Chapter 11

Thanks again to all of my readers and reviewers! I am grateful for you and hope you enjoy this chapter. I still have a bit of drama planned for future "episodes", so stay tuned!

Note: I do not own the rights to any songs mentioned in this chapter, or their translated lyrics.

Dining at his private table at the Hanyang Country Club, Chairman Na paid his waiter little heed as he chewed his steak loudly.

"You asked for me, Chairman-nim?" asked Secretary Bae as he entered.

Chairman Na glanced at Secretary Bae and grunted before taking one gulp of red wine from his glass. The younger man immediately bowed and took a seat opposite the old man.

"How is your pursuit of Choi Hansong's daughter?"

"Ah… Choi Yinna-ssi is on a trip overseas. When she returns, I will resume my efforts to court her," replied Secretary Bae as he carefully worded his reply.

"What about Kang Inho?"

"Kang Inho? He is no longer a candidate to be Chairman Choi's son-in-law…. He did not feel qualified."

Chairman Na emitted his usual deep, guttural laugh.

"Smart. Is he really Kwon Yul's right hand man?"

"Yes, Chairman-nim."

The Chairman raised his glass and swirled his wine a few times as he studied it.

"Remove the right hand, and we will hamper Kwon Yul's efforts, for sure."

Secretary Bae's eyes widened.

"Chairman-nim?"

The Chairman leaned forward and stared at his guest.

"Tell me everything you know about Kang Inho... You'll have a higher position soon, I promise."

Secretary Bae anxiously adjusted his jacket as he wondered what to do.

#

Inho had fallen asleep in his comfortable leather chair on Chairman Choi's private jet to Jeju Island. As Dajeong sat watching him, she fingered a platinum wedding band that dangled from a matching chain around her neck.

"Here," Inho had said as he gently placed it on her and fastened it together. "We'll wear them this way until we're ready to announce our marriage."

"Let me put yours on," she had offered as she lifted another chain from a gift box and strung his ring on it. He grinned as she clasped it around his neck.

"I can't believe that we're married."

Dajeong just smiled and said nothing as she thought of that nightmare she had dreamt days ago. She was so glad that it didn't come true!

"Now we'll build some lovely memories together," she had replied.

Inho shifted and awoke from his nap. Disoriented, he panicked as he looked about the plane cabin, until he saw his bride right next to him.

"There you are," he said, relieved as he took her hand in his and rubbed it gently. "What were you thinking about?"

Shyly, she leaned her head against his shoulder and savored the moment.

"I'm glad we were able to pay our respects to our parents and to Ajubeonim before we left."

Inho nodded.

"I felt so honored, bowing before your father."

"Emm," she said with a thoughtful smile. "Do you think Ajubeonim understands our relationship?"

"I think he knows that I'm happy, and that's all that matters. I'll explain the inheritance part to him later."

#

Donning their hats and sunglasses, Inho and Dajeong had stopped by Sooho's nursing home with three plain clothes bodyguards following behind them at a distance.

"Stay here," Inho said to them outside his hyung's room.

"Yes, Kang Gwajang-nim," they answered.

Sooho was lying in bed with his eyes closed when the newlyweds came in and sat beside him.

"Hyung," said Inho as he reached out to touch Sooho's shoulder. "Dajeong-ssi and I came to see you."

Slowly, Sooho opened his eyes and stared at his brother.

"You… came…" he said.

"I have something important to tell you, Hyung…" Inho grinned as he glanced at Dajeong. "She and I… we love each other."

Sooho looked at Dajeong, and then at his brother before a small grin appeared on his face.

"Congratulations…"

Dajeong took Sooho's hand and clasped it between hers.

"Ajubeonim, in the future I'll be visiting and taking care of you much more often."

"And one day I hope to have you move in with us," added Inho excitedly.

"Thank… you…" said Sooho with a slight nod.

"We... visited our parents' graves together," said Dajeong, who was about to let go of Sooho's hand, but he held on to hers tightly.

"Take care… of brother…" he said to her.

"I will," she promised him.

"Hyung, from now on, I have people guarding your room, okay? Don't be afraid. They look just like regular visitors."

Sooho frowned. "Why?" he asked.

"In case any reporters or other nosy people want to ask questions they shouldn't ask."

"You… in trouble?"

