My Arranged Marriage with Baekhyun (EXO fanfiction)

Part 11

Baekhyun POV

My whole body ached when I woke up. I suddenly remembered what happened yesterday. My ribs were still in pain and a dark purple bruise had formed on my elbow. I got out of my bed and looked into Jieun's room. She was still asleep and was mumbling to herself. I went closer to make out what she was saying. She tossed around and began drooling. ew. I quickly washed up and went downstairs.

Jieun POV

I jolted awake when I felt my phone vibrate under my pillow. My mom had called me.

"Mom?" I said groggily.

"Oh, Jieun, I forgot to tell you yesterday, that you and Baekhyun have an event to attend tomorrow."

"What event?"

"A signing event where our two companies will be officially joining hands."

"So we just have to hang around?"

"Yea, I've prepared an outfit for you, so do you want to come by or do you want me to come over?"

"I'll come over later today."

"Okay, I'll see you then."

"Bye mom." I said before hanging up.

I was surprised when I saw Baekhyun already downstairs, sitting at the table on his phone.

"You've finally woken up." he said.

"Uh...about yesterday...." I hesitantly started. He looked up from his phone.

"Hmm?"

"...I'm so sorry about what happened yesterday...and thank you for catching...saving me."

"If you're sorry, then you go make breakfast. Just in case you don't know, my whole body is still in agonizing pain."

"Oh, okay."

I immediately went into the kitchen to see what I could make. There were only eggs, carrot and a bag of fruit, so I made omelettes with sliced fruit as some sort of side dish.

He looked satisfied after he put his fork down. Awkward silence followed.

"Well, ehem, not bad." he said after a while. He got up from his chair and went to the living room.

I will only endure this, only because it was me who injured him, I said to myself, as I stacked the plates, cutlery and cups. And until he recovers, I will have to be doing this everyday.

I went to the living room where Baekhyun was watching television.

"Uh...If you need anything, just call me."

He waved me off. Endure, I reminded myself again.

I stalked back to my room where there was literally nothing to do. Suddenly my mom's voice echoed in my head: "....if you can't stand it anymore, just open the box."

What was so important about the box? I shoved all my clothes out of the suitcase and got the box. It was an old cookie tin. The surface was scratched and the words were faded. Then it was the so-called big moment. As I opened the lid, I imagined it slow motion like in any typical drama. There was a collection of polaroids, a flower clip and a scrunched candy wrapper. I unravelled the wrapper. There was small writing that I could barely make out.

"sogogi-ah, i will miss you a lot when i go to japan but don't worry. i will come back. eun"

There was more writing but it had neater handwriting.

"i'll definitely make sure we will meet again in the future. until then, stay well. sogogi."

Sogogi. It sounded really familiar but I couldn't quite figure out where it had come from. I went through the polaroids. This person must have been pretty bad taking pictures. All of them were blurry photos of two very happy people in different sceneries.

Is this mum and dad? I suddenly thought. But why would she give them to me?

The girl looked like my mom but the boy didn't look like my dad. He looked like someone I knew, though.

"Oi! Jieun!" I suspected Baekhyun's annoying voice could be heard across the street too.

I placed all the photos and the wrapper back in the box and went downstairs.

"What?"

"Get me some water." he said, with his eyes glued to the screen.

I held in whatever that was going to come out of my mouth and quietly went to the kitchen to get him a cup of water.

"Here." I placed the cup in front of his face.

"Thanks."

He took the cup.

"Hey, hey, do you want to watch with me?" he said smiling.

Something was really odd, when I looked at him. It was frustrating trying to rack my brains.

"No, I'm going to my parents place....you can survive without me for a while, right?" I said, just in time to stop myself from asking any nonsensical question.

"Probably not."

"I'll be back by lunch, what do you want to eat? I'm just going to buy it."

"Jajangmyeon and lemon tea."

"Uh...okay.."

I changed my outfit and quickly left.

***

"Mom, there is no way I'm going to wear that tomorrow."

I stared at the simple navy velvet dress. I was going to go easy and just take it, but when my mom took it out of the box, I realised my whole back would be revealed.

"I went with Baekhyun's mother to choose this."

"Yea, well what am I going to wear underneath? Everyone is going to see my back."

"It will look good on you, I promise. And here are the matching shoes and clutch."

She showed me a pair of black heels and a black leather clutch with a simple engraved metal plate. Heels, my worst nightmare, I thought.

"Okay, fine, I signed the contract, I've got to do it."

"Jieun, you are going to look very pretty for tomorrow."

I forcefully smiled as a reply.

As I left the door, I suddenly remembered.

"Ah...mom.....about the tin box.....I opened it this morning.."

"Oh...really?"

"Yea, well there are these polaroids...and I thought that they might be your childhood pictures."

Jieun's mom POV

"My childhood pictures?" I asked, surprised.

"Yea, the girl looks like you....the boy doesn't really look like dad, though..."

"Jieun-ah...." I signalled her to sit on the couch beside me.

"What is it, mom?"

"Do you remember having a really close friend, when you were little?"