[That’s not what I meant either. It’s a relief if you’re both healthy. Thank you for calling.]
Thinking it was a routine courtesy call as usual, Suki Kim was about to end the conversation. But Liu still had something to say.
“I misspoke. I apologize. More importantly, I called today because I have something important to tell you.”
[…….]
“The necklace Father gave you for your 20th wedding anniversary, you still have it, don’t you?”
[Of course. Why the sudden question about that necklace….]
“Could you give it to me? No… to Yeehyeon?”
On their 20th wedding anniversary, Liu’s parents were legally divorced. But it was only a sham divorce, and their love was solid. To commemorate their love, Liu’s father had gifted Suki Kim a special diamond.
From the moment he made up his mind, Liu could think of nothing else but that diamond.
[Liu Wiekun, are you perhaps….]
Suki Kim’s voice was uncharacteristically agitated. A faint joy and excitement were conveyed through her.
Liu turned his head and looked at Yeehyeon, who was buried in the bed. The duvet, covered in a pristine white sheet, rose and fell subtly with Yeehyeon’s breath. Liu’s gaze lingered on that quiet movement for a long time.
He had only been waiting for Yeehyeon’s permission; the words had been ready within Liu for a long time. So there was no reason to hesitate.
“That’s right. I’m going to propose to him.”
■ ■ ■
Sunday, April 7th. Seoul.
The high for the day was 23 degrees Celsius, higher than the annual average. Humidity 42%. Chance of precipitation 0%.
The weather was perfect for outdoor activities.
Today, the garden of ‘Phantom’ was decorated differently than usual. First, plush outdoor sofa sets and large parasols casting ample shade were set up here and there, and a long table was laid out with simple teas and champagnes, along with attractive pastries and finger foods.
And an abundance of flowers, enough to fill the vicinity with their fragrance, lavishly adorned the garden. Jana roses with a pale pink hue, lavender, ranunculus, and eucalyptus. They were the same flowers Liu had chosen when he proposed to Yeehyeon at the Ritz in Paris.
Whether they were in season or not didn’t matter. Liu had emphasized to the wedding planner that the cost was no object, and to decorate generously with those specific flowers.
People who began to arrive one by one after lunchtime greeted each other warmly. They settled in small groups on the sofa sets placed around the garden, having a boisterous time reminiscing about memories related to today’s main characters.
They were all guests invited to Seo Yeehyeon and Liu Wiekun’s wedding.
There were only about twenty guests.
The wedding planner in charge of their ceremony, Javier, had stressed several times that it was truly the ‘smallest wedding’ among all the small weddings he had ever planned. Each time, he would add, ‘Though the cost is by no means small.’
The grooms did not want to make this wedding a social event. They wanted to get married surrounded by people who could genuinely congratulate them, people who genuinely cared for them. Once they decided on that, finalizing the guest list was a very simple matter.
Yeehyeon’s father, uncle, and aunt, and Liu’s parents were, of course, invited as top priorities. Marcus and Ellen, who were like family to Liu, their son Jonas, who grew up with Liu like a brother during his teenage years, and Jonas’s fiancée. Ben and Jun, the colleagues Yeehyeon was closest to from his time at ‘The Hands’. Baek Yunhi and Michelle. Lim Morae and Seo Yeehan from Bali. Besides them, Director Han, Choi Inwoo, Shushu, and Kwon Juhan were of course there as well.
Most of the guests had to travel to Seoul specifically for this wedding. Hong Kong, Boston, Paris, Bali…. The fewer than twenty guests resided in different cities, and Liu and Yeehyeon had arranged their plane tickets and accommodations.
They booked several rooms at a hotel in Gwanghwamun, not far from ‘Phantom,’ and arranged meals for them to interact with one another. They also prepared sightseeing tours for Marcus’s family and the colleagues from ‘The Hands’ who were visiting Korea for the first time. In the process, the guests were able to naturally grow closer.
Yeehyeon’s uncle and aunt found it difficult to take several days off due to their work. The two arrived in Seoul yesterday afternoon, the day before the wedding. But thanks to the wedding rehearsal held last night, they were able to mingle with the other guests today without awkwardness. Liu’s parents, in particular, took good care of them.
