Today, unlike the usual, I go lunch only with Ga In. When she asked me where Byung Hee is, I told her that he’s kinda busy for few days ahead so he may not join us but the truth is he gave me time to think about our wedding so he suggested that we shouldn’t met for few days. I know he must be dissapointed with me so there’s nothing I can do but to accept his suggestion and it’s been two weeks since then.

I was in my office, looking at the city view through my window and thinking. It’s getting nearer to the D-day and I still can’t decide. I know I have to solve it as soon as possible but I can’t do it myself, I need someone to talk to. Ga In probably can help me even though she’s definitely gonna screamed at me but its better. I dialled her number.

“What’s up?”

“Are you busy right now?”

“Nope, not really. Why?”

“Can you come to the apartment this Saturday?”

“Why? Don’t tell me you miss me that much?” She laughed.

“Cut the crap okay? I just need someone to talk to, the apartment felt so empty lately.”

“Okay okay, why so tense? But don’t you have a date with Byung Hee?”

I fell silent for a while before I answered her. “No, he…he needs to go somewhere else.”

“Okay then but maybe I’ll come around evening.”

“No problem. Thanks anyway.” I hung up the phone, feel relieved for a moment. Ga In promised to come this Saturday. We can have a long talk like we used to have.

Ga In called me this morning that she probably came around five. I looked at my watch, still got plenty time for me to walked to the nearest market cause I ran out of food stock for a week. I was sitting on my couch watching TV when the door bell ringing. She barged in as soon as I opened the door and landed her body on the couch.

“So, what is it?”

She slammed her body to the couch, I followed her. “Nothing, just need someone to accompany me tonight. Did you come here alone?”

“Of course not. He won’t let me. Anyway, I don’t believe if you said nothing. You won’t ask me to come if it’s not important.”

I didn’t answered her instead I talked about what we usually done in the past, more like reminisce. I just want her to relax before I tell her about Chang Sun. I took a deep inhale. “I need to confess something to you.”

“Uh-oh, you sound weird and I don’t think I’m gonna like it.” She raised an eyebrow.

“But promised me you won’t judge anything before I finished.”

“Okay.”

I was about to start talking when she suddenly turned around and looked shock. “Do you….by any chance...pregnant?”

I was shocked with her loud voice. “Do you have to scream?”

“Mian, but how can you do that to me?”

“What? I’m not—“

She cut my words. “I’m the one who’s married first and I’m the one who should pregnant first.”

“I’m not pregnant okay!”

She squinted. “Are you sure?”

“What do you mean am I sure? This is my body so I’m 100% sure. Besides, what makes you think that I’m pregnant?”

“Cause you looked so serious, like the skies are gonna fall on your head. Actually, I’m not surprised if you happened to be pregnant right now.”

“Ya!” It’s my turn to shout right now.

She shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe you two can’t hold any longer and surrender to the passion.”

“We’re not like that! And you, how long have you been married? Like a month? And you already expect to get pregnant?”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing’s wrong. I just feel sorry for your husband. He must work really hard If you want to pregnant this fast.”

She just grinned. “I don’t mind if we do it everyday.”

“Did you guys already decide how many children you’re gonna have?”

“Of course, it should be settled from the first. I want two, one boy and one girl. Wanna hear another plan we had?”

She will continue talked about it if I didn’t stop her now. “That’s enough. Can you please be more serious?”

She cleared and her face turned serious. “Okay, I’m serious right now. What do you want to tell me earlier?”

It’s time to tell her everything. “I met Chang Sun a couple weeks ago.”

She looked surprise. “What?”

I told her everything, start from the message I received then I went to the amusement park. I told her he asked me why I didn’t come to the airport two years ago. She gasped when I said Chang Sun kissed me and I reply to his kiss. Lastly, I told her about Byung Hee’s reaction when I tell him this.

“That’s all. Now you can scream or yell or hit me, I just need to spill it out to someone.”

I closed my eyes; she’s the one who always push me to Byung Hee’s side so I’m not surprised if she yelled at me after hear this. But far from my prediction, nothing’s happened. I didn’t hear her yelling at me or calling me ‘crazy girl’. Instead, I feel her hands covering mine and squezeed it gently. I opened my eyes slowly and looked at her in disbelief.

“No yelling?”

“Why should I yell at you?”

“But—“

She cut my words. “Hye Rin ah, I think you should know something. My job as matchmaker between you and Byung Hee has been officially ended since you decided to accept him at the cafe 2 years ago.”

