TYW Ch 3.1

There was no news from the man all weekend. Rieul found it increasingly difficult to hide her expression.

“Rieul-ah.”

Grandpa held Rieul’s backhand with his thin hand. Rieul turned quickly towards her grandfather. Grandpa smiled gently and casually.

“Ah, I’m sorry, Grandpa. I was daydreaming.”

“Why so gloomy all weekend?”

“It’s just, I feel very embarrassed—”

“Embarrassed about what? Rieul is smart and wise. I’ve never seen a child like you.”

“Grandpa, really, you praise me too much.”

“Woogeon likes you.”

Rieul blushed and lowered her head slightly.

Her grandfather often talked about Lee Woogeon, and although she didn’t hate or feel annoyed, it was clear that he cared a lot. Often, while saying, “That kid is bad,” he would instead tell good things about Woogeon.

“Because I feel like a very boring woman, to Lee Woogeon.”

“That kid is too much—”

“Grandpa, what kind of era is this.”

“Rieul, with your charm, he will surrender.”

Rieul chuckled. “Do I have charm?”

“If you’re beautiful and attractive, that’s charm. What is charm separate from that?” Grandpa said while lying in his wheelchair, closing his eyes.

At that moment, Rieul’s phone rang. When she saw the phone screen, it said ‘Lee Woogeon’. Grandpa kindly waved his hand, telling her to go.

Rieul answered the phone in the small study next to the master bedroom.

***

Rieul left her grandfather to the workers and hurriedly put on a thick cardigan, then left the house with quick steps. Lee Woogeon stood for a long time in the garden.

“Take it easy.”

Even though he said that, Rieul kept walking fast.

“Did you just arrive in Korea?”

It was almost 10 PM.

“Not going home?”

“Because I’m too lazy to greet my parents.”

“What’s wrong?”

At Rieul’s question, the man’s expression showed discomfort again. For some reason, that expression seemed to remain as he got older. Especially about Rieul, it was clear that he didn’t like anything related to her. Lee Woogeon was a man who didn’t do ambiguous things.

If he frowned, it meant he didn’t like it; if he smiled, it meant he was happy.

So, Rieul felt boring, having never met a man, never had sex, and was a man he didn’t like.

“What’s wrong? You’re about to be my wife. Did you know that our wedding will be held on Saturday?”

The statement about being a wife that came out of Lee Woogeon’s mouth sounded a bit strange to Rieul.

‘Is this marriage still valid?’

“I know.”

“Then?”

“Then what?”

The man frowned again and took out something. It was a large black shopping bag. On the bag was a camellia flower symbol, a designer brand logo.

“What’s this?”

“I bought some things. Don’t know if you’ll like them—”

“Don’t you like this brand?”

“I don’t really know what’s good from this brand.”

“Do you want me to exchange it for something else?”

“No, I don’t know what it is, but I’ll use it well.”

In an instant, a cool autumn night was created in silence. Rieul, while observing Woogeon’s expression, slowly opened her mouth.

“You’re angry, aren’t you? Lee Woogeon.”

“Me? Why should I be angry?”

The man looked confused, as if he didn’t understand what he had just heard.

“I’m a boring woman. I’ve lived 22 years in a very boring way.”

When Rieul said gloomily, the man let out a surprised and unrestrained laugh.

“Have you ever had time to meet a man?”

The man’s words made Rieul look at him. He sat with his butt on a large rock.

“I take care of myself enough, so I do a lot of useless things. But thinking about what you said, it seems you wouldn’t have time to relax and meet someone.”

“I have. I have many opportunities.”

“So, were they good people?”

Rieul briefly remembered the men who had asked her out. There were men who wanted to do strange things, but there were also those who were warm like Nick.

“Not bad.”

“All those firsts are for me, Yeon Rieul.”

“Are you okay with that?”

The man looked at Rieul with a serious face. Rieul felt awkward.

‘Of course, Lee Woogeon. I like you. This is the first time I’ve liked someone, and there’s no reason not to be okay with all those firsts being yours.’

“I’ll go back. We’ll meet again at the photo shoot—”

“There’s no reason not to want to.”

The man stood up, patting his clothes. Rieul then said.

“Thank goodness.”

The man smiled wryly.

“It seems, if it’s Lee Woogeon, no woman would refuse.”

The man looked at her for a long time. Then, he smiled and asked,

“Does Yeon Rieul include such women?”

Rieul was reluctant to answer. Because she didn’t want everything to be seen by the man.

Sometimes, she wanted to be a mysterious woman.

***

“Grandpa.”

“Hmm?”

“Something’s strange.”

Grandpa has been recovering a lot lately, and often takes walks in the garden that has reached the peak of autumn, with Rieul, even though the weather is a bit cold but feels warm.

“Something wrong?” Grandpa pulled his cane and asked.

“Lee Woogeon. He’s very thoughtful.”

Grandpa laughed heartily. “That kid?”

“He’s being considerate. So, not saying bad words, and being very careful.”

“That kid?” Grandpa looked genuinely surprised. Then, he straightened his hunched back.

