episode_0247

It felt unreal, to the point of not feeling anything at all. Wouldn’t that be the most fitting description?

Cheon Soyul clutched the hem of her dress and swallowed dryly. The wedding dress, chosen after days of careful deliberation, was incomparably beautiful and satisfying. Yet, separate from that, she couldn’t quite understand why she was sitting there herself.

‘…It’s not that I don’t want this.’ The only certainty was that she, too, had been waiting for a day like this to come. So, her current state of sitting blankly in the bridal waiting room wasn’t due to feeling overwhelmed or reluctant. It was simply, as she’d said before, that it didn’t feel real.

Is it already the wedding day? Cheon Soyul continued to swallow, recalling memories from a few months ago. The day the world had greatly convulsed and narrowly avoided its demise. It had taken a long time for the world to regain its calm afterward, but many had returned to their daily lives early on.

Naturally, Cheon Soyul and Lee Hyunjin were no different. They weren’t without injuries, but neither was so severe as to prevent their recovery.

Step by step, they had tidied up the chaos and prepared for the ceremony for about three months. They had, of course, been incredibly busy, yet now that the day itself had arrived, most of it was hard to remember.

They had taken wedding photos with Lee Hyunjin, with whom she now couldn’t imagine being apart, then had the dress fitted, and sent out wedding invitations everywhere.

A little over 90 days, so tense she wondered if they would even meet the schedule…

“Soyul, are you alright?” “Ah.”

But when she finally came to her senses, she was sitting like this. In the middle of the bridal waiting room, in a white dress, of all things. In that small space adorned with beautiful arrangements, Cheon Soyul lifted her head.

The person who had called her was a silver-haired woman. Her blue eyes were strikingly similar to Lee Hyunjin’s. The Ice Empress, Seol Hayeon.

“…I-I’m fine. My nerves just won’t settle.”

In some ways, they were a difficult pair to get along with, having to contend for the side of the same man, but there was no particular difficulty in Cheon Soyul’s current attitude towards her.

Considering she was the woman who had to relinquish her ‘first’ position with sorrow, Seol Hayeon had done her best to help with their wedding.

Once again, Cheon Soyul tightly clutched the innocent hem of her dress and squeezed her eyes shut.

“Don’t worry. You can do it, because you can.”

“…Anyone listening would think I’m being dragged off to a battlefield.”

And to her muttered self-talk to calm her emotions, Seol Hayeon retorted, but Cheon Soyul nonchalantly shot back.

“If it’s a battlefield that only happens once in a lifetime, then it’s not wrong, is it?”

“Why do you think it’ll only happen once?”

“?”

Of course, Seol Hayeon was no pushover. She murmured suggestively, and Cheon Soyul opened her closed eyes wide, lifting her head.

“…Uh, what do you mean?”

“Divorce.”

“…”

“And remarriage. See? It’s hard to guarantee it’ll only happen once…”

*Crack!*

A crackle of lightning burst forth. Not an intentional spell, but simply lightning energy sparked by Cheon Soyul’s eyes as her emotions surged.

Seol Hayeon replied with a mischievous expression, sticking out her tongue.

“Sorry. You said you were nervous, so I was just trying to joke around to help you relax.”

“Unnie…!”

“Why? Would you prefer it was serious?”

“…!?”

Cheon Soyul repeatedly opened and closed her mouth, her expression speechless.

What kind of outrageous talk was this to a bride on the verge of marriage?

But she couldn’t bring herself to raise her voice, as Seol Hayeon’s playful laughter so easily dismantled any sense of caution.

Cheon Soyul eventually let out a few hollow laughs, then gently pressed her forehead.

“Unnie, really… Can you really afford to be so relaxed? Aren’t you actually not in a position to be?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I’m talking about Ayun and Seeun.”

“…”

This time, it was Seol Hayeon’s turn to fall silent. She frowned slightly, making a curt expression, and Cheon Soyul let out a snicker.

“See? No matter how much you pick a fight, you’ll only end up hurting each other.”

“…I’m letting it slide because you’re wearing a dress, Soyul? Otherwise, you would’ve just gotten a punch from me.”

“If only I were stronger than Unnie, I would’ve already punched you back.”

Seol Hayeon’s facial muscles twitched, exuding cold energy, and Cheon Soyul, not to be outdone, let out crackling lightning energy with a bright smile.

Thus, the bridal waiting room, poised for a collision at any moment, was…

“…Enough, you two.”

…quickly calmed by the middle-aged woman who opened the door and appeared.

Cheon Soyul and Seol Hayeon turned their heads as if they had never been bristling, blinking their eyes.

“Mom?” “Auntie?”

“…Whether you both tilt your heads or not is up to you, but Hayeon, how about you fix your honorific first? At least for today.”

Cheon Sehee said this, gently pressing her temple. As she now had to take her daughter out, the chaotic situation in the bridal waiting room, like ‘five minutes before a mess,’ was far from welcome.

She let out a short sigh, then turned to Cheon Soyul and spoke a single word.

“Daughter.” “Uh, yes?”

“Let’s go, it’s time.”

“!”

Cheon Soyul immediately shot up. Her movements were so stiff that she almost tripped on the hem of her dress, but…

“…Be a little careful, bride-to-be.” “Ah, oh. Thank you, Unnie.”

Seol Hayeon quickly supported her midsection, preventing the disaster of a fall.

Cheon Sehee felt like sighing again at the farce, but she suppressed it and said,

“…Hayeon, you can go into the hall now. I’ll take her from here, so you can rest.”

After receiving Cheon Soyul, ‘passed’ through Seol Hayeon, she smiled brightly.

