Side Story Chapter 123 - Engagement Ceremony (1)

The next day arrived after Oh Kang-Woo and the others defeated Akart’s retainers. He was brimming with joy after checking the time and seeing that it was November 9th, 8:01 AM.

“Huehuehuehuehue!!! It’s happening!! It’s finally happening!!!”

‘I’m getting married!!!’

“Shut the fuck up!!!”

Bash!

Cha Yeon-Joo, who had been sleeping next to him, sprang up and kicked him on the butt.

“Kurgh!” grunted Kang-Woo as he was blown out of bed.

“What’s the commotion so early in the morning?!” shouted Yeon-Joo as she glared at Kang-Woo.

“Hehehe.”

Kang-Woo’s smile did not disappear despite being kicked out of bed and sprawled on the floor.

“Wh-What? You’re creeping me out.”

“I told you yesterday what we were gonna do today, didn’t I?”

Kang-Woo returned home after defeating Akart’s retainers and told his lovers about the engagement ceremony, just like he had done on the first day of the time loop.

“Huh? What did you tell... Oh.” Yeon-Joo slowly recounted her memories and her cheeks turned as red as her hair. She mumbled in disbelief, “S-So that wasn’t... a dream.”

Kang-Woo sprang up from the floor and hugged Yeon-Joo to shower her cheek with kisses.

“Hehe! We’re getting married today!!!”

“G-Get the fuck off me!!! I-It’s an engagement, not a wedding!!”

“Same thing!!”

Their life was no different from that of married couples already; they just had yet to hold a wedding ceremony.

“A-Ahem! Anyway, get off!” Yeon-Joo coughed and pushed Kang-Woo away with her long legs. She averted her gaze from him and twisted her red hair around her fingers as she asked, “S-So, when’s the ceremony?”

“As soon as the dresses arrive.”

“And when is that?”

“I have no idea.”

However, since it would arrive today, it would be here by evening at the latest.

“Really? Mmm... then let’s hold it in the evening.”

“Hehe, why? Isn’t it better to hold it earlier?”

“Sheesh... this is why your François had to be socially distanced for ten millennia.”

‘That ultimate was uncalled for.’

“Women need time to get ready. You following?”

“Ohhh.”

It made perfect sense for some reason.

“Then let’s hold it at 8 PM. Oh, and where should we hold it?” Kang-Woo asked.

“Where?”

“Yeah. Hehe, just let me know and I’ll make it happen.”

There were some places where having a ceremony on the day of would be difficult but it wasn’t anything Kang-Woo’s money and power could solve.

“Hmm...” Yeon-Joo pondered as she stroked her chin.

Just then, the door opened and Han Seol-Ah entered.

“I think it’s fine to do it here,” she replied.

“Huh?”

“At home?”

Kang-Woo and Yeon-Joo stared at Seol-Ah; they did not even have their home in mind.

“But isn’t having an engagement ceremony at home a bit lackluster?”

Kang-Woo thought they should have it somewhere more romantic and extravagant.

𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

“Fufu, this place is the most romantic and extravagant to me.” Seol-Ah smiled as she approached the bed. She gently held Kang-Woo’s hand and continued, “I’m fine with holding it wherever you want, but... I’d rather hold it here, the place filled with the most precious memories I have with you.”

“You’re making me cry.” Only Seol-Ah could say something so loving. Kang-Woo couldn’t hold back his tears. “DARLIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!!!”

“M-My. Oh, Kang-Woo.”

Seol-Ah hugged the bawling Kang-Woo back as she giggled. The softness wrapped around him.

“But I can’t be the one to decide that on my own. What do you think, Yeon-Joo?” asked Seol-Ah as she turned to Yeon-Joo.

Yeon-Joo smirked and lightly conked Kang-Woo’s head.

“It’d be weird to hold it anywhere else when he’s acting like this, right? Besides, it’s a hassle to hold it anywhere else.”

In the past, she would have rather held such an important event at a five-star hotel or an ultra-luxury cruise ship, but she gradually grew to find such luxuries a bother.

“Oh? Am I seeing the maturity of a woman in her thirties in you, Yeon-Joo?”

“The fuck you say? That’s great from a manchild who was crying like a baby in Seol-Ah’s arms.”

