Chapter Eighteen
Kai's POV
"But you need to pronounce the lyrics really well." Kyungsoo told me.
"I know, I know, I'm used to speaking english. Almost all of Hyunseong's friends are from the US."
"Okay, that's better." He said.
"Sing the first verse again." Baekhyun said.
We've been practicing the song for almost two hours and a half now and my throat is starting to hurt.
"Can we at least rest first?" I asked.
"Do you really want this to be perfect or not?" He asked me.
I sighed and looked at the lyrics again. "Fine."
...
Twelve o' clock in the afternoon and I am here inside Chaerin's room, lying on her huge bed.
The engagement party's tonight and I'm starting to feel really nervous about it.
“What if Kai’s friends don’t like me?” “What if some girl he met at Nolja came and ruined the whole thing?” Those questions kept on ringing in my head.
Good thing I was alone in this room, no one can see me like this.
Chaerin was getting something at her friend’s house and thank God, Kim Jongin wasn’t here, too.
I haven’t been talking to him since the day Chaerin told me about his confession.
He kept on calling Halmeoni’s cell phone, but I told her to just ignore it.
Yesterday, he went to visit, but I was locked up inside my room so he was not able to see me.
I’m not mad. I just don’t know how I will face him.
Maybe that is also one of the reasons why I’m feeling very nervous about the engagement party tonight.
“Minah?” Jungah said as she gently opened the door and entered the room.
I quickly sat up and fixed myself.
“Hey, ajumeoni,” I smiled.
She sat down beside me and asked, “Are you excited?”
I heaved a sigh and looked to the side. “I, I don’t know. I’m, I’m nervous, very nervous actually.” I dropped my hands on my lap.
“Why?”
“I don’t know.” I said.
She just looked at me.
“Is Kai mad at me?”
“No. Why? Is there any reason for him to be mad at you?”
I face palmed. “Never mind. I think I’m just nervous.”
“I think it will be boring if we just stay here in the house and wait for the evening to come. Do you want to go out and relax?” Jungah asked.
“Sure, that sounds good.” I said, smiling at her.
She headed to her room to get dressed and we drove off.
…
I closed the car door and followed her inside the spa.
The smell of vanilla coming from the lighted candles inside made me feel at ease.
“Good Afternoon Ma’am!” The girl at the counter greeted us.
All of them wore red and gold kimonos and some huge accessory on their heads.
We started off with a body massage.
I closed my eyes and started to relax as the girl -- her name is Yuna – started to massage the back of my leg then slowly went up to my back.
Beauty treatments were the next thing we did.
Yuna wrapped a white towel around my hair then started to apply some facial mask which felt heavy on my face.
She asked me to close my eyes and placed cucumbers on my eyes.
Twenty-five minutes later we left the spa and drove to some salon in Gangnam.
"Um, what are we going to do in here?" I asked as I walked inside the salon.
"Good Morning!" A girl with wide hips and small eyes greeted us.
"Who's your best worker in here?" Jungah suddenly blurted out.
The girl with wide hips, Jane (according to her nametag) quickly raised her hand and said, "Me!"
"Are you sure?" Jungah asked, both eye brows raised.
I stood up behind her, no idea of what I should do.
So, I just looked at her, then at Jane, then back at her.
Jane nodded. "Yeah, I'm the owner of this salon." She smiled.
Jungah seemed to be embarrassed at this. "Okay," she nodded slowly and walked towards Jane.
She started to whisper something to her.
Jane nodded cheerfully, then looked at me.
Obviously, it was something about me. "Okay, no problem." She said. "Sit down, darling." She motioned for me to sit on a red salon chair.
Cluelessly, I walked towards her and sat down.
Beside me were two teenagers being hot-oiled. And the other customers were getting manicures and pedicures.
"Be sure to make her more beautiful." Jungah said before sitting on a stool at the back.
Jane stood up behind my chair and pulled my hair back. She removed my barrette and gave it to me.
I put it inside the pocket of my jeans. She wrapped the haircutting cape around me and looked at me in the mirror. I looked at her reflection, too.
"You ready?" She asked.
One of the things I hate the most is getting a haircut. I spent long years growing it and now it's going to be chopped, again.
I pursed my lips and nodded.
I was busy reading some magazine Jungah got from the magazine rack when, "Darling," Jane called. "you may look now."
I closed my magazine and slowly lifted my head up.
Wow.
My waist length auburn hair was now almost shoulder length. And my long, straight bangs were now perfectly cut. Jane curled some parts of it which was useless because I haven't washed my hair yet. And Chaerin told me that someone was going to fix my hair and makeup tonight.
"Wow, thanks," I smiled at her and she smiled back. "No problem."
Jungah stood up from her seat and Jane moved to the side. "You look perfect!" She said.
"Thank you." I replied.
It was now our turn to have some foot spa.
"Her engagement party's tonight." Jungah said as Jane gently massaged her foot.
"What's the name of her husband-to-be?" She asked.
"Kim Jongin, my son."
"Oh!" She looked at me. "You're a lucky girl. Your mother-in-law's so good to you."
I beamed. "Yeah, I guess I am." I said plainly.
Jungah's cell phone rang. "Jongin... yeah she's with me, why?"
Oh my God, please I don't want to talk to him right now.
Please.
"Uh huh... Are you still with your father? Okay... Okay ... Bye." She placed her phone inside her purse then looked at me. "Hyunseong brought him to meet some clients that won't be there tonight."
I gave a nod. Not knowing exactly what to say.
If only I could stop the time. I'm not ready to face him yet.
...
Kai was not yet there when we came back.
It was almost seven in the evening. I was inside Chaerin's bathroom. The stylists were already there and they're almost done with Chaerin.
I got out of the tub and drained it. I wrapped the bathrobe around my body and looked at my reflection in the mirror. "You have to face him, whether you like it or not." I told myself.
I heaved a deep sigh and twisted the doorknob.
"Good Evening Miss Minah," A short girl said.
"Good Evening to you, too!" I greeted her back.
"Is Kai-"
"Yup," Chaerin said. "He's here already and I think he's starting to prepare as well."
I nodded as I sat down on a chair. The short girl started drying my hair.
She pulled my hair into a braid updo.
"There you go, Miss." She calmly smiled as she placed her hands on top of my shoulders.
"I didn't know my hair could be this beautiful. Thank you."
She giggled. "Okay, now. Make-up time!"
A huge makeup set was hidden inside her leather bag. She opened it then asked, "What's the color of the dress you're going to wear?"
I was thinking about opening it this morning, but I totally forgot all about it.
"I don't know, actually. I have not seen it yet. Can you just go and check it out for me?" I asked.
She nodded before heading towards the box.
She was about to bring the whole box for me to see, but I stopped her. "No, I don't want to see it yet."
She looked confused at first, but did as I said. "I know just the perfect makeup for you." She smiled and started to get things from her makeup set.
"Open your eyes." She said as she finished brushing some eye shadow on my eyelids.
Perhaps, my dress had a dark color.
My eye makeup was smokey and dark that it made my small eyes huge. The short girl finished it off with a pink lipstick and lip gloss.
Chaerin got out of the room to give me time to finally wear my dress.
I was now all alone.
I headed towards the pink box and breathed deeply before carefully opening it.
"Oh my," My eyes almost bulged out when I saw the dress.
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