Arranged by chance and Married by choice - Chapter 6：Six

It was three days before the wedding and Cerise was buzzing around her room, checking on the preparations.

Cerise: sweetie! Come here for a moment, please.

Mel: Mom?

Cerise: what about the cake and the flowers?

Mel: (rubbing her mother’s shoulders) relax Mom! Come here sit down, I’ll get you some water.

Cerise: no, there is still so much to prepare and so little time left.

Mel: (handing her the glass of water) Shh! Mom! You are stressing yourself out too much. The planner is going to take care of everything. You have to focus on just one thing.

Cerise: (sipping the water) what is that?

Mel: You have to help me pick out my dress and we do have to redesign my wardrobe.

Cerise: Ah! You are reminding me this now? Let’s go shopping then.

Mel: we will but first we have to go to the spa, Mom.

Cerise: spa?

Mel: I am the bride Mom, won’t you listen to me?

Cerise: alright but only this one time.

Mel: (hugging her) thank you, Mom.

Cerise: (kissing her daughter on the forehead) I never thought that this day would come so soon. When are we supposed to leave?

Mel: So-ah is going to pick us up.

Mel lit up at seeing her elder cousin sister at the door. She had been her constant support system from a very young age and now the successful doctor was supposed to be Min-Soe’s bridesmaid along with her only friend Ina.

Mel: you finally made it sis! Thank you!

So-ah: it is your wedding Mel, how could I miss it and you asked for me to be your bridesmaid. So are we good to go now?

Mel: yes, Ina will be meeting us there and Ye-Jin promised to bring Mom with her so we are good to go.

Cerise: Sun-hee is coming?

Mel: yes, we planned it for all the closest ladies of the family. I need all of your opinions on selecting my dress now, don’t I?

Hours later after they had visited the spa and got the pampering of their heart’s desire, the ladies all now sat in the bridal boutique going through a variety of dresses for the bride to be. She was currently in the dressing room, trying on what seemed to be like the 15th dress. And none of the outfits they had chosen for her until now did match her style or their taste. Some were too exposing and others were too suffocating and frilly. Mel was feeling exhausted when the group ruled out the current dress too.

Sun-hee: I can’t believe this is taking so long.

Cerise: tell me about it, when we got married, it was just in a matter of moments that we found our dresses.

Ye-Jin: sis-in-law, are you sure you don’t want to confirm this dress?

Mel: sorry Jin-ah! But I really don’t feel like this is the dress.

They all sighed at the failure when Ye-Jin’s phone lit up with an incoming call.

Ye-Jin: hey! Bro! I told you not to call me-

….

Ye-Jin: no, we were in the boutique looking for the dress.

….

Ye-Jin: ok, I’ll send you the address. (After ending the call) brother thinks that sis-in-law won’t be able to find any dress like this. He is coming here.

So-ah: Finally I’ll get to meet your fiancé.

Sun-hee: he sure does have good taste in dressing and fashion but-

Cerise: do you want to be stuck here until the wedding day?

Sun-hee: you are right. Why don’t you girls finalize the bridesmaid dresses until he comes?

So-ah: (turning to the bride) Mel you’ve got something in mind?

Mel: nothing in particular but as the ceremony is a small affair with close friends and family. I don’t think the dresses must be extravagant. I’ll leave them for you to choose.

Ina: I see what you are pointing at; we’ll find ours in no time. Jin, want to join us?

Ye-Jin: (excited) sure sis.

Fifteen minutes into the dress hunt the store door opened and Kai walked in looking like a fresh summer day. Most of the ladies in the store almost fainted when they saw their idol step in. He ignored all of them as his eyes scanned the area looking for his woman. He soon found her browsing through rows and rows of dresses and making an annoyed face at each of them. Purposefully he walked towards her.

The staff were bound with the no disturb clause so it assured that their customer’s got the privacy that they needed.

Mel: (without looking up) you are late.

Kai: (chuckling) how did you know it was me?

Mel: your cologne.

Kai: (chuckling) found what you were looking for?

Mel: (making a sour face) I modelled in at least 20 dresses but none of them was the right one.

Kai: Then you should’ve called reinforcements sooner.

Mel: (smiling) I hadn’t factored you in the equation.

Kai: (looking through the dresses) none of these are you.

Mel: Do we have to match our outfits?

Kai: I don’t think that’s necessary. We’ll probably end up matching them as we told our planner that we’d both prefer white clothing.

Mel shuddered at the thought of gruelling hours of their free time spent with the planner discussing every detail of their upcoming wedding.

Mel: don’t remind me. (Holding up a dress) what about this?

Kai: (giving it a once-over) no, this is not it. (Looking around) where is everyone else?

Mel: they went to look for the bridesmaid dresses. Couldn’t we just elope to Vegas? Get married, celebrate our honeymoon and come back?

