Y/N POV:
I had just sent my kids for their morning break when a vibration from my phone caught my attention. It was a simple message from my mom, asking only Time to talk? Curious about the message, I clicked over to her contact and pressed the call button. She answered almost immediately. "Y/N? I swear I am going to kick the ass of that adorably handsome and undeniably sweet but infuriating fiancé of yours." Although her words were stern, I could hear the amusement behind them so I knew whatever it was, it couldn't be that bad, couldn't be that terrible.
Laughing out loud, I prepared myself for what was coming, knowing Jimin had to do something crazy for my mom to swear like that. "Oh god. What did my Jimin do?"
My mother huffed and I had to hold back in the laugh. "Well... I just got off the phone with that beautiful resort the two of you booked for the wedding to make the final payment for the rental. And do you want to know what they told me? Hmmm? Do you?" Before I could speak, my mother continued. "They told me that the rental was already paid off and had been paid off since February."
"Are you sure?" Although Jimin had insisted on paying for the wedding, I couldn't let him do that so between my parents and me, we had secretly made plans to make payments on things so he wouldn't be stuck with the whole thing.
"Yes. Along with the flower shop and the bakery. Your fiancé has paid off everything." I could tell that she was a little frustrated, the same as I was, because we didn't want Jimin to feel like he had to do any of this. I didn't want him to think I was only marrying him because of his money, because of what he could do for me. No. I was marrying him because I was so completely head over heels in love with him.
Letting out a sigh, I tried to reassure her, not really worried about her reactions because to her, Jimin was perfect. "I will talk to him tonight."
My mom's voice softened. "I'm not really mad at him honey. I promise. I just... I just don't want him to think he has to pay for all of this."
"I know mom. That's how I feel." We talked for a few more minutes then disconnected the call. I knew Jimin was only trying to make things easier for my parents and me, but I wanted him to know that we would help in anyway we could too.
Laying my head on the desk, I let out a groan of frustration, wondering how to deal with the situation. "Uh oh. Problems in paradise?" A concerned voice had me looking up to see Aera standing at the doorway to my classroom. Her eyebrows were furrowed in worry and I gave her a reassuring smile.
"Nothing crazy. My mom went to make the final payments for the resort, the bakery, and the flower shop, but it would appear that it was already paid off. Last month." Sitting up, I leaned back in my chair and crossed my arms. "Any guesses as to who?"
Aera laughed, coming into the room and sitting on a desk, crossing her legs. "Let me guess... Jimin?" I nodded my head and Aera shook her head at me. "Aww... you can't be too mad at him. He wants to give you the wedding of your dreams, something beautiful and perfect. He's... he's just trying to help."
Knowing Aera was right, I let out a sigh. "I know, but I don't want him to think I'm only with him for his money."
"Are you?"
My mouth dropped open in shock at her question, a flood of agitation rushing over me. "Of course not!"
Aera waved her hands in surrender. "I know that and so does Jimin. You don't have to worry about him thinking you are with him for the money. You love him. He knows it, you know it and that's all that should matter."
"Yeah. I supposed you're right." I slumped in my chair in defeat.
"You excited to go to Vegas?"
"Yeah. I wasn't going to go at first, but Choi Lina from the Metropolitan Office contacted me and told me I need to. She had heard about what happened a little while back and said it was safer for me to go with him, that I would be safer there." I sighed and pointed to the stack of papers in the corner of my desk. "They are sending a temporary teacher in for the days I am gone. Hopefully when I come back, things will calm down and this won't be necessary anymore."
Aera chewed on her lip, silent for a moment. "Have you thought about quitting?"
I shook my head instantly. "No. Teaching is all I've ever wanted to do. I don't... I don't want to give up my dreams."
Moving to my side, Aera draped an arm over my shoulder. "Don't worry. I know exactly what you mean and things are going to be okay. I'm here for you in whatever you need."
Grateful for the woman who had become my friend, I grinned. "Thanks. I appreciate you more than you know." The bell rang, signaling the end of morning break and I stood, brushing off my clothes. "Come on. Let's go get our kids."
***
Several long hours later, I let out a sigh of relief as I entered the apartment I shared with Jimin. As I slipped my shoes off at the door, I caught the sight of the view over the Han River. The sun was just beginning to set and the sky was a beautiful display of purples, pinks, and blues. A gorgeous painting created by the brush strokes of the sun. Setting my bag on the bench by the door, I walked over to the window and just stood in front of it for a moment, enjoying the stunning view. Like I always did, I had a hard time believing this was the life I was living, that this fairytale life was really mine.
