THE WEDDING PLANNERS

(A/N): A special welcome and thanks to my newest subscribers: chanluhan and everythingperfectana! Here in my story, we're not just a reader and author...we're family...online family because I have a lot of my readers that are also my friends...so don't be a stranger, feel free to leave your comment! ^^ and owh, to my other readers: do leave your feedback on this chapter...I wrote chapter 24 and 25 already but decided to post this first...once I get your comments, I'll proceed! Promise! hehehe...enjoy reading...

Ara clasped her hands together. Rubbing her palms and blowing her breath into it as thought that she could warm it up a bit. Then she glanced down on her wrist watch and took a peek on the time – 8.30 p.m. already. She pouted and looked up again, fixing her eyes on the busy traffic ahead of her. Here she was, still standing in front of the shopping mall where she should be meeting up with her husband. But – dang – Lay was nowhere to be seen even after almost an hour Ara stood waiting here. Sighing loudly, she took out her phone and directly dialed his number.

“Hello, Ara??? Sorry...I know I’m late! Very sorry!” Ara bit her lips once Lay didn’t even give her any chance to start talking. He simply went on, apologizing to her as soon as he picked up the phone. She hissed upon listening to his whispering tone – he must be hiding away this call.

“Are you still at your company???” she asked, knowing that this evening Lay was supposed to attend a debut party with his band members and co-workers to celebrate their successful debut. Lay cleared his throat but answered shortly, “Yeah...”

“Can’t you just get out from there??? Excuse yourself early??? I almost freezing here, waiting for you!” Ara complaint, gritted her teeth to control her body from shivering – it was snowy now. Lay closed his eyes in despair, feeling guilty toward his wife but he can’t seem to leave the crowd so early because they were expecting him in the party. He threw his eyes over his shoulder and scanned around the bar. s were still entertaining the rest of the workers – singing and joking. He can’t seem to excuse himself so fast, right??? It will be too suspicious for him. Finally he sighed and gazed outside the window again.

“I...I’m sorry, Ara yah...for making you to wait for me...but I’ll try...I’ll be there in another 20 minutes, okay???”

“20 minutes?! What the –“ he heard her starting to raise her voice but his phone was suddenly slipped off from his hand.

“Hey!” Lay exclaimed, turning around where he spotted Tiffany was standing behind him. She glared up to his face before she looked down on his phone – now inside her hand – and she immediately shut it off. Tiffany threw the phone back to Lay, causing him to hastily catch it inside his palms.

“I told you not to go seeing Ara without my permission...you don’t really forget our promise, do you???” she reminded, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Lay narrowed his eyes on her before he snorted.

“I do remember...but at least respect my private call with her...cut out our conversation like you did just now is rude...plain rude...” Lay replied her, sighing before he pushed his body beside her to walk back nearing his table. Tiffany shook her head but she followed him.

“So, are you still going to meet her now???” she questioned for his confirmation again. Lay stopped on his feet as his mind wondered back to Ara. It was true that he did promise her to go celebrating with Ara for his first debut as an official artist. He promised her to meet up at their favorite shopping mall but...unfortunately, the time clashed with each other. He was stuck inside his company’s party now! Tiffany waited for him to speak but suddenly someone shouted to him.

“Yah, Zhang Yixing! What are you doing there??? Come and sing us a song!!!” Lay looked up and saw his manager was waving his hands high to him. Tiffany curved up her wicked smile from behind and she walked closer to him. She stopped next to Lay and patted his shoulder.

“Go ahead...sing for them...you have an amazing voice, don’t you???” she whispered into his ear and left to join the others at the long bar table.

“Everyone, Lay is actually having another hidden talent...he’s not just can play the guitar very well but he can play the piano too...” Tiffany boasted around just to delay the time for Lay to stay in the party. Lay peered at her through his disgusted eyes but his ears caught sound of the roaring applauses came from everyone.

“That’s great!!! So why don’t you show us your talent???” the president of their agency said and Lay knew that he couldn’t possibly decline him. So he simply pasted a fake smile on his face before he walked over to the stage. The crowd once again clapping their hands together as soon as Lay stood up on it and bowed down to them.

