#since1765

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Kwon Village Residence

Suburbs of Seoul – Gyeonggi Province

“We call upon the gods of the sun, the moon, and the stars...”       

The Ceremony of The First Mating has commenced, and it was led by Grandfather Kwon. Twenty-one village elders from the provinces of Gyeonggi and North Jeolla were gathered in the open village garden owned by the Kwon family. The entire Kim and Kwon family were also present in the circle surrounding a fired-up altar in the middle. On both sides of the lit and well-designed altar were the two young adults who were supposed to mate for the first time – Kwon Jiyong and Kim Taeyeon.

Dressed in traditional clothing from head to toe, Jiyong and Taeyeon quietly watched as their families and elders prayed to the gods with eyes closed. Each of the people around them held lit candles on one hand, and a piece of offering on the other (food, flower, heirlooms, etc.). Ideally, as the sacrificial lambs of this generation’s offering, they were to sincerely and wholeheartedly pray with their elders.

But neither the heir nor the heiress were even muttering the needed words to call on the gods.

“You look funny,” quietly muttered Jiyong, glancing at his fiancé using just one eye. He left his other eye closed in case an elder saw them. “Did you really have to wear that headdress and shoes?”

Taeyeon also opened one eye and just jeered at her fiancé. Mischievously, she teased, “You look funnier with that dress robe. Fashionista, my . Psssh.”

Then the two just laughed at each other’s very old-fashioned apparel. Just then, Jiyong’s father saw them chuckling together, and he signaled them to stop and pray. For a while, the two joined the elders in their rituals.

“...our heir and heiress are offered before you, in exchange of peace and prosperity in our land...”

But it didn’t last long. When Taeyeon checked on him, she saw that Jiyong was yawning from time to time. She came closer to him, so that the both of them were now behind the fire instead of on its sides. Upon elbowing the sleepyhead, she whispered, “Yah, don't you dare fall asleep. The elders will be angry at me too if you mess this up.”

“Then pinch me. This is sooooo boring,” Jiyong requested, and Taeyeon gladly granted his wish. She pinched his waist really thinly, which caused him to shout, “Awww!” Daddy Kwon now asked Mama Kwon to caution them. Of course, Jiyong feared his mother more, so with only one menacing stare from the woman, he kept quiet.

“...shower us with your blessing, so that war shall not return for a long time...”

The two participated in the prayers longer, but they got bored once again. Jiyong carefully poked Taeyeon’s waist and whispered, “Look at Grandpa Kim's hat.”

“That’s my grandfather, stop making fun,” warned Taeyeon, although she had been making fun to herself at how ridiculous their elders looked. They weren’t just wearing traditional Korean clothing, but also some ritualistic shaman hat made out of ivory horns.

“Fine. Then let’s just make fun of Gramps Kwon. Who’s got the bigger horn?”

“Kwon Jiyong,” she just cautioned, but she already showed him a small grin.

“But I'm so bored!” Jiyong quietly cried, and upon seeing Taeyeon’s small smile, she poked her harder on her waist. “See. It's funny, right?”

This time, Taeyeon lost it. Silently, the two giggled together, controlling the volume of their laughters so that both found it difficult to breathe. While their elders put their minds and hearts to the prayers, the two betrothed kept whispering silly nothings to each other, pointing out anything that was remotely funny. This was the only way they wouldn’t sleep in the hours-long ceremony.

When the first litany has finally ended, a couple of elders came forward to throw their offerings to the fire. After them, more prayers were performed, and they were even longer than the first.

“Seriously, I'm supposed to dance later?” Jiyong muttered under his breath, resuming his small talks with Taeyeon. “I practiced all night for this ceremony. What will you do?”

“I’m going to sing, and I practiced all night too. Just do your part well.”

After about half an hour of more prayers, finally there was a change of pace to the rather monotonous event. Grandpa Kwon and Grandpa Kim gestured for Taeyeon to join the circle, so that Jiyong could begin his dance.

