“Where do you want to get married, Som?”

A wistful smile made its way onto the face of eighteen-year-old Yoon Dasom.

She and her sister were lounging on their front porch, eating their respective tubs of ice cream—cookies and cream flavor for Hyunseo and avocado for Dasom—in order to fight the summer heat.

Comparing the present summer to the last one, it was undeniably hotter that year. Hyunseo always loved summer because it marked the time for her summer vacation. What made that summer more special was the fact that it was Hyunseo’s last year in university while Dasom was about to be a high school senior soon.

But unlike her older sister, Dasom did not particularly like the current season. She detested it so much that she always wished for summer to end quicker every year and for the leaves to start falling from the trees instead to make way for her favorite season—winter.

Dasom took a moment to answer her sister’s question. She was still a teenager; yes, she did want to get married someday but it had never got to the point where she started planning it at such a young age.

She clicked her tongue, “I haven’t thought about it yet, unnie.” She answered truthfully. “What about you? Where’s your dream wedding?”

“I want to get married at the university church.”

Hyunseo’s answer elicited a frown from Dasom. “Why do you want to get married there? Why not find another church outside the university?”

Hyunseo shrugged, scraping off the ice cream from her lips as she tried to explain it to Dasom. “I always wanted to get married at the place where I first met my groom.”

“You have a groom already?” Dasom was unable to control the volume of her voice out of strong disbelief. Her sister was about to become a senior at college and yet, she had already found the person she’d want to get married to. Hearing it once already seemed unbelievable, even more so when Hyunseo nodded to confirm what she just said.

“B-but… how? Do our parents know?” A pause. “Oh my gosh, did Baekhyun propose to you already?” Dasom abruptly stood up; her avocado ice cream long forgotten. “Why was I not informed that a proposal already happened?”

A laugh broke her tirade, making Dasom look down to see Hyunseo having the time of her life, holding her stomach as she ejected a couple more laughs out of . “Oh my god, you should have seen your face, Som. You looked so funny just now!”

“I hate you,” Dasom playfully hit her sister’s arm as she sat back down. “Here I thought you were really getting married.”

Hyunseo shook her head. “Of course not. It’s still too early for that.”

“But earlier you just said—”

“I said that because I’m pretty sure already that when I walk down the aisle, it would be Baekhyun waiting down there for me to reach him so we can both say our vows to each other.”

Hearing her sister talk about her boyfriend made Dasom’s heart ache. She longed for that kind of relationship—the certainty between Hyunseo and Baekhyun was so admirable that it made Dasom wish to experience a similar romantic relationship.

Throughout her whole life, she had never been jealous of her sister despite the endless comparisons people do to the two of them, but after Baekhyun entered the picture, Dasom couldn’t help but feel a small tinge in her heart whenever she witnessed a peek of their loving relationship. Something that she was certain she would never receive in the future.

“You still didn’t answer my question,” Hyunseo nudged Dasom’s elbow, bringing the younger back to the present. “So, where do you want to get married?”

“Will you get angry if I tell you that I don’t care as long as I’m marrying the love of my life?”

Dasom’s answer earned her a bout of tickles from her older sister, who gushed loudly about her response. “My, I didn’t know you were such a hopeless romantic, Som! Wherever that is, I’ll make sure to come.”

“Promise?” Dasom held out a pinky finger.

Hyunseo did not hesitate to hook her pinky to seal the deal. “I promise.”

After attending about five weddings in a span of five years and being actively involved in the wedding preparations of a particular wedding that she attended when she turned twenty, Dasom was never able to fully grasp the importance of being so meticulous and wildly stressed about weddings. It’s an event that only happens once in a married couple’s lives (except if they choose to host another one to renew their vows, which Dasom believes is a waste of money and time), so why was there a need to fuss so much?

Dasom had always been about the spontaneity of things—she was well aware of the fact that not all plans follow till the end so she must be able to quickly adjust to whatever the universe decided to throw at her.

She was dead serious when she answered her sister’s question seven years ago.

The wedding venue didn’t matter to her as long as she got married to the love of her life.

But perhaps she was being too idealistic back then. She couldn’t blame herself though—she was just like any normal teenager, too innocent to view the world without using a pair of rose-colored glasses.

Her current reality was something she never expected at all—about to marry a man who was clearly not the love of her life.

Well, she never figured out who the hell that person was because apart from nursing an unrequited crush on her soon-to-be groom years ago, she never really had an opportunity to engage in a romantic relationship, at all.

Thinking about it now, Dasom felt sorry for herself.

She wasn’t able to experience having a boyfriend, to live out the relationship she always wanted out of being envious of her sister’s own relationship. And now, she was about to get trapped in a marriage of convenience.

Lucky her.

“Dasom,” she dropped her phone back into her handbag to spare her mother a glance, who was currently sporting a stern look because she was caught red-handedly not listening to the conversation they were having with her wedding planner. “What do you think, dear? Miyoung here just proposed grand ideas for your wedding theme, which one would you like?”

Dasom breathed out, disinterest obvious in her face. “I’m not really picky when it comes to my wedding theme.” She took one look at her mother who wasn’t satisfied with her response before adding, “I’d like to talk about this with Baekhyun first before I get back to you. Will that be fine with you, Miyoung-ssi?”

Thankfully, Miyoung, the wedding planner that her mom (and her future mom-in-law) hired, did not take her answer badly. “Of course, I understand Ms. Yoon’s sentiments. Besides, this wedding is not just about her—it’s actually recommended, and more preferred, if both the bride and the groom always have a say in every decision regarding this monumental event.”

Mrs. Yoon briefly nodded before flashing a smile at Miyoung. “I guess I’ll just set another meeting with you as soon as Baekhyun’s and Dasom’s schedules match.”

Miyoung did not stay for too long since they had nothing else to talk about. As soon as the lady left the café, Mrs. Yoon faced her daughter with fiery eyes. “What’s with your behavior, young lady?”

Dasom did not understand why her mother snapped at her. “I’m hungry.”

“Just because you’re hungry does not mean you won’t cooperate. You could’ve treated Miyoung better!”

“Are you saying that I was rude to her just now?”

“What, you’re not?”

“Eomma,” Dasom took a deep breath to calm herself since she did not want to lash out at her mother. “You heard her—it’s best to discuss such things first with Baekhyun. I’m not the only one getting married here. I also need his opinion on these things.”

“We could have just messaged him for answe