The day of our wedding finally came—something I once thought would never happen. And from this day forward, my life as a bachelor officially ends… even if all of this is just for show.
I arrived early at the venue, a garden straight out of a fairy tale, where flowers danced in the breeze and everything was bathed in golden sunlight. Guests were already starting to arrive, and I made it a point to greet each one. After all, it was my wedding—even if it was fake, I wanted it to be perfect. I was dressed in a sleek black tuxedo that fit me like a dream. Honestly? I looked damn good.
My grandfather approached me first, a proud smile on his face as he gently patted my shoulder.
"Best wishes, my grandson. I'm so proud of you," he said, his voice soft but full of emotion.
I smiled and gave a small bow. "Thank you, Grandpa."
Then came my dad—he had flown in all the way from abroad just to attend. He wrapped me in a tight hug, his voice a bit shaky.
"Congratulations, son. Seems like only yesterday you couldn't even walk straight, and now here you are—getting married."
"Thanks, Dad. I'm glad you came home," I replied, feeling a strange warmth in my chest. My dad rarely came back to Korea, but he did it for me—for this day.
Soon, the music shifted. Heads turned. My breath caught.
There she was.
Bo-ra, walking down the aisle with her family, looking like she just stepped out of a dream. Her wedding gown flowed around her like mist, delicate lace hugging her figure, her makeup soft and radiant. For someone who usually looked like a walking plant encyclopedia, she had transformed into someone elegant, almost ethereal. I couldn't take my eyes off her—and neither could anyone else.
Her dad, Mr. Sung, escorted her down the aisle, sniffling with every step. I almost laughed—his crying face wasn't exactly… graceful. But I held it in. He reached out and handed Bo-ra's hand to me.
"Congratulations, Yul. Take care of my daughter, okay? Don't ever hurt her."
"Yes, Mr. Sung," I replied with a respectful nod.
As Bo-ra and I locked eyes, I felt a strange jolt in my chest. She was… stunning.
"You're blushing," she said, raising an eyebrow.
"Huh? Me?" I instinctively touched my face.
She smirked. "Yeah, you. Who else am I talking to?"
"You're imagining things."
She leaned closer, her perfume brushing past me like a tease. I turned away quickly.
"Tsk. Thought so," she said with a playful scoff.
The emcee called our names, and the ceremony began. Vows were exchanged, rings slipped onto fingers, and before I knew it, we were being pronounced husband and wife. The applause roared around us. Relatives cried. Bo-ra's mom even bawled her eyes out, which made me feel oddly jealous—my own mom wasn't there.
After the ceremony, we were whisked away in a sleek car that would take us home to pack. Our honeymoon destination? Jeju Island. The perfect place to sell the illusion that we were truly in love. We had to convince everyone—even ourselves, maybe.
The flight took about an hour and fifteen minutes. Bo-ra's best friend owned the luxury resort we were staying at, and everything was already set up. We thought about booking separate rooms, but that would raise too many questions. So yeah… one room. One big, fluffy bed. No choice.
The tension between us was thick enough to cut with a knife.
"I'll take the couch," I said as I grabbed a pillow and blanket.
"Are you sure? You can have the bed if you want. It's fine," she offered.
"No. I insist," I said firmly. Even if every muscle in my body screamed for the softness of that bed, I wasn't going to risk anything. I had to be a gentleman. She already thought I wasn't.
"Okay… if you say so," she mumbled.
As I walked past her, I accidentally bumped into her. We collided. I stumbled. She fell back onto the bed, and—bam—I landed right on top of her. Pain shot through my foot. I must've pulled something.
Our eyes met. For a brief moment, the world fell quiet.
Then she shoved me off. Hard.
"Ow!" I groaned, now sprawled on the floor.
She rushed to me, flustered. "I—I'm sorry! You surprised me!"
I tried to answer, but the throbbing in my foot made me wince. Great. There goes our Jeju sightseeing plans. Thanks, universe.
The next morning, I woke up early and went to wash up. I glanced over at the bed—empty. Bo-ra was gone. Her side was neatly fixed, not a pillow out of place.
Curious, I stepped out to the balcony.
And that's when I saw her.
There, on the beach, dressed in a sky-blue sundress, she stood by the shoreline, the hem of her dress fluttering in the breeze. Her feet splashed gently in the water as she bent down, inspecting something. The morning sun kissed her skin, and for a moment, I forgot how to breathe.
"Yul! Come here! Look at this starfish—it's so cute!" she called out, waving enthusiastically, her smile bright enough to outshine the sun.
My heart did this weird skip thing.
What… what is happening to me?
To be continued...