<h4>Chapter 45</h4>


    I spit out these words in anger, hoping to make him get a taste of his own medicine. I thought for a moment that an earthquake had erupted. Lee JiHan’s pupils shook.


    “I had my doubts but...” His lips even started to tremble. “How... How could you...”


    He shook his head weakly and took a step back from the bed. Lee JiHan stood frozen and let out a deep sigh. Not expecting such a dramatic reaction, I stared at him with fearful eyes. He turned around and walked wretchedly out the door.


    “Wait! Wait!” I ran to Lee JiHan and grabbed his arm. “What I mean is, we’ve only been dating for a couple of days. I’m only saying I don’t have any thoughts on the matter as of now. You’re supposed to think about marriage as you get to know each other and think it through carefully.”


    I tried to persuade Lee JiHan by exining it logically. I was sorry that I had answered so rashly before. Lee JiHan stopped for a moment.


    Like a person who had lost his soul, he mumbled quietly,” I thought, we were going to get married. I thought we could as we continued dating. I thought you loved me enough to be able to get married right now. Like I feel. I believed that if you love someone this much, it’s obvious that we were supposed to get married...”


    He frowned his heart as if he was in pain. Watching him in this state made my heart hurt. I wanted to clutch at my chest too.


    “It’s just that marriage is not just about love,” I said. “If marriage was just based on love, I could get married to you right away. No, I would want to. But, marriage is life. You have to live with that person your whole life, so you should see all the negatives and deal with all the bad things that cane with it. Only then will you not get disappointed and live happily together for a long time.”


    “When I didn’t know my brother was gay, I did my best to show the worst side of myself,” he said. “There’s nothing more negative or bad that you have left to see.”


    He knew it too. He knew how much of a jerk he was back then.


    “Do you want to see worse things?” Lee JiHan asked me.


    Worse than back then? I shook my head not wanting to even imagine it. “Ah, no. Never.”


    “Then, what reason is left that we can’t get married?” he asked.


    “That...”


    There has to be something else. Of course there is. A reason to not get married after dating for only a couple of days...


    I tried with all my might to think of a reason.


    “Even if JiKyung did ept us, reasonably, it will be difficult to get married right away,” I finally said.


    “Why do you think that?” Lee JiHan asked.


    “First of all, JiKyung’s mother is your mother,” I said. “It will be difficult for your mother to ept me...”


    “She will,” Lee JiHan quietly said.


    “That’s what you think,” I replied. “There’s no way your mother would think like that. She will probably ept us if we try hard enough, but that will be muchter.”


    “If she gives her approval now, are you willing to do it?” Lee JiHan asked suspiciously as if testing me to see if I would hesitate to answer.


    I exaggerated my movements and nodded my head. I knew it couldn’t happen, so what was the harm in promising? It was worth it if it gave Lee JiHan peace of mind.


    With that mindset, I smiled at him. I was trying to prove to him that my love was as deep as his and that he could trust me.


    He stared into my eyes for a moment and slowly nodded. “Then, I’ll believe you.”


    Is he finally feeling better?


    I sighed in relief. Lee JiHan put both his hands on my shoulder. With a strange look, he said, “Once I get my mother’s approval, we will get married right away.”


    I got a foreboding feeling in my stomach. My heart dropped. He wouldn’t be able to really get the approval right away could he?


    The moment the thought crossed my mind, Lee JiHan pulled out his phone. He dialed a number and put the phone to his ear.


    “What, what are you doing?” I asked in a fluster.


    Instead of replying to me, he talked through the phone. “Yes. Assistant Yoon. It’s me. What does my mother’s schedule look like today? I have something to discuss with her.”


    “Ack!”


    I charged at Lee JiHan trying to steal the phone away from him. Stretching my arms as far as it would go while tip toeing was just enough to reach the phone at his ear. Once I had reached it, he leaned over, wrapped his arm around my waist, and lifted me up.


    Unable to put up much of a fight, I was flung over his shoulder and limply hung stuck staring at his back.


    “Hmm... We can’t help that,” he said. “Then, forget about today. Just hold open a spot for me tomorrow.”


    “Mister! Mister, no! You can’t, don’t hold a spot!” I pounded Lee JiHan’s back, iling in the air.


    He asked me, “Don’t hold?”


    “Yes! Don’t hold! Don’t!” As I yelled this, Lee JiHan let go of his grip around my waist. “Ack! Why are you letting go!”


    I froze trying not to slide down his shoulder.


    “You said not to hold,” he replied.


    “Hold it!, Hold, now! Before I fall down!”


    Only after I screamed this in fear did Lee JiHan regain his grasp. He firmly said, “Tomorrow at 6 it is.”


    “What?!”


