CHAPTER 36

[Kim Myung Soo’s POV]

“We’ll be turning the lights on in five minutes,” one of the staffs announced and my breath automatically hitches.

This is it.

In five minutes, I’ll be meeting this mysterious girl.

In five minutes, my married life will begin.

I have prepared so much for this meeting. These past few days, the boys did nothing but coached me every spare time – the things I need to say; the ways I should move and act; the attitudes I need to express – and in five minutes all those will be put into test.

 We’ll see if I had learned something.

We’ll see if I can handle this.

This mysterious girl and I have been talking for so long now that I can say I became pretty much comfortable with her. She seems nice and I really find her charming already.

Uncontrollably, Hanna’s face flashed inside my head.

I’ll show you, Hanna, I thought to myself. I’m going to give this girl a shot. I’m going to give her the benefit of the doubt just like you said.

I cleared my mind of the thoughts and decided to make the most of the remaining time. I asked the thing I am most curious about, “So, do you now have any idea of who I am, Miss?”

The girl took a moment to answer but then she said, “I… I think I do, sunbae.”

I tried to listen closely to her voice again, aching to decipher who she really is. Somehow her voice sounded familiar – oddly and hauntingly familiar – but I just can’t put my finger to it yet.

“May I hear it?” I asked politely.

The girl was silent again for a few minutes before she spoke, “I want to hear yours first.”

This made me chuckle.

This girl seems wise.

“I asked the question first, Miss,” I countered.

I heard the girl sigh in defeat and I noticed that I was already smirking. I didn’t think I’d enjoy it this much. She answered, “I have a few people in my mind… BTOB’s Sungjae-ssi… CNBlue’s Minhyuk-ssi… and Infinite’s…”

I went completely still by the sound of my group’s name.

Is she going to guess it right?

Is she going to get it?

My heart began to race and my palms began to sweat as I waited for her to continue.

“Woohyun-ssi,” she said and I heard myself breathe a sigh of relief.

She must’ve heard it because she suddenly giggled.

“I got it wrong, didn’t I?” she asked, half-disappointed and half-amused.

“You sure did,” I answered triumphantly.

“So now, sunbae, who’s your idea?” she urged, seeming unable to forget the topic.

I tried to think again of any person I know that matches the tone of her voice – quite pitchy but a bit husky.

“IU-ssi? Hyorin-ssi?” I began to enumerate though I doubt any of those two will be the correct answer. In the end I scratched my head and said, “I don’t know. I give up. I really have no idea.”

The girl seemed to have a wise commentary to say but the staff intruded again by counting loudly, “Lights on in 15… 14… 13…”

The countdown continues and I felt my heart accelerating again.

I stood up from my seat and hastily fixed my attire. I attempted to brush my hair with my hands right after.

The girl, on the other hand, seemed to be as anxious as I am for I can hear her shuffling on her seat.

The countdown dropped to five seconds and I slumped back on my seat, trying to keep my breathing even.

“Five… Four… Three…” the staff continued and I closed my eyes and willed myself to focus. I squared my shoulders and tipped my chin up confidently as the numbers went down to zero.

“Two… One… Zero… LIGHTS ON!”

Lights flickered open as soon as the command was announced. My eyes closed shut reflexively due to the sudden brightness but I worked hard to open them quick so as to figure out who the girl really is. I blinked a few times, trying to adjust my eyesight, and stared at the figure seated before me.

“Who… Wha--- YA!!!” I wasn’t able to stop myself from shouting. My mind, my heart, my soul, and my whole being had been prepared to see her – to meet my future wife – but the scene before me took all my excitement away.

I sat frozen, a hand pointing towards the lady before me – a lady with a magazine held covering her face.

“Ya, what are you doing?” I said in both annoyance and dismay. How can she do this to me? All those excitement I’ve felt… The intensity of the moment… She ruined it. She ruined all of it.

“Drop that. I want to see your face,” I pleaded but the girl remained unmoving. Fuming, I reached out towards the magazine and plucked it away from her hand. Surprised by rash action, the girl wasn't able to fight back and the magazine dropped noisily to the floor.

The moment seems to freeze right before me like a movie scene paused using a remote.

My eyes went wide as a familiar set of dark brown eyes stared back at me.

I felt my mouth drop, my breathing seizing to a stop – the rapid beating of my heart, the only sign of life.

“H-Ha…” I tried to speak but my tongue seemed to be frozen, too. “Y-You… You…”

Hanna, seeming not to be as shocked as I am, bowed her head and said, “Annyeonghaseyo. Sol Han Na imnida.”

I felt my heart pound and I gripped the side of the couch tightly for support.

“Y-You…” I stammered, trying to speak again, but I only end up shaking my head in utter disbelief and amazement. “Is this… Is this true? I mean… This isn’t some kind of a joke, right?”

Hanna’s mouth turned slightly upward into a smile. She shook her head.

A breath escaped my mouth.