“...our heir from Gyeonggi province offers you the Dance of Sacrifice...”

“Don't laugh at me,” Jiyong warned her before she took off to join the elders.

But Taeyeon just scoffed, “Oh I so would.” She could already imagine what kind of traditional dance Kwon Jiyong would perform alone. At least her acapella song would sound like a Church hymn.

This kid. I'll get back at you later. Jiyong thought to himself. The elders played their traditional instruments, and he began the dance that Grandpa Kwon taught him for six hours the previous night. His eyes were only on Taeyeon as he performed the rites, but the woman wasn’t doing anything to ease his apprehension. Taeyeon was laughing her off at him! Yah Kim Taeyeon! How can you laugh at your fiancé’s sacrifice?

“You look so stupid,” Taeyeon mocked him through her facial expression. “You're feeling it way too much, Kwon.”

But instead, Jiyong just embraced it. As what Taeyeon told him before, he had to do his part well, so he did. Ignoring Taeyeon’s playful glares, Jiyong lost himself to the music and just danced the traditional rites with all his heart. For the next fifteen minutes, he danced as a sacrificial offering to the gods. This woman, don’t you know I’m doing this to give our marriage a bright future? It was true, as while he was dancing, the elders where also reciting their prayers of hope, love, and blessing for the couple’s married life.

Finally, the dance ended, and Jiyong earned a passionate cheer from everyone, including Taeyeon. Clap. Clap. Clap.

“Excellent job, son!”

“The gods will be happy about your dance.”

“Thank you for hard work Jiyong.”

“Amazing sacrifice!”

Catching his breath, he bowed on all corners of the group, then walked towards the devil herself, Kim Taeyeon.

“Well, you did a really nice job, fiancé,” teased Taeyeon, and Jiyong just made a funny face at her.

“Now it’s your turn, honey,” Jiyong said out loud so that their elders and families could hear. “Do your best baby girl.” Taeyeon just glared at him.

“...our heiress from North Jeolla Province will now sing the Cries of Plea...”

With his face and smile, Jiyong communicated to Taeyeon, “Now it’s my turn to laugh, baby girl.”

“You wish there was a reason to laugh,” Taeyeon answered back through her eyes.

Then, she began to sing the hymn of plea for the next ten minutes. There were no instruments accompanying her voice. All that could be heard was Kim Taeyeon’s loud, clear, crisp and calm voice. Even if Jiyong wanted to taunt her or to find anything to make fun of, he couldn’t. Because he was speechless, awe-stricken, and he totally suffered a temporary mental destruction. Taeyeon’s voice silenced each and everyone within earshot.

Goddamn beautiful. Jiyong commented in his mind, his eyes transfixed on his fiance’s face while she sung. He didn’t even realize that he was completely mesmerized and captivated by her, until he heard the people applaud around him. Clumsily, he clapped too, and he swallowed for the first time in such a long while.

“A voice of an angel.”

“Wonderful!”

“The gods surely heard such a melancholic voice.”

“Our Cries of Plea would reach the heavens.”

“Holy crap. You sound amazing,” Jiyong murmured under his breath, and Taeyeon winked at him. Daddy Kim now pushed his son towards the center, so that he could rejoin Taeyeon in standing by the campfire.

“You were... that was... ing beautiful…”

“Well thanks, fiancé,” Taeyeon answered, quit surprised at seeing Kwon Jiyong’s pale face. It was as if the man lost breath and blood for a while. Before she could even back, the elders proceeded straight to the next part of the ceremony.

Some of them came forward, carrying a table filled with various food and drink. Upon closer inspection, Taeyeon saw that breads, fruits, rice cakes, and red wine were served before her and Jiyong. They were told that for every prayer, they should feed each other food and wine. Very awkwardly, and with so many mockeries and ridicules, the two followed suit. Of course they played with one another, what with Taeyeon’s simple shoving of rice cake in his mouth, or Jiyong’s uncontrolled grip on the glass so that she choked on her wine.

