Chapter 10: A Scandalous Proposal
To the sweet reader who wrote a review – I'm glad you like seeing Inho and Dajeong together. This story is for readers and fans like you!
I've realized that the way this story is going, I could put endless twists and turns in it to make it equivalent to a 100 episode drama, but I don't have the time to do that – and this story is already almost at 50,000 words – the size of a small novel! I had planned on including so much more in this chapter, but it was getting too long, so I'll have to post the rest in the next chapter.
But I am having so much fun writing this story, and thank you all for coming on this ride with me. It's by no means perfect, but I am being entertained, and I hope you are too.
Dajeong stopped to catch her breath as Appa waited impatiently for the rest of her story.
"Aigoo, Dajeong-ee, you've got me all worked up now. What happened to Kang Son-in-law?"
Dajeong cleared her throat and gave a nonchalant answer.
"Nothing. He worked out a deal with Reporter Byun and the pictures were never published."
"And then?" asked Appa, who was disappointed but still eager for more details.
"And then… that was our first in a string of lovely dates before I decided I liked Kang Gwajang-nim enough to marry him. The end."
Before Dajeong could say another word, Appa looked up at heaven and yelled, "Is she telling the truth?"
"Appa!" exclaimed Dajeong, who was now embarrassed.
He shook his head and pointed his finger at her.
"Aigoo… tsk, tsk, you didn't tell me the whole story, Dajeong-ee."
"Well, I told you the official story that most people hear nowadays..." her voice trailed off as she continued. "I usually don't mention that last part about Reporter Byun…"
"Why not? It was so dramatic that I had goose bumps!"
"Because what really happened was crazy. When I try to share the truth, most people think I'm making it up because I'm a writer. Even Appa might have trouble believing me."
"If there's one thing I know about my Dajeong-ee, it's that she's honest. She wouldn't lie to her abeoji…" he paused. "Except when you lied about your marriage to Kwon Yul…"
He sighed. "But that was my fault for pressuring you."
"If I tell you what happened, you must believe me, Appa! You see, a person's life can change in a day, and sometimes when we get lucky, our luck comes in all at once!"
Appa's eyes gleamed as he rubbed his hands together. "Now you must tell me what happened!"
"Kang Gwajang-nim and I… we started out as two simple people who went out to celebrate my birthday. However, by the time we attended Kwon Yul's speech at Seoul University three days later, we weren't the same anymore. Everything had changed."
"What do you mean?" asked Appa as he scratched his head. "How could you not be the same people you had been before?"
"I'll start with what happened at the university."
#
At the front of a room located in Seoul University's Main Conference Hall, Yul and Hyejoo made their way to a long table while meeting and greeting the audience and the press. Sitting at another table near the room's entrance were Dalpyo and Heechul, along with Dajeong, who was taking notes. She wore a slate gray ruffled blouse, black pencil skirt, and black leather heels on her feet, which she tapped impatiently on the floor with a soft thump, thump, thump.
"Any other questions or well-wishes for Presidential Candidate Kwon Yul or Assemblywoman Seo before they give us their joint speech on current women's issues?" asked Professor Im, the host of the event.
"If there are none, we will proceed with…"
Suddenly, Reporter Byun jumped up from the Han Media News table and raised his hand.
"Candidate Kwon Yul!"
"Yes, Reporter Byun?" replied Yul.
"Since we are talking about women's issues, would you care to comment on what you think about women and remarriage?"
Yul and Hyejoo glanced at each other.
"I believe all citizens have the right to pursue their happiness, as long as it does not infringe on another's person's rights," said Yul.
"Good!" shouted Byun as he held up a tabloid magazine with an enlarged photo of Dajeong and Inho on the cover. "Then you won't mind the fact that your former wife, Nam Dajeong, is dating again?"
Stunned, Yul and Hyejoo stared at the magazine cover. There was Dajeong, plain and clear, laughing with some young man who looked even more dashing than Yul. The audience gasped and murmured, and some turned to stare at Dajeong. At the back of the room, where Joonki sat with Yoonhee and her friends, he raised his head and looked on, concerned.
Indignant, Dajeong glared at Byun.
"Reporter Byun!" she said sharply. But he ignored her.
"Answer my question, Candidate Kwon!"
"Ah… Reporter Byun, please keep to relevant topics…" started Professor Im.
"This is a relevant question!" insisted Byun. "Kwon Yul, how do you feel about her dating again?"
"Ah… congratulations…?" Yul replied, taken aback.
"Reporter Byun! What does this have to do with our speech?!" demanded Hyejoo.
"Because I thought it was Kwon Yul who said two years ago, and I quote, 'I'm never going to let this woman go.' What happened to that promise? Or has it been broken, just like the rest of the promises he made during his tenure as prime minister?" snarled Byun.
More gasps followed, and Joonki's mouth dropped. Yul did not answer, but the pained expression on his face said it all.
"Ah, Reporter Byun," said an amused young man with a smooth voice who had just entered the room. "There you go again, stirring up trouble wherever you are. Why do you waste Candidate-nim's time and mine with such inane questions? I had to interrupt my vacation just to come out here and set you straight!"
Heads turned as Inho walked in, sporting his wavy hairdo. Wearing a white button down shirt and navy waistcoat and pants, a slate gray necktie and rolled up sleeves finished his business casual look.
Byun snickered as he looked over Inho.
"Well, if it isn't the flower boy himself… Kang Inho, Kwon Yul's Chief of Staff," he announced.
The audience murmured louder. Yul raised an eyebrow at Inho's appearance, but Hyejoo could hardly believe her eyes.
"How nice of you to identify me, Reporter Byun, because most people hardly recognize me anymore," replied Inho as he leaned against the podium and struck a modeling pose that sent ladies' tongues wagging. As he flashed the noonas in the audience his killer smile, they reacted with gasps and titters.
"But why are you asking Candidate Kwon Yul about this? You know very well that his marriage to Nam Dajeong was annulled because his first wife was discovered to have been alive and in hiding. A man can't have two wives at the same time, can he?" continued Inho without skipping a beat.
Byun laughed. "Then why don't you tell us about your relationship with Nam Dajeong? What's it like, dating the former wife of a politician? Isn't that similar to… using recycled goods?"
Dajeong and Hyejoo's jaws dropped at the same time as the rest of the audience. Meanwhile, Inho stared at Byun, disgusted.
"Wa, is it now wrong to take your friend out for a simple birthday meal? That's all I was trying to do. By the way," Inho turned to Yul and Hyejoo and said in a low voice, "I'm really sorry that this is taking up more of your time than necessary."
"Just answer my question. Are you dating her?" demanded Byun.