Sometimes I was afraid to open my eyes in the morning, afraid it was all just a dream, but then when I finally did open them, I saw an angel sleeping in the bed with me. His hair would be sticking up a thousand different directions and his sleepy smile would be the highlight of my day. His eyes would slowly open and his smile would grow as he greeted me, soft words of love that touched my heart every time. He would kiss my lips gently before pulling me in for a hug, wanting just five more minutes. It really was paradise.
Stepping away from the window, I headed into the kitchen to start dinner. I knew Jimin had a photo shoot this afternoon so there was no definitive time when he would be arriving home. It could be anytime between now and closer to ten. They had been working really hard lately preparing for the concerts they just had in Seoul, concerts that the Korean ARMY had been waiting to see.
Jimin's parents had come up from Busan for the third and final show and I had sat in the crowd next to his mom. She had laughed at my reactions to Jimin, since I cheered and screamed right along with the rest of the fans. At the end of the concert, after they had left the stage, she had hugged me, telling me how happy she was that her son had found someone who loved him as deeply as I did. Knowing I had her approval was one of the best feelings in the world.
Taking out meat I had put in the fridge earlier, I sautéed it in a pan, adding the seasons I knew Jimin like. While it cooked, I flipped through a bridal magazine his mom had brought up with her. She had told me that she had marked pages with a couple of different hairstyles and centerpieces she thought I might like. Looking at her suggestions, I was pleasantly surprised by how well she had figured out what I would prefer. The three hairstyles were stunning and the centerpieces were elegant without being too much. I marked the one I really like, excited to show it to Jimin when he arrived home.
I had just finished draining the noodles when I heard the beep of the lock, the signal that my sweet adorably handsome Jimin was home. "Noona? I'm home!" His voice carried through the apartment, making my heart flutter like it always did.
"In the kitchen baby," I called back. It was silent for a moment but then a pair of arms came around my waist and a pair of warm lips touched the side of my neck, peppering kisses all over, making me squirm in response. "Hey. How was the photo shoot?"
Jimin sighed then buried his nose in my hair. "Long. Photographer kept changing how he wanted me. So now I'm tired."
Turning in his arms, I wrapped my arms around his waist, pulling him in close. "Well how about an early night tonight then?"
Jimin shook his head, his silky hair brushing against my cheeks. "Nuh uh. I want to spend time with you."
Knowing he wouldn't give in, I just kissed his nose then pulled back. "Well dinner is almost ready. Are you hungry?" Jimin nodded and I gave him a gentle push. "Go sit down and I'll bring it to you." Although I knew he wanted to protest, Jimin headed into the living room, his shoulder slumped. As much as I wanted to spend time with him too, I knew he needed his sleep more. Maybe convincing him with cuddles in bed would work. I knew if I got him in bed, he would be asleep within minutes.
I loaded up the plates then took them into the living room. Jimin had the bridal magazine from his mom and was flipping through it. I grinned at the sight and when I approached he looked up at me. "Doing some research?"
"Your mom gave me that one. Marked a couple things I might like." I showed him the pages and I giggled as he studied them carefully, flipping back and forth between a couple.
"I like this one the best." Jimin pointed to one I had chosen and I nodded.
"Yeah me too." Setting the plates down on the counter, I went back into the kitchen and grabbed two water bottles, bringing them back into the living room. Sitting next to Jimin, I tried to figure out how to approach the topic of him paying for the wedding. Taking a deep breath, I knew honesty was the best policy. "Um... baby? My mom called the resort to make the final payment for the rental, but it was already paid off?"
Jimin, who had been bringing his chopsticks full of noodles to his mouth, paused in mid-air. His cheeks flushed pink and he cast his eyes down to the ground. He set his chopsticks down on his plate then put the plate on the table. Turning to me, he took my hands, his eyes full of worry. "I'm sorry Noona, but I... I just want to give you the perfect wedding. I don't... I don't struggle with money. I have more than I know what to do with and I want to spoil you."
Squeezing his hands, I leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. "I love you Jimin. More than you will ever know. You know what a perfect wedding will be for me? You standing at the end of the aisle waiting for me. That's it. We could even elope in Vegas next month if you wanted to. It would still be perfect to me."
Letting out what sounded like a sigh of relief, Jimin pulled me closer to him, resting his chin on my shoulder. "I love you Y/N. I was going to tell you, but I knew... I knew you would tell me not to." Nodding my head in agreement, his cheeks turned even pinker. "I may have also paid off the flowers and the bakery too."
"I know. My mom called both." I shook my head at him, amused by his sweet gestures. "You're so sweet and I can't wait to marry you."
Leaning back, Jimin kissed me then grinned. "Now what's this about eloping in Vegas?"