Chapter 11: Co-habitation Contract (1)

“If you insist on formality one more time, be prepared for a broken engagement. What kind of hotel wedding are we talking about in our situation?”

“It seems like Dong-bin’s parents want a grand wedding.”

“Considering we’re already taking out a mortgage for the house, it’s frustrating to be told to spend money on unnecessary things.”

“True.”

“They said marriage isn’t about love but trust. Now the trust is about to break.”

Having started studying again last year and entering university this year, Minjoo was busy in many ways. On her way back from having dinner with Hye-kyung, whom she had decided to stay with at her home, she quietly listened to Hye-kyung’s complaints and smiled. It was new to see the usually calm and rational Hye-kyung expressing her emotions.

Eight months ago, Hye-kyung started dating. Within three months, they set a wedding date. From Minjoo’s perspective, it was fascinating how people decide to get married with certain feelings at specific moments. Although she wanted to see Hye-kyung in her wedding dress, she also thought she might cry when she actually saw it.

***

They reached the two-story building. Carefully stepping over the cracked and partially collapsed stairs, they made their way up to Minjoo’s apartment on the second floor. As they climbed the stairs, the hallway came into view. Hye-kyung pointed at something.

“Why are there so many flower pots here?”

Along both sides of the hallway leading to Minjoo’s apartment, flowerpots were lined up in a row. Various flowers were in full bloom, brightening up the old hallway. Hye-kyung bent over to admire the flowers with a smile.

“Is this what people mean by walking on a flower path these days? When do you manage all this? Minjoo, you’re impressive.”

“Oh, those….”

Minjoo wasn’t the one taking care of them. She wasn’t good at growing plants. If Hye-kyung found out that Gihyun had put them there, she would surely be surprised. Minjoo pretended to be busy with something else, glancing at the flowerpots. The soil in the pots was wet. Even without inspecting them closely, it was clear that the plants were thriving. It was evidence that Gihyun visited every day.

Over the past year, Gihyun had continuously hovered around Minjoo. If he had to go on a business trip, even his secretary would come by. At one point, a male secretary was replaced by a female bodyguard. It was an unnecessary jealousy.

Initially, the uninvited guest would leave small items like food. On days when Minjoo had a cough, a bag of vitamins or medicine would be left at her door. On her birthday last year, a cake and a birthday card were left at the door. She left them untouched. Gihyun’s gestures of goodwill were always rejected in this manner.

A few months ago, he left a flowerpot. While Minjoo liked flowers, she didn’t want to kill them. That day, for the first time, she caught Gihyun and said:

“I’m not good at taking care of them because I’m struggling. Take them back.”

Just being approached by Minjoo made Gihyun’s face light up. As soon as he had a chance, he clung to her desperately.

“You don’t need to worry. I’ll take care of them.”

Minjoo left the flowers to him, and the number of flowerpots gradually increased. However, it wasn’t all bad to have flowers in the old and bleak hallway. Sometimes, it provided comfort. Minjoo left and returned, seeing the flowers both times.

Reflecting on the history of the flower path, Minjoo pulled open the front door. The cheap yellow linoleum greeted Minjoo and Hye-kyung. They changed into comfortable pants and took out the drinks and snacks they had brought.

They spent Friday night happily, with Hye-kyung drinking beer and Minjoo having a soda. Hye-kyung pulled out a squid leg and said:

“Minjoo, catch the bouquet for me.”

“The bouquet?”

“If you catch the bouquet, you don’t have to believe in the superstition that you’ll have to get married quickly.”

“I don’t mind. But I’m not sure if I should catch it.”

“What are you talking about? It would be nice if the closest person catches it. I’m going to put it in the wedding album.”

Minjoo nodded with a smile. Even if she believed in superstitions, she was willing to do it for Hye-kyung.

***

Minjoo was deep in thought for a while. Besides the student loan, she needed money for living expenses. To qualify for scholarships, she also had to study. At least she was covering the necessary expenses with tutoring jobs. However, with Hye-kyung’s wedding approaching, her financial strain was increasing.

She was troubled. Although she had generously contributed to the wedding gift, she didn’t have an appropriate outfit for the wedding. Hye-kyung said it didn’t matter, but Minjoo was bothered by it.

She had an old dress from a long time ago, but she had lost so much weight that it probably wouldn’t fit anymore. It looked shabby. The most recent formal wear was a dress Gihyun had bought for her, but she had left it at Gihyun’s house a long time ago.

As she thought about where to buy something cheaply, she noticed something unusual. Right after leaving the library, she saw Gihyun’s car. Minjoo’s condition was good, and the weather was fairly clear. As she wondered why Gihyun had appeared, he got out of the car and approached her, speaking carefully.

“Do you have some time?”

“…Now?”

“Next weekend.”

“It’s Hye-kyung’s wedding. I need to catch the bouquet.”

