“OH MY GOD SOO—eh hem I mean—KRYSTAL!” I looked over to Soo Yeon who was holding up one of the wedding dresses I was going to wear. “THIS IS MY DREAM DRESS.” She twirled around with it like a happy little princess.

“Yah! Unnie! Stop!” I pointed at her, motioning her to put the dress down. “That cost more than your life savings put together. If you tear it—“

“Chill-ax my dear.” She carefully put the dress back on the rack as if it was never removed. “I was just playing around.” Soo Yeon started to dress shop again through the racks. “Are one of these dresses yours?” 

I shrugged. “No word yet on my own dress. I just know its been picked out for me.” Which makes me kind of nervous because what if it isn’t the style I wanted? Or what if the style I wanted doesn’t flatter my body the way I want it too? The wedding was in about three days, yet the one thing not prepared was the dress.

A familiar pattern of knocks rapped on the door, Amber entering into the dressing room trailer right after her loud entrance. “Such a nice day on the beach todayl” She took off her sunglasses breathing in loudly. “Ahhhhh, but it is kind of chilly out there too.”

“Any luck on finding Sehun?” Soo Yeon asked as she took another dress off the rack. I had sent Amber out to spy on the crew to see if she could find Sehun. Ever since I'd arrived, I haven’t seen him. I returned his calls and texts, but no response what so ever. I didn’t know whether to be worried that he was avoiding me or maybe he was just REALLY busy or…possibly both.

“I heard he’s in his trailer getting ready.” Amber walked over to Unnie and placed the dress she was fawning over back on the rack. “Your manager is going to come and get you when they're ready for you. Apparently, the dresses have number tags so you know what order to wear it in, so here’s dress number one princess!”  ” Amber went to the very first dress to the rack and pulled it out.

“Up! Up! Up!” Unnie announced pulling me out of my chair. “Let’s get this show on the road Miss Kryyystalll!”

As Amber and Soo Yeon started to help me put on the dress, I literally just stood there like a mannequin. I was too busy thinking of what I was going to say when I finally met up with Sehun. Should I even say something first? No. I should wait for HIM to say something, right? I shouldn’t be the one worried! Then again, I didn’t tell him where I was last night…I didn’t call him or anything about where I would be. What if he thought something happened to me? Was he…worried about me? And if he's worried about me, does that mean he…likes me? As in, not using me, but liking me?

A knock came on the door again followed by Victoria’s voice,

“Krystal! They're ready for you!”

I nodded my head without speaking, and then followed my sister out the door while Amber helped me with the long train trailing behind me. As I stepped down the steps of the trailer, I looked up and saw Sehun talking to the director on the beach. He looked so suave and sophisticated in a tux and his hair gelled back… It was a more amped up look, then when I regularly saw him, and it was making me swoon just as much too. Even though I could hear compliments on myself, I was more interested on what Sehun would say to me when he looked at me… Or not even saying anything, if that’s the case. Maybe he would give me that “speechless gaze” that every bride dreamed of and—

“Oh Krystal, you’re here”, Sehun looked up at me quickly then down at the clipboard that he was holding. He waved me over. “Hurry up, come over here please and look at this.”

My heart dropped. Did he just seriously give me the look over and not say anything?! I mean anything at all!? I pouted my face as I trudged my way through the sand, now Soo Yeon and Amber both holding parts of my train in their arms. As soon as I was standing beside him, the anger inside me subsided a bit as the smell of his cologne hit my nostrils. Oh my god it smelled like heaven with abs and—

“So, the director wants us to follow along with just normal couple poses like so…” Sehun handed me the clipboard flipping through the various couple like pictures. “He just said to enjoy each others company. Not much directing. Just go with the flow kind of thing.” Sehun snapped his fingers and an assistant ran over and took the clipboard from him before I could study any of the pictures. “Follow my lead and you’ll be fine…All right, places everyone!”

Sehun started clapping his hands, which immediately sent a flurry of action among the crew. I saw Amber and Soo Yeon being shooed away from my dress as other assistants set my train in a specific way. Other hairdressers and make-up artists flocked around Sehun and I putting last minute touches. All I could think about is how am I supposed to act natural, when he wasn’t even being natural himself. How was I supposed to work with this stiff Sehun business person when I knew him as otherwise?

