Everyone in the small room gasped. Obviously, gasping for something their eyes caught. They simply couldn’t believe that they were staring at an angel with a white gown hanging all over her petite body. She was very beautiful.Yes, the bride.

Kyunshi the elder, immediately approached her little sister, Yunshi, who lips were trembling in nervousness as all eyes were set on her. Who wouldn’t be nervous? The older flashed her a very warm smile and hugged her. “You… You are beautiful, Yunshi-yah. You are.” She whispered softly while patting the younger's back. “You will leave Daehyun speechless, my baby.”

In the lovely embrace, Yunshi could feel her sister's tears fell down and accidentally landed on her bare shoulder. She swallowed hard. She was about to reply her sister’s words, when their beloved mother appeared from the crowd.

“Stop with the drama, Kyunshi,” she joked and the whole room echoed with laughters of happiness.

The sisters began to pull away from each other's arms. Kyunshi pouted. “I’m going to miss her. She’s the only baby I have, Omma.”

Mrs. Lee shook her head, totally amused seeing how deep her daughters’ affection toward each other. “I know.” She chuckled and pulled Kyunshi's arm, dragging her away. “All right. I think it will be very nice if everyone waits for my pretty daughter outside of this room. I can see that she is nervous.” The old woman winked at her youngest daughter.

Yunshi’s lips curved up, beautifully. Mother knows the best, she said. The people in the small room, which most of them were women, whined as a sign of disagreement. However, they understood Yunshi’s condition.

They went out one by one, congratulating her, showering her with praises and praying for her happiness with her future husband.

Later, she was left alone with her best friend, Dasom. Dasom was in charge of her make over. Slowly, she let out a heavy sigh. A long and heavy one. It wasn’t a sigh of nervousness. But something else. Something that distracted her mind so much.

“Oh, girl. You freaking don’t need any make-ups. You’re stunning-”

Yunshi cut off her incomplete sentence. “Am I?” Her head was lowered down and her voice, it cracked.

Dasom became speechless. “Y-Yah. Yah, Lee Yunshi. Why?”

She looked up, slowly, staring at her own reflection through the clear mirror in front of her. The best friend’s eyes widened at the sight of the bride. “Yah! Why are you crying? Oh, woman! You’re going to make your eyes swell.” She quickly applied some foundation under her eyes, hiding away her ugly swollen eyes.

Yunshi abruptly got up, startling Dasom.

Her tears were still rolling down, kissing her soft cheeks. “Dasom-ah, mianhe.”

- - - - - - - 

The dashing groom kept looking around. His eyes were wandering everywhere, searching for his bride. The people in the church began whispering among themselves. They certainly were curious of the bride tardiness. She shouldn’t be late. If she were late for a few minutes, that was still forgivable. But it almost reached an hour. What happened?

As his eyes were travelling wildly, Yunshi’s best friend turned up. Dasom’s presence made all the souls who just now played with myriad riddles in their head, turned, gazing at her. The Priest was also looking at her. His forehead furrowed, like he could sense something. Something unpleasant.

For a couple of seconds, their eyes were locked on each other.

“Mianhe. Yunshi said, mianhe.” Her eyes. They were shining, in pain.

That one sentence. It was more than enough to explain everything. It was enough to shatter his heart, his world. And his life. That one sentence was enough to say…

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