UGLY

“She is so freaking ugly.” Baekhyun slammed down the magazine he was skimming through. It was opened to a smiling woman sitting in a very luxurious room.

“She looks okay to me.” His tall friend Chanyeol remarked as he lifted up the magazine to have a better look, his other hand going towards the apple.

“Only because you are not marrying her,” He grumbled as he let out an exasperated sigh while crashing down the couch dramatically. “Why does it have to be her? Why couldn’t it be one of the SNSD girls? Dad could have well arranged it.”

“Dude, as much as you wish your dreams comes true about marrying one of those dolls, they will only give you popularity unlike what she has to offer.” Chanyeol swallowed the apple he was intensely chewing on, “She is the only link to the EXO internationals. They’re seriously tight and you know it.”

The smaller but older of the two rolled his eyes. As if like he did not know it already, those business propositions were the only reason why he had agreed to married her. Besides he was going to receive 5% of the company as a wedding gift and that wasn't something small.

“Everything about this marriage proposal is perfect except the bride.” Baekhyun rubbed his lips, his eyebrows coming together as he sat up properly, “Aren’t our type of people suppose to be born with everything? I mean if you don’t have beauty surely you can get it as well. Plastic surgeries are mainly for people like her. Why isn’t she doing it?”

“I agree. She have enough money to get her nose done, maybe her eyes as well and a little of her lips. But...” Chanyeol commented as he flipped the pages, “But... she’s pretty enough without it."

Baekhyun snorted. “I thought you had an eye for beauty.”

* * *

“Your party sure rocks,” Kris smirked at Baekhyun. "You are not the king of wild parties just by name afterall."

“The party is good,” The latter confirms with a confident smirk as well but frowns suddenly, “Only that it was tainted by my so-called-fiancé. Did you see her face? Did you get a whip of her ugliness? Why does my parents think it would be a good idea for a goody-goody to be here with us?”

“You know I don’t give a about the face. As long as her body is nice that is all that matters. I mean did you see her ?” Kris made a gesture with his free hand, the other hand holding a bottle of alcohol. "But yeah she does not belong to this world. She look like a sore thumb out. I am glad to see her gone. It is hard to see someone so awkward in a place like this."

“You know you can hit on her as much as you want. She is not my type, I mean not even in character! She cannot even handle a party? Damn me! I swear even if you do her right in front of me I wouldn’t mind.” Baekhyun ruffled his styled hair and leaned against the railings, lifting his drink to his lips. He intends to get drunk tonight.

“You don’t know what you are saying boy.” Kris pats him on his shoulder, “But be well assured that if you don’t make a move I will.”

“I am engaged to the ugliest woman in Korea, can't you just sympathise with me for once?”

Kris only laughs at that.

* * *

He was getting annoyed at her smiles. Why does she have to be so happy when he was so miserable? Ah right. She was marrying one of the most good-looking men in Korea while he was marrying her, this ugly piece of .

The dinner party was horrible. While the Byuns sat there sparkling like bright stars the Lees look no less than coals sitting beside them. Why on earth were they even the most influential family in Korea? They had no sense of proper fashion, no sense of beauty and definitely not half as good-looking as them.The power couple, i.e. Mr. and Mrs. Lee was not as dashing as his parents.

He described their family as plain. The girl however was more than plain, she was ugly.

Baekhyun was bored to the bones. If his fiancé had been pretty than he wouldn’t be so bored right now. At least he could have flirted with her and made her heart his but with this lady he would give anything NOT to woo her.

Quite surprisingly the ugly girl was also not trying to get his attention like every other girls do. She just sat there looking happy and giving smart answers to his parents, discussing as though she was a girl who knew it all. Okay. Judging from the way she was handling everything maybe she knew a little on this business stuff but he wouldn’t careless, would he?

He shuddered as he thought about how he was going to be their son-in-law very soon. They were going to have the privilege of sharing one frame with him but in their current state he wish that wouldn't happen.

The first thing he’d do after their marriage is to polish her up, get her to do her face and to redo her entire wardrobe.