“Krystal fighting!” I heard Soo Yeon and Amber shout. I turned around and looked at them giving them a “don’t embarrass me like that” look. Too late now I guess…

“Just to start things off why don’t we being with the simple gaze in the lover’s eyes, huh?” The photographer commanded as he already started snapping shots of the both of us. “Come on you lovebirds! Don’t be shy!”

I looked at Sehun. He stood there looking at me, hands in the pockets of his tux. Okay, was this supposed to mean that this was supposed to be without touch—Suddenly, Sehun leaned foreword and rested my forehead against his putting on a small grin.

“Close your eyes and just smile brightly” I heard Sehun whisper through the corner of his mouth. I followed his orders and heard an eruption of “awes”. Next, I felt his forehead lift off mine, and his lips now replaced it. “Look down at my left shoe and smile again.” I did as I was told once more.  More sighs and awes erupted. Ugh, this felt so…stiff and unnatural. We’ve done WAY better skinship than this…Why was Sehun being so timid now? Like, hello must I bring up yesterday?

For the rest of the shoot, I was taking orders from Sehun and ONLY orders. I didn’t even get to speak up or suggest anything once, which actually pissed me off a lot. It’s not that I couldn’t find a voice, it was there trust me, it’s just I was just trying to find the proper time to use it. I didn’t want to blow up on his behavior with the crew close by… They’re judging every move we both make. One faulty move, and a suspicion can be brought up. Actually, by the small skinship level moves we’ve been doing I felt that they should be thinking SOMETHING is up already…

“Okay, last dress change everybody!” One of the assistants shouted out. A flurry of people started coming towards me again, and I was helped to trudge across the sand back on to the concrete. Another dress done, and Sehun still hasn’t said anything about how I looked or any other conversation terms other then “do this, do that.”

“Anything new?” Amber asked as she shut the door behind her once we were all inside the trailer. I shook my head once more.

“You can’t cry!” Soo Yeon announced as she gave me a big hug. “My little baby! You can’t cry!”

“Who said I was going to cry?” I asked pulling away from her bear like embrace. “I will NOT give him the benefit of seeing me cry! That’s probably how he wants to make me feel right now…depressed and guilty for yesterday and .” I lifted my arms up so Amber could the back a little easier.

“True. But, really now…nothing? Not even in this little bomb?” Amber tugged on the current dress I was wearing. “I mean, it held to your curves in just the right place and everything! I would think he would have at least jumped on you considering you’re half a now that—“

“AMBER!” My sister and I both exclaimed out loud. Amber lifted her hands up in defense apologizing. We heard a knock at the door and I immediately covered myself up with my robe before I let whoever it was inside the trailer.

“Everything all right in here?” Victoria stepped inside closing the door behind her. “Just heard some loud commotion outside and wanted to check if everything was all right…” She walked towards the last gown hanging on the rack. “Plus, I wanted to get a glimpse of what you look like in this last one before anyone else can see it!” She giggled as she ped the protective clear plastic on the very last dress. “You know, it’s the most expensive dress out of the whole collection…”

“Maybe this one will finally get Sehun to say something then” Soo Yeon said out loud. Amber and I gave her a look, and Victoria turned around with a confused expression.

“Wait? What?” She asked, and then pointed to me. “Has Sehun not been talking to her or something?” We all nodded our heads, even though it was really only ME who should have been doing it.

“Long story short, they're in a bit of a quarrel right now…” Amber pointed out as she took the dress from Victoria’s hands to help me in.

“Really? It doesn’t seem like it through the pictures. In fact, everyone is praising you two for looking so lovey-dovey!” Victoria helped fluff out the skirt of the dress. “Whenever the director says something about Krystal he just stands there and agrees with that certain smile…”

“Certain smile? Like mischeveous smile like this?” I made a small corner grin with my lip. “Or a smile all lovey dovey-ish like this?” I made a small, loving smile.

“The lovey dovey one” Victoria handed me a bouquet of flowers. “If you two are really in an argument, you have a good way of hiding it.”

“Is he usually good at hiding things?” Amber asked. “As in, feelings and stuff?”

