THE WEDDING PLANNERS

-This is Choi Eunhyuk-

(A/N): Sorry! Can't help but to write long chapter~~~ Just enjoy, take your time but don't forget to comment!!! Thanks!!! ^^

“Are you trying to go against me, Kyuhyun?!” her mother leaned her body forward and narrowed her eyes on her son. Ara gulped down silently as she listened to her deep voice; she made it sounded rougher to warn them. But Ara didn’t have time for that anymore! She needs to make thing clear with Lay first!

“Em...pardon me!” Ara exclaimed loudly as she pushed her body to stand up. She jerked her hand off from Kyuhyun as he glanced up to her worried expression. Ara exhaled slowly but she dared herself to look at the woman straight into her eyes. Kyuhyun’s mother also stared up to her with such a disgusted face.

“Please accept my serious apology, your Highness...but I’m sure that everything that your son told you just now is just a plain misunderstanding...I’m not marrying Prince Kyuhyun or anyone else! I can’t! Because...” she paused, Ara pursed her lips for a moment but she knew that she needs to spit it out.

“...because I’m married already! I have my own husband and I love him! Thing is not going to change no matter what you do...” this time Ara explained it straight to Kyuhyun’s face. She titled her face to him and glued her firm eyes on him, signaling to him about the hidden meaning behind her words. Kyuhyun frowned to her but Ara didn’t wait for his reply and she bowed down to them.

“Again, I’m sorry...excuse me...” she simply concluded and picked up her bag to leave them at the table. Hastily, she shoved away the curtain and started running outside of the restaurant. Kyuhyun’s mother raised her eyebrow sarcastically to her son but Kyuhyun balled up his hands into fists, he didn’t expect it for Ara to leave him high and dry like this.

“Please, Lay ah! Do not disappear yet!” Ara chanting under her breath as she ran past the main entrance of the restaurant. She stopped there, panting and bent down her body to catch up for breath. When she looked up again, her eyes aggressively scanned for Lay around the area of that place.

“Ah!” she slightly screamed when she finally spotted Lay. There he was, across the road from this restaurant. Ara watched him as Lay took his steps slowly, hands in his pockets and he kept his head down – staring only on the pavement. Quickly, Ara gathered her courage and ran crossing the street to get toward him. She felt very strange that he suddenly showed up there but she needs to give him an explanation first.

“Lay!” Ara called out and it made him to stop on his feet. Ara stopped panting too and she fixed her eyes on his broad back. Lay raised up his head, he knew that his wife was standing just behind him. The urgency was battling inside him to spin around, grab Ara inside his arms and lock her tightly to him. But after all that he saw inside the restaurant just now, his pride was commanding him to stay still and did nothing except being silent. He heard Ara was sighing and she took a few steps closer to him.

“Lay ah...” Ara tried to touch Lay on his shoulder but he quickly turned around, preventing her from laying her hand on him. Ara gazed on his face painfully. It was like she was way too dirty when he refused to her like that. Lay shot her a dissatisfy glare from the corner of his eyes as Ara bit her lips. Someone really needs to start talking first in order to break the tension between them.

“Lay...I...” she began but suddenly a phone ring came to interrupt them. Ara darted her eyes down on his pocket as she knew that the ringtone belonged to his phone. Lay grabbed out the phone and picked up the call at once. “Hello...”

He greeted the caller and stayed silent for a while, listening to the latter as that person spoke. Finally, Lay nodded his head lazily and answered, “I got it...I’ll be there soon enough...”

He agreed and shut off the line. Ara blinked her eyes in confusion as she watched him keeping his phone back inside his pocket and started to walk away, not bothering to speak with her. Ara shook her hand and reached out to stop him.

“Wait! What is this all about??? Who is the person that called you just now??? Is that Tiffany sshi???” Ara can’t help it but to snap at him when he ignored her. Lay clicked his tongue impatiently but he stopped walking and spun his body around to face her. He jerked up an eyebrow.

“Is any of it got to do with you??? Do I have to report every single thing including every person that made a phone call with me??? Is that really prominent to you, huh???” he shot her with questions back but Ara shook her head fiercely.

“It’s not what I meant! I just need to know that you don’t get yourself involve with a wrong person! Tiffany sshi isn’t someone that you can trust!” she reasoned out to him but Lay laughed funnily, rolling his eyes. “Yeah and apparently, it’s clear to me that the man just now is very valuable to you since you believe him soooo much! And happily talking about marriage and love!”

Ara didn’t realize it when she accidentally raised her hand high and landed it on his cheek. She slapped Lay all because he blindly accused her like that! She was so mad and disappointed with him. But as much as she felt angry to him, her heart was even more wounded when he didn’t ask her about the matter first but to accuse her bluntly like this. Tears started to flow down her cheeks as Lay breathed out in disbelief. His skin burned with invisible pain on the spot where she slapped him but it bleed harder inside his heart. He narrowed his eyes on Ara and pushed away the sympathy in him when he saw her crying. Lay nodded his head.