Yeon-Joo stared daggers at Kang-Woo as she punched his side.

“Hoho. What do you mean by a woman in her thirties? We’re not in our thirties, you know?”

Seol-Ah, who was the same age as Yeon-Joo, hugged Kang-Woo tighter and caressed his head. Kang-Woo tilted his head in confusion.

“Huh? You’re not?”

There was no way; Seol-Ah was twenty-five the first time he met her. Adding the time they spent together before he was stuck in the Abyss for three years, she was well past thirty.

“I’m still in my twenties.”

“That’s impossi—”

“Twenties,” Seol-Ah reiterated with a kind smile.

Her hand, which had been caressing Kang-Woo’s head, slowly moved down to his neck and her fingers lightly slid across his neck.

“Wow, your hand is so smooth. Must be because you’re still in your twenties,” Kang-Woo answered.

Thinking back on it, he heard that Seol-Ah had just turned twenty when he first met her. Actually, he had not heard such a thing— he was planning on hearing it from now on. Seol-Ah was still in her early twenties.

“Hohoho. I’m glad you understand, Kang-Woo.”

Seol-Ah embraced Kang-Woo again in satisfaction.

“Come to think of it, where’s Lilith?” Kang-Woo asked.

They needed to hear Lilith’s opinion too since she was going to be a part of the ceremony.

“She left early in the morning because she had things to take care of... I’ll give her a call.”

“Okay.”

Kang-Woo had an idea of what it could be about. He had not told Seol-Ah and Yeon-Joo yet but he had told Lilith about the time loop; she was probably gathering information about that.

Seol-Ah came back into the room after calling Lilith and said as she hummed, “Lilith unnie is fine with holding it at home too~♬”

“Okay. Let’s hold it here, then.”

“Fufu, I’m so excited already!”

Seol-Ah excitedly jumped up and down and two massive objects shook up and down with her. Kang-Woo’s eyes also moved up and down in unison.

“Stop that, dumbass.”

Bash!

Yeon-Joo frowned and smacked Kang-Woo’s head. It did not hurt but Seol-Ah stopped jumping because of Yeon-Joo’s sudden action.

“NOOOOOOO!!!”

Kang-Woo had no reason to live anymore. There was no more hope, joy, or happiness in his life. The world was eternally filled with cold and dark despair—

“Enough of that.”

Yeon-Joo slapped Kang-Woo’s back. It did not hurt, but it hurt.

‘Oh Kang-Woo, the punching bag...’

Kang-Woo shut his eyes tightly as a sense of frustration welled up.

‘I... I don’t deserve to be beaten like this!!! Does she have any idea who the hell I am?!’

He was the ten-millennia-year-old bum. He currently did not have a single cent to his name because he gave all of his savings to Lilith for her to expand her intelligence organization, and was living off of the allowance his third wife Cha Yeon-Joo gave him. He did not cook, clean, do laundry, or shop for groceries, but engulfed at least five portions of kimchi stew every meal.

‘Huh? Do I deserve it?’

Kang-Woo’s intelligence stat soared.

“That aside, Seol-Ah. You’re free until the evening, right?” Yeon-Joo asked.

“Yeah. Why?”

“Then let’s go out later with Lilith unnie.”

“Where are we going?” Seol-Ah tilted her head in confusion and her eyes widened.

Yeon-Joo sighed deeply after noticing Seol-Ah genuinely did not know. “For God’s sake... You two sure are made for each other.”

“Hehehe. Thanks.”

“That wasn’t a compliment!” Yeon-Joo shouted. She approached Seol-Ah and touched her hair and nails. “There’s a good beauty and nail salon I know abroad, so we’re going there. We have to get our makeup done too.”

“Oh...” Seol-Ah expressed after finally realizing what she had forgotten. Her cheeks reddened as she said, “B-But those places are expensive, aren’t they?”

“Hehehe, do you have any idea how much I make a day? Besides, you already have tons of money saved up, right?”

“I mean, I do, but...”

Poverty was practically her life in the past so she was still reluctant to use money no matter how much she made.

“Hehehe! You can’t cheap out on something as important as this!”

“O-Okay.”

Seol-Ah nodded with an awkward smile as she was pulled out of the room by Yeon-Joo. Kang-Woo couldn’t help but smile as he stared at them.

