CHAPTER 39
It was a beautiful morning. Despite the pounding of her head. Despite the dryness of her throat. It was beautiful. Jennie is beautiful. Chaeyoung thinks she always will be.
She woke up not because of her natural body clock but because of the sunlight gently spilling in between the curtains hitting her squarely on the face. Lithe arms were wrapped around her torso and a warmth pressed itself against her back. Jennie.
The blonde smiled to herself despite her current predicament. Shifting in the CEO's arms, she slowly rolled over to face her soon-to-be wife. The moment she shuffled, Jennie's arms unconsciously held her tighter. Cuddled her closer. Chaeyoung smiled to herself once more. Even in her unconscious state her Jennie was still so protective of her.
It was such a slow morning. Like time has gifted them with a stillness that they could bask in for a little while longer. So Chaeyoung did. Happily so.
Until she felt the strong urge to gag at how she smelt like alcohol.
She pried her fiancé's arms away gently. Making sure Jennie wouldn't wake up as the blonde slipped into the bathroom to shower and change into comfortable clothes.
It was August 20. A day before their Wedding.
They have nothing planned during the day. Nothing of high importance. Just the rehearsal dinner later on that evening. So, everyone had time to lounge in or maybe explore the area.
Chaeyoung decided to spend the morning wrapped in Jennie's arms. Sliding back into the bedroom after dressing she was greeted by the sight of a pouting Jennie as the older girl sat against the headboard with her arms crossed in front of her.
"Why'd you leave me in bed alone?"
She couldn't help but giggle. Making her way across the room and sitting beside her fiancé.
"I washed off the nasty alcohol stench off of me. I'm sorry."
Jennie huffed at her and grumbled lowly.
"I wanted you to be the first thing I see after waking up."
Lost in thought once again, Chaeyoung couldn't help but stare at her fiancé. Her heart swelling at the sight. At the mere fact that someone as independent as Jennie would crave her company that much.
Maybe it was the stillness of the morning or maybe it was the gentle sunlight grazing Jennie's porcelain skin but whatever it may be, Chaeyoung felt as if she was living in a dream.
A dream she wished no one would dare wake her from.
She was shaken out of her thoughts by Jennie's gentle kiss placed on her forehead followed by her soft voice saying, "Did you have fun last night love?"
Suddenly her raging headache came back as she groaned in discomfort which then made Jennie chuckle lightly beside her.
"Let me shower and then let's get breakfast"
Chaeyoung let her head rest on their soft pillow as she stared at the ceiling suddenly nauseated due to the large amount of alcohol intake the previous evening.
But still, despite the pounding of her head. Despite the dryness of her throat, Chaeyoung still thought it was a beautiful morning.
...
As mean as it sounds, Chaeyoung actually felt relieved when arriving at the tent where breakfast was served. Not just because of the fresh air or because of the buffet but because at their designated large table she could clearly see her friends looking as pale as her.
Lisa was staring at her plate blankly while a sleepy Mina was nursing a cup of what seemed to be some herbal tea. In front of the two were Joy and Yeri who were leaning against each other looking like they just got home from a rave. Messy hair and all that.
Beside them was Jihyo who actually looked better than all of them. Her tired looking cousin was trying to feed a grumbling Dahyun who seemed to be trying not to doze off. Moving her line of sight a bit, beside Dahyun were Sana and Tzuyu. Both girls looking somewhat fine. She wasn't expecting Tzuyu to have a hangover because as per usual their maknae was very good at taking care of her health and now that she had a girlfriend, that included Sana as well.
She couldn't help but let out a small giggle. Overall, the sight made Chaeyoung feel better. In some weird way.
Chaeyoung sat beside Lisa while Jennie went off and got them food. Immediately, her best friend leaned her head against her shoulder while groaning in desperation.
"Chaeng, I'm never drinking again."
She groaned in return. Not really having the energy to form a coherent sentence as of the moment. Thankfully, Jennie sat beside her and a plate with light food was placed in front of her. Chaeyoung gently nudged Lisa as she focused on her food. Of course, the solution to her pounding head was none other than her first love. Food. An amused chuckle from Jennie was heard but she didn't bother as she kept shoving food inside her mouth.
After all, they all needed to get it together especially for the Rehearsal Dinner that evening.