“You know, Ara...I think I agreed with Tiffany sshi right now...she was right when she told us that our marriage is nothing more than a trouble! She was right when she said that I should focus only on my career rather than to spend my time joining your ridiculous game just now! If you invited me to come here tonight only to see your romantic dinner with that man, then you can congrats me now...because I’m totally hurt and annoyed by it!” Lay blurted out angrily to her and he spun his body around to leave. Ara shook her head; she didn’t understand his words and was totally confused by it. Once again, she ran a few steps forward to stop him.

“Wait! Lay, what are talking about right now??? I’ve never invited you to that restaurant! I don’t even know that you’ll be there tonight!” she told him between her sobbing voices as her hands gripped tighter on Lay’s arm. Lay narrowed his eyes on her crying face but he hissed and pulled out his phone. He threw it toward Ara, making her to hastily catch it inside her hands. Then Ara gazed up to Lay questioningly before she shifted her eyes down to the phone. “What...what is this???”

“See it for yourself...” Lay instructed her coldly and Ara tried to stop herself from sobbing again. She wiped her tears off from covering her eyes to have a better vision on the phone. She browsed into his mail box and her jaw dropped open in disbelief when she found out the text sent from her own ID number.

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

Ara shook her head and pushed the phone back to Lay’s chest. She gazed up straight to his face with her pleading eyes, begging for his forgiveness. “I swear, Lay...I’ve never send such a thing to you! I don’t even know that you wanted to see me tonight...Kyuhyun sshi asked me to accompany him for a dinner and I agreed after considering that we’re not going to meet today...I know that you’re busy with your work...but please...believe in me that I don’t know what was happening just now with Kyuhyun sshi...I don’t have any idea on what he was talking to his mother and I don’t understand how can that message suddenly appeared in your mail box!”

Lay groaned and gritted his teeth once she finished explaining to him. Half of his heart wanted to believe her but another half strongly doubted her action. It was way too suspicious! And no matter under whatever circumstances, she shouldn’t have gone out with another man without telling him first! She was his wife after all!!! Lay let out a heavy sigh as he closed his eyes, trying hard to regain his patience. Then he snapped it open again and looked at Ara.

“I don’t know, Ara yah...I don’t understand it and I don’t care! Maybe besides working as a wedding planner, you and that strange man are possessing some kind of magic power to accidentally sent me that mail! Well, whatever! My manager is looking for me, I gotta go...” he carelessly cut the conversation off as he wanted so much to escape from her and their head-wrecking problem. Ara bit her lips forcefully as she shook her head and burst out crying again. She didn’t believe it that Lay could do this to her. She didn’t believe it that her used to be lovely husband was treating her lightly like this. She cried alone there on the street as she watched through her teary eyes, Lay was taking his steps further and further away from her – leaving her down in dumb in the midst of the cold night.

But as Lay stopped at the edge of the road, waiting for the traffic light to turn green, he glanced sideway to Ara and swallowed hard down his throat. He knew that these words he was about to speak out to her was going to hurt Ara deeply but his own heart was shattering into millions of pieces too. He closed his eyes and plucked up his strength that he had within him.

“Ara yah...I almost forgot that our marriage is just a blind deal from the very beginning...so let’s do it now as we used to promise before...” he told her and Ara peered to him with her whole body shaking because of her sobs.

“Do what???”

“Staying away from each other...you mind your own life and I shall care about mine...only...” he concluded again and the light turned green. Lay shifted his face away from her and took his steps to cross the street – leaving Ara to endure the pain, all alone.

“Lay...please...don’t do this to me...” she begged through her raspy voice but it broke and drowned between her sobs. She cried louder, ignoring the fact that the passersby were all started to glance weirdly to her. She felt her whole body was screaming in pain so she kneeled down to the road, hiding her face inside her palms and continued to cry out of her frustration.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

“Ah, oppa!” Yoo Bi sat straight on the bed as soon as she saw Luhan pulled open the door of the hospital room. Luhan paused for a minute, smiled at her and walked inside – the door behind him was closed.

“Aigoo, oppa...you told me that you’re so close to here but you still took almost half an hour to come!” Yoo Bi pouted and showed a sulking face. Luhan forced a thin smile for her but it died automatically. His mind drifted back to the earlier scene that he saw 15 minutes before. Yes, he saw it when Min Hyuk, the so called professor of her was kissing Yoo Bi on her forehead – and the scene started to make Luhan’s heart aching silently inside him.

“Oppa???” Yoo Bi stretched out her hand and touched Luhan on his left hand. He stood still next to her bed but never make a move to sit or talk to her. She eyed him up and down anxiously. “What’s wrong, oppa??? Is everything alright???”

Luhan wandered his eyes slowly to her and finally fixed it on her round, shining eyes. She looks so innocent and pure so...she can’t possibly was cheating on him, right? Luhan tried to convince himself but he can’t help to ask.

“Yoo Bi ah...” he called out and gripped onto her hand that touched him just now. He landed his on the edge of the bed and Yoo Bi grinned, moving away a little to give her husband enough space to sit. She winked and pinched Luhan’s stern face playfully on his cheek.