“Thank you for your help, Hayeon. If it weren’t for you, the wedding might have been pushed back to next year.”

“…What was that? So sudden.”

Seol Hayeon immediately retorted defensively, subtly averting her gaze, but she couldn’t stop her white cheeks from flushing slightly.

Cheon Sehee smiled knowingly and nodded.

“Then… Soyul, shall we go now?”

“…”

“You have to go meet your groom.”

At those words, Cheon Soyul’s face turned beet red as she pressed her lips together.

The lack of realism was still present, but she could no longer postpone it.

She took a deep breath, doing her best, and looked back at her mother.

In that brief moment, her two eyes held an undeniably solemn gaze.

“…I’m ready.”

While Cheon Sehee had to barely suppress a laugh, Cheon Soyul clutched both her fists with a very serious expression.

“Let’s go, Mom.”

*****

“…Marriage always comes with various difficulties, but I have no doubt that upright individuals like yourselves will overcome them through communication and consideration for one another.”

“…”

“May today be the first happiest day of your lives, and may it always be remembered as a day of happiness for you both. I, Yang Chan-ho, as the Teacher-nim of Lee Hyunjin and Cheon Soyul, offer this prayer.”

Yang Chan-ho, who had grumbled about how annoying it was just to be the officiant, had somehow finished the officiation splendidly in his stylish attire.

He flashed a grin and embraced Cheon Soyul and me in turn.

And then, in a soft voice inaudible to the guests, he playfully whispered to just the two of us:

“Since things have turned out this way, you two should have lots of kids. Who knows? There might be another damn mess from another dimension, you know.”

“…Huh?”

I was momentarily flustered and lifted my head, while Cheon Soyul turned beet red, busy covering her face with her veil.

Nevertheless, Yang Chan-ho paid no mind and continued speaking.

“No, why, isn’t it true? Awakened abilities are originally dormant in one’s bloodline and are greatly influenced by genetics. If possible, about ten S-rank sons and daughters—”

*Zzzzzt…!*

“…Ahem, hmm. Right, ahem. You want me to stop with the nonsense? Got it, got it. My apologies.”

Cheon Soyul, with her head bowed deeply, brilliantly sparked golden lightning energy, and the guests in the back blinked in confusion.

Yang Chan-ho chuckled, saying his joke had gone too far, and patted both our backs.

And then, as the staff neatly arranged and spread out Cheon Soyul’s dress train, he grabbed the microphone again.

“…Alright, then!”

*Snap!* He snapped his fingers. From the speakers, a joyful wedding march began to play, its title unknown but certainly uplifting.

Soon, Yang Chan-ho scanned the guests one by one, a wide grin spreading across his face.

“Now, the two of them will become one and begin a vigorous march for a new start in life. Please give them a loud cheer and applause!”

*Whoosh!*

“?”

At that moment, a sudden surge of magic forcibly pushed Cheon Soyul and me forward. In the instant we both turned back at the unexpected interference,

our principal simply shouted loudly.

“Groom, bride, march—!”

There was no time to regain our composure. After a single eye contact, Cheon Soyul and I were practically shoved, forced to walk down the aisle of the wedding hall.

So utterly dumbfounded and flustered, for a moment I almost turned back to Yang Chan-ho, but then…

“Well, what about it.”

“…Huh?”

Cheon Soyul turned to me, smiling brightly with a smile that was awkward yet didn’t seem uncomfortable, rather quite lively.

“Let’s just go. Uh, ahem. Husband-nim?”

“…”

“…Heh. We finally got married.”

For a moment, I could only stare blankly at her with a dazed expression.

Because she was a woman so beautiful that for a moment, I couldn’t help but be captivated.

It wasn’t just about her appearance. Of course, Cheon Soyul was a demure beauty that everyone acknowledged, but this time, it was something else—

“…Indeed.”

My gaze was simply stolen. And at the same time, my heart as well.

I couldn’t help but let out a silly laugh, and gently pulled her head into an embrace.

“…Uh, um, eh?”

While the guests were still seated and watching us, I didn’t care about the consequences and simply couldn’t resist the impulse to steal a kiss from her lips.

“W-Wait, Hyunjin, now, th-mph…!?”

The gazes of others, a mix of various emotions, did not enter my sight, at least not at that moment. I didn’t want to see them either.

For this moment, I wanted to completely lose myself in the woman named Cheon Soyul.

“I love you, my wife-nim.”

“Gasp!?”

“Since we’re married, let’s be happy.”

Cheon Soyul’s face was flushed like a ripe strawberry, and her eyes spun around. I chuckled like a child and looked beyond her.

*—Mmmph, mmmph?! Mmmph…!*

Was she planning something?

But unfortunately for her.

Over Cheon Soyul’s shoulder, in the gap of space that was probably only dimly visible to me…

The blue-haired girl was being held by Eileen, tears welling up in her eyes.

I silently mouthed words.

‘Too bad for you.’

‘…?!’

‘Today is my wife-nim’s day, you see. It seems there won’t be any room for you to intervene.’

It wasn’t just words. For today, no, perhaps for the duration of our honeymoon—

There would be no room, no possibility, for anyone else to intrude upon Cheon Soyul’s and my time.

I gripped Cheon Soyul’s hand tightly with a bright smile. Her slender hand, still not recovered from the lingering effects of the kiss.

Perhaps the biggest debt I felt towards her was the fact that I might have to go through a few more weddings like this in the future.

At least for now, I could swear.

That my first was, and always would be, this person.

Academy’s Top Student and One Night Stand -The End-