He Started It by Hitting on Me

Importance

Weddings were never my sort of thing. Fancy dresses and polite small talk didn't cooperate with me as much as they should, and there always seemed to be so many people. I didn't like people in general, so there was no point joining in on the festivities when I would be forced to talk or either stand in the middle of nowhere like an idiot. Today, however, I had no other choice but to mingle.
"You are so pretty, Mi Young. Jonghyun and you make such a beautiful couple!" an elderly woman gushed. I remembered she was a relative on Jonghyun's side of the family, but my brain lacked the information of what she specifically was to him.
"I'm not so pretty, but thank you," I replied bashfully. Is she the grandmother? She looks like she could be.
The woman nodded slowly, leisurely taking in my response. "That's great. Have you bought an apartment or a house?"
"An apartment. We can't really afford a house now." Now that I think about it, is she even related to Jonghyun at all? Who the hell is she? I can't remember.
"How did you two meet? I've heard that you've met in high school," an unfamiliar woman with a fancy bun brought up.
"Yes, we have met in high school-"
"You guys have been together for quite a long time, eh? How romantic!"
"Actually, we did have a few problems during our university days-"
"Isn't he a fine gentleman? You're quite lucky, aren't you, Mi Young?"
"Um, sure-"
"I'm sorry, ladies and gentleman. The bride has a couple of things to clear up about the wedding expenses with me, so if you don't mind, you can start to eat at that table over there," my father announced, quietly gathering up the group of people and telling them where to go. I pinched the bridge of my nose with a sigh of gratitude and a mental 'Thank you' to my father.
"They're gone now. I've taken care of the kiddies," my father said, walking back over to me. Looking at him now, he got older and much tanner. Having been out in the sun for years around the world, that was what he had to endure for the sake of his job. It had been years since the last time I'd seen him; ever since high school, my father wasn't able to make another surprise visit. It could have been his job that prevented him to do so, but my mother also could have taken a part in this as well.
"Thank you so much. They were exhausting," I groaned, feeling a plug pull off my chest in relief.
"That is why your father came to the rescue," he replied, grinning proudly. "Now that they're out of your way, maybe you can have some fun with your friends."
I shook my head, declining the offer. "They're busy with their own lives." Every one of my friends was doing something I shouldn't barge in on. Minho and Yanna were dancing, and so were Taemin and Taebek, though they were more likely break dancing than touching each other's waists. Onew and a girl he met at college named Luna were eating and were laughing vibrantly. Key and Jieun, my college roommate, were busy whispering, ignoring everything around them. They had gotten closer ever since they had met, and none of us had the intention to break their bond.
"So then what about Jonghyun? You are his wife, after all," my dad pointed out, picking up a finger sandwich to bite on.
I scoffed, turning away to look at the clear beige ground. "He looks happy enough doing his favorite thing," I muttered under my breath, staring at Jonghyun's smiling, talking figure. The last time I had talked to him was during our first dance, and even then people tried to claw him away from me. He didn't seem to mind; he barely looked in my way once.
"If you're not happy about this..."
"I could care less. He could do whatever he wants, I don't care," I interjected, shrugging carelessly, to emphasize on my words.
I knew my father wouldn't buy it; he didn't give me the impression that he did, and I certainly did not trick him into thinking I didn't mind Jonghyun's excessive talking with other people I have never seen before in my life. His expression was as blank as a colorless sky, and it remained that way for a while.
"Fine," he finally responded. He shoved his hand in his trouser pockets and fished out a pair of keys, putting it in my palm. I wrinkled my brow at the keys, for I had never seen them before.
"Just in case you change your mind," he started, "there's a back door if you go make a left through the hallway. When you go outside, you'll know what these keys are for." He gave me another fatherly smile, hugged me once more, and headed over to a table where my mother and a few of his old friends were lounging around.
I looked down back at the keys in my hand, dangling it in front of me. I immediately knew what they were for and why he gave it to me. It appeared he already had a plan in mind, although, for me it didn't seem like the greatest idea.
"Are you just gonna stand there or what?" So Dam asked as she appeared out of thin air. She curled the tips of her hair and had put on a sultry dress in the color of a dark green, a shade of Jonghyun's favorite color.
"Maybe. I don't think your brother will necessarily listen to what I have to say," I replied. "Or rather, he wouldn't catch onto my words so quickly."
So Dam glanced at the keys in my hand and looked back up at me. "I think he'll understand. Maybe not at first, but he'll get it. But you'll have to do it now if you don't want any unwanted attention," she suggested, looking around the area.
I exhaled deliberately, rubbing my bare back. "I guess so. Have fun, then," I told her, walking away.
"Don't make him cry," she called out, half-jokingly. I waved my hand as if to say I got it, and moved towards the crowd of people encircling the short brunette. They were all talking simultaneously, their voices a displeasing noise to my sensitive ears. I was able to elbow some of them in order to get near Jonghyun, and in response I heard a few grumbles here and there. At last, there he was, thanking the same woman who had just spoken to me a while earlier. I mentally applauded her getting here before me.
"Hey, you have to come with me for a while. We need to fix something with the wedding planner," I spoke up, speaking directly to Jonghyun.
His eyebrows creased. "Is something wrong?" he asked, a bit too naïve.
I nodded subconsciously, my mind wandering on how to get out of here. "He's waiting so we have to go right now." I began to pull on his arm, bringing him out of the circle of the elderly. Another arm dragged Jonghyun back, causing me to stumble on my steps.