“Since the president wishes to see me singing in solo, then I’ll perform a song for all of you while playing the piano...” he announced to them and they applauded for him again. His band members were wolf-whistling to him as Lay crumpled the phone inside his palm. Even when the whole people was the one that filled his sight right now but the only person that he saw inside his eyes was his wife – Ara. He wanted so much to run away from here and go seeing her instead but...fate didn’t allow him to. His heart ached everytime the idea of keeping her waiting for him alone came to his mind. He swallowed hard as he looked down on his phone again. Ara must be mad at him right now for suddenly hung up the phone – he didn’t but Tiffany did. That was why Ara never contacts him again after that.

Everyone had become muted now, waiting for him to start his performance. Lay wandered his eyes around them before he sighed and walked approaching the piano. He sat on the small chair as his hand secretly touching something on the screen of his phone.

“Urgh! This jerk! What does he wants now??? Hello!” Ara shouted on the phone, picking it up at once when it was ringing. Even when the call came from Lay but Ara started to feel strange when only silence answered her. Ara frowned alone, listening closely. “Hello?”

“I’m going to sing a piano instrumental version of an OST came from a drama...Autumn in My Heart entitled Prayer...enjoy...” Ara blinked her eyes in confusion when she suddenly heard Lay’s voice, he sounded afar but still audible to her ear. She tried to call his name but was shut when she heard people clapping their hands together. It clicked her that Lay was still inside his party.

Lay slowly darted his eyes on his phone, hoping that Ara would also listen to his singing even just through the phone because this song that he was about to sing really did contain a very deep meaning from his heart. He would like to send the lyric to her as a silence message from his heart – convinced Ara that his heart was still longing for her even when they were so distance from each other now. Lay placed the phone on the piano in front of him as he opened the cap of the keyboard. Slowly, he rested his fingers on it and started to play soft, melancholic melody from it. Ara was listening closely to it, slowly getting the message that he wanted her to hear his singing too.

“Maybe your heart will leave me...that would be the reason for me to stress...”  Lay started to slip each word from his mouth, singing gently and romantically as he fixed his eyes on his phone – picturing Ara was standing and smiling beautifully in front of him. Ara closed her eyes, enjoying his voice and she started to feel her own heart melting – just like the snow around her.

“It is okay if you become more distant each day...wherever you are, believe in love...”  secretly, Lay sang to his wife – trying to explain to her that even if they were separated by the space and time, Lay just wished for Ara to stay strong for their love.

“I didn’t know then – that I was crazy...your gaze as you look at me...even your small shoulders...I hated not being able to hug you...”  Ara didn’t realize it when she started to curve up a broad smile upon hearing the lyric, she was glad. Yes, she missed him too and wanted so bad to cuddle him inside her arms – feeling his warmth and knowing that they did belong to each other.

“Even though we are separated by a sad destiny...I won’t make your heart cry again...nothing can substitute for you...just know now that there’s nothing more precious to me than you...”  Lay reached the chorus, singing wholeheartedly so that Ara could really understand his true feeling for her. But even when he told her not to cry, Ara was so touched and started to shed a tear out from her eye. She felt her knees weakening until she slipped her body down to the road.

“Lay...” she whispered his name with low voice, bracing her heart stronger to keep listening to his beautiful but sad song.

“Your smile as you look at me and laugh...it is so overwhelming that it makes me happy...it is okay to hope to come even closer...like this moment now when I feel your breath...”

“I am always here...as you reach out your hand...your love calling me...beside you...” by the time he finished the song, Ara realized that tears already clouded her eyes fully and drenched both of her cheeks. She knew it now that even when Lay couldn’t afford to be by her side tonight but still, his heart was with her. So did his soul and mind too. Only their bodies were far away from each other but of course one thing will stay – their love.

People inside the club booming into loud applauses and Lay stood up. He smiled and bowed down to them before he picked up his phone. As his eyes glued on it, the line was still on – Ara still hadn’t hanging up the call. He slowly grinned on it and he brought the phone up to his ear. Lay whispered.

