episode_0093

“Trembling?”

“Unni… What should I do, really??”

Wedding.

Time swiftly passed by.

It passed quickly, but we had to tremble with anticipation and nervousness.

We even practiced for the wedding with my brother.

I remembered the day we matched our steps from the bedroom to the kitchen and even the bathroom, imagining the long virgin road.

“I… shouldn’t cry.”

My face was firmly masked.

It felt like wearing a layer of mask and being wrapped in unfamiliar white things, bringing even more unease.

“You look truly beautiful right now. Don’t worry.”

“There’s no bride in the world as beautiful as you. Are you really this nervous?”

Concerned unnis.

Suah unni and Suhyun unni were beside me, cheering me on as if they were there to support me.

“I… I won’t trip while walking, right?”

…!

Na-ye unni also raised her thumbs up and complimented, saying I looked great.

“Come on. Everyone gets most nervous before getting married, so it’s normal. If you cry, the makeup might get ruined, and we might be delayed by another 30 minutes, you know?”

Following Mom’s advice, I managed to hold back tears somehow.

Feeling sorry for making others wait longer and feeling apologetic towards those who would have to redo my makeup.

They praised me profusely, leaving just one undone while saying, “This is the best makeup I’ve ever done!”

“Phew…”

I tried to lift my head, but knowing my hair was neatly tied back, my hands naturally returned to their place in the middle, politely settling down.

“A photo. Should we take one?”

“Yes, let’s.”

The unnis had surrounded me without me noticing.

As the anxiety gradually subsided, things that weren’t visible before started becoming apparent.

“Unnis are also… very beautiful.”

The unnis wore white dresses like the bride.

Not as glamorous or luxurious as the bride, but their dresses reminded me of a girl who would skip around on grass, scattering flowers—a dress that exuded both maturity and girlish charm.

It’s commonly called a bridesmaid dress.

Suhyun unni, Suah unni, Na-ye unni.

They were all unnis. Was that why? Besides the bride, I could only feel reassured by them.

Of course… Mom had hired professional bridesmaids who were bustling around, but…

They lightened the mood in front of me.

There was nothing I appreciated more than that.

It wasn’t something I had asked for; the unnis had stepped up.

Although I felt sorry for wanting it, now all I could say was how grateful I was.

From the salon onwards, they stuck by my side continuously.

“Unni, you’re really cute.”

“You’re here for the person who should shine the most~ It’s good for me to experience this beforehand. Right, unni?”

“Hmm. I don’t even have a boyfriend yet.”

“You’ll definitely meet a good person, unni.”

Why can’t such a kind and big-hearted person find love?

I tightly held the hand of the unni who tried to brush it off with jokes.

This supporting character had already been decided by the owner.

If she didn’t receive it, it would be a real problem.

“Now, we need to get ready, right?”

“I trust you. You always come out well no matter how you’re photographed, don’t you.”

“Well, that may be true, but isn’t taking the best possible shot part of this job?”

Hyekjin unni, who had finished setting up the camera and was looking around, smiled stylishly.

*

“I’m going to get ready now~”

“Yes!”

After finishing the photoshoot, we slowly rose and stood at the entrance of the wedding venue.

The sound from the speaker was audible from here, indicating there were no issues with the audio.

Suah and Suhyun unni were holding each door as previously discussed, and Na-ye unni was holding my long veil from behind.

It’s not a veil covering the face, but one that is tied to the head and extends down even further than a dress.

When it comes to dresses, they should be long. It seemed like common sense to me that it should be a wedding dress.

But more than that, what caught my eye was the veil.

“Are you ready?”

Surrounded by the trinity, I felt a strange sense of calm.

With determination, I grasped the bouquet in my hands.

“Yes…!”

As the speakers crackled, my sisters swung the door wide open.

Everything was perfectly arranged.

I could see the wedding venue I had previewed beforehand.

The place was packed with people, and the rotating spotlight fixed on me.

The wedding hall filled with flowers.

The lanterns softly illuminated the path.

And next to me, my dad, dressed handsomely, had a flower pinned to his chest.

At times like this, laughter came before tears.

My dad looked at me, naturally extended his hand, and I held onto it tightly without letting go.

Carefully up the stairs, step by step.

After enduring a small hardship, I glanced at my dad’s foot and matched my stride with his.

Applause poured in from all directions as flowers rained down in front of me.

With cheers and screams, the veil fluttered.

Though not visible, there were sounds of distress and encouragement as my sister cheered on.

Thinking it would be best to have a drama OST as the entrance music, I walked slowly down the aisle.

With each step forward, any anxiety or tension dissipated, leaving only my brother waiting with a smile ahead.

There were no familiar faces in sight.

Truly unknown individuals.

However, my sisters stealthily moved like spies, appearing out of nowhere to shower petals along the way.

Far away, my brother Ji-hyuk waved his hand.

My dad’s hand, which had been holding mine all along, let go.

My brother bowed deeply to my dad, offering a polite greeting.

Then, he took my brother’s hand.

A bit painful yet joyful.

We climbed the stairs once more, this time matching steps with my brother.

Turning around, I greeted and followed the host’s instructions to receive the vows.

I held the marriage vow, also known as the vow of love.

My sister handed me the microphone.

With a trembling heart, I slowly began to speak.

We crafted it together—pondering, deliberating, adding good phrases…

Each word brought back memories. From our first meeting to how we ended up here, getting married.

It was a vow that could be short or long, depending on how you saw it.

