Strike while the iron is hot.
The day I proposed to Yeon Haneul.
She and I headed straight to the 23rd District Office of Academy City to register our marriage.
At that time, we needed two witnesses….
Naturally, it would have been proper for me to ask my parents and for her to ask the orphanage director, but since they couldn’t be called to Academy City immediately, I entrusted that role to Hong Yena and Yu No-eul.
It so happened that not only had Hong Yena known her since childhood, but she was also her teacher.
Because Yu No-eul was our homeroom instructor.
Of course, as expected, the two couldn’t hide their reactions of utter bewilderment.
—“Hmph—suddenly saying you’re going to marry Gyeonu and telling me to come to the district office…. What on earth is going on? I’m truly dumbfounded…. You two, are you serious?”
—“Yes, Instructor Yena is right. Do you know how surprised we were while having drinks together for the first time in a while? You two didn’t… go and make a baby, did you? Listen… Gyeonu, Haneul. I’m not a married person myself, so I might not be able to give proper advice, but hearing stories from married people around me….”
By coincidence, Hong Yena and Yu No-eul, who had been spending the evening together after work, rushed over as soon as they received the call.
Then they tried to persuade us, offering up all sorts of advice, but it was no use.
We were stubborn.
In the end, unable to break our will, the two clicked their tongues in resignation.
—“Sigh… Fine, do as you please. When have you two ever listened to me properly? Especially you, Do Gyeonu. I had a feeling something like this would happen someday, but I never imagined it would be this soon…. Anyway, if your resolve is firm, I won’t try to stop you anymore. Instead, Do Gyeonu, if you ever make Haneul cry—just once—you know what happens then? I won’t let you off the hook.”
—“Since Instructor Yena has given her permission, what more can I say here? I understand your feelings well. As your homeroom instructor, and as someone who personally likes you both, I’ll cheer you on with a glad heart.”
And so.
The two stood as witnesses.
Yeon Haneul and I became husband and wife.
—“What? Suddenly? No, why!?”
Family, friends, and acquaintances who heard the news later were all shocked.
Still, in the end, they understood and sent congratulations and support.
Except for those who looked upon us unfavorably, or those who followed my grandfather and the other grandfather….
*I was prepared for this. It can’t be helped.*
I had to leave the Shingeom family.
Even so, I had no regrets.
Because Yeon Haneul was by my side.
As an aside.
—“You asked Instructors Hong Yena and Yu No-eul to be witnesses for your marriage registration? I’m a bit disappointed. If you had contacted me, I would have obliged…. If you had, you could have used my background to quell public opinion to some extent. Isn’t that right, Chief Secretary Oh Seung-a?”
—“Yes, the Chairwoman is correct. Student Do Gyeonu’s position wouldn’t be so shaken as it is now. The same goes for Student Yeon Haneul.”
So Hyeyul expressed some regret using the marriage registration as a topic.
To console her, I brought up Gang Hanbyeol.
—“I’m grateful for the Chairwoman’s offer, but it might unnecessarily make you clash with the Shingeom family. Instructor No-eul and the Witch have suitable justification, but…. Besides, the Chairwoman should stand witness when Hanbyeol gets married later, not for us.”
—“Ah, you’re right. When Student Hanbyeol, that child, gets married, I must step up as a witness. That much I cannot yield. Even if it means fighting with Jeongjin.”
—“Haha….”
So Hyeyul had readily accepted it.
* * *
There may be those who mock me, saying I know nothing of the world, but.
I didn’t leave the Shingeom family recklessly without any plan.
I had made my own plans to make a living, and I had no immediate financial worries.
I had money saved up separately, this semester’s tuition was already paid in full, and if I needed money, I could earn it through the request board at Brilliant Cafe.
If push came to shove, I could look for sponsorship elsewhere even if the terms weren’t good, or take out a loan.
*Plus, I can lean on Haneul…. She has money saved up too, and she’s receiving support from the Witch. It wouldn’t look good for me, who promised to make her happy, to do so, though…. My pride would be hurt too….*
I hoped to avoid such matters as much as possible, but in any case, our livelihood wouldn’t fall into dire straits.
The problem was that Cha Eunsol, whom I’d been raising like a pet elephant, was quite the burden….
Fortunately, Nam Yuri resolved it.
—“Here, take this! It’s my gift! In celebration of your marriage!”
—“Thanks for the gift, but… what’s with this card? Wait…. It has a family crest on it, could this be….”
—“It’s the unlimited credit card of the Yeonseong Nam family! I got it by threatening the family head!”
—….
Nam Yuri, who had become the hidden power behind the Yeonseong Nam family, nonchalantly held out the card.
I couldn’t help but be bewildered by her grand gesture.
Then she immediately insisted.
—“Yuri, this is a bit….”
—“Why? Are you feeling burdened? It’s fine, Gyeonu Gyeonu! Use it to your heart’s content! Don’t feel burdened! Look at how much you’ve done for me! Think of this as repayment. Spend as much as you want, even if you bankrupt our clan! And… from now on, I’m yours, aren’t I? Everything of mine is yours!”
