Listen: I Will Be Waiting - Seohyun

The morning was dark as if the rain will fall down any minute but it was a bit humid. Seohyun was hoping it would not rain for today is a very special day. Everybody she knew waited for this day to come. Everyone looked forward to seeing her walk down the aisle.

The wedding is just a few hours away but she could not bring herself off the bed. Her body felt heavy. Her body cannot comprehend with her thoughts. She stared at the elegant wedding dress and veil that was hanging at the door of her closet. It was very beautiful. Any bride would be so happy to wear that dress. It could be every girl’s dream to walk towards her groom wearing that to look most beautiful at the altar.

Today is her wedding day. But she knew her groom is waiting for another girl to marry. The one that he truly loved. The one that made his heart jump with her every single move. The one that caught his breaths whenever she talked to him.

Still thinking things through, she sat up and hugged her knees to her chest.

“This arranged marriage is very legit. I am your father and you know me.” She remembered how her father told her of this marriage. “I speak of words that shall happen.” Her father told her as he shrugged her hands off his arm when she asked him not to pursue with this marriage.

“Appa… I am your only daughter. Would you not be happy for me to marry the person I really love?” She asked him again. Tears were blurring her eyes. But her father shot her a glare instead.

“You are my only daughter. How can you not give me a little thing I ask for?”

“Dad! It’s no little thing. You’re asking me to marry someone… someone I barely knew. Someone who probably doesn’t want to marry me as well!” she tried to argue. But she only received a slap on her cheek. She rubbed the spot as if it could rinse the pain away.

“You are going to marry the Kims’ son. Any argument is not accepted.” He slowly stood up and walked out of the office inside their house leaving her in tears. She cupped to suppress the sobs she makes.

She could not just marry anyone. She is a girl who’s still waiting for her prince. She still believes in love. Even if her father is a powerful executive officer of the biggest company in the country, looking for the person she really loved was still her goal in life. She could not get why her father wanted her to marry the Kims’ son—the owner of the company he was working at. His decision was just so sudden.

And she was hurt that her mother did not do anything against it.

“He is your father. He knows the best things in life—for you, for me, for everyone.” Those were the only words Seohyun got from her mother.

She wandered around the city, walking alone by herself. She was holding a list of random addresses… because for five years, she had been stuck in France studying. For five years, she left the man she loved just to follow her father’s order. And now that she got back to Korea, he’s asking her marry someone she did not know.

He made Seohun leave the man she really loved without even having the chance to tell him that she loves him. And now, her father has taken all the chances to even find the man she loved by provoking her to marry someone else.

All these pains inside her just creep in.

“Kai?” An old woman asked. “I’m very sorry. But I do not know anyone with that name.”

“A-arraseoyo. Thank you. I’m sorry for being a bother.” Seohyun bowed politely to the old woman.

She stepped back and looked ahead. She sighed with the thought, ‘How am I supposed to find him after five years? In five years, how could I not know his real name? I only know him by the name Kai, he always say his real name is too personal because of family business matters. He told me he’ll tell me soon… but soon I flew to France…'

Then a memory flashed back inside her head...

"Kai!" She waved her hand as she saw Kai entered the school gates.

"You did not wait for me." Kai pouted. 

"Why? Well, what took you so long? If I waited for you, we would have been late for school!" Seohyun giddily said as they walked together along the campus.

"But I did not come late, see?" Kai pouted again. Seohyun pinched his cheek.

"Stop pouting. I just had to come early to school." Seohyun said. She hugged her books to her chest. They stopped at her room, "Can you meet me at the cafeteria after your dance practice?"

"Don't you have classes by that time?" Kai's eyebrows furrowed.

"Okay, I'll meet you at the cafeteria. See you!" Seohyun entered her classroom, leaving Kai astounded.

