No matter how little interest Jun-wan had in luxury goods, he knew that luxury brand stores lined the first floor of department stores. Among them, he chose a store that specialized only in jewelry.
It was a high-end brand where a single ring cost tens of millions of won. For the Cheongseon Park Clan, which valued restraint as a virtue in their family tradition, this could be seen as quite unexpected behavior.
What can I do? The Hwaryeong Kim Clan’s pride has to be somewhat high. Although he didn’t place much meaning on a ring, he still wanted to properly observe formalities.
Jun-wan looked around the rings quite carefully. Since this situation wasn’t satisfying, his already expressionless face looked even colder.
“Do you prefer simple or flashy?”
“The simple side would be good.”
“Then how about this line? The design is simple, so many people choose it as couple rings too.”
The employee took out two pairs of rings from the display case. As she said, they had a clean form that seemed fine to wear every day.
But… isn’t this too plain?
I think something more flashy would suit Kim Yu-shin’s hands.
Jun-wan spoke while holding his forehead.
“Shouldn’t it at least have a diamond?”
“Of course. After all, it’s a wedding band. Then how about this? Solitaire rings are also popular for proposals.”
The employee additionally took out a ring with a large diamond set in the center. It definitely had a flashy taste. But….
It would be terrible if he scratched his face while wearing that.
The scene of the protruding jewel making a scratch on Kim Yu-shin’s cheek came to mind. A scratch on skin without a single blemish, just imagining it made Jun-wan frown.
“……”
“The diamond size can be changed.”
“I’d like it to be as small as possible. I want there to be no discomfort when wearing it.”
“Ah…, then how about something like this?”
After that, the employee made several more suggestions. The rings taken out were filling up the display case. When the number exceeded twenty, Jun-wan had already begun actively requesting what he wanted.
“Please fill all the empty spaces here with diamonds too. For the material, I’d like platinum please.”
Sweat appeared on the employee’s forehead. After she separately noted down Jun-wan’s requirements, she placed the pair of rings he chose side by side.
One was an appropriately simple design, and the other was a similar design, but an order was placed for the entire band to be densely set with 1mm melee diamonds.
“This will be a very special ring. The time is tight, but I think we can meet the date you requested.”
“Will it come out pretty? That’s what’s important.”
“Yes, of course. Especially the bride’s ring will look like a crown. She’ll be moved.”
“……”
Jun-wan was finally satisfied. Perhaps because of the warm lighting brightening the store, a little sweat also formed on his forehead.
“Usually there aren’t people who choose this meticulously… You must love the bride very much.”
“No, not really.”
Jun-wan completely erased the smile remaining on his face as if he had never smiled.
The employee froze in place and just blinked. She was speechless at the absurd response.
You pour this much care into someone you don’t even love? Hey, you just spent two hours with me picking out rings.
But she soon showed a brazen smile. What if it’s not love? It’s someone else’s business anyway. She just needed to increase sales.
The employee politely extended both hands to receive the credit card. With this customer’s special wedding ring, it was the moment today’s sales hit a peak in one shot.
***
Yu-shin’s days were generally similar. Meaning he rolled around a lot. Idling around without doing much, time also flowed more boringly and slowly than for others.
Today too, he only opened his eyes past 10 AM. Yu-shin stirred for a long while, deeply wrapped in cloud-like white blankets.
“…Mmm.”
Eventually he sat up. Yu-shin lowered both legs below the bed and bobbed his head like a sick chicken. Although the sun was already high in the sky, he couldn’t properly control his body like someone who had woken at dawn.
He barely pulled himself together and stood, taking slow steps. Approaching the nightstand, he naturally picked up a medicine bottle first.
There were over eight medicine bottles lined up in a row. Most were nutritional supplements, and scattered among them were medicine to take when the heartbeat was excessively fast, medicine for nausea, and emergency medicine for orthostatic hypotension.
Among them, Yu-shin took out a pill from a bottle without a label and took it. If nothing else, he had to take the autonomic nerve stabilizer every day. Having done this for ten years, his actions were natural even with his eyes nearly closed.