Right now, while the younger people were chatting a bit loudly, the four of them were engrossed in their own conversation in a quiet, cool shade in the inner part of the garden. Liu’s father, William, was mostly leading the conversation. He was an energetic, humorous, and sociable person who constantly made those around him laugh with his varied expressions and gestures. Thanks to him, Yeehyeon could feel at ease even while attending to other guests.
After Liu and Yeehyeon had promised to marry each other and announced it to those around them.
Liu’s parents had visited Korea to meet Yeehyeon’s family elders. Yeehyeon, who was in Paris, also returned to Korea temporarily for the formal meeting of the families, and after preparing various gifts, he and Liu first visited Donghae.
At the time, his uncle and aunt had been extremely worried even before the meeting.
‘They say it’s such an incredibly distinguished family… everyone in the neighborhood found out before we did and was making a fuss….’
‘I guess we can wear the clothes you bought us, Yeehyeon… but how are we supposed to act around such rich people? I don’t know if we’ll cause you to be disliked by your in-laws.’
Yeehyeon calmly tried to reassure them.
‘Uncle, Aunt, you’re polite people too. You can just be yourselves.’
‘I wonder if uneducated people like us can even hold a conversation with them….’
‘They aren’t the type of people to judge others by such standards. You’ll see when you meet them.’
Instead of a high-end restaurant with a private room, Liu’s home in Seoul became the venue for the meeting of the families. It was a choice made for a slightly more comfortable meeting, and it was effective.
Liu’s parents were just as nervous. Seeing that they were no different, Yeehyeon’s uncle and aunt seemed somewhat relieved.
As the meal progressed, the stiff atmosphere gradually loosened. Contrary to their worries, the conversation flowed endlessly. As one could guess from Liu’s Korean skills, his father William was also fluent in Korean, so there were no communication problems. Moreover, William and Suki Kim showed interest in the in-laws’ fishing business and the natural environment of the East Sea, steering the conversation in that direction.
During the fishing off-season last winter, Liu’s parents had also invited Yeehyeon’s family to Hong Kong. It was his uncle and aunt’s first-ever trip abroad.
Yeehyeon and Liu couldn’t join them at that time. They weren’t even invited, as it was meant to be the parents’ own time together. It was probably a thoughtful gesture from the elders, telling them not to worry. Just from the photos and videos his aunt showed him later, he could well imagine what a joyful time it must have been.
After this wedding, Liu’s parents were scheduled to visit Donghae. William was excited at the thought of going sea fishing on Yeehyeon’s uncle’s boat.
At last night’s rehearsal, he had this conversation with Yeehyeon.
‘Yeehyeon, have you ever eaten freshly caught fish as sashimi on a boat?’
‘Yes, I’ve experienced it once or twice.’
‘You tried it with your great-uncle-in-law?’
‘That’s right.’
William called Yeehyeon’s uncle ‘Keun-sadon’ (great-in-law). At the first family meeting, Will had suggested that since he was Yeehyeon’s great-uncle, the title ‘Keun-sadon’ would be appropriate, and the uncle and aunt had readily agreed.
‘When we go to Donghae this time, your great-uncle-in-law promised to take us on his boat. He said flounder is in season right now. Ah, what was flounder in Korean again? It’s similar to doraji… Do… Do….’
‘Dodari.’
‘Right, dodari! It’s still hard to remember the Korean names of fish I don’t eat often.’
Will said, blushing like a schoolboy. In moments like that, one could catch a glimpse of Liu in him.
‘Compared to my English skills, your Korean is already more than excellent, Father. I still get very nervous when I have to converse in English.’
At Yeehyeon’s words, Will made a face as if he had heard something preposterous. He even put down the glass he was drinking from and said seriously.
‘What are you talking about? Yeehyeon, you can speak both English and French. That’s truly amazing. I’ve tried to learn French a few times, but I still can only manage simple greetings. French, you see, the pronunciation is especially tricky.’
William, who finished his sentence with the tone of a complaining student, smiled fondly at Yeehyeon the next moment.
‘But Yeehyeon’s French is like listening to a poem by Alfred de Vigny.’
It was a compliment that literally made him not know where to put himself.
Leave a Reply