Chapter 18: Pre-Wedding Jitters

                Bongcha had been sitting still for the longest time since she had graduated high school. It didn’t matter that that had only been a few months ago, it felt like forever and college was creeping up. What was pressing right now, however, was that she felt like she was wearing like four pounds of makeup on her face.

                She admitted that she looked very pretty. The makeup artists had accentuated all of her best features while hiding any blemishes that she had managed to pick up in the last week and a half. She was also wearing a bright red shade of lipstick that she had no idea she could pull off until now.

                Her hair had been pulled up into an elaborate bun that seemed to take a thousand or two bobby pins to hold up. Her veil had somehow been attached to the bun on top of her head but only covered the top part of her face. Jiyong had used some special word to describe it but she really hadn’t been paying attention.

                Somehow in all of the chaos, she had put on her dress and one of the ladies had zipped her up into it. She was also wearing a pair of heels Jiyong had picked out for her. Surprisingly, they were pretty comfortable but her feet had adapted to wearing heels over the past few years.

                “Are you excited?” Jiyong asked, standing there perfectly dressed in the tuxedos he had picked out for him and Daesung to wear. She only had two bridesmaids and they were both men, but Bongcha hoped to make more girl friends in college. Now, she focused on fixing Jiyong’s tie despite the fact that it was pretty much perfect by itself.

                “And so freakishly nervous,” she replied honestly. Her grabbed her hands and gave them a gently squeeze, careful of her perfectly manicured nails.

                “Don’t be. This is what you’ve been preparing for. You’re marrying the man of your dreams after all,” he reassured her. He looked like he wanted to say something else but smiled gently before letting go of her hands. He readjusted his own tie to be perfectly straight.

                “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” she nodded.

                “Well, are you going to give her your blessing or what?” Daesung asked, leaving his tie just a little bit crooked. His arms were crossed over his chest as he leaned against the wall, the only safe place in the room at the moment. His biceps bulged underneath the black fabric making Bongcha wonder if perhaps they worked out just a bit too much.

                “My blessing?” Jiyong asked, “Isn’t her father supposed to do that?”

                “Isn’t it the same?” Daesung laughed, his smile spreading across his face and crinkling his eyes. Bongcha couldn’t help but smile as well but then was afraid that her lipstick had smeared onto her teeth. Jiyong, on the other hand, stared at Daesung biting his bottom lip.

                “Yeah, where’s my blessing?” Bongcha teased, poking Jiyong’s chest.

                He stared down at her and, for once, his brown eyes were unreadable to her. Finally, he let out a deep breath before his expression changed to one of pride and love, “I give you my blessing to marry Seungri. I hope you two have a long, happy marriage. I’ll always be here for you but I guess I need to give up that position to him as well.”

                “That was the worst blessing I’ve ever heard,” Daesung sighed. He patted Jiyong on the shoulder and gave him a wink before gently nudging him out of the dressing room. “It’s okay though, it’s time for us to get in our places anyways.”

                Now, Bongcha was left alone. Nervously, she twisted her engagement ring around her finger. It was odd to think that this ring, which had occupied that finger for the last three years, would soon be joined by another one. It was also slightly more nerve wrecking that she was getting up in front of both of their families’ business partners along with their friends and family.

                “Calm down,” she whispered, “It’ll be okay. Calm down.”

                “Bongcha-ssi,” one of the coordinators called as she knocked on the door, “Bongcha-ssi, it’s time.”

                “Coming,” she called back. One last calming breath before she opened the door. The coordinator rushed her down the hall before leaving her in front of large, white double doors that reminded her somewhat of the Lee mansion. The doors slowly opened and the first thing she saw was Seungri standing by the pastor who was going to marry them.

                He was wearing a gray tuxedo that hugged his frame perfectly. For some strange reason, he was wearing a bowtie instead of a tie which caused her to let out a small giggle. He smiled back at her, his face lighting up like Christmas day. She wanted to run up to him but, instead, she walked slowly up the aisle to the music that was playing.

                After a long walk up the curved aisle, she stopped next to Seungri. Their eyes were glued to each other as the pastor began to speak. If it wasn’t for the fact that she had to pay attention to what he was saying for her specific line, Bongcha would’ve completely blocked the guy out. Seungri seemed to be having the same problem from the way he was looking at her. Though his eyes has a tinge more of lust than Bongcha’s.

                Seunghyun and Jiyong were both snickering at the groom and bride. Daesung tried to hide how amused he was while Youngbae seemed to be lost in fantasy land, planning his own future wedding. Finally, the pastor asked the important question, “Lee Seunghyun, do you take Song Bongcha to be your wedded wife, to love together in marriage? Do you promise to love her, comfort her, honor and keep her for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, and forsaking all others, be faithful only to her, for as long as you both shall live?”

                “I do,” Seungri replied, looking down at her longingly.

                “Song Bongcha, do you take Lee Seunghyun to be your wedded husband to live together in marriage? Do you promise to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health and forsaking all others, be faithful only to him so long as you both shall live?”

                “I do,” she answered almost a little too quickly, causing Seungri to laugh a little and Daesung to snort with laughter. The pastor nodded and smiled at the couple before continuing on with the usual phrases and such.

                “If any of you has reasons why these two should not be married, speak now or forever hold your peace.”