Gun-Ho told President Shin and Director Jong-Suk Park about Jae-Sik Moon’s wedding. He told them that Jae-Sik would have a wedding ceremony in a church in Bucheon City and that he was already living with his lover and since she was pregnant, he wanted to have a small and quiet wedding. They were all surprised by Jae-Sik’s wedding news because they thought he was already married.
Jae-Sik Moon actually hadn’t met his wife’s parents yet. He had met a girl who he liked and started living with her without going through any formal steps or social customs for it. Now, she was pregnant, and they were preparing to move to another country to work. So, he wanted to make their “living together” situation official before moving overseas by having a wedding ceremony and arranging a meeting between two families. Jae-Sik finally met her parents in a café in front of Bucheon Station for the first time. Her parents had a hard life financially, and when Jae-Sik saw them, he could tell that their harsh life was showing on their faces.
Her father talked first.
“I’ve heard a lot about you from my daughter. It’s very nice finally meeting you.”
Jae-Sik’s wife’s father and mother seemed to like Jae-Sik.
“I should have prepared a better place for the wedding with your daughter. Everything just happened so quickly because we have to move abroad soon. I’m so sorry that it had to be this way.”
“No, it’s okay, don’t say that. The venue for a wedding is not important. The most important thing is that you two live together happily.”
In the evening after meeting with his wife’s parents, Jae-Sik Moon took his wife to the new condo near the East Incheon Station to introduce her to his parents. His wife gave a deep bow to them showing the utmost respect.
Jae-Sik’s mother seemed to be concerned more about her physical condition because she was carrying her grandchild. She said, “You don’t have to give us a deep bow. You should care more about the baby that you are carrying.”
Also, since it was their first time meeting her, they didn’t feel very comfortable yet having her around. Jae-Sik’s mother prepared all sorts of dishes for her. It seemed that she cooked every single dish that she knew how to cook.
The four of them sat at the dining table for dinner. Jae-Sik’s father said, “I feel so delighted today having dinner with you. All four of us are now family, and I do love to have dinner like this. I wish you could stay in Korea living with us.”
Jae-Sik arranged the meeting between two families the day after tomorrow. Since there was not enough time, everything had to happen in a few days. He made a reservation with a restaurant in Jung Town, Bucheon City. It was an Italian restaurant called Naris Kitchen. Jae-Sik and his wife picked that restaurant because they wanted to have their parents experience luxurious and exotic food.
When Jae-Sik and his wife were searching for a nice restaurant for the family meeting, Jae-Sik’s wife said to Jae-Sik, “My parents are living in a townhouse in Wonmi Town. Whenever my mom passed by Bucheon Station, she used to point out a restaurant nearby and said what kind of people would have a meal in a nice restaurant like that. I want her to have dinner in that restaurant enjoying meat dishes as much as she could.”
However, it turned out that the parents from the two families couldn’t focus on food that day. They didn’t even talk much. Both parents wanted to show their best themselves to each other and acted very carefully accordingly. Jae-Sik and his wife were the ones who did all the talk most of the time.
The parents of Jae-Sik and his wife probably felt sorry that they hadn’t been of much help in preparing their child’s wedding. They thought that they were supposed to financially support their child and that they failed to do so. Also, they seemed to not consider themselves as proud parents. Actually, they were the ones who raised Jae-Sik and his wife, and Jae-Sik and his wife grew to become a proud member of the society because of them, but it seemed that they didn’t see it.
It was Friday evening. Gun-Ho and Young-Eun were sitting at the dining table and having dinner together in the TowerPalace condo in Dogok Town. Gun-Ho talked to her about Jae-Sik’s wedding.
“He is my hometown friend. We grew up in the same town and went to the same high school. He is working at one of my companies. Right after the wedding, He will move to China with his wife and will be working there. His wife is now three months pregnant, so he is rushing into doing their wedding. His wife once told him that she had been dreaming about wearing a wedding dress.”
“That’s very common among women.”
“His wedding is tomorrow. He arranged to have it in the church where he goes every Sunday in the late evening. I will have to go there. I’m sort of concerned that his wedding could be too quiet because he didn’t invite many friends. Will you go there with me? I will buy you sashimi at Yeonan Pier in Incheon City.”
“Sashimi? Is it okay to eat raw fish in summer?”
“It’s okay. It would be nice to have sashimi while looking out at the ocean on a hot day like these days.”
“Sounds good then. I will be bored staying home by myself without you anyway. Moreover, I can be an additional wedding guest to your friend.”
“Great. Thank you. Let’s have fun tomorrow.”
It was Jae-Sik Moon’s wedding day.
Gun-Ho let Jae-Sik and his wife use his Bentley and his chauffeur— Chan-Ho Eum— for their wedding. He drove his Land Rover with Young-Eun heading to the church in Bucheon City.
When they arrived at the wedding venue, there were many guests already, more than they expected even though it was Saturday evening. Jae-Sik’s parents were standing next to the congratulatory flower wreath that Gun-Ho had sent. They were wearing white gloves.
At the entrance, Gun-Ho saw Min-Hyeok Kim and Jong-Suk Park. They were standing there.
“Huh? You came with your wife.”
“Hello.”
Young-Eun and Jong-Suk greeted each other.
Jong-Suk then introduced his wife, who was holding their baby, to Gun-Ho’s wife. Thankfully, Jong-Suk brought his wife as well.
“Hey, Min-Hyeok, you made it.”
Gun-Ho greeted Min-Hyeok who came all the way from China to attend Jae-Sik’s wedding.
President Jeong-Sook Shin came as well. President Shin seemed to be really happy to see Young-Eun there. After meeting with the guests who Gun-Ho knew, Gun-Ho eventually approached Jae-Sik’s parents.
“Hello. I’m Gun-Ho Goo— Jae-Sik’s friend.”
“Oh, Gun-Ho!”
Jae-Sik’s mother recognized Gun-Ho. She gave a hug to him.
“We are so grateful to see Jae-Sik’s old friends here. Thank you for coming!”
Gun-Ho also saw his sister and her husband, and also his high school friend— Min-Ho Kang— who was working for a civic organization.
The wedding ceremony began.
The bride in a wedding dress was walking the aisle with her father. Gun-Ho noticed that her body was trembling slightly in joy. Tears appeared in her eyes.
The church’s pastor presided over the wedding, and the church choir sang for the wedding. Gun-Ho liked the ambiance that the church wedding was providing. It was a small wedding with only family, close relatives, and a few friends, but it gave a cozy feeling. It felt like only those people, who would truly share the feeling of joy for Jae-Sik’s wedding, were there.
When it was time for picture-taking with the guests, Gun-Ho could clearly see how many guests actually attended the wedding. There were five friends of Jae-Sik’s— Gun-Ho Goo, Min-Hyeok Kim, Min-Ho Kang, Jong-Suk Park, and there was one more friend who Gun-Ho didn’t recognize. He was probably Jae-Sik’s friend from college or somewhere who studied creative writing with Jae-Sik. The bride seemed to have invited six friends. Well, that day, Jae-Sik Moon, who was the son of a hog farm worker, and the daughter of a duct worker who was now a street vendor finally married officially. Their marriage was blessed by their family and friends in a church.
