The Beauty of What Could Have Been

Chapter 17 - Nirvana

Author's Note:

Hello everyone! Thank you soooo much for the comments and votes to the previous chapter. Here's the continuation of the events of that special weekend. Please do share with me your thoughts, feelings, perspectives, and even yearnings and expectations after you go through this one.

It's a special chapter for me, as I tried to peek into the life and special milestone of our favourite couple through the eyes of a normal person like me.

Thanks in advance for the comments and votes.

Keep safe!

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It was 4:30 a.m. that Sunday as Park Bon Hwa excitedly prepared for work. She had been working for her employer for a little over 3 years, her first real fulltime job after graduating from a community college near her parents' place, and it was one of a few days she could remember in the past year where she had very much looked forward to the workday at The Shore Hotel Jeju Island.

Three days before, she was called into her manager's office, was presented with a non-disclosure contract for her to complete, and was told that she would be assigned to a VIP team for special duties on Sunday to assist with a wedding event - the "Kim-Son nuptial." 

She was given a VIP pass that was to be worn at all times on Sunday, a white jacket with an emblem of what appeared to be a single peony sewn on the left breast pocket, and a matching skirt. The ensemble was quite different from their standard hotel-issued black suit that she wore every day to work. A two-way radio was also handed to her.

On Friday the hotel's VIP team was briefed on the details of the Sunday event by the Head of the "Kim-Son" Security Team who would act as the overall coordinator together with the senior manager of the hotel's concierge team.

Looking at the guest list for the VIP event that was projected in front of everyone during the briefing, Park Bon Hwa was thrilled to note that it was going to be THE wedding of two of her favourite A-listers. She was an avid Son Ye Jin fan and a professed binjin shipper. "What a privilege it is to somehow be part of this wedding, and even sweeter to actively assist somehow when most of the country may never even know about it, at least for the near future" she thought. She felt that she would be privy to one key secret of her favourite A-list couple, and even if she may not get the chance to see them in person on Sunday, it would all be worth it.

It was her first time to have the privilege of becoming a member of a team that served a VIP.... and at this event there would be so many VIPs, including of course, her idol. She could not contain her excitement, wondering if she would ever have the chance to personally serve her up close. "That would be the highlight of my LIFE if it were to happen" she told herself, although she was resigned to the thought that the probability of that happening was almost zero. It was a pity that she couldn't even tell her friends about her sudden good fortune of at least being part of the VIP team.

The hotel had hosted VIP events in the past, and for junior staff like herself, it was very rare to have the opportunity to personally serve the VIPs since typically the more senior staff members had first dibs on that responsibility. Even for senior staff who have had the opportunity, people rarely had the chance to personally meet and serve VIPs because typically the VIPs' assistants dealt with hotel staff directly. She just hoped that she could at least see Son Ye Jin in person from a distance.

By 5:00 a.m. that Sunday, she entered the staff lounge on the basement of the hotel, wearing the white "uniform", on her way to deposit her bag in her locker. As she got in she saw her manager talking with a couple of fellow VIP team colleagues who were also wearing the uniform. "Good morning Bon Hwa" her manager said. "If you don't mind, I will need to take your cellphone. I will return it to you this afternoon." She surrendered her cellphone and then proceeded to her locker.