Jeong-hyeok and Seri have maintained their love and commitment to each other, despite only being together once a year. But will they ever have the opportunity for more than that? Will Jeong-hyeok ever realise his full potential as a musician? Perhap...
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Yoon Jeong-pyeong looked around the reception of the boutique hotel appreciatively. He liked the good things in life and he could see that Seri had chosen well for her secret holiday. Hotel Schwalbe was luxurious and select. Not the sort of place where just anyone could wander through. He had enjoyed the drive from the airport too, admiring the alpine scenery. He had only been to Switzerland once before, on business. Then he had flown in, attended a number of meetings, and returned straight to the airport. There had been no time for sightseeing. The spectacular Alps and lush valleys made him wonder if he'd missed out a little. Perhaps he and Jeong-yeon could tour a little whilst they were here, it would make a nice change for them.
He felt in a good mood, despite the long journey. Seri's call to them to say she and Jeong-hyeok were getting married and coming to Seoul was good news. It seemed to him that these secret meetings in Switzerland had gone on for too long. None of them were getting any younger and it was about time one of his children gave him grandchildren! And he thought he would prefer it to be Seri most of all.
Seri came over to meet them at the reception desk as they checked in. He could see how happy she was, she didn't need to tell them - and he knew that Jeong-yeon was thrilled to join their daughter for her wedding too. They were both keen to meet Ri Jeong-hyeok again and of course his mother.
Jeong-pyeong had barely spoken to him at the hospital all those years ago, though Jeong-yeon had previously chatted with him. At the time they hadn't fully understood the couple's history and they had been too caught up in Seri's injury. But he couldn't fail to have been impressed by the tall young man and his obvious distress and devotion to Seri, even if his circumstances were suspicious and his background unknown. Later though, Seri had told them how much Jeong-hyeok had done to protect her and they had also seen her commitment to him. They also noticed the change in her. She was more relaxed, she could form friendships and she had much better relationships with her family. All in all they had to approve, even if it had been hard to see how the two could ever be together.
Ri Jeong-hyeok had looked rather nervous to meet them again, but he had seemed to relax a bit after they had greeted him with warmth and congratulations.
Now they were all settled on the sofas in Seri's suite. Currently Kim Yoon-he was praising Jeong-hyeok's abilities as a musician to them. She seemed to want to make sure Seri's parents knew there was much to be proud of in her talented son. Jeong-pyeong was impressed with what he heard and so it seemed was Seri.
"You've never told me all those things before!" she exclaimed. "Why are you so modest!"
Jeong-pyeong smiled, a little amused at his future son-in-law's discomfort. He seemed to be rather embarrassed, fidgeting uncomfortably and looking out of the window or down at his hands.
"So what does the future hold now?" Jeong-pyeong asked him.
"I hope to continue my musical career in the future," Jeong-hyeok said. "Now I've left North Korea, I hope there will be more opportunities open to me. I know I'm not in a position to offer much to Seri at the moment, but I aim to change that." He looked determined. Whilst he had been modest about his achievements, he had the air of one who is confident in his abilities. It was a combination that inspired trust in Jeong-pyeong.