"I told you, I took Ajumma… I mean, Samonim out on her birthday to make her laugh. So? Besides, what should a woman in her situation do? She had already lost her last remaining parent, her abeoji, and then her husband. Should she stay alone and be miserable for the rest of her life?"
Several young women in the audience clapped and nodded their approval of his reply. But Dajeong frowned and muttered her displeasure within ear shot of her colleagues.
"Did he just call me an ajumma?"
"Are you in a romantic relationship with her!" Byun pressed the question.
Inho chuckled in response.
"Romantic? Well, let's see…"
He yelled across the room at Dajeong.
"Jagiya! How would you describe our relationship?" he asked cheerily, with as much aegyo as possible.
Instantly Dajeong's temper flared and she glared disdainfully at him.
"Yah! Who are you calling 'Jagi'?! And why did you just call me an 'ajumma'?"
Inho winced and leaned towards Byun, speaking to him as if sharing a secret.
"I don't think she likes me all that much," he said.
He turned back to Dajeong and put on the best flower boy pout that he could muster.
"Ajumma, don't be mad at me, please?"
As Hyejoo observed their tit-for-tat, her eyes narrowed.
Why does the color of his tie seem to match the color of her blouse? It's the exact same shade of gray… A coincidence?
"Aha! So you do like her!" exclaimed Byun.
"Of course! Otherwise, I wouldn't be Ajumma's friend, would I?" was the zany reply.
Dajeong stood up and yelled at Inho.
"Ajusshi, stop calling me ajumma!"
Hyejoo leaned over and whispered to Yul, "Why is he acting like that?"
Yul shrugged. "Political theater, perhaps? Actually, this is amusing me."
"Sorry…" replied Inho to Dajeong. "I should have called you 'noona'."
Once again, summoning all of his aegyo, he turned to the audience and grinned like a cute puppy.
"And all of you beautiful sunbaes and hoobaes out there should support Candidate Kwon Yul, because he's going to tell you how much he champions issues that are important to the women of our great country! More jobs, more opportunity, and better pay!"
Yul's eyes widened and he glanced at Inho as the audience cheered and clapped. Reporter Byun sneered at Inho's chatter and went back to his seat, waving his dismissal.
Inho grinned as he motioned to Yul.
"Your stage, Candidate-nim?"
"Kang Gwajang!" interrupted a member of the audience, a stylish middle-aged samonim.
Inho turned around. With raised eyebrows, he smiled at her.
"Noona?"
"Will you be accompanying Candidate Kwon at his campaign stops and events?"
"Ah… yeah," Inho replied cautiously as he tried to get used to the idea of being fawned on by women.
"Oh, good," teased the samonim. "I'll be sure to come out and support Candidate Kwon more often, then."
She blew him an air kiss, even as Dajeong glowered at her.
"See you there, pretty boy."
"Ah… Thank you, everyone!" Inho waved with an incredulous half-smile before bowing. "I'll be going now. Bye bye!"
A collective "awww…." went through the room as several ladies waved at him.
"I'll brief you tomorrow, Candidate-nim," Inho said softly to Yul before he headed to the door.
Hyejoo noticed the serious two-second glance Inho gave Dajeong before he left.
Now that's more like the Kang Gwajang that I know… what is he up to now? She wondered as she watched him leave.
Outside the conference hall, Inho checked his text messages.
"Success. Great job by you both. I just texted him my compliments," wrote Tender Dajeong, her name on his phone. "But you'd better never call me 'ajumma' again!"
Inho gave a satisfied grin and locked his phone.
"Yes, my Dajeong," he murmured as he walked to his usual white car. Four bodyguards who were waiting beside it bowed to him before he got in and drove off.
Two of the guards entered their own vehicle and followed Inho. The other two took their places outside the conference hall entrance and waited.
#
"Aigoo, Kang son-in-law did seem different… and why all the guards?" asked Appa, who squinted the way he always did when he was trying to solve a problem.
Dajeong smiled. "I told you, everything changed for us in three days. To explain this, I must go back in time…"
"All right, but please, no more confusing your abeoji! Just tell it to me straight!"
"Arussuh. After my birthday dinner, Kang Gwajang-nim had a very long night…"
#
Back in Chairman Choi's limo, Inho had sat, mortified at seeing the photos of him and Dajeong that were taken by Chairman Na's spy.
"How did you get these?" he asked Byun, as he shook with anger.
"Courtesy of Chairman Na's spy network. Lately, he has stepped up his surveillance of the people around him, including his son-in-law, as you can see."
Inho glowered at Reporter Byun.
"So you are part of Chairman Na's spy network? How dare you…!"
He grabbed Byun by the collar.
"You lowlife! First you worked for Minister Park, and now for Chairman Na?"
"Chairman-nim… explain… I'm not a bad guy…" grunted Byun as he tried to defend himself against Inho's tightening grip around his neck.
"Kang Gwajang!" Chairman Choi said sharply enough to get Inho's attention. "Reporter Byun works for me."
Puzzled, Inho let go of Byun.
"For you?" he asked, as if he had just been betrayed.
Byun adjusted his collar and shook himself loose.
"Actually, I work for both."
Inho glared at him.
"What do you mean… for both?"
"Chairman Na thinks Reporter Byun is his man, but I pay him more to keep him as my man," said Chairman Choi.
Inho gave him a skeptical laugh.
"How can you believe him?"
"Yah, Kang Inho, believe it or not, I am dedicated to pursuing the truth," replied Byun, a little piqued.
Inho shut his mouth when he remembered all the times when Byun had nearly discovered Kwon Yul's contract marriage.
This investigative reporter is good, he thought.
"Why are they after me? Or is it Nam Dajeong-ssi that he's after?" he asked quietly.
"Maybe you. But I think Na's spy was tagging Park Joonki, when he came across Nam Dajeong and took advantage of his discovery."
"Chairman Na doesn't trust Minister Park?" asked Inho.
"Not anymore. He suspects that Minister Park sides with Kwon Yul."
"What do you think Chairman Na will do with these pictures?" asked Chairman Choi.
"He'll probably publish them at the right time."
A chill went through Inho's bones as he heard the words, "at the right time."
Byun glanced at his phone. The text on his screen said, "Find out who this flower boy is!"
"It looks like Chairman Na is definitely going to use the photos. This may not directly hurt Kwon Yul, but it can still damage his image and credibility by raising questions about both his and your relationship with Nam Dajeong…"
"What should we do?" asked the Chairman. "I can get all the media outlets associated with the CK Group to cease and desist from publishing these photos, but if the other side releases them… I can't stop every media source or online blogger..."