It was going to be another memorable evening. Unlike the two previous nights, this one would most likely be mellow. Somewhat formal just because their other guests would be there as well. Of course, they'd go through the basics like who walks down the isle first and where do the guests sit exactly.
...
The rest of the morning was just spent lazing around. Both trying to calm down their nerves for the Wedding tomorrow. Not until Chaeyoung suddenly sprang up from her comfortable position on their bed startling a drowsy Jennie beside her.
"We need to go see horses!"
That earned her a confused look from her fiancé. The blonde sat up properly as she tried tugging Jennie's limp arm.
"My parents' wedding photos were of them on a horse and I want to try and recreate it. Please?"
She puffed her cheeks out as much as she could and used her best aegyo voice as she pleaded for Jennie to move. It really didn't take much of an effort to make Jennie move. So half an hour later they found themselves in the rental van on their way to see and ride horses much to the girls' delight.
...
It was a beautiful day. That much she could say. Maybe it was the wind gently breezing through Chaeyoung's blonde hair. Maybe it was the vast green grass they were on. Maybe it was the cute horses surrounding them. Maybe it was Chaeyoung's giddiness as she skipped and pointed towards which horse she wanted to ride. Whatever it may be, Jennie was sure felt as if she was living in a dream.
A dream she wished no one would dare wake her from.
They changed into riding gears as fast as they could. Both wanting to interact with the horses as fast as possible. When they approached the man near the stables he then introduced them to their assigned horses.
"So you guys will be riding with Byangbong and Captain."
Chaeyoung squeezed her hand excitedly as Jennie smiled politely to the man while asking. "Biyangbong? Is he from France?"
The name genuinely piqued her interest but it was almost like an added bonus when she made her fiancé giggle at her question. Which then earned her a laugh later on when the man then explained that it was actually a reference to a Korean island so they thought it would be fitting to let them ride with him today.
Once she was settled on her trusty horse, she then watched as Rose kept pointing to another horse instead saying that she had matching hair colors with that horse. Jennie didn't have the heart to tell Chaeyoung to just stick with Captain since the younger girl was whining rather cutely. So they all just let her pick the horse she wanted despite the firm warning that the horse she picked often stopped and grazed on grass a lot.
During all of Chaeyoung's pleading. Jennie was just watching her in a daze. If someone told her a year ago that she would be going to New Zealand to marry her best friend, she wouldn't have believed them. So now that everything is unfolding in front of her eyes, Jennie couldn't help but become sentimental.
Shaking herself from her emotional thoughts, Jennie decided to live in the moment. This was her dream. A dream come true and she intended to enjoy every minute of it. So she smiled mischievously at her fiancé while the man ushered Captain away from them.
"Chaeyoungie, you hurt his feelings. He's walking away from us. Too bad for him."
She almost wobbled on top of Byangbong in pure delight when she saw how remorseful Chaeyoung was as she apologized to the retreating horse. They followed the man in front, Jennie behind him and Chaeyoung following closely behind. It was quite romantic at the start. Jennie stating that it felt like a scene from Twilight.
As expected, the ride was both relaxing and hilarious after a couple of minutes passed. Well maybe only for her since, as the man warned them, the horse Chaeyoung picked did leave the track every once in a while, and decided to get a quick snack.
She kept turning her head at the back to see if Chaeyoung was still following or not and even though there were times that the younger girl's horse would be side-tracked. Jennie could still see the genuine smile plastered on her fiancé's face.
"Chaeyoung-ah, the horse fits you so well! You both love eating!"
All in all, it was a wonderful ride and they even got to recreate the wedding photos of Chaeyoung's parents.
...
It might have been a lovely day but Jennie was not so sure about it being a lovely evening. For the first time since their long Wedding getaway, the CEO was quite irritated when the moment they stepped out of the van she was dragged aside by her parents before the Rehearsal Dinner.
"Dear, I'm not so sure if you knew this tradition but the evening before the wedding the betrothed couple are not supposed to share a room. So, your father and I arranged a separate room for you to stay in this evening."
Which then explained her foul mood during the whole Rehearsal Dinner. In reality, it really was not that big of a deal but she just found it useless as to why they had to separate her from her fiancé when they would be getting married anyway the following day. Jennie trudged her way to the venue where the Wedding would be held and instantaneously heard snickers coming from Jisoo and Irene who were apparently her guards for the evening to make sure she did not sneak out and sleep with Chaeyoung. Parents' orders, they said.
