Thirty
Phoenix[CONTENTID1]Phoenix[/CONTENTID1]
[CONTENTID2]Chapter Thirty[/CONTENTID2]
[CONTENTID3]
Several weeks passed, and May reached its end. The more time Seri and Baekhyun spent on the island, the less they could imagine living on the mainland under the constant threat of zombies looming at every corner. Life was relatively normal, although they still hadn’t found the one responsible for the stolen documents and the kidnapping attempt on Wendy earlier this year. However, another alarming incident had occurred just a week ago. Someone had tried to break into the laboratory, but Taemin and Minho, who had been on guard duty that night, had intercepted the person. They had pursued them through the streets of Jeju City, where the soldiers lost sight of them. After Taeming and Minho reported the incident to the other captains and squad leaders, they unanimously decided to increase their efforts to find the traitor among the safe zone’s residents. Perhaps they were even dealing with a group—so far, the soldiers were none the wiser.
Throughout this, Wendy, Seri, and Dr. Kwon remained safe. Even though the situation was unsettling, the constant presence of the military in the hospital and around their homes was a reassurance. Whoever the traitor was, he or she was wary of being discovered by the soldiers and acted cautiously.
Meanwhile, the overall situation of the pandemic was improving, and by the start of June, a welcome change occurred. The soldiers returning from their weekly Wando trip reported a rather exciting development. It was as Seri had suspected months before—with the rising temperatures, the zombies struggled to survive. The heat of the sun was like a catalyst and caused them to decay faster. Their rotting flesh couldn’t withstand this weather for long. The soldiers hoped that more than half of the zombies would die by the end of summer. On the other hand, the mutated zombies were a cause for concern, as they were more resilient but thankfully not as numerous.
To add to the positive news, Dr. Kwon made considerable progress with the vaccine since Seri’s arrival on the island. She was determined to finish it by the end of the month and spent most of her time in the lab. Seri and Wendy hardly saw her at this point.
Baekhyun and Seri sparred together on a regular basis, and she felt fitter than ever before. Her body had become lithe and muscular, and she was more agile than before. These changes increased her confidence in her self-defense abilities, and Baekhyun was proud of her too. The way he looked at her after they completed another sparring session together said more than a thousand words.
They also liked to spend time with Minhee when she was done with schoolwork. Once, the family even hiked up the mountain together. The girl got tired quickly, so Baekhyun offered to carry her on his shoulders, giving her the best view of her surroundings. She spotted birds, observed many unfamiliar plants, and in the evening, after they returned home, she fell asleep almost immediately. The small family had developed a close bond, and Seri was eternally grateful to have these wonderful people in her life.
Thus, it was understandable how excited she was about the upcoming wedding. Everything had been prepared by the couple and their friends. Not only did they organize a pretty location for the ceremony and reception, they had also found a gorgeous little house for their honeymoon. It was near the beach on the island's eastern side, where nobody would bother them, and they would enjoy privacy. Minhee would stay with Yeji and Jongin for a few days until the couple’s return. She was thrilled about staying with Uncle Nini. As she had discovered, they shared their love for bears. Yeji would have to deal with the ensuing chaos somehow…
Nights in June tended to be warm, so Seri left Minhee’s window cracked open when she tucked her in this night. It was Friday evening, and the wedding would take place tomorrow. Seri wasn’t the only nervous person in the house—Minhee also had a hard time calming down. Her eyes kept wandering to the fluffy blue dress draped over her desk chair. It looked similar to what a ballerina would wear and had a long skirt made of countless layers of tulle.
“Honey, it’s time to sleep. Lie down,” Seri reminded her and fluffed the pillow for her. She kneeled at the girl’s bedside and pulled the cover over her. It was a lighter blanket than the one they had used back in March and April.
“I’m not sleepy, Mama,” she said and rolled on her side, watching her mother.
“Oh sweetie, I know you’re excited about tomorrow. I feel the same.”
“Really?”
“Mhm. But in order to be awake and ready for our big day, we should try to sleep soon. Do you want me to tell you a bedtime story?”
