PROMPTS

Of Mergers and Marriages - 15

There was a flurry of paper work in the office of both the Queens group of the Yoons and 925 group of the Kims.

"The agreement was that voting rights would be equal!" one staff said.

"It can't be equal! How would decisions be made then?" another said.

"There are other members of the Board who could break the tie."

"I'm going to tell Chairman Kim your team is not cooperating."

"Fine! We're going to report your side to Chairman Yoon as well."

*

Their move-in day went smoothly.

Kim Joo Won and Yoon Se-Ri were on top of the movement of their belongings so there were no big surprises when they finally stepped into their new home. If anything, there were just a few accents that were added from the last time they were there.

The console table that was closest to the entrance was filled with flowers that Se-Ri liked, while the fruit basket at the kitchen had fresh apples and peaches that Joo Won liked to snack on.

Their offices were also already set up, with some documents at their desk for them to review. Soon, they disappeared into these spaces. The next time Se-Ri checked the clock, it was already close to 9pm. Scrambling out, she found Joo Won seated at their couch reading a book. "Have you eaten?"

"I had an apple. Ready for dinner?" he asked, sitting up.

"Yes. You should have called me," she said, while helping him set up the dining table.

"I knocked but you were on the phone," he said.

"Sorry," Se-Ri said. "I'll put placeholders on my calendar for our meals so my meetings don't overlap next time."

"You don't have to," Kim Joo Won assured.

"I know. I want to," she said, looking him in the eye. "I promised. I keep my promises seriously."

Joo Won smiled, "Okay then. Thank you." When they were seated, he scooped the viands for her while she gave them good portions of rice. "When we get back to the office, would you mind if I drop by for dinner if you have to stay late?"

That stopped Se-Ri for a second before she smiled and said, "I don't mind. Can I drop by your office, too?"

As newly married couple, things didn't always go smoothly.

They were both very organised with their things so that didn't cause an issue. However, one day, Kim Joo Won was staring at his reflection in the bathroom and he realized that he had more fine lines than he noticed before. Worried that these things might matter to his wife, who looked like she hadn't aged since they met at University, he checked her side of the counter for the creams she used.

While he was conscious of his skin and overall appearance, he usually left it to his dermatologist and other people at the facial spa and didn't focus too much on the things you need to do daily. So, when he liked how his skin softened when he used her Skinceuticals serum, he put it all over his body... like a lotion.

"Why do they have such a small bottle when this is amazing!" he mused as he spread the concoction on his body. A brief thought passed that he may have overdone it but his hands and feet needed to soften, too.

When Se-Ri discovered that her bottle had been consumed after one day, she was livid. "Did you drink it?!"

"No! Of course not! But it was nice so I used it all over!" he explained, showing her his hands. "Even my butt feels amazing!"

Se-Ri shook her head trying to shake the image of his butt, which she knew by now was firm and round. "It's for the face!"

"Yeah... I guessed that. But my skin is really dry," he tried to reason out. At dinner, with Se-Ri still annoyed with him, he murmured, "I just want to delay raging so that I don't look too bad beside you when we're old."

Se-Ri watched as he played with his food, pouting and not looking at her. "Tsk," she sounded. "You're not playing fair!"

"Why?" he looked at her with eyes wide, wondering what he did wrong.

"I want to be mad at you for longer! Then, you go saying something sweet like that!"

Joo Won turned away slightly and tapped the back of his ear, a habit he has when he feels shy. "I'm sorry about the serum. I'll check the stores at my mall tomorrow if they have it."

"Don't worry about it. I'll check our stock if we have something for your skin," she said. Touching his face, "Dry skin. Hmmm... looks more like a combination. I'll check."

When he nodded, she continued, "Joo Won?"

"Hmmm?"

"I'm hungry... and you're not feeding me," Se-Ri pointed out.

Joo Won smiled but rolled his eyes. "I thought I would have a wife when I got married. I didn't know I got a baby in this deal." In spite of his complaint, he scooped a portion of the salad and fed her. "Do you like that?"

The next day, Se-Ri came home with products for his own skin care program.

A few days later, it was Se-Ri that found herself in trouble. She was reading a contract and it was her turn to do the laundry and didn't realize that she included his track suit in the normal wash. When she took out the clothes, she was horrified to see sequins all over.

She could have the machine checked immediately but Joo Won's track suit was another story.

She had to admit, there was a part of her that was elated that there was one sequinned outfit less in their house. But another part...

"WHAT HAPPENED?!" Kim Joo Won walked in to find Se-Ri holding the damaged jacket, half the sequins in one panel gone now.

"I'm sorry! I wasn't paying attention!" Se-Ri explained. "I'm sorry."

"I bet you're happy this is ruined," he said, pouting, staring at his track suit.

"I... well... a little," she admitted. "I still don't like the sequins but I like you and didn't purposely ruin them for you!"

"You like me?!"

"YES! I like you more than my hate for your sequins!" she said. "I can sew them. I promise, I'll fix it."

"YOU LIKE ME!!!!" Joo Won jumped and started dancing around. "Dear Sequins, I might have to break up with you because my wife likes me!"

"Se-Ri likes me! Se-Ri likes me!" he sang to a tune he made up. "My wife likes meeeeeeeeeeee!"

There in their laundry room and laughing at his antics, Se-Ri realized, she had a giant ass crush... on her husband.

*

"Chairman Yoon, I strongly suggest that we pull out of this deal. We're going to lose money."