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Seong Tae was living happily in Ilyang while Jaha was happily beating up scumbags somewhere in the distant lands.
Then a rumour spread. A lackey had dashed in, yelling, "Master Lee Jaha is married!" Half the inn spat out their tea at the news.
"Explain!" The lackey was instantly pelted with tea. The rumour started when a clan came up with the idea of sending assassins disguised as wives and concubines to Jaha.
Jaha had caught wind of it while killing and beating up a faction of that clan. He dropped the unconcious body he was slapping, to declare that he had a spouse!
Seong Tae shared a horrified look with his fellows. Everyone shared a thought:
Who would be insane enough to marry that fucking lunatic?!?
"Were they forced?"
"...doesn't seem the type–"
"Perhaps, a false marriage to escape their bitter life?" A storyteller queried.
"But it's easier to pledge allegiance to the clan leader," another customer argued.
Some agreed through experience.
Meanwhile, Seong Tae had finished his noodles at the speed of light. He clanged his bowl down to confused faces. "He's going to ask me to do shit," he snarled. "Again!"
True to his prediction, Jaha turned up a few weeks later, though he was without a bride.
Seong Tae breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe the new bride had enough sense to run away - or at least avoid being seen next to him....
Jaha might have misinterpreted his sigh, because he sauntered up to Seong Tae and raised an eyebrow.
Seong Tae bowed. "I heard you have a bride." Jaha lowered his brow. "Who said I have a bride?"
Seong Tae was puzzled. "The entire town heard that you were married." Jaha waved his words aside.
"I haven't had the wedding ceremony and wedding dinner. Prepare those, would you?"
Seong Tae's eyelid twitched. What was Jaha doing to the poor woman? "By when, master?"
Jaha shrugged. "An auspicious day and time about a month from now. The location will be the inn, everything in wedding red, you choose what you like."
Seong Tae was ticked off. "What about your bride's opinions?"
Jaha's lips quirked up. "Just choose what you want. Besides," he threw the door open, "I never said my spouse was a bride."
Seong Tae fumed. What did that bastard mean!
A few days later, Deuk Suk frowned at his list. Cheol Yong took the second list and squinted at it from arm's length.
"Stop it, I know you have good eyesight."
Cheol Yong passed the list back to Seong Tae. "You know that rib noodles aren't a usual wedding starter for our parts?"
Seong Tae groaned. "Yes, I know. But there's no other order. I went around to all the matchmakers in this town to ask! The neighbouring towns too! All of them bowed properly then shut the door in my face!"
He could not retaliate, because they were common civilians and they did show due respect.
Some had even agreed when they thought it was Seong Tae's wedding but the entire matchmaking industry had closed shop when it came to Jaha.
Cheol Yong chuckled. "So what will you do now?"
Seong Tae straightened. "You know what Jaha said when I told him?"
Jaha had looked thoughtfully out the window at the night sky. "Prepare as much as you can. I'll get the wedding robes and accessories myself. Oh, tell me your tailor."
Seong Tae had introduced Jaha to his old tailor and his two children, who were also apprentices.
The daughter clapped Seong Tae hard on the back when they entered the store. The three became close when Seong Tae volunteered(?) to be their model for practice.
Jaha had also told him not to worry about expenses when Seong Tae had literally thrown flower options at him.
"Expenses are not the point! Though not worrying about it would be helpful," Seong Tae conceded. "But I'm asking about what kind of flowers you want!"
Jaha had looked him directly in the eyes.
"Choose what you like."
...........
"I'll choose," said Seong Tae. Jaha might really bring funeral flowers and the wrong incense sticks for the ceremony.
"You!" Seong Tae pointed at Jaha. "Make sure the wedding outfits are good!"
Jaha had smiled. "Of course."
Seong Tae's goosebumps flared up when he recounted that memory to Deuk Suk and Cheol Yong over noodles.
The two shared a look that Seong Tae missed, chomping down on his food.