“Well, he doesn’t say things straight up. He’s such a girl: always having a hard time finding when and how to express his feelings.” Victoria opened the door to the trailer. “BUT, the one thing I do have to warn you about is not to push him on it. His feelings will come out eventually, you just have to give him time, that’s all.”

Victoria lent me a hand as I stepped out of the trailer. With Amber and Unnie following behind me, we walked to the beach where the rest of the crew was. Sehun was sitting in his chair getting touch ups, looking at his cell phone. So, I shouldn’t push him on it, huh? Fine. I can do that…Won’t make me happy, but Victoria is his sister. She knows him better than I do, right? Fine. I would just do my part without making a face or complaining (in my head since I can’t do it out in the public).

“The bride is here! Oh my, the bride!” The photographer rushed towards me with beaming eyes. “Oh my—isn’t she lovely?! Sehun, you’ve got one catch here!”

Silence. I knew he wasn’t going to say anything, why would he—

“Favorite one on her.” I turned my head following Sehun as he walked past me. Did Sehun really—Did Sehun actually--?? Without a second thought, I ran after him, pulling up my skirt in my hands to make it easier on myself.

“Did you just talk to me?” I asked as soon as I was now by his side.

“I’ve been talking to you” Sehun replied as he continued walking, not looking at my direction.

“Yeah, but you’ve just been giving me orders all day. That was the first compliment that’s come out of your mouth today…” I kept staring at him, but he kept looking forward away from my gaze.

“Because I didn’t like any of the other dresses on you. They were too extravagant.” Sehun stopped and finally turned towards me. This was also the first time he was looking at me without a fake smile on his face. “The dress you have on right now…it’s just my taste.”

“Is that really why you haven’t told me any compliments? Because you didn’t like any of the dresses I was wearing until now?” I crossed my arms across my chest. “Come to think of it, you only say nice things to me if it is just for show… Other than that you’re either bossing me around or just trying to seduce me…” I turned around and slowly started walking away. This time Sehun was trying to catch up with me.

“Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait...” Sehun walked quick enough to step in front of me blocking my path. “What did you just say? No. Scratch that—What makes you say that??”

I kept my mouth shut. Should I really be saying something? Whether it be about us or what happened yesterday? The thing that happened yesterday is tied into liking him, so I guess this whole situation was if Sehun liked me or not. But, Victoria did say that I shoudn’t push him on his feelings. It’ll come out when it needs to and—

“If you’re upset about my actions today and yesterday—I’m sorry okay?” Sehun took a step closer to me. I only realized this cause I was only looking down at the ground watching his bare feet take a step forward. “It’s just that, well…to be honest its been a while since I’ve—well, done the deed and I was taking advantage of you. I’m sorry if I scared you, and I guess you had every right to stay over at Kai’s place. I mean, even though I am jealous of you staying over there, he’s your friend. I should trust you enough to—“

“Jealous?” I looked up at Sehun, biting my lip to keep myself from smiling. “You’re jealous of Kai?” Was this what Sehun opening up by himself sounds like?

Sehun took a hand and scratched the back of his neck. “Honestly, yeah I am.” Now it was his turn to look at the ground, dragging his toe across the sand. “I mean, what guy would like to see the girl they like hang out with another guy? Even if you know DEEP in your heart that it really won’t go anywhere, but then again you’ve watched the movies, right? Where--” Sehun was rambling. Oh my god, Sehun was being a little cute mother-father gentleman rambling because he was saying something.

He was saying that he basically liked me.

“Sehun.” I bent down so that I was close to the ground, enough for him to look at nothing but me. “You, like me?”

Sehun bent down with me, now keeping eye contact. “Well, yeah pabo. Why else do you think I’ve gone THIS far with you.” He took the hand with my engagement ring, and pointed out my dress. “If I didn’t like you, I would’ve dropped you a long time ago and made a fake wife out of another girl.”

My heart was beating rapidly. This was the answer I have been waiting to hear since feelings started to appear. Now that I heard them, I wanted to jump with joy. But, instead of that I opted to do something else.