"Don't be such a baby. You'll get to sleep beside her for the rest of your lives anyway." She heard Jisoo say beside her as the girl tried to hide another snicker of amusement.
Rehearsal Dinners really did not last long traditionally. Just an hour or two, maybe three would be a stretch. So Jennie, true to her nickname, stuck by Chaeyoung all throughout the rehearsal.
She grumbled beside the younger blonde as they sat and watched the event organizer instruct some of the guests where their designated seats were. A sweet giggle lessened her raging irritation as Chaeyoung placed her hand ontop of hers.
"It's going to be alright, Nini. To be honest with you, I really find it quite romantic."
A perfectly raised eyebrow placed itself onto her face as she stared at Chaeyoung in pure confusion. What could be romantic about them being separated the eve before their Wedding?
The younger girl began playing with their fingers. Tracing the engagement ring Jennie had on her finger. There it was again. It was as if time has slowed down. Like she was in a dream. A dream she had back when they were younger. Naïve. Back when Jennie was too scared to ruin their friendship.
She watched as the gentle fairy lights of the venue hit her fiancé's blonde hair. Seemingly giving the blonde an ethereal almost angel-like glow. Her senses seemed to be heightened. All she could see was Chaeyoung. Her bashful eyes as she stared at Jennie's engagement ring. All she could sense was Chaeyoung. Her perfume, Saint Laurent, wafting in the air. Her blushing cheeks. Her small shy smile as the younger girl raised her eyes to meet her own.
It was all like a dream.
A dream she wished no one would ever wake her from.
Gently, like a slow cool breeze, Chaeyoung spoke to her. Pulling her out of her thoughts once again.
"It's romantic, don't you think? That the next time we'll be sleeping together, I will be officially yours and you are mine."
Perfect. Jennie thought to herself.
Park Chaeyoung was just perfect.
Just like that, all her irritation dissipated. Well when explained like that, she could see how it was romantic. Jennie's features softened. Eyebrows dropped as her lips formed a smile that matched Chaeyoung's. Jennie turned her palm upwards so that she could interlace her fingers with her fiancé's before nodding softly in agreement.
"I can't wait to be officially yours."
...
Even though she promised her fiancé to behave that evening, Jennie couldn't help but grumble when she was suddenly flanked by both Jisoo and Irene on both sides. Ready to usher her to her separate room.
Chaeyoung, on the other hand, was grinning widely when Lisa and Jihyo linked their arms with hers. She watched as Chaeyoung suggested something about face masks to her friends. A quick peck was placed onto her lips making her frown disappear.
"I'll see you tomorrow. Don't give the Unnies a hard time!"
Off her fiancé went, linking arms again with her best friend and cousin as they skipped to their room. Jennie stared at Chaeyoung's retreating back as two arms linked themselves to hers. Groaning like a child, she let herself be dragged to her room for the evening.
Once inside, Jennie rose her brows at how it was arranged. There was a double bed near the door and a single bed near the window. Jennie knew her Unnies were going to be in the room with her but she didn't think that they'd make sure her bed was as far away from the door as possible. All her plans to sneak out in the middle of the night all just crashed and burned. Her suitcase was there as well, alongside two others which she assumed were Jisoo and Irene's.
"Go on and shower, Jennie. We're here to make sure you don't look bloated on the day of your Wedding!"
Her Jisoo Unnie enthusiastically said while opening her own suitcase. Irene put an arm around her shoulders as she gave her a small side hug.
"Jisoo's right you know. You hired a photographer and a videographer and our duty is to make sure you won't look like a real mandu."
Her Irene Unnie laughed as she joined Jisoo in opening their suitcases. That made her smile. Really, she was being overdramatic. She knew that. Jennie just couldn't help it. But looking at how cheerful and excited everyone was, Jennie decided to drop the dramatics. So she trudged towards her suitcase and pulled out her pajamas and toiletries.
After all, it was her last evening as a single woman.
Half an hour later, Jennie found herself on her bed with a face mask plastered onto her skin by none other than her Irene Unnie. Jisoo was right beside her while Irene was on the foot of the bed sitting cross legged facing the two of them. It was quiet. Calm. She was getting drowsy due to the soft light of the lamp beside her bed as all the other lights were turned off.
