It’s years later and schedules never really meet up, so the sleepover is postponed and Minjeong has been pulling herself away until it’s difficult to even catch a glance at her. 

Her heart has been hurting ever since she held Jimin’s hand that one night. Her life had always been a buzzing mess, finding out people’s futures and being an introvert in her large group of friends who were majority extroverts, but that night she squeezed Jimin’s hand in her palm—it was like her life fell silent and stopped from that point onwards.

If she is to prevent whatever heartbreak is in motion from happening to Jimin and her, then she has to be away and love Jimin from afar.

She wants to convince herself that she won’t think of Jimin and every moment they’ve shared, but Minjeong’s always drowned in her own thoughts, and so she thinks of the future too.

She remembers it clearly: Jimin had her hair shorter, still the same elegant jet black and she had wispy bangs that were almost grown out. She didn’t look all too different, but Minjeong had always found her so eternally beautiful.

She looked tired and maybe it was because they had a long day or was it because of Minjeong?

These kinds of questions kept Minjeong up every day and before she knew it, it was years later. They’re well into adulthood; Aeri’s a fashion designer, and so is Ningning. They’ve opened their first shared boutique and they’re getting busier every day. She keeps in contact with Jimin, but she sees her less but she’s working well as a florist—continuing her mother’s shop as well as having an educational degree.

Minjeong’s been here and there, having just purchased her own apartment and teaching as a maths teacher at a local high school. 

She never realises how quiet her life has really been until she’s at a dress fitting with Aeri.

“I can’t decide!” Aeri cries and Minjeong does her best to comfort the fuming girl.

“Aeri,” the ever-calm Minjeong says. “You’ve designed your own wedding dress before. Why don’t we show the design to the dressmaker and have her alter a similar dress to your taste?”

“You’re right.” Aeri straightens up. “You’re a genius, Kim Minjeong.”
“I try.” Minjeong chuckles.

Aeri ends up having Minjeong, her best woman, dress in a pants suit, the same colour as her bridesmaid dresses. Minjeong feels comfortable in it and it does look good on her, especially with her short red hair.

The days go by and Minjeong has a wedding to attend, a speech in her pocket and the cold of two custom-made wedding rings in the pocket of her inner vest.

She sees her properly for the first time in years.

The last time was a group dinner and one of their friends was teasing Jimin about how she and Aeri’s cousin, who would be attending the wedding, would look so good together. Minjeong was hurt by it, but the friend was right. He was handsome and maybe he wouldn’t make Jimin cry.

Jimin crosses the venue with a clipboard in hand, diligently checking off the wedding list—the duty of being Ningning’s maid of honour. 

Jimin’s hair is shorter, braided to the side of her neck and she has wispy bangs cut—the wind passing by as they thread through the gaps of her bangs, parting them. There are flowers in her hair and she looks so achingly beautiful.

“Minjeong.” Minjeong doesn’t ever track how easily it is to lose herself in her own mind, but Jimin is smiling at her and coming towards her.

Jimin lands softly in her arms and Minjeong hugs her.

“I missed you.” Jimin says it softly.

“I missed you too.” Minjeong says it just as softly.

Jimin hugs for a little longer and Minjeong feels how her embrace lingers just long enough for her to want more again, but she hasn’t wanted more in years and she doesn’t know how it makes her feel. 

“You look beautiful.” Minjeong tells her when they pull away.

“Save it for the brides.” Jimin chuckles. “But thank you. You look dashing, puppy.”

“I guess I’m not growing out of that nickname.” Minjeong says and Jimin shrugs proudly.

“What can I say? I’m a genius at giving nicknames.” Jimin gloats.

“Yeah, okay, red ears.”

“Hey!”

Minjeong laughs and in Jimin’s presence, it feels like a hundred years worth of burdens have lifted off her shoulders for a brief moment of time.

Briefly.

The wedding begins at a hilltop venue in a national park that sits above a lovely beach and a chill blows through the venue. 

“Welcome family and friends.” The hired officiant speaks. “We have come together today to witness the promises in the marriage of Ning Yizhuo and Uchinaga Aeri. This commitment is between two people who love each other and wish to share each other’s lives, who will grow and change in the years to come, welcoming each other’s growth with mutual love and respect.”

“We will now have the words of family and friends.”

Jimin steps up first and taps her hand against the mic, making it work and she blushes when the feedback is a tad bit too loud.

“Good afternoon. If you don’t know me, I’m Yu Jimin, and I went to college with both Ningning and Aeri. If you do know me, I’m Ningning’s best friend, and I grew up with her.” Jimin greets everyone. “It’s actually a bit insane to be here to witness this day and I’ve spent so long organising this beautiful day for the couple, it feels like a dream come true.”

“I’ve had the privilege to be able to witness their love since their very beginning, when Ningning couldn’t muster the courage to ask our fellow friend out and had to get drunk and stand on a table to declare her love. That night was more than five years ago and now, Aeri and Ning have been in a committed relationship since.”

“I won’t take too long since it might sound like I’m saying my vows too,” Jimin says and everyone laughs. “But I want to say that their love is beautiful and I’m so proud to be here today. Thank you.”

Jimin steps down and then it’s Minjeong’s turn.

“Hi, I’m Kim Minjeong. Um, I went to high school with Aeri and I’m her best friend. The way I met Ningning in college was quite the meeting, since she was running down the halls and rammed into me. When Jimin and Ningning met me and Aeri, I sensed something special blooming between the two the moment Aeri had called Ningning pretty.” 

“Some people may call me an oracle. Actually, there’s no some people; but it’s me—anyway; one day I saw a future,” Minjeong says and Aeri turns to her with wide eyes. “And it wasn’t mine. It was Ningning’s future and it was this day. It was a wedding and she was getting married to my best friend. I witnessed their love from the beginning and had to listen to Aeri croon about her growing crush on her future girlfriend and wife, Ningning. I could only happily listen to her, even if it annoyed me sometimes since we lived together, but I knew that they’d fall in love and come to this day.”

“I’m thankful I had the opportunity to witness a beautiful and bright love between two people I cherish. May you spend brighter days together. Thank you.” Minjeong bows and steps down.

“Oracle...” She hears Aeri mumble with a stifled laugh beside her.

She smiles.

“Now the vows.” The officiant says. 

“I’ll go first.” Ningning beams. “I thought about this day more often than I did about every other thing going on in our world. I think I fell in love with you at first sight and thought about you more than I did my college assignments. I am so lucky you’ve loved me for this long and accepted my proposal when I asked. I could’ve never imagined my life could turn out this way—so happy and so beautiful with my favourite person in the entire world, beyond the stars.”

Minjeong smiles: I predicted this day.

“I am so glad you liked me enough to accept a drunken proposal on top of a beer pong table.” Ninging says and their friends and family laugh. “I vow to love you without reservation or conditions. I vow to always do my best to give more than I take and not keep score. When I am with you, I am the best version of myself because I am utterly and unapologetically myself. I vow to continuously work on myself and to be the wife you want and deserve. I love you.”

“Okay, woah,” Aeri said, taking a hand out of Ningning’s hold and fans at her eyes. "I'm trying hard not to cry right now. I see why you wanted to go first. You probably wanted to render me speechless so your vows are put in a hall of fame.”

She humours and the people laugh.

“But in all honesty, you rendered me speechless the day I met you. Your smile was bright and it was in a split moment that I thought, What if I was on the receiving end of that? You laughed brightly and I loved the sound of it. I liked working with you on designs and listening to you ramble about just about everything. I liked it when you hummed under your breath when we worked side by side and I liked it when you made lame jokes, even if I thought you were the funniest in