“Yes, my dearest oppa...what is it that bothering you now???” she pressed the matter to him while Luhan sighed. He gazed deeply into her eyes as he brought her hand up to his face and planted a firm kiss on her fingers. Yoo Bi giggled but Luhan started to ask.

“Yoo Bi, honey...can you tell me something, honestly???” he began slow, asking her gently because he didn’t want Yoo Bi to misunderstand his curiosity. No, rephrased it – jealousy. Yoo Bi blinked her eyes when confusion started to fill up her head. But she still nodded, “Okay...but what do you want to know?”

“Em...since you were fainted at your college, who was the person that sent you here???” he pursed his lips firmer, trying to test her. Yoo Bi furrowed her eyebrows but she didn’t want to take his question as something serious so she curved up a broad smile to him.

“It’s my professor, oppa...remember, Kang Min Hyuk sshi???” Luhan breathed out in relief when she didn’t choose to lie toward him. That also showed him the sincerity in Yoo Bi regarding their relationship. So he cleared his throat and asked the second question that was stuck in his mind.

“Then...did he do something weird to you???” Yoo Bi frowned even more once Luhan slipped the question to her. Weird??? Yoo Bi tried to recall her short meeting with Min Hyuk just now but as far as she could remember, there was nothing weird happened to them except that...Yoo Bi swallowed down when she remembered Min Hyuk had kissed her on her forehead. But...but that was just a sign of caring, right??? And he was her professor, teacher – it was plain normal to care for your student. Right??? Luhan narrowed his eyes on Yoo Bi when he saw she was keeping shut for quite a while.

“Why are you being silent??? I’m asking you here...” Luhan started to feel annoyed by her when she seems to consider the fact that Min Hyuk did acting strange to her. Of course Yoo Bi never knew it her husband saw the incident so she quickly shook her head. “No, oppa...there’s nothing weird happened...he sent me here and waited until I woke up before he gone back to home just now...”

Luhan clicked his tongue in irritation once he heard her explanation. Yoo Bi started to smell something weird and different in his reaction so she tugged Luhan on his sleeve.

“Wait up, oppa...what’s the matter with you??? You look...different...” she commented but Luhan lightly pushed her hand away and got up from the bed, causing Yoo Bi to become stiff upon seeing his behavior.

“I’m doing fine, Yoo Bi ah...I’m still the same me...even after the 7 months coma...but you...you’re the one that is changing...” Yoo Bi opened to speak but she closed it again and shook her head slowly when she didn’t understand his statement just now.

“What...what do you mean by that??? I’m changing??? Which part of me that you think of it like that??? Did I do any wrong to you???”

“Yes! I told you to be honest to me but you didn’t...” Luhan snapped immediately after she asked him and Yoo Bi gasped in disbelief now, barely believing herself that she was talking to her gentle Luhan oppa now because...he was way too different, the way he talked to her and his words! It was poisoning her heart deep down in it. Yoo Bi gulped down but she shook her head again.

“Oppa...I did being honest to you! Which part of me that you think is not true??? You think I’m lying to you???” Luhan wanted to snap louder to her but he closed his eyes and chose to calm down. Slowly, he turned his body to face her.

“If you’re really being honest to me, why do you leave out the part when Min Hyuk sshi kissed you? I did ask you if he had doing something weird to you, right??? Was kissing you like that not weird enough???” Luhan trapped her in confusion as Yoo Bi bit her lips. She peered closely to his face but she could see it clearly that Luhan wasn’t feeling pleasant about it. She tried to explain that she wasn’t intended to hide it from him but Luhan shook his head. He let out a loud sigh and walked over to the door.

“Collect all your stuff...I’m going to register your discharge now...” he simply ordered her and disappeared from behind the door. Yoo Bi lost for any word and she leaned her body back to the bed. Her head started to ache again, why would Luhan suddenly act like that??? If he saw it that Min Hyuk was kissing her, that meant he was here earlier but didn’t want to get inside. The idea strike into her head and Yoo Bi sighed under her breath. So...Luhan looked so pissed off about it which meant that...he was jealous of her???

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

So Eun arranged her steps out from the bathroom and walked straight to sit at the dressing table. She sat on the small chair and dried her wet hair with a small towel. She sang, humming with low tune to herself before she threw the towel onto the table. Then she grabbed up a comb and started to comb her wet hair, preparing to dry it up using a hair dryer. As she peered inside the mirror to her own reflection, she recalled something...

“So Eun ah...I need to tell you something...” So Eun glanced sideway to her mother in law, checking her expression as she sounded awkward to her. But So Eun smiled.

“You can always tell me anything, omma...” she assured her and gave a pat on Mrs. Wu’s hand. Mrs. Wu tried to smile but she ended up sighing.

“As I recalled it now, I remember choosing you accidentally when I was supposed to pick my daughter in law from any rich and outstanding family...but fate was being funny...someone gave me your name card and picture before so I leaked it out to the media...that was how you was chosen...” Mrs. Wu ended her story by chuckling a bit. So Eun smiled warmly on that memory too but as she threw her sight out from the glass wall, she knew she was grateful to meet Kris.

