He has always had this burdensome habit, without taking a half an hour bath Joon Tae's day does not start. So, ever since he could remember, he has bathed each morning and begun the brand new day.
Like any other day, at the early hour of six, he came out of the washroom with a towel still draped on his wet hair. Steamy air chasing and swirling at his toe the moment he opened the door and they found a way out of the four walled bath. Like a wild bird bolting through a crack that suddenly appeared on the wooden cage. Only if Joon Tae would've been as wild as that bird. Or maybe even just as unapologetic as the trail of steam. But he wasn't and that news was a spilled milk to cry over.
Mujin's shower didn't use to have any bathtub; having something to do with how he's oddly disgusted with the idea of soaking in any form of pooled water figure. But, while they renovated this house, they had the designers put one in this washroom as well as in the other ones in the house. It seemed like, for Mujin, anything Joon Tae said, went. He wondered if Mujin itched to have it taken out now that he hates Joon Tae's guts.
He hadn't yet changed into any clothes when there came a soft knock on the door. Joon Tae's eyes automatically went towards the bedding, empty and without a sign of having been used.
Last night, he had spent it awake, sitting on the terrace against the night chill and the peerless moon. And Mujin had left right after he had come. So the untouched bedsheets seemed to be precisely speaking lots it needn't speak. He walked towards the bed, intentionally rolled a few times over the white silk sheets and only then went to open the door. There stood a very politely smiling, gentle looking maid, hardly at her forties.
"Sir, I came to inform you of the lunch time. Mrs and Mr Kang are still here, so they are going to eat with you and Mujin ah today."
Her mouth spewed polite words but her improper eyes betrayed that image, just as Joon Tae had apprehended, roamed the room through the gaps of his limbs. Joon Tae in return closed in to the door even more. Resulting in blocking her sight.
"Anything else that I need to know?"
She snapped her eyes back at him with an almost sincere smile, all the same.
"Yes, the dress code for lunch is black tuxedo for men and blue sheath for women."
"There will be other people?"
The maid came off slightly flabbergasted, eyes droppy.
"Pardon my insolence. There will be relatives from Kang family's side brunches coming to see and give blessings to the newly weds. And some friends of Mujin dear will come too. Just a homely arrangement."
Joon Tae didn't really react but internally he raised a brow. Why was she emphasising on her calling Mujin by name again and again, like she wanted him to realise her worth as an old worker of this household. Like she wanted to prove herself and strengthen her root here; as if afraid if he, as a new master to this home, would uproot her to bring in more new people to his liking. Insecure.
Like he held any such power over her dear Mujin anyway. Maybe he used to when they were still happily engaged, but now it's not the case.
Joon Tae's eyes suddenly softened with pity and his vigilance against her possible gossipy mouth lessened. He harled the door a little more open and stood rather benevolent and welcoming.
"Thank you, I will keep your words in mind. And have someone send the breakfast up here, please keep from giving me any fish....
...Ah and wait, is Mujin still home?"
Seeing she was about to leave, Joon Tae cried out the question. In answer she, again too politely, came forth, hands clasped in front.
"Yes, sir. No, Mujin ah is gone to the company."
"Oh. If anyone comes looking for me, call me first before letting them in. Thank you."
"Mention not."
Without further conversation, she trailed down the stairs that were still ornamented with this and that, smitten flowers exchanged for new ones.
Tae wanted to tell her that she could call him by name too, but then again, he wasn't close to her like Mujin was. Why must he predict that it was obviously something great and grand for her to be able to call him by name? She could be not interested. Who was he? His own footings weren't as strong as her in this family.
Joon Tae also closed the familiar door and sat on the messy bed. His not too petite form suddenly really feeble against the light streaming in through the glass windows behind him.
She didn't really sound like she knew about his pregnancy. How well would she take the news when she comes to know? How would all those guests that were about to come today would feel or accept the idea of his pregnancy, nevermind that the child wasn't Mujin's own blood.
What scene could he make if he suddenly declared all these admist the lunch table today? Would it finally cause him to be kicked out from this family or would the end result be nothing of such sort. And he only makes a fool out of himself amongst the unbothered crowd.
Joon Tae didn't do any of that though. Like a good boy, he wore one of his best looking tuxedos and went down in time to meet Mrs Kang sitting on the divan in their living room. But across her, sat two more familiar figures he couldn't pinpoint the name of.
When him and Mujin first became aquatinted, their parents were still only talking about making them marry each other on a vague and ambiguous manner, as though just joking, it should be more than one year ago. One-day when he and Mujin stumbled upon an old photo book in Kang Manor's loft, Tae remembered them sitting on that dusty floor, cross-legged and so into it as Mujin introduced each member of the Kang family from that register. Joon Tae believes to have seen them in that family register.
"Oh, you've come Tae. Come, meet your aunties. This is your Emily aunt, Mujin's first uncle's wife."
He looked at the immigrant woman smiling at him for a few seconds and mimicked her.
"Nice meeting you, Aunt Emily."
Mrs Kang's acting was terrifyingly smooth, fair enough as she was the head mistress of such a big family as the Kangs. Talking to him like there were no turbulent undercurrent going on beneath them. Like he didn't just have some no-one they couldn't bother knowing the whereabouts of cuckold their only child.
In the future, did they really plan to let such a hopeless fella like him become her replacement?
However, Joon Tae couldn't wonder furthermore as she continued with the voice of a hopeful enthusiast,
"And this will be your second aunt, Sora."
"Nice meeting you too, aunt."
For now, Tae would keep mimicking these people till his jaw muscles were sore and wait for the day to end. After all, elders weren't only taker it seemed. In factors more than none, they were givers as well. Like now, Mrs Kang was giving him acting lessons. For free. Now, he only ever needed to prove to be a diligent student. He has always been one, so it's good. It's good.