Though an indifferent response came, Seon-jong didn’t care in the slightest. He sucked his own coffee through the straw.
“About your wife.”
“……”
The fact that he could casually spit out the term “wife” was truly absurd. Jun-wan looked up at Seon-jong with a disgusted face. Seon-jong’s lips curling upward looked quite mischievous.
“Is he pretty in person too?”
“He’s a guy.”
“Who doesn’t know that? I’m asking if he really looks like that. From the photos, well…”
Seon-jong pressed down firmly on Jun-wan’s shoulder.
“Your married life doesn’t look like it’ll be bad.”
“Ha.”
“You have high standards. Where else in the world is there such a beauty? Does it matter that he’s a man?”
“……”
“It’s a bit of a shame the genes will go to waste but… who knows, maybe a world will come where men can get pregnant with medical advances.”
Jun-wan let out a scoff and rubbed his furrowed brow. Thinking he’d have to hear this kind of nonsense countless times going forward made rage flare up inside.
“Hyung.”
“Hm?”
“Get lost and go home already.”
Seon-jong quickly got down from the desk. He was someone who knew when to hit and run. As a rule, it was best not to mess with a pissed-off Park Jun-wan. Even for close friends, scary was scary.
“Guys, I’m leaving first. Work hard today too.”
“Get home safe!”
The research lab became quiet again. It was so quiet that even the sound of someone swallowing could be heard. Everyone secretly rolled their eyes. Though Jun-wan was just quietly biting his lips, he looked like a volcano crater about to erupt.
“Is everyone here? You’re all working hard from early morning.”
A professor with graying hair visited the research lab. The researchers all jumped up from their seats at once.
Greetings followed from here and there. Jun-wan also stood and bowed courteously.
“Yes, yes, good.”
The professor, who was moderately accepting greetings, smiled upon seeing Jun-wan. Though it looked benevolent at first glance, the researchers, from experience, received that smile anxiously.
“Jun-wan had his happy occasion well, didn’t he? You look quite tired though?”
“No, Professor. I’m fine.”
“Well then, shall we talk for a bit? You don’t have anything important this morning, right?”
Jun-wan didn’t even glance at the pile of documents stacked high. How could he refuse Professor Jeong’s order? In the research lab, the professor’s instructions were commands in themselves with absolute power.
He stepped forward immediately. The professor’s height only reached Jun-wan’s chest. To match his short-legged pace, Jun-wan’s walking speed was noticeably slower.
“It’s a wedding in name, but it must be quite disappointing not to go on a honeymoon.”
“Not particularly.”
“I’m also sorry I couldn’t attend my cherished student’s wedding. I thought you’d at least ask me to officiate.”
“I’m deeply ashamed.”
“As it happens, the university president also said he had something to say, so I arranged a meeting. I praised you so much that he seems quite curious about you. Let’s have some red bean tea and chat.”
“Yes, Professor.”
Jun-wan had a premonition. The topic of conversation would be his marriage story.
Fortunately, he swallowed his sigh inwardly, but his steps began to drag endlessly like a cow being led to slaughter.
While Jun-wan was being tormented by the professor, Yu-shin entered the newlywed home.
“Mm, nice.”
The newlywed home’s interior was clean without any clutter. He’d worried it might be overflowing with pink, but thankfully it wasn’t.
Actually, even if it had been papered with lace and pink, it probably wouldn’t have mattered. Yu-shin stood in front of the picture window overlooking the garden and stretched fully. The fact that he’d become independent felt newly real.
Though it was called 100 pyeong, the front yard was included so the actual square footage wasn’t that large. Unlike Jun-wan who’d lived alone in an officetel, Yu-shin had lived in a palatial main house, so he thought the two-story detached house was just right.
“Young master! Come here for a moment!”
Chief Manager Min called out loudly. Yu-shin lazily walked toward where the voice was coming from.
Chief Manager Min had barged into the hotel since morning to handle checkout for him and took care of Yu-shin, pushing him into the newlywed home. She was a naturally diligent person. Even now she was absorbed in filling someone else’s refrigerator.
