Wendy considered herself to be a patient woman, but she felt Seoul's traffic pushing her to her limit. She tapped the steering wheel irritably as she watched the cars in front of her move slowly.
"This is ridiculous," she growled under her breath.
On her right, Changsub chuckled good-naturedly as he checked his phone for any new messages from the rest of the team waiting at Incheon International Airport. Satisfied that there weren't any new developments, he glanced at the back and saw Sungjae staring at his phone.
"Waiting for something?" Changsub asked him, a smile forming on his face. "Perhaps... something from your wife?"
As expected, Sungjae's ears immediately turned red as he tried to splutter out a coherent response.
"We're not... that is... I mean... she's not my..." Sungjae tried to get back at Changsub, but nothing seemed to stick.
Changsub only laughed harder while Wendy's lips curled up in amusement. Who said bodyguard duties didn't have perks?
"Where is Joy anyway?" Sungjae asked once Changsub had finally calmed down.
"She'll be meeting you at the airport," Wendy replied, her eyes still fixed on the traffic ahead of her. "She went ahead with a small team to sweep the terminal to make sure it was safe."
"So why isn't someone from the Close Protection Unit here with me?" Sungjae asked them, a slight frown on his face.
"Ah..." Changsub and Wendy exchanged covert looks. Irene had instructed them to remain undercover until the mission's end.
"That's because Irene said that I could probably take care of escorting you to the airport," Changsub thought quickly on the spot. "I was in the military too, remember?"
"I forgot. It seems like all I remember you doing was getting in the way of my experiments," Sungjae grinned.
"Yah, this kid!" Changsub grinned as well. "There's no respect for loyalty nowadays."
Sungjae shrugged in the backseat as he sent off a quick message to Joy.
--
Incheon International Airport – Seoul, Korea
--
Seulgi walked up the escalator in a hurry, quickly scanning left and right. "All clear at the check-in area," she spoke into her lapel microphone she said as she flashed her clearance badge to one of the airport security guards, who let her into a restricted zone.
"All clear in the duty-free zone," Hyunsik's voice came though her earpiece.
"All clear in the boarding area," Peniel checked in.
In the airport's security room, Irene watched everything from the screens in front of her. "Yeri?" she radioed the youngest member of the team.
"All clear," came Yeri's cheerful voice.
Yeri and Joy were currently sitting down in the departure terminal, waiting for Sungjae to arrive. Like all the other Close Protection members, Yeri was wearing comfortable clothes that allowed her ease of movement.
Yeri looked over at Joy, who was replying back to Sungjae's message. "Bride is currently texting Groom," she told Irene, ignoring Joy's withering glance before Joy hid herself behind the sunhat she was wearing.
"Who thought up these call signs?" she asked Yeri pointedly.
"I think it was Changsub," Yeri said, placing the blame solely on her former instructor. In truth, Yeri and Changsub had been responsible for the names. Yeri watched as Joy's expression slowly became darker.
If looks could kill, Yeri thought to herself.
"I think it works well for this mission," Joy heard Irene say through her own earpiece. "You two are supposed to be a married couple on your honeymoon."
To Yeri's delight, Joy's expression slowly became one of embarrassment. "Unnie, I hope you're not going to blush every time someone calls you two a couple," she teased Joy.
"Shut up," Joy managed to utter.
"Everyone, converge to the first point," Irene ordered. "Get into position. Groom is almost here."
Joy only groaned as Yeri cackled loudly over the code names.
"You're doing this on purpose," she accused Irene.
In the surveillance room, Irene put on her best innocent look, even though only Minhyuk could see it. "I would never dream of it," she replied, winking at Minhyuk.
Minhyuk just shook his head with a grin on his face. Far be it from him to stop the commander.
--
Sungjae waited until the car came to a complete stop before he opened the door, Changsub mirroring him from the front. While Sungjae was preoccupied with getting his small suitcase out of the trunk, Wendy and Changsub subtly checked their immediate surroundings for any threats.
Changsub tapped the top of the car in a casual manner, telling Wendy that everything was okay.
"I'll check him in while we wait for you," he told her.
Wendy sighed deeply. "Next time, you're driving in this traffic."
Changsub and Sungjae watched as Wendy pulled away to park the car in the multi-storied car park nearby.
"Sungjae-ssi, Changsub-ssi."
The two of them turned around to see a suited man waiting for them. He bowed to the two of them.
"Sergeant Major Lee Minhyuk," he introduced himself to Sungjae, flashing his military ID and badge. "I'm here to escort you in from here."
Sungjae shook his hand and followed Minhyuk into the terminal, Changsub following behind them.
"For the purpose of this mission, we've designated you as Groom and Captain Park as Bride," Minhyuk told him as they weaved through the crowd.
Sungjae's ears turned red, "Sooyoung already has a call sign. What was wrong with Joy?"
Minhyuk just shrugged, "Ask Changsub. He was the one who thought up these names."
Sungjae turned around to face Changsub, who gave him a sheepish smile as an apology. "It was best to change call signs for this part of the mission. Joy has gained a bit of a reputation since our visit to SM Research."
