family’s inside stories.”
Was he being serious? He briefly considered it, but there really wasn’t much to consider. That alpha didn’t make jokes. He had said so himself, and he actually never said things that weren’t true. Seo-woon hurriedly tried to clear things up before causing bigger misunderstandings.
“Actually, I was the one who talked about it. When they asked what Yi-jin’s nickname was, I thought of Jini… I’m sorry for saying it without asking.”
“Not at all. You don’t need to apologize. It’s true, after all. Conveying facts is important, so I understand.”
“…It’s not that serious though… Yes, well… Did you eat dinner?”
“Yes. I ate.”
“Ah, good. Well done.”
“……”
“What?”
Yi-jin suddenly fell silent. While the surroundings were noisy with additional orders, Yi-jin quietly looked at Seo-woon alone. Yi-jin was fundamentally someone with clear output based on input. This was the first time conversation had been cut off like this, and the first time he had unilaterally stared at Seo-woon during conversation. Of course, all of this was based on four meetings including today.
“Seo-woon. Is wine okay?”
“Uh, yeah. It’s fine. Did you all choose?”
“We chose a while ago.”
The classmates glanced at Yi-jin. “They really match well together.” “This is no joke.” “Are all Alpha-Omega couples like this?” As if the two were lost in their own world, everyone offered warm comments.
I wonder if those guys will be okay drinking more. Seo-woon had very realistic thoughts without any particular emotion, while Yi-jin bowed silently in gratitude. Several classmates inadvertently bowed their heads together. It was still quite a pitiful sight. Seo-woon quickly forgot his classmates’ praise.
“Wow, how many bottles is this now? Let’s split the drink bill. The food was delicious.”
“Thanks for taking care of…”
“I’ll take care of the bill, so don’t worry about it. I’ll leave my card and go. I’d be grateful if Seo-woon could keep the card until we meet again.”
Wow, cool! Mr. Fairy is so cool! No wonder he’s Jini! Jin from the lamp, An-Jini! The reaction was explosive. At this point, maybe he’s really doing it on purpose – the embarrassment was entirely Seo-woon’s burden. Seo-woon calmly stepped in to mediate with a face red from embarrassment. He didn’t have time to get drunk.
“I don’t know what the mom… cafe said, but you don’t have to do that. These are my friends and I’m the one who ate, so I’ll pay. Yi-jin didn’t even drink a glass of water here.”
“If I drink water, would it be okay to pay?”
“Of course! No, wait. It’s enough that you came out to this difficult situation. Thank you.”
“Not at all. If I had known so many people were waiting, I would have come faster. I apologize once again.”
“I keep saying it’s okay.”
“Seo-woon.”
“What?”
“Then did you also have your meal, Seo-woon?”
“Of course. I ate everything.”
“Well done.”
“…What for?”
“For eating everything. Well done.”
…So why is that? Unlike the confused Seo-woon, Yi-jin looked very proud.
“Come on! Jini should have a drink too!”
“He brought his car. He just came from work and has to go back.”
“Ah, really? Must be very busy.”
“Then how about just wetting your lips? Just one sip!”
“Say something that makes sense. He has to drive, didn’t you hear?”
“It’s certainly not an impossible story.”
What? What did you say? Surprised, Seo-woon turned to look at Yi-jin. Apparently he still didn’t know much about Yi-jin. Who would have thought that Yi-jin, whom he considered a living manual, would say such a thing. “Well, then first take a glass!” One classmate actively handed Yi-jin a new glass. Yi-jin, who received the wine glass without complaint, immediately put the glass down and asked casually.
“May I know the wine information?”
“This? What was it called? I didn’t order it… Hey, what wine was this?”
“The name isn’t important. What’s important is the alcohol content. The legal standard for drunk driving enforcement starts at 0.03% blood alcohol concentration, so for accurate calculation, I’ll first check the alcohol content of the wine you ordered.”
