Unveiling beauty " Ambw"

It was never love

Thank you @SonyaStephen @emani1404 @abrat_bitch for your comments!

Ki 2014 pov

"Snap, snap," echoed the sharp, irritating sound for the third time that day. The first two times, I had chosen to ignore it, let it dissolve into the city winds gusting through the open windows of the atelier. The third time was harder to overlook.

At this point in my life, it had been a couple of years since the accident and I was attempting to make my bed with it all. Somehow in the midst of it...
There stood Jae-Hwa, resplendent in a waterfall of white lace and silk, atop a modest pedestal. A gaggle of chattering women and seasoned seamstresses speaking around her like eager bees, pulling here, adjusting there.

"Seong-ho, are you listening to me?" Jae-Hwa called out, her voice shifting through the air as she snapped her fingers at me once again. A collective gasp sounded in the room as the seamstress accidentally pricked her with a pin in surprise.

" Stay still...You're hurting the seamstress." I said as I gestured my arm towards the seamstress as she looked for a bandage.

The older woman shook her head claiming she was alright as another took her place.

I lifted my gaze back to my phone, my thumb hovering over the blank screen before sighing once again at the sound of Jae-Hwa as I turned to face her.

" So you're just going to ignore me?" She asked.

"Alright, Jae-Hwa," I answered, forcing a polite smile on my face as I met her eyes in the mirror. "What do you need?"

Jae-Hwa's hands flew to her hips in annoyance, her reflection catching mine with a scowl. "I need you to stop staring at your phone like a lovesick teenager and give me some input on this dress. This is our wedding we're planning, not some work project."

"I was just..." I started but cut myself short when I saw Jae-Hwa's steely gaze narrow. There was no use in arguing. It wouldn't do any good. "Nevermind," I surrendered, closing my phone and tucking it away. "What do you want my opinion on?"

Jae-Hwa didn't miss a beat. "The veil," she said, gesturing to the diaphanous swath of fabric that cascaded down her back. "Lace or satin trim?"

I found it hard to focus on the veil when all I could think about was how different this scene would be if it were Nani standing there instead. But I pushed those thoughts away.

"Uh, lace," I said after a moment, hoping my answer would satisfy her.

Jae-Hwa nodded, and for a moment, I thought that maybe we could continue this fitting without another argument. But then she said, "You only say that because it's something you'd like to see her in."

I raised a brow before looking at the seamstress that pretended she wasn't listening and chuckling to the side.

"Don't play dumb, Seong-ho," Jae-Hwa said, her voice sharp. "I know you still think about her."

I was silent for a moment, taken aback by Jae-Hwa's candidness. "Jae-Hwa, she's in Ghana," I said, choosing my words carefully. "She's not a part of this."

"But she is," Jae-Hwa insisted. "In your mind, she is. You've been spending money trying to look for her."

"If you already knew, why bother asking?" I said, unable to mask the irritation in my voice.

"Because it's been two years, Ki," she said, her voice strained. "Two years and you're still hung up on her. When will you let it go?"

I had no response. In the silence that followed, Jae-Hwa turned her attention back to the seamstresses, giving me a moment to collect my thoughts.