I still can’t believe she can say such thing. She used to be the one who gets upset easily whenever I mentioned about Chang Sun in front of her but today her attitude was so out of the box.

“Did you get hit on your head?”

“I’m being serious right now and you’re making fun of me.”

“Mian, it’s just—your sudden change of attitude made me confused.”

“Look, now it’s not the time to talk about my changing attitude. I just want you to know that I stop meddling in your business since long time ago.”

She stopped to see my reaction. I’m not questioning her again. “Go on, I’m listening.”

“What I’m gonna say is that you should listen to your heart. I know it’s a difficult choice to choose between your first love and your fiancé but still you have to choose one. Someone would be hurt with your decision but they have to accept it. You can't make both parties happy. The reason why I don’t pushed you to one of them is because it’s about your future. You’re going to be married in about two months, I don’t want you to regret later because of me.”

She patted my hands lightly and continued.

“The old me would probably calling you crazy because you kissed Chang Sun back while you have a fiancé but that’s not the important issue right now. You should ask your heart where Chang Sun and Byung Hee position is. And don’t make any decision because of pity. You’d ruined your life and the one you chose because of it.”

I nodded, totally understand what she’s talking about. Byung Hee also told me the same thing the last time we met.

“At least this is what I can do for you. Remember, I don’t want to see a sad bride. I want to see a happy bride with a wide smile on her face.”

I can’t prevent my tears from falling down on my cheek. Her words make me realized that this is the hardest decision I’ve ever made. I hugged her. She rubbed my back to calm me down.

“Ga In ah, how I wished you can give me the answer. I dont know which one should I choose, I really don’t want to see one of them hurt because of me.”

“Sshhh, that’s okay. I know both of them are so precious to you but you can only have two choices here. Either you choose one of them or you choose none of them. So let your heart decided for you.”

I still sobbed at her shoulder, letting out my entire burden inside my heart through the tears. The time to make decision starts now and whoever I chose, it should be because of love. I didn't realize that we have been talked for like two hours until someone called her. She picked up the phone.

“Yes, honey?”

I looked at her in disbelief. These two peoples were just away for two hours and her husband already looking for her. I shook my head.

“I think I’m gonna spend one night here. You don’t mind sleeping alone just for tonight right?”

She listened for a while before talked again. “I know, I miss you too but Hye Rin needs me tonight.”

I whispered to her, “Give me the phone, I’ll talk to him.”

“Wait honey, Hye Rin wants to talk to you.”

She handed me the phone. “Hey, can I kidnap your wife just for tonight? I’ll send her back to you tomorrow in good condition.”

I listened to the voice across the phone and smiled. “Okay, I’ll take care of her. You want to talk to her again?”

I gave the phone back to her. She talked again for few minutes before saying goodbye. “Good night, dream about me.” Then she ended it with kiss.

I frowned, she looked at me. “What? Something’s wrong?”

“Did you two always like that?”

“Yup, why? Jealous?”

“No comment.”

I didn't answer. I let her blabbering all night about her husband until we hit the sack.

*****

Finally, two weeks to go before my wedding day. I’m doing a final fitting on the wedding gown together with Ga In. She sat on the couch while looking at the gown I wear, looking bored.

“I’m not the one who’s gonna marry you so why did you drag me here?”

“I want to give him a surprise. He doesn’t know I changed the model. I don’t like the previous one cause it's too over so I change into something simpler like this one.”

She frowned. “You change your wedding gown without telling him? Is that okay?”

I turned around to see the whole gown through the mirror while the store maid helped me remeasure the gown. “Yep, he wouldn’t mind. Besides, this model is looked more elegant than the previous one. I’m sure he’s going to like it.”

The one I chose before was too heavy to put on because of the layered skirt so I decided to change into something lighter like this one. The gown I’m wearing now is made from silk with a little bit detail on the chest and at the bottom. I don’t have to trouble myself if I wear this one and I don’t have to be afraid that I might fell down because I stepped on my own gown. I smiled to her.

She shook her head. “He must be so crazy in love with you.”

I smiled to her from the mirror. “To be precise, we're both crazy for each other. He’s the best thing I’ve ever had in my life.”

“So, when will Jae Min Oppa arrive here?”

“Probably next week and you know what he’s finally come back for good.”

“Really? That’s great. Your parents won’t be alone anymore since they will see Tae Yeon everyday. I miss your nephew.He’s such an adorable kid. By the way, did your brother in law also come?”