"Then we need to have a successful counter strategy, if I may offer my advice," said Byun.
"Pfft, what ideas could you possibly offer?" asked Inho skeptically.
But Byun ignored Inho and continued with his counsel.
"It depends on Kang Gwajang's acting skills, really. If Chairman Na publishes these photos before Kwon Yul's speech next Tuesday at Seoul University, then Kang Gwajang will have to be ready to defend himself. Most likely no one will recognize him, but…"
"Wait a minute!" exclaimed Inho. "Even Nam Dajeong-ssi had a hard time recognizing me. How did you manage to do it?"
"You were not that well disguised if Chairman-nim was able to recognize you!" retorted Byun.
Inho stared at Chairman Choi, who coughed.
"I'm good with faces," he said.
Inho didn't look convinced, so Reporter Byun was careful to add, "I'm sure you will keep this confidential, Kang Gwajang, but…" he glanced at Chairman Choi, who nodded. "Chairman-nim is keenly interested in doing anything he can to help Candidate Kwon with his run. That's why he hired me to help him monitor any possible… challenges."
"Arussuh. Thank you, Reporter Byun," said Inho reluctantly.
Byun grinned. "I'm not as bad as you think, Kang Gwajang. Now, we can deal with this situation in a few different ways. The first option is for you and Nam Dajeong to deny everything. She can tell people it is none of their business, and you can go back to your old hairstyle and no one will recognize you. Easy, don't you think?"
"I suppose."
"But the public is nosy, so that might backfire, especially if the other side uses your silence and denial to make up outrageous stories about her, your relationship, or about Kwon Yul."
"True. Then…"
"You say you were celebrating the birthday of a friend. Is she really just a friend?" asked the Chairman.
"Yes… even though…" began Inho.
"Is she the woman you said you would protect all your life?"
Inho nodded.
"That's correct, Chairman-nim."
"Then I suggest that you come out with Nam Dajeong and tell everyone the truth," said Byun.
"What?!" exclaimed Inho.
"Seriously, you did nothing wrong. And if anyone wants more of an explanation, you can always make it simple for them. If you tell the truth, there will be nothing to invent or cover up, and your sincerity will come out in the way you say it."
"But… someone skeptical like you wouldn't buy it for a second!"
"Ah, Kang Gwajang, this is where you need to use your aegyo charm on your audience."
Byun gave Inho a cutesy grin.
"Like a flower boy. It should be well received by the Women's Association, no?"
"That's… crazy! I… I have no aegyo…" sputtered Inho. "And I'm not… a… pretty boy…"
"It might be the best way to protect everyone."
Chairman Choi nodded.
"Emm, I like that. Let's go with Operation Flower Boy, and adjust it depending on how the other side portrays this. Do you agree, Kang Gwajang?"
Inho was flabbergasted by this turn of events. Usually it was he who helped Kwon Yul strategize responses to the opposition. Now it felt strange to be on the other side, listening as others discussed how to best position him.
"I never thought this would happen to me…" he muttered.
"Think of Nam Dajeong's well-being," said Byun. "I'll be in touch, and I can help you at Kwon Yul's event next Tuesday if needed."
Inho could only stare at him as he contemplated what all of this would mean.
"Good. Can I drop you off anywhere, Reporter Byun?" asked the Chairman.
"I don't live too far from here," said Byun with a polite smile. "I can take a taxi or bus."
"Then… thank you for your work tonight," said Chairman Choi graciously.
Byun opened the door, raised his hand, and made the "v" sign.
"You're welcome. I'll be in touch. Annyeonghi gyeseyo."
He got out and shut the door as Chairman Choi waved.
"I should go home too," announced Inho, who was now exhausted from everything he had heard.
Chairman Choi depressed a button that opened the front partition window separating them from their driver.
"Yes, Chairman-nim?" asked the driver.
"Let's stop by Mr. Kang Inho's building, and then we will go home."
"Yes, Chairman-nim. Are we dropping off our guest?"
Chairman Choi turned to Inho with a tight smile.
"No, he is coming with us."
Inho started at the Chairman's reply.
"Chairman-nim…" he began.
"Kang Gwajang, now that trouble has found you, you are going to need my help."
"Chairman-nim, it sounds like you've been keeping tabs on me. May I ask why?"
"Because you are an important person, Inho-ssi."
"Important? How?"
"I'll explain everything I know. First, let's stop by your place, because this might be a very long talk through the night, and you may need to stay over at my house."
"That will be quite all right, Chairman-nim. I would rather get my car and go home afterwards, no matter how late it may be."
"Very well, then. Driver, go straight home. My guest and I will be talking now."
"Yes, Chairman-nim," said the driver as the partition closed on him again.
Inho waited a moment before asking the central question that now occupied his mind.
"Choi Chairman-nim, what do you want from me?"
The Chairman gave him a long, hard stare, and said, "Accept my job offer and the signing bonus that comes with it."
"What kind of job?"
"Are you good with money?"
"I have been a diligent saver since childhood, because of the early deaths of my parents."
"Good, then I want you to manage a trust fund."
"Trust… fund?"
"Your trust fund," he said to an astonished Inho.
#
Sitting in his ornate study, Chairman Na picked up his phone and listened to his new voice messages.
"Chairman, I've just received word from our guy at Chairman Choi's about that mysterious Angel Shield Trust Fund that we heard about two years ago. It seems that the trust belongs to Chairman Choi's father, and is worth only about $5 billion Won. It was originally designated for a future great grandchild."
Chairman Na hung up and grinned.
#
At the Choi house in Pyeongchang-dong, Grandpa Choi looked out his bedroom window at a spacious yard illuminated by glowing walkway lights that led to a small Italian gazebo at the center of a lovely garden. An ajumma came in and put a fresh glass of water on his night stand.
"Have they arrived yet?" asked Grandpa anxiously.
"He is five minutes away," she replied. "But Chairman-nim says you should rest."
The old man shook his head.
"Not tonight," he said. "Tonight is too important for me to go to bed."
The ajumma gave him a tentative glance and went out. As soon as his room became quiet again, Grandpa Choi thought of his childhood friend, Hyunchul.
Hyunchul had always shared everything with Duseon, be it food or clothing, toys or books. In fact, it was during the dead of winter one night in 1945, when Duseon was still hungry after eating his paltry dinner, that Hyunchul came running to his door with something very expensive and precious.
"Duseon! Duseon!" cried Hyunchul outside the front door.
Duseon's omma opened the door and scolded the boy.
"Kang Hyunchul! What are you doing here at this hour? And in this cold?!"
"Please, Ajumma. I have something hot to give Duseon!"