Yi-jin asking this somehow looked determined. For some reason, he was radiating solemnity from his whole body. There we go. In the end, he’s going to do something. Instead of being curious about Yi-jin’s behavior, Seo-woon calmly accepted this reality. It was actually a good thing. What’s meant to happen will happen – it actually put his mind at ease. Seo-woon finally found peace of mind. This happened 11 minutes before Yi-jin left.
“Just tell me based on 1 deciliter of blood.”
What did I just hear? Everyone’s shaking pupils were saying just that. I know, I know. I understand that feeling well. Now it was time to call the fairy back into his lamp. Seo-woon skillfully managed the situation.
“Just don’t drink it.”
“First, let me check the alcohol content…”
“Oh no, no, no! You can’t drink and drive!”
“That’s right! It would be terrible!”
“Here, give me that glass. Jini, just toast with water.”
“If you could just check the alcohol content…”
“Oh my, the glass might break. Give me the glass. Good, that’s right, well done.”
A classmate with a two-year-old child took care of the situation. This happened during Seo-woon and Yi-jin’s fourth meeting.
* * *
It would have been nice if they could have entered the wedding venue without any incidents, but reality wasn’t so easy. It had been a tight schedule for marriage from the beginning. It was even more so because it completely overlapped with the timing of a project Seo-woon was handling.
Thanks to that, Yi-jin did almost all the wedding preparations alone. Of course, wedding preparations weren’t all he did. He also worked, went on business trips, and worked overtime. Even so, he didn’t forget regular briefings for Seo-woon whenever he had time. Where can you find such a secretary? Honestly, he wanted to hire him a bit.
It was Yi-jin who didn’t want to delay the wedding, so it was right that he should take responsibility, but he was certainly sorry. Seo-woon lived with apologies in the beginning, but when Seo-woon apologized, Yi-jin would refute. They didn’t fight – he literally refuted. He would present 5 reasons why Seo-woon didn’t need to apologize. Ah, no. It might have been 4. I don’t know. Actually, I don’t remember well.
Given this situation, Seo-woon gradually distanced himself from wedding preparations. He rarely had occasions to feel real about his own marriage. Except for when he saw his own name on the wedding invitation, when he distributed invitations to acquaintances, and when he gave hanbok as gifts to his uncle and aunt, Seo-woon’s daily life was excessively normal. Even when he went to get fitted for formal wear, the situation wasn’t much different. It just felt like going to buy expensive custom clothes that I would never buy with my own money?
Instead, the world’s most important problem remained. Marriage is marriage, but my livelihood is more important right now. Seo-woon was busy. He was fucking busy making a living. While Yi-jin was preparing for the wedding, Seo-woon was wrestling with new clients. There was no time to be immersed in the romance of marriage or leisurely contemplation. Life is practice, damn it! The jokes floating around the internet weren’t someone else’s business. The first confirmation he’d received before the family meeting had long been scrapped at the third proposal.
I’ve felt this before, but we really don’t match. The new client’s contact person was someone who dearly loved indirect communication. If you don’t like something, shouldn’t you say you don’t like it? Ideally, they should also suggest the direction they want, but they often dismiss everything with just smiling emoticons.
[I think.. Seo-woon would know better..^^ You’re the designer~~]
[Please take care of it.. well~~^^]
[Seo-woon~ Not this kind of feeling..^^ More edgy… You know what I mean, right?^^]
If I knew that, I’d be a mind reader, not a designer. The project deadline was approaching, but revision requests still wouldn’t stop. Every time the messenger window flashed, the phone rang, or an alarm popped up saying new mail had arrived, he habitually became tense. While his pride was inevitably hurt, Seo-woon’s fingers and mouth were not.
[Contact person~~ Did you have a delicious meal~~? ^^]
[Sending you the revised version.. ^^]
The most maddening thing was that he had unconsciously picked up the contact person’s speech pattern. At some point, Seo-woon had contracted a disease where he couldn’t type messages without tildes and periods. It was shameful.