She hinted at not being available. Rejected outright, Gihyun closed his mouth again. Minjoo turned away. Gihyun’s voice came from behind her.

“Good night.”

She didn’t respond to Gihyun’s farewell. Leaving him behind, Minjoo headed home. Throughout the walk back, she replayed Gihyun’s words in her mind. Next weekend. Why specifically next weekend?

It was only when she climbed the cracked stairs and entered the hallway of her house that she realized why Gihyun had mentioned next weekend.

Next Saturday was Hye-kyung’s wedding.

The following day, Sunday, was Minjoo’s birthday.

***

Due to a packed class schedule, Minjoo had a lot of studying to do. Once again, she left the library late. As she stepped out, she saw a familiar silhouette. A man in a suit, standing in front of the library, picked up something from the ground as soon as he spotted Minjoo. Anticipating that he might approach her, Minjoo stopped in her tracks. Gihyun walked up to Minjoo and immediately handed her a large shopping bag.

“…What’s this?”

“It’s a birthday gift.”

“You didn’t have to…”

“You’re going to Hye-kyung’s wedding, right? You’re going to catch the bouquet too.”

“……”

“If you accept it, I won’t stand in front of the library anymore.”

Gihyun set a strange condition. He then handed the shopping bag to Minjoo and got into his car, driving away. Still stunned, Minjoo took a moment to collect herself. It was only then that she realized the bag contained clothes. She tried to call out to him, but Gihyun was long gone.

When she got home and examined the contents, she found a pink dress on a hanger, wrapped in a garment bag. She also discovered a box containing matching high heels. Looking at the sparkling dress and shoes, Minjoo sighed. She stood up and rummaged through the box to find an old skirt suit she had worn before. She decided she would have it altered at a tailor if necessary.

***

On the day of Hye-kyung’s wedding, Minjoo was anxious. The rain had been pouring since Friday night and continued into Saturday. Although everyone who planned to attend would likely still come, Minjoo worried about potential last-minute cancellations and the effect of the storm on her carefully prepared outfit. 

She decided to leave early to avoid traffic and protect her clothes from the weather. She planned to do her makeup at the venue. As she was busy with last-minute preparations, she wrapped her old dress and shoes in plastic. With no other place to store them, she used the shopping bag Gihyun had given her. 

Carrying the large shopping bag on her shoulder and holding an umbrella, she stepped out. The rain was still heavy. When she reached the first floor, she saw a familiar figure by the entrance. Gihyun, dressed in a suit, stood there holding a large umbrella. As soon as he saw Minjoo, he spoke up.

“I’ll take you to the venue.”

“I can take the bus.”

“I’m not being stubborn. With this weather, even standing at the bus stop for a minute will leave you soaked. Taxis aren’t running either.”

Before Minjoo could respond, the wind and rain intensified. She sighed deeply as she looked out at the storm and then back at Gihyun.

“I’ll pay you back next time.”

Without waiting for her to say more, Gihyun unfolded the umbrella and quickly shielded her from the rain. He tried to take the shopping bag from her, but Minjoo stopped him.

“I’ll carry it.”

“I’ll carry it. Just hurry up and run. The car’s down there.”

Minjoo’s house was on a hill with narrow alleyways, making it impossible to park nearby. They had to walk down to reach the car. Gihyun, without hesitation, took the shopping bag and pulled Minjoo into the umbrella’s cover. After a year and a half of no contact, the closeness was noticeable.

With Gihyun shouting, “One, two, three!” they started running. They dashed through the torrential rain down the uneven asphalt. By the time they reached the car, Minjoo was drenched, as was Gihyun, who was soaked through his white shirt, revealing his chest. He quickly wiped the water off his head and chest before starting the engine and turning on the air conditioning. The cool air was refreshing but left Minjoo shivering.

Noticing her discomfort, Gihyun leaned over and opened the console box to retrieve a towel. He placed it on Minjoo’s lap and then turned back to the driver’s seat. They set off towards the venue.

Minjoo silently used the soft towel to dry herself. Normally, she would express her gratitude, but she was unsure of how to address the situation. While the car was stopped at a traffic light, she offered the towel to Gihyun. He took it without a word and draped it over his shoulders. They continued their journey in silence, the rain still pouring down.

***

Minjoo was grateful for arriving early, which gave her enough time to change into her outfit and freshen up. She spent the time getting ready and stood by her friend Hye-kyung’s side in the bridal waiting room, where Hye-kyung was dressed in her wedding gown.

While waiting, Minjoo had the chance to reconnect with old classmates she hadn’t been in touch with for a while. They asked her various questions—what she had been up to, why she had lost so much weight, and so on. Minjoo found herself explaining repeatedly that she had recently gone back to school and was busy with her studies. Amidst catching up, taking photos, and chatting, time passed quickly.

As the start of the ceremony approached, Minjoo made her way to the main hall and found her seat, ready for the wedding to begin.