“It was just a mindless fate, omma...but I’m happy...truly happy now...” she said as she grinned broader toward Mrs. Wu. The woman replied her smile but she grabbed So Eun by her hand and squeezed it tightly.

“I know that your feeling is growing deeper for Kris...I can see the same way in Kris too...but right at this critical moment, I hope you can be mature and accept thing professionally...” So Eun frowned to her when she reminded her like that. So Eun shook her head, “Sorry, omma...I just don’t get it...what do you mean by that???”

Mrs. Wu kept shut in a few minutes silence before she gathered her courage to say it out loud. “I made a mistake when I chose you as Kris’s bride and forced both of you to get married...your marriage is just a mistake...so now, we need to fix that mistake...both of you...Kris and you, So Eun ah...”

“What??? Mistake??? But...but...” So Eun stammered with her words, trying hard to rack her brain for exact words but Mrs. Wu let go of her hand and stared firmly into her eyes.

“Do me a favor, So Eun ah...if you’re really in love with Kris...then, please let him go...please stop this marriage...” So Eun felt her lungs stopped working to control her breathing system when those hurtful words uttered out from Mrs. Wu’s mouth. So Eun narrowed her eyes and she gulped the bitterness down her dry throat. “Let...let him go??? But why should I??? Why should I give up on my own marriage???”

“Because that’s the only way to save Kris and this whole family...”

“What?!”

Mrs. Wu sighed loudly, shaking her head in despair. Then she took a deep breath to calm herself down and she peered up again on So Eun’s face. Fresh tears had started to glitter on that innocent girl’s eyes. Mrs. Wu felt that her whole heart was conquered with guilty right now but she have to do this!

“Wu Trading is having a big problem now, So Eun ah...we’re running out of money and our shareholder in China is planning to buy our branches around the Asia...so we’re desperate to gain enough money for it...in order to do that, we need to collaborate with another big company...”

So Eun swallowed in silence, “...and which company is that???”

“The Choi Enterprise...our long partner of all the years before...but now Mr. Choi is putting up a condition in order for him to help us...” Mrs. Wu paused and So Eun bit her lips, feeling her heart was cut with thousands of sharp knives. She wasn’t a fool, she could easily guess on it.

“The condition...is to get Kris married with Sooyoung sshi...right???” each word was killing So Eun so badly inside but as much as she prayed that her prediction was wrong, then Mrs. Wu gave her a nod.

“Yes...”

A tear escaped from a corner of her eye and So Eun hastily wiped it away. She dropped the comb to her lap as she sighed heavily. She was seriously caught between a very tough situation now. She did love both of it – her husband and his family. Of course she knew that Kris was working hard to maintain the company but now he was in dire straits. So what can she do to help him??? Does she really need to let him go??? Blessing his marriage with Sooyoung and give up her own marriage??? It means, once she gives up on everything, she will definitely lose Kris...forever. The idea scared the hell of her until So Eun flinched and threw the comb back on the table.

“Kris...” she whispered his name under her breath and immediately stood up from the chair. She carved for nothing more than to feel his strong arms to wrap around her, to cuddle her and protectively assuring her that she can stay in that place forever – sticking inside his arms. So she ran outside of her room and knocked on his door. But even after she did it twice, she didn’t get any answer from him. So Eun thought that he probably wasn’t inside his room so she walked over toward the stairs instead, wanted to search for him at the living room but she suddenly paused on her feet.

So Eun glanced up to the second floor when she caught sound of people laughing from up there. The voices clearly belonged to Kris and Sooyoung. They must be staying together inside the baby’s room that it made So Eun to battle inside her heart whether to go check them out or not. But she took a deep breath and braved herself to resume looking for Kris. She climbed up the stairs to go there and So Eun stopped right before the first door that led into the Sooyoung’s baby room.

“He’s so cute!” So Eun secretly peeked inside through the small opening of the door. There, she spotted Kris was standing but he had his eyes on the tiny baby – cuddled lovingly by him inside his arms. So Eun shifted her eyes down toward Sooyoung. She sat in front of Kris and her baby on the bed as she was smiling brightly to them. They looked so much like a perfect family and killed So Eun deep inside her lonely heart.

“What do you named him again???” So Eun looked back to Kris when he started to speak again. Sooyoung chuckled, reaching out a hand to pat the baby slowly on his round cheek.

“Choi Eunhyuk...” Kris mouthed an ‘O’ to her but he rolled his eyes.

“This handsome Eunhyuk also has his Christian name, right???” he seems to be really concern about that baby, So Eun thought alone – continued to watch. Sooyoung grinned again and she stood up. She walked closer to Kris as she stretched out her hands to replace him in cuddling Eunhyuk. Kris slipped the baby inside her arms and Sooyoung kissed Eunhyuk on his forehead, he was too deep in his sleep even when they were talking too close to him.

“I chose his Christian name as Kevin...Kevin Choi...” Sooyoung finally replied his question but it earned a frown from Kris. “Kevin??? I think I knew that name...”