Right after his dance practice, Kai was really feeling tired. He did not have afternoon classess unlike Seohyun. At schedules like this, he'll usually head home to rest before fetching Seohyun in the afternoon. But he dragged himself to the cafeteria to meet Seohyun.

"Happy Birthday, Kai!" A huge crowd of students shouted as soon as he entered the cafeteria. The school canteen was decorated simply with balloons and banners. Kai looked around and smiled to himself. He searched for Seohyun. She was grinning at him and her eyes beamed with light. She was sitting on a table with a small cake as her arms rested on the table.

Kai slowly made his way to Seohyun as the other students continued greeting him.

"So this is why you asked me to come..." Kai crossed his arms. Seohyun looked up at him.

"Of course I wouldn't forget." She sweetly smiled at him. Kai took a sit across her.

"So you baked this?" Kai asked. Seohyun nodded. "Can I make a wish right now and blow the candle?" 

"I did not put the candle for nothing." Seohyun . They chuckled together as Kai made a wish and blew the candle. Seohyun clasped her hands at the sight. But then she eyed Kai.

"What?"

"For four years that we've been friends, you haven't told me your real name." Seohyun pouted. Kai looked down. "Anyway, I hope your wish comes true." She smiled at him again and gave his hand a squeeze.  "You know, I baked this cake--" She was interrupted when Kai took her hand and dragged her out of the canteen. "Yah, Kai! Where are you taking me???"

Kai suddenly stopped and Seohyun bumped into her broad chest. "Into my arms." He suddenly wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tightly. 

"Y-yah! Get your hands off me." Seohyun tried shrugging his arms off her but it did not work.

"Stop struggling. Let's stay like this for a moment." Kai softly whispered. "I cannot do this inside that crowded cafeteria." Kai hugged her tightly. 

"Kai..." Seohyun softened.

"I promise to tell you my real name. It's for the sake of my family, for their safety. But don't worry, on my wedding day, you'll know my real name." Kai said. "Please be patient." He added.

Seohyun nodded, "I understand. I will always be waiting."

"I'm sorry for keeping you waiting..." Kai said.

"It's okay, Kai..." She said as she loosened up. Kai looked at her.

"Yes, it has to be okay since you always make me wait. Every single morning." Kai smirked at her. Seohyun playfully slapped his arm.

"Y-yah!"

“Jongin is a kind person. But sometimes, he really gets moody.” Krystal told Seohyun. She couldn’t believe she was talking to the girlfriend of the man her dad engaged her with to marry.

“Krystal…” She squeezed the young woman’s hand, “You don’t need to do this. I swear, the wedding won’t push through.”

“He liked pastries a lot. He said they give him energy whenever he wanted to exhaust himself dancing.” Krystal continued.

“Krystal—“

“He has a soft spot in his heart. There’s something in his past that he did not like talking about. So never talk about his high school life once you two are together. He might end up swinging moods. And you will not be very happy about it.”

“I don’t need to know those things… I will not marry your boyfriend. Even if he’s from a big company, I believe in love. You have to believe in love too.” Seohyun patted Krystal’s shoulder. “I have someone that I loved too. We’re apart for five years and I believe I came back to tell him that I love him and not to marry someone that is not him.” Krystal flashed a faint smile, hurt by the fact that her boyfriend is arranged to marry someone as beautiful and as innocent as Seohyun.

“I want you to take care of him… to love him… to be with him always.” Krystal said, “I love him… In fact I want to be in your place of marrying him. But he’s still waiting for the girl he loved before me.”

Seohyun’s mouth fell agape. She could not find the right words to comfort Krystal. She thought Krystal and Jongin were so much in love. But it was a one-sided love in the place of Krystal. She was touched by how Krystal loved him.

“I feel bad for him. For all I know he wanted to marry her…”

“Krystal… I—I didn’t know…”

“Gwenchana… Seohyunsshi… Please make him happy. He was never happy with me…” Krystal said.