Kai: (chuckling) sounds like a plan to me and it is tempting too but we might’ve just spent lots of precious time here. (Holding up another dress) try this one?!

Mel: (hitting him on the shoulder) that looks like a bikini! Absolutely no!

Kai: (chuckling) ok. (Pulling her to a different aisle) I think I saw something when I came in. (triumphantly holding up a dress) try this!

Mel looked at the dress in his hand and was in awe of it. It was elegant and beautiful like him but it was simple too. She took the dress from his hands and walked into the trial rooms. The other ladies returned while he was waiting for Mel to return.

Sun-hee: where is Min-Soe?

Kai: in the changing room. She is trying on a dress which we both chose.

At the precise moment, Mel walked out of the trial room causing everyone’s jaws to hit the floor.

Cerise: sweetie you look amazing.

Mel: (conscious of herself) you t-think so?

Sun-hee: honey you are absolutely stunning!

So-ah: this is it!

Smiling at them Mel turned to ask for Kai’s opinion. He stood there gawking at her in surprise. The dress clung to her in all the right place. Mel’s cheeks heated up due to the intensity of his stare. Someone cleared their throat to bring them back to this world.

Ye-Jin: let’s go now, I am hungry.

Kai: Mom! I’d like to take Min-Soe with me. I want to introduce her to my boss.

Cerise: of course but be back before the rehearsals this evening.

Kai: don’t worry; we’ll be back in no time. Min-Soe?

Mel: I’ll just change.

Back in his luxurious car Kai noticed that Mel was staring at him in awe.

Kai: I’ll not be able to drive if you keep staring at me like that.

Mel: (turning away in embarrassment) I am just amazed that you found the right dress in no time.

Kai: (chuckling) I am an expert with clothes baby. You should have just called me in the first place.

Mel: I’ll think about it.

Kai: think?

Mel: Your choices are sometimes too eccentric.

Kai: (chuckling) for you I’ll turn down the eccentricity meter a little.

Mel: a little? (Chuckling) you are impossible. Where are we going by the way?

Kai: our president wanted to meet you.

Mel just nodded in agreement and she made herself comfortable in the vehicle.

Kai: you aren’t worried?

Mel: (smiling) should I be worried?

Kai: no I just-

Mel: Kai, look ahead and drive.

Kai: ok madam.

They reached the company building without any further incidents. Kai lead Mel through the building, holding her hand. They passed several corridors before climbing into an elevator which would take them directly in front of the president’s office. All the while Mel was looking around in apt interest.

Kai: I should bring you here to visit while I am working.

Mel: Really!

Kai: (nodding) we shall see.

In no time they reached the floor to the president’s office. Kai lead the way this time and looked through the glass window to see his boss busy on the phone. He knocked on the door once before opening it and peeking inside.

Kai: president?

President: Ah! Kai, come in.

Kai nodded once to Mel and walked in and she too followed behind him. The president finished his call and turned around to his favourite idol, his eyes widened in surprise at seeing Mel beside him

President: I wasn’t aware that we had an interview scheduled today Miss Yoo Min-Soe.

Mel: (bowing to him with respect) hello President, (glancing at Kai and smiling) this is a personal visit, I am afraid.

Kai: You two have met?

President: (pointing them to sit) Miss Min-Soe came to interview me once several months ago. Did you accept my offer Miss Min-Soe?

Kai: offer?

President: I asked her to join the agency, she has a high potential to become a successful actress.

Mel: (blushing) Sorry but I haven’t actually thought about it.

President: (smiling) the offer still stands.

Mel: (nodding) thank you, I’ll consider it.

Kai: (clearing his throat) President, Min-Soe is the woman I am marrying.

President: I knew it the moment I saw you with her Kai-ah.

Mel: you wanted to meet me, President?

President: yes. I just wanted to see the lucky woman who had snatched our Kai’s heart. He sure has made a good choice.

Kai: (proudly) thank you, boss.

President: so do you want to make this public? What do you think Min-Soe?

Mel: (thinking about it) to be honest I don’t think it’s a good idea, sir. I just feel this news would do more harm than good to him but I am fine if he wishes to go ahead with it.

President: Kai?

Kai: (looking at her thoughtfully) I’ll do as you think is a good thing boss.

President: I agree with Min-Soe, we shouldn’t make you guys public at least until your next two album release.

Kai: there is still a lot of time for that sir.

President: (shrugging) if you could keep it under the covers until then it would be a great thing.

Kai: (nodding) we’ll do our best boss. I think we should leave now.

President: (nodding) I’ll be looking forward to meeting you again Min-Soe-ah, you are a part of our family now.

Mel: (smiling) thank you, sir. I’ll be leaving now.

Kai: (grabbing her hand) let’s go!