NOW

APRIL 2017

JONGIN has no idea why he kept fidgeting at his wrist watch. Today was the last of the internship program, and also the wedding day of his boss. Of course he’d know that. It was just that he didn’t feel like himself today, and he kept spacing out when people talked to him and when people ignored him, he’d let them be until they thought something was wrong with him.

But he guessed something was wrong with him.

“Do you know what time we’re leaving today?” Kyungsoo asked, lightly tapped Jongin under his arm. Jongin turned to him, confused of what his friend just asked him.

“Huh?”

“Our flight. D’you know what time we’re leaving? Sheesh, why do I have to repeat everything to you today? Is something wrong? Are you really worried you won’t make it to the wedding?”

“No,” Jongin denied quickly, embarrassed for no reason.

“And which ‘no’ does that belong to?”

“What?”

“Goddamit Jongin!” Kyungsoo stormed off right away, leaving behind tactless Jongin. “You’re driving me mad, man. I need to find Soojung.”

MINA couldn’t hide her sad tears every time she helped fix Naeun’s make-up. She has been running between rooms above the main chapel to get Naeun the wet tissues that were constantly running out as Naeun tended to the guests and close relatives that kept coming in into the bride’s showroom where she had to greet and converse shortly with them throughout the ceremony until 11.00 AM, where she would then has to proceed down the main chapel for the highlight of the day.

The ‘I do’ part.

Mina was determined not to break down on such a gracious day, and seeing Naeun looking just fine after the dreadful teary confession she received last two nights convinced her that Naeun was growing stronger, and she needed to be a stable support system to Naeun.

“Congratulations,” Naeun’s godmother, Yoomi said with enthuse, whom she’s not even close with, and shook Naeun by her hand and leaned forward to air-kiss the flustered bride.

“Thank you,” Naeun accepted kindly. “It’s been awhile since we met. How are you?”

“Ooh I’m just fine, baby girl,” Yoomi smiled widely. “I have been busy with the flying, as usual.” Yoomi worked as a co-pilot at a Chinese air company ever since Naeun has known her and that was basically what Naeun knew about her, besides that she used to be Jihoo’s secret crush in high school, and a cheerleader in Sofia’s cheer team.

“Oh and I saw your fiancé for the first time today, and I think you really hit a gold pot. He is incredibly good-looking, and his eyes are very warm. I like it when he smiles,” Yoomi added more as she playfully poked Naeun in the shoulder. “He seems like a guy who can protect you well.”

Hahahh- what a bunch of bullcrap.

“You have no idea,” Naeun smiled awkwardly, and then she only nodded to everything Yoomi has to say more about Minhyuk.

MINHYUK stole glances at his beautiful wife-to-be when they were just outside the main chapel. The door to the chapel is still closed tightly, separating guests from the real-life ruckus going on behind it. Naeun couldn’t stop shaking her legs, and sometimes when she was picking at her itchy scalp because some pins were poking her head, Mihyuk would stop her and told her to calm down.

“You’re gonna ruin your hairdo,” Minhyuk said gently, but his gaze was fixed up front.

“It’s my hair,” Naeun argued, sassy. “Why’d you care?”

“I would, if you’re gonna walk down the aisle next to me. I don’t want people to think I have a sloppy-looking wife.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not yet your wife.”

“You will be in the next three minutes.”

“Anything can happen in three minutes. Even earth quake,” Naeun whispered coldly in Minhyuk’s ears, and leaned back to her previous position before being pulled into a harsh embrace by her waist.

“Not without my permission, honey,” Minhyuk smiled cynically, portraying himself like an affectionate finance. Naeun fretted, fairly scared by his outrageous remark because she knew just how far jokes went with him.

He’s lunatic. I’m marrying a crazy lunatic.

“Alright,” a guy dressed in tuxedo nodded at Naeun and Minhyuk in synch before mumbling something over the walkie-talkie to cue in the bride and groom into the chapel.

“C’mon honey,” MInhyuk said as he escorted her. “Three minutes is almost up.”

NAEUN thought her hearing was impaired once the door the chapel opened, revealing the sitting guests turning their heads in awe mixed with curiosity as they all watched she and Minhyuk walked down the carpet.