“I love you...” Ara flinched when she heard his voice. She hastily wiped her tears by her fingers and stood up again. Ara smiled warmly on the traffic in front of her like she did see him there. “I love you too...”

He was so glad that she didn’t get mad at him. Lay shut the call and walked down from the stage, approaching his group members. From the corner of where he stood, he never realizes it that Tiffany was still staring at him. She cursed inside her heart; she knew that he wasn’t really performing for them but for his wife instead. Tiffany rolled her eyes and squeezed her shoulders.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

“Aigoo! This is yummy!” Luhan smiled, eyeing Yoo Bi from the corner of his eyes. She was cheering about the mushroom soup that they have as their breakfast this morning.

Ding dong! Ding dong!

The Lee family suddenly interrupted by the ringing from the house’s bell. Mrs. Lee exchanged looks with her husband before she smiled and stood up. “I’ll go and check it out...”

As she disappeared from the kitchen, Yoo Bi continued to enjoy her meal while having Luhan to feed her with everything. Yoo Na shook her head when she saw Luhan was blowing on the spoon before he stuffed it slowly inside Yoo Bi’s mouth. “Careful...it might be hot...”

She heard Luhan reminded Yoo Bi as she watched he put down the spoon and grabbed for a tissue instead. Then Yoo Na rolled her eyes when Luhan used the tissue paper to wipe the corner of Yoo Bi’s lips. Yoo Bi winked to him and playfully pinched his cheek. “Thank you!”

“Omo...aigoo...both of you, stop filming romantic scene here...please, or I might puke now!” Yoo Na commented and made a gesture like she was about to throw out. Luhan and Yoo Bi grinned sheepishly to her but Luhan ruffled his wife on her hair.

“Don’t get jealous...you can always try it out with Bum hyung...” Luhan responded to her comment and it broke the whole family into laughter. Suddenly, Mrs. Lee walked entering the kitchen again.

“Yah, Yoo Bi ah! Don’t you inform Mr. Kang yet that Luhan is awake already??? He’s here to pick you up...” Yoo Bi clapped a hand on when she heard her mother told her. Luhan blinked his eyes in confusion, turning to look at Yoo Bi when she hastily gulped down the whole glass and slammed it down on the table. Then she stood up and collected her bag.

“Omo, mom! I totally forgot about that adjusshi! It’s great that he is here...he can meet up with my gorgeous hubby! Come on, oppa!” Yoo Bi blew kisses to Mrs. Lee who rolled her eyes. But as she sat back on her chair, Yoo Bi had already grabbed Luhan on his wrist and started to drag him out from the kitchen.

“Em...where are we going???” he tried to ask but Yoo Bi ignored him until they reached the main door. That was when Luhan narrowed his eyes upon seeing a tall man, standing by the door while having his arms folded in front of his chest. He was staring to the garden around the compound but once he heard their footsteps, he tilted his head around. The tall man immediately grinned once he saw Yoo Bi was waving toward him.

“Annyeong...morning, Min Hyuk sshi!” Yoo Bi greeted him, stopped walking before Min Hyuk as she bowed politely. Min Hyuk smiled even broader and he bowed to both Luhan and Yoo Bi. The two men landed their eyes on each other, they exchanged weird looks.

“Em...Yoo Bi sshi...care to explain???” Min Hyuk finally opened his mouth, asking as he pointed his finger to Luhan. Luhan nodded his head too, glancing at Yoo Bi to seek for her explanation. Yoo Bi giggled to them but she slipped her arm under Luhan’s hand and rested her head lovingly on his shoulder.

“An introduction for you, Min Hyuk sshi...this is my dearest husband, Luhan...and oppa, this is Kang Min Hyuk sshi...my professor...he is young, isn’t it???” Yoo Bi introduced their names and status to each other, earning a nod each from Luhan and Min Hyuk.

“I see...so this is your husband huh??? What a cute young man...” Min Hyuk commented as he chuckled to them. Luhan laughed too before he held out his hand toward him.

