Deal Breaker - Chapter 103
Hyeji chose Europe as their honeymoon destination.
Since resort destinations like the Maldives or Southeast Asia were the trend, some might call it unusual, or others might say Europe was clichéd. Hyeji herself had been to Europe often.
But this time, I want to enjoy it at a slower pace.
Was it her second year after getting a job? After escaping the semi-basement apartment and finally having some financial and emotional breathing room, she had come with her grandmother. Back then, it had been a package tour, so they couldn’t wander freely.
The same had been true when she’d tagged along on Kanghyeon’s business trips. In those packed schedules, if there was a rare gap they’d look around one or two nearby attractions, but work always occupied a corner of her mind, leaving her feeling constantly pressed for time.
Maybe it was because her boss had followed along telling her to take it slow, then volunteered to act as her tour guide.
Paris, Frankfurt, London, Geneva. Business trips centered on major cities with international organizations, and Kanghyeon, who had grown up spending much of his formative years overseas following his diplomat father, was practically a local.
He would plan efficient routes so they wouldn’t miss must-see spots in a short time, dragging Hyeji along, and he’d take her to good restaurants too.
Back then, she wondered if he did this for other secretaries as well.
Now she knew without asking that the answer was no.
“So you admit it was unrecognized unrequited love?”
“Stop reading my thoughts. I won’t give you any guiding.”
Being shown around was comfortable and nice, but she didn’t want her husband to be her tour guide even on their honeymoon. So this time, she planned an itinerary focused on places even Kanghyeon hadn’t been.
Their first stop was Venice.
On the first day, travel fatigue and jet lag piled up, and they slept like the dead in the hotel.
“Does that count as completing ‘spending all day in bed with my boyfriend’?”
“No.”
Since it was hard-won free time, she didn’t regret sleeping all day. After nearly a year of living with her nerves constantly focused on the baby and waking up repeatedly even while sleeping, the chance to sleep straight through was precious.
After a long, deep sleep, Hyeji and Kanghyeon opened their eyes and, wearing drowsy, satisfied smiles, said the same thing at the same time.
“I miss Saebyeok.”
“Me too. Saebyeok-ie…”
Their daughter was more precious than uninterrupted sleep. Since it was daytime in Korea, they made a video call to their parents.
“Saebyeok-ah, hello.”
– Maah. He…
Han Saebyeok clearly had Han Kanghyeon on the outside but Noh Hyeji on the inside. Even though she already recognized her mom and dad on the screen, she didn’t cry or fuss. She sat calmly like an enlightened monk, staring wide-eyed, then smiled and ended the call.
“That’s a bit disappointing.”
“She’s being a filial daughter, letting Mom and Dad enjoy time alone without worry.”
Then enjoying themselves was the right thing to do.
That afternoon, the two of them strolled through the Piazza San Marco with gelato in hand, something you can’t skip on an Italy trip, crossed the Ponte di Rialto, and looked around the city. To Hyeji, who had mostly traveled north of the Alps in Europe, Venice’s buildings looked similar to the north yet distinct.
“It’s a mix of European Gothic with eastern styles like Byzantine or the Ottoman Empire.”
Listening to her husband explain, once again acting as a tour guide, she ate coconut and pistachio gelato. Two scoops for four euros. Rich enough to admit it was worth the six thousand won.
What really caught Hyeji’s eye, though, wasn’t the buildings but the shop windows lining the streets. As she admired flamboyantly gilded carnival masks, Kanghyeon asked,
“Want to buy one?”
“To wear where?”
Wearing that would be a guaranteed bid for attention.
“I meant to hang it at home as decoration.”
“Saebyeok would cry when she sees it.”
Every time she tried to appreciate something, he suggested buying it, so she couldn’t even look freely. The same thing happened at a Murano glass workshop, where dazzling ornaments assaulted her eyes.
“This would be perfect as your iced americano glass. Should we get it?”
“I already have glasses at home.”
Who drinks iced americanos from a one million won glass. Noh Hyeji might be the embodiment of material desire, but meaningless spending wasn’t her taste.
“I hate worrying the whole trip that it’ll break.”
She thought she’d successfully deflected him using the excuse that glass breaks easily, but her opponent was invincible.
“Saebyeok-ie would like this. Right?”
What Kanghyeon pointed at while looking up at the ceiling was a light fixture costing hundreds of millions of won. It was shaped like colorful balloons, so she probably would like it. But she’d like regular balloons too, and those cost less than ten thousand won for a hundred on G-Market.
“How are we supposed to take it back? It’s big, and it’s glass.”
But the shop offered to take full responsibility for shipping it to Korea, shattering her solid excuse in an instant.
While the staff packed the light, Hyeji and Kanghyeon were served champagne by the manager.
This place really knew how to do business. Being treated with such care while listening to the workshop’s long history and craftsmanship, even Hyeji was completely won over.
She stopped chanting ‘it’ll break’ and started shopping in earnest.
Only after already spending several hundred million won.
