Chapter Two: Seulgi’s Truth

Rec Song - Because You Loved Me by Celine Dion

The ceremony ends with the kiss of the year. Bogum puts his hand on Joohyun’s waist and gently pulls her towards him, crashing their lips together in the softest possible manner. It doesn’t even last a few seconds because he pulls away quickly, much to the guests’ disapproval, and sheepishly looks at his bride before, now wife.

Joohyun, on the other hand, doesn’t know how to feel anything but happiness at the moment, simply laughs at him and hits him lightly on the shoulder as the crowd cheers and everyone moves to leave the church in favor of the reception at the nearby garden.

Despite the possibility of a grand wedding, the couple decides on a simpler, more intimate wedding and reception for them and their guests. Both of them didn’t want something grand and much publicized. They just wanted to enjoy their first most important day as a couple with the people they hold closest to their hearts.

The reception is just like the church. It’s magical in more ways Joohyun had dreamed for and she knows it will only be more magical in the future when Bogum turns to look at her and whispers, “I love you.”

The program starts with tears in everyone’s eyes as Joohyun dances with her father and Bogum dances with his mother. Perhaps there is nothing sadder than having to say goodbye to your parents, the ones who have been there for you all this time, the ones who first promised you through thick or thin even before all the friends you’ve met, the ones who first proved to you that there are people who could love you better than yourself, even when you don’t even love yourself, even before you met all the guys or girls you’ve loved before. It is definitely not goodbye, no, but it is in some ways, whether they’d like to admit it or not.

The words of Because You Loved Me only make the guests cry more.

For all those times you stood for me

For all the truth that you made me see

For all the joy you brought to my life

For all the wrong that you made right 

For every dream you made come true

For all the love I found in you

Joohyun’s face is drenched but she doesn’t care because she is tightly holding her father. She is crying heavily like she doesn’t want to let go. She promises herself that she will not cry this hard but she thinks this will be the hardest she will cry today.

“Joohyun, sweetheart,” her father whispers at her. “I love you. I always will. Remember that.”

“I know, Dad,” she says in between hiccups.

“It’s okay. You’ll have to let us go in this lifetime but know that we’ll never let go of you,” her father kisses her on the forehead and hugs her tightly. It’s only then that she realizes his eyes are also bloodshot, swollen, and even though he is smiling, there is a hint of sadness in his expression.

“Dad,” Joohyun cries even harder, not wanting to let go.

Lifted me up when I couldn’t reach

You gave me faith ‘cause you believe

I’m everything I am

Because you loved me

Her father hugs her back. There is probably nothing that can explain what a father, or a parent, feels when their child gets married. They are happy because their child found someone who they know they want to spend the rest of their lifetime with but at the same time, the child who they have protected all their lives, who they have loved, nurtured, and cared for, is going away to, somehow, a stranger. Perhaps there is nothing more mind wrecking than the idea of giving away a part of you, someone who you loves more than your life, away.

Seulgi quickly wipes a tear that is threatening to fall.

Everyone may not understand it at the time the same way Joohyun or Bogum’s parents do but they all feel it as the couple finally breaks away from their parents and everyone is either sniffing, blowing their noses, or just plainly still crying.

After the guests have calmed down, Joohyun, most especially, they play the standard game of lust between the groomsmen and the bridesmaids. Okay, maybe it’s not just lust. But it’s difficult to tell when the game is pulling something up someone’s legs who you barely know. It is a good turn of mood though as everyone’s face brightens up when Taehyung, Bogum’s friend and colleague, can’t pull the garter further than the knee of Jeni, Joohyun’s childhood friend.

“I can’t do this anymore!” Taehyung declares, running away, face flushed red.

“Come on, man. You can do better than that!” Bogum laughs at him.

They settle on just above the knee because Jeni is already fainting by that time. After taking some pictures with the couple, it is now time to hear the best man’s message for the couple. The groom’s best man is his best friend ever since college, his man-to-go for everything, and his brother from another family.

“Well, this has been an exciting night so far,” Joongki begins nervously. “Thanks to Taehyung and his garter.” Everyone laughs except for the just mentioned person who is still trying to get back to his feet after wanting to completely be swallowed by the ground several minutes ago.

He proceeds on telling not just some but the most embarrassing moments he and Bogum shared which turns out of be a lot and extremely embarrassing. Then, he takes a dangerous curve into thanking the groom for everything he has done, not just for him, but for a lot of people, and for making one of the wisest decision in his life which is to ask for Joohyun’s hand. By the end of his speech, Bogum has tears in his eyes as he hits him quite hard on the back before quickly pulling him into a big bro-hug.

When Seulgi accepts the role to be Joohyun’s maid of honor, she knows this will include giving a speech at the reception, and if this is just someone else’s wedding, just with that fact, she will politely make an excuse to turn down the invitation. But this is Joohyun and this is Joohyun’s wedding.

