* * *
Life had been relentless, leaving no time to breathe.
The unexpected attention their booth received at the Guangzhou Expo led to a flood of orders.
As a result, questions arose about who was behind the design and planning, and once it was revealed that Wookyung had been solely responsible, he received even more attention—most of it unwanted.
Amidst the chaos, Wookyung had to sit down with two members of the design team to revise pieces for the upcoming Chicago Expo.
Furniture sales had surged following their popularity in Guangzhou, and the board of directors now wanted them to showcase more distinctive designs for Chicago.
“We could just display them as-is.”
That was Saheon’s opinion, but Wookyung thought the board had a valid point.
“I think just tweaking the armrest on this chair might be enough. What do you think, Senior Associate Sun?”
“I agree. Maybe we can adjust the curvature a bit?”
“That sounds good. When do you think you can have it ready?”
“Today.”
Wookyung nodded and updated the revised specs in the proposal.
While they had a general idea of how the exhibition would go based on their Guangzhou experience, the finer details still needed to be tailored for Chicago.
That was when he noticed his smartphone screen lighting up.
The caller ID showed the name of their wedding planner.
“I’ll be back. Just need to take a quick call.”
“Sure, go ahead.”
He excused himself and headed to the break room.
The call had already ended, but a message popped up, saying the planner would text due to a busy schedule.
Instead, Wookyung dialed back.
—Hello, Mr. Gil Wookyung. Is now a good time to talk?
“Yes, it’s fine. What’s this about?”
Knowing how busy Wookyung was, the wedding planner got straight to the point.
—We’ve been informed that the designer at the tailor shop has had to be replaced.
She apologized and explained that the original designer had been in a car accident and would be unable to work for several months.
“I see. How far along are we in the process?”
—It’s nearly complete, so there shouldn’t be any major changes. No changes to the schedule either, so there’s no need to worry.
“That’s a relief.”
—The fitting date is also set to proceed as scheduled. Do you have any changes?
“No, none.”
—Understood. Then I’ll confirm the fitting schedule as-is. Have a great day!
“You too. Thanks.”
After ending the call, Wookyung pressed his fingers to his furrowed brows.
Even though the wedding planner was handling most of the details, there was still a mountain of things to do.
He needed to confirm the tuxedos, arrange the wedding gifts, and choose a wedding invitation design.
But the trickiest task was still finding a newlywed home.
Wookyung had thought it’d be simplest to sell his place and move into Saheon’s apartment.
But Saheon insisted they should find a new place together, as it was their “honeymoon home.”
“He gets oddly stubborn about the weirdest things.”
Shaking his head, Wookyung returned to work, only to receive another few messages from the wedding planner in the meantime.
Text from Planner Assistant Manager Kim:
—Mr. Gil Wookyung, I’ve shortlisted a few honeymoon destinations based on what you were looking for. Please let me know which one you prefer, and I’ll go ahead and make the reservation.
One thing ends, and another task begins. Wookyung scrolled through the photos and destination info that filled the messaging app—until one image caught his eye.
—That beach we visited last time was really nice…
It had been a spontaneous trip, but he vividly remembered walking that beach with Saheon, wearing those embarrassing couple outfits, hand-in-hand.
He could still feel the soft sand beneath his feet, recall the blush-tinted sky, and hear the gentle crash of waves.
It was winter then, so the beach had been nearly empty—and with Saheon’s pheromones freely released, the memory was all the more special.
—A quiet resort is best for relaxing, after all.
He looked again at a photo of a heart-shaped island.
The description said it was a private destination—just for two.
The downside was that it required two flight transfers and a boat ride.
But the inconvenience seemed worth it.
“Wow… is this your honeymoon spot?”
Senior Associate Sun, who had come over to show the revised chair design, spotted the photo on the monitor and gasped.
“Oh, yes.”
“It’s gorgeous. A few days there would be amazing.”
So it looked nice to others, too.
Wookyung suddenly remembered the list of requirements he had given the planner: no crowds, near the ocean, no guided tours.