“Yeah...nice meeting you, Mr. Kang...thank you for taking care of my wife all along I was sick...” Luhan replied and they shook their hands together but Min Hyuk shook his head.

“No...it’s my pleasure to accompany Yoo Bi sshi everyday...she’s a very cheerful and troublesome kid...” he while Yoo Bi pouted. She gave Min Hyuk a smack on his arm while he winced a bit. Luhan immediately elbowed Yoo Bi. “Yah...what are you doing? Respect your professor...”

He advised her but Yoo Bi snorted, “Don’t sweat it, oppa...we used to be like this...” she commented and they laughed together again.

“So...I guess I’m not going to the college with you then...because your husband is already here...he would want to send you, right?” Min Hyuk asked as soon as they stopped laughing but Yoo Bi shook her head.

“No...we’ll go together today...I want my oppa to stay inside the house...he still doesn’t fully recover yet...so he needs his rest...” Yoo Bi reasoned out but Luhan pouted and circled his arm around her waist.

“I’m feeling well today...of course I would like to send you there...I missed the chance to see your campus 7 months ago...so...” Luhan was about to refuse to her reason but Yoo Bi hissed and put up a finger on his lips.

“Don’t argue with me! Stay inside today...” she cut him off and briefly kissed Luhan on his cheek.

“Come on, Min Hyuk sshi...see you later, oppa! I’ll miss you so much! It’s going to be a very long and lousy day today in classes...” she told Luhan while her hands busily put on her sneakers. Min Hyuk laughed on her comment but he raised his eyebrow. “Definitely not in my class...”

“Ceh! We’ll see about it...” Yoo Bi shrugged to Min Hyuk and she waved again toward Luhan before she followed Min Hyuk outside of the door.

“Take care! Focus on your study...” Luhan shouted to her the reminder and he leaned on the door as he sent them away. He stood watching his wife when Yoo Bi laughed with Min Hyuk again over some unknown jokes. Luhan bit his lips, strange – his heart started to feel unsecure upon seeing the close relationship between Yoo Bi and that man. Then someone tapped him on his shoulder and Luhan looked sideway.

“Have Yoo Bi gone to college???” it was now Yoo Na and Kim Bum who stood next to him by the door. Luhan smiled and nodded, shifting his eyes back to Min Hyuk’s car. As expected from a young professor – he looks full with charisma, confidence and eligible as a bachelor. He drove an expensive and branded car colored in metallic black, the one that Yoo Bi got inside it and they zoomed away. Luhan envied him – he felt relief that at least, someone reliable was taking care of his wife but he also felt very uncertain about Min Hyuk at the same time. As Kim Bum was ready to go to his office, Luhan turned toward Yoo Na and him.

“Did Yoo Bi know him since the first time she entered the college???” he frowned to Yoo Na, seeking for her explanation. Yoo Na curved up a smile but she nodded.

“Yeah...since you’re in coma, Min Hyuk sshi helped her a lot to improve in her studies...luckily he was there to keep encouraging her...Yoo Bi was too weak when you’re coma...” she told him while Kim Bum nodded in agreement.

“Yup...it was Mr. Kang that stayed by her side and accompanied her...he’s a really good brother and professor to Yoo Bi...almost like two bestfriends rather than a student and teacher...” Luhan forced an understanding smile to Kim Bum once he listened to his opinion. Still, their explanation wasn’t enough to calm his heart. Especially when Yoo Bi chose Min Hyuk over him to go sending her to university just now. Luhan rubbed the back of his neck and asked again.

“So...does this Mr. Kang always come to pick up Yoo Bi here??? They will go to the campus together???” Yoo Na chuckled once she read Luhan’s worried face. She shook her head and patted Luhan on his shoulder.

“Yes, he did...almost everyday...but don’t worry, Luhan ah...they’re just friends...nothing more than that...” she assured him as she sensed the jealousy burning inside his eyes. Luhan gulped down his throat but he looked away. Shaking his head while smiling, he said.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

“Welcome home!” the maids greeted and bowed down to So Eun and Kris once they made their way from the main door of the Wu house. So Eun grinned widely, bowing down toward them too but Kris ignored them as he arrogantly walked over to enter the living room. So Eun bowed again as a sign of apology to his attitude. Then she hastily ran to catch up with him.