The words "something hot" got her attention. Whenever Hyunchul said that, it usually meant he had food to share. She quickly let him in.
"Come in! Hurry or you'll catch a cold!"
She called for her son.
"Duseon! Your friend is here with something hot for you!"
Duseon came out of hiding with a grin on his face.
"What did you bring, Hyung?" he asked eagerly.
Hyunchul took something out from under his coat and unwrapped it. When he showed it to them, Duseon and his mother gasped.
"Rice? You were able to get white rice?" they exclaimed as they stared at the quarter-full bowl.
"Today, Father helped a kind Japanese businessman who gave him a little bit. There's not much here, probably only enough to feed Duseon and I two mouthfuls each, but I'd like to share it if you permit, Ajumma."
Duseon's mother nodded as she got them chopsticks.
"Eat slowly," she exhorted them.
The two boys sat down on the floor and shared a tasty morsel of hot, steamed rice as Duseon's hungry sisters watched nearby.
"Go to bed, girls! The rice is only for your oppa!" their omma yelled at them.
Hyunchul and Duseon glanced at the girls, and then at their bowl, which only had two spoonfuls of the white grain left. Duseon smiled.
"Omma, I'm going to share this last bite."
Hyunchul put down his chopsticks.
"Then I'll share mine as well, since you have two yeodongsaengs."
The boys beckoned to the girls.
"Come and finish this for us," they urged.
Shyly, the sisters went and let their oppas feed them like little birds.
"Oh, my sisters…" sighed Grandpa Choi. "If it weren't for people like Hyunchul, you might have starved to death…"
Grandpa's bedroom door opened and the ajumma popped her head in.
"They are here, Chairman-nim."
Grandpa Choi nodded and got up. Slowly, he made his way to the bedroom door.
#
Sitting on a couch in Chairman Choi's home office, a slack jawed Inho noticed that it was two a.m. before he finally said something. A few photos of young Kang Hyunchul and Choi Duseon were spread out on the coffee table before him. With shaky hands, Inho received a round metal object from Grandpa Choi.
"You mean my harabeoji made this?"
"He made it when we were ten years old."
Inho examined the object carefully. As he fingered its small dent, a flood of emotions welled up within him.
"I never knew my grandfather. He died right after I was born," he said sadly.
"Aigoo, then he died much too early," said the Chairman with a sigh.
"Do you know what I call this thing, which was just a toy at first, but later became my precious lifesaver?" asked Grandpa Choi.
Inho shook his head.
"Angel Shield. Your grandfather was like an angel to me, so I called it my angel shield."
"It really saved your life?" asked Inho.
Grandpa Choi nodded.
"It did. Please believe me."
#
World War II was drawing to an end, but Duseon and Hyunchul still saw and heard weaponry, aircraft, and military vehicles passing through their once venerable city on a daily basis.
One spring day, Hyunchul came to Duseon with something hidden in a sack.
"Duseon, I have something to give you," he said.
"What is it?" asked Duseon curiously as Hyunchul led him behind a tree.
After seeing that there was no one around to disturb them, Hyunchul took out the object that he had crafted from a piece of scrap metal left behind by soldiers. He presented it to his friend.
"I want you to have this."
Duseon took the shield and looked at its front and back.
"What is it?"
"It's a secret shield that you wear under your shirt, in case bullets come flying at you. I made myself one, too. See?"
He lifted his shirt and showed Duseon his breastplate. Duseon's face lit up with a giant grin.
"Excellent!" he said as he stuffed his shield under his shirt. "Ooh! It fits over my chest perfectly!"
"Great! Let's play!" shouted Hyunchul as he started running.
"All right, Hyung!" cried Duseon.
For the next week, Duseon got scolded by his mother for wearing the shield, but he didn't care.
"Hyung says it will protect me," he said in Hyunchul's defense.
"It's just a piece of scrap metal! How can it do that?" scoffed Omma.
"Please let me wear it?" pleaded Duseon. "Hyunchul says someday he'll make a better one to protect me from head to toe."
"Well… since it was from Kang Hyunchul… all right," said Omma, who had developed a soft spot for that boy over the years.
It was fortunate that she did allow her son to keep it, because the next night, when she asked Duseon to go out and fetch water from the well, little did she know that his life would change forever.
#
The more Inho listened to Grandpa Choi, the more he felt like he knew his harabeoji better.
"It was a cool night, and I was walking mostly by moonlight down the road from my house. I had no problem fetching water from the well. As I walked back, I heard something whizz by me, and suddenly I couldn't hold the heavy water bucket anymore. It fell out of my hands with a big clatter to the ground, and water splashed everywhere."
"I don't know how long I stood there. All I know is that I couldn't lift my left arm. Omma ran out of the house to scold me for being so long in coming, but when she spotted me, she screamed. I looked down at where she was pointing and saw that my left arm was bleeding profusely."
"Everything that happened next was a blur. I heard someone tell Omma that I would have died if that breastplate hadn't blocked a stray bullet that had flown in my direction. Another bullet had hit my arm. All I know is that later, after I had recovered, I fought like a mad man to keep this thing, because people couldn't believe that a child could make something like this."
Grandpa rolled up his left sleeve and showed Inho a faded scar.
"See this? I promised your grandfather that if I or any of my descendants ever became rich, I would repay him for his kindnesses and for saving my life. Hyunchul wouldn't hear of it, of course. But when my son and I started CK Enterprises, as it was called back then, I always put aside a bit of our profits… a certain amount for each day that I was alive after being saved by this Angel Shield. It's all in the Angel Shield Trust Fund."
Grandpa Choi beamed at Inho. "And now I'm glad I found you, so you can have it."
Inho put down the dented shield on the end table and took a sip of strong coffee from his cup.
"I'm… I'm not sure that I can accept this money, either."
"As I said before," said Chairman Choi as he eyed Grandpa. "All I ask in return for helping you with your current… situation is to accept my job offer."
"But what if…" began Inho as he struggled to find an excuse to refuse their generosity. "What if I become corrupt because I cannot handle it, and bring dishonor to both of our families? How do you even know that you can trust me?"
The two older men chuckled as they studied Inho.
"Well, do you trust us?" asked the Chairman.
"Ah…" Inho hadn't thought of that. "I have no reason not to trust you, I suppose."
"It's because you ask these types of questions that I know I can trust you," said the Chairman. "Besides, you are worrying too much about things in the future. Focus on one day at a time."
"I look forward to getting to know you better, young man. But somehow, I feel as if I know you already," said Grandpa with a smile.
"You could use that money towards your hyung's healthcare. After all, half of it technically belongs to him. And what about Nam Dajeong? You need to protect her, but you can't do it with just the usual methods," Chairman Choi persuaded him.