"Don't worry, Hyung. While my boss is running for president, you never know who may come over here trying to ask you questions. Don't tell them anything, okay?" Inho asked as he put his index finger to his lips.

Wide-eyed, Sooho nodded his consent. At that moment his regular nurse, Ms. Go, came in.

"Kang Sooho-ssi, it's time to take your temperature," she said pleasantly.

"Has he had fewer seizures?" asked Inho as she put a digital thermometer to Sooho's ear.

Nurse Go stared at Inho for a second before she replied, "Ah, you must be one of Sooho-ssi's friends. Normally, we only give family members that information."

Inho was taken aback as Dajeong suppressed a chuckle.

"Nurse-nim, this is Kang Inho-ssi, Kang Sooho-ssi's brother."

Nurse Go's mouth dropped as she studied Inho from head to toe. She did this for so long that she almost forgot to remove the thermometer from her patient's ear.

"Omo… Kang Inho-ssi? Uwa, your hair is… daebak! I couldn't recognize you!"

"I'm sorry…" began Inho.

"No, no, it's very… cute!"

She glanced at the thermometer. "Your hyung is doing well tonight," she added cheerily as she went to the door. "Excuse me, but I need to check on my other patients. Annyeong!"

Inho started waving, but he stopped in mid-air and frowned.

"Why didn't she recognize me?"

"You're so cute now that you almost look like another person," laughed Dajeong.

"But I don't look that different, do I?"

"Why don't we test that out?" Dajeong suggested playfully. "Let's count how many people fail to recognize you in the next day."

"Then that will be everyone, where we're going next."

"Pssh! You're no fun," grumbled Dajeong as she folded her arms. "Let's count them in the next week, then."

When they left Sooho's room, Dajeong noticed a grizzled old patient doddering behind them, muttering to himself.

"I'll get you, Kang Hyunchul… Just you wait!"

Dajeong took note of that name, but with her husband tugging at her, she forgot all about it as she looked forward to their brief honeymoon together.

#

Fifteen minutes before their flight was about to land, Dajeong caught Inho reading text messages on his phone. She crept up to him and snatched it out of his hand.

"Yah!" he objected as he tried to recover it from her.

"Turn it off!" she retorted. "Or you're not getting it back!"

He tried again, but this time she ran into the bathroom and held his phone over the commode.

"Promise me that during our time in Jeju, you'll keep this phone turned off," she demanded. "Or it's going down the toilet!"

He held up his hands in surrender.

"Wait! I'll do what Dajeong-ssi asks, I promise!"

Staring at him through narrowed eyes, she gave him his phone back. He grumbled as he turned it off.

"But how am I going to take pictures of our trip?" he asked.

She grinned and brought her camera bag out.

"See? From now on I'm going to take a lot of pictures of you!"

Inho gulped as his eyes widened. He had never liked having his picture taken.

"You don't plan on hiding that gorgeous face of yours, do you?" asked Dajeong.

Gorgeous? She really thinks I'm gorgeous? He gave her a sardonic smile.

"I think you've lost your sense of beauty, Dajeong-ssi, because I'm not at all gorgeous."

She got close to him and cocked her head this way and that, studying his face, which made him feel even more ill at ease.

"Yah, Kang Gwajang-nim. Who told you that you were ugly?"

"Nobody," he shrugged.

"Somebody must have said something like that when you were growing up," she insisted.

"When I was growing up, I was told to study hard and work hard, and then I would succeed. No one told me I was ugly, but nobody told me I was handsome or cute, either," he squinted as he thought of the past.

"No wonder."

"Whenever I took my I.D. photos, they never came out well, you know?"

"They're I.D. photos! Of course they're not going to look good! Didn't you ever get a professional picture taken?"

"Not… really."

"Well…" she said as she took her camera out of its bag. "We'll have to do something about that."

He held up his hand and covered his face.

"Please don't take any pictures of me right now?"

"But I want to document our honeymoon!" she insisted.

"Aish!" he exclaimed. "Must you?"

"Someday we'll want to show our kids!"

"Ah…" he hadn't quite thought that far yet. "You think we'll have any?"

"Of course…" she began, until she realized what she was saying.

Inho chuckled the moment he saw her cheeks redden, but she brazenly replied to his face, "You do plan on becoming a father someday, don't you?"

"Eh… right…" he sputtered. "As long as… you're the mother."

"Kang Gwajang-nim!" she cried as she depressed the button on her camera. Click!

