Epilogue 12
Translator: RaidenTL
Epilogue 12
Yeon-ju headed to the airport to pick up her mother and Hae-young. She’d arrived with Eun-seong, his parents, and Han-byeol, and now found herself holding a picket sign that Mrs. Park had lovingly crafted.
Yeon-ju and Han-byeol stood together in the arrivals hall, holding up the sign, which was plastered with huge photos of her mother and Hae-young. Mrs. Park, who had also brought colorful flower necklaces, was already lost in her own world of excitement.
"Mom," Han-byeol called out softly to Yeon-ju. "Will Grandma be okay?"
"I'm not sure. I can't picture it either."
"I don't think she'll be okay," Han-byeol said. "What if she's so shocked she faints?"
"Then we'll just have to catch her."
Worried his grandmother might actually collapse from the shock, Han-byeol began waving the sign back and forth. Yeon-ju glanced over at Eun-seong, who was standing a good distance away and pretending not to know them. She gestured with her own sign for him to come closer.
In response, Eun-seong gave a polite shake of his head and took two more steps back.
"Oh, oh! They're coming out! They're coming out!"
At Mrs. Park's shout, Yeon-ju whipped her head around. As she scanned the crowd pouring through the gates, she unconsciously started waving her sign with gusto. Han-byeol, who had been hesitant, was soon waving his sign just as excitedly. The more they waved, the farther Eun-seong drifted away.
Then, Mrs. Park began to dance.
An impromptu festival, which no one had asked for, had officially begun. Amidst the crowd, Hae-young finally caught Yeon-ju’s eye.
"Unni! Hae-young Unni!"
Yeon-ju yelled at the top of her lungs, waving the picket sign wildly. Ah, so this is what it feels like. For some reason, she wanted to dance too.
As Yeon-ju shouted, Han-byeol grabbed Mrs. Park’s hand and started hopping up and down. In the middle of this over-the-top welcome, Hae-young spotted Yeon-ju, raised a hand in greeting, and froze mid-stride.
Peering over her sunglasses, Hae-young stared blankly at Yeon-ju, her mouth falling open. Why is she dancing like that?
"Mother, Yeon-ju is over there."
"Where? Oh my. Goodness."
Oh, dear… Spotting her daughter, Mrs. Na also stopped in her tracks. Staring blankly, she rubbed her eyes, then nudged Hae-young’s arm. "Is… is that my daughter over there?"
"I think so, Mother. Han-byeol is there too."
"But why on earth is she jumping around like a madwoman whose feet are on fire?"
"I'm not sure. Should we go over?"
"No, I'm suddenly a little scared. Isn't that my face she's holding up?"
"Yes, it is. And I'm right next to you."
"Who gave them permission to wave someone's face around like that? Are hard drugs legal in this country or something?"
"Probably not. Let's just go, Mother."
Hae-young grabbed Mrs. Na's arm and dragged her luggage forward. As she got closer to Eun-seong's family, who had already turned the arrivals hall into a party, Hae-young's jaw dropped even further. The woman dancing more passionately than anyone was none other than Yeon-ju's mother-in-law.
"Welcome! Welcome! Welcome, everyone! Oh my goodness! My family! Welcome! We're so glad you're here!"
"Mom! Unni! Welcome! Welcome!"
"Grandma! Auntie! I'm here! Hurry, come quick!"
…I want to run away.
Hae-young gulped and tightened her grip on Mrs. Na's arm. Just then, Eun-seong approached them and greeted them in a low voice.
"You're here. The flight must have been tiring."
"Oh, you're here too?"
Finally noticing Eun-seong, Mrs. Na grabbed his hand. She glanced at the chaotic scene for a moment before turning back to him.
"Are you the only sane one here?"
"Ah, well…"
"I mean, why is our Yeon-ju acting like that? There must be a reason, right?"
Eun-seong just offered an embarrassed smile. Before he could answer, the rest of the family swarmed them. Mrs. Park placed the flower necklaces around both of their necks and took their hands.
"Welcome! A very warm welcome! To think this happy day has finally come! Oh, Lord! Thank you! Thank you!"
"Oh my… Amen…" Mrs. Na replied, dazed, as if in a trance.
When a deeply tanned Han-byeol started jumping up and down, expressing his joy with his entire body, Hae-young burst out laughing. She took off her sunglasses and joined the dancing family.
Mrs. Na, who had been standing frozen, stared blankly at the impromptu dance party for a moment before she clapped her hands in her signature rhythm and began to tap her feet to the beat.
Ah, what the hell!
Just moments after arriving, Mrs. Na and Hae-young had joined the dance. Yeon-ju waved the picket sign, and Han-byeol jumped around without stopping.
Eun-seong quietly backed away.
* * *
"I've wanted to meet you so badly. I've been tossing and turning for the past few nights. Now that I've finally met my dear in-law, I feel like I can finally relax. Phew, I can finally breathe."
If you relax… I don’t think that’s a good idea…
Mrs. Na Shin-hye smiled awkwardly at Eun-seong's mother.
"You've given us such a warm welcome. I'm quite overwhelmed."
"Please, make yourself at home. Just relax."
I can only relax… if you let go of my hand…
Feeling her hand, which had been held all day, begin to sweat, Mrs. Na simply pressed her lips together. Fidgeting with the flower necklace still draped heavily around her neck, she gathered her courage and asked, "Um, excuse me, can I take this off now?"
"Oh? Ah, oh my goodness, it must have been uncomfortable. Please, take it off. Of course you can."
"It's not that it's uncomfortable, it's just a bit hot."
"Yes, yes. Of course. I completely forgot the flower necklace was even there, my dear in-law. You're as lovely as a flower yourself."