Inho thought of Dajeong and her safety, and had to concede that by his own means, he couldn't do that much for her, but with the Chairman's considerable resources, he could protect her 24/7.
"I've heard about your woman. She must be quite remarkable. Have you asked her to marry you yet?" asked Grandpa.
"Not yet."
"You should," said Chairman Choi. "I got an earful from Yinna the other day about your lack of interest. Now she's in Bali with some friends, trying to get over you and that photographer."
"Park Heechul?" asked Inho, surprised.
"Haha, is that his name? I am sorry to have forgotten it."
"Chairman-nim, Honorary Chairman-nim," said Inho. "Right now, I will advise you that if I accept this trust money, then it will be spent taking care of my hyung and protecting the woman that I love."
The Chairman and his father exchanged grins.
"That's ajusshi and harabeoji," said Grandpa Choi. "And I think family and love are good things to spend money on. Don't you, Son?"
"Agreed."
Inho stood up and bowed.
"Thank you… Ajusshi and Harabeoji," he said.
Pleased, Grandpa Choi approached Inho and patted the young man's shoulder.
"When your grandfather grew up, he became a handsome man, just like you are now."
He picked up an old photo of Kang Hyunchul from the coffee table and gave it to Inho. As Inho stared at his grandfather's black and white likeness, he tried to keep his tears at bay.
#
Dajeong awoke around 11 o'clock in the morning with a smile on her face. She had just been out on a date with a dreamy looking Kang Gwajang-nim, who had bent over to smooch her, when the dream ended.
"Aww… He was about to kiss me!" she lamented.
Suddenly, she stopped and thought of what she had just said. Slowly her eyes grew larger as she looked about her room. She slapped her right cheek hard.
"What am I saying? Kang Gwajang-nim kissing me?!"
She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to shake herself out of it.
"Surely you don't expect him to do that, do you?!"
She touched her lips.
"Would he?" she wondered.
Lazily, she stumbled out of bed and stretched.
"Ha! Dream on, Nam Dajeong. Get those silly thoughts out of your head!"
She went into her kitchen and turned on the coffee machine before noticing her phone on the counter. As she hummed a cheerful tune, she checked her messages.
"URGENT – Photos Enclosed" was the top line of one text.
Dajeong knitted her eyebrows together.
"What is this? Why is Reporter Byun texting me?"
She gasped when she saw the photos of her birthday dinner with Inho.
"Ottoke? I must let Kang Gwajang-nim know at once!"
She called Inho and waited.
"Kang Gwajang-nim! I need to talk to you in person right away! Did you know that…?"
Inho's voice on the other end seemed tired but unusually calm to her.
"I know already. Meet me in an hour and I'll come get you... Wear a nice dress, please."
"A nice dress again?" Dajeong wondered aloud as she walked back to her bedroom.
"Like something you wear to church or to the opera," he replied.
Yah! Kang Gwajang-nim, how many nice dresses do you think I have? She thought of retorting.
But instead, she replied sweetly, "a light-colored one, perhaps?"
"That's right. See you soon, Dajeong-ssi," said Inho before he hung up.
Dajeong stared at her phone. Her intuition tingling, she turned towards her bedroom closet.
#
When Dajeong walked out of her apartment building, she spotted the same silver sedan from last night parked at the curb. Inside, Inho turned and gawked at her for so long that she felt self-conscious and examined herself to make sure nothing was amiss.
If only she could have seen herself through his eyes! He was completely enchanted by a tall, slender girl carrying a clutch, who was dressed in a knee-length, sleeveless fitted ivory lace dress that had a scalloped neck line, with her waist encircled by a violet sash. As a breeze blew her long, straight red hair across her face, he thought he had never seen her look so stunning in his life.
She quickly got into the car and noticed that he wore his black suit with his vest and tie. It looked good with his auburn hair, and she told him so. He in turn complimented her on her dress.
"It's the only other really nice dress I have," she said. "Can you believe that the last time I wore this was almost ten years ago, at a college friend's wedding?"
"I thought you had bought some dresses when you were at the Official Residence?" he asked.
"Ah, those… I haven't worn them since, because they never quite felt like 'me'. I've donated some of them to charity already," she noted proudly. "Anyway, this was the last extravagant dress that I had bought with my own money from my writing."
"It's very beautiful… and I'm glad you wore it today."
As he took off, several meters behind them, another silver car followed. Inho and Dajeong drove in silence for awhile, as she noticed how tired he looked.
"Kang Gwajang-nim, you haven't returned this car yet?"
"I'm test driving it to see if I want to keep it. It has some nice features," he replied.
"Oh?" she thought it was a bit high-priced for him, but maybe if he bought it used...
"As you know, someone took pictures of us at the restaurant," he said.
"Reporter Byun sent them to me. What do we do? They won't use those pictures to cause problems for Candidate-nim, will they?"
She waited, but he didn't answer right away. Instead, he pulled into a small side street, and before long they were parked by a quiet, grassy area on the banks of the Han River. Inho depressed a button near the car dashboard, and instantly all of the clear passenger windows became tinted black.
"Daebak!" exclaimed Dajeong. "You were right about the nice features on this car!"
Inho pressed another button, and the windshield became darker as well, though not as dark as the rest of the windows.
Delighted, she asked him if he was really going to buy this car?
"If Dajeong-ssi likes it."
"Haha, Kang Gwajang-nim, you're such a jokester when you're around me," she said as she reached out to slap his arm.
To her surprise, he caught her hand and wouldn't let it go. As soon as she saw the grave look on his face, her laughter died down.
"What is it?" she asked.
He swallowed hard as he tried to calm his rapidly beating heart.
"Does Dajeong-ssi know… just how difficult it is for me to remain only a… friend?" he asked, with his voice trembling.
"Kang Gwajang-nim…"
"I can't take it anymore, when I love you so much that I would do anything for you," he declared. "If reporters start asking me who I am to you, I will tell them the truth, that I… I…"
"Inho-ah," she interrupted him gently.
She hadn't called him by his first name like that before, so he waited for her to continue.
"I… like you," she declared as she looked down.
He blinked several times.
"Did you just say…?"
When she looked up at him, her flushed cheeks and lips and her smiling eyes told him what he needed to know.
"I like you," she repeated, with an innocent smile.
He let that sink in for a moment.
"Geuleom…" he declared as he straightened his back. "Marry me."
She stared at him, dumbfounded.
"When I told Chairman Choi I couldn't marry his daughter, he asked me why I didn't marry you instead."
He cleared his throat as he gazed out at the river.
