Yue had never been the type to get nervous. She had faced high-stakes meetings, career-changing presentations, and even the painful experience of unrequited love without so much as a waver in her voice. But standing outside Jaekyeom’s family home, waiting for him to unlock the door, she felt something close to anxiety coil in her stomach.
“They’re going to love you,” Jaekyeom reassured her for the third time, squeezing her hand lightly.
“I’m not worried about that,” Yue muttered, though she wasn’t sure if she was convincing herself or him.
Jaekyeom gave her a knowing smile. “You’re overthinking.”
Before she could respond, the door swung open.
“Jaekyeom!”
A woman—who looked just a little too young to be his mother—pulled him into a tight hug before stepping back and giving Yue a curious once-over.
“Oh. And this must be her.”
Yue had barely opened her mouth to introduce herself when another voice chimed in.
“She’s real?”
A man, who had to be Jaekyeom’s older brother, stood with his arms crossed, wearing an expression of mild shock. “I thought you were joking.”
Jaekyeom groaned. “Hyung—”
“No, seriously. You’ve never introduced anyone to the family before. Ever.” His brother looked her up and down, then turned back to Jaekyeom. “So, what did you do to trick her into marrying you?”
Jaekyeom scoffed. “Why do you assume I tricked her?”
His brother smirked. “Because I know you.”
Yue watched the exchange, a little stunned. Jaekyeom, who always seemed so smooth and composed, was visibly flustered in front of his family.
“Ignore him,” Jaekyeom muttered under his breath before turning back to Yue. “Come on, let’s go inside before they scare you off.”
As they stepped in, Jaekyeom’s mother—who had been watching silently—finally spoke.
“You look calm,” she said, directing her words at Yue.
Yue turned to her. “Should I not be?”
His mother tilted her head slightly, studying her the way only mothers could. “Most people would be nervous meeting their fiancé’s family for the first time.”
“I don’t get nervous easily.” Yue’s response was simple, automatic.
Jaekyeom’s mother smiled—a small, knowing expression that made Yue feel as if she had just passed some unspoken test.
“I see,” she said. “You might be exactly what he needs.”
Jaekyeom exhaled in relief. “So, that’s approval, right?”
His mother didn’t answer directly. Instead, she motioned for them to sit. “Let’s eat first.”
The atmosphere at the dinner table was warm, filled with the casual teasing of Jaekyeom’s older brother and the quiet observations of his mother. But the real tension lay in the presence of one man—Jaekyeom’s father.
Unlike the others, his father had barely spoken since they arrived. He was an imposing figure, his sharp eyes flicking between Yue and Jaekyeom, as if trying to measure something neither of them could quite grasp.
Finally, midway through the meal, he set down his chopsticks and looked straight at Yue.
“So,” he said, his voice calm but firm. “You’re the one my son wants to marry.”
Yue swallowed the bite of food she had just taken, meeting his gaze head-on. “I am.”
A heavy silence followed. Jaekyeom tensed beside her. His brother, usually full of remarks, didn’t say a word.
His father studied her for a moment, then nodded once. “You’re not what I expected.”
Yue wasn’t sure if that was a compliment or a critique, but she didn’t let it shake her. “I imagine most people aren’t.”
At that, a small smirk ghosted across the older man’s lips. “Fair enough.”
Jaekyeom finally exhaled, as if he had been holding his breath the entire time. His father didn’t offer outright approval, but he also didn’t object. That alone was more than he had expected.
As the evening went on, Yue found herself watching Jaekyeom with his family—how he laughed more freely, how he slipped into a more relaxed version of himself. It was different from the composed businessman she had met, from the teasing friend who had wormed his way into her life.
This was Jaekyeom in his element.
And for the first time, the reality of their marriage settled into her bones—not just as an abstract idea, but as a real, tangible future.
Jaekyeom caught her gaze and raised an eyebrow. “What?”
She shook her head. “Nothing.”
But when his fingers brushed against hers under the table, grounding her, she realized it wasn’t nothing at all.
It was the start of something real.
_______
“You’re seriously getting married in a month?” Hazel asked for the fifth time that afternoon, standing in the middle of the bridal boutique with her arms crossed. “A month, Jaekyeom?”
Jaekyeom sighed, rubbing his temples. “Yes, Hazel. You’ve already said that.”