“You like me? Like really, really like me?” I jumped onto Sehun making him lose his balance and fall back on the ground. I was now on his chest looking down into his chocolate brown eyes. “No bulld or anything about ‘oh because you’re Krystal’ or ‘well we did make this deal’ and stuff…”

Sehun sat up a bit by propping himself up on his elbows. “Soo Jung. I like you for you. Not Krystal.” He finally sat up forcing me to sit on the sand; he took his hands and placed them on my shoulder. “Soo Jung, I like you.”

Fireworks. Fireworks had started in my brain and I haven’t even had the actual kiss yet. So this is what it feels like to be…well, liked. I means I’ve always been liked, just not liked in a romantic kind of way. And now that I was at THAT level, I’d have to say that I could get used to this. BUT, I do have to bring it down a notch just to find out one more thing…

“Are you saying this just so we could hang onto this deal for just a few more days? Or do you really care about me, like-me?” I turned my head sideways waiting for a reply. Instead of a reply though, he gave me a kiss. It wasn’t like any other kiss we had before with a fiery burning passion that could lead somewhere. This was more of like: a deeper, more sentimental kind of feeling. It was as if, he was really answering me with this kiss with no need for words.

Oh, he definitely liked me.

“Yah…” I pulled away and held his face in my hands. I looked around and saw the crew staring at us from afar from where we last left them. “We need to go back.” Sehun suddenly pulled me into his embrace.

“You didn’t say you liked me back.” He began squeezing the living life out of me, rocking us back and forth. I rolled my eyes: what a child.

“Who said that I liked you back, huh?” I joked pushing him away and started to stand up. I grabbed my skirt and made a pose to run.

“Wait! Hey! What?!” I heard Sehun shout as I began running away from him laughing. “Come back here and tell me that to my face!” His long legs eventually caught up with me, but instead of stopping me like before he did something else. I felt myself being lifted up, and I was now being cradled in Sehun’s arms.

“Now…” He pushed me up to get closer to my face. “You said what now? Did I hear that you—Soo Jung, I swear if you don’t say it…” Sehun started to walk towards the ocean. “I will throw you into this ocean.”

“No! Sehun! Don’t!” I began flailing my legs if that was ever going to help me. Judging from the distance from the shore, I could tell that the water might be close to his knees by now. He was in deep enough to throw me into the ocean.

“So then what are the magic words?” Sehun began swinging me back and forth. I started screaming instead of saying the words he wanted to hear me say.

“I swear to baby Jesus I will kill you if you drop me in this ocean!” I pointed behind us in the direction of the shore with my thumb. “Can't you hear the crew and stylists running around in a frenzy at what we’re doing right now?”

Sehun shrugged. “What? Spending time together? Creating memories together? Isn’t what we’re supposed to be doing?” I felt him teasingly dip down a bit causing my hand to graze the water. I let out a high shrill scream at the touch.

“SEHUN!”

“If by the count of one you don’t say you like me, I will NOT be afraid to throw you. Whether of not this is your wedding dress I will throw you with no mercy…” Sehun began swinging his arms. “5…”

“Wait! Sehun! My wedding dress!?” I gasped hitting him wildly on the shoulder. “ARE YOU SAYING THIS IS MY WEDDING DRESS!?” Now I REALLY needed a reason to get out of here.

“4…” Sehun swung his arms a bit closer to the water again. I wrapped my arms around his neck for dear life.

“SEHUN! OKAY! I LIKE YOU! I REALLY REALLY DO LIKE YOU!!” I shouted at the top of my lungs so that even the underwater creatures could hear me. “Now put me down this instant!!”

Sehun shook his head. “Nuh-uh-uh, not sincere enough! Soooo…3…”

“Sehun!?” I was completely astonished.

“2…”

How was I supposed to show him how much I liked him? How completely sincere I was?! Then it came to me—I’ll just answer him the same way he did to me.

“1—“

Kiss. I locked lips with Sehun giving him his sincere answer. He must have accepted it because when I opened my eyes, I was still in his arms—dried and unharmed. I pulled away and Sehun’s eyes twinkled. God, now I could do that whenever I wanted and I wouldn’t have to double think it.

“Does that answer your question?” I whispered taking a thumb and wiping it over his mouth. He smiled. I smiled.

“Oh most definitely so.” Sehun raised a brow and within two seconds before processing what was happening…

We both fell back into the cool, blue ocean—Wedding dress and all.