Joyful laughter and loud noises filled the house. It’s been quite a while since the clique shared such kind of relaxing time, comfortably chatting with each other, cracking some jokes and teasing in between the talk. Not everyone was present that night but their absence didn’t hinder the rest from having fun especially because they knew they would be seeing those who couldn’t make it by the next day since they certainly wouldn’t want to miss one of their friends’ important day.

“I can’t believe you’re the first among us to get married.” It was Kai who blurted as soon as he gulped his second can of soft drink, eyeing the youngest as he leaned back on the couch, resting his right foot on his left thigh.

Sehun scoffed, “Oh please, I’m the first one to get into a real relationship okay?”

“Just for your info I started dating when I was 13.” Tao barged in the living room with packages of snacks on his embrace, the ones he happened to find when he checked on the kitchen cabinets.

“I said real relationship not a crush or whatever feeling you got when you were still a kid who peed your pants.” Sehun turned aside and when he found what the other was holding. “Yah!! Don’t you think you make yourself too comfortable in my house?” He scolded, wondering how the other seemed to know his residence better and better in his every visit.

“Don’t be so petty. It’s not like you can finish them all by yourself and let me remind you that a 13-year-old kid no longer pees his pants.” He shot the younger daggers before tearing the first package of snack open.

“Guys you’re so loud, Let’s not argue about something like this okay?” It was Luhan who attempted to mediate the childish little dispute that was never absent in every time they gathered but that was the actual highlight because without it, each and everyone of them would certainly feel that something crucial was missing.

“So, how do you feel?” Luhan turned his attention back to sehun and the youngest knew exactly what he was referring to.

“Slightly nervous but I can’t wait for tomorrow.” He shrugged, imagining the fact that he would officially carry even a greater responsibility the moment he said out loud the wedding vow but it wasn’t a burden, at all. Because when he envisioned how he would build his own family with his beloved other half, his lips would immediately stretched into a wide grin.

“Yeah, you can’t wait for the night time to be exact.” One corner of chanyeol’s lips twitched upward, forming a cunning smirk as he sent the youngest a meaningful glare.

“You’re envious?” Sehun raised an eyebrow at his friend, coping with the other’s tease very well.

“Woww, judging from your reaction, tomorrow’s definitely not going to be the first one. You’re way too calm man.”

Sehun chuckled. Inwardly, he found it funny how his friend’s thought was a total opposite of the reality. Shereen and he never went too far. Sure they shared passionate kisses that drove his needs to a point where he almost couldn’t put up with. There were moments when his girlfriend didn’t even realize that she was torturing him when she unintentionally grinded against him. It tortured him because he felt too good, too elated he didn’t think he would be able to hold back if they were to go any further. But sehun wouldn’t do that. He wouldn’t hurt her especially when he had found out about her anxiety. He took everything slow. He gave her time until she felt certain enough to do it.

“I don’t agree with you actually. Shereen isn’t the type to…you know. They haven’t done it. Believe me.” It was Lay joined the conversation and settled himself on the space next to Luhan after he lost the games he focused on playing earlier.

“Yeah but who can guarantee that when our maknae here is definitely a sneaky one? Remember the time they had that heated make-out session in classroom after graduation ceremony?” Chanyeol defended his opinion, confident of how the evidence seemed to strengthened his view.

“I agree.” Kris added. “I bet 5,000” He took out the bill from his designer wallet and smacked it against the table.

“I’m in. 10,000” This time, it was Kai flashing a confident grin as he placed the bill next to Kris’.

“You guys better don’t cry when you find out the truth. 10,000 and I bet they haven’t done it, not even once.” Luhan waved his index finger, not less confident than the two as his lips stretched into a smug grin. “Lay?” He turned to face Lay, who was obviously sharing the same view as him.

“15,000. We’ll win anyway hyung.”

The whole conversation turned into a betting session. Sehun could only shake his head at the elders’ act, could hardly believe that each and everyone of them seemed to put so much interest in his dating life.

“Now we’re done. Tell us maknae. Do you ever do it with shereen?”

All eyes were now focused on him and sehun could see how their eyes glistened with anticipation, silently hoping what he would announce was exactly what they predicted.

“A moment please. I need to calm down.” It was Baekhyun who interrupted when he rested his palm on his chest, briefly shutting his eyes as he took a deep breath.

“Yah!! There’s no need to be so dramatic.” Chanyeol scolded, obviously being impatient.

“I bet 20,000 stupid unlike you who only bet half of it.” He retorted as he smacked the back of the other’s head.

“You guys never grow up. Always act like kids. Now can we get back to the most important part?” Kris reconciled the two, somehow anxious like the others about the answer the youngest would blurt. “Now maknae. Tell us.”

There was a long pause when they all waited for his reply but there were no protests, simply because their mind were too occupied with expectation and tension.

“I don’t know. Ask shereen.” It was when sehun shot up from his seat and left the living room that all of them began to complain.

                                                                        ***

In shereen’s room, the atmosphere was a lot more tranquil because it was only her and her two girl friends, Yoo Bi and sora, who occupied it. Nana was supposed to join but since she couldn’t make it, the girl promised shereen to show up the next day, on her important day.