In the week leading up to the wedding, Seong Tae was fretting like mad, even though everyone assured him that they had everything in hand.
In the end, Manager Byeok came to town took charge with efficiency, while Soso wrangled Seong Tae into a chair, rolling her eyes.
She pushed tea into Seong Tae's trembling hands. "I haven't given out invitations!"
"The rest of the clan spread the news long ago." Seong Tae opened his mouth to interrupt. "With proper invites on red envelopes."
Seong Tae drank his tea and narrowed his eyes at Soso. "You're getting better at this."
Soso looked pityingly at him. "I've never seen your nerves this bad, Manager Cha."
Seong Tae could not respond, twisting his robes in his hands. It was true; he had never been so nervous before, and he had faced murderers at sword-point.
"Where's the clan leader?" Soso asked. Seong Tae jumped on the question. "I don't know, I haven't seen him for most of the month. Gallivanting around, maybe?"
Soso stared at him for a long moment. She sighed, putting a hand on her forehead.
On the day of the wedding, Seong Tae was seen running up and down checking on things, until Yong Gae and Cheol Yong held him in place, one hand on each shoulder.
"Sit," Cheol Yong commanded. He sat.
Yong Gae was simultaneously bored and exasperated. Cheol Yong had dragged him out, ignoring his complaints that wedding was to be held in the evening anyway, leading straight to dinner, so why would he go during the day?
Now Yong Gae knew why. Seong Tae was a bundle of nerves wrapped in red robes, and he was here to babysit.
"Why are you so nervous? It's not your wedding," said Yong Gae, and Cheol Yong slapped him up the head.
All the fight went out of Seong Tae. "I know," he slumped onto the table. "But it feels like - like - I don't know," he groaned.
Yong Gae was puzzled. Cheol Yong gestured around Jaha Inn with his chin. "The clan master asked Seong Tae to arrange everything to Seong Tae's liking here. E-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g."
"But it's the clan master's wedding, not Manager Seong Tae's–"
Yong Gae shut his mouth with a clack and patted Seong Tae's shoulder. Seong Tae teared up, and Yong Gae earned another head slap.
The sun begun to set, and soon it was time for the wedding ceremony. Seong Tae and Manager Byeok had combined the ceremony and dinner, which meant that the couple would do their bows in front of everyone's dinner tables.
The doors were fully open, but no one was too worried about security; the guest list full of martial artists and poison masters.
Seong Tae was no longer moping, but watching the orange sky. Chae Hyang spotted him leaning on the door frame and tugged him upstairs.
Seong Tae followed her without fuss, until she started removing his outer robes.
"Chae Hyang! What are you doing to your manager!"
Chae Hyang rolled her eyes reminiscent of Soso. "Please get into the bath, Manager Cha."
Seong Tae turned, and spotted the boiling hot bath and towels. "Alright, I'll do it myself!" He shooed her out, and tested the water with his calloused hand.
The temperature was comfortable, and he sank into the bath grumpily. He washed himself and soaked until he nearly fell asleep in the cooling water.
Chae Hyang burst into the room once more, startling him awake. "Manager Cha!"
"Wait!" He stood up too quickly, and nearly stumbled. Chae Hyang did not notice as she threw some inner robes from the other side of the coverings.
He dried and dressed, then Chae Hyang carried in a dark blue robe with reflective sliver embroidery, making it look like the night sky.
"It's beautiful," Seong Tae said quietly. Chae Hyang nodded, and both gazed at the robe.
Chae Hyang pushed the robes into his arms. "This is yours."
She shoved the robes more insistently at him when Seong Tae did not move. "Wear it!"
Chae Hyang brought him to another room and sat him down in front of a dressing mirror. Seong Tae noticed that the room was decorated in red, along with the dresser. "Chae Hyang, you've brought me to the wrong room!"
"Stay still!" This came from Soso, who glided in with a tray of jade and beeswax.
The two of them and some servants who appeared from nowhere fussed over him until Soso declared that his outfit was complete.