Still, there was some gain. He wasn’t particularly excited or especially happy about the approaching marriage, but he also wasn’t anxious or depressed about the future. More precisely, he didn’t have time to be depressed. The marriage blues that many people experience before marriage, even pre-wedding depression, had neatly bypassed Seo-woon. Seo-woon realized this fact one day when there were single digits left until the wedding date, at 3 AM while wrestling with an illustration window. In other words, reality hit him.
They say even dogs won’t eat the shit of designers tormented by revision requests, and that was exactly right. At this rate, he’d be running Photoshop and Illustrator even on his honeymoon, typing those fucking tildes and periods. Horrible. Seo-woon immediately erased this impure thought from his head. (At this moment, Seo-woon unconsciously pressed Ctrl+Z and cursed, thinking his work file had been deleted.) Obviously, but no matter what, he had to finish before the wedding. Though there were only a few days left anyway.
“Sorry. I just saw the message now. What’s wrong?”
Finally, when the days remaining until the wedding could be counted on one hand, Yi-jin contacted him. The official briefing had ended two days ago, so this was contact after two days. For Seo-woon, whose day and night were reversed, it wasn’t a particularly meaningful number.
– Not at all. I’m sorry for contacting you when you’re busy.
“What is it?”
It wasn’t intentional, but his tone was extremely cold. He was also slightly on edge, wondering if something had happened. More precisely, he had been in this state ever since the dawn when he had that reality check that wasn’t quite a reality check. Yi-jin must have felt it too.
– I have a question I’d like to ask you, Seo-woon.
“Yes. Go ahead.”
– Depending on the situation, it may vary, but it will take about 25 minutes. I’ll try not to exceed the time I mentioned. Is the timing okay?
What kind of question takes 25 minutes? Curiosity preceded irritation. He was waiting for the contact person’s confirmation anyway. “It’s fine. What is it?” Seo-woon answered while leaning back against the backrest. It wouldn’t be surprising if he suddenly got sucked into the monitor. He should pay attention to his posture. He was having such realistic thoughts when it happened.
– Thank you for allowing this. Please answer based on the last 50 days. Current time 5:33 PM, starting the inquiry now. Expected duration is about 25 minutes, with an expected end time of 5:58 PM.
It was an almost solemn voice. Seo-woon unconsciously straightened his posture. He didn’t know why, but it felt like he shouldn’t listen in too comfortable a position.
– Number 1.
Why is this so nerve-wracking? Seo-woon was inwardly tense.
– Do you have insomnia and wake up frequently during sleep?
“What?”
– You answered “yes.” Please rate the severity of the above symptoms on a 5-point scale.
He didn’t know what this was, but it felt like he shouldn’t answer jokingly. Before he knew it, Seo-woon was seriously considering his response. Maybe because his nerves had been on edge lately, he did wake up frequently during sleep. It didn’t seem like insomnia, but after staring at the monitor all day, when he turned off the lights to sleep, he had trouble falling asleep.
“Insomnia is 3 points, waking up frequently during sleep is also 3 points.”
– Thank you for your answer.
When in doubt, always go with 3 points! Tap tap tap- as soon as Seo-woon finished his answer, the sound of keyboard typing came from the other end of the phone. Without time to be puzzled, the next question immediately flew over.
– Number 2. Do you experience fatigue and lethargy?
“Yes.”
– On a 5-point scale…
“Both 5 points. Completely 5 points. Full 5 points.”
He seriously didn’t want to do anything. Self-improvement and all that – he wouldn’t take on new client work for a while.
Again, the sound of keyboard typing came. Seo-woon was quietly waiting for question number 3.
– Number 3. Do you experience self-criticism and guilt over trivial matters?
No way. How could that be. Absolutely fucking not. Originally, if things go well, it’s my fault; if they don’t, it’s someone else’s fault. He had seriously questioned his qualifications as a designer due to the constantly changing revision requests, but now only anger remained. Seo-woon answered as if venting his resentment.