"Stop it!" he yelled as he shielded his face with his arm.

But she wouldn't stop, so he finally had enough and reached out for the camera. In one successful ambush, he pried it loose from her hands and took it.

"I think it's better if I take pictures of my bride!" he declared as he started snapping photos of her.

"It's my camera! Give it back!" she yelled as she climbed him to grab it.

"You're not getting it back until I've taken my fair share!" he vowed.

"Yah!"

She pushed up against him so hard that he lost his balance and fell backwards, landing on a couch. She landed right on top of him.

"Aya…" he grimaced as he rubbed his arm.

He stopped when he saw her face right above his, staring at him with those super-expressive eyes. Mesmerized, he could only stare back at her.

A flight attendant gasped when she walked in with their drinks.

"Heok!"

Embarrassed, Dajeong and Inho scrambled to get off the couch.

"Sorry, we were fighting over the camera," said Dajeong.

"Yeah, she was mad that I wouldn't let her have it," added Inho as he gripped the camera tightly.

The flight attendant giggled, put down the drinks, and kept giggling on her way out.

"Thank… you?" Inho waved at her.

"I was going to say, you should at least take some pictures for your hyung," Dajeong chided her new husband.

"First, it's our children. Now, it's my hyung. How many more people are you going to drag into this?" asked an incredulous Inho as he held the camera high above her head.

"Everyone! If you don't give it back right now, I'll scream!"

She started to scream a little, and that was enough for her to seize the victory.

"All right, all right! Please don't," he begged as he returned it.

She took it from him with a satisfied grin and started shooting pictures of him again, to his consternation.

#

Back at the Hanyang Country Club, Secretary Bae recounted an edited version of what had happened at Chairman Choi's lunch.

"Who do you think is the woman he has to protect?" asked Chairman Na.

"Ah…" began Secretary Bae as he steadied his shaking hands. "I'm not sure… I don't know that much about Chief Kang's personal life."

"Humph. Then we'll have to find out who she is some other way, right?"

"Yes, Chairman-nim," said a discomfited Secretary Bae with a curt nod.

#

The newlyweds were exhausted by the time they arrived at Chairman Choi's cottage in Seogwipo that night, but with her curiosity aroused, Dajeong couldn't help but explore the place. She gasped when she arrived at a small drawing room with large arched windows.

"What is it, Dajeong-ssi?" asked Inho as he found her.

The sight of an ebony baby grand piano delighted her beyond words. She clapped her hands together.

"A piano!" she squealed as she ran to it. "I can play some music now!"

As she opened its fallboard, Inho surveyed the room. Not far from the piano stood an ornate guitar case.

"Hmm…" he grinned as he picked it up. He opened the case and inside laid a beautiful instrument.

"Maybe… we can make music together."

"I didn't know you played guitar!" exclaimed Dajeong.

Inho sat down on a leather chair and tuned his instrument.

"My omma was a piano player. She taught my hyung and I the basics, and then Hyung continued with it, but I later switched to the guitar."

"Are you going to play me something?" she begged.

Tired as he was, Inho obliged and played "Romanza" for her. When the song was finished after three minutes, she clapped.

"Gracias, Allehandeulo," she said as she remembered his Spanish name.

"Encantado, Deejae-ee."

She sat down at the piano.

"I should play something for you now."

He yawned as he took off his jacket.

"Yes, but I warn you, I may fall asleep."

"Then sleep. I'll tell you when to go to bed."

She focused for a moment and then started playing Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. When she glanced at her guardian angel seconds later, he was already snoring.

"Kang Gwajang-nim…" she muttered, disappointed. But she finished her sonata anyway. When she got up and turned around, she saw Inho grinning at her like a Cheshire cat.

"That was very beautiful," he said.

"You were awake?"

"Hmm, hmm, hmm," he chuckled inwardly. "I wanted to sleep so badly, but I just couldn't when you were playing such beautiful music, no?"

"Kang Gwajang-nim!" she sassed as she threw herself upon him.

"Uwa!" he caught her and laughed.

She looked around the house and noticed it had two bedrooms, so she asked him which one he wanted to sleep in?

"I have no preference," he said.

"Then let's go," she said as she dragged him (and he dragged their luggage) into the closest one.

Awkwardly, he told her she could take the other room if she liked.

"Why?"

