JD 68

Contrary to Hakyung’s assumption that they’d be heading to a local district office or city hall, Muheon brought him to Gwanghwamun. He couldn’t help but wonder what kind of business they had in the very heart of Seoul, but before he could ask, someone came to greet them with exceptional formality, as if an appointment had already been arranged.

“Welcome!”

A middle-aged man and two younger men following behind him guided Muheon with constant smiles. Sticking close to the boss like a goldfish trailing after its parent, Hakyung moved along, confused about what was going on.

They clearly looked like high-ranking officials—so why were they…? The place was so quiet that it didn’t feel right to ask anything out loud.

His blowhole atop his head twitched with constant nervousness. Sensing his anxiety, Muheon gently held Hakyung’s small hand. It didn’t make everything okay, but knowing the boss was looking out for him gave him some comfort.

In silence, they took an elevator that rose higher and higher. When they finally reached their destination, an even higher-ranking woman was waiting—clearly someone above the officials who had greeted them earlier.

Just like the others, she hurried over and welcomed Muheon as if greeting a foreign dignitary. The more time passed, the more Hakyung’s confusion deepened.

“Please, have a seat.”

She gestured, and Muheon seated Hakyung first before taking the seat beside him. Seeing them sitting together, the woman began speaking with a pleased expression.

“To be able to witness the wedding of the West Sea’s imugi during my tenure… it’s truly an honor.”

“Mmm.”

“The others from different waters at least stop by now and then to share how they’re doing, but the West Sea imugi has always been so busy with affairs.”

Listening to her gentle tone, Hakyung began to piece things together. With the boss’s true identity being so extraordinary, their marriage apparently needed to be handled at the national level.

If he had gone running around gathering documents on his own, it would’ve been completely pointless. Hakyung didn’t know whether he should be amazed by the boss’s status or just happy they’d gotten it done without lifting a finger.

But still, not only did everything get prepared, it was already finished—how could that not be satisfying? Wait a second…

“Boss!”

“Hm?”

“Then… does that mean today is our wedding anniversary?”

At Hakyung’s urgent question, Muheon turned to the officials in front of them. As if silently asking if today was indeed the official date, they nodded.

“Looks like it is.”

Muheon’s nonchalant reply made Hakyung’s lips pout in protest. Clearly, something wasn’t sitting well with him, and Muheon glanced over at his river dolphin for cues.

If even an imugi had to watch his partner’s moods, it was only natural that the others did too.

All eyes turned to Hakyung’s lips, curious to know what exactly had upset him.

“I… I was going to check for an auspicious date… and our compatibility, too.”

“Ahh, so you had plans.”

“Of course! Marriage is one of the four major rites in life. It’s not something to take lightly.”

Having grown up listening to the stories and traditions of local elders, Hakyung was fairly conservative about such things.

What other twenty-four-year-old takes matchmaking and auspicious dates seriously?

But Muheon didn’t laugh. Instead, he considered Hakyung’s words seriously. If his river dolphin wanted to check compatibility, he was more than willing to go again and again. Finding a spiritual expert to pick the perfect day would be no trouble at all.

In fact, if Hakyung had asked to choose a new date, Muheon looked about ready to tear up the documents on the spot. Hakyung, feeling that overwhelming energy, stepped back a little.

Now that he thought about it, everyone had gone through a lot of trouble to prepare all this—not the boss himself, of course, but Gi Sang-oh and the officials sitting in front of them.

Making innocent people redo their work didn’t feel right. It made being stubborn suddenly seem petty.

“B-but… today’s weather seems nice too.”

“Out of nowhere?”

“Yeah. I just got that feeling all of a sudden. So let’s make today our anniversary.”

Muheon furrowed his brows at Hakyung’s sudden change of heart, while the officials across from them quietly sighed in relief.

Just as Hakyung had guessed, Muheon wasn’t someone the government could manage like any regular Korean citizen—he was an untouchable being. Someone whose every word and gesture could shift geopolitical balances with neighboring countries.

When that imugi named Huang Lin came from China, the nation had gone on high alert. If conflict had broken out between imugi, it would’ve created chaos—something everyone desperately wanted to avoid.