Everything was a buzzing mute. She could see some of the guests clapping their hands together  to celebrate their coming union, but the only thing she could hear underneath all that cheer was the sound of her own beating heartbeat, fast and anxious, like running horses on vast tracks, sprinting ahead, each with their own selfish desire to be the first to reach the end.  She could see all their bright faces, sharing the joy of the wedding but strangely, she did not feel the excitement herself, and she could smell the room dripped in honeyed joy but it was not hers to taste.

Minhyuk never gave her his heart, and Naeun never once offered hers. Both of them are two reluctant strangers forced together to be tied in holy matrimony, and without making a sound, they both abode to it, like bunch of obedient students.

Like they didn’t have feelings.

THE priest offered Naeun and Minhyuk a short smile, and he began opening his book and shared his speech and his feelings of the two’s union of the day. He then proceeded with the wedding vow as he looked on to Minhyuk and his stoned expression.

“Minhyuk, would you like to read your wedding vow first?”

“I’d be honored,” Minhyuk said kindly, and he turned toward Naeun as he let go of her arm link. Minhyuk slipped in his hands into his inner pocket before taking a piece of white paper out.

“Dear future wifey,” Minhyuk began after taking a short breath in. And at that moment, the guests inside the room began going ‘aww’ at Minhyuk’s lovely address to his fiancé.

Naeun tried to smile but she still could not hear anything.

“I may have thousands flaws, but you never cease to show me that flaws are nothing but a word. I may have made countless mistakes, but you never stopped teaching me to always forgive. And I may not be the perfect guy, but I will always try to be the right one for you. May the happiness and love that we have today would still feel like the first time at our old age. Love always, your future hubby, Minhyuk.”

It was as though Minhyuk had cued in the clapping session, all the guests once again put their hands together to celebrate the romantic words Minhyuk just uttered to his embarrassed wife, and in their eyes Naeun seemed perfectly overjoyed by the delightful speech.

“Naeun,” the priest gestured a hand. “Your turn.”

Naeun was startled for a moment, but Minhyuk’s light pinch at her elbow manage to bring her back to the real world. She nodded awkwardly, and turned her body at Minhyuk’s lead before taking the paper handed by her best maid from behind.

She took a small breath, and began reading through the letter.

“I remember how it smelled when rain came down, and you running in hastily into my favorite Italian restaurant. It was our first meeting ever, and you brought a rose with you. You said it signifies love and forevermore, but I didn’t take it as I felt your gesture were too quick. Days passed and you have, without failing, showed me your true side, and there’s nothing else I could ask for. I love your passion in music, and classic movies. And you never took me to watch one, but you never promised it anyway, so I thought you weren’t guilty,” Naeun paused when half the crowd were laughing but she saw Minhyuk’s expression changed, so she continued reading the final part of the letter. She didn’t write a long one anyway.

“But, I hope for days to come, you will always have the same feelings you have toward me, and would promise to not leave until death do us apart.”

“I promise,” Minhyuk said teasingly under his breath and once again, the awws and oohs could be heard throughout the room. Naeun forced a grin but as she turned to face the priest, her smile faded.

“Now, let’s get the wedding rings ready. Minhyuk,” the priest said carefully, and Minhyuk took out the wedding ring from the same breath pocket and held Naeun’s left hand in his own. He was smiling at her the entire time the priest of reciting the holy words.

“Repeat after me,” the priest said calmly. “I, Lee Minhyuk, agreed to take you Son Naeun-“

“I, Lee Minhyuk, agreed to take you, Son Naeun…”

“To be my lawfully wedded wife-”

“To be my lawfully wedded wife…”

“To have and to hold-”

“To have and to hold…”

“From this day forward-”

“From this day forward…”

“For better or for worse, for richer or for poorer-”

“For better or for worse, for richer or for poorer…”

“In sickness and in health-”

“In sickness and in health…”

“To love and to cherish-”

“To love and to cherish…”

“Till death do us apart, for as long as we both shall live.”