"Dajeong-ssi should marry me, because number one, I love Dajeong-ssi, and she likes me. Number two, I will spend the rest of my life using all I have to protect her as her guardian angel. Number three, I now have the means to take care of her comfortably for the rest of her life."
For the rest of my life? She thought. "What are you…?"
But he continued without allowing her to get another word in edgewise.
"Number four. I will wear whatever hairstyle and clothes you want. Number five. I will allow Dajeong-ssi to wear jeans and whatever casual clothes she wants to wear, as long as she puts on a nice dress for me at night and on special occasions."
At this, Dajeong scrunched her nose and frowned. What on earth is he talking about, allowing me to wear jeans?
"The number six reason why Dajeong-ssi should marry me... I am going to be 35 years old soon, and I want a wife and a family, so you won't have to wait for me to commit. And number seven…" he said as he gave her a sideways glance, "I'll buy her this cool car if she marries me."
"Wa! Kang Gwajang-nim, do you think you can get me to marry you so quickly? I'd have to consider it..."
"Emm, the quicker you decide, the better. There are other young ladies waiting in line who would marry me in an instant. But I'm giving you the first chance."
"What?! You talk as if you are some hot bachelor!" she half-mocked him.
"After our photos get published in the news, I'm sure I'll have a throng of female fans who would love to get a proposal from me," he smirked.
She turned her head toward him to protest, but when she suddenly found her lips dangerously close to his, she froze. Amused by her reaction, he laughed.
"Dajeong-ssi, we could just marry and remain friends like this for the rest of our lives… what do you think? No pressure."
"But… then the romance would be missing!" she objected.
"Geuleom, I will take you out on fun dates and give you flowers every week. Will that do?"
"Jinjayo? Would you stay that way? Or would you change after the wedding?" she asked skeptically.
"I promise I will always remain your suho cheonsa, your guardian angel," he replied earnestly. "Just help me so I don't turn into a dark angel again, please? Dajeong who is my adviser?"
She pretended to think about it before replying with, "Hmmm… Of course I will help you, Inho Cheonsa."
Satisfied, he gave her hand a gentle squeeze.
"I'd like to introduce you to some people. Will you come meet them with me?"
She nodded and looked down at her fingers, which were now entwined with his.
#
Dalpyo was surprised to see Heechul when he walked into the Scandal News office on a Sunday afternoon. His normally cheery photographer sat slumped over his desk.
"Heechul! What are you doing here?" asked Dalpyo. "Aren't you supposed to be chasing a socialite?"
"She went on a trip," said Heechul glumly.
"But isn't that a good thing? She was tying up all of your time!"
Heechul sighed.
"That's true, but now I'm bored."
Dalpyo laughed.
"Bored? Yah! Are you falling for her?"
Instantly Heechul's face scrunched into a frown.
"Pssh! Are you kidding?"
"But she's fun to be around, isn't she?"
When Heechul said nothing, Dalpyo kept teasing his employee.
"Oooh… Heechul misses his friend…"
"Stop it, Editor-nim!"
"Heechul's a sick puppy!"
"Aargh! I'm going!" Heechul howled before he jumped out of his chair, grabbed his camera and left.
Dalpyo shook his head as he watched his photographer take off.
"Come back to work on time tomorrow! You got that?"
Heechul waved as he kept walking.
"How rude," Dalpyo sniffed.
He looked down at the large photo of Yinna on his newspaper cover and grinned.
#
Dajeong was amazed to be strolling with Chairman Choi in his magnificent backyard that overlooked the Bugak Mountains. Inside the Chairman's house, Inho and Grandpa Choi watched them anxiously from a sun room window.
"Harabeoji, what do you think they are talking about?"
"Aigoo, I can only guess," said Grandpa as he feigned ignorance. "But he's probably checking to make sure she's a good match for you."
Inho laughed and shook his head.
"That's so old-fashioned… I don't care if she's the devil's daughter. I'll marry her or die trying."
"Will you listen to yourself?" scoffed Grandpa Choi. "Devil's daughter, indeed! Have you lost your mind?"
But all Inho could think about was how lovely Dajeong looked as she ambled through the garden. Sweet Dajeong…
"I will tell you a secret, Harabeoji," he said. "Because of her, I lost my mind a long time ago."
At this, Grandpa's eyes turned red and watery.
"Then… don't give up, Hyunchul," he muttered. "Go after her and keep her safe with you."
Outside, Dajeong continued her pleasant conversation with the Chairman.
"If I may be permitted to say, Chairman-nim… you seem like a very easy person to talk to, and I'm thankful for that."
Chairman Choi was pleased to hear this.
"I am grateful for your compliment, Nam Dajeong-ssi. Now, tell me if there is any reason why you shouldn't be with Inho-ssi?"
Dajeong gave an anxious smile.
"To be honest, ever since I saw your gorgeous daughter at that charity gala, I kept wondering if Kang Gwajang-nim shouldn't marry her instead?"
"Hmmm… But you are obviously better, because he prefers you."
Dajeong didn't quite know how to respond to that. She had certainly never thought of herself as being better than a socialite. But Chairman Choi could guess what she was thinking.
"My Yinna is a good girl, even if she has a streak of vanity in her character. But she's still young, so don't worry too much about her. I'd like to introduce you when she returns from Bali."
"Thank you, Chairman-nim. I would be honored."
The Chairman grinned as he spied Inho watching them from the window.
"It seems that Kang Gwajang is anxious to marry you."
"Yes, and I am flattered, but… I'm still trying to understand his urgency."
"Hmm… Perhaps I can offer you a clue. Reporter Nam, have you ever heard of a woman named Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis?"
"The sleek and stylish former American first lady? Of course!"
"You know your world history well. Tell me, why would the grieving widow of a popular American president suddenly marry a Greek shipping tycoon? Take a guess."
Dajeong couldn't quite recall, so she took her phone out of her clutch and typed like mad to find out.
"Just a minute."
From the sunroom window, Inho wondered why Dajeong looked so solemn as she read her phone. Afterwards, she looked up at the Chairman.
"She was… afraid and tired of being hounded?"
The Chairman nodded. "Of course, your situation is not the same as hers... at least not yet. But now do you understand?"
"I think I do a little," she replied.
"Good. As for me, I have something to give Inho-ssi, but I'd rather give it to both of you as a wedding gift."
"Chairman-nim, is it really true that he's inheriting a fortune?" she asked.
The Chairman smiled.
"Yes, a good one."
Dajeong glanced back at Inho's face through the sunroom window and pondered what Chairman Choi told her.
#
Kwon Yul stood on his balcony and looked out at the Seoul skyline as his heart ached. Lately he did not know which woman he missed more, Nayoung or Dajeong?
