"You look beautiful in white."

When she was younger Mijoo often thought about saying those sentence she heard from cliche love song one day - when she found her soulmate, the right woman made only for her, as they vow love until their very last breath.  

The thing she'd never imagined was, that she would say it to someone who is soon be married to another person.  

Outgoing and free spirited Mijoo who can never be abide by rules; Soojung who came from strict family and trapped to live up high expectation set by people around her. Thing started between them years ago during their college days. When exhaustion from daily life were piling up and pressure seemed unbearable for Soojung or when they just desperately needed something fun, the two would meet in secret; heavy breaths, trembling hands roaming all over skins, fiery and passionate kisses exchanged.  

No strings attached, just pleasuring each other. That was what they had promised.

Of course this ridiculous idea of friends were suggested first by Mijoo. But when she actually expected a punch or harsh slap, the older girl took the bait instead, much to her surprise considering their love and hate relationship - Mijoo teases endlessly while Soojung tries any possible violent way to shut the other's mouth.  

They contradict yet understand each other in a way no one else could. It's funny that two opposite polars like them would actually be a good match, but love always have the funny side.  

Inevitably, as time went by they started to feel something more special, want something more special. Their secret meet up that was supposed to be for physical purpose only turned into sleepover - that still mainly for , but with more chit-chat, sharing laughters and tears, basically enjoying each other's company. Mijoo also stopped visiting club she was once a regular, and ended her affairs with random girls because she knew Soojung didn't like it.  

Their friend-with benefit-ship continued, but none of them dared enough to declare what they truly felt. While Soojung was ready to runaway, everywhere as long as they're together, the younger's uncertainty confused her.  

Mijoo was like an unfinished mystery novel that Soojung could never solve, and it irked her. When she moved a step closer, Mijoo walked backward; one time Mijoo would be the sweetest thing ever, the next she acted no better than stranger; it was always like push and pull game. On the day Soojung announced to their closest friends that she got proposed, Mijoo congratulated and gave best wishes for her.  

And finally, 30 days before the wedding, they had promised to meet one more time. One last time. To end their youth foolishness beautifully, they reasoned.  

But...  

"I love you."  

Was the only words Soojung murmured. Between erratic gasps as slender fingers flexing inside her, when all she could see was stars, until exhaustion and drowsiness dragged her into slumber. That was the first and only time she said those three words.  

And it was lie if Mijoo said she's not taken aback. But there was this doubt lingering inside her, hidden deep down behind all Lee Mijoo proud and bravado. It overwhelmed her, prevented her to believe the confession; that she is worthy enough for Soojung and accepted just the way she is.  

It's best for us to be apart.

Later in the morning, all Soojung could find was warm blanket and pillows, her eyes hot with tears and heart devastated.  

It was the last straw. She thought it was time to give up on Mijoo.  

———————

And here’s Mijoo now, dressed in all black, standing quietly on the of corner of bride's room where Soojung is preparing herself before walk down the aisle and vowing forever love. Sweet fragrants of flowers fill the air and everything looks all so bright, as if mocking endless rain pouring upon her heart.  

Soojung is sitting between her three bridesmaids - Yein, Little Sujeong, and Jiyeon, occasionally laughing softly to their loud chatter and joke about wedding stuffs, when suddenly a man in lavish tuxedo enters the room. The groom is a tall and quite handsome guy, around two or three years older than them, the one Soojung's parents appointed to be their son in law since she was young because their family have been doing business together for long time.  

Mijoo's eyes trail as he approaching Soojung. Teasing whistles are blown by the maknaes as they exchange small talk, and Soojung smiles; beautiful, too beautiful it almost feels like a stab.

Then suddenly the scene before her is too hard to handle.  

"Unnie, where are you going? You'll miss the ceremony!" Yein calls as Mijoo walks towards the door.  

"I'll be back in no time! Just need some fresh air!" Her lips is curled into best smile she can fake before closing the door behind.

———————

"Soojung unnie will scold you if she sees this.." Jisoo snatches cigarette from Mijoo's hand. The 'fresh air' she meant turns out to be smoking, out in the garden behind the church. Old habit that Soojung resents so much. "Yah! Are you really going to give up just like this?!"  

"He is a man, seems kind, is good looking, and rich, and anything I could never give Soojung. What could go wrong with this marriage?"  

"This is the best for both of us." Same reason. Always this same reason.  

"Didn't she tell you that she loves you?"

"It could be just a temporary madness? Hey I'm really good I tend to drive people crazy in bed! " Mijoo laughed a dry forced laugh, and gained incredulous you're-still-able-to-joke-in-this-situation look shot to her.  

