Chapter 9
There Is Something I Want to Do Right Now
Yoonjae was chewing the rice cake Jinju had just fed him, his lips moving slightly.
‘W-what should I do?’
She had managed to get the rice cake into his mouth, but now the red bean powder clung unevenly to his lips.
‘This won’t do.’
With no other choice, Jinju brought her fingers back to his lips. Being as careful as possible not to touch too much, she lightly brushed across them with her thumb while using her other fingers to gently wipe away the remaining red bean powder.
“……!”
Yoonjae, who had been staring straight at her face, flinched as if the rice cake he was chewing might fall out.
Her small fingers grazed his lips—tingling sensations shot through him. A current seemed to run down his spine. Then her pinky lightly tapped and brushed against him, and the edges of his lips burned as if scalded.
Soon, a ticklish shiver began at the crown of his head.
Gradually, Yoonjae’s face turned red, starting from his ears.
Seeing him like that, Jinju assumed he was flustered because of her actions. She leaned closer and whispered softly by his ear.
“There was some rice cake powder on your lips. It’s all gone now.”
Her warm breath scattered across his cheek and jaw. His already tingling body now broke out in goosebumps.
“…Ah.”
Without realizing it, his lips parted slightly. It felt as though sweat was forming at the back of his neck.
“Now, the mother-in-law and the groom will bow to each other. Since Jinju’s teacher, Ms. Nam Aesoon, is like a mother to her, she will take the role of the mother-in-law.”
Though not her real mother, Aesoon was no different from one to Jinju. Taking their places, Aesoon and Yoonjae bowed to each other.
After straightening up, Aesoon reached out first and took Yoonjae’s large hands in both of hers. A deep, emotional warmth shimmered in her eyes.
‘Yoonjae… you’ve grown up so well. Moon above, heavens above, spirits of earth and sky… thank you for raising our Yoonjae into such a fine man.’
A small tear had already formed at the edge of her dark eyes.
Quickly wiping it away, Aesoon gently stroked the back of his hand.
“Our Jinju… please cherish her warmly and dearly for all your days, son-in-law.”
Yoonjae, feeling how unusually warm her hands were, looked down, overcome with emotion.
Perhaps because of that, though he always addressed her as Teacher Nam Aesoon—
“Yes, Mother. I will.”
Today, he wanted to call her something different.
At the unexpected word “Mother” from Yoonjae’s lips, the dam Aesoon had been holding back finally broke. Tears welled up and streamed down her cheeks.
“My apologies, son-in-law. This old woman is being foolish on such a good day. Please understand.”
After the noisy arrival of the wedding chest, Aesoon’s house finally grew quiet late into the night, once dinner and drinks had been served and all the guests had left.
Someone had insisted that, as tradition dictated, the groom should be hung upside down and have the soles of his feet beaten, but no one dared to tie Yoonjae to a tree and carry it out. In the end, it never happened.
After all, most of those present were current or future members of the changgeuk troupe, and everyone knew that Yoonjae’s father was the owner of the country’s top entertainment company. Who would dare lay a hand on him? In the end, they simply shared a drink and quietly concluded the welcoming of the groom.
Clink.
Jinsu poured a drink for Yoonjae in the sarangbang. Though Yoonjae was his superior at work, their relationship had become awkward now that he had married Jinju, making him, in a sense, the younger one in the family.
“Does Jinju have any… particular conditions?”
“…Pardon? What do you mean?”
Yoonjae narrowed his eyes slightly. It was already embarrassing enough to ask Baek Jinsu such things, but his clueless response made it even more frustrating. Still, at the moment, Jinsu seemed to know Jinju best.
“Like if she has any weak points. Or what she eats well. Places she likes…”
“Ah! Jinju isn’t picky—she eats most things well. But she prefers vegetarian food, so she doesn’t eat much meat.”
A singer who prefers vegetarian food? From what he’d seen before, she didn’t seem to dislike meat.
Yoonjae had been curious all along.
What kind of freedom had Baek Jinju wanted?
“And places she likes?”
“She has an easygoing personality, so she likes wherever you take her…”
“Where have you taken her?”
Yoonjae asked bluntly. He was also curious about how Jinsu felt about Jinju. But judging by his vague answers, it didn’t seem like there was much of a story between them.
Was it just an innocent first love between naive kids?
He felt relieved—but even that didn’t sit well with him. Instead, a sudden sense of pity filled him, thinking that such a lovely woman hadn’t been loved enough.
“We went to performances a lot, but…”
“Not work. Personally—where does she like to go?”
Jinsu thought for a moment, scratching his eyebrow.
“She’s been traveling for pansori performances since she was very young, barely managing to attend school. She’s never really gone on personal trips.”
He had expected as much, but hearing it confirmed made him feel sorry for her.
‘So in the end, Baek Jinju hasn’t gone out to enjoy food or travel anywhere.’
Yoonjae felt a strange bitterness. Her past must have been unbearably monotonous.
‘Is that why she wanted freedom so badly?’
“And… strawberry ice cream.”
“Yes?”
“Why does she eat it so often?”
He had seen Jinsu and Jinju go to an ice cream shop near the troupe after work several times. From a distance, she always seemed to be eating strawberry ice cream.
“When she gets scolded by her teacher, or when she’s practicing alone and gets stuck on a part, she eats strawberry ice cream to feel better.”
“I see.”
Resting his chin on one hand, Yoonjae’s eyes darkened like a deep well.
That same night.
Aesoon and Jinju lay under the same blanket for the first time in a while. With the wedding approaching, Aesoon had asked her to sleep together that night.
