“Why on earth would you do something like that?”
As soon as I arrived at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-dong, I stepped out of the car.
“Keep the engine running, just in case. We might need to make a quick getaway.”
Leaving my bewildered assistants behind, I dashed up the courthouse steps. Even though I’d been here a few times before, it still felt unfamiliar. The curious glances from passersby were unsettling, but today, I had no time to worry about them.
I found my way to one of the judge’s chambers on the seventh floor and opened the door.
“Ah, you’re here! It’s been a while.”
The man who stood up to greet me beamed with a bright smile.
“Is Judge Seo in?”
“Oh dear, didn’t you make an appointment? She’s in the middle of a trial right now…”
“Where is it?”
“Room 425.”
“A solo case, then.”
“Yes. It should be wrapping up soon, though…”
“Got it. Thanks.”
I headed back downstairs. Quietly opening the door to courtroom 425, I caught her eye from the judge’s bench. She gave me a quick smile, and I took a seat at the back of the gallery. I didn’t have the luxury of watching the proceedings. I made a gesture across my throat a few times, and she frowned slightly.
Never had I been more grateful that she was a judge. At least here, in courtroom 425, she was the one in charge, wielding the most power.
A few minutes later, she glanced at her watch and announced, “We’ll take a one-hour recess. Testimonies will continue this afternoon.”
Ignoring the puzzled looks from the prosecutor and defense attorney, she swiftly stood up, and I followed her out of the gallery.
“What the heck? Showing up without a word?”
Her voice in the hallway was tinged with irritation. It could mean she was hungry, frustrated with the trial, or just annoyed with me.
“Have you had lunch?”
“No.”
“Let’s eat. I’ll treat you to something nice.”
“Didn’t you hear? We only have an hour. Let’s grab something quick.”
“Quick? Like what?”
“Do you really need to ask? We’re going to that beef soup place nearby.”
Without giving me a chance to respond, she shrugged off her robe, slung it over her arm, and marched ahead.
Damn, should I just leave?
Doesn’t she have any idea why I rushed over here?
Then again, I’ve always said, “Speak up. How else would I know? Feelings are mute.”
That’s what I always told her whenever she looked disappointed.
As we entered the restaurant, the diners turned their attention to us, whispering among themselves. Ignoring them, I ordered two bowls of beef soup.
“Did something happen today? You look…”
“What’s wrong with my face?”
Just as she was about to say something, the steaming bowls of soup arrived. She started mixing her rice into the soup, clearly hungry from missing lunch.
Watching her, I spoke slowly.
“Let’s get married.”
She choked, spitting out her rice, and I quickly handed her a napkin. Seo Min-young wiped her mouth, still avoiding my gaze, and stirred her soup absentmindedly.
“Don’t want to? Why aren’t you answering?”
“Give me a second. I’m looking for something.”
“What are you looking for?”
“A ring. If there’s no ring in this soup, you’re dead.”
Oops. Big mistake.
Finally, she looked up and stared at me intently.
“How many people do you think get proposed to in a beef soup restaurant, without a ring, and end up in a messy divorce court?”
Her voice was calm, but her eyes were fiery.
“Not a single one. Even those couples started on a rosy path. Does this situation make any sense?”
I couldn’t give her a reason to hold this over me forever. I had to handle this carefully.
“Someone just tried to tempt me with an incredibly expensive diamond ring, but I turned it down. No regrets.”
Her eyes wavered.
“How much was it?”
“A billion won.”
The fire in her eyes dimmed.
“If you’re lying, I’ll have you arrested for perjury.”
“I have a witness. Someone who can testify that I’m telling the truth.”
“Who?”
“Kim Yoon-seok.”
“He’s your right-hand man. Not a credible witness.”
“I have evidence, but it’s tied up in a secret account, so I can’t present it. What should I do?”
“Everyone in this restaurant is a judge or prosecutor. Keep it down.”
Her voice dropped to a whisper, and her expression turned serious, a look I’d never seen before.
“What does marriage mean to you? Is it just a step you have to take? Another task on your list? Or is it like what most people think it is?”
I needed to answer this strategically. Honesty might be a good answer, but it wouldn’t be enough.
Even if she knew it wasn’t a genuine answer, it didn’t matter. What I needed now was romance.
“Min-young.”
“Go on.”
“Dating is the process of turning a third-person woman into a second-person ‘you.’ Marriage is the promise that I, who am a second-person to you, will exist as ‘your second-person’ alone. That’s what marriage means to me.”
I saw joy spread across her face.
That was a top-notch answer.
Seo Min-young stood up abruptly.
“Let’s go.”
“Where to?”
“If you say one more word, I’ll reject your proposal.”
I mimed zipping my lips.
Outside the restaurant, she hailed a taxi.
“To Seocho District Office, please.”
The district office? No way.
I tapped her arm and blinked, seeking permission to speak.
“Go ahead.”
“Is it okay to rush this?”
“You always said, ‘If you hesitate when something’s right in front of you, you’ll lose it all. Quick judgment, bold decision, swift action. Those three are a package deal.’”
She smiled softly and leaned her head on my shoulder.
