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The Visit - Ji-pyeong

Ji-pyeong woke up to an empty bed. Rubbing his eyes, he got out of bed and padded out of his bedroom. He stopped at the sight that met him in his kitchen, and he smiled. 

He watched as In-jae stood over the stove, and his heartbeat quickened at the sight of her wearing his button-down shirt, its hem skimming her bare thighs. She was humming quietly as she cracked an egg over the pan and watched it sizzle. Ji-pyeong knew in his heart that he was ready to enjoy mornings like this with In-jae for the rest of his life, and hoped that In-jae would eventually be ready to have that conversation with him.

He took a deep breath and shook his head. The future would work itself out. What mattered was the now and making the most out of today. He stepped into the kitchen and crept up quietly behind In-jae, wrapping his arms tightly around her from behind and burying his face in her neck. 

"Good morning," he murmured, breathing in her scent. 

"Good morning," she turned her face to his for a quick kiss. 

He kept his arms around her as she finished cooking the eggs, then he said, "I was thinking of going somewhere with you today."

"Is it a surprise?" she asked, scooping the eggs out of the pan and unto a plate.

He stopped to think. "Actually, I don't know if you would want it to be a surprise," he admitted.

She set the plate on the counter and turned in his arms to face him. "Why, where are you thinking of going?" she peered at him curiously.

He took a deep breath then said, "I was thinking we could go visit your grandmother."

She opened her mouth to say something, then suddenly narrowed her eyes at him. "How do you know where she and Dal-mi live?" she demanded, pushing his arms away and crossing her arms over her chest.

Mischievously, he flicked her forehead and said, "Silly girl! Dal-mi's address is on her resume, which YOU have a copy of, too."

She pouted and rubbed her forehead, "Let's have some breakfast first. I can't think on an empty stomach."

"Fair enough," he nodded, kissing her forehead then taking a plate from the counter to bring to the table.

They sat down to eat and chatted over breakfast. As In-jae finished her meal, she said, "I've never been close to Grandma."

Ji-pyeong nodded. "I know. But I was just thinking that if she's slowly losing her eyesight, she might want to see you before it's too late."

They both stopped at that, then finally, In-jae nodded slowly. "Okay, you're right. Let me just get dressed."

The rest of their morning sped by and all too soon, Ji-pyeong was parking his car in front of the address that was in Dal-mi's resume. He watched as In-jae looked at the house in front of them. "I can't believe they live here," she murmured.

"What do you mean?" he asked, "Your grandmother's house and store were in Seonju."

In-jae turned to him and said, "This was where my family lived."

He reached out to take her hand and squeezed it tight. "Are you going to be okay?"

She took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, then nodded at him. "Yes. Let's do this."

They quickly got out of the car, then together walked to the gate and rang the bell. Moments later, the gate opened.

"Who are you--" Grandma peered closely at them both, squinting her eyes to see better.

Seeing her this way brought tears to their eyes, and both In-jae and Ji-pyeong looked at one another and took shuddering breaths to steady themselves.

"Hi, Grandma," In-jae said, giving the elderly woman a shaky smile.

Grandma squinted at her, "In-jae... ? Is that you?" In-jae nodded and Grandma quickly broke out into a smile and hugged her tight.

Then she pulled away and squinted up at Ji-pyeong. He stayed quiet, ducking his head, when Grandma's eyes finally lit up in recognition. "Good Boy??" In-jae giggled as Ji-pyeong replied, "It's been a while, Grandma."

She squeezed him tight, and Ji-pyeong closed his eyes as he felt instantly comforted by that embrace. Even as a teenager, when he resisted these hugs of hers, he couldn't deny that they were comforting and made him feel better.

Then she pulled away and looked at the two of them. "But wait, how are you-- why--- oh let's just go inside!!"

Ji-pyeong and In-jae followed Grandma inside. "Grandma, who was at the door-- In-jae," Dal-mi stopped in her tracks as she stared at her sister.

In-jae glanced at Ji-pyeong and he nodded at her reassuringly. She turned to Dal-mi and said, "We need to talk."

Grandma waved them off and said, "You two talk in Dal-mi's room, I'll stay here with Good Boy." She sat on the couch and pulled him down to sit beside her.

"Why has it taken you so long to visit?" she asked, patting him on the knee. "Well, you told me not to visit you if I was happy or successful," he reminded her, and she laughed.

"That's right," she smiled, "So... You and In-jae?"

Ji-pyeong smiled as he told Grandma everything-- how In-jae had caught him writing that first letter to Dal-mi, how they'd kept in touch through the years, how he had fallen in love with her and how happy she made him now.

"But Grandma," he said, "You didn't tell Dal-mi who wrote the letters right?"

To his relief, Grandma shook her head. "Good," he said, "There's no need to tell her because I didn't mean any of that anyway. I invented a lot of those things, and I don't want to ruin those memories for her if they meant something to her."

Grandma nodded, "Yes, there's no need to say anything about that. Anyway, after she learned that Do-san had nothing to do with the letters, she never brought them up again and focused on getting to know the real Do-san instead."

She sighed then raised her hand to touch Ji-pyeong's cheek. "I am so happy that you have In-jae and she has you. I used to worry about In-jae as a child because she seemed very cold and guarded," Grandma said pensively, then laughed. "Come to think of it, you were the exact same way too when I met you!"

Ji-pyeong laughed, and his heart softened as Grandma pat his cheek. "But just like you, I know In-jae has a good heart. She's a Good Girl, perfect for a Good Boy like you!" she said cheekily.

He took Grandma's hands in his and squeezed them tight. "Don't worry, Grandma. I promise that I'll always take care of In-jae. I love her very much," he reassured her and she smiled.

"Come," she said, getting up from the couch, "Help me make dinner. I think those two are going to be a while."

Ji-pyeong followed Grandma into the kitchen and stole a glance at the closed door to Dal-mi's room. He hoped that things were going well in there. No matter the outcome, he would be there for In-jae, just like he promised Grandma he would.