“Till death do us apart, for as long as we both shall live,” Minhyuk ended calmly, and he slowly began putting on the ring on Naeun’s shaking finger. He then smiled, and spread his palm open on top of Naeun’s for his turn next.

“Naeun,” the priest said afterward, fixing his gaze on quiet Naeun.

“Yes?”

“Repeat after me. I, Son Naeun, agreed to take Lee Minhyuk-”

But before Naeun could open , the guests were already gasping at a sight of a young woman charging up to her from the chapel’s front door. It was just fleeting seconds before Minhyuk, or anyone could stop her from shoving Naeun down the stage.

IT all happened in slow motion. Naeun realized her arm and head were hurting from falling on top of flower pillar, but her ego was more bruised than her physical body. Her parents, who were sitting at the front row, were extremely shocked by this ruckus. The woman who shoved Naeun was crying and screaming at Naeun ‘taking’ her rightful spot.

“You don’t belong here, you filthy woman! You don’t deserve to marry a nice guy like Minhyuk. He’s mine! He doesn’t even love you! You don’t have the ing right to even hold hands with him, you disgusting troll!”

She then leapt off the stage, and was crouching over above and Naeun and began pulling at her wedding dress, successful at adding more bruises to her exposed body parts. Minhyuk came down and he quickly grabbed a hold at the flipping mad crazy woman by her waist and pulled her back. Jihoo and Sofia, together with their close friends ran up towards Naeun to pick her up. Sofia was already crying seeing how badly her daughter was treated and could do nothing but hug her tightly.

“What is this nonsense? Minhyuk?!” Jihoo started screaming at Minhyuk, who was busy keeping the woman away going any more into Naeun’s direction.

“I can explain,” he was struggling with the raging woman in his arm, and quickly turned to his best man. “My bag - side pocket. Take out the syringe and the needle, and draw some of the Propranolol liquid into it. Hurry up! And call the ambulance too!”

Minhyuk then grabbed both of the woman’s hand, and forced them into a cross across her chest. “Lana, Lana,” he called quietly into her ears until she finally managed her rapid breathing.

“Calm down, Lana. This is not how you promised to behave, right? Remember our promise?”

“Yes…yess,” Lana was gasping wildly, eyes looking blankly forward. “Our promise…out little secret. Do you remember our little secret, Minhyuk?”

“Of course I do, honey. Each one of them. But I don’t want you to be like this. You’re hurting people. You just pushed Naeun off the stage. She’s hurt.”

“Naeun’s hurt?” Lana’s eyes grew wide at the mention of Naeun’s name. “That can get hurt for all I care! She’s trying to steal my man, and I cannot let that…happen…” Lana finally lost consciousness as Minhyuk successfully slipped in shot of her regular drug intake to calm her down. Lana fell into his arm, succumb, and Minhyuk sighed a heavy relief as he helped fixed her composure. He then looked forward, and realized the mess Lana had made.

“Who is she and how did she get inside?!” Jihoo demanded as he looked at the guards by the door with grave expression.

“She’s just a friend.”

“Friend my , Minhyuk,” Naeun snapped back, humiliated and hurtful. “She said something about me taking his man away! How could you lie to me in front of these people?”

“It’s not what it looks like! Look, Naeun, I can explain-”

“To hell with you and your worthless explanation, Minhyuk,” Naeun stepped forward and took off the ring from her finger and threw it in Minhyuk’s face. She then lifted up her gown and run out from the chapel, away from all the people that hurt her, and all the unbelievable turn-of-event that chewed every bit of her last pride alive.

JONGIN’S phone gave out warning of running low in battery when he was just done dropping Soojung off. He took it out from his side pocket and then slid it back in, letting it shut down on is own.

“Are you going to the wedding reception tonight?”  Soojung asked suddenly before unlocking the car door.

“Oh,” Jongin gasped lightly, turning his gaze away from Soojung. “Maybe. I don’t know. If I’m not too tired I will probably go. Are you?”

“Nah,” Soojung denied quickly. “It’d be weird to show up anyway. She doesn’t know me. But I think you should go though. She is your boss, after all.”

“Yeah,” Jongin nodded, agreeing. “I know.”