“That’s right, Grandpa. He speaks very softly, and always adjusts everything well.” Rieul’s face turned red, and she started to sweat cold. “It’s a bit scary.”

Grandpa laughed widely. In the living room, the man’s mother, who was watching the two of them, looked confused.

***

At the photo shoot, the man tried his best to pay attention to Rieul. He didn’t make random physical contact, and like before, didn’t say provocative words. The man who used to be called a bad man was now polite and looked very gentlemanly.

Thursday night, two days before the wedding. The man asked Rieul to have dinner, so Rieul prepared herself and left the house. The man asked Rieul to come to Itaewon. On the way to the agreed-upon place, Rieul found out through the internet about Itaewon and found many reviews saying that the place was very friendly with a foreign atmosphere, with many foreigners.

She went to a homemade hamburger restaurant, and truly felt an atmosphere like in an American downtown. Rieul felt surprised after a long time.

“What if we can’t go on a honeymoon?”

“I’m fine.”

“Do you think, Yeon Rieul, nothing is not fine?” Lee Woogeon frowned again.

‘What exactly can satisfy this man?’

“Do I look like a woman who just obeys and is silent in front of you, Lee Woogeon?”

Rieul cut the hamburger and ate it with a fork, while she looked at the man who had recently looked softer.

‘Does the fact that I’ve never had sex before give him a shock?’

The man’s behavior, who no longer made lewd jokes or said harsh words, felt more mature, and it made Rieul feel fascinated.

“Yes, that’s what it looks like.”

“It seems this is an ordinary life for Lee Woogeon, so he doesn’t know anything—”

“What don’t I know?”

“Korea, especially Seoul, which is this safe, a place where women can go out even at midnight, has a very high level of security and is very peaceful. This is a peace that cannot be imagined in a refugee camp in America. In the refugee camp where I used to live, the sound of gunfire at night made a fuss. But here, in Seongbuk-dong, in Wooheonwon, it’s very quiet every night. The sound of night insects is very pleasant, and sometimes I even doubt if it’s really supposed to be this quiet.”

The man sitting next to Rieul turned his body slightly towards Rieul.

“If you open the door, the sound of autumn won’t be disturbed by any noise. Grandpa always smiles, and now there’s a very wise old man and Lee Woogeon who seems quite friendly.”

Woogeon chuckled.

“Do I seem friendly?”

“Because you don’t say bad words.”

Rieul opened her mouth a little wider and put a piece of hamburger in her mouth. She chewed slowly.

“What do you think was the most surprising thing when you first landed at Incheon International Airport? What surprised me the most was finding many Koreans who looked like me here. People who can speak Korean fluently, and who look like me, Koreans, are all here. How surprised I was. I no longer felt like a foreign Asian. For the first time in my life, I felt a sense of belonging. It felt like there were no glances that dismissed me wherever I went.”

“I live peacefully in Seoul, accepted as a Korean by Koreans. Do you, Lee Woogeon, consider this peace to be normal? Wooheonwon is heaven. So, are you really disappointed and sad just because we can’t go on a honeymoon? Just because we can’t honeymoon?” Rieul made an expression that showed it all didn’t make sense and shook her head.

“I wake up at 6 AM, work part-time all day, and come home at 10 PM, and I don’t have to sleep on a mattress with bed bugs or hear gunshots. I live in this safe country. If I’m a little sick, my parents worry, and my father is very considerate.”

“Like these days that feel full of blessings, I feel like I’ll be punished if I’m not grateful. So, for something as trivial as a honeymoon—”

“So, for you, Yeon Rieul, it’s just a matter of honeymoon?”

Rieul saw the disappointed expression on Woogeon’s face and felt a little confused, wondering if she had made a mistake.

“It’s indeed comfortable. Doesn’t Lee Woogeon like it?”

“Well, I’m glad because this is a very peaceful date.”

Was he intentionally saying it that way, or was Rieul too sensitive?

“Lee Woogeon—”

The man took a big bite of his hamburger, then wiped his lips with a tissue while looking at Rieul in surprise. Rieul smiled thinly. The man’s brow remained unfurrowed, as usual. Rieul raised her hand and wiped the remaining ketchup off the man’s lips.

“Like a child.”

The man muttered, “You’re really driving me crazy.”

“Why?”

“When you act so innocent like this.”

Rieul waited patiently, looking at the man’s face as if he wanted to continue.

“I’ve known you for about three weeks.”

“Three weeks already?”

“I haven’t hugged a woman for three weeks.”

Rieul blushed at the statement.

The man gulped down his cocktail quickly, while Rieul sipped her drink through a straw.

***

After leaving the hamburger restaurant that felt very local, they headed to the man’s car. Lee Woogeon unlocked the car and opened the front passenger door.

“Where are we going?”

Rieul asked, and the man looked at her in surprise.

“Home.”

“Home?”

The man frowned, as if asking what Rieul was thinking.

“To Seongbuk-dong, Wooheonwon. Aren’t you supposed to take me home?”

Rieul got into the front passenger seat with a disappointed expression. The man closed the door and walked around the bumper to sit in the driver’s seat. With his long right leg, he got into the car, as if bowing, stepped on the brake, and turned on the engine.

