Power & Sex, and... 54
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Anyway, I had a joyful(?) reunion after a long time with the division commander and company commander, and ended up eating dinner inside the base before finally leaving Inje. Naturally, my phone's notes app now held the list of several lieutenant colonel-level retirees recommended by the division commander. Once the party's situation stabilized, I'd reach out to them, meet up, and secure their help.
I dropped Kim Sil-jang off in Yeouido and headed to the party headquarters in Yeongdeungpo. The front yard was still covered in tents, buzzing with countless party members inside. As I approached the entrance, a few people at the door shouted, "It's Assemblyman Park Maru!" Moments later, Jeong-ah came running out.
"Assemblyman, welcome!"
"You still haven't gone home?"
"I'm heading out today. Follow me. Madam and Suji are here."
Wondering what Ara was doing all the way out here, I followed Jeong-ah to a tent being used as a kitchen. Party members lined up there for late dinner, and Ara was serving food alongside Suji.
"Achi, you're here?"
"Assemblyman, welcome."
"Suji, what's brought you here today? And how'd you two end up together?"
"These folks are pulling all-nighters for your sake, Achi. Least I can do is help out with something like this."
Jeong-ah explained that Suji and Ara had been there since morning—boiling noodles for lunch to share, and now prepping yukgaejang with a cafe member who ran a restaurant for dinner. At first, the party members and cafe fans cheered at the sight of Suji, but some cafe members recalled Ara's photos from the last election, confirmed she was my wife, and word spread among the protesters. Now the fan cafe and SNS were blowing up. Ara seemed destined for the life of a politician's wife, like it or not.
Once they knew Ara was my wife, the party members approached me with far friendlier faces than yesterday, teasing that I wasn't just a thief but a full-on robber. The young guys even joked, asking Ara to introduce them to friends on their behalf.
After finishing dinner service, Ara and Suji came to the tent where I was chatting. The male party members and cafe guys called Ara "big sis" with warm familiarity, which naturally made me "big bro" instead of assemblyman. As night fell, the vigil site paradoxically drew more people—likely thanks to the cafe members and party folks constantly updating on SNS.
"Grandma, how've you been?"
"Oh! Isn't that Reporter Seo?"
"Reporter Seo, welcome. What brings you here so late?"
"I heard singer Suji was volunteering food service with Madam and came right over."
"Service is over, though."
"Yeah, I got all the photos. Even saw Suji heading out. Madam aside, how'd you end up doing food service with her, Suji?"
"I'm a member of Assemblyman Park Maru's fan cafe."
"Since when?"
"Joined right after the last general election and been active since."
Seo Dong-beom had spotted a tweet mentioning Ara and Suji's food service and rushed to the vigil. He'd already snapped photos of them serving and now came for quotes to flesh out his piece. Without Ara and Suji, the party members' and fans' sit-in wouldn't have made news at all.
Seo was calling Ara "grandma" far more naturally than last time, and despite her youth, Ara played along like a doting grandma. In this casual setting—no formal interview—Seo asked questions freely, and they answered comfortably. The chat flowed smoothly.
Even after the interview, Suji lingered past 11 p.m., so I finally shooed her home. Ara and I didn't escape the headquarters vigil until nearly midnight.
"What'd you come all the way here for? You must be exhausted."
"They're suffering because of you, Achi. How could I sit home comfortably? I'll help with Monday dinner too."
We returned to our officetel—home. It'd been ages since we'd met, but last night I'd crashed alone while Eun-mi and Suji gossiped. Tonight, no interruptions. After my shower, I pushed her into the bathroom, killed all the lights except the bedside mood lamp, and waited.
Her silhouette showering through the window made my body surge. Hold it together, man, I thought, gripping myself tight. Then the door opened. She emerged, towel trailing long, her sleek nude body filling my vision. I approached silently, pulled her close, and our lips crashed. She hugged back; the towel dropped to her feet. Our hot bodies collided.
"Haah~ It's been so long since I felt your skin, Achi~"
After a long kiss, her eyes glistened as I gazed at her face. Marrying young must've been tough enough; living as weekend newlyweds from the start? At an age brimming with dreams for the future, it had to hurt most.
I scooped her up and carried her to bed. Gently laid her down, pulled the covers over, then slid in beside her. Our lips met again. She parted hers softly, welcoming my tongue, wrapping hers around my lips. My hand slid to her ass; I trailed kisses down to her breasts.
"Achi, stop!"
"..."
"Let's just hold each other and sleep."
"What's wrong all of a sudden?"
"You're tired, Achi. Late night yesterday, out at dawn, driving all day today."
"I'm fine."
"No, it doesn't sit right with me. Just skin-to-skin with you makes me happy."
Ara wouldn't budge. Right before the party leader scandal, Jeong-ah and I were about to hook up when his call ruined it. Now Ara refused without knowing, just like that. I insisted sex relieved my stress like this, but she scoffed—who's like that?—and kept her legs closed. In the end, I held her tight all night, rubbing against her to cool my heat, and drifted off.
A savory smell tickled my nose. Dawn light filtered through the window—Ara was already up cooking. She'd slaved all yesterday cooking and serving at the vigil; she must be wiped. I slipped behind her, hugged gently. Her hair brushed my face, its scent comforting.
"Achi, up already?"
"Shouldn't you sleep more?"
"Gotta make hubby breakfast, then hit the market quick."
"Market for what?"
"Ingredients for lunch and dinner soups, side dishes."
"I'll drive you. Which market?"
"You head to the Assembly. Jeong-ah and cafe members are bringing a car; we're going together."
They'd planned it already. Meeting Ara was luck; same for Jeong-ah. She'd overdelivered during the general election and now this party leader mess, letting me leave the vigil to her and focus worry-free.
As I sat for breakfast, the bell rang. I opened to Jeong-ah leading a crowd.
"Come on in."
"Hello, Assemblyman. This your place?"
"Yes."
"An assemblyman lives here?"
"I stay alone usually. Wife's just visiting."
"Still, it's... something, right?"
The cafe members eyed my modest home skeptically. They hadn't eaten breakfast anyway, so I guided them to the table—but they plopped on the living room floor instead. Smart, since the table wouldn't fit everyone. Soon Jeong-ah and the women brought dishes from the kitchen; Ara hauled out the whole rice cooker and started scooping. Looked like they'd planned breakfast here before the market yesterday—who knows when she stashed the disposables and utensils in the sink.
We all sat in a circle, devouring rice till the pot scraped bottom. Some women washed up at the sink, Ara brewed coffee, others snapped phone pics of every corner in my cramped space. Chaos.
After breakfast and coffee, we headed down—they to the market, me to Yeouido.
"Kim Sil-jang, come in a sec?"
Time to hear his thoughts and act. Couldn't let party members and cafe folks camp under tents forever, nor delay party reform.
I had him sit on the sofa, slid him pen and paper.
"I've already written mine. You write yours too."
Kim Sil-jang grasped immediately, scribbling on A4 without pause. When he finished, I spread mine on the desk; he did the same.
District Assemblyman: Declare non-candidacy for next general election. Proportional rep: Resign immediately.
District non-candidacy. Proportional rep succession.
Our shared conclusion. Forcing district assemblymen to resign would trigger by-elections—wasting taxes and risking seat losses, unacceptable for the party. With most just yes-men anyway, better to keep them tied up voting as puppets than let them defect. But proportional reps? Next in line inherits on resignation, no seat loss. So make them quit now.
Politically sharp as ever, Kim Sil-jang and I agreed—no reason to delay execution.