The Tutor

by Kelsi Clayton

  Claire offered to the company either having someone there to produce something or to allow part of the ceremony to be cast live on their VTube account to let the fans be part of it. The company accepted the offer and planned to have someone there who could live stream the ceremony and some of the performances that members were planning to do at the start of the reception and someone else there to make a more complete video that could be released later that followed the couple and the attending members as they prepared and took part in everything throughout the day.

  Announcements went out to a slightly mixed public and private reaction. The public, even locally, was increasingly supportive of them. Australia and the US were hyped about the event and excited to hear that the ceremony, while not actually open to the public, would be broadcast live online for anyone who wanted to watch. With the venue and date revealed, fan magazines and online blogs that centered on K-Pop were abuzz with speculation about what people would wear, how the ceremony would look, and who was going to come.

  By the time all their family and friends were in the country, everything was starting to ‘feel real’ for everyone involved. Claire’s mother and Cheol’s family arrived on the same day and the whole extended family finally met over dinner at a side room at a restaurant that was large enough to fit all seven of them at the same table and without the bustle of too many other guests. The tense atmosphere melted away when the parents started conversing with each other, sharing memories of their precious child with one another. Cheol’s younger siblings were excited to meet their new sister, asking her when she was going to be coming to visit them in Australia so that they could show her around where they lived and where Cheol had grown up.

  As the evening went on, Claire could see the tension finally leaving her mother as she started to see more about who it was that her daughter was marrying and her picture became more than just seeing her injured and heartbroken daughter in a hospital bed. She had held her tongue when she first arrived, trying her best to be polite, but by the end of the night, was happy to hug her soon to be son-in-law before she headed to her hotel for the night.

  Cheol’s parents had been mostly open and welcoming to their new daughter to be. Much as it had been a surprise to them, they were quick to accept something that seemed to make their son’s smile brighter. They had, at first, feared that she would prove to be an obstacle between their son and his career dreams, but after the whirlwind had calmed and things seemed to be back on track, Cheol had made it a point to tell them about how Claire was helping him to be better at his job and supporting him. He knew how hard it was for them to get a full picture of his life when they lived so far away and they had given up so much to help him get where he was today. It certainly wasn’t that they were living their dreams through their son, but because they loved him, they had supported and invested in him and his dreams.

  The morning of the ceremony felt like a whirlwind. The weather was cold and crisp, but clear, meaning their outdoor ceremony was still a go. Claire and Cheol hadn’t been able to see each other in the two days leading up to the wedding, being too busy with their work and with preparations with their friends and family to do more than message and call before they went to sleep. Claire, upon arrival at the venue, was taken by Suhani and Roz into a small room just off the courtyard to get primped, pressed, and painted for the ceremony that was going to start in an hour and a half.

  Her mother and Cheol’s parents were working with the venue to iron out the last details and get things like the guest book and list into the right hands to make sure that only the expected people were going to make it into the ceremony. The venue had turned out to be ideal for security since it was behind tall walls except for the entrance and exit gate, making it much easier to keep unwanted and uninvited guests from crashing the ceremony.

  Roz had to rush off in the middle of Claire getting ready to prepare herself to be the master of ceremonies. Desperately studying her notes on the order of the service as someone pulled her hair into some sort of neat coif. She would have said yes to being the MC even if she had known there was going to be all of this stuff she had to keep track of, she just would have started studying long before she got here.

  Cheol and the other members helped each other get ready before sitting down to get their hair and makeup done by a stylist sent by the company to make sure they would look their best on the videos they would be producing today. The founder of the company came back to wish them all good luck, especially Cheol, before he took his seat in the front row with the family members and Claire’s close friends for the ceremony.

  At noon, Cheol entered into the ceremony space of the courtyard, the hundred or so seats filled with friends, family, and members of the company, seated in neat rows. Behind him Changho followed with the carved wooden duck he would present to Claire’s mother at the start of the ceremony. Though they were following tradition, with half the close attendants not being Korean or familiar with the ceremony, they had worked to adapt it, keeping nods to tradition without having to do everything by the book. He walked up the aisle, grinning happily and impatient to see his soon-to-be wife. Coming to the front of the ceremony area, he waited for Roz to explain the ceremony and for the said explanation to be translated by a helpful staff member from the venue for all the Korean speaking viewers and attendees.

  When given the direction to do so, he took the wooden duck from Changho and presented it to Claire’s mother, who accepted it as his promise to love and be faithful to her daughter. Changho then escorted him up onto the stage where he was met by Hyunwoo and Wonjung who moved to stand beside him. From a side door just off the courtyard, Claire was led out into the ceremony area dressed in a traditional styled wedding hanbok, but in white and gold, as opposed to the brighter traditional colors of the garment. Suhani and Hannah supported her under her arms as they helped her step up onto the stage in her full regalia. Cheol flashed her a smile before stepping forward with Hyunwoo and Wonjung to the small silver bowl of water beside them near the front corner of the ceremonial stage. They helped him wash and dry his hands, purifying him. On the opposite side, Claire did the same with the help of Suhani and Hannah, who mostly struggled to keep her long and flowing sleeves from getting into the water as she dipped her hands into the water. With everything in her outfit setback to right, she turned again to face in Cheol’s direction, flashing a smile back to him.

