Chapter 3

　　“It looks so beautiful on you, Grandma!”

　　On a sunny weekend, Saebom sat on the wooden porch of the country house, clapping as she admired Yeongok, who was dressed in an elegant hanbok. The light pink, embroidered skirt suited her perfectly. Saebom just smiled bashfully as her grandmother scolded her for wasting money on buying instead of renting one.

　　“Why not? It’s pretty.”

　　Though she was a grown woman, Saebom had never bought her grandmother a proper set of clothes. She was determined that for her wedding, at least, Yeongok would have the very best.

　　Saebom wiped the tip of her nose as she gazed at her grandmother’s graceful figure. She hadn’t felt emotional while trying on her own wedding dress, but seeing Yeongok in her finery made her throat tighten. It was only now, in this moment, that the reality her marriage was approaching truly hit her.

　　She hid her reddening eyes and forced a bright smile.

　　“You can wear it again! For your 80th birthday party, and for your future great-grandchild’s first birthday. Okay?”

　　At her granddaughter’s playful words, Yeongok stroked the soft fabric of her skirt with her swollen hands.

　　“Your mother should have been here to see this.”

　　A shadow passed over her grandmother’s face as she thought of the daughter she had lost so young.

　　To comfort her, Saebom pointed to the clear blue sky above the eaves.

　　“She’s watching from up there. Mom and Dad, both of them.”

　　It was a shame they couldn’t be here, but she wasn’t sad. She had Yeongok. And she had Jihun. She thought of him, currently waylaid by the village elders for a bowl of rice wine, and met her grandmother’s eyes.

　　A question suddenly occurred to her.

　　“Grandma, why did you agree to let me marry Jihun?”

　　Her grandmother said nothing.

　　“You didn’t like him at first.”

　　She had been staunchly against it, warning that trouble always followed marriages between families from different worlds. Yet six months ago, when they had come seeking her blessing, she had accepted their decision without protest. Saebom tilted her head, recalling how strangely smooth it had all been.

　　“He started showing up nearly every week,” Yeongok said with a sigh. “I suppose he grew on me.”

　　“Huh? Who did? Jihun?”

　　“The fella’d come with bags and bags of things, telling me to try this and eat that. It was so annoying, honestly.”

　　“Jihun came all the way out here to see you?”

　　Saebom’s eyes widened. He had never mentioned it. Yeongok grumbled that his frequent visits had been a nuisance more than once.

　　“Since when?”

　　“Let’s see… it started last summer. So, a little less than a year, I suppose.”

　　“What? A year?”

　　She was stunned. He had been visiting her grandmother behind her back for an entire year. It explained a few things—how he’d known the wicker broom was in the back of the shed, or that her grandmother’s blood pressure medicine was on the vanity. As she thought of him making those secret trips for nearly a year, a lump formed in her throat. She wasn’t one to cry, but with the wedding so close, she found her eyes watering more often.

　　Just then, a wave of boisterous laughter came from the gate as it swung open. She turned to see Jihun being supported by two elderly men. Startled, Saebom shot to her feet and rushed over.

　　“Jihun!”

　　He was completely drunk. Seeing her worried face, the village head, who was propping him up, let out a hearty laugh.

　　“He gulped down everything we gave him.”

　　“Ah…”

　　“Let’s get him inside.”

　　With the help of the two men, she managed to get him into a room and lay him down. He was sound asleep. I’ve never seen him this drunk. She knelt beside him and gently brushed his disheveled hair from his forehead. After what her grandmother had told her, watching him sleep filled her with a strange, overwhelming affection.

　　Could there be another person in the world as lovely as him? Even if she were born again, she knew she would never find another man like this.

　　“Thank you for marrying me,” she whispered.

　　She leaned down to kiss his closed lips deeply.

* * *

　　The wedding was flawless. The white veil, the beautiful bouquet, the crowd of people celebrating with them. Listening to the gentle crash of waves outside the window, Saebom replayed the dreamlike ceremony in her mind. The man sleeping beside her was now her husband.

　　Husband. Saebom rolled the unfamiliar word around in her mouth, a blush creeping up her cheeks. It had only been four days, but it still felt strange. It would take some time to get used to. She lightly traced his smooth forehead and sleek nose with her finger.

　　“Jihun,” she whispered.

