Seon-hyeong sat with her head bowed. She had never once imagined that Hyung-sik would become her husband. It was only this morning that Elder Kim, in what seemed like a casual remark, had looked at her meaningfully and asked,
"Is Mr. Lee teaching you well?"
At the time, Seon-hyeong had answered absently,
"Yes, he teaches very kindly."
"Do you think he's a good person in your heart?"
Only then did she realize there was something behind her father's words. She hesitated for a moment, but couldn't avoid answering.
"Yes," she said, turning her head away.
After that, she thought about Hyung-sik all day. She tried to decide whether she truly liked him, whether she really wanted to become his wife. But she couldn't tell. Hyung-sik seemed both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. So she asked Sunae,
"Sunae, I think my family is planning my marriage. What should I do?"
Sunae didn't seem particularly surprised. "Who with?"
"I'm not sure exactly, but I think they're considering Mr. Lee…"
"Mr. Lee?" Sunae's face showed surprise. "What do you mean?"
"This morning, Father asked me if I thought Mr. Lee was a good person, and he looked at me strangely…"
Sunae thought for a moment. "Well, what do you think, sister?"
Seon-hyeong tilted her head. "I don't know. I really don't. What should I do?"
"It's up to you. If you like him, marry him. If not, don't. It's that simple."
"But if Father says to do it, that's that."
"Why do you say that? If you don't want to, you don't have to. Would our parents force a marriage? In this day and age…"
"Do you think so?" She sat still, uncertain, tilting her head this way and that. "Sunae, what do you think?"
"About what?"
"About me getting married — to Mr. Lee."
"How would I know?"
"Come on, just tell me. Who else can I talk to besides you? I almost told Mother earlier, but I felt too embarrassed…"
"Well, if you don't know, how am I supposed to know? Things like this depend on your own heart. No one can decide for you."
Seon-hyeong looked frustrated. "Then what do you think of Mr. Lee as a person… Is he good?"
"He's probably good."
"Don't say it like that!"
"How can I know a person's heart after just two or three days of studying for an hour each day? What do you think?"
"That's just it — I don't know either… Oh, what do I do… What should I do?"
That was their conversation. As you can tell from it, Seon-hyeong didn't know what to do about Hyung-sik. But she was a girl of seventeen or eighteen — as long as a man wasn't a complete villain, a lowlife, or terribly ugly, she wouldn't find him repulsive. Besides, Hyung-sik was someone whom people in society praised to some degree, so Seon-hyeong didn't dislike him. If anything, she felt a certain fondness toward him. And after hearing her father that morning, she felt even more drawn to him than before. But of course, she didn't love him. Love couldn't develop in just two or three days. Whether love would grow in the future, and to what extent, remained to be seen — but at least for now, it hadn't.
Naturally, neither Hyung-sik nor Seon-hyeong knew each other's true character. Hyung-sik's feelings for Seon-hyeong were no more than the love one feels for a beautiful flower. He loved her because she was lovely to look at. It was the shallowest kind of love — love between eyes, love between faces. Their inner selves had never once touched, not even for a moment. Hyung-sik would look at Seon-hyeong, and Seon-hyeong would look at Hyung-sik, each thinking, What kind of person is he really? And then, I suppose I'll have to live with him to find out. Only Elder Kim Yangju and Pastor Han thought they truly knew the hearts of these two young people. Though in fact they knew even less than the couple knew about each other, they still believed they understood them well and were certain the two would find happiness as husband and wife. So they brought them together. Simply because, in their own foolish, shallow judgment, it seemed like a good match. And if the couple should end up unhappy, they would not take responsibility — they would blame the couple, or fate, or the will of God. That's how thousands of couples are made every single day.
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Elder Kim looked back and forth between Hyung-sik and Seon-hyeong, then turned to the Pastor.
"What should we do?" he asked.
Having no experience with marriages in the modern style, the Elder truly didn't know what to do. Of course, neither did the Pastor. But in a situation like this, he couldn't very well say he didn't know.
"Since we're discussing a great matter of human relations, let us first offer a prayer to God," the Pastor said, bowing his head. The others bowed theirs as well, resting their hands on their knees. The Pastor was silent for a while, as if gathering his thoughts. Then, in a voice of utmost sincerity and reverence — barely audible at first, then gradually growing louder — he began:
"Almighty, omniscient, and abounding in love, who always loves us sinners, our Lord Jehovah God, Father in heaven…" After calling upon God first, he continued, "Now we, your ignorant, senseless, sinful, foolish, and benighted sinners, seek to betroth Lee Hyeong-sik and Park Seon-hyeong according to the will that you, our Lord God Father, ordained before the ages. May your Holy Spirit, like a dove, descend upon the hearts of us ignorant, benighted sinners and guide all things. We, ignorant and benighted sinners, dare not pray to you, holy God Jehovah, on account of any merit of our own, but we pray relying only on the holy merit of our Savior Jesus Christ, who shed his precious blood on the cross for us and sits at the right hand of God's throne. Amen."
He remained still for a long moment, and only after the others had raised their heads did he slowly lift his own. The Pastor had prayed earnestly for the two. The others had also sung their amens with devotion. The Pastor then spoke solemnly.
