But I can’t stay trapped forever either.
One week. Even if he couldn’t give up, he wanted to at least try making an effort. There was no one around Hui-myeong. The only people on his phone were Do-ha, Section Chief Kim, the driver, and trainers who changed every time. So the only person that immediately came to his mind was Geum-gang.
What kind of life is this?
It wasn’t that he didn’t know Geum-gang was trying to draw a line with him. The fact that the only person he could lean on as he approached thirty was his first love who had turned away from him 10 years ago was simply absurd.
Knock knock— At the sound of knocking on the door, when he went outside, a hotel employee was holding a cold compress pack. It was for Hui-myeong’s swollen cheek. Meticulous Do-ha didn’t miss even something like this.
Why not just not hit me in the first place.
Hui-myeong took the cold compress pack and snorted.
Gives the disease and gives the medicine. Well, it wasn’t the first or second time, so it wasn’t even surprising anymore. With the cold compress pack on his face, Hui-myeong collapsed on the sofa. He was too tired. The day hadn’t even started yet, but he just wanted to fall asleep like this. After showering, with his drowsy body and the cold compress pack on, Hui-myeong closed his eyes just like that.
How much time had passed? At the feeling of something flowing down, Hui-myeong opened his eyes. The pack on his cheek had melted and fallen off.
“Uheuu……”
He’d left it on too long, so far from reducing the swelling, his cheek seemed frozen solid.
Suddenly looking at the clock, Hui-myeong jumped up from his seat. Less than ten minutes remained until the appointment time when Section Chief Kim was supposed to come. I should get ready to go out. Otherwise, Section Chief Kim will barge into the room.
Hui-myeong headed to the room, soothing his weary lower body.
When he opened the closet, just as Do-ha had said, a luxury brand’s current season suit was hanging there prominently. It showed excellent aesthetic sense, as if he intended to make Jung Hui-myeong’s existence part of the decoration for his own wedding.
The deep gray suit with a soft pearl sheen had double buttons, and the bright sky-blue necktie placed inside the neat white shirt was already tied in a knot.
Meticulous bastard.
Jung Hui-myeong didn’t know how to tie a tie. Do-ha had tied it in advance in case he might act coquettish and ask someone else to tie it for him. In any case, he was someone who detested Jung Hui-myeong being touched by others.
Hui-myeong put on the pants and shirt and checked the mirror. He’d lost a bit of weight from being sick for a few days, but the suit fit his body well. With features as beautiful as an oriental painting, pale skin, tall height, and a slender build, Hui-myeong matched very well with the aesthetic direction this brand pursued. Thinking of Do-ha who must have been pleased imagining Hui-myeong appearing at the wedding wearing these clothes gave him chills even while standing still.
He probably isn’t even curious what kind of dress the bride will wear.
Hui-myeong snorted and finished buttoning his shirt. After putting on the vest and jacket, he looked quite formally dressed. Standing in front of the mirror, Hui-myeong turned his head this way and that. Thanks to the cold compress, the swelling on his face had gone down, but something inside his mouth felt uncomfortable. Since it didn’t show when viewed from outside, it probably wouldn’t draw attention. The problem was the kiss mark Do-ha had left on his neck.
Knowing full well he’s going to his own wedding.
It wasn’t like he didn’t know his possessive style, but he hadn’t expected this right before the wedding. He probably did it on purpose. To openly display to the world the mark that Jung Hui-myeong was his.
I’ll have to cover it.
After roughly covering the marks by lifting his shirt collar and finishing preparations by fixing his hair, the room phone rang. It was a call that Section Chief Kim had arrived. Hui-myeong stuffed the necktie in his pocket and went down to the first floor.
Section Chief Kim bowed to greet Hui-myeong as usual. Even knowing he existed only to stick to Do-ha, he was always proper.
“Ugh, hheuu……”
As soon as he sat in the car seat, his buttocks area throbbed. At Hui-myeong’s groan, Section Chief Kim glanced at him through the rearview mirror.
“I’ll stop by a pharmacy briefly before we go.”
Hui-myeong said while deliberately straightening his expression to seem fine. No matter how much they knew everything about each other, he didn’t want to be caught having been fucked all night before the wedding.
“Yes.”
Fortunately, Section Chief Kim didn’t add anything else and drove the car.
Since it was a hotel in the depths of Namsan, even to get to the nearest pharmacy, they had to drive down for quite a while. As soon as Section Chief Kim entered the main road, he stopped the car at the pharmacy that was immediately visible. The car came to a complete stop, and as Hui-myeong was about to get out alone, Section Chief Kim ran over and opened the door.
