Chapter 13
Wedding Preparations
“Whew, Bora. My heart was pounding so hard I couldn’t even tell whether the food was going into my mouth or my nose.”
“Mom. Seriously reflect on the nonsense you almost blurted out.”
“Well, to be fair, Han Kang-moon did come on pretty forcefully, didn’t he?”
“Oh my god, seriously. What are you talking about? Mom, haven’t you heard even the rumors about what a total jerk Chairman Han Kang-moon is?”
“Well, if you really think about it, what he said isn’t entirely wrong. Chaebol families really do obsess over legitimate heirs.”
“Mom!”
“Oh my, why are you shouting?”
“Mr. Kang-yoon isn’t like that! Do you want me to get married, have my husband cheat on me, and live my life crying from stress?”
“What’s wrong with you? What did I even say? I just meant that being a legitimate son is better than being an illegitimate one. That’s just the truth.”
“It’s not!”
“Oh dear, honey, look at Bora already taking her man’s side. Honestly.”
Mom snorted as if amused and turned her head away.
“Well, sure, a legitimate heir might be better than an illegitimate one. But from what I saw, the chairman really dotes on Han Kang-yoon too. For us, whether it’s the eldest or the younger son doesn’t matter—as long as they’re smitten with Bora and shower her with money.”
“Exactly. And visually, the two of them looked perfect together. Just imagine how beautiful and handsome they’ll be on the wedding day. Ah, I’m already excited.”
Bora frowned deeply at her parents’ thoughtless chatter, then checked Kang-yoon’s message.
Bora, you were so beautiful today. I’ll apologize on my brother’s behalf for causing a scene.
It’s okay. It wasn’t your fault. You were amazing today too. Really.
Maybe I shouldn’t have said “really” so many times…
Bora scrunched up her nose at how embarrassingly gushy her message sounded.
Do you want to go somewhere with that “really amazing” guy? You haven’t left yet, right?
Yes! I want to!
“Mom, Dad. I’m getting out!”
“Hey! Where are you going?”
“I’ll go home later. You go on first.”
“Oh my, Bora!”
Ignoring her mother’s calls, Bora hopped out of the car, her back practically radiating excitement.
“Kang-yoon!”
Kang-yoon was waiting for valet service beside a car parked at the far end of the traditional restaurant’s lot.
“Come here.”
Since cars were passing by, Kang-yoon gently pulled Bora toward the safer side.
His large, warm hand softly gripping her wrist made Bora’s cheeks flush.
“Where’s Han Kang-moon?”
Bora asked, rolling her eyes slightly. Kang-yoon chuckled and opened the passenger door of the car that had just arrived.
“My grandfather was furious and took him away. He’s probably half-dead by now.”
“Oh… Your grandfather was really handsome. He looked so vigorous. He must be scary, huh?”
“I was never scolded, but my brother got scolded and beaten a lot growing up.”
“I can imagine. I was so shocked earlier—my heart was racing like crazy…”
“I’m sorry. Even I didn’t expect him to be that rude, especially at a formal family meeting.”
“It’s okay. Just make sure he doesn’t act like that at the wedding… maybe tie him up somewhere…”
At Bora’s words, Kang-yoon laughed and smoothly turned the steering wheel as they left the restaurant.
After driving for a while, they arrived at a famous dress shop in Gangnam.
“Oh—this place?”
“A college friend of mine runs a big wedding business. He insisted I let him handle the wedding. He said this is the most popular dress shop among women, and it’s really hard to book. I used personal connections to get us an appointment today.”
“Wow. You’re right. This place is really famous. They carry the largest selection of imported dresses in the country.”
Ever since she’d decided to marry Kang-yoon, Bora had secretly searched for wedding dresses online—and this shop was always at the top of the rankings.
“But I just ate, so my stomach’s sticking out a bit…”
To Kang-yoon, Bora clutching what was clearly a flat stomach looked utterly distressed.
“It’s not sticking out at all. Just pick whatever you like. You don’t have to decide today—think of it as just browsing.”
“Okay! I’ll take a look then!”
As Bora followed the staff toward the dresses, Kang-yoon sat on a prepared sofa.
