But First, Marriage

☆*: .｡. o(≧ 7 ≦)o .｡.:*☆

Before Suzy could respond, Halabeoji wandered back into the living room, pen in hand.

"So where are those papers you wanted me to sign?" he asked Joohyuk.

With obvious reluctance, Joohyuk tore his gaze from Suzy's. He opened his briefcase and pulled out several papers. "Go ahead and read over these contracts."

"Do you need me to sign them or not?" her grandfather grumbled.

Once more Joohyuk dragged his eyes away from Suzy. "Please."

Muttering under his breath. Halabeoji took the documents to the small table, scanned them and quickly scrawled his name.

Suzy knew she should leave; the two men probably had business to discuss. But she couldn't make herself stand up and walk away. Not when Joohyuk had actually admitted that he'd missed her.

Halabeoji broke into her thoughts. "Suzy, I—"

"I was just going," she said. She clambered to her feet, securing her hold on Lucas.

But Halabeoji surprised her.

"I want you to stay," he declared. "I wanted to talk to you and Joohyuk. Fact is, I owe you both an apology. Yosef and I had a good long talk the other day and I told him how I'd tried to arrange a marriage between the two of you. He laughed and called me an old fool, said it was time I stepped out of the Dark Ages."

"Halabeoji," Suzy began anxiously, unwilling to discuss the subject that had brought such contention, "Joohyuk and I have already settled that issue. We understand why you did it, and... we've laid it to rest, so there's no need to apologize."

"I'm afraid there is." Halabeoji insisted. "Don't worry, Yosef pointed out the error of my ways. Haven't got any new tricks up my sleeve." He rose to bring Joohyuk the signed papers, then sat wearily in the chair across from them. He'd never looked so fragile, so old and beaten.

"Suzy's a wonderful woman," Joohyuk said unexpectedly. "I want you to know I realize that."

"She's got her faults," Halabeoji responded, pulling a cigar from his pockets, "but she's pretty enough to compensate."

"Thank you very much," Suzy whispered sarcastically and was rewarded with a grin from Joohyuk. Halabeoji didn't seem to hear her; if he had, he was ignoring her comment.

"I only want the best for my granddaughter, but when I approached her about marrying you, she made a big fuss. Fact is. it would've been easier to pluck a live chicken. She said she needed romance." Halabeoji pronounced the word as if it evoked instant amusement.

"There isn't a woman alive who doesn't need romance," she wailed, defending herself.

"I'm from the old country," Halabeoji continued. "Romance wasn't something I knew about from personal experience, and when I asked Suzy to explain, she had some trouble defining it herself. Said it was tryst on the moors and a bunch of other hogwash. That's the reason I sent you both to Scotland."

"We figured that out soon enough," Joohyuk said dryly.

"As you'll recall," Suzy found herself saying, "that definition was off the top of my head. Romance isn't easy to explain, especially to a man who scoffs at the entire idea."

Woohyun chuckled, moving the cigar to the side of his mouth. "It's unfortunate the two of you caught on to me so soon. I was looking forward to arranging the desperate passion part."

"Desperate passion?" Joohyuk echoed.

"Yes. Suzy said that was part of romance, too. I may be over seventy, but I know about passion. Oh, yes, Nayeon and I learned about that together." His brown eyes took on a faraway look and his lips curved in the gentlest of smiles. He glanced at Suzy and his smile widened.