“I can go alone……”
“He instructed me to pay for everything you consume for the time being.”
“Ah.”
Hui-myeong let out a low sigh. So he froze my card—the restrictions have already started. Perhaps because he’d cried earlier in the morning, even that didn’t feel so unfair.
Hui-myeong’s footsteps walking to the pharmacy were slow. His body had become sluggish from the pain throughout his entire body. Section Chief Kim watched Hui-myeong but didn’t offer to support him. Knowing Do-ha’s terrifying possessiveness better than anyone, it was his ironclad rule not to lay even a fingertip on Hui-myeong.
“Please give me flesh-colored patches, painkillers, and laceration ointment.”
While Section Chief Kim paid for the items the pharmacist handed over, Hui-myeong took two painkillers right there on the spot. Do-ha’s wedding wouldn’t end in 30 minutes like others’, and since it was an uncomfortable occasion, he had to relieve the pain in advance.
“I’ll go to the bathroom.”
“Yes.”
Section Chief Kim, who had followed Hui-myeong, waited in front of the bathroom as if monitoring a criminal.
Hui-myeong, who entered alone, pulled down his pants and applied laceration ointment to his stinging hole.
“Ahheu……”
Even though he spread it on gently, as soon as his hand touched the swollen and puffy place, it stung startlingly. He felt self-loathing at how sordid he looked, but it was better than not applying it. If it gets infected on top of everything, I’ll have to endure that pain all alone.
Hui-myeong adjusted his clothes and came out to look in the mirror. After covering the kiss marks exposed on his neck with flesh-colored patches, his appearance that had looked vulgar was at least neutralized.
Only after putting on the necktie he’d kept in his pocket did his outfit finally look complete. Who would know? That this is what someone looks like going to the wedding of a man he’s been stuck to for 10 years.
“Let’s go.”
As Hui-myeong, who came out of the bathroom, walked ahead, Section Chief Kim followed silently.
In front of the wedding hall, reporters had set up camp. The daughter of a major corporation and mid-sized media company owner. The groom was a chaebol son who, despite having remarkable looks, was discussed here and there in internet spaces for being sincere and not causing trouble, and the bride was a renowned cellist who had won awards at international competitions. Thanks to this, the wedding drew the attention of many.
The one gaining more from this marriage was Wondo Group. Corporate value always feeds on rumors. While they were looking for media outlets to amplify those rumors, J Ilbo had proposed the marriage to the Wondo side first. It was everyone’s prediction that both groups’ value would rise from this.
Regardless, Hui-myeong headed toward the entrance with an indifferent expression. As he tried to go inside, two burly guards blocked his way.
“Please show your invitation.”
“I don’t have an invitation.”
Hui-myeong answered deliberately curtly. Hui-myeong and Do-ha weren’t in a relationship where they exchanged things like invitations. Already reluctant about this situation, he wanted to at least try the petty trick of being kicked out for not having an invitation.
But thanks to the thorough Section Chief Kim, even that wasn’t allowed.
“Jung Hui-myeong, from the groom’s side.”
When Section Chief Kim showed his business card and answered instead, the staff hastily opened the way.
As soon as they entered inside, Hui-myeong’s eyes widened at the scale of the hall that was revealed.
The wedding venue was as glamorous as a ballroom in a romance manga. Golden chandeliers cascaded from the ceiling like falling stars, sparkling brilliantly, and from the virgin road to the tables, walls, and even the officiant’s stand, everything was decorated with splendid fresh flowers. It was amazing how much envy the bride getting married here would attract, but the guests in attendance seemed accustomed to such scenery and remained composed.
“Please come this way.”
Section Chief Kim took Hui-myeong, who was distracted by the flowers, to the designated table. The seat with the name tag ‘Jung Hui-myeong’ was right next to where the groom would enter and stand. The people sitting at the same table were strangers he’d never met. They seemed curious about his identity, glancing at the unfamiliar face they’d never seen in high society, but Hui-myeong didn’t even give them a look.
‘Unchanging love’…
Looking at the expensive lisianthus decorating the table, Hui-myeong let out a bitter laugh. Having studied a florist course, Hui-myeong knew well about flower types and their meanings. It was ironic that the flower language of the flowers decorating this wedding was ‘unchanging love.’ Maybe not for other weddings, but the groom’s ‘unchanging love’ at this wedding wouldn’t be directed at the bride.
