Won and Da-kyung sat in rooms at the opposite ends of the hall. Tan was with Won, helping him get ready. “Hyung, are you okay?” “Why wouldn’t I be?” “I know how much you miss Hyun-joo noona. Isn’t there another you can safeguard your place at the company without having to do this?” “Let’s try not to talk about Hyun-joo today; I’m in the process of getting over her. I deserve to have lost her.” “Hyung, still…” “Stop it Tan. I don’t want to talk about it today. Not today of all days.” “Fine, I won’t mention it again.” “Thank you. How are plans for University coming? Have you applied to any schools yet?” Tan adjusted his brother’s tie and help him put on his jacket. “I don’t know, I can’t decide on which school I want to go. Do you any ideas?” “Do you want to go to America again? You can go to Harvard Business School.” “Hyung, are you sending me away again? America is too far away. I can’t leave you and Omma and Eun-sang alone again. I won’t do it.” Tan folded his arms against his chest. Won looked at him and shook his head. “At least think about it. I can arrange for Eun-sang to go with you. This is about expanding your horizons, not sending you away. I already told you I needed you at my side. Talk to Eun-sang about it.” “Hyung, you look very handsome today.” Won sighed and turned back to the mirror. He just wanted to get through this day. If he got through this day, everything would be fine. That’s what he needed to believe.

“Unni, stay still.” Eun-sang was helping Da-kyung get into her dress. She zipped her up and smiled. “You’re very pretty Unni.” Da-kyung smiled back. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and sighed. She did look beautiful; she just wished that she cared about who she was looking for beautiful for. “Eun-sang, have you ever thought about not being in love with Tan?” “Right now? No. We’ve already overcome so much together but I don’t know what might happen in the future. We may be together forever and we might break up tomorrow.” Da-kyung looked at her. “I don’t have a lot of friends, but I sincerely like you Eun-sang. Will you be my friend? I desperately need a friend right now.” “Of course, I’ll be your friend Unni. But are you okay? You look so sad all of a sudden.” Da-kyung looked at the floor and bit her lip, debating whether to tell her about things between her and Won. She figured she might as well tell her. They were almost family anyway. “Truthfully, I wasn’t Won’s choice and neither was he mine.” Eun-sang searched Da-kyung’s face, she looked really sad, almost on the verge of tears. “What do you mean?” She asked, “I was in love with someone else and Won also loved someone else. You might know her, Jeon Hyun-joo. She is a teacher at your school.” Eun-sang’s eyes widened. She did know Teacher Jeon. She could hardly believe her teacher had dated Tan’s brother. Tan never even mentioned it to her. “So, what happened?” “Our fathers wanted us to marry for the sake of the company. Chairman Kim wanted a Telecomms business and my father wanted to be related to the almighty Jeguk Group. So, we had no choice but to put aside the people we loved and marry each other.” Da-kyung was sobbing silently, Eun-sang felt so bad for her. This is what almost happened to Tan last year. She hugged Da-kyung and patted her on the back, consoling her. “Unni, don’t cry. It’s going to be okay. Won oppa is a really nice guy. He’ll treat you well.” Da-kyung just cried more. The tears she hadn’t been able to shed ever since she broke up with Ji-hwan were all coming forth unbridled. She wept until she was sure she had no more tears. “Thank you Eun-sangah. I really needed to let all these feelings out. I’m really glad you decided to be my friend.” She hugged Eun-sang back, and then dried her tears. Her make-up was all smudged so she sent for the make-up artist and had her make-up re-applied.

The guests were arriving and the fathers were on either side of the door, welcoming them as they arrived. The Jeguk group employees, the Yang Telecomms employees and the students of Jeguk High all arrived. Chan-young, Bo-na, Myung-soo and Young-do all arrived together. Young-do was only here as a representative of his father who was serving the second year of his four year jail term. Shortly after, Rachel arrived along with her mother. The students took up one row of seats. “Don’t you just love weddings?” Bo-na asked, “Don’t start thinking anything crazy Lee Bo-na, you still have to go to university.” Myung-soo said. “What university are you planning on attending?” Chan-young asked Myung-soo, “I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it yet.” He replied. “Well of course he hasn’t thought about it. When does he have time to think between hopping in and out of clubs and sleeping?” Bo-na said and flipped her hair. Myung-soo stuck his tongue out at her then asked, “Why is Kang Ye-sol absent?” “She’s travelling the world.” Bo-na replied. Young-do and Rachel didn’t join the conversation, each one lost in their own world.