“No!”
– This is the first “no” answer. Moving directly to number 4. Number 4, do you dislike going out and find it hard to focus on work?
After that, the barrage of questions continued. Even to these mysterious one-sided questions, Seo-woon was just earnest. Actually, when working, everything except work is fun.
Before he knew it, they had reached question 10. Only then did Seo-woon realize the identity of this bizarre questionnaire. He definitely hadn’t been in his right mind. Question 10 was as follows:
– “Do you feel resentful or hurt toward your fiancé?”
He thought it was a personality test, but it seemed to be a depression self-diagnosis checklist. Ah, he had missed the most important word. Not just depression, but ‘pre-wedding depression’ – in other words, a marriage blues checklist. Otherwise, why would that question come up here? Come to think of it, question 1 had been strange too. It was absurd.
– “Seo-woon? Can you hear me?”
“Yes. I can hear you well.”
– “You weren’t answering, so I thought you couldn’t hear the question.”
“I heard it clearly. You asked if I feel resentful or hurt toward my fiancé.”
It was decision time. Seo-woon currently had two possibilities.
The first was a high-level sarcasm tactic. You don’t help with wedding preparations but what keeps you so busy all the time? Are you the only one who works? I work too! Even if it’s hard, it’s harder for me, so don’t whine. The second was literally that Seo-woon was suffering from marriage blues, and the hypothesis that Yi-jin had prepared this checklist himself to accurately diagnose Seo-woon, who was showing marriage blues symptoms.
“Yi-jin.”
– “Yes. Please go ahead.”
“Where did you see this?”
– “…I’m not sure what you mean…”
“Mom cafe, right? That’s it, isn’t it?”
Without thinking, it was obviously the second option. Yi-jin wasn’t someone who would be sarcastic or speak indirectly. Seo-woon decided to trust the Yi-jin he had observed. Although they had only met four times in total, anyway.
Silence meant affirmation. He saw it, he did. He saw it on the mom cafe. Since he’s a man with clear input and output, he’s really easy to read. The fact that he only caught on after reaching question 10 was secretly damaging to his pride.
– “The original source is indeed the mom cafe, but since the verification isn’t clear, it’s not accurate data.”
“Oh, it’s inaccurate data?”
– “I-I’m sorry.”
This can’t be. Yi-jin stuttered. What’s this? This is interesting? It was the moment Seo-woon discovered a new hobby.
– “There wasn’t enough time to get professional help, so I proceeded arbitrarily.”
“You proceeded arbitrarily?”
– “I requested verification, but they only didn’t reply to my comment… Ah, ‘reply’ is a new word meaning a response to a comment.”
“I know that much too.”
I admit it. I got a bit annoyed. We’re only one year apart in age – did he think I wouldn’t know something like that? Let’s leave this here. Seo-woon turned his attention to new prey.
“What did you write in your comment? Did you write something like ‘please verify this’?”
– “Could you wait a moment? I’ll check my activity history and tell you accurately.”
No. You could just tell me roughly… Yi-jin was quiet for a moment, probably accessing the cafe. Finally, having checked his activity history, Yi-jin recited the comment he had written himself.
– “Hello. Thank you for the valuable material. I’m writing because the source of this material isn’t listed. Please clarify the exact source. Please indicate in the main text which specialist verified this.”
“…Did you really write that?”
– “There’s more. Also…”
“I can see why. So? Did you get ignored in the end?”
– “Yes, that’s right.”
“Oh my.”
He only said “oh my” but his face was already smiling. How absurd must the author have felt? They definitely thought he was crazy.
“Online is originally a bit different from offline. The culture is different. There’s a bit of a temperature difference.”
– “Yes, that seems to be the case.”
“Is this your first time in an online community?”
– “Yes, this is my first time.”
