You already planned to go to Japan before the wedding will happen. You thought of moving there, leaving everything in Korea. Seeing this idea, would be the best thing to do to forget everything.

 

            But since your college classmate invited you on her engagement party and on her wedding day. You chose not to pursue your plans.

 

            And though you did not agree to be on TaeYang and JiEun’s wedding entourage, you thought of seeing them all before you leave.

 

 

24 days before the wedding

 

            6:43 A.M.

 

            You were supposed to get up earlier today, but you felt so tired that you didn’t want to get up from your bed. Your foot aches after a long night of dancing, partying. You went to your classmate’s engagement party last night. For you it was like a college reunion. Seeing your friends, reminiscing moments, taking pictures. You were so happy that you had spent time with them again. And after so much work, you get to had fun.

 

            Your phone vibrates from the side of your bed, waking you up. You grab you phone thinking it was someone from your restaurant. But it came from someone you never expected that will contact you.

 

            1 Message from JiEun

 

 

            “Why would she contact me this time?”, you said to yourself, as you got up and sat at the side of your bed. You opened the message, and got surprised on what she asks.

 

            “________________, are you busy? Can you go with me to the bridal salon? I need to be there to try my wedding gown again. Is it okay? I’ll just meet you there by 9. TaeYang can’t come with me. He’s been very busy. Anyway, you know the place, right? Take care, see you!”

 

           

            You were thinking of going, and at the same time, not going. But you are a person that never says no to anyone. And no matter what happens, JiEun is still your friend. You still want to see her wearing the wedding gown, before you will leave.

 

            You ate your breakfast, took a bath, and got yourself ready since you also thought of going to your restaurant first, before meeting JiEun.

 

            You are walking down the sidewalk, a few blocks away from the bridal salon. You left your restaurant early, thinking you might be late, and you’ll keep JiEun from waiting.

 

            After a few minutes, you finally reached this simple yet elegant bridal shop just beside a bookstore. You stood in front of the shop, looking at those mannequins wearing long and beautiful wedding gowns that looked so stylish. Each had their own unique designs and style. You are so fascinated, that it took a while to notice that you were staring at them

 

            “When will I be able to wear one of these?”, you said to yourself, with a smile on your face.

 

            As your eyes roam around it reached the glass doors of the store. You saw the owner looking, and waved her hands at you. You knew her since she used to work at your restaurant. And after a while of saving money, she was able to do what she really wanted, to design clothes.

 

            “Miss ______________. How are you? Its been a long time.”, she said as she opens the door.

            “SeulGi, I’m doing great. How about you? Yes, its been a long time…”, you said, moving closer to her.

            “…it looks like the place got even more beautiful.”, you continued, as you try to peek in the shop.

            “Oh, nothing changed. Please come in.”, she said, smiling, welcoming you on her small place.

 

            It was a simple store, all colored in white. The place was made elegant as it was designed like rooms from a castle in England. Big mirrors, a chandelier that made the place brighter, framed pictures of wedding couples are seen inside the store. It was a bit different when you first came there.

 

            “Its still a very nice place, I can say.”, you said as you sat down a single couch just beside the big mirror.

            “Thank you. I really need to maintain the place, to attract customers of course.”, SeulGi said as she was fixing some clothes that were getting ready to be delivered.

            “I’m happy you’re really successful now. Don’t worry, when I get married I’ll go straight here.”, you said laughing. You were quite surprised that those words came out of you.

            “Thank you so much Miss __________. Oh! Speaking of that, when are you going to introduce me to him? I mean, who is this lucky guy?”,

 

            Your sweet smile slowly disappeared. You thought of him again. And yes, he is a very lucky guy. Very lucky to have someone to love him forever, and its JiEun, not you.

 

 

            “Oh. That…Uhm… Unfortunately, he already has someone else. And they are getting married soon.”, you said with a sad tone, turning away, like you don’t want to talk about it anymore.

            “I’m sorry to hear that…but, you still love him do you?”, she asks, with a concerned look. She had never seen you that sad before.

           

            “I will always love him. I won’t stop loving him…”, you said with a smile, proud. It’s all true. You had never stopped loving him, and you never will.