—“Haha… if you put it that way… alright. I’ll gratefully put it to good use.”
Given Nam Yuri’s personality, she would surely push aggressively until I accepted the card.
In the end, giving up on trying to talk her down, I had to accept the card that was no different from the key to the Yeonseong Nam family’s treasury.
Instead, I intended to use the card only when truly necessary—for now, only for Cha Eunsol’s upkeep expenses.
Good grief….
Does Cha Eunsol know my struggles?
—“You should thank Yuri. I was going to send you outside to earn money once our funds ran out.”
—“Yam, yam. You were going to make me work? No way, I’ll die if I do that. And you promised to take responsibility for me.”
—“No, responsibility has its limits…. Do you know how much money it takes to raise you every month? At this rate, forget about kids, I couldn’t even raise other pets.”
—“Yam? Wasn’t I the only one you were raising? How cruel…. To think you wanted to raise others besides me…. Player.”
—“Why am I a player? This is absurd….”
—“But I hadn’t thought about babies…. Yam…. I want to have at least two or more, whether sons or daughters. As cute little piglets. Rabbits too… if they eat well, that’d be nice.”
—“Uh, Eunsol…. I don’t even know where to start correcting you, but if you had babies, they’d be elephants, not pigs, you elephant.”
—“Hing…. You always call me an elephant. I’m hurt.”
I hoped.
That Cha Eunsol would know my pain.
*How did I end up taking responsibility for Eunsol….*
Surely I wouldn’t have to keep her with me for life as I half-jokingly said, right?
At the time, the mere thought made me shudder in fear.
Honestly, I wanted to put her up for adoption.
If only there were someone to take her in….
But who in their right mind would take in a money-guzzling elephant?
I felt sorry for Yeon Haneul, but it seemed I’d have to keep raising her….
*When that time comes, I’ll have to at least let her loose in the yard. If the house has a yard….*
A life where someone else raises you—how enviable.
I want to live like Cha Eunsol too….
Setting that aside.
Besides Nam Yuri, there were quite a few people who wanted to help: So Hyeyul, Hong Yena, Yu No-eul, and others.
My parents were the same.
Since I might end up depending on them if I wasn’t careful, I decided to gratefully accept only up to a moderate level.
“I’ll take a quick call! If you don’t know something, ask Haneul. Haneul, I’m counting on you.”
“Ah, okay! Leave it to me!”
Meanwhile.
With Yeon Haneul and me having completed the registration and officially become a married couple.
We moved from the dormitory we’d been living in to the couples dormitory.
In the middle of that, I received a call from my father.
After apologizing to my friends, I spoke with him.
[“There’s a bank account under your name? I’ll send it to you by tomorrow. It’s money unrelated to the clan, so don’t hesitate to use it. I’m giving it to you so you don’t let Haneul go hungry. If you run short, tell me.”]
“A card? You don’t have to…. I have money too.”
[“How much could you possibly have…. Don’t pretend to be all grown-up and just take it when it’s offered. Money goes fast early in a marriage. It’ll definitely help. And if you think about it, it’s originally your money.”]
“Huh? My money?”
[“Yeah, you idiot. I’ve been saving up bit by bit for your wedding. I didn’t think you’d get married this quickly. If only you’d done it a little later. You would have gotten more.”]
“Ah, I see…. Thank you. Then I’ll gratefully accept it.”
[“Good. You might be fine, but you never know what Haneul is thinking inside. She might be worried even if she doesn’t tell you. So reassure her with that money. Haneul probably wouldn’t do that, but it’s at least enough that you won’t live being scolded for having no money.”]
Just a few days ago, he had seemed utterly flabbergasted by my marriage.
My father was now recommending it refreshingly, as if that had never happened.
I couldn’t help but feel grateful for my father’s attitude of showing he was on my side.
“But Dad… no, Father. How is the clan? Is the family head still not over his anger?”
[“What’s the point in talking about it….”]
My father sighed over the phone.
Then he conveyed the situation as if complaining.
[“Everyone is just watching the family head’s mood. I heard from the chief secretary that a directive will come down soon.”]
“What kind of directive?”
[“A dating restriction order.”]
“Ah….”
[“From now on, they’ll attach conditions even to dating that isn’t premised on marriage….”]
I didn’t know how to respond, really….
My father and I laughed hollowly in silence for a moment.
It seemed the clan was getting tumultuous.
“Didn’t the family head say anything to you, Father?”
[“He just told me to call you as usual. I suppose it’s because you’re an independent adult now?”]
“But Haneul is here, it’s embarrassing.”
[“You punk… alright. Me? Well… don’t worry too much. He may be furious with me now, but it’ll get better with time. If it gets too filthy to bear, leaving the clan is always an option. You have the means to be independent now.”]
“Is that okay? You were aiming for the top….”
[“Gyeonu.”]