Beakyung, being a trendsetter knew very well that the Lees were not behind fashion at all it was just that they lack the shine, the glamour and the pops. They were simple, too simple for his liking. In fact, he knew they were all wearing one piece-items from luxury brands even he himself find difficult to find but out of all the option they had, they chose the plainest, ugliest ones.

Baekhyun studied his fiancé as a detective would study a criminal. He was looking for more defects she would possess. Her table manners were exquisite, that he would give but he just found something a little surprising. She always finishes her food unlike his mother or his girlfriends or his cousin sisters. Now was that a bad thing or a good thing?

* * *

Baekhyun marveled at the Lees mansion. The exterior, the interior, the architecture, the decoration and small detailing were all extra-ordinary. He had seen this house a million times in pictures but this was his first official trip here and he was floored. His mansion, he had to admit shamefully was not even half of theirs. Was he getting to live in one of these mansions as well?

Unfortunately as soon as he walked in he felt annoyance crawl up him. She opened the doors for him with that smile again, welcoming him warmly into their home. Ugly.

“Hello Mister Byun,” If he hadn’t known better he would have taken her as a maid in here.
Also she was wearing an apron.

Ugliness overload.

He came here to see someone prim and proper with maids running around her and not a maid. At least her attitude would have made up for her ugliness. But unfortunately, his hopes were squashed all over again.

He had expected to see Maids and servants running around being busy but all he saw was an old elderly couple going about looking extremely relaxed. They were probably the housekeepers.

He felt his nightmares came true, though when she leads him into the kitchen. Were they so low on cash that they could not hire a chef? Her mother was there and she gave him a smile that was very familiar to her daughter’s. Ugliness was also a gene. They were good with knives and all those weird kitchen stuffs he did not know of. That only meant they were accustomed to this life-style. He was so not going to get used to her way of life.

The food was good, he notes later on. It tasted like … Home; a word he placed after thinking for a long time. The conversation was actually very engaging although he had to endure all the ugliness. But then all those went down the drain the moment the family got up and washed their dishes. Seriously? Why do they behave so much like commoners?

* * *

“I’m going to have ugly children.” Baekhyun lamented as he sat there limp. “And they are going to be savages.”

Suho rolled his eyes. Baekhyun could be a drama-queen on an extreme level.

“With your genes? I doubt.” Suho look around the dimly lighted room. Thankfully the private rooms gave some rests to his ears. The bachelor party had turn too wild for him. Baekhyun had also needed a break and he was glad that they had rented out the entire club.

“Oh thank god you guys are here.” Kyoungsoo walked in with his usual frown. He disliked parties but when his friend was marrying he could not really say no.

“Baekhyun here is lamenting over how his children are turning out ugly.” Suho points his bottle of expensive water towards Baekhyun. He had an important meeting tomorrow and could not afford to get drunk.

Kyoungsoo rolled his eyes, typical of him. “Look man, just because she isn’t your type doesn’t mean she’s ugly. Stop your whinning.”

Baekhyun sat up quickly at that remarked. His face controted into anger.

“You act as though you haven’t seen her face!”

“If you are talking about Isuel, then yes I have seen her face and it isn’t ugly. In fact you should know that she is someone I call a friend and that you are lucky to have her.” Suho watched Kyoungsoo spit out those words with bated breathe. It was not every day you see Kyoungsoo like this.

“Shut up. You’re only saying that because it won’t be you who will be marrying her!”

Kyoung Soo glared at Baekhyun and said nothing after that, making Suho very nervous and Baekhyun all the more aggressive. Kyoung Soo stood up and gave the whinning guy another glare.

"No, I am not but I wish I was," and he storms off leaving two immobile bodies. What just happened?

* * *

“You look ugly,” He faked a brilliant smile at her as he took her hands on the alter. She only nodded at him while giving him another one of her smiles. It unnerved him. How could she be so calm about being called ugly? But then again she must have heard it her whole life to be accustomed to it already.

The ceremony was quick. The fact that there was an ugly phlegm next to him bothered him a lot but he went along with it. After all, he was going to receive enough to last up to his fifth generation without lifting a finger.