He glanced at the phone in his hand that had Dajeong's number on the screen. Could he find an excuse, any excuse just to call her? He wondered if she was still angry with him after their last dinner together?
After several attempts to work up the courage to dial her number, he gave up and walked back inside.
#
Inho joined Dajeong for a stroll in Chairman Choi's garden with his hands in his pockets.
"Earlier, when I gave you all the reasons for marrying me… reason seven was incorrect," he said.
"You wouldn't buy me a car, then?" asked Dajeong, disappointed. She had secretly fallen for that posh silver sedan.
Inho laughed. "I'd still buy you the car, but that would be reason number eight."
He stopped and took her hands in his. As he faced her, he spoke with a sincerity and affection that she found difficult to resist.
"Reason number seven to marry me is… I will provide Dajeong-ssi with a place where she can belong forever. A place where no one can remove her."
"Forever?" her lip quivered. "Forever with you?"
He nodded and gently wiped the tears that were now falling from her lashes.
"Forever with me."
His last words sealed the deal. Sobbing, she fell into his arms and he held her tight as they stood beside Grandpa's purple irises.
#
It was Dajeong's idea to have an impromptu wedding in the garden after Inho had expressed his wish to marry her "right away."
"I know it's not possible, but I wish I could," he said wistfully.
"Good idea. Why not?" she replied matter-of-factly.
He stared at her, dumbfounded.
"Did you just… agree?"
"You said you would protect me for the rest of my life," said Dajeong blithely as she watched his reaction. "Why not start now?"
"What a practical girl. I can see why you like her, Inho," said the Chairman, who had overheard their exchange as he approached.
Dajeong guffawed.
"Me, practical?"
"She's usually the flighty one," teased Inho. "Anyway, we can visit the district office first thing in the morning to register our marriage. Then we'll plan a big wedding later. Does Dajeong-ssi agree?"
"Yes, but…" Dajeong replied as she glanced out at the garden. She had caught sight of that ornate wrought iron dome on top of the Italian stone gazebo that stood amidst the flowers.
"Chairman-nim, may I borrow your garden for a short time this afternoon? It won't take long," she requested.
"It's actually my abeoji's garden, so you'll have to ask him," said the Chairman as he glanced in Grandpa's direction.
Dajeong went up to Grandpa Choi and gave him her cutest grin.
"Please, Harabeoji, can we use your garden this afternoon?"
"Of course, my dear," said Grandpa.
"Wa, Abeoji doesn't usually allow anyone to use the garden for anything!" remarked the surprised Chairman.
"Thank you," said Dajeong as she bowed. "It won't take long at all. I just wanted to pray and make a few promises to my future…" she snuck a glance at Inho. "Husband."
Her last word jolted Inho, who was nevertheless ecstatic to hear it from his beloved's lips.
"Right... No need for anything fancy right now," he added.
The Chairman rejoined with a hearty laugh.
"That's what you two think. But I'm going to make sure that everything is done properly, even if it's done in 15 minutes."
Dajeong and Inho wondered what he meant. Half an hour later in the kitchen, all of his household staff gathered to hear an important announcement from their boss.
"Everyone, I want to thank you for your hard work this week, so I am giving you the rest of the day off. You are all dismissed until seven o'clock tomorrow morning. Now, go out and have fun!" said the Chairman cheerily.
His staff exchanged glances. It was obvious that the announcement was a shock to them, so the Chairman quickly added, "I forgot, it's a paid leave. Don't worry, you'll all be paid for the day."
All breathed a sigh of relief, and smiles appeared on several faces.
"But why, Chairman-nim?" asked one of the cooks.
"Private family time. Don't worry, we'll survive on your excellent leftovers," he replied with a mischievous grin. "Now, please leave in the next 10 minutes. Doctors say I must sunbathe once in a while while the sun's rays are still strong," he said as he pointed to the sky.
Slowly, the staff dispersed except for Butler Kim, who remained by his master's side. He and the Chairman waited until everyone had waved their goodbyes and left, and then Mr. Kim glanced at his watch.
"Mayor Shim will be here in an hour."
"Good. What other details do we need to take care of?"
"The jeweler will be making his delivery in 20 minutes, and Honorary Chairman-nim is working on the bouquet. The groom has completed the registration form and is borrowing one of your ties. I tested the outdoor sound system, and I have your camera ready."
"This is the first time we've ever used that new backyard sound system," said the Chairman. "How is the bride?"
"She was a bit nervous borrowing Samonim's jewelry, but I reassured her that the ceremony would be quick and casual, and that put her at ease."
"Very good, Butler Kim. You shall have all of tomorrow off in return for helping me today," said the Chairman, who was pleased with his loyal aide.
"Actually, it was a good idea to dismiss all of the servants, Chairman-nim. I had been wanting to inform you of a discovery that I made."
"What is it?"
"One of the maids is a spy."
"A spy?" asked the surprised Chairman. "I thought we did thorough background checks?"
"I tested my theory by feeding false information to her. Later, Reporter Byun told me Chairman Na got wind of the same information and repeated it back to him," the butler grinned. "She's actually quite handy for spreading misinformation, but she'll probably tell Chairman Na about your strange dismissal today."
"Did she see our couple?"
"I don't think so. They had her working hard with her head down in the kitchen this time."
The Chairman was relieved.
"Drop that person a tidbit that I am medically required to sunbathe in the nude once in awhile, and be extra kind to her. Maybe she will change her ways. Keep me informed."
"Yes, Chairman-nim," said Mr. Kim with a bow.
#
An hour later, the sun's rays shone lower on the western horizon, tinting Chairman Choi's green yard with a warm golden hue. Inside the house, Butler Kim pressed a tablet computer screen. Softly, Bach's Air on a G String began playing through the yard's hidden loudspeakers.
District Mayor Shim, an amiable middle-aged lady in a red suit who carried a black folder, walked up the garden path followed by Inho. A few feet away, click, click, click, Chairman Choi snapped pictures of them with his 100,000,000 Won top-of-the-line camera.
They stepped into Grandpa Choi's Italian gazebo and positioned themselves to wait for the bride. Dressed in his black suit, Inho wore a violet tie with a fresh iris pinned to his lapel as a boutonniere. He put his hands together and anxiously waited for Dajeong to appear.
The Chairman turned his camera toward the house when the music changed to Pachelbel's Canon in D Major.
Wearing a gray suit with a red bowtie, Grandpa Choi came out of the house with Dajeong on his arm. Inho watched in awe as his radiant bride walked down the garden path toward him clutching a bouquet of fresh purple and yellow irises that Grandpa had made for her.