Somewhere in the yard, crickets chirped loudly in chorus. Though they tried to sleep, neither could, both staring at the ceiling.
“Your father-in-law says Yoonjae is reliable. He doesn’t talk much, but he’s deeply warm-hearted.”
“Yes.”
To Jinju, Yoonjae seemed like someone who lacked nothing and feared nothing. Throughout the day—receiving the wedding chest, hosting guests, sharing drinks with elders—he handled everything smoothly, always sitting solidly by her side when needed.
“…He still hasn’t opened up about what’s inside his heart, has he?”
“No.”
Jinju thought about it.
What would it feel like if this marriage were one born of true love—if she truly loved him, and he loved her just as deeply? Like Chunhyang and Mongryong from the love songs she always sang, unable to bear even a moment apart.
“Jinju.”
Under the blanket, Aesoon held her hand more tightly.
“Yes, Teacher.”
“No matter what anyone says, you are my daughter.”
Her son Jinsu was affectionate, but it was different from having a daughter. Jinju had grown up by her side since seventeen—both as a student and as a daughter—without ever causing trouble, becoming Aesoon’s greatest comfort and pride.
Holding her hand firmly with both of hers, Aesoon gently stroked the back of it.
“When you marry, you must live happily.”
“Yes.”
Jinju felt a sting at the tip of her nose, but she steadied herself.
Even if it wasn’t the passionate love she had always dreamed of, she would try her best to be happy.
The next day, as Jihoon had planned, the wedding was grand and extravagant.
Media outlets buzzed as they exaggerated the story of Korea’s beautiful young pansori singer Baek Jinju and the young performance director who fell in love with her at first sight.
After a whirlwind ceremony, the two greeted their guests and quickly departed for their honeymoon.
All Jinju knew was that the destination Yoonjae had reserved was an island in Polynesia in the South Pacific—and that the flight would take over twelve hours.
She worried about sitting next to him alone for such a long time, but upon being guided to their seats, she felt relieved to find that they were separated.
A first-class suite for top-tier VIPs.
The space before her eyes was so unfamiliar, it was hard to believe she was even on a plane.
A private in-flight suite for just two people, resembling a luxury hotel. Jinju looked around as a staff member introduced the wide dining table, private seating, and even a bathroom.
Yoonjae asked the staff a few questions in fluent English, nodded, and the staff left after closing the door. As an announcement came over the speaker, Jinju sat down and fastened her seatbelt.
“What did the staff say?”
She understood some English, but it had been too fast and mixed with French.
“They explained the schedule. After the course meal, we can rest, and when it’s time to sleep, this place will be arranged as a honeymoon suite. So we can relax comfortably without being disturbed.”
“…What?”
A honeymoon suite… on a plane?
“I like that it has a large double bed.”
Jinju looked around—and sure enough, there was only one bed.
‘One bed?’
“At least we’ll be able to sleep comfortably. It’s been a tiring day.”
Jinju realized her simple assumption—that they’d just eat and sleep in their seats—had been completely wrong.
What is this? This situation is nothing like what I imagined.
Soon, the plane took off. Once they reached cruising altitude and the clouds came into view, a staff member returned with the meal menu.
“Excuse me.”
Taking the menu, Yoonjae glanced at Jinju.
“Do you have a preferred wine?”
“Oh, no.”
He nodded slightly and ordered a wine after a brief exchange with the staff.
“It’s recommended by a world-famous wine cellar—apparently one women tend to like, so I chose it.”
“Yes.”
Each time he finished speaking, silence followed.
Soon, two glasses of wine and appetizers were placed on the table. He slid a glass of red wine toward her.
But Jinju’s mind was consumed by a single thought.
‘A double bed… do we have to sleep together?’
Too tense to taste anything, she couldn’t focus on the wine at all.
‘Really… under the same blanket?’
The thought kept growing until she frowned unconsciously.
‘It’s better to just ask directly.’
Lifting her head, she fixed her gaze on him.
“Um… do we have to sleep together on that bed tonight?”
Yoonjae had already noticed her distracted expression.
‘Ha… so the double bed is the issue.’
He picked up his wine glass and lightly clinked it against hers.
Clink.
“That wouldn’t happen. It was clearly stated in the contract before—I won’t initiate any physical contact or share a bed with you.”
He took a sip of wine.
“So don’t worry. The bed is just so you can rest comfortably—you must be tired today.”
“…?”
“It’s also my wedding gift.”
This flight had been carefully arranged by Yoonjae just for her, secured through connections despite a tight schedule.
“You’ve been busy with the troupe and performances, and preparing for the wedding must have been exhausting. It’s my way of saying I’m glad we made it through the wedding.”
She had assumed it was just because he was wealthy—but hearing that he had prepared this specifically for her made her feel both surprised and apologetic.
“Thank you.”
She already knew he was meticulous and thoughtful. Even as a director, he had never shown any gaps.
Perhaps that was why.
Jinju glanced at him. At some point, she had begun looking at him more often.
‘If he keeps acting like that… I might start to mistake him for someone warm and dependable.’
As if there might be even a little sincerity in his heart.
She turned her head and looked out the window. The plane had already risen above the clouds, gliding gently across the blue sky.
“Now that we’re married.”
She turned back to him.
“…?”
“Do what you want to do. You can now.”
Her words about wanting freedom after marriage had stayed deeply in his mind.
Jinju smiled faintly.
“Why are you smiling like that?”
“There is something I want to do right now… but I can’t.