Most imugi were notoriously unpredictable. Every move they made had the potential to turn into catastrophe.

“All right. If that’s what you want, then I’m happy too.”

“O-okay.”

Once again, Muheon didn’t contest a single word from Hakyung and instead gave the officials a look that clearly said, Hand over the documents already.

One of them, a veteran with decades of bureaucratic experience, immediately recognized the cue and quickly presented the papers. Inside the thick, elegant velvet folder was a surprisingly simple certificate. It was far more minimalist than the marriage certificates Hakyung had seen online.

Still, just seeing his name written right beside the boss’s made his heart flutter with excitement.

“I should pass this down as a family heirloom.”

“Hmm…?”

How could something be passed down as an heirloom when they couldn’t have children? Muheon looked at Hakyung with pure curiosity.

“This is a great occasion for the Kang family! I mean, me, right? Marrying the boss! When my younger siblings get married, I’ll pass it down to their kids and even my grandnieces and nephews—generation after generation!”

“Ah…”

So it wasn’t to be passed down in Hakyung and Muheon’s family, but as an heirloom of the Kang family itself.

Realizing exactly what Hakyung meant, Muheon reached over and gently patted the round hat on his head. Whether it became a family treasure or ended up as toilet paper didn’t matter to him—but since Hakyung cherished it, he had no intention of stopping him.

“You two really get along well.”

The officials watching them exchange sweet glances smiled warmly.

Hakyung shrank his shoulders in embarrassment. As he always said, his boldness was strictly limited to the boss, and his shamelessness only worked when it came to the boss.

Feeling self-conscious, Hakyung squirmed, and Muheon signaled that it was time to get up. Unlike other imugi from various seas who constantly picked fights and made picky demands, the West Sea’s imugi was always quiet, making him difficult to read.

Except when looking at his partner, Muheon’s demeanor never changed—so it was hard to tell if he liked a situation or not.

“You’re leaving already? We still have refreshments prepared…”

“Wrap them to go.”

That was for Hakyung, who loved eating snacks in his room. In fact, Hakyung’s eyes sparkled—he had secretly wanted to try the pretty, delicious-looking desserts himself.

The boss must’ve thought they looked tasty too!

At Muheon’s request, the staff quickly moved to package the desserts. Hakyung eagerly took the paper bag on the boss’s behalf, his butt practically twitching with excitement.

“Thank you so much!”

In the ten minutes they’d been there, that was the loudest Hakyung had spoken. Everyone chuckled softly at the sight. His beaming grin over a single box of dessert was just too cute—it might have been a river dolphin trait.

With even more warmth than when they arrived, the two exited the building. Being congratulated by total strangers left Hakyung feeling dazed but thrilled.

A growing sense of responsibility came with it, too: We’d better make this last a hundred, even a thousand years.

Muheon, having finished exactly what he came for, was about to return to the office when Hakyung barely managed to stop him and led him into a jewelry shop. Thankfully, Gwanghwamun was close to Jongno 3-ga.

Hakyung had heard that if you wanted to buy gold in Korea, Jongno 3-ga was the place—and it was true.

Everywhere he looked, golden trinkets sparkled. Aside from his grandma’s twin rings, Hakyung had never seen so much gold, and his eyes widened in awe.

“Wow…”

“What are we here for?”

“To buy rings, of course!”

Despite being several times older than Hakyung’s 24 years of life, the boss still didn’t get it—and Hakyung thumped his chest in disbelief.

Sure, it was sweet that the boss had remembered what he said and arranged their marriage registration so quickly—but skipping every other step in the process had left Hakyung feeling a little let down.

It was supposed to be one of life’s biggest moments… but it had ended in a flash. That’s why he had to do something today.

With his paycheck in mind, Hakyung confidently stepped further into the shop. Muheon, walking behind him, followed quietly with a subtle smile.

“I’m the one proposing, okay? And the boss’s answer has to be yes. Rejection is rejected. Got it?”

“Got it.”

“You only move when I ask for your hand, so be on standby and ready!”

Whatever kind of proposal Hakyung was planning, it made Muheon so curious that he was more than happy to follow his lead. Like an obedient pup, Muheon quietly clasped his hands together.