Sungjae frowned as he understood the reasoning behind Changsub's excuse but wasn't pleased with it. He heard one of the staff members behind the counter call for him and dragged his suitcase with him, dumping it unceremoniously on the moving scale.
The staff member behind the desk checked his passport and quickly issued him a boarding pass, circling the gate and boarding time on it. Sungjae watched as the staff member quickly wrapped a slip around the handle of his suitcase, designating it as his carry-on. With a perfunctory "Have a safe trip," the staff member wished Sungjae well and turned to call for the next person.
"Now what?" he asked Minhyuk and Changsub as he rejoined them.
Minhyuk glanced at his watch. "A bit early," he muttered under his breath.
"Early?" Sungjae was confused. "Early for what?"
But Minhyuk was already speaking into his microphone, covering his mouth so Sungjae couldn't hear what he was saying.
Minhyuk listened intently to the incoming instructions and nodded. He clapped his hands and looked over at Changsub.
"She'll be ready in five minutes," Minhyuk told him. "Get Sungjae to the place we discussed."
With that, Minhyuk left them, leaving behind a very confused Sungjae.
"The place you discussed? Hyung, what is he talking about?" Sungjae asked the other man.
Changsub offered him a grin. "Joy's almost ready," he answered him as he began to nudge Sungjae on his way.
It was time for the groom to see his bride.
--
Irene spoke crisply into her microphone, "Yeri, get Joy to the next spot now."
Yeri immediately stood up distracting Joy from her own thoughts as she looked over at Yeri in slight amusement. Yeri dragged Joy up as well and carefully looked over her friend.
"Unnie, I can't wait to see his reaction when he sees you," she giggled as she made some final adjustments.
Joy merely blushed again as she and Yeri melded into the sea of people.
Irene smiled as she watched them from the surveillance room.
It was time for the bride to see her groom.
--
Sungjae didn't appreciate being pushed around by Changsub without any explanation. "Hyung, where are we going?"
"Trust me," was all Changsub told him as he steered Sungjae up the escalators. "Seulgi is waiting for you at the top," he said as he nodded in Seulgi's direction for Sungjae.
Sungjae looked at her and back at Changsub. "I thought you said that that we wouldn't be accompanied."
"Do you really want to spend alone time with Joy that badly?" Changsub laughed at Sungjae's expression. "Seulgi is only going to be there to escort you to where you'll meet Joy."
"Aren't you coming with me?" Sungjae asked
Changsub laughed again. "I'll be on there momentarily. Besides, I have to wait for Wendy. She'll be here soon."
Sungjae nodded as he ascended up the escalator alone, leaving Changsub at the bottom.
"Pleased to meet you at last, Sungjae-ssi," she said as Sungjae reached the top of the escalator, presenting him with her own military ID and badge. "I used to work with Joy before she was assigned to you."
"Pleased to meet you too," Sungjae shook her hand.
"This way, please," Seulgi gestured with her hand. "Joy is waiting for you."
Seulgi ushered him into one of the airport's seven gardens, surrounding them with a lush and tranquil environment that separated them from the rush and hubbub of the airport.
He followed Seulgi until they reached a rich, granite tiled area that featured patches of well-maintained grass and trees.
Seulgi stopped in the middle of an open area and maneuvered Sungjae to face the escalator. Sungjae looked around him and found him standing almost ceremoniously in the center of a circle that had been tiled on the floor. Slight panic gripped him.
"Seulgi-ssi," Sungjae started, but she interrupted him.
"Don't worry," she said, pre-empting his questions. "Irene set this all up."
She pointed over to one of the balconies on the other side and waved. "There's Yeri," she told him.
Sungjae squinted and could make out Yeri waving back across the way amidst the crowd of the people around.
"And Changsub is coming right now," Seulgi said, pointing behind him. Sungjae turned around with a start and noticed that Changsub was walking towards him.
"I'll take it from here," he told Seulgi, who nodded and quickly departed, running to her own station.
He stood in front of Sungjae, blocking his view of the escalator.
"Well," Changsub scanned him over and brushed off any lint off from him. "You look decent."
Sungjae stared at his own outfit, a casual dress shirt, slacks, and black loafers. "What's this all about, hyung?" he whispered.
"We're making this as realistic as possible," Changsub said as he smiled at him and pointed out the various locations that the members of the Close Protection Unit had taken. "Yeri's over there, Seulgi just got there, Wendy is coming soon, Minhyuk is over there, Peniel is right there, Ilhoon is with him, and Hyunsik is there. You're safe here. We can all watch over you.
Sungjae shifted around uncomfortably, "Why am I here?"
Changsub clapped Sungjae's shoulders. "I'll let Irene answer that," he said as he looked around and saw Irene coming up the escalator. "Remember Sungjae, as realistic as possible."
Irene walked over to Sungjae and extended her hand to him. "Here," she said, offering a box to him.
Sungjae took it from her and tried to look inside but was stopped before he could do so.
"I'll tell you when to open it," Irene told him firmly.