  Suhani on the bride’s side and Wonjung on the groom’s, unrolled the mats on the ground in front of the table that separated the couple, inviting them to step closer to their respective sides. The table was heavily laden with foods and flowers. With a not small amount of difficulty due to her dress, Claire bowed twice to her husband-to-be, only able to get up again thanks to the help of her attendants. Cheol bowed back once. They repeated this again, as Roz prompted, and Claire couldn’t help but think, she would be very glad to not have to bow so much in the future, at least with such lovely, long and flowing clothing.

  Cheol bowed one last time, allowing them both to sit down on their respective sides. Wonjung and Hyunwoo sat a little forward from him, near a low, little table, and Suhani and Hannah did the same after they helped Claire to sit. They poured the first drinks and brought down the food, as instructed, from the tall table to the low one in front of the bride and the groom. Copying what they saw Wonjung and Hyunwoo do, Hanna and Suhani poured a small amount of the drink onto the floor and offered a small amount of the food they had brought down as a gesture to honor the couple's ancestors. Both sides poured a bit more of the wine into the same cups and gave them to the bride and the groom to sip, then Wonjung on one side and Suhani on the other, offered small bites of the food to their respective half of the couple.

  Changho brought up the two gourd cups, giving one to each side for them to fill and offer to the bride and groom, symbolizing their unification. Hyunwoo passed the filled cup to Cheol who sipped from it before handing it back. He then stood up and took the gourd half to Claire, waiting
while she took a sip from it before taking it back with him as he returned to his seat beside the groom. Hannah did the same for Claire, nervously taking the light, but oddly shaped object back after her friend drank from it, then taking it over for Cheol to sip from before she returned to her place.

  Changho then gathered the two halves, demonstrating to the audience as he put the two pieces together again before he laid them on the tall table at the center of the ceremonial area. Cheol stood again with Hyunwoo and Wonjung beside him as Changho moved to stand behind them. On the opposite side, Claire stood up, or more practically speaking, was lifted into a standing position by Suhani and Hannah, who then continued to support her and her raised elbows.

  Roz declared them married and Claire and Cheol bowed to the kind people who had attended the ceremony, thankfully only having to bow, only from the waist this time at least, and the ceremony was done. Claire let out a relieved sigh, and left the ceremony area with the help of Hannah and Suhani so that she could change into a more modern hanbok for the reception. It took half an hour to arrange the seating in the courtyard to tabled seating where food would be served.

  Claire and Cheol emerged again in much more comfortable clothes to greet the guests and eat a couple of bites themselves before they ran off to their short three day honeymoon in a small hotel located in a converted manor house in a neighborhood near the castle they had visited.

  ***

  Cheol took her by the hand as they walked in through the gate to the inner yard of the hotel. The high walls and yew bushes that flanked the gate made it feel like they were walking into a secluded and private world. They followed a stone path, dry but peppered with the last of the falling leaves. They found the reception and checked into their room, called the Scholars Porch thanks to the raised all wood porch with intricately carved wooden hatches that could be opened or closed for privacy (or warmth, at this time of year). A lovely older woman escorted them to it, helping them bring their bags in and promising to return soon with a tea service to welcome them. Dinner would be brought to them in a couple of hours. The space in the room was small with only the main room, the porch, and a bathroom, but they hardly needed more space, especially given how woefully short their stay was.

  “What do you think?” Cheol asked, having picked out the place as a surprise for Claire, looking to give her a few days of solitude together in a lovely setting filled with history.

  “It’s beautiful,” She replied, slipping her hands around his waist and putting her head against his chest, still covered in the soft satin of his hanbok. “The futons already look inviting after as long as this day has felt.”

  “We can go straight to bed after we eat dinner tonight,” He promised, kissing the top of her head. “But the tea should help us last until then.”

  “Mmmm,” She nuzzled into his shoulder. “Tea sounds wonderful. The air smells like we will get a frost tonight.”

  “Yeah,” He agreed, rubbing his hands along her back to warm her up as they stood in the cool room. A heater stood in the corner, only recently having been turned on to warm up the room. “I hope it isn’t too cold to open the porch for a bit in the morning. The view into the yard is supposed to be the best thing about this room.”

  “Even if it’s cold,” Claire assured him. “We can have it open for a bit while we have breakfast.”

  The woman returned to their room carrying a small tray with tea for them. Placing it on the low table opposite the two futons already laid out on the floor, she gave them a smile and exited again, closing the door behind her. Cheol and Claire took seats on the small cushions on the floor and took turns pouring the warm tea into the small cups and cuddling together, warm drinks in their hands. The warm bitterness of the tea helped to warm and relax them as the heater did its work, turning the room into a cozy space.

