Chapter 33

Thanks to my absolute focus, I was able to memorize all the pages and I made it to my wedding dress appointment.

That darn diary was probably more of a record of JiHan’s niceties than my own personal stories. Since I’d spent so much of my energy memorizing the entries, I was unable to spend the same amount of energy on choosing a dress, even though I was the one getting married.

I glanced over at JiHan with a less than enthusiastic expression. The fire that I lacked in my eyes was mirrored in JiHan’s as he examined each dress in detail.

If someone else had seen it, they would have thought he was the groom to be. Behind me, the employee exclaimed excitedly.

“I’ve never seen a groom put so much effort into choosing a dress. It’s so nice to see!”

“Oh! It’s not like that! He’s not my husband!” I denied assertively.

“Oh, really? I’m sorry miss. Most brides come with their fiancé so I just assumed. I guess your husband to be wasn’t able to make it?”

At the employee’s question, I pretended to be disappointed and nodded my head.

“Yes. Until the wedding in two weeks, he’s away on a business trip. The moment he gets back, we will have to get our engagement photos done so I need to choose a dress and tuxedo today. If there’s a dress I like, I will purchase it today.”

“Oh, I see. Then who is this who came with you?”

“My husband’s brother.”

“Sorry? Oh, your future brother-in-law?”

“Well...yes something like that,” I answered hesitantly.

I hoped JiHan would not explode like last time. He did indeed look extremely upset about it and glared laser beams at me with those cold eyes.

Oh really! I can’t even call my future brother-in-law, my future brother-in-law?

I reverted my attention back to my dress, unable to say aloud what I was thinking. I mumbled under my breath while avoiding his gaze, and looked through the wedding dresses.

If he hates the idea of this marriage so much, why did he even bother following me here? It’s not like he’s going to see anything good. I’m sure he didn’t come to help me out...

Lost in thought, I almost didn’t notice JiHan until he handed me a wedding dress.

“Try this on first.”

I turned and found that he still had the angry expression on his face. I gulped in fear, and without comment, took the dress from him. With the help of the employee, I headed to the dressing room.

***

I stood in front of the mirror with my hair styled in an updo and my dress tightened to fit my form. The dress reflected in the mirror was a tight fitting tube top with a full, bell shaped skirt.

I hadn’t noticed it on the rack, but the dress had an elegant skirt with intricate embroidery, and the top creased subtly to show off my figure. It was delicate like a morning haze. I was wearing a beautiful dress.

“Did he really come to help me?” I mumbled to myself as I gazed in the mirror.

I couldn’t imagine why Lee JiHan, who fiercely opposed the wedding, would pick out such a beautiful dress. I couldn’t figure him out.

If he’s not trying to help me, then why did he pick out this dress for me?

No, JiHan was definitely against this wedding. How could he want to help me? Opposing my wedding, but helping me choose a dress, what is this?

Looking at the reflection in the mirror of the world’s most beautiful dress, my suspicions rose to parallel it’s beauty and I was totally lost.

Why...what is the meaning behind this...

As my feelings of awe turned to ones of suspicion, I heard the employee’s voice.

“Miss, I’m going to open the curtain now.”

Curtain? I turned my head in a sort of crisis imagining JiHan behind the curtain.The employee’s hands reached out to open it.

“No! No! Don’t open it!”

I ran to the employee and grabbed her hand. She looked at me in surprise.

“Miss, we have to open this curtain for your guest to see you...”

“I can see it myself!”

“Sorry?”

“I can look and decide on my own, so don’t open the curtain!”

“But your guest...”

“Don’t open it, don’t open it, don’t open it!”

Knowing that I would see JiHan the moment the curtain was opened, I begged the employee to spare me.

I couldn’t imagine JiHan seeing me like this. Getting in the way was one thing, but he’d just make me want to run away. Not because of his criticisms, but because of the way my heart pounded around him. Just thinking of him seeing me in this dress made my face flush red.

“Oh, all right, miss. Please calm down.”

The employee looked at me in trepidation, but answered politely and let go of the curtain. She put her hands up above her chest, telling me to relax as if I had been threatening her with a gun.

Suddenly the curtain was flung open.

“Ack!” I screamed reflexively and saw JiHan two steps away from me.

“Is the reason you are talking behind this flimsy curtain to tell me to open this myself? Jihan asked rashly with his head lopsided and his brows narrowed.