"Because… Aish… We got married so quickly… I thought you might not be used to sharing a room together."

"Hmm… Is Kang Gwajang-nim used to sleeping with anyone?" she asked him with a naughty smile.

He replied that he wasn't.

"But," he continued as he sat down on the bed. "I welcome the opportunity… for a change."

"But you might not like it after getting elbowed, hit, or kneed in your sleep…"

"I don't care," he said in a serious manner. "It beats sleeping alone. But you might not like sharing the bed with me."

He patted the mattress beside him.

"I dare you."

She surprised him by jumping on to it with enthusiasm.

"I'm here."

"Well then, go to sleep."

She perched her head against his shoulder.

"Like this?"

He squinted.

"Do you go to bed with your nice clothes on?"

"Emm hmm. In fact, I got used to it after awhile at the Official Residence. That's how you know nothing happened between me and…"

"Ah! You don't have to tell me, Dajeong-ssi. You don't need to lie, either," said Inho, who was now uncomfortable with this turn of the conversation. He scrambled off the bed and opened his suitcase.

"But it's true! Besides, don't men tend to wonder about these things?"

"I… I've been too preoccupied with protecting you to wonder about anything!" Inho retorted as he looked very hard for his bedclothes. He found them and yanked them out.

"I was a pretend wife till the very end. I only slept on…"

"Okay!" he cried as he clapped his suitcase shut with a loud thud.

"His shoulder once…"

He stared at her as he wondered whether to believe her or not.

"You don't believe me, do you," she said with a miffed pout.

"I do… I'm going to change my clothes now," he said as he slowly backed away from her.

She stared back at him, indignant, as he bolted into the bathroom and shut the door. Once inside, he let out a sigh of relief.

#

In his sunroom, a satisfied Grandpa Choi viewed all of Inho and Dajeong's wedding photos on the Chairman's camera.

"Hyunchul, if only you were here. I wish you could have seen your grandson's happiness."

Chairman Choi came in with two cups of tea and set it down beside his father.

"Abeoji, are you still looking at wedding pictures?"

"You took some good ones, my son," Grandpa nodded.

The Chairman sat down and sipped his tea.

"I have all of the papers ready for the lawyers first thing tomorrow morning."

"Good."

The Chairman chuckled.

"That kid is too idealistic when it comes to love…"

"Just like his grandfather."

#

The Chairman and his lawyer had sat with Inho and Dajeong as they were about to sign their prenuptial agreement.

"Must we have one?" asked Inho.

"Of course," said Dajeong. "That way we'll both be protected."

"How much of the trust fund does she get, in the event you two split up?" asked the Chairman.

Inho thought for a moment, and then he solemnly declared, "All of it."

"What?!" Dajeong and the Chairman exclaimed together as they gaped at him.

"I'm serious. If I ever split up with Dajeong, that would mean I failed as a husband and as her guardian angel. In the event that happens, I want her and any children to get all of the money."

Flabbergasted, Dajeong reached out for his hand.

"But that's unfair. What would you live on?"

He smiled at her.

"I would be fine, Dajeong-ssi. Besides, this is just the trust fund. I'll have other assets or savings to fall back on."

"How about 90 percent for her and ten percent for you, then?" asked the Chairman.

"But what if the trust fund is depleted?" asked Dajeong.

"Then…" said Inho as he took her hand and gazed at her, "I'll give you and the children everything I have."

Her jaw dropped. Inho nodded at the Chairman's lawyer and said, "Please put that down."

Later, the Chairman thought as he observed them signing the papers, what a fool in love he is… but I can't fault him for being stingy or greedy, either…

#

Grandpa Choi sighed.

"You know, Son. Kang Hyunchul nearly died for love."

"How?" replied the Chairman, wide-eyed.

"I'll tell you some time," said Grandpa as he got up. "Now, I am going to rest."

Hyunchul, I will not let history repeat itself again, I promise.

#

Inho examined himself in the bathroom mirror. Indeed, he had been so anxious to please Dajeong and protect her that it hadn't occurred to him to ask about her past relationships. After all, he had completely fallen for her shameless yet seemingly innocent demeanor.

Omo, what kind of a fool am I? He wondered. What if she was a crazy or degenerate woman?

He slapped his cheek hard. She wouldn't have passed those background checks when we asked her to impersonate Kwon Yul's girlfriend. Remember?

