Don'ts Of An Arranged Marriage

5. Dont ditch meal

SHIN

The heart was on fire. My throat parched, it stung when I inhaled. The day came around quicker than I had anticipated. With the chaos that erupted after the announcement of the wedding, I hadn't been able to sit tight.

Not in my twenty-two years of life have I exerted my body until it shut off completely. One day I was at the dress trails and the next, I was in bed begging Mom to let me stay home.

But since I was her only girl and she can't pamper Hwan with the tiaras and heels, she kept coming back to me. In the midst of grappling situations that I kept wrestling with the past months. I did spare time to think of Lee.

And how he got the easier way out.

He can wear his office suit and no one would question him. But me? It was a met gala I prepared for.

When the hunt for the perfect menu, flowers, guest list, destination, and event flow was passed on, the stereotypical fear seeped in.

I carried it with me everywhere. Even when we reached the states. When I shower, when I eat, when I sleep. I think about all the things that could go wrong.

What if I trip on the way to the head altar?

What if I end up sneezing on his face?

What if I get like by him like before?

Damn those ifs.

But when the day revolves around, it all falls into place naturally. And now it was time-

Beneath the chapels dome Lee and I stood, his stance an embodiment of sunshine as he smiled handsomely when he saw me, pretending to rave me from head to toe-

What a darn good actor.

So now, as I finally stood with him opposite to me, successful so far- I go numb.

All I see are his eyes and that they are dark brown. Literally nothing special about it, but on his face it fits right. Oh so right and to be so complacent.

Lee and I were holding each other's hands, grateful that mine was covered in laced gloves. It's gross to let him know how my palms get cold and moist when I am nervous.

I hear the priest read out the vows. We were fooling the priest, we are not doing the death do us apart script here. We are fooling so many who came to wish us.

But Lee wasn't concerned about it, instead, he motioned at my lips with a discreet flick of his gaze and mouthed 'smile'

Shit.

What if there's something stuck in my teeth from the breakfast?

Kicking my overbearing voices aside I smile as per his needs. It goes on for a long time and soon Lee was permitted by the clergy person to kiss me.

I had completely forgotten about this part. By the off-guard look on his face for a second, I think he did too. So he gulps, leaning slowly- and it was the last slow thing he does.

He doesn't kiss.

He pecks.

He pecks me. The kiss that seals wedlock was compatible with the acceleration in which a pigeon picks their crumbs. But imagine that in slow motion taken with 4k DSLR. But yet so fast that I felt as if I was kissing a pigeon. A bird with soft lips. I don't mind, I got married. In Las Vegas. Wearing a thirty thousand dollar wedding gown from Ralph Lauren, where sera Kim was revealed to be director of the labels that runs Korean branch, I flaunted the laced curves in my mirrored reflection. But when it came to parading it for the guests who were awaiting my entry- I had thrown my entire weight at Dad's arms to drag me by the aisle.