Na Hante Kisseu. (Kiss Me.)
SINCE 1765
#since1765
*
Village Garden
City of Jeonju, North Jeolla Province
The next weekend came, and neither Kwon Jiyong nor Kim Taeyeon contacted each other.
How could Taeyeon, when the last time they met, she revealed to him that she was a since birth. After Jiyong left that night, the gravity of the situation took a toll on her. She realized just how personal she revealed! And so she made sure not to be the first to make contact.
How could Jiyong, when the last time they met, he just found out that the woman he spooned, kissed (granted it was just the cheek), tickled, and endlessly teased about , was a since birth. He was so ashamed of his behavior that he didn't have the guts contact her, or show his face to her.
And so days have passed, and still they haven't talked to each other. Until today, when the both of them were dressed once more in traditional clothings, facing their families and the villagers of Jeonju. That Saturday was the Ceremony of the First Exchange, a tradition where the families of the bride and groom give to and receive from one another a gift symbolizing the union of their children. Like the night of the First Mating, today's event involved a lot of prayers and rites that were led by the village council members of Seoul and Jeonju.
Taeyeon and Jiyong didn't get the chance to talk before the noon's ceremony. When Jiyong and the Kwon family arrived that morning, Taeyeon was already locked in a village house, getting dressed up for the event. It was also a tradition for the bride and groom not to see each other before any of the ceremonies.
At twelve noon, Taeyeon sat on a wooden A-chamber, and his father, brother and Daddy Kwon carried her outside to present her to the world. That's when she first laid eyes on Jiyong, who was waiting for her beside Grandpas Kim and Kwon. The bride and the groom met, bowed at each other, and stood before the close to a hundred villagers gathered in the open field.
"...we call unto our forefathers to accept our offerings, and shower us with your blessings..."
Grandpa Kwon declared, "Today, the Kwon family offers these gifts to the Kims, as a symbol of our sincerity in asking for Kim Taeyeon's hands..."
Kwon Dami handed Kim Jiwoong and Daddy Kim their own small bag, while Mama Kwon gave Kim Hayeon and Mama Kim a big bag each. The rites involved opening the gifts for everyone to see, so that the elders could bless them. When the Kim family opened the gifts, they and Taeyeon all exclaimed in surprise. The male Kims each received a Rolex watch, while the female Kims each got a Louis Vuitton handbag.
But the biggest surprise of all was the Kwon family's gift to the grandparents -- a 110-inch LG television set. It was a known fact that the two elders loved watching dramas and variety shows.
After the elders blessed the gifts for the Kims, Grandpa Kim now declared, "The Kim family presents these gifts to the Kwons, as a symbol of our acceptance of their request for Kim Taeyeon's hands..."
Hayeon gave Dami and Mama Kwon a small bag each, while Jiwoong gave Daddy Kwon a really huge and elongated bag. The Kims didn't spare their generosity too. Jiyong and the Kwons were just as surprised as the Kims at what they were given. The Kwon women received a set of diamond jewelries, while Daddy Kwon was given a complete golf set.
As expected, the elder Kwons got the biggest gifts. Jiyong's family gave Grandpa Kwon a classic and very expensive antique Korean Chess set. On the other hand, Grandma Kwon, who loved to sing, received a comprehensive and updated Karaoke/Noraebang machine.
The elders blessed the gifts for the Kwons. Then, it was the bride and groom's turn to receive the gifts from their in-laws.
Daddy and Mama Kwon approached Taeyeon, and they both embraced and kissed her. Daddy Kwon handed her a small box and said, "Kim Taeyeon, please accept this gift from us, Mother and Father Kwon. Welcome to our family."
Taeyeon received the box and thanked Jiyong's parents. She opened the gift to see what was inside, and all that welcomed her eyes was a set of keys, eleven keys to be specific.
"What are these for Mama and Daddy Kwon?"
Mama Kwon smiled and answered, "It's for the house where you and Jiyong shall live and start a family."
Taeyeon's mouth hung open, and she looked at Jiyong. He was just as flabbergasted as her, and both wore pale faces. The bride and the groom were utterly speechless, and before they could even find the words to say, the Kim parents already approached Jiyong with an envelope.
Daddy Kim stated, "Kwon Jiyong, please accept this gift from us, Mother and Father Kim. Welcome to our family."
When Jiyong opened the envelope, he saw inside a $100,000 voucher for an expensive furniture store.
"Please fill that house with beautiful things, so that you and your family can live happily," Mama Kim said.
Still, neither Jiyong nor Taeyeon found anything to say. Their house and the furniture voucher were blessed, and the rites and prayers went on as normal. But all along, in the next hour of the ceremony, the bride and the groom were apprehensive because they never thought their engagement would go that far, that personal, that real.
When the ceremony ended, the bride and the groom were put inside a carriage that was pulled by a few village boys. The guests and their families walked in what seemed like a procession to send them towards the council hall where lunch would be served.
The moment they were left alone in the carriage, the reality sank.
"They gave us a house!" Taeyeon exclaimed, her surprise at the gifts trumping her shame about revealing her ity to Jiyong. "Why would your parents buy a house for us?"
"And your parents even furnished it," Jiyong muttered under his breath, very astonished.
"This is getting more real! What do we do!?" Taeyeon cried out, very anxious and throwing a fit. "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god."
To hear her panic strangely calmed Jiyong down. He needed to be the more logical and less emotional one. His bride was displaying apprehension, cursing and muttering her worries.
"Okay, just relax hon," he told her, putting his hand on her back. He remembered how Taeyeon panicked the night she and Baekhyun almost did it. He didn't like to hear her upset like that. "Breathe in and out. Everything is returnable, or sellable. There is a solution to every problem."
"Then what is the solution to our families' hearts breaking?"
When Taeyeon asked this, Jiyong wasn't able to answer right away. He thought for a while, and darkly replied, "We agreed that we won't go there. Stop catastrophizing."
Taeyeon ignored him and continued to rant silently. Their entire carriage ride was spent with her thinking of the worst case scenarios. Even if Jiyong appeared calmer of the two, he shared her worries. It was obvious from today's ceremonies how much their families have grown to love one another.
Mom, dad, gramps, gran, noona... please don't like Taeyeon and the Kims too much.
Even if he knew it was too late, Jiyong still prayed for the best.
I'm sorry to you all. I never meant for this to go so far... Taeyeon silently said, worrying about her family's heartaches.
*
The luncheon that took place only increased Taeyeon's fear. She watched as their families laughed, talked, and bonded. She couldn't believe how two families could grow so close in such a short span of time. The closest of them all were their grandfathers. They immediately played Grandpa Kwon's Korean Chess board, and also agreed to play golf the very next day. It was like the old men found their best friend so late in life. Taeyeon's heart already broke at just the thought of the old men finding out the truth.
To her relief, the party eventually ended at close to five in the afternoon. The Kim family sent them off, and Taeyeon and Jiyong had no choice but to ride Jiyong's Maserati together. That was fortunate, because she knew they needed to talk. Suddenly, her ity seemed like such a trivial thing now that the Ceremony of the First Exchange happened. That day's event only reminded them that they had a bigger problem ahead.
"Do you have a schedule today?" Jiyong asked. They have now reached the freeway.
"Uhm... no."
"Would you
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