She turns to look at Taehyung and doesn’t blame him for throwing up even when alcohols, or nothing, has been served yet.

She stands up just as her name is called, pulls a number of cards from her purse, and walks to the front, obviously shaking. She is glad she is wearing a lot of makeup that day. At least, she has color. She follows the exact pattern of standard best man or maid of honor speech. First, she tells some funny stories of Joohyun but unfortunately, they aren’t as funny as Joongki’s stories about Bogum.

“I have known Joohyun almost all my life,” Seulgi continues after the laughter has died down when she told everyone about the time when Joohyun’s ring fell on the punch bowl during their senior prom and they picked it up with their bare hands in fear of punishment. And then told no one about what they had done until now which means everyone from their school drank the punch they have, well, touched. “And she hasn’t mentioned anything about love or romantic relationships until she met Bogum. When she met Bogum, it’s like her entire world changed. I think I can safely say that Bogum brought her to a whole new world that is full of excitement, thrill, happiness, and many things else that she didn’t have before.”

“And for that, I thank Bogum,” she continues, glancing at the couple behind her. “Choosing someone we want to spend the rest of our lives with is never an easy task. It’s a day that will determine our lifetime and if we don’t make the right decision, we might end up regretting it or living miserably.”

“But I don’t think they would,” she smiles, more to herself than to anybody. “Because I know they love each other so much.”

“For all it’s worth, I love you and I will honestly, completely love you, Hyun,” she turns and meets her best friend’s eyes, “like a sister loves a sister. And I will be watching you, Bogum.” She earns a roar of laughter from the guests again which is exactly what she is going for that afternoon. She doesn’t want tears because she had enough of that already.

Joohyun runs to her and pulls her into a long hug. It’s funny because they talked before the wedding but it’s as if a lot of time has already passed between them. “I love you, too, Seul,” she says through the hug. “Nothing will change.”

She sadly smiles because even though her best friend says that, she knows that they both know it’s not true. Their hang out times changed when they went to different universities for college. Their music tastes changed when Seulgi was introduced to alternative rock and she didn’t listen to romantic, sappy love songs anymore. (Of course, there are exemptions such as A Thousand Miles.) Their fashion styles changed when Joohyun began wearing skirts and dresses always and thought pants were made for guys. Perhaps the only thing that didn’t change at all is how they are still best friends despite everything that did changed.

After that, dinner is served and that has calmed down everyone. Even Taehyung.

The couple might have been practical about the venue and the other things but not the food and everyone is enjoying the buffet and overflowing wine when there’s suddenly a tap on Joohyun’s shoulder. It’s Seulgi who disappeared just after her speech and before dinner is served. Behind her is practically a stranger, someone Joohyun never met before.

“Hey,” Joohyun looks at her and the girl behind her. “Have you eaten?”

“Um, I want you to meet someone,” her best friend says, ignoring her question. She looks at Joohyun as if her life depends on this meeting. The blonde girl in French braid behind her, a little taller than her, wearing pants, oversized long sleeves polo, and white boots, steps out from behind her.

Joohyun doesn’t like her. For one, she is wearing pants in her wedding. For two, she just doesn’t like people who look like they are going to take something that belongs to her away from her. In this case, someone. Her best friend. But that’s just first impression. She’s not judgmental and she’s not a .

“Okay,” the bride completely turns to look at her and the taller girl. She wonders if it’s another cousin from another country of Seulgi because she has a lot. Joohyun might have told her about all of her ancestors and relatives already but Seulgi hasn’t even made it half.

The one in purple gown bits her lip nervously, takes a step back, and intertwines her hand with the girl behind her. “Hyun, this is Jisoo,” she states, looking at nothing but her best friend in front of her, even though she is aware of how people are staring at them now. Her hand is intertwined with another girl, that’s why.

She’s been through worse. She’s been through a hell lot worse. But she feels the warmth of the hand of the person she is holding to and remembers how they got here. She tears her gaze away from her best friend to look at the person whose hand she is holding and she is looking right back at her instantly like there is no one else. She simply smiles at her, as if to tell her it’s okay, and even if it’s not, it will be. It’s that smile that has her going on for two years during those times she doesn’t even want to leave the bed. She’ll not have it any other way.

Seulgi smiles back at her before looking back at Joohyun. “My girlfriend.”

--

A/N: Thanks to all your suggestions, guys. After some internal deliberation within myself, I ultimately decided on Jisoo. Actually, to be honest, I already wrote Seulgi's girlfriend as OC but I wanted my readers to have a better representation of her. That's why I decided to change my OC to Jisoo since I looked it up and found Seulgi and Jisoo seemed really close.

But just a head's up... I don't know if Jisoo is actually taller than Seulgi. I just wanted Seulgi's girlfriend to be taller than her. Lmao. And you might find more out of character things about Jisoo in this fic just because I wanted to write about Seulgi's girlfriend that way.

Have a nice week ahead. xo - Elle