Only then was Mrs. Na finally released from her in-law's grip. Taking off the necklace, she gave a warm, gentle smile.
"If anyone's a flower, it's you, my dear in-law. I'm probably just a wilted old granny flower."
"What are you talking about? You are absolutely beautiful. There's a sparkling light behind you! You're beautiful. Truly."
"The air must be so clean here that people only say beautiful things. Oh my, thank you."
As a blushing Mrs. Na replied sheepishly, Eun-seong's mother took her hand again. Leaning her shoulder affectionately against hers as if they were old friends, she continued.
"I really wanted to meet you. Thank you for coming. Thank you, my dear in-law."
Listening to the heartfelt greeting, Mrs. Na slowly closed and opened her eyes.
Before coming here, she had harbored countless worries. Her daughter, Yeon-ju, had felt the same. She knew she had to meet Eun-seong's parents eventually, but she hadn't been looking forward to it. She had imagined herself having to apologize over and over, unable to hold her head high.
So what if I had to bow my head? It didn't matter. But I was afraid it would break Yeon-ju's heart to see it. I was afraid her own back would bend right along with mine. Unable to calm her racing thoughts during the flight, she had arrived with a heart pounding with anxiety.
Though she had been utterly flustered when she first left the gate, she soon found herself dancing along with them. For the first time since Yeon-ju and Eun-seong had become a family, a wave of pure joy washed over her, allowing her to let everything go. Feeling her in-law's warm welcome, which held not a single trace of the judgment she'd feared, Mrs. Na finally realized that her daughter's family was perfectly complete.
Her daughter's happiness had become her own. Mrs. Na had long since forgotten her own definition of happiness; her entire life had been dedicated to saving her daughter's. She'd spent her life trying to lessen her daughter's misfortune, to shoulder it in her stead.
"My dear in-law, isn't this wonderful? The weather is perfect, too. I'm so happy. It feels like the whole world is blessing their future—our son's, our daughter's, and our grandson's."
"Yes, yes. It is wonderful. Truly."
Though she had expected this belated meeting of the families to be tense and awkward, Mrs. Na suddenly burst into laughter. Hearing her signature hearty laugh, Eun-seong's mother joined in without even asking why. Holding hands tightly like schoolgirls, they looked at each other and laughed for a long time.
"My goodness. Live long enough, and you'll see everything. What a world."
"Right? Isn't life interesting? It's so much fun. Every single day is a festival!"
"Yes, yes. A festival. I like the sound of that."
Mrs. Na took a deep breath for the first time in a long while. Had someone sprinkled sugar in the air? The breath she drew in tasted sweet, and she continued to breathe it in for a long moment.
* * *
Complaining that her blood sugar had dropped after all that dancing, Hae-young promptly ordered coffee. Watching Eun-seong pay, she let out a chuckle.
"Im Eun-seong, you were raised by some incredible parents."
"You saw them. You can basically call me a walking miracle of survival."
"Why? Your parents are great. It's not every day you meet people with that kind of positive energy."
"Want to trade families? I'll hand them over right now."
"Sorry. I love my own parents."
When Hae-young flatly refused, Eun-seong clicked his tongue, as if he’d expected as much. Recalling his childhood, Eun-seong muttered that his parents' over-the-top excitement, which drew attention wherever they went, wasn't always a good thing. They would start dancing at the slightest provocation, and the embarrassment had always been his to bear alone.
"How are things in Korea lately?" Eun-seong asked while waiting for the coffee.
Hae-young stood with her back to the counter, looking outside.
"Well, the gossip never stops. All sorts of women are being rumored to be your wife. Their professions and ages are so diverse, it's actually getting entertaining."
A few days ago, a tabloid rumor had claimed that a professional golfer was Eun-seong's wife. Although her face was pixelated, anyone could tell who it was. The articles presented it as fact, claiming that the golfer, who had announced a surprisingly early retirement, had actually quit the sport to marry him.
"I heard you met Yeom Eun-hye before."
"About three or four years ago. I played a couple of rounds with her through a director I know."
"Anyway, that was the latest rumor. A photo of Yeom Eun-hye with her nephew started spreading, and people were saying it was Im Eun-seong's son, that she went to Hong Kong to give birth… all sorts of wild stories."
"I should buy Pro Yeom a meal sometime to apologize," Eun-seong muttered.
Hae-young chuckled. Lately, with so many innocent women being targeted as Eun-seong's spouse and forced to issue denials, his agency was in full damage control mode.
"Are you at peace?"
"Of course."
"I'm glad. Yeon-ju and Han-byeol look great, too. They look so happy."
It was the same face and the same smile, but today, Yeon-ju looked different. It was as if the sadness that had always lingered in her eyes had been completely erased. In the past, a faint trace of sorrow could be felt even when she laughed heartily, but the Yeon-ju of today was as bright as someone who had only ever known how to smile.
"I never thought I'd live to see Go Yeon-ju dancing in an airport. I nearly fainted earlier," Hae-young muttered.
Eun-seong pressed a hand to his forehead. What would have happened if his mother hadn't made that sign? And what had happened to the Go Yeon-ju who had whimpered about how embarrassing it would be to hold such a thing?
"You should dance with her next time. Don't be a coward and run away."
When Hae-young nudged his arm, Eun-seong made a face of sheer disgust. Just then, their coffee was ready, and he picked up the tray.
"What about the thing I asked you to bring? Did you bring it?"
Grabbing a paper straw, Hae-young snorted.
"Isn't that the whole reason you dragged me out here? Of course I didn't forget it."
"Good."
As Eun-seong grinned, Hae-young rolled her eyes before smiling back.
The two of them exchanged mischievous grins for a long moment.