But for me, it will never be forgotten.

Amidst the applause, I followed the host’s lead, exchanging gifts.

My sister walked gracefully down the aisle, sprinkling flowers along the virgin road.

“!…!”

As she showered us with flowers, it felt like a promise of eternal love.

When my brother approached, a small box emerged from the basket filled with flowers.

Our wedding rings.

It felt like we had lived just for this moment.

Following the host’s words, my brother gently took my hand and slid the ring onto my ring finger.

As we went all the way in, applause filled the air.

Now it was my turn.

Carefully, I lifted the ring and held my brother’s hand.

His hand was larger and sturdier than mine.

Yet it was gentle and warm.

After the marriage declaration, tears almost welled up instantly.

My brother looked at me, unable to do anything but hold my hand tighter, so I kept blinking rapidly.

Hy-jin, my sister, pointed to her eyes from the front, took a picture, and then disappeared in an instant.

That prickly-looking older brother’s friend, whom I met last time, sang a song.

Even though he was singing a love song that didn’t quite suit him, judging by his expression, it seemed like he must have tried singing it for the first time and it wasn’t a genre that suited him, but he sang it well.

The song ended, and we stood in front of our parents.

Dad looked at my brother’s attire, while Mom hugged me gently.

In front of Dad, my brother bowed deeply, and a slight smile appeared on his face.

“Wow….”

Applause followed.

Now the applause is a given. We gather around our family accordingly.

Without words, naturally, Dad stood to my right, and my brother stood to my left, greeting each other in silent harmony.

Though only 30 minutes had passed, every moment felt like an eternity to me.

We retraced our steps back.

As we were instructed to share a kiss of love, we stood right in front of each other, stealing glances.

“Should I come to you, or should you come to me?”

I playfully nudged his waist.

Being in such a place seemed to ignite a passion within me, so I fanned myself with my hand.

“It’s me… Either way is fine.”

In moments like this, it’s better if my brother approaches first.

Seeming a bit warm, my brother adjusted his tie.

“Well then… Let me take the lead.”

He pulled me closer by the tie and gave me a brief kiss.

Applause erupted, and flowers surrounded us.

“…One more time.”

My brother held me close.

This time, it was longer than before.

It wasn’t a passionate kiss, nor was it a playful kiss tinged with love.

It was filled with joy and overwhelming emotion.

Amidst the pouring cheers, it felt like only the two of us were left behind.

Finally, it’s over.

Saying “finally it’s over” might sound somewhat regretful, but at least for me, it was.

Since I didn’t drink water due to the urge to urinate, it felt like my saliva was drying up, making me feel crazy.

“Congratulations on your marriage, Jihye!”

“Ah… Finally caught the bouquet…!”

“Heheh. She really got married.”

My mind seemed to be burning with the thought of getting married.

Who cares anyway? All I can think about is getting married.

There’s a superstition about catching the bouquet that even my sister seems unaware of.

If you catch the bouquet, it means you’ll get married next, and there’s another saying.

If you catch the bouquet, you must get married within six months.

To add to that, there’s a saying.

If you don’t get married within six months, you won’t get married for three years.

My sister seems unaware, but I wish she had remained ignorant.

Who knows what might happen.

Maybe there’s a cooldown reset if Suah catches it again.

So it’s just a superstition.

“Phew… What a wonderful experience.”

The sisters gathered and chatted.

I don’t know when my known sisters became close, but Yo-unnie was also there with them.

The wedding… I really want to say it was terribly exhausting.

Finishing the wedding doesn’t mean it’s truly over.

Having to walk around in a dress and greet people.

Changing dresses and veils.

There were hardly any people I knew among the many guests.

It was nice to walk arm in arm with my brother, but meeting people was tough.

Turns out half of the attendees were Dad’s employees… I don’t know when their ranks became so high, but I thought Dad was impressive.

And the other half seemed to be from Mom’s side.

…Sometimes, seeing people who appear on TV made me slightly embarrassed.

Both sides were formidable.

“Oh~ Our little sister~”

“Hey. Come here quickly.”

My brother appeared.

Earlier, I called him but he didn’t come, so I wondered if something was wrong with him.

“Suddenly feeling old, huh?”

“What are you talking about? Try it on once, then speak.”

Dressed to impress, but what’s more uncomfortable is this wedding dress.

Beautiful, yes, but everything else is a flaw.

If I were to liken it to something… a cat?

Pretty, but not much else going for it.

Oppa is busy meeting people.

Dad briefly showed up and quickly disappeared with his coworkers, causing the wedding venue to cool down slightly.

Everyone must have gone downstairs.

“Ji-hye! What are you doing not coming in!”

“I’ll be there in a bit. You go ahead.”

Sending off my sisters first.

After gesturing that I needed a moment to rest, I nodded my head and headed downstairs with a quick “Hurry back” from them.

Sitting in the bride’s chair, I pondered for a moment before standing up.

-Ttokgak-ttokgak

The sound of my wedding shoes’ heels echoed widely.

I glanced at my wedding ring once more and slowly surveyed the wedding venue.

The scattered flowers and chairs where people had been seated seemed to still hold a strange warmth.

“Hehe….”

I married Nan-oppa.

For real.

Truly.

This wedding venue was telling me.

Congratulations on the marriage.

With tears streaming down my face, having wiped off my makeup earlier, I sat on the stairs beneath the vast wedding hall, letting out the tears I had been holding back.

Tears of happiness.