Chapter 3

“Oppa~ Wakey, wakey!”

Jungsoo heard a girl’s voice which woke him up from what he thought a short time of sleep. He felt his body was being shaken lightly, and slaps on his cheeks. A very harsh way to wake him up. “Oppa, wake up!” The voice called out again, a little impatient this time. Jungsoo let out a groan when she pinched his nose, but he wasn’t willing to open his eyes.

“Yah! Wake up old man!!” Once the voice screamed right on his ear, he snapped his eyes open, then glared at Chaerin* whose face was inches away from his; startled the hell out of him.

“Holy !” He cursed, which made his cousin frowned. “What are you doing here?!”

Chaerin got up from her position, she got inside the blanket and sat beside him. “I’m waking you up. It’s 9 am already.”

Jungsoo groaned as he buried his face down to his pillow, “Aish~ This is my day off! I want to sleep more!”

“Donghae oppa said you went straight to your bed when you arrived home, and it was like 11 pm last night! 10 hours of sleep is not enough for you?!” Jungsoo didn’t answer her question. He was totally ignoring her ranting and trying to go back to his dreamland again. But then Chaerin realized it, she pulled the blanket away from him; much to his dismay.

“Chaerin-ah!” He groaned frustratedly as the cold breezed of the air conditioner brushed lightly on his revealed skin. He was only wearing a wife-beater and boxer as PJ's. “It’s too cold, let me get back to sleep!”

“Andwe! It’s 9 am already, don’t you remember that we have to go to a wedding this noon?” Chaerin proclaimed. “Grandma is waiting for us! We have to pick her up in an hour!”

Upon hearing her cousin mentioned his Grandma, Jungsoo unwillingly got up from the bed. He escaped a desperate sigh. Of course he remembered, he promised his grandma that he would take her to her cousin’s granddaughter’s wedding that day. Being an obedient grandchild who loves his grandma so much, he obeyed his cousin’s nag and went straight to the bathroom to take shower.

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Jungsoo really hate attending a wedding. Especially if it was his family member’s wedding. He hate it when his father had to drag him everywhere and introduced him to everyone. Or when his family started asking unnecessary question like; “How old are you?”, “When will you enlist to the army?”, “Are you still single?”, and especially when he was being asked about when will he get married. Those kind of questions really bothered him a lot.

It wasn’t that he hate the wedding itself. In fact he loves the happiness and joy in every wedding he’d attended. But what’s the point if it wasn’t his own wedding?

To make his day worse, his parents who came to the wedding as well, brought along the least person he wanted to see; Baek Cheonsa.

“Getting more intense, I see..” Jungsoo said when the parents left him alone with Cheonsa. They were standing in the corner of the room while watching the first dance of the newlyweds.

“I’ll pretend like I don’t know what you mean, Jungsoo-ssi.” Cheonsa answered without looking at him. Her lips were still forming a small smile, but no emotion on her eyes; the usual.

He ignored her, “Attending my family’s occasion with my parents? It’s only a day after we’ve met, don’t you think you’re a bit too intense?”

“I was invited..” She trailed off, only to be cut off by Jungsoo.

“You’re not a family. And this is a private party, only for family.” He said coldly.

Cheonsa turned her body to face him and bowed slightly, much to his surprised. Before Jungsoo could say anything to make her stop bowing, she stood up straight again. “I’m sorry for intruding your family’s occasion, Jungsoo-ssi. It won’t ever slipped my mind that I’m just an outsider.”

“However,” She paused, “Your parents had insisted me to go with them too, and it would be rude of me if I decline the invitation. But if you want me to go, I’ll gladly bid my goodbye to your family and go straight to my house at this moment.” She quickly made a turned and walked away, after once again bowed at him.

“Wait, where do you think you’re going?” He asked, startled. He managed to get a grip on her arms with his hand. “Whatever you’re planning to get out from this place, forget it all. I don’t want to hear my parents nag at me in my rare day off like today.”

“You said I’m not supposed to be here. I’m not family.” She reminded him.

“Okay, okay. Forget that, okay? Now just stand beside me, and don’t go anywhere out of my sight or else my mom will unlist me from his children list.” He pulled her hand to make her stood right beside her. And she obeyed him silently.

The two of them were in silence again as they watched some couples were dancing, ball-dancing, with the newlyweds. Even Jungsoo’s parents and grandparents were also dancing happily. Jungsoo’s eyes trailed on his parents, who were merely dancing. They were just cuddling each other and swaying a little. But he found it really admiring. To be old and still in love. He wondered if one day he would be in that position too with the one he love.