    “Yep. I don’t care where the venue is. You can decide and let me know through text,” Lee JiHan added as he walked swiftly to the bed.


    He tossed his phone on the bed. With two hands around my waist, he folded each of his knees onto the bed. His movements were slow and deliberate, ensuring I would remain stable over his shoulder.


    Only after firmly nting his knees on the bed did Lee JiHan let me down. The moment my feet touched the bed, I regained my bnce and stood watching him. He looked up at me with a wide grin.


    Really. Is this the same guy that was dying just moments ago?


    His once nk eyes were now positively glistening like sunlight bouncing off ake. Gazing at me with those eyes, he grabbed my waist. “You will go with me to get approval tomorrow at 6, OK?”


    “What?! Tomorrow?” I asked in shock.


    “So, while we are getting the massages today, we’ll also get some skin care done as well,” he said.


    “How, so suddenly?”


    I tried to debate the issue with him, but Lee JiHan didn’t even give me a chance. Instead, he hugged me tight. With excitement in his voice, he said, “I feel like I died and came back to life.”


    “What?” I asked.


    “Am I the only one this much in love?” he replied. “Does Na AhJung not want to marry me? These thoughts were killing me inside. I feel like I can breathe now.”


    Everything I wanted to say to try to dissuade him disappeared. Wait, why do I have to dissuade him? As the question arose in my head, I ced my hand on Lee JiHan’s head and softly ran my fingers through it.


    Yes... I like him this much too. I love him. Marriage, if I can do it, then I would love to.


    My heart nudged me to abide by his decision. I swept my hand past Lee JiHan’s hair to his chin, lifting his face to mine. Following my lead, he lifted his face and looked up at me. Obeying my heart’s request, I lowered my face to face his until our lips met so my lips could make him understand what I did not say in words.


    ***


    I had thought it strange that my life was working out so easily when JiKyung and I had nned our parents meeting seven weeks ago.


    Me, a 33-year-old, no-name theater actress from a household that couldn’t even ount as average, marrying the grandson of a millionaire. How could something like that even happen. Why was no one opposing this wedding? Unable to believe my luck, I felt like I was approaching the climax of the roller coaster before it tipped over the edge. I had been terrified.


    Even though JiKyung’s mother had epted our marriage from the start, I had always been afraid that she would seek me out privately and change her mind. I had expected her to throw me an envelope full of money, dump water over me, or p me across the face to break up with her son. But, she did not.


    On the way to the meeting venue, the roller coaster I was riding now felt even more dangerous and closer to its tipping point. It felt even higher with a steeper drop than I had imagined before.


    Strangely though, I wasn’t as terrified as before. I was nervous but not terrified. It was as if I knew this roller coaster had a fail-safe seatbelt. The fall might be excruciating to endure, but I believed I would remain safe.


    “Are you nning to kneel in front of your mother too?” I turned and asked Lee JiHan turning


    He remained looking forward and smiled lightly. “Why? Do you want to see me kneel?”


    “If you’re going to, I want to do it with you,” I replied.


    His smile vanished at my words. “That you can’t do, so don’t even dream about it.”


    “Why?” I asked. “If you are going to, then it’s best we both do it.”


    “Before it gets to that stage, I will get her approval. Peacefully and logically.” Lee JiHan assured me.


    “Do you really think that is possible?” I still had my doubts.


    “Was there a time when I couldn’t resolve something?” he asked.


    “Well, no,” I said. “But, it won’t be that easy to persuade your mother...”


    The light turned red. Lee JiHan stopped the car and turned his head to face me. He gave me his right hand. “If you’re scared, you can hold this.”


    “No. I’m not scared,” I replied bravely, trusting myself as much as I trusted Lee JiHan. “I think it’s going to be difficult and take a long time, but I’ll be able to handle it. I won’t give up.”


    Lee JiHan frowned at my answer. “If you’re not scared, then you don’t have any other need to hold this hand? My hand?”


    I sensed my mistake by his tone. “No, of course not!”


    I grabbed Lee JiHan’s hand with both of mine. His expression still didn’t rx. He continued to re at me.


    Seeing his angered expression, I tried to change the subject. “Oh, um, so...” Fretting, I turned my head to the stop light. I pointed hurriedly to it. “The light, it turned green.”


    Lee JiHan turned his head toward the light. At that moment, I gave him a peck on the cheek and swiftly returned to my seat.


    Sitting up straight in my seat, I faced the still red stoplight. Red. Like my face. That was so childish.... I was so embarrassed I lowered my head and covered my face with my hands.


    Then, I heard Lee JiHan’s voice. “Na AhJung, this is not the time to be doing that.”


    “What?” I turned around wondering what he was talking about.


    Lee JiHan locked eyes with me and answered, “Before it really turns green, you better hurry up and kiss me on my lips.”


