The Heart Of Life

Chapter 2

For the most part, a routine fights a way into their lives all the same. There's summer holidays, where the blustery spring breeze is replaced by the unrelenting rays of sunshine, and Jeong-hyuk is off from work until the autumn semester starts. Clear, bright sounds of the piano fills the house everyday, when Se-ri checks her work emails in the morning, occasionally distracted by Jeong-hyuk's chiselled side profile, as he plays the piano. Sometimes, he goes around the neighbourhood to provide private piano lessons, and Se-ri tends to the flower garden in the evenings, when the summer heat eases a few degrees.

In their free time, they start clearing out one of the guest rooms and transforms it into a nursery. They paint the nursery a neutral colour, and when they're finished, both covered with sweat and paint, they end up grinning stupidly at each other, and Se-ri drags Jeong-hyuk out for ice-cream after a quick shower.

Jeong-hyuk keeps what Se-ri had said in the back of his mind, and has received a corresponding email from his father. He keeps her in the dark about it, not until a solid plan is brewing, to avoid disappointment. Se-ri doesn't forget about the matter either, dropping subtle hints in between their conversations, only to be met sometimes with his unenthusiastic grunt. When she presses further, he only assures her with a kiss at the side of hair because he can never say no to her puppy eyes. The things he'll do for her.

...

Somewhere in between, there is a joint collaboration for a charity fundraiser involving Queen's Foundation and the university that Jeong-hyuk's working in, to which Se-ri is personally overlooking the event. It has nothing to do with her, but he and a few of his students have been chosen to lead the classical music recital.

He's late. One of his student's mother had insisted for him to stay for refreshments. So now he's striding in huge steps, cutting across the campus' green lawns to get to the conference room - there's a meeting with the various sponsors for the charity fundraiser today.

Pushing open the conference's room door, Jeong-hyuk scans through the room for a quick search of Se-ri, and finds her in the middle of the room, talking to a handsome blonde-haired man. Just as he's about to head to her direction, he's greeted by some of the sponsors who he had acquainted with last year, and a conversation is strike up.

Out of the corner of her eye, she sees him drifting by. They make eye contact and she throws him a glance, scrunching up her nose adorably - the one that makes his heart flutter and flutter, and it takes him an immense amount of self control to remain impassive. He notices she's wearing a baby blue pantsuit, looking impeccably sharp and attractive - there is something about her in suits that seems to ignite a fire deep in his belly.

He glances her way every now and then, and she is still engaged in a conversation with the same man. Jeong-hyuk doesn't like how the man seemed to have inched closer to her, doesn't like how his hand is hovering dangerously at the small of her back, doesn't like that he's leaning forward, whispering in her ear, despite how she's taking a step back to create a comfortable distance. Se-ri catches his narrowing eyes, and responds with a reassuring gaze.

It reaches a breaking point when he vaguely hears the words free and dinner and wine that he hastily excuses himself from the group of sponsors, and conveniently slips in between Se-ri and the man.

"I don't believe we've met?" Jeong-hyuk comments in lieu of greeting, extending a handshake with a vice-like grip. Se-ri doesn't miss her husband's icy stare and suppresses the urge to giggle.

"Ah, Mr. Adams, this is Mr. Ri. He's a lecturer in the university, and will be leading the recital for the fundraiser this year. He's an outstanding pianist, one of the best," there is a flicker of a smile as she steals a glance at Jeong-hyuk, and he quirks a brow, afraid that her smirk will give them away. Not many people know that they're married, and they intend to keep it that way.