“And I’ll keep saying it because this is insane!” Hazel huffed before turning to Yue, who was calmly flipping through a catalog of wedding invitations. “Are you even okay with this?”
Yue glanced up, her expression unreadable. “I agreed to it, didn’t I?”
Hazel groaned dramatically, throwing herself onto the couch next to Elliot, who had been wisely staying quiet. “This isn’t fair. I had to drag Elliot through two years of engagement before he finally married me. Meanwhile, you two just—bam!—decide to do it in a month?”
Elliot chuckled, patting his wife’s back. “That’s because I wasn’t in a rush, and you had way too many Pinterest boards to go through.”
Hazel shot him a glare but didn’t deny it.
Jaekyeom, who had been sifting through suit fabrics, finally spoke. “We don’t want to drag it out. Yue and I aren’t the type to overcomplicate things.”
Hazel scoffed. “Oh, sure. A wedding isn’t complicated at all.”
Yue, sensing that Hazel was about to launch into a full rant, set the catalog down. “Hazel, I know you’re excited, but it’s really fine. We’re keeping it simple.”
Hazel gasped as if Yue had committed the ultimate sin. “You’re not having a big wedding?”
Jaekyeom and Yue exchanged a glance before Yue answered, “It’s going to be intimate. Close friends and family.”
Hazel looked like she was about to protest but then narrowed her eyes at Yue. “Wait. Did you actually plan this? Or did Jaekyeom just bulldoze you into it?”
Yue hesitated for a split second, which was all Hazel needed.
“Aha! I knew it!” Hazel turned back to Jaekyeom, pointing accusingly. “You pressured her, didn’t you?”
Jaekyeom raised an eyebrow. “Hazel, she proposed to me.”
Elliot, who had been sipping his coffee, nearly choked. Hazel’s eyes widened comically.
“You—wait. Yue proposed?” Hazel gawked at Yue. “You? The same woman who used to laugh at the concept of marriage?”
Yue sighed, crossing her arms. “Are you done?”
“No! I need a moment to process this!” Hazel dramatically fanned herself before grabbing Elliot’s arm. “Honey, this is a historic moment. My best friend, the coldest person alive, actually—”
“Hazel.” Yue’s tone was flat.
“Fine, fine,” Hazel grumbled. Then, her eyes twinkled mischievously. “Still, this means I have to go all out with the wedding planning. If you’re keeping it small, I’m making sure every detail is perfect.”
Jaekyeom looked at Yue, wordlessly asking if she wanted to stop Hazel. Yue merely shrugged.
“She’s going to do it anyway.”
Jaekyeom sighed in defeat.
Elliot smirked, patting Jaekyeom on the shoulder. “Welcome to the married life, buddy.”
______
Over the next few weeks, Hazel fully took over the planning process. She dragged Yue to dress fittings, venue visits, and cake tastings with an energy that exhausted even Jaekyeom.
“I feel like Hazel is more excited about this wedding than us,” Jaekyeom muttered as he and Elliot stood off to the side while Hazel and Yue debated floral arrangements.
Elliot chuckled. “That’s just Hazel. She loves weddings.”
Jaekyeom shook his head. “I don’t know whether to be grateful or terrified.”
Elliot smirked. “Both.”
Jaekyeom sighed. “Honestly, though… I just want to marry her already.”
Elliot studied his friend for a moment before nodding. “Yeah. I get that.”
Jaekyeom glanced at him. “When did you know?”
Elliot didn’t need to ask what he meant. He leaned back slightly, thinking. “It wasn’t one moment. It was a lot of little things. But I think the first time I really knew was when Hazel got sick once—just a normal cold, but she was miserable. And instead of going out with my friends, I spent the whole weekend making sure she was okay. It didn’t feel like an obligation. It just felt right.”
Jaekyeom listened quietly, his mind drifting to Yue. To the way she had changed his life without even realizing it.
Elliot nudged him. “You already know, don’t you?”
Jaekyeom exhaled, a small smile playing on his lips. “Yeah. I do.”
Elliot grinned. “Then let’s get you married.”
Jaekyeom nodded, watching as Yue finally caved to one of Hazel’s wedding suggestions. And for the first time in weeks, the nerves settled, replaced by something calmer, something certain.
He couldn’t wait.
______