“Yah! Don’t do that to them! It’s rude...” she punched him on his arm once she caught up with his steps. Kris snorted, glancing down to her but he casually pulled her waist by his hand and brought So Eun’s body closer to him. So Eun spontaneously felt her face going red, remembering their first night yesterday but she took a deep breath and shook away the thought when they finally entered the living room. So Eun arranged her face to look normal again when Kris and she stopped by the coffee table.

“Hi! Morning, Clara! It’s good to see you again...” So Eun waved cheerfully to her sister in law but Clara glared. She sighed and focused back on her notebook situated on her lap.

“Go away...” were the only two words that slipped from as she ignored their presence there. Even when she did approve So Eun as her brother’s wife but all along these 7 months, Clara remained cold toward her. So Eun herself didn’t understand what exactly it takes to get along with Clara. She treated her nicely as far as she could think – So Eun never hurt her. So Eun narrowed her eyes and bit her lips as she fixed her eyes on Clara but Kris shrugged. He decided to ignore his little sister too as he spun So Eun’s body around to look at him.

“Stay here...I’m off to talk with dad for a while, okay???” he reminded her and winked before Kris left to find Mr. Wu. So Eun grinned, blowing flying kisses to Kris as she giggled and watched her husband walking from behind. Clara took a quick glance on her, checking her face but she ended up frowning confusedly once she saw her face. So Eun was smiling and giggling alone – she was staring to Kris like she had never saw him before, like it was her first time looking at his gorgeous face, like she was in the middle of watching the most beautiful scenery in this world! Clara immediately shrugged in disgusting.

“Unnie, you better stop it! Don’t look at my oppa like you’re about to eat him alive...it creeps me out!” Clara commented sarcastically to her but So Eun chuckled and bumped her body on the couch right next to Clara. Clara groaned, distancing her body away from her while So Eun laughed.

“Aigoo, Clara ah...you have not understood it yet because you’re still single...once you get married, you’ll understand it...” So Eun told her while Clara frowned even more. She tilted her head around and peered to So Eun. “Understand about what???”

So Eun flashed her devilish grin toward her as she whispered, “Understand how delicious your husband is...”

“Omo!!! Aigoo!!! Aigoo!!! Shut it, unnie!!! I’m only a minor!!!” Clara shouted hysterically once she got her meaning while So Eun broke into very loud laughter. She rolled her body on the couch as she clutched her stomach while Clara covered her ears, refused to listen again.

“Em...What is happening to them???” Mr. Wu asked, looking up from his file to Kris. Kris frowned, tilting his head back to look through the door that lead to the living room but he didn’t see either So Eun or Clara so he shook his head.

“No idea...suddenly turning into best buddies???” he guessed to his father before Mr. Wu rolled his eyes. They were inside the dining room, discussing over a problem that happened in their business right now. It was quite serious until Mr. Wu had to personally called Kris for a meeting at their house. They chose to ignore the chaos caused by So Eun and Clara from the living room as they continued with their discussion. Mr. Wu pushed the file that he held toward Kris on the table.

“Here, look at this...our shareholder in China is starting to buy few branches around Asia like in Philippine, Vietnam and Japan...Kris, we can’t let this happen...if they did buy the companies, it would cause us a great loss...” Mr. Wu explained to his son while Kris kept his stern face staring on the document. He sighed and gazed up to his father.

“Of course I won’t let that happen...no matter what they’ve plan, I’ll find a way to stop them and save our branches...but...” Kris replied him before he stopped, frowning. Mr. Wu raised his eyebrow.

“But???”

“The only problem that we have is money...we don’t have enough money to invest in their share...it would be great if we can buy their shares...it’s safer for our company...” he added to him and Mr. Wu leaned against the chair. His mind furiously thought of a fastest way to get the money supply in order to solve the problem. Kris let out a sigh again as he buried his face inside his palms.

