PROMPTS

Of Mergers and Marriages - 19

At the cafe, she chose a seat by the window, ordered her drink and stared at nothing in particular while she waited. She noticed that there seemed to be people gathering at the clearing outside the hotel, which wasn't unusual because there were often mimes or some street performers around that area and people would stop to watch. Some with vague interest, some because they had time to pass while waiting for the person they would be meeting.

A couple of women came into the cafe, giggling and pointing to the gathering outside. Se-Ri did not understand much of what they were saying but it was enough to pique her curiosity.

Calling a waiter, she asked, "Would you know what is going on outside? Is there a concert?"

"Oh, Madam, there seems to be a group that is preparing for a performance but the team has not practiced enough," the kindly waiter said. "My colleagues say that the men seem terribly off-key."

Yoon Se-Ri nodded in disinterest... until the next words were uttered.

"The people around here are saying that they weren't aware that gold sequin blazers weren't helping the band's look either," the waiter continued. 

Se-Ri's eyes widened. Jumping from her seat, Se-Ri scrambled to go out and push her way through the crowd that had now grown from when she first watched it. Battling for a clearing, she looked around to see what was going on and check if her theory was correct.

She saw about five people in matching gold sequinned blazers, with one of them directing the rest. Even if his back was to her, she knew that build. Her hand flew to her mouth in a silent gasp.

"No, no! You're out of tune!" the one directing complained. In her native tongue, she heard him groan, "Oh my god. She's going to divorce me for sure with this."

That reaffirmed her earlier conclusion. "Kim Joo Won!" she called out. "Yeobo!"

The man's body straightened and craned his neck around at the direction of her voice. When he found her, his face broke out into a big smile. Running to her, he kissed her nose and said, "Hi!"

Her face softened as she was now in the same city again with the person she had been looking forward to see. "Hi, you!" Yoon Se-Ri said. "What are you doing here? Is there a sequinned club convention in Milan? And are you their cult leader?"

"Yah," Kim Joo Won pouted. Crossing his arms, he shot back, "I came here because I wasn't sure you brought enough bibs."

Se-Ri tried to remain passive, but couldn't hold in her laugher. "This is not a bib!"

"Could have fooled me."

Giving him a big smile, she changed the topic and asked,  "Are you going to tell me what's going on?"

Joo Won suddenly turned serious. "My father told me about the divorce. Is it true, Se-Ri? Are you divorcing me?"

Copying his stance, Se-Ri crossed her arms and frowned. "I don't mean to dodge this question but how is you being in a gold sequinned suit with 4 other people relevant to the divorce issue?"

Joo Won pouted. "I'm supposed to serenade you! But these guys can't sing!"

"And you can?"

"No," he admitted. "So I was counting on them but they're more tone deaf than I am!" 

(Kim Joo Won's inspiration :))

Se-Ri had to admit that the gesture was so sweet and she couldn't help but swoon even though the planned serenade had a 5% chance of pushing through at this moment.  "Where did you find them anyway?" she asked, curiously.

"They were, uh... mimes," Joo Won replied.

Upon hearing this, Se-Ri threw her head back and laughed. "And you wonder why they can't sing."

"I thought they had hidden talent!" Joo Won said, stomping his foot. "Stop laughing!"

"I can't! You're so funny!" Holding her middle, she complained, "Oh no. I don't know if I can stop laughing at this."

Kim Joo Won continued to pout and stick her tongue at her. 

When her giggles quieted a little, Joo Won turned back to her, looking sullen this time. "Please don't divorce me, Se-Ri. I think we're already doing quite well and a huge part of me really believes that this could work for us."

Se-Ri fell silent. He was hurt, she knew and she loathed that. Cupping his face, she asked, "Oh, Yeobo. Are you happy with...us?"

Joo Won's lips turned up at the term of endearment. "Yes, I am. I can't even describe it. I love waking up next to you. I love ending the day knowing I'm headed home to have dinner with you. I even love it when my outfits piss you off because somehow we both end up laughing about it," he said. "I love laughing with you."

Then, to Se-Ri's surprise, Joo Won knelt and pulled out something that surprised her. "What..."

She thought he would pull out a diamond ring. But, she didn't need another ring. She loved what she had and how he gave it to her. But he knelt so that meant...

When she saw what he was holding, she started giggling again.

It was the shoe she threw at him a few months ago.

"I told you the day you threw this at me that I would never seek you out," he told her. "I'm sorry but I can't keep my word on that."

Se-Ri smiled, ignoring that crowd that had turned their attention to them now.

"Since we got married, I knew I would always run to where you are as long as you'd accept me. A change like this is once in a lifetime and I want to make it last. So, please, Ms. Yoon... don't divorce me. I may not be your Prince Charming but I promise you my outfits would be more interesting than his any day."

Yoon Se-Ri laughed and helped him up. "You funny man. I had no intentions of divorcing you! How can I leave a man who lights up my life?" she paused to stare at his golden blazer. "Literally."

Placing her arms around his neck and leaning in, she whispered, "I'm very happy with you... and if you don't mind, my baby bib and I would like to hang on to this... for as long as we both shall live."

Kim Joo Won sighed. "Thank you... I accept you, your bib and your stinky feet."

Pushing him, she made a face. "I do not have stinky feet!"

He held up her shoe and looked skeptically, "I don't know I've had this for awhile..."

"Oh you! Sleep with your singing mimes!" she yelled, stomping away.

Looking at the group he paid and got nothing for, he ran after her, "Yeobo! Don't leave me with them! Yeobo! Yeobo!"