"You're not getting any wedding jitters, are you?"
Jennie glanced at Jisoo for a second before staring at the ceiling once more. Was she?
"I don't think so. I guess because I've spent most of my teenage years being scared. Scared of confessing. Scared of losing her. Scared of all of the things that might happen to cause her to walk away. Even our Wedding was planned like a business agreement at first. That terrified me most."
Jennie reminisced as she let her thoughts sink in before continuing.
"I was upset, you know. When our parents decided the Wedding on their own. Then I thought to myself that back then, I did everything in my power to try and get rid of my feelings for her. I even slept with other people hoping they'd make me forget."
She chuckled as she watched both Irene and Jisoo gag.
"I did all that because I was scared. We already had a great friendship. A great history. I didn't want to ruin that by confessing. I didn't want her to walk away. Funny enough, we were actually being pushed together from the start. Not because of business or because of anything else. But I guess I believe it was by fate. If our parents weren't friends then I wouldn't have met her. If our parents didn't do it themselves then maybe I would have taken a longer time to get myself together and confess. I mean yes, they did decide the Wedding on their own but I could've easily said no. I could've easily refused. But I didn't. she didn't either."
She smiled to herself. Thinking back to the times when she was too much of a coward to chase after what she really wanted.
"I started to face that fear. Get myself together and take that leap of faith. I was scared. Terrified, even. But when I look at her, that fear doesn't seem so agonizing anymore. I guess I'm just done being scared. I'm done being a coward. Right now, I'm honestly excited."
Jennie let out a deep breath. As if a huge weight on her shoulders were lifted. Jisoo hugged her side as Irene moved to sit on her left as the older girl gave her comforting pats on the head.
"We're excited for you too."
Weddings really do have a way of bringing people closer together, Jennie thought as she laid there surrounded by the friends she treasured most.
It was a lovely evening after all.
...
"Where do you think you're going, Park Chaeyoung?"
She was busted. That she knew. So, with a guilty little smile, Chaeyoung turned around and saw Jihyo standing in front of their bedroom door with her arms crossed in front of her. Her cousin was wearing her pajamas with her hair up wrapped around a towel as she raised an eyebrow at her.
Her plan was simple. Shower first and let the others shower after her. That way they would be too occupied for a good hour so that she could find a way to sneak towards Jennie's room.
Not a fool proof plan, she must admit, but at least she tried. So she shuffled slowly back to her cousin, head bowed down while laughing nervously. A strict Jihyo was not someone you could mess with. No matter how cute you are, unfortunately for her.
Chaeyoung plopped down on her bed as Jihyo approached her, now with a bright smile she knew so well. Her cousin then began opening a face mask pack to place onto her skin.
"Nice try, chipmunk." With that, she turned her head towards the bathroom door as she saw Lisa laughing at her failed attempt to escape.
"No one escapes God Jihyo." Lisa added as the younger girl sat beside Chaeyoung after wearing her own set of pajamas.
Chaeyoung laughed heartily at that statement. It was true. So she just admitted defeat and reached out to hold Jihyo's left arm that was not preoccupied with holding her phone.
Her cousin was taking this bodyguard job very seriously as she was now on the phone with Jisoo, updating the older girl about her failed prison escape.
She felt Jihyo intertwine their fingers and squeeze her hand lightly. It calmed her heart. Not because she was scared of her cousin. But because being away from Jennie made everything more real.
The past couple of days, she felt like it was all just a dream. Too good to be true. But now that she was away from her fiancé, Chaeyoung felt everything settling down. It dawned on her how real everything was. How monumental the occasion really is. It's not just a game that teenagers play. It's not some weird bet they make during school.
No.
This is real.
The wedding is real.
Chaeyoung didn't plan to sneak out but when reality hit her full force, she needed to ground herself and immediately sought out the comfort that Jennie can give her. The blonde took a deep calming breath as she felt Jihyo rub her thumb over the skin of her hand and Lisa shuffle closer to her side subtly giving Chaeyoung the physical comfort she could offer.
She smiled to herself. Touched by the gestures of her friends.
Weddings really do have a way of bringing people closer together, Chaeyoung thought as she laid there surrounded by the friends she treasured most.
It was a lovely evening after all.