Slowly, he opened the bathroom door and looked out into the bedroom. Wearing short-sleeved blue polka-dotted button down pajamas, Dajeong lay perched on top of the bed with her eyes shut. Inho covered his mouth as he tried very hard not to laugh at her cuteness. But when he glanced at her again, she was sitting up and staring at him innocently.

"Kang Gwajang-nim…" she said as she coyly beckoned to him. "You'll wake up tomorrow morning, I promise."

Gingerly he walked to the bed and got in. Then he turned his back to her and buried himself under the sheets.

"Uwa, you must really not be used to this. Otherwise, why would you act this way?"

"What," he retorted.

"Burying yourself under blankets on a hot summer night? Aren't you being too much?" she asked as she tried to pull the bedspread off him. But he pulled it right back from her.

"Pssh! That's what I get for marrying an old bachelor," she scoffed as she barreled over him to turn off his end table lamp. Soon only silence and moonlight streaming through the window enveloped the room.

"Kang Gwajang-nim, are you still awake?" she ventured as she reached out and touched his shoulder. When she received no reply, she lay back and reminisced about her life out loud.

"When I was little, I used to lie in bed and look out at the moon just like this. And then I would pray to God to see my omma in my dreams."

Inho said nothing as he felt a familiar pang go through his heart.

"Do you pray, Inho-ssi?"

His face became sad as he answered softly, "Not as much as Dajeong-ssi, I'm sure."

Dajeong propped herself up, trying to look over his shoulder.

"Omo, you're still awake?"

"How could I not be, when Dajeong-ssi is being so noisy?!"

"Aish, Kang Gwajang-nim!" she protested.

"But I'm thankful that you are noisy, especially during moments like these, when I think of my own omma," he said with his brows knitted together.

Dajeong raised herself just high enough to be able to look over his torso. The sight of her startled him.

"Stop looking over my shoulder!"

"Would your mom have liked me?" she asked softly.

"I… should be asking you that question."

Dajeong smiled.

"You know, it would be a lot easier having a conversation with you if you would turn my way."

He dabbed at his eyes, cleared his throat, and turned over toward her, but he stared at the bed sheets instead of at his wife. Dajeong watched him grab the blanket, ball up his fist around a fold of the fabric, and then uncurl it just as quickly. Gently she put her hand over his.

"What's bothering you?" she asked.

He hoped she couldn't see his forlorn eyes in the dark.

"I said you would have a place with me forever, but… that place can sometimes be… messy, chaotic, and even dangerous… Maybe after awhile, you won't even want to be there anymore…"

"Ah, nobody's perfect," she replied cheerfully. "For example, I'm a messy person. But if you're generous enough to put up with my physical messes, then why wouldn't I put up with your emotional ones?"

He drew her into a tight embrace and leaned his forehead against hers.

"Kumao, Dajeong-ssi… However, you might be uncomfortable tonight."

"Why?"

"Because I want to be this close to you," he said as he snuggled even tighter against her.

"Geuleom," she said with a little giggle as they settled in for the night.

#

The next morning, Yul sighed when he checked his phone and saw no reply from Dajeong. He had stayed up all night working on his speech with Hyejoo, and he was back to his usual insomniac ways that Dajeong had tried to remedy.

Hyejoo came into his office with coffee.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "You seem a bit out of it. I could come back later to discuss our speech, if you want."

"I'm fine."

"You were this way when you first lost Nayoung... Are you missing her?"

"I don't know. Do I miss her or Dajeong more?"

"I see," said Hyejoo quietly as she looked askance.

"But let's not waste time on my personal issues. Which draft of the speech are we on?"

Hyejoo took a sip of coffee, hoping to hide her melancholy.

#

Dajeong stood in the yard of the honeymoon cottage and took a deep breath of fresh air as she looked out at the surrounding beach and mountains.

"Good morning, my love," said Inho as he came and put his arms around her from behind. "What do you want to do today?"

"Hmm…" she said as she scanned the landscape before her gaze rested upon Hallasan's gorgeous mountain peak. "There," she said as she pointed at it.

Inho took her hiking around Seogwipo Natural Recreation Forest that day. By evening, when they returned to Seogwipo-si, they were used to all of the newlywed goodwill directed at them from strangers.

At the Haesan Restaurant where they had dinner, a mobile deejay went around to different tables with a microphone so customers could sing to their loved ones.