I held her hand tightly all the way to the district office.
We filled out the marriage registration form. There were some blanks that were hard to fill.
“We need to fill in the witness information.”
Seo Min-young pouted, and I pulled out my smartphone. As soon as I sent a text, a reply came back.
“Write this down.”
“Who is it?”
“The assistants waiting for me at the court.”
“Perfect.”
We quickly filled in the blanks and submitted the form. The district office employee who recognized me gaped in surprise.
“Is there anything else you need?”
Seo Min-young shot a sharp look, and the employee stammered.
“N-no, it’s all submitted. It should be processed in about three days.”
“Thank you. Please make sure nothing gets lost.”
She made sure to emphasize her point, and we headed back to the court.
As soon as she got out of the taxi, she reverted to her usual, slightly clumsy self.
Checking the time, she started to panic.
“Oh no, I’m late for the trial. I have to go.”
“Hey! We just got married, and you’re going back to work?”
Her eyes narrowed.
“Married? When did we get married? We just registered. We just switched the order! Don’t think you can get away with this.”
She shook her fist playfully and dashed back to the courthouse.
I called after her retreating figure.
“Finish up early and come home! Got it?”
Without turning around, she waved her hand dismissively.
I had just married a woman like that.
She’d always been by my side, the only person outside my family who never asked for anything.
It felt so natural, it was as if nothing had changed, even though we were now married.
I couldn’t help but smile.
As I got into the waiting car, my two assistants eyed me curiously through the rearview mirror.
Unable to contain their curiosity, they cautiously asked.
“Um, sir, why did you need our personal details…?”
“Oh, I needed witnesses. It’s nothing serious, don’t worry.”
“Witnesses?”
Their eyes widened.
“Yes. You need two witnesses to register a marriage.”
“M-marriage registration…!”
“That’s right. We just got married. Haha.”
The two seemed too shocked to speak.
They just blinked at each other, not even thinking to start the car.
“Alright, let’s get going.”
“Ah, yes.”
The assistant at the wheel responded, but the car still didn’t move.
Unable to hold back any longer, he turned around and exclaimed in an excited voice.
“Sir, why would you do something like that?”
This guy was married himself. His eyes were full of pity.
I started to feel a bit nervous.
Wait, didn’t they say it would take three days to process?
When Seo Min-young emerged from the courtroom after the trial, a waiting lawyer blocked her path.
“Judge Seo, what’s going on? Is something wrong?”
“Oh, senior.”
“You seemed out of it, like you weren’t listening to a word we said.”
“I heard everything. The documents were thoroughly reviewed. Do you not trust me?”
No matter how close they were, a judge and a lawyer were still judge and lawyer. If the judge got offended, the trial could take an unexpected turn.
“Oh, of course not! Our Judge Seo’s reputation for fairness is well-known. Just a lawyer’s unnecessary fuss. Haha.”
The lawyer joked, and Seo Min-young smiled.
“Actually, I was a bit distracted. Please understand, senior. I was worried about the marriage registration going wrong.”
“Marriage registration? Why would a judge worry about that?”
“Because it’s my marriage registration. Maybe I should give the district office a call? See if they can process it in a day?”
The senior attorney, still struggling to grasp the situation, was already a distant memory for Seo Min-young. Leaving the bewildered lawyer behind, she made her way to the chief judge’s office.
“Chief Judge.”
“Ah, Judge Seo.”
For someone like Seo Min-young, who was practically legal royalty, even a simple judge could be a burden.
Her family alone could staff an entire courthouse, and among them were those who held sway over her career.
When Judge Seo appeared with a face as rigid as stone, the chief judge swallowed nervously.
He quickly ran through the cases she was handling, trying to recall if there was any external pressure or influential defendants involved, but nothing came to mind.
“So, what’s going on?”
“Chief Judge, if I were to call the district office and ask them to expedite a civil document, would that be considered unethical for a public official?”
“A civil document? What kind?”
“A marriage registration.”
“Marriage? Oh, come on, that’s hardly… I mean, isn’t it just the heartfelt wish of a couple eager to be legally recognized? It’s not illegal, and it’s not like you’re bribing anyone to speed things up.”
The chief judge felt a wave of relief at the seemingly trivial matter, though he found her insistence on such details a bit overwhelming.
“Who is it for? A friend? A colleague?”
“No, it’s for me. That’s why I’m a bit hesitant.”
The chief judge dropped his glasses in shock.
“Judge Seo… what? Marriage? When did this happen? I mean, what on earth…?”
“Well, it just happened. We decided to get it done today.”
“Are you saying you had a secret wedding?”
“No, just the registration for now. Of course, I’ll be taking my marriage leave later.”
Seo Min-young gave a polite nod to the still-dazed chief judge.
“I think I should make that call. It’s been on my mind, and I can’t focus on work.”
As she left, the chief judge snapped out of his stupor, realizing the urgency of the situation.
He quickly picked up the phone.
“Get me the Chief Justice of the High Court, now! Where else would it be? The Seoul High Court, of course!”
The chief judge wanted to be the first to inform the highest-ranking member of the bride’s family still in office.