“Yes.”
[“The reason I aimed for the top was for my family, not for myself. So don’t feel sorry for me or worry about me. I’m satisfied as long as you and Yeeun are happy. The family head position? Nice if I have it, fine if I don’t. No, if I had it, I’d probably get busier, so I don’t need it.”]
With a voice free of regret, unwavering, and warm.
My father encouraged me.
A smile rose to my lips unbidden.
“…Yes. Thank you, truly. I respect you. Can I become someone like you too?”
[“Oh-ho? Did marriage make you grow up? Someone like me? You’re my son, so you’ll become one if you just try.”]
“Haha….”
[“In any case, don’t worry about this side. I’ll take care of my own matters. You just focus on Haneul.”]
“Yes, I will.”
[“And… if you really feel sorry for me, found a new clan and give me an honorary title or something. For that, you’d need to have lots of children? Take more wives? Haha…. I’m joking. Don’t take it seriously.”]
“I know, of course. If I did that from the start, I’d be dead meat at Haneul’s hands, wouldn’t I?”
“Hm? Gyeonu, what did you say? Why would you die at my hands?”
“It’s nothing! I’ll be right there! I think I have to hang up now. I was in the middle of moving with the others.”
[“Yeah…. Good. Get back to work. And if you make Haneul cry—just once. I won’t stand for it if you make my daughter-in-law cry. We’ve always been on Haneul’s side, not yours. Got it?”]
“That’s harsh…. Well, fine. I’m on Haneul’s side too, anyway. I’ll get going. I’ll call you next time.”
[“Alright.”]
I felt energized.
Hanging up with a swelling heart, I quickly went to help my friends.
Time passed from then.
Finally, our newlywed home was completed.
* * *
Since there were married couples among the students of Geumgang Academy, each dormitory had separate couples’ quarters.
At this time, the dormitory tier for the married couples' room was, in principle, determined according to the spouse with the lower school ranking.
Thus, according to Yu Gaeul, who loved to tease others.
“I heard that one spouse among couples who marry during their school days ends up feeling dissatisfied with the lowered standard of living, you know? And then discord arises between the couple, and in severe cases, divorce isn't exactly rare, or so they say? So, Gyeonu Sunbae, Haneul Sunbae, you should be especially careful since you're still in the early days of your marriage. Got it?”
Something like that.
Yu Gaeul had tried to scare me and Yeon Haneul half to death.
But what did it matter?
We didn't pay it much mind.
After all, we had been living in the Diamond Dormitory even before we got married.
Since we were both of the same dormitory tier, neither I nor Yeon Haneul would see any change in our standard of living.
'No, that's not right. Now that we'll be living together, sharing a bed every night, there will certainly be some changes to my daily life.'
So I would have to yield and be considerate so that we wouldn't fight with each other.
After enjoying the afterparty in the married couples' room and sending our friends off.
Having bathed before going to bed, I dried my body with a towel.
I shook out my hair.
'Really... from now on, I'll be living with Haneul. As husband and wife.'
The reality of it all finally sank in.
This would be on a completely different level from the times we had occasionally spent the night in each other's rooms while avoiding the dorm supervisor's eyes, or slept at hotels or motels.
Day after day....
would be incredibly stimulating.
I couldn't help but feel nervous.
Gulp.
If I opened the door before me now, Yeon Haneul would be waiting.
On the bed.
I decided to leave the bathroom while reining in my emotions as much as possible.
But the moment I stepped outside, my efforts crumbled away into nothingness.
Because.
“Wow....”
“D-Did you wash up?”
“Haneul, you....”
Yeon Haneul.
Because she was wearing pure white lingerie, the kind she'd never seem to wear normally.
The moment I took her in with my eyes, I was completely captivated.
As I blankly stared at the lingerie adorned with dangling lace....
A certain image suddenly came to mind.
“A wedding dress?”
“Yeah, that's right.”
“....”
To my question, blurted out without thought.
Yeon Haneul nodded in affirmation.
She smiled shyly.
“We filed the marriage registration, but we haven't held the ceremony, right?”
“Uh... we decided to hold it after graduation once things settled down for us both....”
“Yeah, but you see... I thought it would be nice if we could hold it in a simple way, at least. So it could be a memento for us both.”
“....”
“So I thought hard about how to make you happy, how to create an unforgettable memory for you... and just then, Senior Dasom hinted at it earlier. She said she did it like this... and then offered to lend it to me, you know? So... I accepted it in a heartbeat. Because I hoped you'd like it....”
Yeon Haneul approached me.
She gently traced her hand over my body.
“How is it? Do you like it?”
Her voice was so sweet.
It was an irresistible temptation.
I could no longer hold back my emotions and embraced Yeon Haneul by instinct.
“I like it. Enough to fall for you all over again.”
The more I thought about it,
I was sure I had done the right thing by marrying her.
I scooped Yeon Haneul up and headed straight for the bed.
I Became the Mid-Boss's Childhood Friend