“You must have been quite surprised.”
– “…That’s right. I was a little surprised.”
“Aren’t those communities mainly about friendship? First of all, if your tone is too stiff, it creates discomfort.”
– “…Yes, that seems to be the case.”
Is it just his imagination? There was no strength in his voice. He seemed deflated. Seo-woon, noticing the machine malfunction, asked.
“Why? Did someone say something to you?”
– “……”
“Huh? Huh? They really did say something? What’s wrong? Did you get hate comments? Did they say why is your tone like that? Did they think you were a freaking robot?”
– “They didn’t say anything that harsh.”
Yi-jin, somewhat choked up, quickly protested. …People are kinder than I thought. Seo-woon kept his follow-up thoughts to himself.
– “…But they didn’t…”
“What? What is it? Tell me quickly. I’m getting dizzy.”
– “…I got reported.”
…Ah… Seo-woon sighed. There it is – as expected, there was no surprise. Seo-woon could understand the mom cafe members better than anyone.
– “I was accused of trolling comments… Ah, ‘trolling’ is an online term derived from the English word ‘aggro,’ meaning provocative and malicious content posted to attract people’s attention, or such behavior.”
Seo-woon was indeed in his 30s, but he was ‘still’ in his 30s. There was no way he wouldn’t know what trolling meant. Nevertheless, he had listened to Yi-jin’s explanation without saying anything because he didn’t know that ‘aggro’ was actually an English word. He just found out. Seo-woon pretended not to know his own ignorance faster than anyone.
“So what happened? Did you get banned?”
– “Banning is a severe penalty that only applies when you accumulate 3 warnings. I only have 1 warning, so it doesn’t apply.”
“One warning becomes two, two becomes three… Isn’t that how it goes?”
– “No. I won’t get it twice. There will be no second warning in my life.”
“I’m sure that’s right. Of course it would be. People who get banned, what, do they do it on purpose… Everyone’s first warning becomes a second, second becomes a third…”
– “No!”
Yi-jin cried out desperately. Giggle giggle, Seo-woon found this situation unbearably amusing. Just as he was about to seriously tease Yi-jin, forgetting his own situation, an unexpected ambush appeared.
– “One minute remaining.”
“What?”
– “The current time is 5:57 PM. One minute remains until the scheduled end time.”
Ah, yes. Go ahead. Seo-woon cooled down instantly. At the same time, he belatedly came to his senses. What on earth did I just do? He felt a bit embarrassed.
Right on cue, the messenger window at the bottom of his monitor blinked with alarms. It seemed like his contact person, with 3 minutes left until leaving work, was trying to give Seo-woon new work and leave just like that. Anyway, it was time to hang up the phone. He never dreamed that 25 minutes, which he thought would be long, would pass by in such an instant.
“Yi-jin.”
– “Yes.”
“Thank you.”
– “For what?”
“Isn’t it because I seemed different from usual?”
It was a bit of a stretch to call it usual, but it wasn’t important, so he decided to let it pass. If such things had been important, this marriage wouldn’t have been possible at all. Seo-woon had definitely gotten used to Yi-jin.
“Thank you for caring, and I’m sorry. I should have looked into it together, but I trusted only you, Yi-jin, and let go.”
– Do you trust me?
“What? What?”
– I asked if you trust me.
I correct myself. No. It wasn’t. He wasn’t completely used to it yet. I thought he was Jesus… Seo-woon answered.
“Should I answer on a 5-point scale?”
– I would be grateful if you would.
“It’s 3 points.”
Not because it was ambiguous, but because it was really 3 points that he said 3 points. They might look the same on the surface, but the meaning was different. “I see,” – he didn’t know how Yi-jin would take Seo-woon’s answer. Still, sincerity would get through someday. Though Seo-woon preferred concrete forms over abstract things, this time seemed like it would be okay.
Because there would be plenty of time ahead. The two were about to get married. D-1, finally tomorrow.