Garden Days

Reflection

"Kim Seok-jin."
"Yes, sir." The young man bowed to his soon-to-be father-in-law. Bae Ji-cheol looked young for his age- handsome too, with a chiseled jaw and soft eyes. Not a speck of grey peppered his thick hair, adding a powerful look as he sat in an arm chair, looking Jin up and down in quiet contemplation.

"Have you ever dated?" This was not a question Jin expected to be asked and it surprised him.
"What?"
Ji-cheol leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees and chin on his folded hands. "I've been watching you for a very long time and I can say I'm not disappointed in how you've turned out- at least, for the most part."
Jin wanted to question him on why he had been watched, demand answers, but it was not that simple. It was not respectful nor did it give a good first impression even if Bae Ji-cheol was not in the right. "I'm a little confused." He admitted instead.
"You're very flirtatious." The response was very direct.
Oh.
"I don't see how that's an issue if it's just Joo-hyun-."
The older man climbed from his cushioned seat to tower before his daughter's fiancé. "And I don't see why it'd be acceptable to catch another woman's attention."
He was not talking about himself. "So...you know about that." Jin's confidence in himself and looks had already cost him a relationship. Just remembering how it happened filled his entire body with stinging regret. "I promised to never do it again."
Ji-cheol's rather large hand slapping down on his shoulder made him jump, the tight squeeze almost too painful. "I should hope so; for my daughter's sake and your own." He released the young man and returned to his seat, motioning for Jin to sit across from him.
The latter complied, feeling very timid by now. "Joo-hyun and I want to make our relationship work like a real couple. I'll be the-."
"Do you know why you're engaged to my daughter, Seok-jin?" Jin didn't reply, figuring he'd be answered very shortly. "Your family is vile." That, he was already aware of. "One night, they broke into my home and tried to kidnap Joo-hyun."
"They w-!" Jin's parents were bad people but that bad? No.
"They did!" Was the immediate angry retort. "They tried and failed at...at the expense of my wife." The elder became solemn at her memory before coming back to the present.
"She...died?"
"The courts asked me what I wanted to do about it. I could have had them killed but I'm not that kind of man. I decided instead that they serve on my farms, day and night, until death."
"But what about the marriage? Where does that factor in?" Jin was on the edge of his chair, anxious at this new information.
"Your parents made the suggestion: When you turn 26, they're free of servitude but in exchange, they also give you up to an arranged marriage with Joo-hyun."
This was suddenly a lot to take in and he had so many questions. Hopefully they'd be answered over time. "What did she think of this when you told her?" He imagined Irene had felt the same or somewhat close about the marriage. Why it happened? Not so much. Thinking about it now, he was surprised she was being so kind towards him.
"She's known since the deal was made so, for a 7 year-old child, you can imagine her reaction. As expected, she grew to accept it."
"My parents. When they left me here, they were given 100,000 ₩. Why? Was that part of your deal too?"
Jin realized he made a mistake and asked something he probably shouldn't have and turned his head to the floor with a quick apology.
"It wasn't but I wanted them to go far away from here. I even offered them a ride to the nation's border if that's where they wished." Ji-cheol answered.
"Thank you." With a smile and his heart in his throat, Jin stood and bowed. "I-."
"Joo-hyun didn't happen to give you that shirt, did she?" The gentleman leaned back and waited expectantly.

"Why?"
Joo-hyun's father sighed and waved a hand. "It was her boy friend's."
________________________________
"You mistook my father's use of the term 'boyfriend'." Irene replied in confidence. It was midday and they were sitting at the pond: it was planted in the middle of the forest-like garden. "Sehun is just a friend. He used to come over so often, that he started living here." She plucked his shirt, giggling. "That's why I have this."
Jin only mentioned the last of their conversation. None of it was worth repeating since Irene already seemed to know it all. "How did you meet?" Jin was genuinely curious and yet strangely jealous at the same time. Shame clouded his eyes and he closed them.
"About 11 years ago, he was working as an apprentice carpenter for his father. They were dropping off that bench when Sehun saw me. We became friends shortly after." She paused, sighing sadly. "He barely stops by anymore. He says he's too busy or that he already made plans." Her dark brown eyes glanced up from the water to her fiancé in concern. "Do you think it's because of this? It wasn't until I told him about you that he started acting like this. I told him over and over again that you wouldn't get in the way of our friend-."
"But he doesn't want to be friends." Jin interrupted slowly, knowing what was running through Sehun's head.
"I know but...I need him to be there for me. I can't lose his friendship, not right now." A pause. "It sounds selfish, doesn't it?"
"Maybe just a little," he answered. "But I get what you're saying. If he doesn't want to come to you, go to him."
Irene blushed. "I couldn't do that. He'd probably get upset if I dropped by without a word-."
"But you have a good reason to." The young man stood and helped Irene to her feet. "Go this weekend."
She tucked her hair behind her ears, smiling. "Thank you, Seok-jin." The young woman paused. "You said you worked on a farm, right?"
"Why?" He wondered in suspicion.
Irene pointed to the tree above them and Jin followed her direction, a his smile turning into a frown. "Now how did you do that?"
"I didn't do it!" She protested, frantically waving her hands. "There was a storm and it nearly snapped the tree in half."
"I can see that." Seok-jin shook his head. "I can't handle this on my own. Is there anyone that can help?"
Irene shook her head and clasped her hands. "I take care of the outside work. Usually when things like this happen, Sehun and his father would-."
"Ask him over."
________________________________
I wanted to introduce why their marriage existed in the first place + a friend AND I know it's a simple google search, but I don't know how old Gong Ji-cheol ("Irene's dad") is plus, in some photos he looks the part? He's handsome.
*hes 39* let's pretend he's 59