Scared, I hid myself behind the employee.

“Uh, No. That’s not it.”

“Being unable to see you is making me angry, so you’d better get out here.”

I didn’t answer.

“Get out here before I pull you out.”

I gulped at his frightening threat and slowly moved out into the open.

With my head hung like a student in trouble, I stepped in front of JiHan ready for his punishment.

But what I heard was not scolding but clapping. It slowly echoed around me.

The unexpected noise made me lift my head. With a calculating gaze, JiHan watched me without expression and clapped two more times.

Clapping, with that ice cold expression on his face. I feel like he’s going to say something twisted...

I concentrated on JiHan’s twitching lips.

“If you’re going to make me angry, you shouldn’t look so pretty,” he said in a voice that conveyed his frustration.

“What?”

“I opened the curtain because I was angry but now that I see you, I can’t be mad at you. But remembering how you wanted to see this by yourself makes me angry again. And then I see you and I’m not. It’s really annoying.”

He’s angry, but can’t be angry, so he’s annoyed. Is this a compliment, or is he agitated by me?

I looked at him blankly, not sure which it was as he scolded me again.

“What are you doing there standing like that? Show me the front, back, spin around.”

“Ah, yes, of course,” I answered obediently and turned around slowly on account of my extremely high heels.

As I turned, I realized that I was showing JiHan this version of myself. Wanting to run away, I turned around once and faced Lee JiHan. Blushing, I stared at the floor.

“I’m not angry anymore, so lift your head.”

I didn’t.

“I was only angry because I wanted to see you. If you don’t show me again, you’d better be prepared to deal with my reaction.”

I lifted my head at his threat. Maybe it was better to deal with my embarrassment than with him bothering me.

When I made eye contact with him, JiHan’s expression softened. He smiled as the cold melted away.

My heart dropped.

“I just realized this,” JiHan said with a voice as soft as his smile. “Na AhJung, you are so pretty you may be too good for my brother.”

“What did you say?” I asked unable to believe what I’d just heard.

“Let’s just see how pretty you can be today.”

JiHan shrugged and stepped out toward the dress racks. Then he came back after a few moments with a new dress.

“Let’s try this one this time.”

JiHan handed the dress to me and stepped back. He closed the curtain and blocked his view of me.

***

I looked at myself in the dressing room mirror as I tried on the fourth dress. The second one was pretty and the third one was pretty, but I couldn’t believe this one was pretty too!

And I think I even look mature in this dress?

I reached out to the mirror, surprised by my reflection. My hands went out to touch the feathers that decorated my neckline, but I felt the hard, glass surface of the mirror instead.

Yes, this is a mirror. There isn’t a different person standing in front of me. This is actually me!

I touched my actual neckline and stroked the soft feathers. Then I went over the silver belt that wrapped around my waist. Under the soft silk flowed a chiffon skirt, rippling like water.

“Oh, am I...a goddess?” I asked myself, lost in a trance.

I suddenly turned around, not wanting to be caught saying such things in front of other people. I scanned the dressing room, afraid the employee, who had stepped out, had returned. Fortunately, I was the only one in the dressing room. Relaxing, I turned back to the mirror. I stared to my heart’s content at my reflection.

Meanwhile, JiHan’s voice could be heard from behind the curtain.

“Are you not coming out?

“Oh, right!”

I have to hear my compliments again! I bounced over to the curtain excited. He’ll tell me I look beautiful again and smile, won’t he? With that expectation in mind, I pulled back the curtain. Right outside the curtain, I saw JiHan.

“How do I look?” I asked, but Lee JiHan just looked at me without a word.

Growing nervous at his prolonged silence, I started to question him.

“Why aren’t you saying anything? Is it not pretty? This looks the best to me?”

“Na AhJung.”

His heavy voice made me feel as though I should find my composure so I froze. Did I offend him with my overexcitement? As I calmed down and became quiet, JiHan spoke as if he had confirmed his certainty.

“Do you want to wear this and get married?”

I nodded without hesitation because it was the prettiest out of all the dresses I’d seen so far. I didn’t think there would be another dress in the world that would be better than this dress.

At my answer, Lee JiHan nodded. “I agree with you also. Let’s get married in this dress.”

“Right? Even in your eyes, this one is the prettiest, isn’t it?”

Seeing my face brighten, Lee JiHan added, “In my eyes, I think you look the prettiest.”

I blushed at his straight forward compliment but he didn’t stop there.

