-CHAPTER XV-

“You really didn’t have to walk me to the shop, you know,” Yong Hye said, for what must have been the fortieth time. She and Taecyeon hadn’t spoken much on the way to the store, but when they did, it was either for directions in Taecyeon’s case, or protesting his company for her. But no matter how many times Yong Hye told him that he could leave, when he would ask for the next direction to the shop, she would give it to him without fail.

Taecyeon smiled as he walked, listening to her comments. He really had no idea why he had taken to Yong Hye so much, but he knew that no matter how much she protested, he would make sure she got to the bridal store safely. He reasoned to himself that the reason he was doing this was because there could still have been gang members waiting for them outside the hotel today. It was unlikely, Taecyeon knew that, but it didn’t stop him from clinging to that as his reasoning.

They walked in relative silence, together, navigating the crowded city streets. Taecyeon continually checked over his shoulder; an action that did not escape Yong Hye’s notice. It looked like a reflex; that Taecyeon wasn’t doing it because he actually thought that he’d see something he either wanted or didn’t want to see; it looked like he just did it. Some small part of Yong Hye was terrified about it. Had Taecyeon gone through so much that he had a habit of checking over his shoulder that much? Was he really followed that often?

“Is this it?” Taecyeon asked, suddenly coming to a halt.

Yong Hye managed to stop short, looking up at the building Taecyeon was looking at. The bottom floor was obviously a wedding dress store; its display windows were full of the different designs the store carried. “Well, if it’s not, at least we know we have the right idea,” Yong Hye said, smiling up at Taecyeon, who chuckled in return.

“Yong Hye!” a shrill voice called from near the store entrance. Yong Hye cringed, knowing exactly who it was immediately. She glanced at the store entrance, and there was her mom, her head poked out of the door. “I’ve been waiting for you!” she said, stepping fully out of the store and walking towards he daughter. “I was convinced that you would be late.”

Yong Hye checked her watch. “Ten minutes early,” she said with a smile.

“Good thing you were close, I guess,” her mom said, looking her daughter over. For whatever reason, Yong Hye hoped that it wasn’t obvious that she had worn these clothes for two days straight. For any normal person, maybe it wouldn’t have been noticed, but Yong Hye’s mother had an eye for dirt and grime. It was annoying when it came to people, helpful when it came to housecleaning. “You look like a mess,” she said. “Just where were you?”

Yong Hye hadn’t expected this, though she should have. It was just like her mom to ask questions. Exactly the opposite of Taemin.

“With me,” Taecyeon said, seeing that Yong Hye was struggling to find what to say.

Yong Hye’s mother turned to Taecyeon, looking him up and down, just as she had to Yong Hye. “And who are you?” she asked, crossing her arms across her chest. “You look familiar…”

“Ok Taecyeon, ma’am,” Taecyeon said, bowing politely, which visibly impressed Yong Hye’s mother, who hummed quietly, looking at Taecyeon again, making her final judgments. “And how do you know my daughter?” she asked.

“I’m learning to become a photographer,” Taecyeon answered. “She’s studying to be a journalist. Honestly, ma’am, we were bound to meet at some point.” Taecyeon laughed lightly. Yong Hye was impressed. Technically, he hadn’t lied, but he hadn’t exactly been truthful either, just like she had been with Taemin.

“Ah,” Yong Hye’s mother said, indirectly accepting Taecyeon’s answer. Turning to Yong Hye, she asked, “Is he staying for the appointment? Remember, I told you to bring a few friends…bringing a male friend…unconventional, but probably smart in the end. He knows what Taemin would want to see.”

“Um…” Yong Hye looked at Taecyeon over her mom’s shoulder. He was trying to act like he couldn’t hear their conversation, looking at the people passing by on the street. “Taec, do you want to stay?” she asked. “You’d have to give your opinion on a bunch of dresses, but…”

“I’ll stay if you want me to,” Taecyeon said. “I don’t want to be a nuisance, though.”

Yong Hye bit back a comment about how he had never cared about being a nuisance before, but bit it back, as that would only mean explaining a lot more to her mom.

“You won’t be!” her mother answered for her. “Come on, why don’t we go in? It’s just about time for the appointment to start.” She pushed both her daughter and Taecyeon into the store.

An hour later, and Yong Hye felt like crying. She had tried on so many dresses that she had lost count, and she was staring at a lot more that her mom wanted her to try on.

She had yet to pick a dress for herself. Her mom had been pulling dresses from the moment they walked in, and hadn’t stopped yet. The person helping them was horribly torn, and Yong Hye knew it. Her mom was paying, but the consultant job was to help the bride. In this case, the mother was so overbearing, the consultant hadn’t even had a chance to talk to Yong Hye.

Taecyeon, to his credit, kept relatively quiet through the whole ordeal, giving his opinion when he was asked for it, and he was always on Yong Hye’s side. Whenever Yong Hye’s mom was particularly excited about a dress, Taecyeon would look at Yong Hye, gauge the young ladies happiness, and veto the dress, giving the reason that Taemin probably wouldn’t like it.

As Yong Hye came out in dress after dress, Taecyeon could see her become more and more stressed, and was amazed to see how oblivious her mom was to her own daughter’s discomfort. Taecyeon noticed that her mom kept pulling expensive, glitzed-out ball gowns for Yong Hye, and obviously, Yong Hye didn’t like them.

Taking the initiative, Taecyeon pulled the consultant aside as he passed and asked for Yong Hye to try on a dress that he had seen her look at as they walked in, before she tried on any more of her mom’s dress choices.

The consultant did as she was told, and Yong Hye knew as soon as she saw it that Taecyeon had been the one to pick this dress. It was simple. Slightly fitted down to her hips, where it fell into an A-line. It had a sweetheart top, and slanted ruching, stopped at the waist by a little pendant.

And she loved it. She loved it so much she wanted to cry. She almost didn’t want to show her mom. She knew her mom wouldn’t like it, but Yong Hye knew that she was not going to leave without it. Plus, it was three times less expensive than the other dresses she had tried on, so she knew that she was making a good decision.

She did end up showing Taecyeon and her mom the dress, and their reactions were exactly the same. Their jaws dropped.

Her mother could see how happy her daughter was, and Taecyeon was just happy to see Yong Hye happy for the first time that day.

The most amazing thing to her was that, after telling her mom that she wanted to get the dress, her mother agreed. Not even her mom could deny that Yong Hye owned that dress.

After going through all the purchasing formalities, the trio left. Yong Hye’s mother offered Taecyeon and Yong Hye a ride half-heartedly, a ride they both declined.

As soon as she was gone, Yong Hye squealed and threw her arms around Taecyeon’s neck. She had to jump a little, which threw him off-balance a little, but he recovered before they could run into anyone.

“Thank you so much, Taec!” Yong Hye cried.

“Wait—I’m not paying for that, am I?” he asked, peeling her off of him.

Yong Hye laughed loudly. “Of course not! But if you hadn’t had suggested this dress, I’d probably be in a corner of the store, crying right now.”

They smiled at each other. “I’m glad you like it. Taemin will love it, I can guarantee it.”

The mention of her fiancé made her smile wider. “I’m actually excited about this now!”

Taecyeon laughed as he watched her bounce around, definitely the happiest he had ever seen her.

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Oh, and if anyone's interested in knowing how I invisioned Yong Hye's dress: it's here.