Harbor

Chapter 10: A Morning of Surprises

It was a quiet Sunday morning in Seorak. The early rays of the sun filtered through the windows, casting a warm glow over the village. Min Hwan had woken earlier than usual, his throat dry and in desperate need of water. Groggily, he shuffled down the hall, heading toward the kitchen, half-asleep and thinking of nothing but quenching his thirst.

But as he pushed the door open, he froze in his tracks.

There, in the kitchen, was Jung Won... locked in a passionate kiss with Jong Seong, the two completely unaware of their audience. Min Hwan's eyes widened, his mind scrambling to make sense of the scene in front of him. The sound of the glass slipping from his hand and shattering on the floor snapped all three of them out of their bubble.

"Min Hwan!" Jung Won jumped, pulling away from Jong Seong with a guilty look on his face. "I—uh, this isn't what it looks like!"

Jong Seong ran a hand through his hair, biting back a smile. "I think it's exactly what it looks like." He shot a playful glance at Min Hwan, clearly not as embarrassed.

Min Hwan blinked, still trying to process everything. "I... definitely did not expect to see that first thing in the morning," he mumbled, stepping over the broken glass.

Jung Won scratched the back of his neck, looking like a deer caught in headlights. "We were going to tell you," he said, his voice shaky. "It's just... it happened so fast and... you know..."

Min Hwan raised an eyebrow, still half-amused, half-shocked. "Are you two... together?"

Jung Won and Jong Seong exchanged glances before nodding, sheepishly confirming their relationship.

"Yes," Jung Won said softly, his cheeks burning red. "We've been... seeing each other for a while now."

Min Hwan sighed, leaning against the counter. "Well, I'm not going to lecture you, but... you better take care of each other. You know how small this village is. Everyone's going to find out soon enough, and I want to make sure you're both prepared for that."

Jong Seong smirked. "A bit late for that," he teased. "I'm sure the village ajummas are already talking. I mean, if they haven't caught us yet, they will soon."

Jung Won groaned, covering his face with his hands. "You're probably right. The gossip queens never miss anything."

With that, Jong Seong turned to Min Hwan, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Speaking of... what's going on between you and the village chief? You seem pretty cozy yourselves."

Min Hwan shot him a glare, his eyes narrowing. "That's none of your business."

Jong Seong just laughed, holding his hands up in surrender. "Alright, alright! But I think we all know there's something there."

-

As predicted, word spread faster than wildfire. By mid-afternoon, Seorak's famous gossip queens, the village ajummas, were already buzzing about the new couple in town, eager to dissect every detail about Jung Won and Jong Seong. The ajummas gathered in their usual spots—the market, the bus stop, and even at the outdoor bench outside the clinic—exchanging knowing looks and hushed whispers, though nothing they said was truly discreet.

In the bustling market, where the chatter of merchants selling vegetables and fish mixed with the laughter of customers, two of the most notorious gossipers, Mrs. Park and Mrs. Kim, leaned in close over their baskets of radishes.

"Did you hear?" Mrs. Park's voice was a sharp whisper, loud enough for anyone nearby to overhear. "Jung Won and that chaebol heir—what's his name again? Jong Seong, right? They're an item!"