Blooming | Ateez Hongjoong

20 • Whisper, whisper

Checking herself in the mirror with a smile, Emi eyes her sparkling opal headpiece that the bridemaid just attaches to her short hair. Behind her stands the man whose smile even wider as he takes in her reflection in awe.

"What do you think, honey?"

Mischief in her voice sends him out of his trance. It is indeed a long silence from her groom which she feels the need to speak first on his behalf.

"Gorgeous," Giseok exclaims. "You look so gorgeous, baby!"

He always sees Emi beautiful, no doubt, but today her beauty truly goes beyond every other day. It wastes no endeavor to take his breath away.

Turning around to face him properly, she giggles, watching her man who brings the back of her hand close to his lips.

"I'm flattered, my husband."

*°• ✧ *•°๑

"I'm starving."

Grumpily, Hongjoong leans over to Hyemi's ear, causing her to startle. She abruptly touches her ear with her hand out of instinct. All of her senses are left in a lurch when his warm breath hovers her sensitive ear all of a sudden.

That is enough to jump start her.

"What's with the whispering?" She makes a face, jolting slightly away from the boy who is on the seat next to hers.

"Can you not tell?" His eyes roam around the spacious hall full of guests and spot a couple of giant speakers. "The music is so fricking loud." He tries to prove his point by speaking louder, "as well as these people around us."

Sounds lame but she has to be on board with the fact that Hongjoong is gonna be the end of her someday.

In order to cool the heat from both ears down, Hyemi lets out an awkward hum and averts her attention elsewhere to find distraction. Until a sight of someone at the back stage catches her eye, she quickly turns to her friend after readjusting herself to sit properly beside him again. "Look. The wedding MC is coming up."

Hongjoong glances over at the direction where her head nudges towards. However, the hungry boy ends up seeing nothing but the lined-up food and dessert that are going to be served.

"I wonder what the first course is." He muses, earning a judging look from his friend in response.

*°• ✧ *•°๑

The luxury wedding reception is coming to an end. Truth be told, every prospect of such event is nowhere far from Hongjoong's experience. He is used to it thanks to his foster parents who took him and Mingi to literally similar ones like this when they were younger.

On the other hand, Hyemi, who is by his side, feels a little overwhelmed. Unlike any ordinary weddings, Emi's is something that manifestly comes from the other side of society - the side where Hyemi cannot imagine herself in.

"Wanna leave?"

Hongjoong asks which she turns to face him curiously.

"Cause you look like that to me." His words sound faint yet certain at the same time, as if he is able to sense her uneasiness settling in the air.

"At least we should greet Emi before leaving," Hyemi says as they both watch the said girl from afar.

At the far end of the hall, Emi and Giseok are merrily conversing and taking photos with some other guests before sending them off with waving bye gestures.

The red headed clicks his tongue. "You think? There are way too many people before us. We can just call her tomorrow."

"Come on Joong. Why tomorrow while today is her significant day?"

"Fine fine."

Hongjoong can't help but give in. The long wait is only a part, the most part is he doesn't like how fidgety Hyemi looks at all. It's weird, she barely shows anything during the day but he still somehow feels it.

Everything was perfectly fine when we left the house, even on the way to get here.

He indeed has no clue.

Being lost in thoughts, a light poke on the side snaps him back to reality. It's from Hyemi.

"Keep it. I need to use the washroom." She passes him her clutch with a threat, "you better not to drop it. My phone is inside."

His brows furrow. Enough of wasting my voice for a day. Instead of saying out loud to win over the music like he has been doing, the boy leans forwad to her ear. "What if I don't?" His whisper is very much of a tease.

"DON'T WHISPER!" Hyemi scolds, pressing (more like slapping) the clutch hard onto his chest.

What's with him?? I should not have let my guard down.

With blushing face, she turns her back and walks away agressively, leaving Hongjoong who lets out a yelp due to her sudden violence. Gosh. Ever since Hyemi acknowledges her feeling for this guy is romantic, it does take her so much effort to cover up; especially when he approaches her so suddenly in any ways, mentally or physically.

From afar, Giseok also watches Hyemi's figure is slowly out of sight. Turning to his wife, he says, "I'll be back in a bit."

Emi smiles. "Sure. I'll greet everyone on your behalf then."

Giseok gives her a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving. His strides grow faster once he gets out of the hall, in hope he can catch Hyemi who headed out just a moment ago.

**********

Question of the day:

What a groom wants from his ex at his own wedding?🤔