“If only we could find any other establish company to become our close partner...” Mr. Wu shifted his eyes back to Kris once he heard his suggestion. Establish company??? As their partner??? A sudden idea came into his mind – the Choi Enterprise.

“What are you doing right now???” So Eun asked, poking her head to look on Clara’s notebook. She glared to So Eun from the corner of her eyes before she immediately hid the book away from her. “It’s none of your business...”

“Hmmm...judging from these flyers and pamphlets, it’s not hard to guess that you’re in the middle of planning an occasion, right???” So Eun said again, picking up the hotel flyers and boutiques’ catalogs from the coffee table in front of them. Clara clicked her tongue but she finally gave it up. She groaned and threw away the notebook from her hand onto the table again.

“I don’t know! I tried to plan it but it never work!” she complaint loudly, throwing her hands up to her head as So Eun shook her head.

“Aigoo...pity...” she commented shortly, earning another deadly glare from Clara but then So Eun cleared and sat up straight.

“It’s okay...since I’m here, I can always give you a help...what kind of occasion do you want to hold???” So Eun started to grab a blank paper and pen from the table as she arranged her body to sit facing Clara. Clara chuckled wickedly to her.

“And what do you know about it??? I want to plan a prom party not some lame weddings...” she replied but So Eun narrowed her eyes and waved her finger in front of Clara’s face.

“Watch it, kid...planning a wedding isn’t very different from planning any other party...so don’t underestimate my ability...” So Eun snorted to her before she started to write down a list on the paper of everything that Clara might needs to plan the party. Clara cleared but she chose to listen to her idea.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Cho Kyuhyun arranged his steps into the planners’ office. He was whistling to himself as he scanned around, looking for Ara. He reached her table but it was empty with no one there. Kyuhyun tilted his head toward a woman that sat next to her table.

“Have you seen Ara sshi anywhere today???”

“Ara sshi was here just now...but maybe she’s at the pantry room, getting her drink...” the woman answered him and Kyuhyun nodded. He was about to corner his way toward the pantry room but his ears suddenly caught sound of something beeping.

Kyuhyun turned his body back to the table and he spotted Ara’s phone was brightened with light came from the screen. He glanced around before he picked up the phone and brought it closer to his face. Kyuhyun read the caller ID on it and realized that there was a message came from Lay. Curiosity filled his heart and Kyuhyun couldn’t stop his finger from tapping on the screen to reveal the text.

-Annyeong, honey! How about a dinner with me tonight? I think I can escape earlier from the practice...have any idea on where to meet up??? Text me!”  

Kyuhyun bit his lips as he read it. He held tighter on the phone as his mind started to think about something. He sighed and stole a quick glance around the office, making sure that no one was spying on him and Ara wasn’t there. Then he gazed down back on the phone as he started typing.

-Meet me at the Nicole Restaurant around 7.00 p.m.

Kyuhyun quickly pushed the ‘send’ button. He deleted the earlier message sent by Lay just now and he placed down the phone again on the table exactly like it was before. He rubbed the back of his neck, pretending like he never touches it until someone cleared from behind.

“Ara sshi...you’re here...” Kyuhyun put up a broad smile once he spotted Ara was standing behind him, sipping on her coffee.

“Yeah...and what are you doing here???” she asked him back and walked passed him to sit again on her chair. Kyuhyun stared on her face for a minute before he chuckled.

“Nothing...I’m wondering if you’re free tonight around 7 o’clock...” he informed her and Ara frowned. She reviewed her schedule inside her head for today – she didn’t make any promise to meet Lay since he was quite busy with his work so yeah, she was free tonight. Then Ara looked up to Kyuhyun and grinned. “Yes, I am free...why?”

“Great! I want to take you out for a dinner...because I want you to accompany me, meeting someone...can we???” he told her excitedly while Ara narrowed her eyes.

“Who is that ‘someone’ anyway???” Kyuhyun gave a mysterious but sweet wink to her.

“You’ll see about it...”

"I was supposed to be his wedding planner, not his bride!"