"He can stay for a little longer, can't he?" the aged woman asked, smiling ever so sweetly at me. I actually would have flipped her off if there weren't so many people, and if she weren't so stupid that it seemed pitiful to do anything to her.
"I'm sorry, miss. It's an urgent matter," I apologized. I mustered up all the sincerity my voice could offer and gave it to the woman all in one go. I smiled once more at her, and tugged on Jonghyun's sleeve to gesture he start following me. He said goodbye to all those people politely, bowing in respect and flashing a grin once or twice. It almost took us five minutes to get out of the room with the constant bowing.
As soon as we left the main room, we arrived in the hallway. I thought back to my father's words on which direction I would have to take in order to get to the back door. The hallway went straight, so the option to go either left or right would be at the end of the corridor. Still holding onto Jonghyun's arm, both he and I walked through the hallway in silence, until the boy began to open his mouth.
"Where did he say he was?" Jonghyun asked, referring to the wedding planner.
"He said he was outside the back door."
"Why would he be there...?"
"How should I know? I don't know what goes on in his brain," I mumbled, thinking of my dad's idiotic grin. Jonghyun said nothing more, letting me lead him without the slightest suspicion.
Indeed, I was right when we got to the end of the corridor and found two separate passageways. I went left, just as my father had told me, and walked across the extended hall with quick footsteps.
"Does he really want us to go through here? Couldn't he have just come into the main room?" Jonghyun inquired. I disregarded his question.
When we finally reached the back door, I twisted the doorknob and pushed the door open with one hand. Outside, a sleek silver car awaited our arrival with a small red bow on top. Whoever bought this car knew to save the embarrassment and not buy a bigger bow.
The stocky male sucked in his breath, gaping at the vehicle as if it were the most attractive woman in all of Seoul. He ran a hand over it gently, examining its shiny luster and how it reflects in the spring sun.
"Damn," was all could come out of his speechless mouth. He ran his hand across it again, going in endless circles. "So, where's the wedding planner?"
"I lied," I replied blatantly.
He quickly turned his head to the side to face me, a bewildered expression atop of his face. "What?"
"I lied. No wedding planner," I repeated. "I needed you to drive this car so we can go to our honeymoon, so let's go."
He remained baffled. "We could just leave when the wedding is officially over," he pointed out matter-of-factly.
"That's twenty minutes or so from now. It doesn't make a difference, and besides, no one will ever notice anyway. They're busy having fun by themselves," I commented, shrugging as if it were no big deal.
"But there were people inside willing to talk to me," he defended, blinking like a lost child.
"You talk every single day with them. One day is no big deal."
"But why do you want to go? It's our wedding."
"Yes, I know, but I'm not having any fun. So can we go or what?"
He furrowed his brow at me, shaking his head. "Why didn't you talk to Key or Yanna?" His tone was so soft, so gentle, that it felt as if he were speaking to me in my sleep. And to be honest, it completely irritated me.
"Because I just didn't want to," I mumbled, looking at the concrete floor, which was different from the shiny beige one at the wedding.
"But you could have-"
"Okay, look, if you want to go talk to them, go to them. I don't care. I'm sorry I took some of your precious time away," I sarcastically responded, letting go of his arm abruptly.
"You could have told me straight to my face that you wanted me all to yourself."
"If I said that you would have acted cocky like how you're acting right now."
I heard Jonghyun chuckle lightly at my response. He took a hold of my arm and pulled me in closer to him. Tilting my chin up with one finger, I was able to get a good look at his smug face.
With a lopsided smirk, he said, "I'll take a risk and guess what you want." With no hurry whatsoever, he pressed his lips firmly against mine, initiating a spark between our skin contact.
I'm afraid your guess is correct.
I kissed Jonghyun back, making the spark grow stronger with every second we spent on each other's hold. He enveloped my waist with his supportive arms, tenderly squeezing me in his warm embrace. I cupped his chin with my hands and put my lips forward for a deeper, more passionate lip-lock.
He knew.
He knew what would get to me.
He knew I would let myself go in this pathetic state, since I already put my temper on the line and gave him the hint I was needy and needed-wantedhim oh so desperately.
He knew me like the piano keys he played whenever he could get his hands on the instrument.
He read me like an open book, which was more than what Key or my parents or even Hea Won could have ever accomplished.
I never wanted someone to know me inside and out, someone who would know my greatest fears or the dreams that I hoped would appear in front of me. To feel so insecure and frightened, that was one fear I did not want to encounter. Somehow, someway, someone was able to get in my mind without any intention of trying. A person I would have thought least about.
And right now, he was the most important person to me.
We both let go around the same time, his arms unraveling from my waist, as well as my hands from his face. I still had the keys in my hand, but Jonghyun had grabbed them before I could give them to him.
Jonghyun unlocked the car doors with one click of the car remote. I could already sense the power he was feeling in the palm of his hand with the control he had over the car. I opened the passenger door and struggled to fit myself in the opening, with what the dress had going for me.
I finally managed to squeeze myself in the seat, closing the door after. Jonghyun had been waiting for me to get comfortable as his hand hovered over the lever. "When I saw you in that dress, I almost called off the wedding because you seemed so uneasy in it," he remarked.
"Liar. You wanted to undress me right then and there," I muttered, putting on my seatbelt.
"So? You probably thought the same way about me."
"Of course not. Your is way too small."
"What? What did you say?!"