Indebted...

Part-32

"Oh, worry not, my dear boy. I know of something that will settle your nerves. First, you remember Phoebe, Jewel, and Shein, right?"

"I do." I exchanged hellos with the three, who then promptly set up their styling tools and cosmetic trolley.

The photographer, Floyd, turned up shortly after that. He was quickly followed by Eomma, Jin hyung, and Jimin, who brought their outfits with them. The three greeted me with tight hugs, all smiley and giggly.

Jiminie studied my face closely and then nodded in satisfaction. "There are no unsightly spots. Excellent."

"Unsightly spots?" I echoed.

"Hey, it happens to some brides," said Jin hyung. "I know you've already had your ceremony, but you're technically a bride again today. You don't want to have a crater on the tip of your nose on a day like this."

I snorted and turned to eomma, both relieved and surprised to see that her smile didn't look strained. I knew she was hurting over Hiah's behavior, so I'd expected that to have dimmed her excitement about the reception. "I don't think I've ever seen you look so giddy."

"I've been looking forward to this for months," said eomma. "I'm so happy the day is finally here. I missed your ceremony, so this means a lot to me. And it's just fantastic that Jun will be at the reception."

I felt my brows lower. "Jun?"

"Hiah called last night, told us about the blackmail situation, apologized for her behavior the other day, and said that she'd allow Jun to attend the reception. She's hoping it'll make up for some of the things she's done. Not only to me and Whan but to you and Tae."

I barely bit back a pfft sound. Hiah didn't make things up to people, and she wouldn't give a tinker's shit if I was upset about the crap she pulled."Well that's great," was all I said.

"It is," agreed eomma. "And I'm rather excited about having my hair and makeup done by professionals."

Chang did a little clap. "On that note, everyone, let's begin, shall we? Give me your outfits; I'll hang them in the closet. We don't want them getting creased."

While the hairstylist and makeup artists worked their magic on the others and me, the photographer walked around snapping photos of us in various stages of unready.

My nerves settled a little after Chang gave me a mimosa. Having him around helped. Especially since he kept everyone focused on adhering to the timeline. He also plied us with snacks like granola bars, fruit, and sandwich wraps.

Hours later, we finally began to dress. Once I was ready, I stood in front of the full-length mirror. A smile instantly plucked at my mouth. I fucking loved my dress. The strapless, silk gown was a distinctive ivory shade. It was overlaid with French lace on which black roses had been sporadically embroidered, giving it an elegant yet gothic look.

The back of the ruched, corseted bodice was laced with black ribbon, and I just knew Taehyung would itch to untie it. Because the gown touched the floor, it would be impossible for him to notice my ivory lace, knee-high boots.

My hair had been loosely curled and looked silky smooth. Like the pendant on my necklace, the pearls of my earrings were set into flowers, making each of the bright pearls look like the bud of a rose.

Eomma waved at her face as if to fend off tears. "You look beautiful. Absolutely beautiful."

"You totally do," Jin hyung agreed, smiling at me. "I predict papa and Whan ajusshi will get all misty-eyed at seeing their boy this way."

"As for Taehyung" began Jimin, "he is going to melt. Inwardly, that is. On the outside, he'll look as collected as always, of course." He flicked his hand. "It's a psychopath thing."