　　He showed no signs of waking, even though she’d been up for a while. Is he that tired? She let her fingers trail over his stubbly chin and his full lips. In response, he playfully nipped her hand, not hard enough to hurt, and a slow smile spread across his face.

　　“Yes, honey,” he murmured, his voice thick with sleep. “Want to shower together?”

　　While she was still awkward with the new term of endearment, he used it with effortless ease. A thrill went through her at his husky voice as he rubbed his face against her skin.

　　“No, that’s not it…”

　　“Then one more time?”

　　His hand, which had been stroking her hair, slid down to caress her collarbone and her chest. Memories of the previous night flooded her mind. Flustered by his boldness, she tried to push him away.

　　“No, it’s past noon, ngh, we should get up…”

　　But he ignored her protests, his lips finding the sensitive skin of her shoulder. His damp breath tickled her, and she squirmed, a shiver running through her. Against her will, his hand was already making its way south. She clutched the soft, cloud-like duvet, hating how her body responded to his every touch, even when her mind was saying no. Panicked, she thrashed like a fish caught in a net.

　　“Yesterday, mmh, we did… a lot. So, please, let’s just stop…”

　　“No,” he breathed against her ear.

　　The same one he’d tormented all night. No matter how much she resisted, he wouldn’t stop. He’s so unfair. She finally relented, her body arching into his touch as she took a sharp breath.

　　“It wasn’t enough for me.”

　　His fingers danced over her skin like a pianist, his soft lips stealing her senses. Finally, after he’d drained her of all energy once more, she swatted at his roaming hands.

　　“We came all the way to Hawaii for this? We haven’t done anything! For three whole days, all we’ve done is… that.”

　　“I came here for this,” he retorted, his lips curling into a playful smirk.

　　There he goes again.

　　She pushed him away, shaking her head firmly as he tried to lure her in with his smiling eyes. She refused to spend another day cooped up in the hotel.

　　“Not today. I am really going out today.”

　　She pressed her hand over his mouth to silence any protests and narrowed her eyes. Yesterday, his pleas to rest a little longer had kept her in bed the entire day. Picturing the cobalt-blue sea, she gave him a determined shove. “Let’s go swimming, eat something delicious, and take a walk.”

　　Today, she would do everything they had missed. With newfound resolve, she climbed out of bed, ready to seize the day.

* * *

　　They decided on a simple lunch on a bench overlooking the vast ocean. While eating banana pancakes and coconut shrimp from a food truck, Saebom tilted her head back to admire the towering palm trees. The unfamiliar air and exotic scenery made her heart flutter with excitement. She sipped her mango juice, her eyes following a young man as he walked by with a surfboard.

　　“Ahem. It wouldn’t do to have your eyes wandering on our honeymoon.”

　　Jihun’s sharp warning cut through her reverie. How did he know? She twirled the plastic straw in her cup and let out a small laugh.

　　“Who else would I be looking at?”

　　“I saw you. I saw your eyes following him.”

　　“I was just looking because it’s all so new. I can’t believe I’m really here with you.”

　　Nothing felt real—not being married to him, not being on the other side of the world. It was all like a dream.

　　As she basked in her happiness, Jihun lightly pinched the tip of her nose.

　　“Still, no. You only focus on me.”

　　“I already do, all the time.”

　　How could she possibly notice anyone else? She popped a piece of pancake into her mouth, swallowing a smile. Just then, she noticed Jihun’s gaze was fixed on a father and daughter playing nearby. Her eyes followed his to the man carrying a small child on his shoulders.

　　“What is it?” she asked.

　　“Just wondering what our child would be like.”

　　A child? Saebom, who had been mid-chew, widened her eyes. She hadn’t given it much thought. But now that he’d brought it up, she was suddenly curious. Listening to the child’s bright laughter, her lips curved into a smile.

　　“You’re right. I wonder, too.”

　　As she continued to watch the pair, Jihun licked a smear of maple syrup from his finger.

　　“I hope the baby looks like you. They’d be beautiful.”

　　“Really? I’d rather they look more like you.”

　　A boy or a girl, it didn’t matter; she would be ecstatic if their child was the spitting image of him. She pictured him walking along the beach, holding the hand of a three-year-old, and a happy smile bloomed on her face. It might be a distant future, but the thought that such a day would come made all the days ahead feel boundless with promise.

　　As she was lost in her daydreams, Jihun made an unexpected suggestion.

　　“Then shall we go?”