“Of course...it’s one of your Christian names too, right??? I remember it when we were at high school, our friends used to call you Kevin...but when we went aboard to study, you changed it to Kris...” Sooyoung simply laughed on their memories. Kris nodded with warm smile too, amused by their memories as youngsters.

“Yeah...Kevin Wu...that’s also my name...so why do you pick it for Eunhyuk??? It’s stealing you know...” Kris told her but Sooyoung giggled and beamed playfully to Kris, her hand kept patting Eunhyuk on his little tight.

“Because I wish that you could be his father...” she whispered to him and So Eun held her breath, preventing herself from crying upon listening to it. She realized it now on how many memories that Kris and Sooyoung shared even before her existence between them. Kris went silence too. His mind suddenly wondered back to the condition that he might needs to fulfill in order to save his company. He gazed up to Sooyoung. She wasn’t looking at him but she locked her eyes dreamily on her little Eunhyuk. She smiled and caressed her finger gently on his cheek as Kris eyed them.

He used to love this girl. Since the moment he met Sooyoung when they were kids, he had always fall for her. There was no doubt that Sooyoung was his first love but...it happened long time ago before everything turned upside down. His heart no longer belonged to her, his heart no longer beating to love her. It was all because...Kris finally realized that he was destined to love So Eun, only her. A girl named Kim So Eun was his only queen now. He had decided to give all of his heart to her but...now he needs to marry Sooyoung just to save everyone? It was good and beneficial to everyone but how about him??? How about So Eun??? They both will be hurt by it, definitely. Kris sighed slowly under his breath.

He was more than willing to lose anything else – money, power, fame and everything. But he will never willing to lose a heart, a person and a girl – So Eun. Kris had already decided this since the moment his dad requested to him to marry Sooyoung. He won’t agree to him, by crook or by hook. Kris promised inside his heart but he then aware of Sooyoung when she waved her hand before his face.

“Kris oppa, are you okay???” she said, already putting Eunhyuk back inside his bed. Kris smiled and shook his head.

“Nah...nothing...I’m going to sleep now...take your rest too...” Kris patted Sooyoung on her shoulder and she replied him a nod. “I’ll sleep with Eunhyuk tonight...”

So Eun quickly ran back to first floor when she saw Kris was turning his body around to leave the room. Of course it didn’t take him less than 5 minutes to reach their floor considering his super long legs. By the time Kris entered the corridor that led to their rooms, he looked up and saw So Eun was about to open the door of her own room. Kris curved up a smile on her figure and ran to her side.

“Just finished taking your bath???” he guessed, patting So Eun on her wet hair. She stopped by the door and gazed up to him. “Yes...”

“Hmmm...” Kris thought for a while before he winked and elbowed So Eun by her arm. “Come with me...”

He ordered and didn’t wait for her answer anymore. Instead, he was whistling to himself and walked over to enter his room. So Eun blinked at him but she pouted on his back and silently followed him into the room.

“What are we going to do here???” So Eun said once she stopped inside it. Kris didn’t answer her but he arranged his steps toward his dressing table and pulled out something from the drawer. As So Eun narrowed her eyes on it, she realized it a hair dryer. Kris glanced sideway to her and smiled. He gestured for So Eun to sit next to the bed and she obeyed his bluntly again.

“Let me help you...it’s not good to sleep with your hair wet...” he said and took a seat on the bed. So Eun on the other hand was sitting down on the floor, having her back on Kris. He plugged on the socket pasted on the wall next to them and switched on the hair dryer. Then So Eun closed her eyes, enjoying the moment when his long, slender fingers were running between her silky hair to dry it away.

Kris was unbelievably an expert on this. No wonder his appearance was always so dashing because his technic was almost as good as the professional hair stylist. So Eun laughed on the idea as Kris tilted his head to a side and checked down on her face. “What are you laughing at???”

“Hehehe...nothing...” she cutely giggled and opened her eyes again. So Eun pulled her head forward, interrupting Kris that was still busied with her hair. Kris shouted, “Hey! I haven’t finished yet!”

But So Eun ignored him and playfully grabbed away one of his dolls collection that situated nearby them on the floor. So Eun chose the alpaca and she sat back in front of Kris, hugging the alpaca close to her chest. Kris smirked but he continued to dry her hair up, moving the dryer here and there around her long, wavy hair. As he and ran his fingers between the softness of her hair, Kris gathered a roll full of her hair inside his palm and he dropped it down to her right shoulder, showing the fair skin of her back neck. He bit his lips, brushing his fingers from inside her hair until down to the back of her neck. So Eun flinched on his touch when she felt it.

“Kris???” she called out, wanted to turn around but he suddenly switched off the dryer and put down beside him on the bed. So Eun frowned, squeezing the alpaca inside her hands as she asked, “Have you done???”

She guessed and wanted to turn back at him but Kris stopped her by circling his long, right arm around her neck from behind. He bent down his body to her so that his head could reach the same level as hers. So Eun felt her body stiffened too and she slowly patted Kris on his arm that hugged her closely to his chest. Kris kissed the top of her hair before he tilted his head at her side face and glued their cheeks side by side together. They spontaneously smiled and giggled together even without uttering any word – simply feeling happy with each other’s company.