“Wow,” I muttered, still in disbelief. Just how am I supposed to believe this is happening? Sol Hanna – the girl of my dreams, the girl I have always prayed and wished to be partnered with in this show, the only girl I have ever admitted I like – is right before me and is going to be my future wife?

The impossibility and hilarity of the moment is both amazing and mind-wrecking that I don’t know exactly how I am supposed to feel.

“You don’t look too happy, sunbaenim,” Hanna noted, staring at me dubiously. I had almost forgotten she was here with me and that we are currently being filmed. God, I knew it. All those practice the boys gave me… I threw all of it into trash. One look at Hanna and I’m this stupid, stammering, head-over-heels-in-love guy again. I just can’t believe my luck.

“No. It’s just that---“ I was about to tell her she was wrong and admit how happy I actually am when a thought suddenly crossed my mind. My face went blank and I whispered, “You betrayed me…”

Hanna’s eyes widened.

“W-What? Sunbae…” she muttered in confusion.

I was pointing an accusing finger at her as I answered, “Y-You… We’ve talked… I told you… You’ve always known… W-Why… Why didn’t you tell me?”

Confusion seemed to settle on Hanna’s features for a moment but then she blinked and slowly smiled.

She remembered it.

“Oh, that…” she said, scratching her head. “I honestly didn’t know you would be partnered with me, sunbaenim. And besides, we were forbidden to know about anything.”

“But I told you the truth!” I exclaimed in defeat. “You should’ve told me then that it was you! Wow, I can’t believe you even gave me an advice.”

Hanna chuckled and I gave her a glare, shutting her up.

“I’m sorry, sunbaenim,” she murmured, ducking her head in both fear and embarrassment.

Suddenly, all my anger was drained away.

I sighed and shook my head to clear my thoughts away.

“It’s okay… It’s okay, Hanna-ssi…” I said, trying to meet her eyes. I can’t believe I just treated her like that. She was right. We weren’t supposed to know anything. And it wasn’t her fault that I gave away myself like that on the rooftop. It wasn’t her fault that I’m too talkative. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”

Hanna remained silent with her head down and I tried to think of anything to make it up to her. I can’t let our first meeting be ruined like this. God has already answered my prayer. He had given me her. And I have no intention of wasting it. I literally feel like I am the luckiest man alive.

“You know I’m really glad it’s you,” I spoke, trying to catch her attention. “I’m really happy it turned out to be you.”

Hanna looked up and her eyes finally met mine.

I smiled and continued, “I never really thought it would be you, to be honest. You’re like… the least person I am expecting to see today.”

Hanna sighed and placed her hands on her knees.

“I’m sorry, sunbaenim,” she muttered, sounding really apologetic. “It would have been a bit easier for you if I had answered your questions honestly right from the beginning. I lied… A lot… I’m really sorry.”

What she said brought another round of memories inside my head.

Rapper… Group member… SNSD… those were the things she told me from the first conversation we had. These were the answers that had diverted my attention away from including her on the list of my possible bride-to-be’s.

If it had been another person, I would’ve been annoyed. But because this is Hanna right in front of me, I just smiled and shook my head.

“No, it’s okay. It wouldn’t be thrilling if you answered honestly. I would’ve figured you out too easily,” I assured her and it made her smile. Seeing her do it made a rush of warmth flow through me. It’s one of the best feelings ever.

“So… We’re cool now, sunbaenim?” she asked and the manliness with the way she said it made me laugh. Of course, she lives with EXO, she ought to have a boyish side.

I nodded my head, smiling from ear to ear, and told her, “Don’t you feel awkward speaking to me so formally?”

Hanna seemed to think about this for a second and then shrugged.

“Oppa?” she muttered and that single word sent my heart fluttering all over again.

I felt myself flush and my hands automatically went to my face to hide it.

God, I’m a mess. What am I doing?

“A-Are you alright, oppa?” Hanna asked and that word sent those weird feelings through me again. I can’t seem to stop blushing.

I took a deep breath once… twice… to calm myself. I cleared my throat before facing her again.

“Nice. I like it,” was all I am able to say.

Hanna seemed to be hesitant for a moment but then our attention was captured by a red envelope being waved to us by one of the staffs.

“Mission card,” Hanna blurted and she was supposed to stand up from her seat to retrieve it when I held up a hand to stop her.

“I’ll get it,” I said politely and stood up.

I took the envelope from the staff’s hand and I don’t know if it was only my imagination or the female staff was actually looking funny at me. I felt myself blush again in embarrassment.

There’s a lot of people in here, Myungsoo, and a lot more people who would be watching you when this show airs. Get a hold of yourself.

I returned to my seat and handed Hanna the envelope to let her read it.

“Welcome lovebirds!” she said, eyes focused on the letter at hand. “Today’s the day you meet each other for the first time. And since we know as much that talking to each other in the dark is awkward and eating with no lights on is greatly unappetizing, we are giving you the freedom to spend the rest of the afternoon together. You can go anywhere you want and have fun with