Chapter 1011. Crank Up 10
“Then we’ll take our leave now.”
“I won’t see you out so far. Be careful on your way home.”
Maru slightly bowed to his mother-in-law who saw him out before turning around. Only after he got on the elevator did the tension pressing him down disappear.
“Good work,” Gaeul said.
“Still, it’s good that she understands us. Honestly, if she didn’t know anything, I might have been kneeling today. When did she find out about it?”
“She found out at the beginning of the year. Just like she said, my house was too desolate. I was over at your house the whole time after all.”
“You totally had me fooled.”
“So, do you feel wronged?”
“A little, but I guess I should be fortunate that it ended with just this.”
“You know this is all thanks to my foresight, right? Had I told you beforehand, you would’ve told me that we should visit as soon as possible, and if we did, you would’ve come across my mom who would be angrier than she was today. That’s not something I want.”
“What did she say when you told her the truth?”
Gaeul’s eyes scanned the numbers on the elevator.
“She didn’t say anything much when I told her I was dating someone. She sighed when I told her it was you though, saying that she thought it’d be like that. Of course, she was really naggy as well.”
“Nagging is moderate. If I was your parent, I would’ve had a serious conversation with you and told you to get yourself together.”
Gaeul smiled and walked closer to him. Maru grabbed her hand. He had gotten over a big obstacle. He was at a loss on how to explain to her that they were living together without her approval, but things managed to pa.s.s on without much trouble. It was great that his mother-in-law was over this issue.
“When should we greet your father and mother?” Gaeul asked.
“I told them that we’ll be going soon. Tell me when you’re free. Let’s go then.”
“Then how about tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow?”
Gaeul nodded. Tomorrow, huh? Maru thought about the schedule for tomorrow. There was nothing in his schedule.
“I’m okay with it.”
“Wait a sec.”
Gaeul took out her phone and at the same time, the elevator arrived on the first floor. Maru lifted the hat on her jumper and put it on her. It would be troublesome if people recognized her after all. They walked to the car together while holding hands.
“Can you delay the skin care session I’m getting tomorrow? Yeah, that sounds good. I have something to do.”
Gaeul hung up.
“It’s better to do it all at once. It’s important too.”
“You don’t need to hurry though.”
“Still. Your father and mother might feel sad about it later.”
“You’re even worried about that?”
“Of course I am. I wanted to be a daughter-in-law who’s loved.”
Who would hate a woman who was already adorable by being herself, and even looked out for her surroundings? Maru thought that his parents would welcome her gladly. Perhaps they would thank her for taking their insufficient son.
“You should ask your parents if we can visit.”
Maru took out his phone when Gaeul urged with her eyes. He phoned his mother and waited a moment.
-I was told you have someone you’re dating?
It seemed that she had been notified already. Maru told her that they would go see her tomorrow. Since it was a Sat.u.r.day, there shouldn’t be a problem with it.
-Alright, bring her here. Or wait, should we go to you instead?
“No, it’s fine. It won’t take long by car, so we’ll go there.”
-But how could you introduce her to us after all this time without any warning?
“Your son has a lot of secrets.”
-I’m glad to hear that you’re dating someone, but you really should’ve told me about it beforehand. Had I known, I would’ve made some food.
“Please don’t. We can meet outside.”
-That’s not good. Ask the lady what she likes. I’ll prepare that at least.
Maru smiled and transmitted the question asking what she liked. Gaeul hesitated a little before saying that she liked j.a.pchae.
“Then just prepare j.a.pchae. She says she likes that.”
-Is she next to you?
“Yes.”
-Then tell her that she doesn’t need to bring any presents tomorrow. Tell her that she just needs to be here and that she needs to eat good food.
“Okay. Don’t you prepare anything too much either, mother.”
-I’ll hold back.
Before he hung up, Gaeul said “I’ll see you tomorrow” in an excited voice. His mother said she had a beautiful voice.
“Mother says she likes your voice.”
“Maybe she’ll like me too.”
“She’ll probably shout in joy if she knows who you are. She always used to praise you for being pretty and good at acting.”
“Really? That puts me a little at ease.”
Gaeul then said as she opened the door to the pa.s.senger seat,
“Let’s go to the department store then. I should buy her a gift for tomorrow.”
“She says you can come empty-handed.”
“That doesn’t mean I can actually go empty-handed. What do your parents like?”
“They like meat. We should just bring top-grade Hanwoo beef.”
“Isn’t that too typical?”
“They dislike things that are too extraordinary.”
Maru got in the car and started it up. He was just about to get out of the parking lot when he saw a car approaching with high beams on. Maru frowned and turned the wheel. The car with the high beam went past them.
“That person doesn’t seem to realize that he has the high beams on.”
“Right.”
Maru had a look at the car that went past through the rearview mirror. Perhaps that person had gotten a driving license only recently. There was no dispute, so it seemed that it hadn’t been that long since that person started driving. Maru moved his gaze to the front and started driving the car.
* * *
Gaeul loaded the luggage into the car. They were some gifts to bring with her tomorrow and some food to put in their refrigerator. She was finally going to greet Maru’s parents tomorrow. Just thinking about it made her excited. Maru probably felt like this as well.
“Wait a sec.”
Gaeul stopped Maru from getting in the car. A commercial building opposite the parking lot entered her eyes. There was a shop that sold handmade ceramic bowls. She saw a couple looking around inside the store.
“Let’s visit that place.”
“Is there anything you want to buy?”
“It just feels wrong to go with just this gift set. Also, we need some teacups at home. I wonder if your mother likes cozy things.”
She dragged Maru, who said it was okay and left the parking lot. She was about to cross when a car slowly drove past her with the high beams on. Gaeul frowned and looked at the tail of the car. Today, there were a lot of cars that hurt her eyes.