“So this marriage, why don’t you do it with me.”

Like someone had thrown ice water over my face, my mind went numb.

“It’s not something to be surprised over. We’re not going to get married right away. We’ll start dating first,” JiHan told me casually without blinking.

Without giving me a chance to break out of my trance, he grabbed my arm and we left the dressing room.

“Wait, wait!”

Ignoring my protests, JiHan passed down the hall of the dress shop. Not knowing what was happening, I instinctively followed him, trying not to trip over my dress. Suddenly, he stopped.

JiHan walked up to the employee at the front desk.

“This dress, I’m buying it. Now,” he blurted out.

“I’m sorry sir, but if you are going to purchase the dress, you have to order it and come pick it up in two weeks,” replied the woman behind the counter.

“And why do I have to do that?” JiHan asked coldly, unable to understand the reason.

“This dress is not the bride’s perfect size so we need that time to customize the fit.”

At the employee’s response, JiHan looked at my back and saw that it was pinned up to show it’s proper fit.

“Then I’d like to order the dress with the correct size measurements and come pick it up in two weeks.”

“Yes sir. Should I call the number written here when it’s done?”

“No, not that one.”

“Sorry?”

“I’ll come back for the fitted one later but I’m going to buy this dress now.”

“But sir, the size doesn’t fit...”

“The size might not fit but the timing does,” JiHan replied sharply.

He reached into his pocket, took out MY card and placed it on the desk.

***

I was dragged to the front of the car by JiHan.

“Why did I buy this!” I cried out.

“Are you planning to steal it then?”

“That’s not what I mean! I’m only going to wear this once on my wedding day, so what’s the point of buying it! I can just rent it!”

“You won’t be only wearing this on your wedding day.”

“Then what, are you going to wear it? I’m only going to wear it that one day! Have you lost your mind? Do you know how expensive this is? And not one, but two!”

I couldn’t believe I’d just wracked up thousands of dollars of debt on my credit card right in front of my eyes. I was so traumatized by it that I couldn’t think straight and my voice got progressively louder.

JiHan continued to walk to the passenger’s side and stood me by the door. Then he grabbed my shoulders.

“Look, AhJung, is this really the time to be nagging me about buying a dress? I just confessed my feelings for you!”

“Oh, that’s right!”

Due to the shock of buying the dress, the shock of his confession had gotten lost. JiHan laughed in disbelief. He opened the car door and shoved me inside.

As he forcefully sat me down, I felt a prickle on my back and tried to get back up, but JiHan pushed down on my shoulders and kept me rooted to the spot. I felt pins and needles on my back again and I tried desperately to get him off me.

“Ah, ow!”

“What?”

“It’s all prickly! My back! It hurts! Help!”

I grabbed at Lee JiHan’s arm as if it was a safety rope and pleaded.

JiHan thankfully let me out of the car. Then he turned me around and checked my back.

The moment I got out, the prickling had stopped so I calmed myself down with only some tears in my eyes. I suddenly felt fingertips touch my back ever so slightly. I felt his touch on the place that had been prickling previously and felt a shock of electricity. I turned in surprise.

“Oh my God, what do you think you’re doing?”

I was only turned halfway when JiHan grabbed my shoulders and turned me back around. I spun and ended up in the same position.

“You have pins in your back,” JiHan told me.

“What?”

“If you sit back down with those in your back, it will hurt again but if you don’t like me touching you then you can try taking them out yourself.”

I reached behind me for the pin, and finally felt something. At that moment, my back cramped.

“Ahhh,” I moaned in pain and instinctively put down my arm.

JiHan sighed, looking at me pathetically.

“Put down your hand and stop acting silly. It’s not like you have eyes on your back so why bother.”

He slapped my back at my useless ruse. He didn’t hit me hard enough for it to hurt, but I flinched as my body reacted to it.

Ignoring my action, JiHan put one hand on my shoulder and the other at my back. His hands had only grazed my back when I flinched again, but he continued on and removed the pin.

My back was perpetually at attention as JiHan removed the pins. I stood there with my fists clenched, biting my lip. Everytime I felt his touch, electricity shot through me. I never knew my back was so sensitive!

Not knowing how much I was agonizing over this random sensitivity, JiHan’s hands still moved swiftly. When my back seemed to finally feel loosened, he took away his hands.

“All done.”

He pushed me back into the passenger’s seat.