You woke up early, way too early.
Your nerves were frayed, you couldn't sleep at all. The fact you were staying in Kronii's ancestral home made you restless.
Your fiancée basically forced you to do this, bringing you along as she went back to South Korea to visit the family.
You weren't well received by her grandparents. You were foreigner, coming here to claim the purity of their precious little girl.
You tried to put on your hanbok, God you couldn't help but cringe. You didn't cringe at the costume, you weren't that culturally insensitive. You just found the thought of you, someone alien to this culture, trying to wear this like some larping tourist to be incredibly embarrassing.
Kronii wakes up to the sounds of your struggle, she just laughs quietly before helping you.
You're wearing the oversized coat and trousers, waiting outside while Kronii dressed up.
You're greeted by your future grandfather in law. He was a short man, but carried himself in a very severe manner. Your wife to be told you he had served in the Korean War, you can tell by his demeanor that he'd killed a shitload of people.
"Morning." He says in a curt manner, giving you no time to respond as he prepared for charye, the ancestral rite.
The morning rays were fully shining now, you were standing alongside Kronii along with her entire extended family. The both of you silently taking part in the ceremony
You tried your best not to fuck up, your grasp of Korean was very loose and Kronii had to do most of the translation. The only thing you can do is observe respectful silence.
The rest of the morning and the afternoon is less tense for you, rice cakes and Korean pancakes serving as your main source of sustenance. Kronii's grandmother had to force her grandfather to talk with you, trying to break the ice between you two.
You surprisingly have a lot in common, you talk about your hobbies and interests over soju.
He had surprisingly good English, it was accented but in a pleasant and understandable way, you assume he learned it from an American GI.
You can occasionally spy a glance at Kronii and her grandmother, the both of them smiling and talking as they notice how you were getting along with grandfather.
Eventually evening comes, the both of you were getting tipsy. You were grown men who knew how to pace yourselves, you weren't going to embarrass yourselves in front of the family.
Your respective partners separate the both of you, you were outright hugging one another. The two of you singing old Korean war songs, you didn't even know that much Korean but you were still singing with enthusiasm.
"Come on honey, not in front of everyone." Kronii is more flushed than you are, embarrassed by the laughing and stares of her family at you and grandfather.
Your on the bed futon, your cheeks a little warm. You're still wearing your hanbok.
Kronii is sitting over you, sighing.
You really went overboard.
"Hey Kronii." You sit up, your blurry eyes staring at her.
You stare at her, wearing the beautiful blue hanbok.
She looked splendid.
You hug her, you feel her warmth.
"사랑해" You put it the use, the one phrase grandfather thought you through drunken ramblings.
You couldn't help but feel Kronii tremble under your embrace.
Hopefully you won't remember anything tomorrow.