“Thank for the ride,” Soojung said, smiling as she grabbed her purse with her. He then walked over to the boot to take her luggage.

“Oh let me help you with that,” Jongin insisted in a rush, but he was politely declined by Soojung.

“It’s okay. You’re done enough driving for me and Kyungsoo. What harm would it do to just carry our own luggage, huh?,” she smiled mid-sentence, before adding, “So, I guess see you tomorrow at work?”

“Yeah,” Jongin gave her a small nod. “See you tomorrow.”

IT was 5.40 PM and Jongin finally arrived at his apartment. He the lights and dragged his tired feet over to the kitchen, leaving the suitcase by the high table across the walkway from the front door.

He took out a water bottle and poured himself a drink, quenching his thirst since the arrival from Jeju. He then walked over to the couch in the living room, and lay down flat on it. He brought his feet up and flailed them over to the arm rest, his long ankles dangling about midair.

Who knew driving after 1 hour flight could drain him this badly?

He was not usually prone to tiredness after a heavy work, but he felt unlike himself today. He woke up with a headache this morning, and more talks at the program almost made his head burst due to maximum information input. Or he was just simply resisting anymore talks shoved up his mind.

He remember skipping lunch today before the program officially ended because he and no appetite, and now, listening to his tummy growl just reminded him that people after all immortal, and very weak too. He wanted to get up from the couch and find something from the kitchen to eat, but he thought the water he drank just now would give him 4 minutes, or maybe 5 minutes more of breaks before he took down some solid food.

He wanted to just close his eyes for now, and rest.

THIS was a dream, different than before. It was not at someplace vast or in a confined space. He saw white sand beneath his feet, and when he lifted his feet up, he saw the sand falling off like bad memories of the nightmare when the morning came.

He looked up again, and he saw Naeun’s face, moving in closer to his own. He sensed her breathe in his face, and her sweet scent was addictive. Jongin didn’t mind the small gap of distance between their faces, and when he closes his eyes, he felt Naeun’s whisper danced gracefully in his one ear.

“Okay?” she had said softly, like cotton candy melting in one’s mouth. He opened his eyes quickly, curious of the meaning behind’s Naeun’s answer but she was already gone, like a passing wind in summer. Untraceable, but you knew it was all real.

‘Okay’, he wanted to tell her that, but the word strangely disappeared right after he’s said it.

Okay.

JONGIN woke up slowly from his weird dream. His empty stomach was beginning to hurt him, twisting all air out, producing a low grumbling noises from inside. He got up while clenching at his stomach and shuffled over to the kitchen counter. He grabbed the fresh apple from the idle fruit basket and took a large bite at it without first washing it down.

He was desperate to make the pain go away.

He devoured down the apple more than halfway through until a bell rang through his quiet house. He looked up, slightly surprised before getting up from the high chair and proceeded to the door directly without checking it first on the guest monitor.

He clicked down the door handle and swung open the door, innocent, before taken aback by the guest who decided to pop up randomly at a terribly wrong timing.

“Hi,” Naeun said, dressed all black in a set of Adidas training suit, with hood covering half her head, hair sticking out here and there from behind her shoulder. “Can I come in?”

****

Ayo whaddup!

Do you like how Lana crashed the wedding? /wiggles brows/

Y'know I struggled with that wedding part because there were too many ideas on how to break the wedding off and sometime they overlap each other and I didn't want to write it that way because the whole storyline might get messy and illogical, so I made it that way hahaha

I hope it was not weird or anything~

Oh and I also struggled whether I should make Naeun went over to Jongin's house or just spend some time alone, healing her disappointment and let Mina call Jongin instead to help find her but I thought the idea would be boring and less entertaining to read so I decided to stick to making Naeun come find Jongin muehuehue

I know I don't always share my struggles and possible ideas of how my story would turn out but I think I need to do this once in a while just to let you guys have the idea what could've have happened if one part was written differently :)

Alrighty, enough with long post. I hope you guys would share with me what do you guys feel about Lana's outburst and Minhuk's secret life story in the comments section below :D

See you wonderful beings in the next update ^^