  After dinner, they slipped off in turns to shower off the dirt and tiredness from the day in the shower, finally changing out of their traditional clothing. Claire loved her hanbok but had something she was eager to change into after her shower. She had bought a little something for him, wanting to treat him to a little something extra on their honeymoon as well. Allowing Cheol to shower first, she snuck the outfit into the bathroom in her towel, not wanting to spoil the surprise.

  With her hair clean, but still damp, she slipped on the barely lavender-grey satin baby doll on over her head. Lace lined the bust panels and a side slit, topped with satiny bows, gave a glimpse of the tiny satin panties that came with it. She gave herself a once-over in the mirror, as much of herself as she could see, before she grabbed her clothes from the pile on top of the toilet and quietly slipped into the main room again. Luckily Cheol was distracted by something when she came out, giving her the chance to toss her clothes over by the suitcases and sneak up behind him before he laid eyes on her. Her soft kiss on the back of his neck let him know that she had returned.

  “Hey, 애인,”[83] He said, finally turning to look at her. When laid eyes on her, damp and wrapped in satin, his eyes darkened with a desire. It had been a long day and he had been prepared to offer for the two of them to just fall into bed and go to sleep, but clearly she had a different offer in mind.

  “How is my husband?” She crawled into his lap as he scooted a little further back onto the futon, running a hand over his t-shirt covered shoulder.

  “Either overdressed or underdressed and I am not sure which,” He gave a low chuckle as his eyes skimmed over the lace and satin that covered her body.

  “Well, overdressed is entirely easy to fix,” She advised, winding her fingers in the hem of his t-shirt so she could pull it off of him. Cheol raised his hands above his head to allow her to slip the old, soft cotton garment over his head, leaving him only in his boxers with a noticeably growing erection. Coaxing him further back on the bed, she pushed at his shoulders to get him to lie down. Complying without question, Cheol watched her with hungry eyes as she slunk down his body, hooking her fingers in the waistband of his underwear and pulled them down the length of his muscular legs. Carelessly, she tossed them across the room, before leaning down to run her lips and tongue up the inside of one of his legs. Now stretched out in the V of his legs, she splayed her hands over his narrow hips and brought her face level with his member.

  “애인,”[84] He groaned as her lips wrapped around him. His hands gripped the blanket underneath him and his mouth went slack as he sucked in a breath. She loved seeing him like this, like he was at the mercy of the pleasure she could give him.

  “자기야[85] tell me what you want,” She hummed sweetly, pressing a kiss against his hip.

  “Now, I want your mouth on me,” He replied hotly and with certainty. With a warm chuckle, she opened her mouth and took as much of him in as she could. He hissed as she ate him greedily, not caring about the moist sounds that began to fill the quiet room. After a few minutes he was forced to ask her to stop, not wanting to get too far before he even managed to undress his new wife.

  “Come here,” He instructed, lightly gripping her wrist. Releasing his member with an audible pop, she crawled up his body, adjusting herself to straddle his waist. His hands gripped her thighs as she leaned down to touch her lips to his.

  “Mmmm, my handsome husband,” She sighed into the kiss.

  “My wife, my love,” He murmured back, his hands running up to pull at the baby doll. She lifted herself enough to allow him to tug it off over her head, leaving her in only the matching satin panties. Tossing the bit of fabric to the side, his hands went to her newly exposed breasts, cupping them in his hands. Her hands rose to cover his, prompting him to massage them gently as she ground herself against his stomach.

  “사랑해요[86],” She smiled down at him, eyes hazy with love and lust. He rolled her over so she was on her back and slid the panties off before pulling the blanket out from underneath them. He covered her body with his and pulled the blanket up over their shoulders.

  “나도 사랑해요[87],” He settled himself in
between her thighs. “Somehow it feels different getting to make love to my wife.”

  “Does it?” She smiled, looping her arms around his neck.

  “Yeah,” He gave her a shy smile back.

  “In a good way?” She pressed, looking slightly shy. “Or have I somehow lost my appeal now that I’m officially yours?”

  “What? No!” He replied with a startled tone. “No, it’s like it’s real somehow, in a way it wasn’t before. You really are just mine. These lips are just mine,” He gave them a kiss. “And these cheeks,” He nuzzled them before brushing his lips over them. “And this,” He positioned himself at the entrance to her body and slowly slid himself inside. “God, I will never get enough of this, no matter how long we live.”

  “We have a couple of days where we can get in as much as you are up for,” She giggled as she tucked her face into his neck. “We don’t have to get out of this bed except to go to the bathroom and to eat for the next three days. Think you’re up for it?”

  “I guess we’ll see,” He gave a breathy laugh as he started to move. “Mmm, I’ll give it my best shot.”

  * * *

  [1] Anyeonghasaeyo: Hello

  [2] Anyeong, goodbye

  [3] Cheol is hungry.

  [4] Good night, my love