“Just what is so interesting on your phone that you aren’t paying me any of your attention?” the young man asked as he reached over for her phone.
Ae-cha rolled her eyes and held the phone away from the handsome man in front of her. “I was just checking the time and reading a message from Min. I’ve missed the ceremony,” she said and sighed.
“Didn’t you say that the bride said she understood that your boss was sending you to Jeju-do for business? And that it was ok since it had been scheduled for like almost a year?” he asked as stopped to pull out his own handphone. He zipped up his messenger bag and slung it over his shoulder before pocketing it. He reached for her bag draped on her own shoulder, just to have her push him out of the way.
“I got it,” she said, smiled cheekily and started to walk away from him. “It’s not that she doesn’t understand. She understands my predicament, but it still doesn’t make me feel any better that I missed one of my best friend’s wedding.” She glanced at the man who rushed ahead of her to raise a hand. She tilted her head when he held out a pair of sunglasses. “Two things; it’s cloudy and it’s already early evening so tell me why you’re handing me sunglasses?”
“Yeobo, are you really questioning me? Do you know who I am? Shall I call your boss?” he asked with a smirk.
Ae-cha narrowed her eyes and silently reached out to take the sunglasses. She put them on, quickly glanced around and when she saw that no one was paying attention to them, she turned back to face him to stick her tongue out. “Oh, shut it. Let’s go. I need to hurry back to my place to shower and change before I head to Seoul Central Church for the reception.”
“Tell me why I offered to drive you?” he asked and rushed to catch up again. “You’re so bossy.”
“Because I’ll tell your boss and—“
He reached out and covered her mouth. “All right already. Enough threats. Come on and let’s go. I’ll drop you off, hurry up… wait,” he said and raised an eyebrow. “Just what are you planning on wearing to this wedding?” He batted at her hand as she reached for the rear passenger side door of his car. “Answer me.”
She shrugged. “I haven’t the slightest idea. I just thought about wearing a pair of slacks with a t-shirt and one of my blazers?” she answered, noncommittally. She pushed him to the side and opened the door. She scowled over at him as he pushed the door close again. “What?”
“You really think I’m going to let my girlfriend go out looking like that?” he asked and rolled his eyes.
She quickly looked around before reaching out to cover his mouth. “Kim Kijung! You’re going to get in trouble one of these days. What if someone heard and tells the boss?”
Kijung chuckled and reached out to pull her hand away. “It’s not like he’d do anything to you or me. He loves me,” he said and opened the back door to place their things away. “But my right now, the most important thing is to make you pretty for this wedding!”
Ae-cha looked up as she was handed a small plate of kimbap. “Eat this and quit being so moody. I know how you are when you’re hungry,” he said and stuck his tongue out at her.
“Tell me again why I have to wear this?” she asked with a roll of her eyes. She picked up a piece of kimbap with her hands and popped it into her mouth.
He smacked at her hand. “Geez, have some manners and use chopsticks at least,” he said.
She smirked up at him and picked up another piece of kimbap using her fingers. “I don’t want to,” she answered and popped it into her mouth again. “Besides, I do have manners, just not around you.” She picked up another piece of kimbap again before he pulled the plate away.
“Then no more kimbap for you,” he said and smirked.
“Hey!” she shouted as she reached out for the plate. Truth was, she was just really hungry since she hadn’t had anything to eat since before the flight back to Seoul from Jeju-do.
“Plus,” Kijung continued, “It’s time for your hair and makeup. God knows how I had to fight you to get you in that dress.”
Ae-cha sighed. “I already agreed to it,” she said and pouted. It had taken the threat of calling in friends of his to make her over completely for her to agree to the dress, which he gloated about for over half an hour on the ride over to their company.
“Anyways, so tell me again who’s wedding this is? Are they in the business?” he asked as he started putting BB cream on her face.
“I’ve told you about them before. They’re friends from my undergrad days,” she answered with closed eyes.
“Mhmm, which ones and how long have they been together? You have like a million friends from back in the day, you know.”
“Misun —the traditional dancer— and Namgi —the painter— have been together for years and years. They’re older than me, but Misun befriended me since I was missing my eonnie so much,” she answered, eyes wide as he put on mascara.
“Oh, Moon Namgi, right?” She nodded. “I’ve heard the name; he’s handsome,” he said and clapped his hands. “Ta da! Done! Now you look befitting to be my girlfriend.”
Ae-cha rolled her eyes but said nothing and stood. “Can we go now? I bet they’ve already had dinner,” she said and reached out for the small purse left out for her.
“Wait, you’re going to the wedding alone? Without me?” he asked with a pout.
She sighed. “Kijung oppa, would you like to go to the wedding with me?” she asked, knowing that if she didn’t ask him, it would only make her even later than she was while he went on about it.
He smiled. “Aww, my girlfriend loves me,” he said and air-kissed her cheeks. “Give me five minutes. Unlike someone in the room, I can get ready by myself.” He walked through the door with a smirk and a wave.
She rolled her eyes, sat down and leaned over to pick up the plate of kimbap again.
Ae-cha and Kijung —who had taken fifteen minutes to get ready, instead of the five he had promised— finally arrived at the Seoul Central Church. He parked his car and as the gentleman that he always claimed to be, rushed over to open her door. He held out a hand and helped her step out. “By the way, Ae-cha, you look stunning tonight,” he said and smirked. “Then again, I chose everything from the dress down to the jewelry for you, so of course you would.”
She rolled her eyes again and batted at his hand. “Just shut it and let’s go in.”
He laughed and followed her into the banquet hall. They walked through the short hallway and towards the noise coming from what they were assuming was the separate reception halls. The church and attached halls were a fair size that would sometimes hold up to three weddings at a time. So, they wanted to make sure they were going to the correct place and not unsuspectedly walk into the wrong wedding.
Ae-cha stuck her head into the first banquet hall and looked around for people she would know only to straighten when she heard someone call her name.
“Ae-cha!”
She turned towards the sound of her name and smiled at the sight of one of her other best friends run towards her. “Min eonnie,” she simply said and allowed the shorter girl to hug her.
Min pulled away and returned the smile. “You look beautiful!” she exclaimed, pulling the younger girl into another hug. Min looked behind Ae-cha to smile at Kijung. “This must be your doing.” She pulled away to give him a side-hug as she kept an arm around Ae-cha’s waist.
Kijung rolled his eyes. “Of course, short stuff,” he said with a raised eyebrow, before laughing and enveloping her in a hug.
Min narrowed her eyes at him. “How many times do I have to tell you to not… call… me… short stuff!” she shouted and punched at him.
He jumped back, dodging the punch and laughing again. “I don’t think I could put a number… maybe a million? A billion?”
Min pretended to kick his shin as Ae-cha stood nearby and laughed at them. She straightened and walked in between them to stop them, otherwise they would fight all night. “Hey eonnie, before I go in and can’t get a chance to, I need to use the restroom.”
Min smiled and pointed down the hallway. “I just went, so I’ll stay here and keep this creeper company.”
“Hey, I am not a creeper, short stuff,” he said and crossed his arms.
“As long as I’m short stuff, you’re a creeper,” Min said, crossing her own arms.
Ae-cha just shook her head and walked away, not-so-silently giggling at the pair.
Tonight was going to be a night to write home about. She giggled again at the thought.
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