“Then, can’t we meet until the wedding day?”

“Two more days. What are you doing tomorrow?”

“Working, what else?”

Lee Woogeon replied in a tone as if questioning how many questions Rieul had. He drove the car out of the parking lot and onto the highway.

“But, isn’t your house near here?”

The man didn’t answer, continuing to drive.

“I want to go to your house, may I?”

“I can’t.”

“Why?”

“I don’t want to.”

With the words “I don’t want to,” Rieul’s heart felt pierced with a nail.

“How many women have been there?”

Rieul said softly, as if mumbling.

“I don’t bring women home.”

Although it was hard to believe, Lee Woogeon said it, and since he was a man who acted according to what he said, Rieul decided to believe him.

“After the wedding.”

The man cut off his sentence, and Rieul looked into his eyes, which seemed full of thought.

“Let’s come to my house for dinner.”

Rieul felt like smiling involuntarily. It seemed Lee Woogeon was trying to be considerate of her.

“But—”

“Just say it.”

“Is it okay to live with parents? Won’t it bother Grandpa?”

“It’s no problem at all. Michael, he’s very kind, even more than family, and always takes care of us when we’re in trouble. I don’t want to be away from Michael.”

“That Michael…” The man mumbled.

“I’ll keep calling your name. Soon you’ll be my husband.”

“Alright. Yes, Lee Woogeon.” The atmosphere in the car was like reaching an emotional climax, like a soprano aria.

***

“Not coming in?”

The man stopped the car in front of the Wooheonwon house.

“I’m too lazy to greet my parents. Too troublesome.”

The man’s expression looked tired.

“In that case, I’ll go in. Thank you for the ride.”

The man leaned back in the driver’s seat, his eyes looking empty.

“Lee Woogeon…? Your expression doesn’t look good—”

“Because I’m tired.”

“Then sleep.”

The man looked at Rieul.

“Do you want to sleep in my room?”

“Do you think sleep will come just like that?”

“Ah, maybe not? In that case, please go.”

Rieul quickly opened the passenger seat door and got out. The man also got out of the driver’s seat at the same time.

“Go in.”

“I’ll go in. Until the wedding day.”

“L-Lee Woogeon.” Rieul stopped the man who was about to return to the driver’s seat with her words. “Thank you very much.”

The man slowly looked at Rieul and sighed. His eyes momentarily stared blankly ahead.

“Don’t you like being seen by parents and want to go to my house?”

Rieul was confused, not knowing what to answer, only able to look at the man with a little surprise. “Don’t worry, I won’t bother you.”

Those words made Rieul’s face turn red. “If you don’t like it, it’s okay.”

“It’s actually okay.”

“Alright, Lee Woogeon.”

As soon as Rieul got back into Woogeon’s car, Woogeon immediately called his grandfather. Grandpa’s voice came from the car’s speaker.

“Rieul is staying out tonight.”

—Is Rieul next to you?

Rieul moved her body a little closer to the speaker.

“This is Rieul, Grandpa.”

—Oh, I see. Woogeon bought you good food, right?

“Yes, we ate handmade burgers in Itaewon.”

—Itaewon is nice, right?

“Yes, very fun.”

—Woogeon.

“Yes, Grandpa?”

—A man should often buy good food.

Rieul smiled awkwardly. Grandpa laughed heartily on the other end of the phone.

—Don’t worry about me, enjoy your time with Woogeon.

Rieul could only be silent and watch the phone be hung up by her grandfather.

“Rieul.”

“Yes?”

“May I hold your hand?”

Rieul was surprised. “Please say that again. What do you want to hear?”

“Alright, Lee Woogeon.”

Rieul’s heart felt like it was about to burst out of her chest.

‘Does everything feel good when someone we like says things like this?’ The world seemed to belong only to them. All attention and feelings were concentrated on Rieul’s left hand. As soon as the man held Rieul’s hand without hesitation, a sensation pierced Rieul’s shoulder and made the back of her head feel strange and cold.

“Is this the first time you’ve held a man’s hand?”

“It’s not like that.”

Woogeon frowned.

“Then, it feels a bit unpleasant.”

“Lee Woogeon has done everything. Whatever it is, the first woman for me is only Rieul—

“

The man looked at Rieul while driving.

“Because of that, I’m also careful. Even holding your hand.”

All of Rieul’s senses and feelings were gathered in her hand. The man drove skillfully with one hand.

“But, Lee Woogeon “

“Yes, say it.”

“Usually, when I go to someone’s house, Grandma always tells me to bring a small gift. So, I don’t think it’s right if we just go like this.”

Woogeon chuckled, as if he didn’t care much. His long arm, holding the steering wheel, stretched out a little.

“Am I someone else? I’m your future husband.”

“Even so.”

“It’s not the first time, right?”

“I was confused that time, so I didn’t know it was your house “

“It’s okay. Things like that don’t need to be thought about too much.”

While speaking, the man gently squeezed Rieul’s hand, like holding a child’s hand. The touch made Rieul’s heart almost explode.

This man is too skilled, and it’s a bit painful for her pride.

***