“So Eun ah...” Kris moved his other hand to lock So Eun’s neck closer and tighter to him, she was now totally trapped inside his strong arms but she loves it. So Eun smiled and reached up her other hand to Kris on his head. “What???”

“I want you to promise me something...” Kris requested to her and So Eun went silent for a minute. She thought over it – can she really believe in promise right now??? After the entire problem occurred to them and she was still hurt by the fact that Kris looked happier when he was around Sooyoung and her baby, like a complete family. Can she ever give such a wonderful family to Kris???

“Answer me, So Eun ah...can you promise me or not???” she was snapped out from her thought when Kris planted a soft kiss on her neck and shoulder, brushing his lips everywhere on her skin there. She swallowed and pushed away the uncertainty from her heart. “Of course...what is the promise then???”

Kris stopped kissing her and he gazed at So Eun’s beautiful side profile. She slowly cracked her head toward him too. They peered deeply into each other’s eyes before Kris slowly smiled to her.

“Promise me that you’ll never let us fall apart...just believe in me no matter what will happen after this...okay???” he seek for her assurance and So Eun read his face, finding his sincerity. Kris had not yet knows that she was already aware of the matter regarding his marriage with Sooyoung but...she wanted to believe him. Yes, she would choose to promise her husband rather than to listen to anyone else. So Eun grinned prettily before she briefly pushed her lips on his. Then she quickly pulled away and laughed.

“Promise...” she declared and Kris flashed her with his annoying but irresistibly handsome smirk. She laughed even louder now, pushing Kris to let her go but Kris grabbed So Eun by her shoulders and pulled her body up into the bed. She screamed playfully but Kris already landed her body on top of him and cupped her face with his palms, forcing her to look at him.

“Good night, So Eun ah...” he whispered to her.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Yoo Bi and few of her friends inside the same designing course were given a task for today. They needed to visit a carnival promoting everything about wedding plan. The carnival will advertise popular venues for wedding, lists of most romantic and ideal places for honeymoon and many more regarding the wedding. Since Yoo Bi and her friends were majoring in that course so she was tasked to go carrying a survey there.

The activity was actually held by Ara’s company. Under the leading of Kyuhyun as their president, they carried it out together. The main purpose was to attract more customers hiring planners from their company and to expose more knowledge involving wedding planning with the guests. As Ara busily handled them, So Eun stepped inside the hall too. She read the advertisement inside the newspaper yesterday so she decided to take a look.

“Ah! So Eun unnie!” So Eun tilted her head to a side when she heard someone shouted for her. Once she looked around, she spotted Yoo Bi a few meters away from where she stood. She was grinning and waving to her. So Eun frowned, recalled this girl for a while before she clapped a hand on . So Eun glanced back to Yoo Bi.

“Omo! You’re...Yoo Bi, right???” she guessed, pointing out her finger toward Yoo Bi and she nodded while laughing.

“Aigoo!!! It’s been a very long time since we met at Hawaii!!!” So Eun cheered and she came running to Yoo Bi and greeted her with a warm hug. Yoo Bi returned her hug too before she pulled away and beamed to So Eun. “Come here to stroll around, unnie???”

“Yeah...it’s quite boring to just lazing around at my shop so I thought of coming here for a visit...what about you?”

“Hahahaha...I’m here for a survey regarding my university’s task...” Yoo Bi informed her but So Eun winked. “So...you’re a designing student now???”

Yoo Bi winked back and made a thumb up to her. “Sure the Hell, I am!”

“Yeah!!! High five!!! I’m your senior!!!” both of them clapped their hands loudly together before they heard someone walked over to them and stopped in front of So Eun and Yoo Bi.

“Urgh! You guys are really loud and annoying!” So Eun and Yoo Bi were about to snap at that person but as they turned around, they stood frozen to see Ara was standing there. She watched the girls with narrow eyes before she curved up a naughty smile and folded her arms across her chest.

“So how is it??? Don’t you guys miss me too??? Or I’m totally vanished from your brain???” Ara joked over to them before the three of them burst out into overly loud laughter, causing the people around them to glimpse with weird eyes toward them.

“Hahahahaha!!! Of course we remember you, unnie! But it’s kinda embarrassing right now since everyone is looking at us!” Yoo Bi went on laughing but she bowed down to apologize to whoever that glanced around suspiciously to them. Ara pouted but she walked over and slung an arm casually around Yoo Bi’s neck.

“Ouch, unnie!”

“Aigoo!!! No worries, Yoo Bi ah! Don’t be too awkward here...just make yourself like at home because this is my company! Hahahahahaha!!!” So Eun nodded her head in agreement before she stopped, blinking her eyes and shook her head to Ara.

“This is your company??? You work here???” she asked in disbelief, waving her hands around highly and Ara flashed her broad smile toward So Eun. “I’m the coolest wedding planner you guys ever met, don’t you think???”

She joked around again and the three broke into laughter together. So Eun kept her hands clutching to her stomach before she was out of breath and touched . She peered toward Ara who was now wiping away the tears that managed to escape from her eyes when she laughed.