It was extremely tiring, this kind of ceremony. The fact that they knew too much people had a disadvantage in such a situation. Too much hand-shake, too much congratulatory pats and too much standing was making the inner-diva in Baekhyun scream. The fact that he had an ugly piece of gum on his arms did not help at all it in fact, made it more arduous. Most aggravatingly she was handling this situation far better than him. She was all smiles, that ugly smile at everyone who came to congratulate them.

“What do you think about getting some surgeries?” He asked on their first dance as husband and wife.

She gave him that smile again, this time it doesn’t look as ugly as he first saw it. He blamed the music or the make-up which she probably has layered on because strangely she looked a little less ugly today. But then he knew it wasn’t the make-up because she was hardly wearing any. And maybe she wasn’t as ugly to the extent of getting a surgery.

* * *

He could not imagine going to bed with this lady but he lay awake while she slept on. He had not wished to sleep on the same bed with her but then why not, she was his wife anyway.

This was the second night and the second day where he had sneered at her for being ugly. The first night he had chased her out telling her he does not sleep with or even be near ugly women. But of course how could he have known that she was a black-belt karate expert? He was the one who had slept on the couch after turning down her kind offers and had dealt with neck and back aches.

Tonight he had said nothing but sulkily came with his pillow and lie down next to her. Thankfully she said nothing only wishing him a good night as she drifts off so easily to sleep.

He was awake, wide awake. They had spent the whole day together, like it or not and he had to admit that he had a good day. This girl, although overflowing with ugliness was fun to be with. She was funny and sarcastic and she liked all the pretty things in this world.

“What is wrong with me?” He touches his face only to realize he was smiling as images of them going about the city came up, “I need sleep.”

* * *

“But I thought you don’t sleep with ugly woman.” She said with a smile far from her usual smiles. It was a teasing smile and he might be drunk at that moment because he sort of liked it.

“I make exception sometimes.” Baekhyun rolls his eyes in annoyance. He was giving her an opportunity of a lifetime. Most women would kill to be in her position. “A coupon for the less opportune as I call it.”

“No. I won’t.” She announces as she put down her sunglasses and looked around at the beautiful view that was in front of them.

They were out in the ocean in their personal Cruise, just the two of them. She was not wearing a bikini like his usual girlfriends always did but she seemed even ier than them in her shorts and her cropped tops. That did not seem possible but he had to give Kris for having a good eye for good body because she was damn fine. Also he had to endure her exercising clothes for the last four days where she wore body hugging clothes with sweats dripping down. He learned to wake up early to go for a jog with her because apparently he wasn’t the only male in the entire resort.

“You’re kidding right?” Baekhyun thought his ears had officially decided to take a break as well because this girl right here, this ugly piece of gum had turned down his offer while other girls begged it from him.

“Of course not, Mr. Vain of a person I have the unfortunate of calling my husband,” She replies and he felt as though he had received a slap. “You simply don’t think that after all those days of belittling me I’ll just give myself up to you simply because you offered? Come on. I thought you were smarter.”

Ah! So it was all because of how he had sort of mistreated her. But honestly other than verbally telling her she was ugly he was and had been decent.

“No. Don’t make any excuses,” She said as though she read his mind, “You think that ignoring me, treating me like an animal  and calling me ugly or a piece of gum in front of others is nothing but hey… I am only human.”

* * *

Baekhyun tossed and turned in bed earning a grumble from his fellow occupant.

What? It was all her fault! She sleeps there oh-so-comfortably but here he was, suffering from mental and physical torture. She seems less ugly everyday and Baekhyun don’t know whether that was a good thing or a bad thing. Also the fact that she eats a lot in front of him had still not being categorized or the fact that her eyes lit up when she sees something that catches her eyes or the fact that she sometimes go around helping other around the resort.

For some very strange reason, he had kept himself stuck to her although there were never any less remarks. Day 5 and still no physical contact and the fact that she was hot were not helping. Some other dudes who had come for a holiday had been giving him the ‘victory’ cheers to him but nope. And of course he had not surpassed any of those lusty stares from the other males and that made him very angry for a reason he decided not to know. He felt protective over her and did not want her out of his line of sight although he would never say that but then it was only natural, he assures himself because she was his wife, his responsibility.