Sungjae looked at her dubiously but nodded as he put the box in his pocket. He turned to look at Changsub but found him staring intently at the escalator.
"Irene-ssi?" he asked the woman in front of him, but she shook her head quietly as she walked behind him and positioned him once more towards the escalator.
Irene pressed the PTT button on her walkie-talkie twice. The prearranged signal.
--
After separating from Changsub, Wendy took the elevator towards the second floor and found Joy waiting by herself.
"Sooyoungie," Wendy called out softly as she approached Joy. "You look so beautiful."
Joy smiled nervously at the older woman. "Do you think he'll like it?"
Wendy laughed, "I'm sure he'll love it," she told her.
Wendy heard two squawks come from her own walkie talkie. "Go get him," she said as she hugged her tightly. "I'll be right behind you."
Joy returned the hug, "Thank you unnie," she said before she let go of Wendy.
She took over her sunhat, passed it to Wendy, and shook out her hair before she turned to ascend the escalator. She stepped onto the escalator and tilted her head up, watching as she slowly rose up to where Sungjae would be waiting for her.
--
Sungjae stared at the escalator and waited with bated breath as he sensed, no, knew, who was going to come up.
He wasn't disappointed.
Sungjae watched as Joy slowly came into sight, her hair styled beautiful as it bounced gently off her shoulders. She wore a white floral maxi dress that seemed to accentuate the curves of her body. Sungjae looked at her and found Joy looking back at him, a bashful smile gracing her face.
Joy slowly walked towards him and held out her hand for him to grab hold of. Sungjae reached out and took hold of it, gently entwining their hands together.
He leaned in and whispered to her, "Why are you so pretty?" causing Joy to blush and squeeze his hand in response.
Irene nodded at Wendy who had slipped up quickly behind Joy, unnoticed by the couple who were absorbed in their own world. Some of the passersby gave them looks of curiosity but quickly passed on by.
"Sungjae-ssi, the box I gave you," Irene reminded him, snapping the pair out of their trance.
Sungjae opened the box and found two simple bands of white gold glinting back at him and Joy. They looked over Irene, who they had just realized had taken a position very much like how a reverend would take at a wedding ceremony.
Realization slowly dawned on them at they realized that the call signs that they were given took on a different meaning.
"I didn't prepare anything," Sungjae said nervously as he looked over at Joy.
Joy laughed at she took both of his hands in hers. "Neither did I."
"I think you said something about missing your own wedding, Sungjae-ssi," Irene cleared her throat. "This isn't a real ceremony, but we need to make a strong cover story for the two of you. The best lies have an element of truth to them. If anyone asks you about your wedding ceremony, tell them about this one."
Irene smiled at the loving pair in front of her. She detached her lapel microphone and held it out in front of them. "You have an audience," she told them as she gestured around the hall.
Sungjae and Joy looked around and saw each member of the Close Protection Unit fiddling with their earpiece, Changsub having managed to secure one secretly from Seulgi.
"If you're all attending our wedding, who's patrolling then?" Sungjae asked wryly.
Irene laughed. "There are more people in the unit than these guys," she answered. "These guys are just a tad invested in this plan."
Sungjae grinned as he took out the smaller of the two rings and slipped it onto Joy's finger. "I don't know how, but we found each other again," he told her quietly. "Thank you for never giving up on me. I love you, Park Sooyoung. This is not a real wedding, but for now, this will do."
Joy beamed as she marveled at the new ring on her finger before she took out the remaining ring. "Somehow we found each other again. Thank you for being the Great Wall of Yook," she teased him cheekily before she sobered up. "I love you, Yook Sungjae. This is not a real wedding, but for now, this will do."
Irene clapped her hands, causing the two to look at her expectantly. "Yook Sungjae, Park Sooyoung" she said solemnly, looking at the two of them. "You've both been dealt a harsh hand by life. This is not a real wedding, but your feelings are real. Just like you two said, for now this will do. I hope that one day I will be able to see you both at the altar.
"Yook Sungjae, you may now kiss the bride."
Sungjae didn't need to be told twice.
Around them, strangers stopped and stared at the kissing couple before moving on with a slight shake of their heads, a smile pulling on their lips. Each member of the Close Protection Unit watched in satisfaction.
Mission accomplished.
--
Okay, so was this slightly more dramatic? Could you imagine it in your head if this actually happened?
So this whole chapter wasn't included originally, surprise, surprise, but then I thought, I really want to do a wedding ceremony, but I don't want to do a traditional ceremony scene. I tried it before, and it did not work out well. That story has been on the backburner for like... eight years LOL
So I thought to myself, let's have them married, but let's do it in a non-conventional style. So here we have Sungjae and Joy "getting married" in an airport. It's not an actual wedding, but I hope that the themes and everything worked out well.
Get ready for gratuitous fluff over the next few chapters before we reach the climax of this story! Honestly, with this Sungjoy drought, I'm just trying to do my best to satisfy my craving for Sungjoy.
As always, thank you for all of your votes, comments, views, story list adds, follows, and support!
See you all later!