"Any newlyweds or honeymooners here tonight that want to sing to their bride or groom?" asked the deejay.

Dajeong glanced at Inho, but he ignored the invitation and kept eating.

"Ah," pointed the deejay at Inho. "I bet you're a honeymooner, aren't you!"

Dajeong giggled, but Inho's reply was disappointing.

"Sorry, but I don't sing," he replied politely.

"Now I find that hard to believe," said the deejay. "Don't you want to try at all?"

"No thanks," said Inho as he got up and put money on the table. "In fact, I think we're done with dinner. Let's go," he said as he grabbed Dajeong's hand.

"But what about dessert?" she asked.

"It's all right, you don't have to leave," said the deejay, who was now eager to keep a customer. "I won't make you sing."

"Sorry," said Inho with a bow before he pulled a reluctant Dajeong out of the restaurant behind him.

The deejay scratched his head and muttered, "He must be really shy…"

#

Hyejoo left Yul's office at 7:00 p.m. and loathed to think about dinner. Nowadays, she had plenty of dinner invitations, but they were all for politics or business. Privately, she was so tired of eating alone…

She thumbed through the contact list on her phone and called her landlady, who had been trying to set her up on a confidential blind date.

"Hello, Ajumma? This is Hyejoo. I thought about what you said the other night."

"Saturday? I'll be there."

She hung up and wondered if she had done the right thing, then she grimaced and walked on. She did not notice her follower a few paces behind her.

#

Dajeong was furious by the time she and Inho returned to the cottage. She tried to shake her hand free from his steel grip as she stormed inside.

"Would you let go of me?!" she demanded.

Inho smirked as he let her loose.

"Dajeong-ssi is cute when she's angry," he said as he shut and locked the door.

"Humph! How could you miss such a sweet chance to sing…"

"Because we have to be careful," said Inho as he handed her his phone. The advanced copy of the article that Reporter Byun had sent appeared on the screen. "You never know who may be spying… on us."

Dajeong was flabbergasted to see the write-up.

"What is this? Did they…?"

"He sent you a copy, too. When we get back to Seoul, we'll talk to him before Candidate-nim's speech."

"Wait a minute… you were supposed to keep that thing off!" she yelled as she tried to grab his phone. But he dodged her this time and ran into the parlor, where she followed.

"I'm turning it off now. See?" he hollered as he shut it down.

With her arms crossed, she glared at him. But Inho chuckled and sat down at the piano, where he made a big show of stretching his arms and cracking his knuckles.

"I may not play very well, but I want to sing this song to my beautiful bride," he said as he started pounding the keys.

Instantly Dajeong's face lit up. Her husband was playing one of her favorite romantic songs of all time, Browneyed Soul's "Nothing Better". She went up to the piano and leaned against it to enjoy his performance.

Inho's husky baritone voice kicked in as he sang,

"One day you appeared in my life

And I still remember your face from that day

My numb, dysfunctional, broken heart…

By your bright smile

That's how you easily opened my heart

It's true, that is how I became your man

All my unpleasant past, I can no longer recall

Because the hand that holds me tight

Is as warm as the spring

And from now on, like breathing,

Always rest by my side

And if we could just remain this way

Nothing better, nothing better than you

Nothing better, nothing better than you…"

Dajeong was in tears by the end of the song. When Inho got up, she flew into his arms, nearly knocking him over.

"Kumao, Kang Gwajang-nim," she said as she squeezed him tight.

Inho's teeth showed as he grinned and encircled her.

"I think I made three mistakes on the piano part…"

"Four. But it was still beautiful."

Inho laughed and shook his head before kissing her hair.

#

At the Park residence, Joonki and Yoonhee were eating dinner as Baby Myeongsook slept peacefully in her crib in an adjoining room. Suddenly, she started crying.

"Aigoo, who rang that doorbell?!" cried a frustrated Yoonhee as she left the table. "Whoever it was deserves to die for waking our baby!"

Joonki put down his chopsticks.

"I'll go comfort her," he said as he got up.

The doorbell rang again. Yoonhee marched to the door and yanked it open, but the sight of her visitor stopped her cold.

"Omo… It's you…?"

"Yoonhee-ah," said the fashionable middle-aged woman standing in front of her. "Aren't you glad to see me?"

Na Yoonhee gaped at the woman that her father hated the most.

