UNLIKELY MATCH | HEESEUNG

22 - Smooth Operator

"I know." I really do, and it's the first step to healing and moving on. But it doesn't make the pain go away, doesn't make the betrayal hurt any less because when you put your trust and love into someone, it's crushing to realize they didn't value it as much as you did. "I haven't confronted him about it yet, though. He's been calling nonstop." 

"Just let me find him and I promise, Sena, I promise I will break his fucking jaw." I smile a little at that. Steph and Heeseung are surprisingly so alike when it comes to protecting me. It's like having two fierce guardians by my side, ready to defend me against any threat, even if that threat happens to be the person I thought I loved. The thought is very, very comforting. 

"I wish we could do that but he knows Heeseung and I are not a real thing and he can use that against us. I don't want to give him any more ammunition to use against me." I sigh and wrap my arms around my legs, pulling them closer to me. 

"Sena, trust me, the pictures of you and Heeseung on social media scream couple goals, not fake couple. Everyone already thinks you two are a real thing. Besides, even if he tries to use that against you, who cares? You have Heeseung by your side, and from what you've told me, he's more than willing to stand up for you." Steph's words make sense, but the fear of Ujin using anything against me still lingers. "And I'm here for you, too. I'm a petty bitch and I'm still upset about the fact that Hana chose to wear the same heels as the ones I chose and styled for you so I'm planning on making her regret it. Seriously, Sena, I get that she can never be you but enough is enough. She needs to fucking learn her place."

I can't help but chuckle at that, and honestly, I'm not going to stop her. I am going to teach Hana a lesson and I'm going to enjoy it. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Probably mope around and listen to sad songs all day, or binge-watch cheesy romantic comedies while drowning in ice cream," Gosh, I love her humor. 

"Maybe both," I reply with a smile, feeling a little lighter than before. "But seriously, thank you for dragging me out of that pit of despair." I love how I can be so open and honest with Steph, how she understands me without judgment and always has my back no matter what. Yejin might be my big sister but Steph is the one person I turn to for everything, the one who knows all my secrets and still loves me unconditionally. She's been there through thick and thin, through my highest highs and lowest lows, and I know I can always count on her. 

"Anytime, Senny. Anytime. Now come on, let's get you ready for tonight." And with that, the two of us busy ourselves with getting ready for the event. After hours and hours of makeup and hair and playing dress up in front of my mirror, I'm wearing the emerald green dress that Heeseung got me and it's absolutely stunning. It hugs my curves in all the right places and it feels like a dream to wear. Like the perfect fit for a princess who's about to attend the most enchanting ball of her life.

I'm no longer a heartbroken girl. I'm a heartbroken girl with a perfect dress that was requested for me by my fake fiancé, the man who's supposed to be nothing more than a business arrangement but somehow makes me feel more alive than I have in a long time. I'm a woman who will make anyone who dares to underestimate her get on their motherfucking knees. 

"You look like a goddess, Senny," Steph exclaims, clapping her hands together. She insists on taking a million pictures of me from every angle and I pose for her, eager to post the pictures and see people's reactions. I twirl, the dress's skirt flowing against my legs and around me like a pool of emerald silk. Steph is right - I do feel like a goddess. "Okay, we're ready. Everything is ready, you'll have to wait for-"

On cue, my doorbell rings and I turn towards the door, my heart pounding inside my chest. When I walk to the door and open it with trembling hands and a stomach filled with fluttering butterflies, the sight of Heeseung meet me, standing at the doorway, looking so handsome it's so hard to tear my gaze off him. I've seen him in suits in photoshoots for luxury brands, I've seen him in his racing gear, but seeing him dressed up like this, for me, it's a whole different level of breathtaking. He's wearing a black suit and it suits him perfectly, framing his strong shoulders and lean physique. The gentle breeze plays with his hair and he looks so beautiful, like the moon when it's at its fullest and brightest in the night sky. Like the most beautiful piece of art in a museum and the most beautiful poem you've heard in a lifetime. 

"You... wow," He breathes out, his gaze sweeping over me, and I feel a blush creeping up my cheeks at his compliment. He looks at me the way one would look at a dream come true. It's a look that makes my heart race and my knees weak, and for a moment, I forget how to breathe. "I mean, I knew the dress would look amazing on you, but holy fuck, seeing you in it... you're breathtaking."

"Thank you," Butterflies. Butterflies. Butterflies. "You matched your tie to my dress." 

"And I got you flowers." He says and only then do I realize that he's been holding a bouquet behind his back this whole time. He pulls it forward and my breath catches in my throat at the sight of them. I can't help but smile even wider. "I thought they would go well with your dress."

"Oh, Heeseung," As he hands me the bouquet, I try to stop the tears that prick at the corners of my eyes and manage a shaky laugh instead. "They're beautiful. Thank you so much."

"I didn't think it would make you cry," I watch as he reaches to cup my cheeks and his thumb gently wipes away a tear that escaped my eye. His touch is so gentle, so comforting, and I lean into it without even realizing it.  "I'm sorry if I made you emotional."

"It's okay," I manage to choke out, smiling like a fool in love. "They're happy tears, I promise." And they are.