"Then let us formally… ah… exchange words," he said, looking first at Elder Kim Yangju, then at Seon-hyeong.
The Elder, uncertain how to phrase things, tapped the table with his right hand. Deciding it would be proper for his wife to speak first, he said in a deliberate, gentlemanly drawl,
"My dear, I proposed an engagement to Hyung-sik, and he has accepted. What do you think?" Satisfied with how properly and in the modern style he had handled the matter, he looked at his wife.
The Madam found it amusing that he was asking about something they had already discussed privately, but she assumed this was how things were done in the modern style. Looking slightly embarrassed, she shifted briefly and bowed her head.
"I am grateful," she said.
"Then you consent?" the Elder asked.
"Yes," the Madam replied, raising her head to look at a painting on the opposite wall.
"Then the engagement is settled," the Elder said, looking at the Pastor.
The Pastor, with eyes raised heavenward as if in prayer, said, "Yes, but we should also hear from the parties involved." Satisfied that he knew more about the modern style than the Elder did, he added, "Of course, they've likely already agreed, but still — we should ask their intentions." He looked at Hyung-sik, as if to say, See? I'm right.
Hyung-sik merely glanced at the Pastor and bowed his head again.
The Elder said, "Then let us ask the parties' wishes." Assuming a dignified, judge-like posture, he decided it was proper to ask the man — Hyung-sik — first, and then the woman — Seon-hyeong.
"So, Hyung-sik, do you consent?"
The Pastor seemed to think the Elder's question was insufficient. He quickly looked at Hyung-sik.
"These days, in the modern style, we hear the person's own intent before marrying. So speak clearly — do you wish to marry Seon-hyeong?" he prompted.
Hyung-sik found the whole thing rather absurd and had to suppress a laugh. He felt embarrassed to answer, but then thought of Useon, quickly raised his head, composed himself, and said, "Yes." Even his own answer struck him as ridiculous.
"Now we must hear Seon-hyeong's wishes," the Pastor said, looking sideways at her bent head. "You need not be shy. Speak your mind."
Seon-hyeong felt both amused and embarrassed. When the Elder asked, "What do you think?" she gave no answer. The Elder turned his head toward the Pastor and smiled faintly. The Madam smiled too. But the Pastor remained solemn.
"Then, Madam, please ask her."
"Go on, answer."
"That's the modern style. Answer," the Pastor prompted again.
The Madam tried once more. "Go on, answer." This time her voice was a bit sharper.
Seon-hyeong reluctantly murmured, "Yes…" But no one heard her.
The Elder urged her. "Speak up!"
Pressed again, she repeated, "Yes…" But once more, the Elder and the Pastor didn't catch it. The Madam, however, heard her. And so did one other person — Hyung-sik.
This time the Pastor said, "Answer!"
"She already did," the Madam spoke for her.
Seon-hyeong's face was bent so low it nearly touched her knees.
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"Good, now it's settled. We have the parents' consent and the parties' agreement — it seems it's now official." The Pastor finally smiled with satisfaction. In his mind, this was sufficient for a marriage in the modern style.
Deciding that a formal announcement of the engagement was now in order, the Elder said, "Then the marriage contract is concluded." He looked at Hyung-sik. "She's not much of a daughter, but I entrust her life to you." He started to say something to Seon-hyeong as well, but stopped.
Hyung-sik was as happy as if in a dream. He felt as if all the blood in his body had rushed to his head, and his vision blurred. Afraid that others might hear his breathing, he forced himself to control it. The Pastor and Elder laughed at his flushed face.
Seon-hyeong was inexplicably happy too. The fact that she had answered "Yes" made her both pleased and amused. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and the bridge of her nose with the ribbon of her skirt, just as she had during her lessons a few days before.
They all sat looking at one another for a while. Then the Elder turned to the Pastor.
"By the way," he said, "should we have the wedding and then send him to the United States, or would it be better to wait until after his studies?"
"Well," the Pastor said, "how many years until graduation?"
"For Seon-hyeong, at least five years." He turned to his daughter. "You said it takes five years to graduate, didn't you?"
"Yes, if I enter college next spring…" This time she answered promptly and raised her head. Her eyes met Hyung-sik's for a brief moment before they both looked away. It was as quick as lightning — and as powerful.
"And Hyung-sik," the Pastor said, "how many years until you graduate?"
Hyung-sik didn't know how to answer. The Pastor had mentioned sending him to the United States, but it felt embarrassing to speak as if it were already decided. So he just said, "Pardon?"
"No, I mean, if you go to the United States this fall, when will you graduate?"
"If I enter this year, I'll graduate four years after that."
"So you'll become a doctor?"
"No!" The Elder seized the moment to demonstrate his own learning. "To become a doctor, you need more time after that." But he didn't know how many more years. Hyung-sik knew the answer and laughed inwardly. But now, Elder Kim was the father of his beloved — his father-in-law. So he stopped even his inner smile and explained.
"After graduating from college, if you study at a postgraduate course for at least two years, you get a master's degree. Then you need another three or four years of study to qualify for the doctoral examination."