Dajeong wore the same lace dress, but with an added floor-length lace-trimmed tulle overskirt that made it look like a traditional wedding gown. Her violet sash was neatly tied around her waist and hung down gracefully at her side. With her tresses in a low, loose chignon, a thin jewel-encrusted headband gave the appearance that she was wearing stars in her hair. Below her chignon, a long, thin wisp of a bridal veil trailed to the ground. Small, delicate pearl-drop diamond earrings completed her look.
Kang Inho had never seen her look so heavenly, not even at her church wedding to Kwon Yul. Silently he vowed to etch her bridal image on his heart so he would not forget. He took Dajeong's hand as Grandpa offered it to him, and then they turned and faced Mayor Shim.
The mayor, who happened to also be a lay minister at her church, said a simple prayer of blessing upon them as a choral rendition of Panis Angelicus played softly in the background.
"Dear God, we pray for these two young people, who have come to pledge their love and commitment to each other. We ask that you bless their union. Amen."
Inho barely remembered what Mayor Shim said next, but when he turned to face his bride, he teared up as he said his own heartfelt words to her.
"I promise to always be my wife's guardian angel; to be a shelter that protects her and a safe place for her to lean on. All that I have, my material possessions, and my heart, I give to her."
Dajeong gripped her bouquet a little tighter as she gathered her wits in order to speak.
"I promise to be my husband and guardian angel's helper, to keep him standing in the light, and far from the dark. I will walk with him on our life's journey together as his friend, his companion, and his wife."
Grandpa cleared his throat and handed them each a handkerchief, which they accepted. Both bride and groom dabbed at their eyes.
At last Mayor Shim pronounced them married. The Chairman took a nice picture of the couple's silhouette as they embraced and touched foreheads.
As Butler Kim played Bach's Cantata No. 208, "Sheep May Safely Graze", he smiled as he recalled its simple words.
Sheep may safely graze where a good shepherd watches.
Where rulers govern well we may feel peace and rest and what makes countries happy.
#
"Look at each other, you two!" Chairman Choi hollered at Inho and Dajeong as he took pictures of them in the garden.
By now Inho had taken off his jacket and was wearing only his vest and tie, with his sleeves rolled up. He had a purple iris pinned near his left shoulder, and he looked very dashing as he grinned from ear to ear.
Inho leaned forward to kiss Dajeong's cheek.
"Perfect!" yelled their photographer.
"Ajusshi! That wasn't a pose!" Inho yelled back, laughing.
"I know," said the Chairman as he reviewed the shot. "Just a few more!"
Dajeong smiled as she fingered the small, delicate bouquet of irises in her left hand.
"That's right! Hold those flowers still so I can get a shot!" yelled the Chairman as he took a picture. "By the way, Groom, aren't you going to kiss your bride on the lips? Give me a good shot of your kiss, huh?"
Inho laughed.
"Not in front of you, Chairman-nim," he replied. "I would be too uncomfortable."
"Right now I'm not Chairman-nim. I'm photographer-nim. Come on!"
Dajeong giggled as Inho leaned in, looking like he was about to touch lips with her, when suddenly he changed direction and kissed her cheek instead.
"Yah!" yelled Chairman Choi as he lowered his camera.
"Sorry, Ajusshi, but I just can't!" chuckled Inho as he put his arm around Dajeong.
"Aish! Think of your bride, not me!"
Inho turned to her and pursed his lips as he spoke.
"Does Dajeong-ssi really want me to do it?"
Dajeong nodded with an impish grin.
"All right, then," Inho consented. Very slowly, he leaned in and gave her a tender kiss on the lips as their eyes fluttered shut.
Chairman Choi captured the precise moment and nodded his approval.
"Ah, sweetest kiss ever."
Back at the house, Dajeong's phone was buzzing beside her clutch, which she had left on a bed in a guest bedroom. On the screen was a call from Kwon Yul.
Meanwhile, Grandpa Choi entered the yard with Mayor Shim, who had the marriage registration papers.
"Mayor-nim, thank you for doing us this favor. Please keep what happened today confidential until they announce it."
"Of course! It's my pleasure. And don't worry, everything is already registered and approved by me," she replied as they approached the happy couple.
"Mayor Shim is leaving," Grandpa announced.
Photographer and newlyweds alike stopped to say their farewells. Smiling, Mayor Shim handed Inho the papers. Inho shook her hand enthusiastically.
"Thank you, Mayor-nim, for coming and helping us."
"It was nice meeting you, Kang Gwajang. I look forward to working with you in the future."
She shook Dajeong's hand next.
"And you too, Madame Nam. I'm sure I will see you again."
Dajeong opened her mouth to object to being called "madame", but then she thought better of it.
"Thank you, Mayor-nim. Goodbye."
"I'll walk you out," offered Inho. "This way I can update you on Candidate Kwon's campaign positions."
"I would be honored, Kang Gwajang," she replied.
Inho gave Dajeong a flirty grin.
"I'll be back, Madame Nam," he teased his wife.
As she watched them leave, the Chairman came up beside Dajeong.
"Did you ever see him so happy? I think he's overjoyed," he observed.
"Thank you, Chairman-nim. But may I ask you something?"
"Ask me."
"Why do you and Harabeoji like Kang Gwajang-nim so much?"
"Good question, Reporter Nam. Personally, I like your husband, but from the start he was loved on account of his harabeoji's relationship with my father."
"Oh?" Dajeong raised an eyebrow.
"But I'm sure that we'll like him more as we get to know him better. And you, too."
"Ajusshi, so far you have been one of the kindest, most generous people I have known," said Dajeong as she offered him her hand. "It's an honor to make your acquaintance."
The Chairman shook it.
"Same here, Nam Dajeong-ssi."
"Thank you for setting all of this up. I still can't believe you got Mayor Shim to come out and officiate our wedding!"
"I helped her get elected," said the Chairman. "Don't worry. This was a good opportunity for me to see how much clout I still have if I need to call in some favors. I'm glad it was successful."
Outside the Chairman's front gate, Inho waved to Mayor Shim as she drove away. He glanced at his phone screen as a text message from Reporter Byun appeared.
"Advanced copy of article on you and Dajeong. Discuss strategy tonight?"
Inho thought for a moment before he texted back his answer.
"I'm going on a trip tonight and won't be back until Tuesday afternoon. I'll meet you then."
He sent the message and turned off his phone as he went back inside the Chairman's house.
At his office, Reporter Byun read the text and wondered aloud, "A trip? How can he go on a trip at a time like this?"
But back at Grandpa Choi's garden, Inho was happy to receive his bride in his arms as they danced for the first time.