    The moment the words escaped his mouth, he pushed his face into mine and kissed me.


    We didn’t realize that the light had turned green until the cars behind us started honking.


    ***


    JiKyung’s mother, who was also JiHan’s mother coincidentally chose the same venue where our parents had met. It was close to thepany. She was a regr there, so it wasn’t that much of a surprise. I was surprised to find that she had arrived earlier than us and was already sitting in the VIP room.


    I caught sight of Lee JiHan’s mother at the table and greeted her hastily. “Mam, you were already here? “It’s been awhile since we met.”


    I stood back up after bowing 90 degrees. She looked surprised as she took turns looking at me and Lee JiHan. She went on to smile benignly at both of us.


    “AhJung, what are you doing here?” My youngest son said he wanted to talk to me, but I didn’t expect you to be here too.” Her gaze moved to Lee JiHan. “What is it that you have to tell me that you bring your sister-inw here?”


    Sister-inw... That one phrase drained me of all my color as I swallowed nervously.


    “She’s not my sister inw anymore,” Lee JiHan told his mother curtly.


    Holding my hand, he walked toward his mother. Lee JiHan sat me down next to him and sat across from his mother. She was staring at us strangely.


    “What do you mean she’s no longer your sister-inw?” she asked. “JiHan, you’re not still against your brother marrying AhJung are you? Did you force her to give up and brought her here to tell me about them breaking off the engagement?”


    “That’s partly true, but the rest is wrong,” Lee JiHan calmly replied.


    “What’s wrong and what’s right?” she asked.


    “My brother and Na AhJung have officially broken off the engagement,” he said. “You can hear the specifics from my brother. He said he would exin it to you.”


    At Lee JiHan’s words, his mother turned a surprised gaze over to me. Before she could even open her mouth to speak, Lee JiHan continued. “The reason I came here with Na AhJung is not to tell you about the break up, but to tell you about Na AhJung’s engagement to me.”


    “Wha, what did you say?” his mother looked shocked.


    “It’s already been decided,” Lee JiHan said. “Na AhJung and my brother have agreed on breaking off the engagement. She and I have agreed to get married. My brother has agreed to this wedding. We only have your permission left.”


    “Are you crazy?” Lee JiHan’s mother’s gaze fell on me. “AhJung, you tell me. Is this all true?”


    I hung my head in shame. Bringing up all the courage I had, I said, “I’m sorry. Truthfully...”


    “How could you?” his mother asked. “If you break it off with JiKyung now, what about his reputation?”


    “Mother, who these days makes a big deal about a broken engagement?” Lee JiHan replied. “If while you are preparing for it, you find out it doesn’t work, then you cancel it. It’s not like the bride ran off during the wedding. Plus, it’s not even a fault when you get divorced after getting married. Don’t you remember how many millionaire son’s got divorcedst year alone? Breaking off an engagement won’t even be gossip worthy.”


    “It’s different for JiKyung! For JiKyung!” his mother yelled in frustration. She soon stopped and fell silent in thought. She regained herposure and said, “AhJung. JiKyung’s reputation is one thing, but what about yours? I’ve already sent out the invitations to my guests. Now, four weeks before the wedding, you want me to tell them it’s canceled? Do you think that makes sense?”


    “Mother. I’ve checked with assistant Yoon,” Lee JiHan said. “He told me that the invitations are set to go out the day after tomorrow.


    My eyes grew wide as I stared at him. “Really?”


    Lee JiHan nodded. Not expecting that at all, I looked to Lee JiHan’s mother with surprised eyes. She was ring at Lee JiHan.


    “It’s because I’ve personally handed out invitations to some of my guests,” she said.


    “Is that so? Then what can we do. For your reputation’s sake, we’ll have to go through with the wedding,” Lee JiHan nonchntly said. “Truthfully, I’ve been thinking that it would be such a waste to cancel that wedding. The date and venue was set, studio, dress, makeup. Everything was reserved. Even your schedule was left open for that day.”


    I looked at Lee JiHan in disbelief. What is he saying? Canceling our wedding was a waste?


    Lee JiHan crossed his arms and chicly stared down his mother. “Since the wedding is all set, let’s just go through with it. From Lee JiKyung to Lee JiHan, we only have to change one letter from the groom’s name.”


    “What?!”


    “What?!”


    Both me and his mother screamed. Lee JiHan didn’t even flinch and answered the both of us. “You can just tell them there was an error on the invitation. It was supposed to be Lee JiHan but one of the letters got misprinted and came out as Lee JiKyung. If you insist on it, people will just go along with it.”


    Is he telling me to walk down the aisle, which was originally meant to be with JiKyung, and instead walk it with him?!