He told himself every morning as he jogged behind her or besides her that nothing about her attracted him, that she was an annoying piece of gum that he just couldn’t unstuck himself with. But he always finds himself searching for her with his eyes whenever she was not with him and strangely he had begun to actually appreciate that smile. It was not that ugly and annoying anymore, it still is of course when it wasn’t directed to him but whenever she smiles at him he finds himself liking it.

He sighs and tosses around again and this time she turns around to face him. His breathe hitches up as she gaze at him with her half lid eyes. He knew it was only because of her lack of sleep and nothing else but it felt as though everything about her turned him up at that moment.

“Baekhyun,” Her voice sound annoyed and lazy but he felt himself shiver slightly at his name from her lips. “Why are you being so restless?”

She was asking as if like she did not know. But of course, she being the girl who reads bible every day did seriously not understand him. He sighs knowing he was not going to win anything against this ugly but attractive girl.

Then instead of drifting off to sleep again she sighs again.

“I’m sorry that I had to be the one marrying you. I’m not pretty and I am definitely not someone up to your standards and the fact that I cannot do anything about that makes me really sorry.”

Baekhyun did not blink, could not blink as he gaped at her. He did not have any retort for that no matter how much he tried to think of it rather it seemed as though his tiny brain has stopped working. He had been nothing but a huge to her but here she was, apologizing as though this was her fault.

She scuttle back into her corner and drifted off when he said nothing but the rest of the night he watched her back as she slept, feeling gloomier than ever. He called her ugly for goodness sake, on the alter! He called her a ‘Phlegm’ on their way to their holiday destination earning ugly stares from people around while she only smiled at him.

He sighs, this time not because of anything physical but of the building tension in him, of the emotional trauma that she had just caused him.

* * *

Their two weeks honeymoon was going to end pretty soon and Baekhyun had not stopped sulking ever since she had apologized to him. She did not understand of course and she had been very verbal about it.

“Seriously? It’s been three days since you’ve been sulking. Tell me what is wrong?” She had asked him. And very gravely he did not know what was wrong either but he thinks it might be because he felt an unnatural attraction towards her. Maybe an infatuation? But it’s doubtful because it is sort of impossible to be infatuated with an ugly person.

But then every morning when they go for those physically, emotionally and spiritually excruciating runs he finds himself thinking of very funny scenes like them holding hands and laughing at some remarks and then he will find himself panting hard with his heart beating faster than normal. He thinks it is because he was overworking his body. Then as he stops to breathe normally she would always turn around and come to him with those worried eyes and then he would experience more trouble breathing.

It was strange but whenever he look over at other girls around the resort, the ones he had labeled ‘hot’ or ‘gorgeous’ before seemed as appealing as listening to the alarm clock in the morning. Why on earth was going on with him? I mean, wasn’t life all about being rich, beautiful and having very nice ? Why then are his principles suddenly being attacked by this girl who is so goody-goody? And she wasn’t even preaching to him at all!

All she does was smile at others, make him smile as well and even laugh at some instances. She was pure, funny and absolutely refreshing. She was so simple as though she had been raised from a very humble background. She talked to commoners and talked as though she understood them very well and they too open up to her as quick as lightning. He knows the family tree of the Lees and knows that they had been like royals since a gazillion generations ago. Why then was she so… Different?

Oh how can he forget that she treats him as nice as she treats everyone else when he had been an ? He had finally admitted that he was annoying and irritating. The fat that she could still put up with him after almost months of belitting her was still a mystery to him.

And that was strange, like all things strange around her that he for the first time got to see how he actually was. He was a snob, a mood killer and an amazing . He had actually retrospected for the first time in his life and he was not happy with himself. That was another reason why he was sulky. I mean it’s not every day that you wake up and it suddenly dawns on you at how ugly your character really is. And also yes, the person he had called ugly was actually not ugly at all.

* * *

It was already the last night of honeymoon and Baekhyun had finally stopped his sulking.

Instead he had decided to attach himself on Iseul something he has been doing since the beginning actually. The resort had thrown a party for all the people there and the night was wild with fun and booze. This, just two weeks back was what he would have been organizing but he was not