“...our children shall now dance for the gods above...”

This was the part of ritual that they both dreaded the most. They would be dancing in the middle for about ten minutes, while their elders and families recited a long prayer around them. With their hearts beating, they faced each other.

“May I have this dance, my future wife?” asked Jiyong, holding out his hand. His confidence was faked, as he couldn’t explain why he was nervous about dancing with her.

“Well of course, my future husband,” Taeyeon answered in false nonchalance.

Their dance began. They both rehearsed this couple dance, but not with each other. This was their very first close contact in front of other people, and the close contact would be the longest yet. As they danced, Taeyeon first tried to avoid Jiyong’s eyes, but the man’s gaze was fixed on her. Looking around, she noticed that everyone’s eyes were closed, and their recitation of the prayer was loud. This gave them the freedom to talk.

“Can I tell you a little secret?” Jiyong first broke the tension.

“It's something silly, I'm sure,” answered Taeyeon, now actually staring him in the eye. My, oh my, we’re too close for comfort. Suddenly, she was reminded of their almost-first kiss a few nights ago.

“You don't look funny at all. In fact, you look beautiful,” Jiyong sincerely complimented, piercing Taeyeon with such a deep and penetrating stare.

“Pssssh,” Taeyeon mumbled, rolling her eyes to signal her doubt.

“You blushed. Just thank me.”

“Fine. Thank you, Mr. Kwon.”

“What, no compliments for me?” Jiyong fished, acting offended.

“What should I say though? You really do look funny with your dress robe. I'm sorry, Kwon, but it’s the truth.”

“Ouch,” answered Jiyong, pouting cutely like a child.

Chuckling, Taeyeon finally praised, “I can say you smell good, though.”

“Really?” Jiyong asked, lightening up. He then moved closer to her so that their mouth were as close as when they almost kissed. “How about now?”

“You're crazy. Sure, you smell even better up close,” Taeyeon uncomfortably responded, creating some distance between them. No matter how much she tried to hide it, she still glowed red in front of the man. Jiyong smirked.

“I have one last confession to you, Miss Kim Taeyeon,” Jiyong earnestly declared. “You are a bolmae.”

Upon hearing that last confession, Taeyeon flushed even harder. She knew very well what bolmae meant, and anyone who’s been told that word would react the same way she did. The question was why Kwon Jiyong, her current pretend-fiance, said such romantic compliment? Who said it’s romantic? You’re the one putting malice. Stop assuming Kim Taeyeon!

“Whatever,” she dismissed.

“It’s true. Bolsureok maereok. The more I get to know you, the more you become pleasant, and very beautiful, to me.”

Jiyong was being so uncomfortably sincere, and his sharp gazes weren’t helping Taeyeon’s case. She just sneered at him and avoided his gaze. She even hit his chest to stop his playfulness.

“Okay fine, you get your wish Mr. Kwon Jiyong. You’re a bolmae for me, too,” she gave in. To joke like that and to laugh was the only way she could look at him again. “I like you better now than I did before this mess.”

Jiyong laughed, glad that the woman finally said something equally complimentary as his remarks. “Isn't it easier to tease about the good things?”

“Sure is,” admitted Taeyeon. Then, she remembered something. “So what do you think about Tiffany's brilliant plan?”

“Hmmmm… let’s see… talking to experts in Korean Shamanism in hopes of finding The Great Pact's weakness. In a perfect world, we'd find an eligible excuse, present it to the elders, and be out of this mess without having to disobey them. I think it’s genius.”

 “Right? It is super brilliant! I love my bestie for thinking of that.”

“Damn. And I was hoping to marry Audrie by next year.”

Taeyeon couldn’t tell if he was joking, and so she asked, “Are you, really?”

 “Of course, but in the right time, for the right reasons. If I could help it, I’d rather not involve her in this stupid mess.”

“You are very romantic,” Taeyeon unconsciously commented, which made her face heat up again.

“You don't even know the half of it,” said Jiyong, trying his best not to call out Ta