His hair was gelled back and styled, a jaded belt cinched around his waist and two jade pendants hung from its side.
The robe had gone through incense and stuffed with fragrance pouches. The combined scents were not conflicting; instead it was a comfortable smell that helped him untense.
As he stood up, Chae Hyang and Soso bowed to him. The other servants followed.
Seong Tae made his way down the corridor, eyes sharp but mind curiously blank.
He found himself half-floating down the stairs to surprised gasps and excited murmurs. Nobody could tear their eyes away, least of all Jaha.
Jaha, who was fully in new wedding red, waiting at the bottom of the staircase.
Jaha, smiling gently, raising his hand to help Seong Tae down the last step.
Jaha, who had earlier, in a shocking show of civility, had bowed respectfully to the gathered guests and asked for their patience. As Seong Tae had fallen asleep in the bath that he had prepared, and he wanted to wait.
(The guests all waited patiently froze from shock.)
Jaha, who had asked, not demanded, Seong Tae's old tailor and his children to make the new robes for them.
Jaha, who practiced his handwriting while he was away, who pencilled and sent all invitations himself.
"This clan master greets Manager Cha." Jaha still had not dropped his hand.
In the end, it was architect Ja Seong that was strong-armed (he volunteered) to learn the processes of matchmaking and wedding ceremonies by Jaha before the rumour spread.
Ja Seong was having too much fun being the officiant, Seong Tae decided distantly, watching him grin broadly as he started the ceremony.
They completed the three bows, not too fast, and not too slow. Seong Tae and Jaha held onto each other's hands tightly throughout the ceremony.
Jaha was nervous too, Seong Tae realised, when he noticed that his hand was not the only one trembling.
Everyone stood up when the new couple downed their wedding wine. "Congratulations to the clan leader, and Manager Cha!" The crowd bellowed.
Seong Tae looked over to Jaha, who shrugged. "Better known as Manager Cha than 'clan leader's spouse.' Do you know how many clan leaders and spouses they have?" He grumbled.
As the couple went around greeting and thanking the guests, some drunk guests wanted to pat Seong Tae but were pinned back by Jaha's murderous expression.
Seong Tae had no more energy for nerves by the end of the dinner. It was near daybreak, and the guests had left.
The staff would come back in the morning to clean up the place, as he and Manager Byeok had planned the staff rotation to have most of them go back home right after desserts were cleared.
Jaha swept Seong Tae up to carry him up the stairs. "I can see you squeezing your non-existent brains out."
Seong Tae muffled his swear words by yawning into Jaha's chest. Jaha carried him to the newlyweds' room, which made Seong Tae sit up.
Jaha intercepted his thoughts. "Manager Byeok and Ja Seong handled this," he said, sitting next to Seong Tae.
"Don't you have no experience?" Seong Tae gestured between the two of them.
Jaha was ticked. "What?"
"You," Seong Tae pointed, "and experience," he pointed to another corner of the bed, "are worlds apart." He stretched his arms to show distance.
Jaha moved slowly, leaning over Seong Tae. "You'll have to show me, then," he purred.
Just then, a servant knocked on their doors. Jaha took a deep breath. "Enter."
The servant kept their gaze lowered and sounded apologetic. "We need help moving some gamblers and drunkards, sires."
Seong Tae sighed. He rose, running his hand through his hair. "I'll go." He turned back to Jaha. "You stay here, I need to talk to you."
Jaha cooed from the bed, "Work hard, clan leader's spouse!" He smirked when Seong Tae flushed.
It took Jaha a minute to remember that Seong Tae was going to handle drunkards in his wedding robes.
It took another minute for him to carry a confused Seong Tae back to bed, kiss the top of his head, and spring back to the waiting servant in the corridor.
Seong Tae looked at his robes and sighed. He removed his shoes, shook out the blankets and fell asleep on top of them.
Manager Cha was going to sleep in as long as he could for this whole wedding stunt. His last thought was of a stupid clan leader, who was tossing people out by their collars.