“You should eat fruit when it’s fresh. The top shelf has side dishes, and everything below is all prepared dishes. You just need to heat them in the microwave.”
“Wow, at least I won’t starve to death.”
Yu-shin was genuinely impressed seeing the tightly packed containers. Each container had its own label. Even a restaurant wouldn’t do this much.
“You’re listening to me, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Can you do it?”
“I know how to use a microwave at least.”
Yu-shin smiled with his arm hooked on the wide-open refrigerator door. Chief Manager Min probably didn’t even know she was continuously sighing with so many worries.
“…Even doing all this, I feel like you won’t take care of yourself.”
Chief Manager Min looked up at Yu-shin while squatting. Kim Yu-shin was a young master through and through. Meaning he’d never once prepared his own meals. What good was it to fill it with seasonal fruits when he’d never used a paring knife?
“You absolutely cannot skip meals. If you really can’t do it, ask Park Jun-wan ssi.”
“As if he’d do it. Right?”
Chief Manager Min pouted her lower lip. That’s true. Park Jun-wan, whom she’d briefly seen at the wedding, looked like a very cold-hearted person.
“Still, you’re married now… you should help each other.”
Since they’d even held a wedding ceremony, whether they liked it or not, they were now married. Even Chief Manager Min, who’d stubbornly insisted they were housemates, now treated Park Jun-wan as Yu-shin’s spouse.
Yu-shin himself still found it difficult to accept the change. A new environment and new family—right now nothing felt real. He also considered relying on Park Jun-wan to be absurd.
“Park Jun-wan ssi is a busy person. I think he left early this morning too?”
Yu-shin pondered his memories carefully. Though he wasn’t certain since he was half-asleep, Jun-wan seemed to have gotten up at dawn to prepare to leave. Of course, Yu-shin was drunk on sleep and couldn’t see him off. He also left without leaving any greeting.
For people who’d shared one blanket, it was seriously bland. Well, it had only been one day, so how could there be any affection between us? Didn’t we just crash and sleep on our first night? Housemates is exactly right. Yu-shin smiled and closed the squeaking refrigerator door.
“Young master, no matter how much I think about it, I think I should be the one doing the housekeeping.”
“……”
“You’re so shy around strangers, how can you bring in a new person? How could you spend several hours in one house with someone you’re not even close to?”
Yu-shin let out a small sigh. Chief Manager Min knew him too well, that was the problem.
“…It’s not something I can decide alone. I’ll ask Park Jun-wan ssi.”
Chief Manager Min’s face brightened.
“What are Park Jun-wan ssi’s commuting hours? Researchers work five days a week, right?”
“How would I know?”
Yu-shin replied indifferently. As if it was familiar work, Chief Manager Min stuck close behind Yu-shin as he left the kitchen and chattered.
“Please talk to him properly. If he says it’s uncomfortable, I’ll skillfully avoid him so we don’t run into each other.”
It was already a statement as if she’d been confirmed as the housekeeper. Yu-shin shook his head and opened the living room window.
The garden was full of warm spring sunlight. The unique grass scent rose from the closely cropped lawn, and the one large arborvitae tree occupying the center of the garden served as a wonderful sight.
Chief Manager Min approached Yu-shin’s side as he stood still admiring the garden.
“You should call home once. Both of them probably didn’t sleep a wink yesterday.”
“Ae-gyeong ssi.”
Yu-shin slowly turned his head.
“Do you know the saying ‘a married daughter is an outsider’? I’m married now, so no news is good news, ow!”
Yu-shin got hit on one side of his butt. Chief Manager Min was never an easy opponent.
At her nagging to hurry up and make a call to check in, Yu-shin had no choice but to take out his phone. He opened the window and went out to the terrace to properly soak in the spring sunshine. Though it was still unfamiliar, the first impression of the newlywed home wasn’t bad.
***
Jun-wan didn’t get off work until after 10 PM.
The newlywed home was awkward for him as well. After finishing parking in the garage, the detached house he properly faced was burdensome beyond measure.
The moment he entered inside the front door, he ran into Yu-shin. Kim Yu-shin, who was munching on a banana this late at night, looked at Jun-wan’s face once and the wall clock once, evenly.