Most of his close friends were already married, and whenever he attended weddings, he’d imagine the bride who would one day stand beside him.
But the longer that went on, the more his expectations about weddings faded. Recently, even seeing the bride and groom didn’t stir much emotion.
Yet imagining Bora in a wedding dress already filled him with anticipation.
She was beautiful even as she was—how stunning would she be in a sparkling white gown?
“The bride has chosen three dresses for now. She’ll try them on one by one. You may take photos.”
Kang-yoon nodded and stared tensely at the small stage behind the curtain.
“The first dress.”
The staff pulled back the curtain to reveal Bora in an A-line satin dress, the silhouette widening from the waist down, a floral headpiece resting on her hair.
The elegant sheen of the satin under the lights complemented Bora’s fair skin perfectly.
“Wow… you’re so beautiful.”
Kang-yoon stared blankly at Bora—far more beautiful than he had imagined—and captured her shy gaze on camera.
“Is it okay?”
“Not just okay. It’s perfect. Truly.”
At his praise, Bora stuck out her tongue slightly and smiled bashfully.
“Let’s change into the next dress.”
As the curtain closed again, Kang-yoon smacked his lips in regret.
“The second dress.”
This time, Bora appeared in a dramatic ballroom-style ball gown, a flower accessory adorning the left side of her hair.
The voluminous skirt of the classic dress matched Bora’s striking features perfectly.
“Ah… this one’s gorgeous too.”
Kang-yoon exclaimed, snapping more photos.
“Everything looks good on you. The previous one was beautiful too, but this might be even better.”
“Really? I can’t tell. They’re all pretty…”
“Then let’s try the third dress.”
As the staff hurriedly closed the curtain, Kang-yoon reviewed the photos he’d just taken.
She’d probably be the most beautiful bride no matter what she wears.
Unaware of—or perhaps fully aware of—how smitten he was, Kang-yoon’s expression looked as serious as if he were reading an important article.
“The third dress.”
Kang-yoon looked up from his phone.
Bora appeared in an off-the-shoulder dress with a faint blush-pink hue, a large ribbon accentuating her chest.
Below it, a lace skirt flared out in an elegant A-line, and with a softly shimmering veil, Bora looked like Aphrodite reborn.
“Um… what do you think?”
After Kang-yoon continued staring silently, Bora asked cautiously.
He stared a while longer before hurriedly lifting his phone to take pictures.
“This—this one. Wow. I can’t think straight. I thought you were an angel.”
“What?”
“Me… marrying someone this beautiful… wow…”
At his words, Bora’s face turned bright red, and even the staff burst into laughter.
“Grooms usually react well, but it’s rare to see someone this completely captivated.”
“Ah… I think this is my favorite too.”
“How are you planning the wedding? Will it be split into a ceremony and reception? If so, you could wear this for the main ceremony and something simpler for the reception. Would you like to see those too?”
“We haven’t really decided on the wedding details yet…”
“Show us everything. All of it. The prettiest ones.”
Unlike Bora, who looked flustered, Kang-yoon told the staff to bring out all the most beautiful—and expensive—dresses.
“Why try on so many…?”
“Because I want to see them. You’re this beautiful—how could I limit it to just a few?”
“Oh honestly… Is this really the prettiest one?”
Though she wore heels, Kang-yoon still towered over Bora, and from his vantage point her neckline dipped softly into view.
Seeing her full cleavage, Kang-yoon swallowed and pretended to inspect the fabric instead.
“For today, let’s pick this one. There might be something even prettier, so come back with your mother next time. What I see and what she sees could be different.”
“Oh no. If Mom comes here, she’ll insist on wearing a dress herself instead of a hanbok. I’m not coming with her. And what you like is best. I want to wear the dress my husband chooses.”
At the word husband, Kang-yoon’s eyebrows twitched.
Honestly, Kang-yoon hadn’t cared much about where or how the wedding was held. It had started as a contractual marriage, just a formality.
But now, he wanted to give Bora the most beautiful, the best of everything.
He wanted to see her smiling truly happily on their wedding day.
“Alright. Then your husband will choose for you.”
At that, Bora beamed.
Once again, a gentle breeze stirred in Kang-yoon’s chest.