Engrossed in the conversation, Seri didn’t notice when Baekhyun entered the room until he sat next to her, leaning his back against the bed and observing Minhee over his shoulder. Seri smiled at him before she returned her attention to Minhee.
“Yeah, I want a story! I want to know how Papa and Mama met!”
“Alright, I’ll tell you,” Seri said, her lips twitching as she remembered said event—it wasn’t exactly romantic since she and Baekhyun had fought each other at first, but Minhee didn’t need to know every single detail. That was something the couple silently agreed on.
“I used to live in Seoul last year. It’s a huge city with a lot to see, and I had to be careful because of the zombies everywhere. Luckily, I knew how to protect myself, so I stayed safe from them. One day, I was terribly hungry. I had eaten all of my food and I couldn’t find anything else in the part of town where I lived. My stomach growled all day,” Seri sighed, while Minhee’s gaze was fixed on her, eager to know what happened next.
“I found a small supermarket at a street corner and went inside to see if I could find anything to eat—and that’s when I discovered a bag filled with yummy food! It was Baekhyun’s. That’s how I first met him. We… uh… talked for a bit,” she then added, exchanging a glance with him. His eyes twinkled with mirth, but he didn’t interrupt her story, keeping his thoughts on their talk to himself. “Your Papa is very kind and generous, you see? He shared his food with me even though he didn’t know me, and I was immensely grateful for that.”
“I can’t let a pretty angel go hungry,” he muttered in her ear, unleashing a swarm of butterflies in her stomach. “You left quite the impression on me, you know?”
“You too! It’s not every day I get to fi—I mean, talk to a soldier like you,” she answered sheepishly. “It was love at first sight.”
“Hm, are you sure? You were quite shy at first, if I remember correctly. It took a while to steal your heart,” he winked. “But we’re past that.”
Minhee giggled and clapped her hands. “Mama and Papa are flirting!”
Seri and Baekhyun looked at each other with wide eyes before they gazed at her. “Where did you learn that word?” he chuckled.
“My friend Chae taught me! Why? Is it wrong?”
“No, you’re perfectly right,” Baekhyun smirked at Seri. “Mama and Papa are flirting because they like each other a lot. No, more than a lot.”
“Oh, you!” A sunny laugh spilled from Seri’s lips.
“That’s why Mama and Papa get married,” Minhee nodded enthusiastically. Somehow, Seri doubted she would fall asleep soon—the story had achieved the opposite of what Seri had hoped for. Minhee had only gotten more excited and not sleepier…
Early in the morning, after a short night, Seri and Minhee were whisked off to Yeji’s apartment, where they would get ready with Wendy and Yeji. Seri wouldn’t see Baekhyun until the wedding ceremony, which increased her anticipation. Jongin disappeared and left the apartment to the women since he didn’t want to be anywhere near them when the makeup battle began. It had not been part of his training in the military academy…
Seri was grateful for her friends’ help. She had a nervous swarm of butterflies in her stomach, and her hands were clammy. She doubted she would have applied her eyeliner and lipstick without messing up. Luckily, Yeji was experienced in this department and took over for her, giving Seri a natural look with soft colors that complemented her skin tone. Styling Seri’s hair and putting on the dress and jewelry took so long that Minhee began to get bored and whined a little, but she calmed down when it was time to put on her own dress, the one she had picked. The girl looked adorable, and the women couldn’t stop smiling and giggling when she twirled around in front of the large mirror in the hallway.
Minhee looked at her reflection, and when Seri stood next to her, her eyes widened. She pointed at the mirror, wonder glimmering in her eyes.
“Mama looks like a real princess,” she laughed. The apples of her cheeks were rosy with joy, and she played with the fabric of her dress without removing her eyes from the mirror. She was mesmerized.
“You too, honey. You’re my little princess,” Seri said with a proud smile, and put her hand on her shoulder. “Blue looks very good on you, it was a great choice.”
Honestly, Seri hadn’t had much hope when searching for a suitable outfit in Jeju City, but their
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