“Oh God, look at you. You’re officially Mrs. Oh from tomorrow. How do you feel?” Yoo Bi took the younger’s hand, her voice showing a tone of excitement.

Shereen let out a slight smile, her cheeks colored in a light shade of pink as she imagined the new title she was going to possess in just a few hours. “I’m really nervous unnie. You know I’m clumsy. I’m just afraid that I’ll end up doing something stupid like dropping the ring or stumbling because I’m just….. too nervous” She sighed.

“Oh come on you said the same thing before your graduation speech but hey, everything’s alright.” Sora consoled while Yoo Bi gave her an encouraging nod.

“What’s with that expression? We’re supposed to be celebrating happily tonight. Tomorrow’s your wedding day!” Her friend squealed, trying to lighten up the mood.

“So, have you prepared anything for your first night?”

Shereen blushed from her friend’s straightforwardness. Just the thought of it was enough to make her cheeks got a shade redder.

“Oh come on don’t tell me you get nothing prepared. That’s your first night for God’s sake shereen ah. The night you and him will officially become one. He expects a lot, I bet. Sehun’s a guy afterall.”

Shereen gulped. Just before she could open to voice something, she was cut off by sora who was blurting what’s exactly on her mind.

“Don’t tell me you still not allow him to touch you.” Both of her friends’ eyes widened in shock and disbelief and shereen could only bit her bottom lip, too embarrassed to give even a slight nod as an acknowledgement but for Yoo Bi and sora, it was more than obvious that her silence meant a yes.

“I swear shereen you’re going to regret having him on the same bed but not being touched at all.” Yoo Bi shook her head, gasping for air right after she finished blurting the sentence fast.

“Wait, he really keeps his promise? You guys don’t have skinship at all for weeks? Not even holding hands?”

Shereen looked down onto her lap. A moment later, she shook her head.

“Okay okay but let’s try to think positively..” Yoo Bi raised her hand when she looked at the sad expression on the bride-to-be’s face. “Since it’s a wedding night, maybe there’s a tendency for him to break the rules. And I know you actually regret the condition that you yourself set shereen ah and you just have too high pride to admit it in front of him. Hey, it’s normal anyway. Every girl is like that. So, the point is sehun’s a guy after all. He won’t be able to resist having you on the same bed without touching you so…. he will give up and beg you to end all that agreement.”

“Unnie, are you sure? Sehun does not touch her at all for weeks. Doesn’t it mean he bear with it quite well?” Sora raised an eyebrow, doubting the elder’s statement.

The moment she gained hope didn’t last long because despite how badly she wanted to believe Yoo Bi, shereen had to admit that Sora got a point there.

“Oh… b-but there’s always an exception though. It’s the wedding night, isn’t it? The night every newly wed’s looking forward to.” It was when the elder nudged her side that sora eventually altered her words, agreeing with the elder to sooth shereen who was still having her head hang down low.
“Alright, cheer up. Let’s check on your must-to-be items.” Not giving the younger any chance to be drowned in her regret, Yoo Bi exchanged a meaningful gaze with sora and in a second shereen was dragged to where her suitcases were placed.

                                                            ***

“Congratulations for your wedding.”

“Aigooo sehunnie!! You grow up well. Time sure flies fast I could still hardly believe it’s your wedding day. Best wishes for your marriage.”

“Congratulations. I hope you have a long and happy marriage.”

Those were friends, relatives, business partners, and colleagues’ wishes for shereen and him. Sehun was busy attending on the guests as one by one of them made their way to him, uttering all good wishes on this important day.

“Unnie, you’re so pretty.” Meanwhile, shereen was waiting in the bride’s room and she lit up a smile when she was a familiar figure stepped into the room and approached her.

“Soo jin ah, thank you for coming and by the way your new hair color looks great on you.”

“I look great in everything.” The girl smiled proudly, jokingly swaying her wavy blonde hair, causing shereen to laugh along.

“Unnie you know what? Your jaw will drop when you see sehun oppa. He is just……ughh.. I can’t describe it in words.”

“Really? Since I trust you, I expect a lot.”

“Later on, I’ll introduce you to my boyfriend. He’s way cooler than sehun oppa but don’t worry sehun oppa’s cool enough. My boyfriend’s just….perfect.” She said dreamily and once again it helped to ease shereen’s nervosity. The younger was always bright and no wonder she was jealous when she first saw the girl being so close to sehun during the time they went on a summer vacation to his family resort in Okinawa.

There wasn’t much time for their talk but despite it the two managed to have fun and caught up with each other in their brief conversation. The moment the girl stepped out of the room, anxiety began to build up again inside shereen, causing that groggy feeling as well as uncomfortable sensation in her stomach. Shereen took a deep breath as a desperate attempt to calm herself down. Another five minutes. Another five minutes and her father would walk her down the aisle.

“Don’t be nervous. Everything’s going to be alright.” Her father patted her arm that was now clinging on his own, flashing her a warm and caring smile, offering a sense of assurance.

It helped. But still, she voiced her thought “There are so many guests coming. I’m afraid that the moment the door’s open and I meet their eyes I’m going to end up stumbling or doing anything stupid because really, this nervosity is killing me.”