“Yah, Ara sshi! Doesn’t your company have any special service like serving tea or coffee or any hot drinks for the guests??? It’s a proper courtesy you know...” she suggested to her while Ara clapped her hands in front of So Eun’s face.

“Yeah!!! You’re right!!! Let’s have a drink together now! Follow me!” Ara simply agreed and she hooked her hands both with Yoo Bi’s and So Eun’s. Then she started to drag the girls into a pantry room up at the first floor to escape from the exhibition hall below. They sat around a table inside it and Ara lastly came with three cups of hot chocolate latte for them. She placed it down before So Eun and Yoo Bi while the girls thanked her.

“No problem...enjoy your drink...” she welcomed them and Yoo Bi started to sip on her cup.

“Ahhh...this is delicious!” she praised while So Eun nodded in agreement. She put down her cup and peered up toward the girls, exchanging looks from Ara to Yoo Bi. “So how is your life recently???”

“Well...many things happened...the good and bad...” Ara answered casually and Yoo Bi replied So Eun with a nod. “Yeah, the same goes for me too...”

“Hmmm...how about your Chinese husband???” So Eun asked again. This time, Ara stole a quick glance toward Yoo Bi while Yoo Bi shrugged. She looked over to So Eun.

“Which Chinese husband that you mean by, unnie??? Ara unnie’s or mine???” Yoo Bi repeated the question for So Eun right now while she rolled her eyes. “Anyone will do...all of us are having Chinese husband, right???”

“Sure thing...but I’m too lazy to talk about that geek now...so you start first...” Ara simply cut off and it made So Eun and Yoo Bi to laugh upon hearing Ara was addressing Lay as a geek. So Eun nodded her head, she darted her eyes to Yoo Bi but the teenage girl was smiling sheepishly to her, indicating that she should start ahead of her. Finally, So Eun sighed and leaned forward to rest her elbows on the table.

“Well...apparently, Kris is doing fine right now but...our marriage seems to be struggled with upcoming problem soon enough...” she told them while Ara raised her eyebrow to her.

“That sounds dramatic...but what is the problem???” she continued to ask while So Eun pursed her lips, she didn’t feel like sharing her personal trouble with them but she still needs their opinion so So Eun changed her words a bit. “Now I want to ask you both something...”

“What is it???” Yoo Bi asked and leaned her body against the chair, eyes fixed on So Eun.

“Hmmm...what will you do if your husband needs to marry someone else in order to save something important in his life??? Like for example, to save his company and he needs to deal by marriage to tie up the relation between companies...” Yoo Bi felt her jaw dropped open by the time So Eun finished talking but Ara snorted and rolled her eyes.

“Don’t ever let go of your husband! Just don’t give a damn about that company...your marriage isn’t some kind of game or play toy...you can’t simply throw it away when there’s no use of it or keep it just to get advantage from it...” Ara let out her opinion and Yoo Bi nodded her head in agreement. So Eun sighed, thinking over about it. But then she simply smiled – maybe they were right. She promised Kris to not let them fall apart after all. So Eun reached out her hand to tap Yoo Bi on her wrist across the table.

“Your turn!” she said and Yoo Bi pouted to her. She took another sip on her drink before she started,

“Luhan oppa was accident 7 months before...and he did coma because of it...but now when he woke up, he seems to be different...” So Eun narrowed her eyes.

“Different??? How???” Ara gave her a nod and leaned forward to the table. “...and how is he now??? Feeling better???”

“Ceh! He is good, unnie...but he is different when...he doesn’t seem to believe in me...” Yoo Bi answered with her low voice as Ara shrugged to her. “Why on Earth he doesn’t want to believe in you???”

Ara was kinda pissed off by it because the same case happened to her and Lay. Lay seems to have lack of faith in their marriage and toward her. But Yoo Bi chuckled and shook her head.

“I’m not sure...he just easily snap when we talk about my professor...” Yoo Bi replied again and it was So Eun’s turn to raise her eyebrow.

“Professor??? A man???” she guessed and Yoo Bi widened her eyes to So Eun. “That’s brilliant! How do you know???”

“Aigoo, kid! Your husband is just being jealous!” Ara interrupted between them and So Eun laughed out, nodding her head to Yoo Bi. But she pouted and scratched the back of her neck.

“Then what should I do to stop his jealousy???” Yoo Bi asked absentmindedly while Ara simply rolled her eyes and picked up her own cup to bring it toward .

“Just have then...” she carelessly suggested while So Eun was in the middle of gulping down her drink. Yoo Bi instantly widened her eyes as So Eun choked and coughed on her drink. She immediately put down her cup while Ara burst out laughing at her reaction and Yoo Bi leaned closer to So Eun and patted on her back.

“Are you okay, unnie???” Yoo Bi asked in concern while So Eun smiled sheepishly to her.

“Yeah, I’m fine...” she assured her and shot a glare at Ara. “What??? Why so surprise about it??? It’s a normal thing between married couple, right???”