#

Wearing a white t-shirt and shorts, Dajeong came out of the bathroom giggling.

"Kang Gwajang-nim, look!" she said as she showed him the box she had held behind her back.

"What's that?" he asked.

"Hair dye. Are you ready to go back to black? I am."

"Uh…" he looked dumbfounded. "I can't. Lorenzo would kill me…"

"Who cares about him? This way maybe we won't be easily recognized. Come on, safety first."

She grabbed his hand and led him toward the bathroom.

#

"Aigoo, Dajeong-ee. You got married so fast!" interrupted Appa. "That Chairman Choi, he was very nice to you and to Kang Son-in-law."

Dajeong smiled. "Yes, he and Harabeoji became like family to us. Anyway, next, we…

"Aigoo! You want me to go up there?" Appa said suddenly as he looked up. "I'll be right up!"

Dajeong looked up at the sky but saw no one.

"They want me to go up. They need me to take care of something," said Appa.

"But…"

"Don't worry, I'll be right back. But I can't refuse an angel's call, you know. Just… continue with your story."

He looked up and hollered, "Coming!" before disappearing in front of her.

"Appa…" said Dajeong, who looked around the courtyard for him, dismayed. But then she thought about it and laughed.

"Good timing, Dad. Really good timing."

#

Inho had no idea how his new wife had managed to wheedle him into it, but soon he found himself in a t-shirt and shorts, sitting obediently in the bathroom as she executed the messy hair coloring affair from start to finish.

"Don't worry, I've done this several times before," she said as she ran her fingers through his locks.

Half an hour later, with both of them needing to rinse, she and Inho jostled their way to the shower stall.

"Uh… you'll have to step out," said Inho as he stopped her from going in.

"Why? I need to rinse, too."

"You can't watch me!"

"What? Why not? I thought I could help you in there!"

"Would you like me to peek at you while you're in the shower?"

Dajeong laughed.

"Kang Gwajang-nim, we're married!"

He sighed and set foot in the shower still wearing his clothes, and then he pointed his finger at her.

"You are not allowed in here! Get out!"

"Fine, then I'm going to stand here and watch you, Mr. Kang Inho!" she retorted. "Don't be too long, or my hair will turn to mush!"

He closed the glass shower stall door and turned on the shower. She folded her arms and tapped her foot as he turned his back to her.

The water soothed him. Ah… he thought as he rubbed his face. But a knock on the shower door shattered his tranquility.

"Kang Gwajang-nim! You missed a spot!" Dajeong yelled as she pointed at his head.

She watched him for a few seconds before she marched into the shower to help. He backed away from her.

"What are you doing? Go away!"

She pointed at his head and said, "There. You missed that spot."

"What spot?" he cried as he frantically tried to rinse every part of his head.

Dajeong took advantage of his momentary confusion to grab her place underneath the running water.

"Kumao, Kang Gwajang-nim!"

"Yah!" he yelled. "How dare you…"

She gave him her most charming grin and stuck out her tongue at him as he stood aside, dripping helplessly. But with each passing second, the sight of water soaking through her t-shirt and leaving shiny droplets on her skin mesmerized him. Since when did she suddenly transform into an enchanting mermaid before his very eyes? Inho could hardly contain himself as his heart beat faster and faster.

Mermaids were meant to be caught; especially wet and wild ones like Nam Dajeong. From that moment on, Kang Inho would only focus on one goal. His wife hadn't yet noticed the sudden rise in his intensity until she finished rinsing her hair. Still smiling, she looked up at him and saw a predator ready to pounce. His indomitable expression and fiery gaze startled her and at once made her wary.

"Are you still mad?" she asked cautiously. "Because you can have the water back now."

Without a word he caught her in his arms and pulled her in tight. She gasped before he imposed himself upon her drenched lips and shut his eyes, refusing to yield.

"Emm!" she reacted, wide-eyed. But soon she succumbed to his onslaught and they shared a sustained, passionate lip lock underneath a steamy cascade of water. All concept of time vanished.

When at last he relented, Inho was breathing hard.

"Saeksi… Aleumdawo… You're so beautiful…" he said as he gazed into her eyes.

She grinned and leaned her head against him, too embarrassed to confess that what had just transpired was the first passionate kiss she had ever received. But now she understood why he had acted so strange around her.

"One more time…?" she asked.

Without hesitation he drew her in close and repeated the entire process all over again.