 

            “...he is my first and last love. And I swear, I won’t be able to find someone like him, nor even better.”,  you continued, now looking at her. Like giving her the assurance of what you really feel.

 

           “Is he someone really close to you? From what you’ve said, I see he is someone so attached to you.”, she asks, as she then stops what she was doing and looks at you in curiosity

 

“He was more than that, I could say. He was more than that…”, you said.

           

“Miss ________________, in 2 years of being with you at the restaurant, I’ve never seen you that serious. I mean, I’ve never heard you say those words. You are deeply in love Miss __________. So deeply in love with him…”, she said, smiling like she’s happy for you. But at the same time she feels sad for you, not knowing you can’t have the one you really love.

 

 

She wanted to continue what she wanted to say as the telephone beside her then rings. She then signals using her hand, telling you to wait for a while. You nodded in reply, and smiled.

 

            Its already 9:10 and you haven’t seen any sign of JiEun. You thought maybe she’s really busy since the wedding day is fast approaching.

 

            You opened your bag, looking for your phone, thinking of sending a message to JiEun.

 

            But something caught your attention.

 

            You were about to get your phone, when the cream envelope peeks from your wallet. That cream envelope is filled with so many memories you and Taeyang had shared. You decided to take a look at your pictures, after all no one was there to say anything against it.

           

            Pictures when you were in high school, when you celebrated each other’s birthday, when you went to amusement parks, movie houses, etc. Ordinary to some, but for you it’s more than just special. More than anything that anyone would give you.

 

            You were wearing smiles looking at them, but

 

            the last picture stunned you.

 

            It was a recent picture of you, Taeyang and yes, with JiEun on your restaurant when it first opened. You are sure that JiEun was with you in that picture, but you were surprised, that she was cut-out or should I say torn-out from it. You are sure that she was with both of you, since you remembered that TaeYang asked you to be on that picture, with them, with JiEun.

 

            And he positioned himself right between the two of you.

 

 

            You thought of who would do that, since no one knew that you have that except for

 

            “SeungRi…”, you whispered, in a low voice.

 

            The door of the shop then opened, that you got surprised to who it was. Pictures on your hand then fell into the floor, scattered.

 

            “______________.”, JiEun said, as she was standing at the door.

           

“Eonni…”, you said with a surprised expression, you then felt that pictures on your hand were all gone.

 

You look down and saw the pictures scattered on the floor. Scared, you started to pick them all up in a flash. Thinking that seeing one of this may open one thing you wouldn’t want her to know.

 

“What are those?”, JiEun asked, as she walks slowly, going near you. As she slowly takes a peek, thinking what might have fallen

“Nothing, just some pictures…”, you said, as you pick them all up in a flash. Trying to hide them all from her.

 

You didn’t manage to get them all in the envelope, that you put them unarranged inside your bag. Closing it, making sure she wouldn’t see one.

 

“Sorry, if I was late. My mom asked me to call her, she’ll be here by next week.”, she said, sitting beside you, looking at you with a smile on her face.

 

“Its okay, I understand. And I just got here as well.”, you said then turned away. Your eyes happened to passed by SeulGi who was still on the phone. She then covered the receiver then talked to you.

 

“Miss _______________. Can you guide Miss JiEun on the fitting room? Her dress is already there.”, she said, as she then goes back to the phone, now talking to another customer.

 

“Okay…”, you said, still looking at SeulGi

“…come, you can try on your dress now.”, you continued, as you stood up then walked towards the fitting area. JiEun then followed, leaving her things att the table near the big mirror.

 

“Thanks for coming, ______________. And sorry for disturbing you.”, she said as she followed you.

 

You went to the far-right of the shop. And opened the curtain, letting her enter a spacious room with big mirrors. At the far corner of the room,  were a lot of wedding gowns hanged on a long clothing rack.

 

“It’s not a big deal. I’am always here to help.”, you said with a smile, as you held the curtain placing at the side , letting her enter the room first. She smiled as she then enters the room.

 

She then walks near a single couch, where her dress was laid down.

 

“I’ll just be here, if you need help.”, you said as you slowly close the curtain. She then nodded in response.