“You won’t. Even if you do, appa will hold you firmly and when you’re nervous the moment you reach the altar, don’t worry. Sehun will be there with you. You have me with you all the way we walk down the aisle and sehun with you the moment you reach the altar. Nothing to be worried about, isn’t it?”

Shereen had to fight hard to not let the tears that were already forming in her eyes to fall. Her eyes were glassy because truth to be told, it was the most soothing word ever that she got to hear, a simple sentence from her father that took all her worries away.

“Oh come on, you’re not going to cry on your wedding day. You don’t want the guests to wonder why the bride gets her make up smudged. You have to be the prettiest today and you really are so don’t cry.” He her hair and wiped away the tears that had formed in the corner of her eyes.

“Ready?”

“Yes.” Shereen nodded, this time full of certainty and determination. There was really nothing to be scared about, nothing at all because she got two most important males in her life staying by her side. Wedding march echoed through the grand halls, accompanied by cheers and claps from all the guests and shereen’s feet moved at a steady elegant space, her hand holding his father’s arm tightly as if it was the strongest support she could ever get and yes, it really was. The moment she conquered her nervosity, her mind fully realized the presence of a familiar figure at the end of the aisle. Her heart pounding hard against her chest, threatening to burst out when she vaguely saw his captivating smile from meters apart. Despite the distance, there was one thing she was certain. Soo Jin was wrong. Her jaw didn’t drop, it was her heartbeat crazy speed and her not-blinking eyes being a pure reaction when her father walked her closer and closer to him, her boyfriend for three years, her soon-to-be husband, her everything, Oh sehun. He had been always stunning in her eyes and if it was even possible, the man looked even more breathtaking in his white tuxedo which matched her white strapless gown perfectly.

“Take care of her please, will you?”

It was when her father spoke up that shereen realized how she had been standing in front of him, watching the interaction between the two males.

“I will…with all my might.” Determination filled sehun’s firm words, leaving no space for even the slightest bit of hesitation and waver.

As soon as her hands reached his, shereen felt an electrifying spark on her whole system. Again, it was her body natural reaction and reflex ever since the moment sehun agreed to the condition she set. She realized  long ago that she had made a wrong agreement and on this day her body verified what her mind had long realized.

Shereen took a deep breath for the umpteenth time of the day. Just a little more, just a few minutes more and she would be officially granted a new title and role. The feeling of being sehun’s wife was something she couldn’t express with words because if she did, the list of vocabularies to describe how wonderful it was would be endless. There was a mixture of feelings but none of them were bad ones.

Shereen could already feel a tear forming in her eyes when her ears listened attentively to the male as he recited the sacred vows. It was beautiful, very beautiful and it sounded like a melody to her ears.

"I, Oh Sehun, take you, Choi Ji hyun, for my lawful wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, to love and to cherish, until death do us part."

She was still mesmerized by sehun’s beautiful voice the moment he finished uttering his vows. Now, it was her turn. Silently praying that her voice wouldn’t crack, she recited “I, Choi Ji hyun, take you, Oh Sehun, for my lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, to love and to cherish, until death do us part."

Shereen didn’t even dare to look directly into his eyes when the exchanging ring process was conducted because she was afraid, afraid that when she met his clear orbs, she would burst into tears. No other reason since it was pure joy she was feeling at the moment and she couldn’t believe that starting from this day, the man right before her eyes was her husband, soulmate, life partner.

“I now pronounce you as husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride.”

The moment sehun leaned in closer, shereen could only swallow hard because that butterfly in her stomach wouldn’t go away and even worse her heartbeat was incontrollable. Shereen was aware that her body always reacted that way whenever sehun was around, specifically whenever he was staying very close to her but never did she expect it would go to this extent. Was it because of the nonexistence of skinship for weeks? Only if she knew it would cause so much impact on her, she wouldn’t have made that kind of agreement because at the end, she was the one at disadvantage.

Groggily, she returned his strong but somehow loving gaze and the moment he stopped when their faces were only centimeters apart, he whispered “I’m sure you don’t want people to wonder why the groom doesn’t kiss the bride so I’m not breaking my promise. This is an exception because it’s a formal procedure…” She gulped. This would be the first skinship in weeks and shereen mentally facepalmed herself. Only if she didn’t set such a condition, she was sure she wouldn’t be this nervous. Again, she could only blame herself. “But anyway, just want to let you know. Thank you for marrying me, my beautiful wifey.”

Before shereen could take her time to treasure his words and repeat them in her mind, she was taken aback by his warm lips that brushed against hers, moving ever so tenderly and lovingly. Slowly, her lids closed, savoring the feel of his lips against hers, recalling the memories of numerous kisses they used to share, and casting all her longing away. In that very second, they shared their first kiss as a married couple.

Oh guys I seriously need your honest comments on this chapter because I’m really worried if it isn’t written well enough. I try to update regularly despite my schedule so I am not sure of how you guys perceive this chapter.

As for the next update…mmm…many of you seem to want me to include their wedding night, honeymoon, shereen’s pregnancy so I’ll try my best to fulfill your wish ^^