"She wanted you to save her!" Running out of patience, Jisoo grabs her shoulder firmly. "Look, I don't believe Soojung unnie is happy now. The only time I saw her happiest during our years of friendship was when she's with you. Hell, unnie wouldn't ever go along with all your silly play in first place if she didn't have any feelings for you!"  

"Mijoo yah, I just want you two to have what you deserve. Soojung unnie have waited for you, gave you chances.. She loves you. But you didn't even try to be honest with your own heart." Mijoo fidgets a little upon hearing those words.

"I'll stop now. Now you think and never come back inside if you haven't get an answer you're sure of. Give up or not, please don't do something you would regret later." Jisoo pats her friend, then walks back inside the church.  

———————

A minute feels like an hour when she's alone now, and the more Mijoo tries to think about something else, anything else that is not Lee Soojung, the more Jisoo's words echoes in her head, sinking deep to her heart that she thought already stop bleeding. Slowly, she can feel getting dry and something welling in the back of her eyes.  

——————— 

Soojung plopped herself down on bed after finished shower, buttoning a shirt she got from Mijoo's wardrobe - which of course became super oversized for her small frame.  

"What is this?" She scooted herself closer to Mijoo, whose eyes were fixed to a laptop’s screen, copying photos into a folder titled 'Soojung's Smiles ♥'.  

"I'm compiling photos of your smiles, of course. You can't read?"  

Wrong answer.  

"Someone who has pronounciation skill as bad as Yein isn't supposed to say that to me!" Tiny hand was shoved to Mijoo's neck as if trying to strangle her, causing her almost dropped her laptop. "And that title is so tacky!"  

"Is that so? Then what about... Sunshine..." Mijoo started typing 햇님, but the older girl slapped her hands away from the keyboard.  

"No! Can't we go with just Soojung?!" They laughed while playfully fought for the laptop. "You're so weird. Most people said I looked awkward when smiling tho."  

"They must be blind. Or not know you well enough. If you smile like this..." Mijoo clicked one photo of Soojung with random people on class.  

"... It means you're actually not comfortable being so close with unknown people around you. And this..." She clicked another one taken during dinner with their six best friends. "... Means just cut it off with all this photo session, I'm hungry!"  

"Hey I think I've mastered this skill of reading 101 meanings behind Soojung's expression! Yay for me!" Mijoo threw both fists to air while Soojung rolled her eyes.  

"So which one you think is the best?" She turned and smiled at Mijoo, showing pair of dimples.  

"Hmm..." Mijoo thought for a while then reached out for her phone on the desk beside.  

Click.  

Soojung blinked. The younger girl handed her the phone.  

"This one. Right now, your smile means you're happy."  

---------------------  

Realization always hits people hard.  

She wanted you to save her.

Mijoo shakes head at her own foolishness, single tear finally drops down her cheek as images of Soojung, all of their memories, run inside her mind. From the first time they met, until the last one she just saw earlier. That unhappy smile she just saw. Mijoo finally understands the meaning of it.  

Soojung unnie have waited for you, gave you chances..  

"And I've missed all of it..."

She loves you.  

"And so do I."

Mijoo have never been more sure in her whole life.  

"I don't want to lose her."

---------------------  

The matrimony is already half finished when Mijoo gets back inside the church. The newlyweds are now sitting behind a long table, waiting for speech from the bride's best friend.  

"It's over?" Mijoo slumps wearily to her seat beside Jisoo. "My life is over?"  

"You are as fast as a snail.." Jisoo grumbles. Without Mijoo sees, she signals Jiae who is already standing on the podium.  

"Good afternoon everyone. My name is Yoo Jiae and I feel so honored to be given this opportunity to do speech here, in this beautiful day where my best friend is finally tying the knot..."  

"But I think there's somebody else in this place that has something very important to tell to our lovely bride." The groom and bride, also their guests, start muttering confusion.  

"So instead of myself I'd like for our Lee Mijoo to come to the front here and tell what she needs to say."  

All eyes on the room are now turning towards Mijoo.  

"... Huh?"

"Now go! If you mess up this time I'll skin you alive!" Jisoo whispers in threatening tone, pushing her friend out of the seat.  

Mijoo steps onto wooden podium, swallowing hard as she feels spotlight and the room's whiteness blinding her.  

It's now or never...  

"Me and Soojung unnie have known each other for a long time..." Mijoo begins slowly, mustering all her courage so she won't falter. "I believe everyone who know her would agree with this, that she's always been strong and hardworking person. Meanwhile myself, is a complete opposite of her, childish and carefree. Back then it was almost like my sole purpose of life was to piss her off. Our friends even called us Tom and Jerry. But I guess for this reason too, we attracted each other, just like magnets."  