“Leeteuk oppa!” Chaerin’s voice interrupted his daydream. She was standing not too far from the two, and immediately skipped over them once she saw Jungsoo was with a girl. “Aren’t you going to introduce me with your friend?” She asked with a sly smile on her face. Jungsoo sighed. Knowing that he would probably earn teases from his lovely cousin later.

“Chaerin, this is Baek Cheonsa. Cheonsa-ssi, this is Park Chaerin, my trouble-maker cousin.” He introduced the two of them half-halfheartedly.

“Yah!” Jungsoo groaned once he got a light jab on his stomach from Chaerin, “How could you say that! I’m not a trouble maker!” Both Chaerin and Cheonsa then bowed and greeted each other.

Jungsoo laughed when she hit him again while pouting. He always thought it was so cute of her, using aegyo in front of nobody except him and her boyfriend, of course. “Aigoo~ Kyeopta~” Jungsoo pinched her cheeks, which earned another protest from her but he ignored it and pulled her into his embrace. That was when he noticed that they were ignoring Cheonsa for quite a white.

Chaerin cleared awkwardly as she pulled away from Jungsoo, “I’m going to check on grandma,” She murmured, “See you around then!” She smiled politely at Cheonsa, who smiled back at her, then gave Leeteuk a tap on his shoulder, before finally walked away from the two.

“I’m sorry, she’s always like this when she’s near me.” Cheonsa smiled at and nodded, “Don’t get us wrong, she’s only a sister to me. Well in fact she is my sister. But, err...” He silently regretted saying that. He was confused by himself that why on earth he felt the need to explain that to her.  Cheonsa starred confusedly at him, not figuring what he was trying to tell.

“Never mind.” He murmured. His face were deep red from blushing. “Let’s get something to drink.”

Cheonsa followed behind Jungsoo as he walked to the buffet. Without a word, he handed her a glass of champagne that had been served on the table for the guest. There was a long awkward moment between them until Jungsoo’s grandma approached the two.

“Well, well.. Isn’t this the lovely lady from Baek family, miss Baek Cheonsa?” She genuinely smiled at the two. Cheonsa immediately bowed 90 degrees at her and greeted her in well-mannered. “I’ve heard a lot about you from my daughter. I’m glad that Jungsoo’s finally get a woman,” she said with a laugh, much to Jungsoo’s embarrassment.

“Halmeoni not you too~” He whined, “I don’t agree with the arrangement. You know I don’t want to rush and get married..”

Halmeoni laughed amusedly at her irritated grandson. She patted his cheek gently as he pouted with aegyo. “Aigoo, Jungsoo-ah. You’re not young already, it’s already late for you to not married at this age.” She slowly took Cheonsa’s hand and also Jungsoo’s hand then made their hand intertwined each others.

“You have this beautiful and kind-hearted lady who’s willing to love you as your wife,” she smiled warmly at Cheonsa, who immediately returned the smile although she’s flattered a bit. Their hands were still interwined “... and you should be thankful. Cherish her for the rest of your life, Jungsoo.”

“Halmeoni, I’m sorry but I’m not getting married soon..”

“Jungsoo, do you know that the bride of this wedding is my cousin’s granddaughter?” Halmeoni asked; her face went serious. Jungsoo nodded. “And you know that my cousin had passed away, right?”

Jungsoo furrowed his eyebrows, “Yes, I know. Waeyo?”

Halmeoni sighed, “My cousin passed away before she could see her granddaughter get married. I’m old already, Jungsoo. Do you want me to be like her too?”

Jungsoo frowned at his grandma’s words. He knew where it would lead them. “Halmeoni, don’t say that.”

“No, it’s right Jungsoo. I want you to get married soon, because we don’t know how long I can live. Maybe I’ll leave before I can even see you get married, I don’t know.” Her eyes started to teary. Jungsoo grabbed her hand and put it to his cheek, his eyes were teary too. “Please, Jungsoo. This is my only wish, to see you happily married with a beautiful woman. Promise me you’ll get married before I die.”

Jungsoo nodded as tears fell on his cheeks, “I promise, Halmeoni. I promise you.”

*) Park Chaerin is an original character of mine in my other story, "Traveler's Love : Tie The Knot". She's Jungsoo's cousin and also Kyuhyun's girlfriend.