This chapter is rated M
Eun Soo thought about the wedding many times after she had arrived. She knew that Choi Young wanted to do something special for her to atone for the fact that their marriage circumstances were so unorthodox.
After her initial reaction, he had a hunch that she was not as OK about everything as she showed. Knowing her well, an independent woman with a strong will and opinion about everything, her quietly agreeing and delegating to him was suspicious.
He approached the topic a few times, trying to gage when and how she wanted to have an official ceremony. Imja, the queen was wondering about your plans. The guys said they would take care of all the arrangements. Imja, my aunt volunteered to help with preparations. He would throw a few phrases here and there, but she managed to evade any direct answers.
The general was at a loss. Ever since he got this marriage approval he was dreaming of the day they would get married. He would have liked to have a simple ceremony to proudly announce to the world that she was his wife, that he was a lucky man. He wanted people to pay respects to his wife and to gather good wishes for children, health and fortune. Most of all he wanted Eun Soo to have a wedding she envisioned. But he was worried about her.
Choi Young thought long and hard about how to address the wedding with Eun Soo. Their situation was unique. They came from two different worlds and their courtship and marriage customs must be different. They shared one thing in common – wanting to discuss problems in the open and deal with them together. So then the logical solution was to ask her what she would have liked and then make it happen.
"Imja, can I ask you something?"
"Of course. Why so official?"
"About our marriage…"
"I told you I'm OK about it".
"You don't need to worry about my feelings. Being able to call you my wife is all I could wish for. But this is not about me. I'm worried about you. At first you got upset and then suddenly you are completely OK with everything. I don't believe you. Tell me truth, please."
"Well…" Eun Soo already decided that she would not look back at how it all started, but rather accept the reality of being married and move on. "I know why and how it happened, and I like calling you husband, too. So there is not much to discuss".
"Imja, I know you can be a good liar, if you want to. However, you are not that good. I can tell you are unhappy. Whatever it is, just tell me, you are torturing me. I hate to see you like this."
Their relationship progressed in a way that led them to become so close and so intimate that talking about feelings should have become a habit. But both of them injured by separation, treaded waters carefully to avoid causing any more pain to the other. Eun Soo wanted to sort everything out in her head before she talked to her husband, but he was obviously hurting on his own.
"How is that when we try to take care of each other, we cause pain?" she asked a hypothetical.
"It's hit and miss," responded Choi Young going along with the philosophical tone she set.
"I was so upset before because the decision was made for me, and then I was excited to be your wife, and had these grand plans for a wedding, but they dissipated."
"What about the ceremony you told me about at the fishing shack? I thought this was your wish."
"Don't get me wrong," Eun Soo nestled on his knees, using his arms as a blanket and his shoulder as a pillow. "I still imagine it like that, but thinking about the wedding always makes me think about my parents. And I feel guilty like I don't deserve to even think about them because I ran away with a man. Even if he is the only one for me."
"Imja…" he knew leaving her parents behind could not be something she had done easily. It did not make sense to proclaim how much he appreciated all the sacrifices she made to be with him. What good would that do?
"I will not ask you again," he added with defeat in his voice.
"Please do, I want you to." She surprised him with her response. Yet, it was not the first time he was surprised by apparent contradictions she presented.
"In my world", she fidgeted to push her hands inside his sleeves, now wearing him like gloves for warmth. Her fingers grabbed onto his biceps, feeling the muscle tense under her touch. She put her head back on his shoulder, talking into his neck, so that with each sound a puff of warm air tickled his skin.
"In my world, the wedding is a very big deal for a girl. First of all, you pick a dress. What would I pick? I want a long, figure hugging silhouette, mermaid style," her voice acquiring a dreamy quality, "simple top, probably, V cut, open arms. Hmm, it would be elegant to have lacy gloves. Pearls or maybe some silver for jewelry." She started to sink into the warmth she could feel radiating from Choi Young's body. There was this spot in his solar plexus, where she could swear he kept this powerful energy source, pulsating beams of heat and electricity through all of his layers of clothing and into her. "There will be a long runner, covered with white and pink rose petals and as the music cues, I would enter, led by…" her voice dimmed, "since I do not have my parents, it should be somebody like a mother or father figure. You are already standing under the flower arch in anticipation. You look dashing in tuxedo. Black and white will be so gorgeous on you! The Queen will be the maid of honor and the King probably the best man, although I think Choong Seok should rightfully take the place. A child should bring out the rings on a little velvet tray and the ceremony can commence. My favorite part is the vows. I definitely want to write my own. It is a promise we make to each in front of everybody and then the priest will have you repeat 'I, Choi Young, take you, Yoo Eun Soo, to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish until death do us part.' And then I will repeat the same, we exchange the rings, kiss and done, we are married. I will throw my bouquet, and Dae Man's girlfriend will catch it, and everybody will start teasing him, because it means she will be the next one to get married. And people will start applauding and yelling and we will be smiling and holding hands. Then we will walk past the guests, who will give us wishes."
Choi Young diligently tried to memorize all the details. This seemed like a very strange and extremely complicated set up. He was especially confused by the dress, he could not visualize the shape she was describing and not having any sleeves did not make any sense at all. And what about 'tuxedo'? Is it also some kind of a garment? "Is there a season you prefer?"
"Spring or fall," readily answered Eun Soo. "Don't take it to heart. This wedding will be hard to manage, so any ceremony will do." She completely melted in his arms, relaxed by the warmth. "It was not that hard at all. I'm glad you asked." She pecked his neck with a kiss, too lazy to even move. His taste woke something in her and she elongated her neck and grabbed his ear lope with her lips, now tasting him for her delight.
"Imja," he already struggled to be still with all the tickling and her body completely pressed into him, and now this. He felt his pants tighten, as she did at the same time, giggling she moved her thighs, rubbing against him. "Imja," he was trapped under her, eagerly ready for more. She was completely awake now, her nipples hardening as she was feeling him against her. He pulled her robe open and dove into the round circles of pleasure, wrapping his lips around the little pink tips of one and then another breast. She let out a moan, still moving her thighs, and now hips rhythmically. His sensations were heightened and he was not sure he could last much longer. "Imja, should we?" She gasped in response, curving back to give him more space to reach her. He spread his fingers on her stomach, moving them under her pants, sliding into the soft and moist folds, opening her up like a flower, caressing her till she begged him to stop. "Not…. Yet…" her voice lost in a heavy exhale. "I want you inside me." He put her on one knee and freed himself from the constraints of his clothes. Eun Soo hectically rushed to do the same and in a second he was inside, like she desired… She ambushed his chest with her lips as he was trying to pull her face up for the crowning kiss. They ended up gasping together in unison, lips open as they readied for a kiss, but not having the time to complete it. Now, they could.
"Imja, I thought we were talking about the wedding ceremony."
"I thought so, too."