"One day we started a big mistake and fooled around for awhile... But during this time too, I came to know her more than anyone else. Soojung unnie who often hide her true feelings and put everyone else first.. Our dependable eldest unnie.. I sometimes saw all the burden given to her is bigger than her shoulders. Even though I was lacking so much, I wanted to hold her hand, or just simply stand by her side on her hardest moment. Without realizing it, I wanted to be her best support."  

Taking a deep breath, Mijoo continues her words.  

"Without realizing it... I... For the first time in my life. Fell in love. With Lee Soojung."  

The whole room goes completely silent.  

"Well, but back then I was scared and stupid, thinking that there would never come the day when she would be taken away from me, I kept everything bottled inside just for myself. I am not worthy... Soojung would never agree with someone like me, so why trying... That was my lame excuses. I was the one who built wall between us, yet I put all the blame on her, saying she wouldn't take my hand but actually it's me who never reached out for her."  

"Actually I have no right to say this after played with your feelings and hurted you so much..." Mijoo grits her teeth, fighting the tears that threatening to fall again. She turns to Soojung's direction and finally faces the woman she loves so much. "Soojung unnie, I love you."  

"Can you forgive me and give one more chance to start this over? I..." Mijoo stops when she sees Soojung gets up from her seat, eyes glassy and brisk walk. Her heart plummets, counting the seconds that’s passing.  

One...  

She's going to kick me out. Or kill me.

Two....  

God this is crazy!! What the hell was I thinking doing all of this...

Three.  

Mijoo waits with eyes shut tight, but nothing comes hitting her. Nothing hurts. It's just Soojung.  

Leaps.  

To her embrace.  

"Why must you take this long to say it?! Why not five years ago? Or last year? Or last month?!" The taller girl can only stare with dumbfounded expression. "Lee Mijoo you idiot! There's no start over, dummy.. Because I never stop loving you. Never have, never will."  

"Soojung I..."  

Nope, Soojung doesn't give her chance to speak again and cut Mijoo off with a kiss. The sweetest kiss they’ve ever shared.  

"Uh... Just let you know, if you need to run from this place, Jisoo unnie already told me to get my car ready on the front there..." Myungeun half whispers from the first row seat, breaking the two apart. By now they finally realize that every single soul in the wide church room have their eyes stare at them, some with mouth gaping.  

Not wasting anymore time, two of them hold hands, wide smiles on their faces, they run; to their new life, to happiness awaits them. And Mijoo can never stop thanking Jisoo for being her best wingwoman ever.  

---------------------  

Two weeks later...  


"Aaand, this is the last one!" Mijoo huffs, putting down a huge box filled with Soojung's stuff.  

The two decided to move in together; much to Soojung's parents dismay, but they finally knew it better after giving her hard times for more than twenty five years, it's about time their big girl granted freedom.  

"I still can't believe we actually pulled runaway bride." She joins the older woman on their couch.  

"With that Myunggeun Fruits Shop truck.. How crazy..." Soojung sighs at the embarassing memories and Mijoo laughs loudly.  

"Nothing better than being crazy with you!"

"You infected me! Being with you for too long is unhealthy!" Soojung barks, one finger points at Mijoo accusingly.

"Get ready then, you pumpkin soul! You'll be with me for the rest of your life!"

Soojung replies Mijoo with pillow smacked to her face. Two minutes of sitting in same room, the couple is out for cushion war.  

"We're definitely going to fight a lot..." Soojung says after they finally got tired, now cuddling on the couch, breathless.  

"Then we will kiss and make up..." Mijoo smiles, placing her head on her girlfriend's shoulder. "And I will realize again, that I really, reeeeeeeally love you."

Startling Soojung, Mijoo suddenly rises to her feet and holds her hand.

"Until now I honestly still think that I am lacking a lot..." She takes something out of her pocket. Down to one knee Mijoo opens a box, revealing two identical rings inside. "And we maybe can't get married, not anytime soon considering the country where we live. But this is to show you that my words earlier are serious."

"Lee Soojung, I want to spend the rest of my life with you."  

Nothing comes out from , only tears stream down Soojung’s face as the smaller ring is slipped to her left hand's fourth finger.  

"I will do my best to make you the happiest person in this world, I promise."  

Soojung lurches forward as soon as Mijoo finishes the words, falling into her embrace, whispering yes again and again. Eyes locked at each other momentarily, then closed and they kiss.  

“I am already the happiest person in the world now.” Having Lee Mijoo with her, Soojung knows she could never ask for anything better.