Ara talked like she was a down right professional but of course, she never tries it herself with Lay. They had never started with their first night. The same went for Yoo Bi and Luhan too but only So Eun had experienced it inside her marriage and still feeling shy about it! Yoo Bi tried to agree with her opinion but they could clearly see pinkish hue appeared on both of her cheeks as she thought about it. So Eun laughed.

“Aigoo, Yoo Bi ah! You’re so cute!!!” she cheered and silence wrapped them again for a few minutes. Their mind drifted back to their husbands before Yoo Bi blinked her eyes to Ara.

“Unnie! You haven’t told us about your story...” she demanded but Ara rolled her eyes.

“Seriously, girls...there’s nothing interesting about it...Lay is a super, duper busy person! He’s an idol and all that he got to do is entertaining his fans everywhere, anytime and constantly...case close!” Ara explained in a rapid mode, making So Eun and Yoo Bi to stare transfix at her before they exchanged looks among them and burst out laughing again.

“Aish!!! This is too lame!!! Let’s go shopping!” Ara suddenly suggested after they finished laughing over the matter. So Eun and Yoo Bi stopped too and So Eun furrowed.

“Don’t you still have your work at the carnival down there???” she smiled in amusement toward Ara but Ara snorted and stood up. She stretched her waist around before she pulled Yoo Bi and So Eun to stand up – they obeyed in silence, waiting for Ara to speak.

“Let’s throw the working part away and have fun!!! Okay???”

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

“Ahh!!! This is fun!!!” Ara waved the plastic bags in both sides of her hands as she swung them around. She paced slowly at the side road of the night street, just going back from the shopping mall with So Eun and Yoo Bi. She decided to talk a walk on her way going home but as she hummed alone to herself, her eyes suddenly caught sight of something big across the road.

As she fixed her eyes on the big, flat screen in the middle of the city, she saw Exo’s music video appeared there. It was just in time when it came to the part where Lay was singing and dancing. Ara stood frozen as she was admiring her own husband. Inside the screen, he looked perfectly different from the normal him that she used to know. Lay looked powerful, dashing and happy there – like he did belong to that world which was so far away from Ara. The thought pissed her off and she turned away, refused to look again.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Yoo Bi sat at the bus station, waiting for Luhan to come picking her up after she parted from So Eun and Ara just now. She scanned around her before suddenly her phone rang inside her bag. She zipped it off and picked it up at once without checking on the ID number first.

“Hello, Yoo Bi’s speaking!”

“Good evening, Yoo Bi ah!” Yoo Bi blinked for a second when she heard Min Hyuk’s voice over the line. She smiled.

“Hey, what are you doing calling me now???” she rolled her eyes as thought that he could see her but Min Hyuk laughed.

“Nothing...I’m just...suddenly want to hear your voice...I miss you, Yoo Bi sshi...” Yoo Bi fell silent when she listened to his confession. She frowned, keeping shut for a while before Min Hyuk finally laughed. “Chill, Yoo Bi sshi...I’m just kidding!”

Yoo Bi then broke into cheerful laughter too before someone tapped her on her shoulder. Yoo Bi looked around and saw Luhan was standing behind her. She was still holding to her phone as she was desperate to find a way to stop the call. She was afraid that Luhan will be misunderstanding to her again. She darted her eyes away from Luhan to randomly look around.

“Em...Min Hyuk sshi...let’s talk tomorrow again at campus, okay??? Till then!” Yoo Bi cut off the line even before Min Hyuk could reply her anything. Then she gripped tighter on her phone and sat straight, facing Luhan. Luhan read her uncertain face and immediately understood that she tried to hide the call from him. He simply let go of a loud sigh and slipped his hands inside his pockets. He gazed toward Yoo Bi’s face and curved up a sarcastic smile to her.

“Enjoy your day out???” he asked as Yoo Bi hesitated to answer. “Ye...yeah...sort of...”

“Hmm...I guess you really enjoyed it...especially the last phone call just now, right???” Yoo Bi narrowed her eyes straight to his face, confusion clearly drawn on her face. Luhan chuckled but he shrugged.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

“I’m back!” So Eun slightly raised her voice when she climbed up the first floor toward her room.

“Kris???” she cornered around to search for him. When she was about to pull on the knob, wanting to enter the room that also decorated as his office at home, she stopped when she was startled by a loud bang.

“Rubbish!!! I want you to find another way to gain the money!” So Eun stopped dead by the door when she listened Kris was slamming his hands on the table in anger. He was in the middle of a conversation, discussing about the company’s problem again through the phone. It seems that the problem had become heavier and more difficult now.

So Eun leaned her body against the wall next to the door as she gazed up weakly on the ceiling. escaped a long sigh and she shut her eyes tight. What will happen to them if this situation keeps going on??? At such a critical and desperate moment like this, So Eun felt a strange urgency inside her. She needs to save Kris and his family right now because his family wasn’t just belonged to him only – they were her family too. So Eun knew that she had no other choice than to agree with the condition. But at her second thought, she was just a coward who couldn’t afford to lose Kris. Then, what can she do for more???

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