It had been an irresponsible list of demands, in hindsight.
But professionals really did work magic.
[Me: Let’s go with this destination.
Planner Assistant Manager Kim: I liked option #3 the best too! I’ll proceed with that. Also, I’ve informed the tailor shop as we discussed earlier.]
With the words, “Good work,” the conversation came to an end.
Wookyung glanced quietly at Saheon’s desk.
These days, it was rare to see him at his seat.
Ever since news of his engagement spread to his family, his schedule had filled up.
Probably because word got out that Saheon was the CEO of a major corporation.
‘Good thing CEO Choi isn’t moving around much either.’
Since that day, CEO Choi had barely shown up at the office.
According to Saheon, she’d even told Manager Ahn she didn’t need to come in for a while.
Apparently, that happened right after she found out Manager Ahn had taken Saheon’s side.
‘Manager Ahn’s granddaughter needed a major surgery. But CEO Choi didn’t seem to care.’
And in the middle of all that, Saheon had reached out to help.
It was only natural that Manager Ahn, grateful for his support, would switch sides.
‘Now that I think about it, both CEO Choi and Director Min lost the people close to them because they never realized how important they were.’
That’s why people say you should treat others well while you have them.
With that thought, Wookyung cleared his mind and refocused on work.
“Looks like it might rain.”
Saheon, turning the steering wheel, glanced up at the sky and muttered.
“Was rain in the forecast today?”
“Spring’s always unpredictable. Still, the flowers seem to be blooming properly this year.”
Hearing that, Wookyung looked out the car window.
Just a week ago, the buds had been tightly closed—but now, they were beginning to bloom, one by one.
“You’re right.”
Maybe that’s why.
From the morning, a fluttery excitement had been bubbling inside him.
Or maybe it was just because he was finally spending time with Saheon again.
Until just yesterday, it had been hard to even catch a glimpse of each other, their days packed to the brim.
They’d only managed to stay in touch through the occasional call or text.
So it wasn’t hard to guess where this excitement was coming from.
“We’re here, right?”
Saheon spoke, snapping Wookyung out of his thoughts.
Looking out again, he saw a familiar building and nodded.
“Yeah, this is it.”
Though it was technically a date, their main purpose today was to check the fitting for their custom-made wedding suits.
There had been a hiccup with a change in designers, but the photos sent by the tailor shop two days ago had eased his worries.
“Let’s get out.”
“Okay.”
After parking, Saheon reached over and unbuckled Wookyung’s seatbelt.
It had felt awkward at first—but now, it came so naturally, it surprised him.
As they stepped out of the car, Wookyung noticed Saheon holding a shopping bag.
It was large, reaching down to his knees.
“What’s that?”
“It’s a secret for now.”
Saheon winked playfully.
Wookyung just stared for a moment, then let it go and started walking ahead.
“Welcome, both of you! We’ve been expecting you.”
As they entered the shop, a staff member greeted them warmly, clearly recognizing them.
He brought out tea and asked them to wait a moment before leading them inside.
After a brief chat with the new designer, they moved right on to the fitting.
“You’ve got a great fit already, so there’s not much we need to adjust. Your skin tone is bright, so pretty much any color works for you. The shoulders feel a little snug, though—that’s the only thing we’ll need to tweak.”
Wookyung watched in quiet amazement as the designer, who looked about his age, expertly assessed the fit and color balance.
“If you pair it with this tie and this belt, I think it’ll look perfect. Do you already have cufflinks you plan to use? And will you be going with a pocket square, or a boutonnière?”
After the fitting, the designer asked about accessories.
Wookyung hadn’t thought about any of that and was caught off guard.
“No, I haven’t picked anything yet.”
“In that case, we’ll offer some recommendations.”
As if he’d expected that response, the designer reached for a sample book he’d prepared.
But just then, Saheon, who had been quietly watching from behind, stepped forward.
“Let’s go with these.”
In his hand were the items he’d taken from the shopping bag.
* * *