‘They’re all so cute.’

He was filled with joy just from watching them. Seol-Ah and Yeon-Joo got ready to leave after breakfast and Kang-Woo saw them off at the front door.

“Your noonas are heading out, so you’d better stay put at home, got it?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“We’re off, Kang-Woo. See you in the evening.”

“Okay. Have a safe trip, Darling.”

Kang-Woo kissed his wives at the front door like a stay-at-home husband sending off his wife to work and turned around to go back into the house.

“Right then, I might as well clean this place up.”

Since they decided to hold the engagement ceremony at home, he wanted the place to be spotless. As he was cleaning the giant house, Echidna swung open the front door while carrying a large box.

Wham!

“KANG-WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”

The wedding dresses they had been waiting for had arrived at last.

***

“Holy... fuck...”

Kang-Woo was wide-eyed. His clenched fists trembled and he could barely breathe. His heart felt like it was about to burst.

“Wh-What do you think, Kang-Woo...?”

There was an angel manifested in front of him. It was a fallen angel to be more exact, but it was an angel nonetheless.

“WR—”

“Don’t screech like a weirdo again, dammit.” Yeon-Joo stepped on Kang-Woo’s foot just as he was about to let his impulse take over. She turned her head away with her cheeks dyed bright red and asked, “A-Ahem. So, what do you think? Fuck... it’s embarrassing as hell now that I’m wearing it.”

“Hmm, so humans wear things like this when they get engaged?” Lilith slightly raised the hem of her dress and winked at Kang-Woo. “Fufu, what do you think, my king?”

Kang-Woo fell to his knees, unable to endure the raging current of emotions inside him. It was 8 PM, and the shock of seeing his three lovers lined up in front of him in wedding dresses took his breath away. Their dresses were breathtaking enough but seeing them in a different hairstyle than usual as well as the makeup amplified their beauty even more.

“WR—”

“I told you not to do that.”

“WRY—”

“The fuck?”

“Wry— yyy— ryy, wryry.”

Kang-Woo convulsed madly. The recoil of being forced to suppress his bursting emotions was tearing him apart from the inside.

“Wr—wryy, wr—ryyyryy.”

“Hey, hey!! Oh Kang-Woo!!! Pull yourself together!!”

Kang-Woo’s eyes rolled backward as his limbs twisted.

“NOOOOO!!!” Yeon-Joo pulled on her hair which she had taken time to get done and stomped her foot. She sighed as if she had given up and said, “Haaa... fine. You do you.”

“WRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!” Kang-Woo jumped toward the three women in tears. “WAAAAAAAAAAHHH! FUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!! I’M SO GLAD I’M ALIVE!!”

“Argh, fuck! Hey! You’re messing up our dresses!!”

“I’m glad to see you love it.”

“Fufu, there’s no stopping you, my king.”

Kang-Woo pulled himself away from them slightly after letting out his emotions.

He shouted with all his heart, “Believe me when I say this, you guys are the most beautiful in the universe right now!! For real!! I can swear to every fucking god!”

The three women smiled in satisfaction.

‘Finally.’

Tears trickled down Kang-Woo’s cheeks. He had waited ten millennia for this moment.

‘Finally... I’m finally getting married—!!!’

He danced in joy.

“Oh right, Kang-Woo. Do you know of this tradition?” Seol-Ah asked.

“Hm? What tradition?”

Kang-Woo stopped dancing and turned to Seol-Ah wide-eyed. She was holding a piece of paper with something written on it.

“The couples fill out and sign premarital contracts these days.”

“Really? Sounds pretty hardcore.”

“Hohoho. I thought it was interesting, so I tried writing one out.”

“Hehe. You’re making me curious.”

Kang-Woo took the contract Seol-Ah handed him and read through it.

“Hehe. I think at least ten... no, twenty rounds a day is mandatory.”

“...”

‘Rounds of what?’

“Okay~ all it needs is a thumbprint right here, Kang-Woo ❤”

Seol-Ah smiled as she pressed Kang-Woo’s thumb into red stamp ink.

Riiing!

The chime of the System rang in his head and a blue message window appeared in front of him.

[Are you sure you want this marriage?]

‘Shut the fuck up, please.’