Saying this made him feel less shy.
"Then, Hyung-sik, become a doctor and come back. Do women also get doctorates?"
"Yes, in the West, women certainly do. There was a Japanese woman who got a doctorate in the States and died a few years ago." He glanced quickly at Seon-hyeong.
"What, there are female doctors too?" The Madam laughed in surprise. The Elder hadn't known either. Though he was also surprised, he pretended not to be. "Women can become monarchs too," he said, proving his erudition.
The Pastor said, "Then Seon-hyeong should become a doctor too. Ha ha! What a wonderful thing — a husband and wife both doctors!" He laughed as if they had already earned their degrees. Hyung-sik and Seon-hyeong laughed too. Everyone laughed. Hyung-sik felt as if he had already become a doctor, and so did Seon-hyeong. The Madam thought the same and was delighted.
The Pastor spoke again. "Then it would be better to have the wedding before you go. For five years…"
"But shouldn't they finish their studies first and then get married?" the Elder said.
"How can that be?" The Madam sympathized with her daughter.
"Of course you should marry first."
"Would that interfere with studies? Better to finish studies first."
"Let us ask the parties again." The Pastor brought out the modern style once more. "Hyung-sik, what do you think?"
"How would I know?"
"Then who would?" Hyung-sik just laughed. The Pastor turned to Seon-hyeong. "What do you think?"
Seon-hyeong inwardly laughed too. She said nothing. The Pastor was a bit chagrined. There was no reason to marry first, nor any reason not to. They had decided to marry without reason or conviction — so naturally, there was no reason or conviction behind the decision about when to marry. As if in jest, the engagement was settled, and as if in jest, they decided to marry after finishing their studies. And the whole party believed they had conducted everything in the most rational manner. They believed they had received the guidance of the Holy Spirit. How dangerous.
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Hyung-sik stepped out through the gate of Elder Kim's house. The humid summer night air rushed like fire over his sweaty body. To him, it felt wonderfully cool and pleasant. He glanced at the twinkling stars, the electric lights in each house, the faces of passersby, and made his way home with indescribable joy. It felt as though spring had returned to his fortunes. Seon-hyeong had become his wife. She was his — someone he could love to his heart's content. And he could go to the United States, enter a university, earn a bachelor's degree, then a doctorate. He and his beloved Seon-hyeong could ride the same train, the same ship, go to America together, live in the same house, study at the same school. Ah, how wonderful that would be. And after finishing their studies, he and Seon-hyeong would return arm in arm on the same ship, the same train, and receive the envy and congratulations of everyone. Ah, how wonderful that would be. And they would live in a clean house with a nice view, a piano and a violin, together with Seon-hyeong. Always loving, always happy… Ah, how joyful that would be.
Hyung-sik was as happy as a child. The future was one thing, but even just imagining it now brought him boundless joy. To prolong this period of daydreaming, he purposely took a detour past Gwanghwamun, through Jongno, past Tapgol Park… Even then, it felt a shame to go home. But he did. In his heart, before his eyes, was the image of Seon-hyeong sitting with her head bowed. And the more he looked at that image, the more lovable and beautiful she became.
Hyung-sik hesitated for a moment outside the gate. He felt that he was no longer someone who should enter and exit through such a gate. He felt as though he had suddenly become noble and elevated. So he punched the gate once with his fist, laughed to himself, and stepped into the courtyard.
The old woman and U Seon were sitting on the wooden veranda talking. They saw Hyung-sik and jumped up. U Seon slapped Hyung-sik hard on the shoulder and laughed.
"Hey, how'd it go?"
Hyung-sik pretended not to understand. "What do you mean?"
"Come on, don't be like that…"
"Oh, how did it go, sir?" the old woman asked, laughing. "Did it work out?"
"What are you talking about?" Hyung-sik laughed too.
"Come on, report the whole story to me. So you went, ate dinner… and then?"
"And drank water…"
"And then?"
"And talked…"
"And then?"
"Came back!"
"You little — you won't spill it straight, will you?" U Seon grabbed Hyung-sik's arm with both hands and twisted. "Now, now, still not talking?"
"Ow, ow! Yes, yes, I'll talk, I'll talk!" U Seon let go. Hyung-sik said, "But what exactly do you want me to say?"
"Must I twist your arm up your back before you talk?" U Seon twisted again, harder.
"Alright, alright, now, now I'll talk."
"Then talk!" U Seon didn't let go of his arm, demanding a solid promise.
"Hold on. Let me light the lamp and sit down first." He lit the lamp in his room and tossed his hat and overcoat inside. But his gesture was different from this morning's carelessness. The old woman brought her tobacco pouch and pipe and came over to Hyung-sik's room. U Seon also lit a cigarette and fanned his chest, legs, and back with his hat, waiting for Hyung-sik to speak.
Hyung-sik laughed. "We got engaged."
"So when's the wedding?"
"After graduation."
"After graduation? As in after America?"
"Yeah, five years from now."
"Five years from now?" The old woman was so startled she took the pipe from her mouth. "Five years from now, after you're all old? What kind of nonsense is that!"