“No, you deserve to be happy. And he’s damn wrong for not loving you, for not noticing you. He will love you. I will not marry him. Understand? You have to fight for him.” Seohyun finally stood up to leave.

“S-Seohyun-shi…” But Krystal couldn’t hold Seohyun back as she already walked off.

After all the preparations for the wedding, this day finally came. Both parties were anticipating a lot. Well except for Seohyun and Jongin who haven’t seen each other before the wedding day. It was against their will to marry.

Seohyun finally brought herself to the bathroom. The cold shower sent shivers down her spine. She was not ready. She has to find a way out of this.

“Why are you doing this?” Krystal asked Seohyun.

“Because I told you, I cannot marry Jongin. I have to find the man I love. It can’t get in the way if I’m marrying him.” Seohyun crossed her arms while leaning on the wall. Krystal was being dressed up in her wedding gown. It perfectly suits her. She looked very stunning.

“Seohyun-shi… you don’t have to do this.”

“But that’s what they wanted, for him to get married. It doesn’t have to be with me.” Seohyun simply said as she applied a light make-up on herself. She looked back at Krystal and faced her, she stooped down to her level as she was sitting. “You love Jongin, right?”

“Of course…” Krystal casually answered but avoided Seohyun’s gaze.

“Don’t be nervous. Marry him.” Seohyun finally said.

The doors of the church opened. There walked a very beautiful bride in her bridal gown. People clasped their hands witnessing the bride enter the church and walk down the aisle towards the groom. But as soon as she looked up, everyone gasped in surprise not to see Seohyun. It was Krystal.

Even Jongin was surprised.

Seohyun was at one of the seats among the people. Her parents spotted her. Her father was supposed to stop the ceremony but Seohyun was fast enough to pull her father back down to his seat. “No, Dad. Let them be…” Seohyun whispered. Her father was hurt. Of course, he has reasons why he wanted Seohyun to marry the Kims’ son.

Her mother pulled Seohyun to her side, “I need to tell you something.” She whispered. They silently stood up and went outside.

“What is it, mom?” Seohyun asked. Her mother held her hands and squeezed them.

“Your father arranged you to marry Kim Jongin because he has reasons…” She looked down at their hands. “Your father is sick. And we needed money to sustain his operation. The Kims’ offered him help… but they wanted their son to marry someone to finally put him to life. They said he had been very depressed for years and was not helpful in the company.”

“W-what? Mom! Why didn’t you tell me?” Seohyun’s eyes were teary.

“He sent you to France before because he was taking regular diagnosis and he did not want you to see him weak.” Seohyun’s mom continued, “and he was sorry for separating you with Kai. But he wanted to stay alive for you, our daughter, and this was the only way to get help.”

“Kai…”

“Your dad knows what’s best… Didn’t I tell you that, Joo Hyun?” Her mom rubbed the back of her hands with her thumb.

“I can help Dad. I will make money for him. I will work, I studied very well in France, there’s no way I wouldn’t get a decent job, okay? We don’t need the Kims’…” Seohyun assured her mom.

“Seohyun… we don’t need the Kims’… but how about you?” Her mom asked. Seohyun tilted her head, not understanding her mother’s question.

“W-what do you mean?” Seohyun asked her mother.

Seohyun opened the church doors, tears blurred her vision. It was the exchange of vows already.

“I promise to take care of you as long as we’re together.” Jongin said at the end of his vow. The priest gave the microphone to Krystal for her to say her wedding vow.

“I know you still waited for your first love before this wedding.” Krystal started. Seohyun covered upon hearing this… “But Kai, I may not make your heart beat the way she does….” Krystal’s words faded away. Seohyun’s tears were unstoppable.

It was him.

It was Kai. Kim Jongin is Kai. Then she remembered when Kai said, "But don't worry, on my wedding day, you'll know my real name."

And she just made  him marry another girl when that could be her. Worse is that she doesn't know how to tell him right at this moment... that she's back and they both waited.