 

You went back to the couch, and held your bag. You don’t want anyone to open it, and let them  find out what you’ve been keeping. You took a deep breath, feeling a slight relief.

 

After a while, you see JiEun peeking from the curtain.

 

“______________. Can you come here for a minute?”, she asks.

“Sure.”, you said, as you then walked towards the fitting area.

 

You slowly opened the curtain and saw JiEun standing in front of this big mirror. She was wearing a classic strapless long dress that fitted her beautifully shaped body, beads were placed from the right side of her chest, down to her waist. Clothes that were rolled like roses were place at the back of her hips.

 

She looked stunning on her dress. You have never seen her that beautiful, that dazzling. That you froze on your position, as you are mesmerized. Stunned. At the same time, you felt a pain inside you. A pain that still stabs you until  now, and a pain that kept on pushing you to leave, to forget, and to stop loving him

 

“Why? Is there something wrong? Do I look a little fat on this dress?”, she turns at you with a confused look. She looks down as she held her dress, then looked at you again.

“No. Of course not, you look so beautiful on that dress.”, you said, smiling.

 

But you can never hide what you feel.

 

You looked down as you feel warm tears fall down your eyes unexpectedly. You wipe it with your hands, but JiEun was able to notice it.

 

“_______________. Are you okay?”, she said as she move near you. She held your arms, worried why you suddenly cried.

 

You slowly look up, and at that moment, you can no longer take it.

 

You moved closer, as your hand slowly made its way to her back, then holding her tight in your arms. Those tears now fall continuously, as if they were all saved for this moment. The place seemed to feel what you’ve been feeling, that the silence was deafening. You tried to hide it all from JiEun ever since, but for the first and last time you chose to let her know what you feel. You wanted her to be happy, for Taeyang to be happy.

 

So you chose one thing you had to do.

 

You can hear JiEun hushing you down, as her hand rubs your back. She seemed a little surprised on what happened that you suddenly cried on her arms.

 

“_________, is everything alright? Did something happened?”, she said, concerned. She had never seen you cry before.

 

You then let go your arms from her, and took a deep breath before speaking.

 

“I just want you to know, how…how happy I’am that you finally found him, that man who will truly love you,  my very own…best friend. I wish you all the best, and…promise me…promise me you’ll take care of him, that you will not hurt him…”, you said, with tears still falling down your eyes.

 

“I…I don’t understand…”, she said, with confused look. She took a step to reach you, but you took a step back.

 

            You didn’t let her continue what she wanted to say, that you wipe your tears with your hands, and look straight into her eyes.

 

            “ Please promise me… promise you’ll love him no matter what happens, Please promise me.”, you said, with a sad tone. You still didn’t want to say it,

 

But you have to.

 

“I..”, she said, but you didn’t allow her to continue. You took a deep breath, as you ran out of the shop without even saying goodbye.

 

You didn’t want to end it that way, and you thought it would be the last time you’ll see her, and of course all of them.

 

You were sitting at the nearby park, drying your eyes that never cried like that even before. You relaxed, breathing the fresh air, as the bench you are sitting on was under a big pine tree.

 

You opened your bag, only to saw the pictures you are keeping. You stare at them for a while, picking them all up slowly as you arranged them, thinking of putting them all in the envelope.

 

But you were shocked…

 

You then noticed that one was missing.

 

Your phone then rings, surprised to see who the message came from.         

 

JiEun still didn’t know what happened to you. Why you left here a while ago? What happened that you suddenly cried, she was so bothered that she wanted to see you. But as you said before, you wanted to be alone when there’s something wrong, and there’s only one person that can talk to you.

 

She was sitting inside a taxi, carrying the wedding dress she will use on her wedding.

 

She then managed to send a message to you, asking you if you’re okay, and if you have time, you can talk to her. She even invited you on her bridal shower 6 days from now.

 

Just at the time she sent a message to you, she received a message from SeulGi

 

“Hi Miss JiEun. I just want to ask if Miss _______ changed her number? I kept on calling her a lot of times,but she’s not answering. She happened to left a photo here at the store. I saw it underneath the sofa a while ago. And I’m pretty sure it’s her, and she’s with the Bigbang’s Taeyang, both of them are best friends right? Can you tell her I have it? Thank you.”