“Hm, he’s coming next Friday and he also bring along Ye Eun. I’m so happy, finally can play with those two little brats.” I smiled widely.

“Wow, it’s gonna be a big family reunion.”

“But I miss Hye Jin Unnie. She didn’t get the chance to see me married.”

Ga In stood up from the couch and walking towards me. She took my hands and held it. “Hey, it should be your happy day. You should smile instead of cry, do you hear me?”

I nod.

“Okay, miss. I’m done. You can took off the gown now and you can come back to take it next week.”

The store maid has done remeasured my gown so I turned back to the changing room. I still have to go to other places to grab some stuff for the wedding. Ga In stayed with me all day until I finished make arrangement with the florist and decoration then I sent her home.

I still go to work until the day before the wedding, there are still so much projects awaited to be finished before I took my annual leave for one week. It's 8 o’clock when I left the office building. I went home like usuall, planning to take a rest earlier so that I won't be tired for tomorrow’s big day. I walked into the apartment and the lights.

“Surprise!”

My friends suddenly popped out of nowhere while throwing confetti on me, given me a shock for a while. Ga In walked towards me, she grinned while curled her arm around my shoulder. I stared at her.

“Ya! Do you want me to get a heart attack?”

“Do you like my surprise?”

“Are you kidding me? My heart almost jumped out from my chest.”

"Ayy, it can’t be that serious. Anyway, we’re all here to celebrate your last night as a bachelorette considering tomorrow is your wedding. Come, let’s sit.”

She dragged me to the couch and made me sit while the others fill in the empty seat around the couch. Later, I heard someone pressed the door bell. I frowned and looked at Ga In confusedly when she suddenly rose from her seat.

“Do we expecting someone?”

She smiled widely while walking to the door. “It’s our present from us to you.”

Present? I don’t know why but I have a feeling that I’m not gonna like this present. When she opened the door and a man came through the front door, I immediately knew what kind of present they gave me. Both the man and Ga In smiled to me from their standing spot, I rose from the couch and glared at Ga In.

“Yaaa, Han Ga In. Are you crazy? What are you doing, inviting male stripper here?”

“Hey, take it easy. Last time I let you go because it wasn’t your party but this time, I won’t let you get away so easily.”

“Ya!”

They were all laughed while I can’t do anything. Ga In knew I can never stand with this thing yet she still forced me and they all looked satisfied seeing me like this. I fell down on the couch helplessly. She told the male stripper to get prepared then she joined me on the couch, she curled her arm again on my shoulders and pinned me on the couch.

“Don’t worry, I’ll accompany you. Just enjoy the show.”

I squinted. “You know what? I want to grab your neck this instant.”

She pulled her arm and retreat while holding her neck. “You’re not serious right?”

“Do I look like joking right now?”

“Yes, cause I know you can never do that to your best friend no matter how she always make you upset.”

“Dang, you know me too well.” I folded my hands in front of my chest. She looked amused. “Did your husband know about this?”

She smiled. “Yup.”

I turned my head to look at her. “And he said nothing? He’s okay with this?”

“Hm, he knows I won't do anything. He even said that this is good for you.”

My jaw dropped. “I can’t believe this. You two are the weirdest couple I’ve ever seen.”

“But I think he’s right. This is your last chance to explore other man’s body without feeling guilty. When you get married, you’ll never get this kind of privilege anymore.”

Like I need this kind of privilege, I said to myself. The stripper came out just in time as we finished talk. He's wearing a police uniform, complete with the handcuffs. All the girls on the room were cheering and make a noise except me. Then he began the show in front of us. He started to move provocatively, the girls in front of me started to scream crazily over him. I looked at Ga In. She looked amused but didn’t do anything.

I was shocked when he stepped on the table and started take off the clothes one by one. I still can tolerate when he started to undone the button from the shirts and saw his bare chest but when he started to unbuckled the belt and the girls’ screaming become wilder, I can’t stand it anymore.

I was gonna stand up when Ga In pushed me back to the couch, prevent me from running away.

“I told you before. I won’t let you run from this.”

She held my face with her hands and forced me to look to the front. I closed my eyes tightly, refused to look what happened in front of my eyes.

“You better open your eyes and watch the show with us or I’ll lock you in the room together with him and let him do the show only for you. You choose.”

I don’t have other choice except open my eyes. It’s better like this than get locked in the room only with the stripper. I just hope I won’t passed out or have a nightmare after watch this show.