Knock knock.
Just then, a knocking sound was heard. Yu-shin couldn’t respond because he was drinking water. But it was obvious who it was.
As expected, Chief Manager Min opened the door and entered.
The knock was just like a habit. Chief Manager Min always came in to ventilate the room at this time. Whether Yu-shin was sleeping or not.
Even now she immediately opened the window wide. Beyond the window, warm sunlight and cool breeze rushed in together.
“Young master, the weather outside is amazing! Spring is spring indeed.”
“Mmm, right.”
Even after drinking cold water, his body drooped. Yu-shin leaned against the table and held his heavy head. It was always like this in the morning. Of course, it was a somewhat embarrassing time to call morning.
As if familiar with that sight, Chief Manager Min strode over and caressed Yu-shin’s forehead, cheeks, and nape. It was a delicate but tenacious touch, sensing something.
“You don’t have a fever. Are you dizzy?”
“No. I just woke up, that’s all.”
Even at the calm response, Chief Manager Min stubbornly took out the blood pressure monitor. Yu-shin sighed and sat down on a small stool. A simple blood pressure check ended. As expected, without even looking, it came out as low blood pressure.
“It would be good to rest comfortably today.”
“When have I not rested?”
At the blunt answer, Chief Manager Min, who was putting away the blood pressure monitor, stared at Yu-shin with obvious eyes.
“Young master.”
“Yeah.”
“Park Jun-wan should also know that young master’s health isn’t good.”
“Wasn’t that discussion already over? I think I said I didn’t want to.”
Yu-shin regarded his health condition as a complex. Since he had kept it secret for over ten years, he naturally intended to keep silent about it to Park Jun-wan too. Recently his health had improved and he rarely collapsed. When he was young he frequently fainted and had seizures, but now he had found medicine that suited him well, and as long as it was managed properly, a normal life like ordinary people was possible.
He fully understood his family’s worry and anxiety. But excessive concern sometimes makes people suffocate. This was also why Yu-shin wanted to escape the family’s fence.
Chief Manager Min was the same.
She, who had fed and raised Yu-shin since he was a nursing infant, treated Yu-shin almost like her own son. In terms of bonds alone, she was no less than his parents.
“Then at least take me with you. The madam doesn’t say it, but she’s very worried.”
“Ae-gyeong, do you want to live with newlyweds? How bold.”
“No, what couple! Just cohabitants!”
Chief Manager Min smacked Yu-shin’s thigh.
“I’m twenty-five. Please let me be independent! Am I a child?”
“You’ve only gotten older, but you don’t have any sense at all!”
Even after bickering like that, becoming fine was the two people’s relationship. Before he knew it, Chief Manager Min was organizing the disheveled bed sheets in Yu-shin’s place. The blanket fluttered.
“Do you even know how to do this, young master?”
“I’m going to lie down again at night anyway, why bother organizing it.”
“What about cleaning and laundry!”
“If I really can’t do it, I’ll call a helper.”
“You’ll take your medicine properly, right?”
At those words, Yu-shin responded with an eye smile. Chief Manager Min put down the blanket and covered her face with both hands. Soon she approached and hugged Yu-shin tightly.
“If that bastard makes life difficult for you, be sure to tell me.”
“Why does everyone call Park Jun-wan like that?”
That bastard, that son of a bitch, that Park guy. The titles became harsher day by day. They were treating someone they hadn’t even married yet like an unparalleled criminal.
“If he tries to do anything sinister, bite him.”
“Wow… you imagine that far?”
Yu-shin clicked his tongue. Then he just smiled blandly.
Everyone clearly doesn’t know much about Park Jun-wan. Of course, he himself didn’t know much about him either, but if they had at least conversed a few times, it would be hard to imagine things like him doing sinister things or making life difficult.
Park Jun-wan’s clean impression naturally came to mind. A man whose default was a cold and aloof attitude. Although they had only met twice, Park Jun-wan seemed to have not even a speck of interest in him.