Rachel thought about everything that had happened last year, she had been engaged to Tan but had lost him to Eun-sang. She didn’t really hold it against Eun-sang, eventually, she had let it go. She now worried about someone else. She and Hyo-shin sunbae had been exchanging letters and phone calls ever since he went to the army last year. She hadn’t developed the nerve to go and visit him yet because she was still confused as to her feelings about him. It all started when she kissed him to get back at Tan. At that time, she didn’t think she would feel anything for him. He was always just around the corner, always hovering around her, until he suddenly announced that he was going to the army. She realized that she missed him but she couldn’t understand why. She had told Hyo-shin sunbae that she was going to Won’s wedding and he had asked who the bride was. She had told him and he had been silent for a while. “What is it, why aren’t you saying anything?” She had asked and he had told her nothing was wrong. He had promised to call her later, that was two days ago. She wondered what was going through his mind; did he know something about the bride? She sighed and checked her phone again. “Babo.” She said and turned it off.

Young-do worried about his father. He had looked okay when he had gone to see him last week at the prison. “Young-doya, I need you to go and represent me at President Kim’s wedding.” His father had said to him. He had worried about running into Tan. He still hadn’t figured a way to be friends with him again. All those years when they were apart, he had missed his friend terribly. When he came back last year, he was so angry that Tan had changed that he had terrorized him and tried to get his old friend back. He had seen the effect Eun-sang had on Tan and he had wanted Eun-sang for himself too. He had realized that everything he had done had been because he felt sorry to Tan for calling him a bastard; he had felt guilty for letting his mother go. “Abeoji, is it important that we attend the wedding?” He had asked his father. “Of course, just because I am in here, doesn’t mean we have to let formalities go.” His father had replied and so he was here, standing the risk of running into Tan and Eun-sang, he sighed. He had to find a way to be friends with Tan again, and he had to find a way to get over wanting Eun-sang. He was a different person now, so he could do it.   

Won took a deep sigh and walked into the hall behind Tan. He looked straight ahead, trying not to make eye contact with anyone so he didn’t have to force himself to smile. He saw Myung-soo give Tan a thumbs up and Tan smiled and gave Myung-soo a thumbs up in return. He didn’t have any friends, well if you didn’t count Yoon Jin-ho. He made his way to the end of aisle and turned, never taking his eyes off the ground.

Eun-sang walked in ahead of Da-kyung. She smiled at Tan and watched him go slack-jawed. She giggled. She loved to see the effect she had on him. She loved that she was the only one who could make him speechless. It was a good feeling. He smiled at her and nodded in approval and she winked at him. When Eun-sang got to the end of the aisle, the wedding march played and Da-kyung walked in on her father’s arm. She looked straight at Eun-sang and she saw Eun-sang give her a small smile and she smiled back. At least one thing she was getting from this misery was Eun-sang’s friendship. Even though Eun-sang was much younger than her, the girl had a maturity beyond her years mixed with her youthful innocence. She focused all her attention on Eun-sang and forgot about her groom who was directly opposite the priest. She got to the end of the aisle, and her father handed her over to Won. Tan piped in from behind Won, “Da-kyung noona, you look really pretty.” She smiled at him. “Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today…” She drowned out the voice of the priest and looked straight ahead. “Unni, you have t o answer.” Eun-sang whispered to her, startling her out of her reverie. “Uh? Oh, yes I do.” She replied absentmindedly. “By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife, you may kiss the bride.” Won and Da-kyung turned to each other and stared at one another for what seemed like forever. Then Won moved closer to her lips then stopped. “Make it look believable.” He whispered then kissed her. He brushed her lips lightly with his, like a butterfly landing on a flower and taking off again. Like that, it was over. The hall erupted in applause and some people whistled. She stood still, wondering what just happened. Won had turned away from her and was being congratulated by Tan. Tan seemed to be asking permission from his brother before he enveloped him in a hug. “Unni, chukahaeyo.” Eun-sang said and hugged her. “I know it’ll be hard, but try to get along with Won oppa, he is a really nice guy and I think you two need each other now more than ever.” Eun-sang whispered in her ear before letting her go. The families and friends gathered together for pictures, the bride’s family on her side and the groom’s family on his side. She tried to smile, she knew she should. She glanced at Won and saw that he was doing the same, forcing a smile on his face. She looked back at the camera, I can do this, she thought to herself and forced a smile.

Author’s note: I realize that the story may seem a bit slow, but please bear with me this is first time.