“Isn’t it that car from before?” Maru said.
Gaeul thought that it shouldn’t be, considering it a coincidence. Maru also didn’t take it too seriously. They walked into the shop across the road. She saw that the items inside the store were a lot better than what she could glimpse from the outside. Not to mention big ceramic pots, there were many small decorative items as well. She saw a married couple where the woman was heavily pregnant and the man was holding her hand. Gaeul smiled and followed them for a while until she found a deep indigo teacup set.
“What do you think about this?”
“It looks good.”
“Do you think your mother will like them?”
“She prefers things that don’t break. But if you give it to her, she’ll probably receive them happily. But she really prefers using paper cups and doesn’t use teacups.”
“Then I should go with the normal cups. We can use the teacups at home.”
Gaeul picked up the same-colored cup that was next to it. It felt st.u.r.dier than the teacup. She hoped that Maru’s mother would like it. She asked the counter to package it as a gift. They put it in a plastic frame as well so that it didn’t break, and she liked the simple frame as well.
“Do you feel okay about it now?”
Maru smiled and grabbed her hand. Gaeul grabbed the paper bag with the other hand and left the store. It just turned from green to red. Gaeul stood at the edge of the pavement.
“It feels like a dream. I thought I would never meet you again, but we’re already greeting our parents,” Gaeul said in a small voice and tightened her hand around Maru’s.
Maru tilted his head and looked at her. Gaeul kissed his cheek softly. He then indifferently gave her the other cheek. Gaeul frowned and was just about to pinch his cheek, but just then, she noticed a car in the corner of her eye. It flashed the high beam before calming down. Gaeul frowned and had a closer look at the car. It felt like the car that she saw in the parking lot.
“What is it?” Maru asked.
Gaeul smiled and shook her head. There was no need to act so sensitively. The signal changed. Just as she walked forward, matching Maru’s steps, she saw the car that caught her eye earlier driving at an ominous speed. It was already too late by the time she thought that it was dangerous. The car, with the headlights off, was already in front of her nose. She didn’t even have the time to scream, much less budge a muscle, but she saw Maru’s smiling face. His smile looked transcendental as though he knew that this was going to happen beforehand.
He shook her hand off and pushed her out. Before she could fall backwards, the car smashed into Maru. A shocking noise hit her ears. The paper bag hit the floor. The cup she bought as a gift rolled on the ground. Gaeul looked at the pedestrian crossing with white and black stripes. What just happened?
Her head slowly turned around. Her body reacted before her mind did. Her mouth uttered a scream. She couldn’t care less about the graze on her thighs. She stood up immediately and looked for Maru. She could hear screams everywhere. She looked around and around, looking for traces of him. Was she dreaming? Perhaps she had dozed off in the pa.s.senger seat? Wouldn’t Maru caress her warmly once she wakes up?
Gaeul slapped her cheek. She got herself together. She held back her rough breathing and walked forward. Maru had fallen down under the place where the traffic lights were crossing. The car was facing the other way and had stopped.
“Call 119, quickly!” she shouted to the couple in front of her.
There was no time to use the phone. Gaeul approached Maru. Everything had turned red around his head. Even the asphalt had blood pooling on it. She couldn’t believe that such a thing had happened in such a short period of time.
“M-Maru.”
She was about to touch him but halted. She had heard about this scene numerous times while shooting a drama. It was dangerous to touch the patient at a time like this. She rubbed the tears that blocked her vision. This was no time to be crying.
Maru’s legs had been twisted in a strange direction. Gaeul caressed Maru’s cheeks with her shaky hands. What did she have to do at a time like this? What was it again?
“Miss, we called an ambulance so calm down,” people around her said.
Fortunately, people were taking control of the road. The car that hit Maru was still silent. Gaeul despised that person terribly, but she thought that she would be able to forgive that person as long as Maru was okay. As long as Maru was saved, she couldn’t care about anything else.
Just then, Maru opened his eyes. Gaeul barely held herself back from crying. She couldn’t let his emotions fluctuate. She had to make him keep his calm.
“Maru, wait for a little. The ambulance is coming.”
“Really?”
His voice was clear. She was vaguely convinced that he had a bad leg injury and there was no serious threat to his life. It would be bad otherwise. Gaeul put a handkerchief she got from someone against the side of his head. The bleeding on his head wasn’t that bad. It seemed that the blood on the ground came from his legs.
“Gaeul.”
“Yes. I’m here.”
“This is pretty painful.”
“Of course it is. But don’t worry. It’s nothing much. You’ll be fine after a few st.i.tches and a couple injections.”
Maru chuckled softly.
“Don’t put on a serious face. Someone might be mistaken that I’m dying.”
Gaeul forced a smile on her face. The injury was so serious that she couldn’t bear to look, but Maru was clear-headed. He would be okay as long as the ambulance arrived on time. Gaeul reached out and grabbed his hand. It was still warm. There was no way such a warm person would die.
“Why are you crying?”
“I’m not crying.”
“Yes you are.”
“I’m not. I’m not crying so be quiet.”
“How cruel to an injured man.”
She raised her head. She could hear the siren. It was the sound she was the most glad to hear. She saw the ambulance coming through the row of cars. Gaeul thanked G.o.d, for saving Maru.
“Maru, the ambulance is here.”
“It’s here?”
“Yeah. Just wait a little more.”
“Uhm, Gaeul.”
“Yeah?”
“This isn’t your fault.”
Hearing that, she looked at Maru. He was closing his eyes with a smile. She felt like the blood flowing in her body had come to a complete halt. She felt stifled and her body started trembling. She kept calling out to Maru with her shaky jaws.
He still had a smile on his face.