– I would like to thank all of you for attending the wedding today, even in the midst of your busy schedules…
Behind the closed door, as I waited anxiously for my turn, I could hear the voice of the host, who happened to be my sister’s husband, my brother-in-law.
Later, I heard from my sister that while he wasn’t the officiant, he insisted on being the host.
Thanks to his cheerful personality, he created an atmosphere that was neither too heavy nor too light, heating up the mood of the venue. He seems to talk better than me, the streamer.
– With that, let’s conclude the previous segment and call forth the groom, one of today’s main characters. Please welcome him with enthusiastic applause!
While I was mentally noting all of that and chuckling to myself, my turn finally approached.
I adjusted my tie one last time, straightened my posture, and stepped through the opened door into the venue.
“Hooey!”
“Looking handsome!”
I entered with both hands waving around like a superstar heading to the airport, in a way that felt a bit rude and cheeky, which isn’t really me.
Then I heard enthusiastic cheers and whistles from all directions.
I thought that, since this was supposedly the wedding of the youngest daughter of the Changseong Group, the atmosphere might be somewhat heavy and serious, but surprisingly, the guests were quite lively and spirited.
I suspect that the host’s earlier role had a significant contribution to this.
– Isn’t the groom incredibly handsome? One can only imagine how often my sister, the bride, brags about his looks whenever she gets the chance. Meanwhile, her brother hasn’t even managed to get a girlfriend at his age.
Hahaha!
As I reached the end, the host’s jokes transformed the atmosphere into a sea of laughter.
Despite his words, my brother-in-law is certainly not someone whose looks pale in comparison; I wonder how many guests will be bewildered by his self-deprecating humor.
After a little while, as the laughter subsided, the host continued speaking.
– Next up is the entry of the bride, who is also one of today’s main characters. Please, everyone, welcome her with a big round of applause!
Clap clap clap clap-!
If it feels like the applause is louder than when I entered, could that really be just my imagination?
But even if it were true, I’m not particularly dissatisfied. In fact, I’m pleased. It’s as if all these people are replacing their congratulatory words with applause for my sister.
As I clapped quietly and gazed toward the door,
“…”
“…Ah.”
Just like when I entered, the previously closed white door opened, revealing sister Seo-ha dressed in pure white.
Though I’m the groom, today, I’ve not been able to see her in her wedding dress.
It was so mesmerizing and noble that it left me momentarily speechless, and all I could do was dumbly stare as my father-in-law held her hand, gradually walking toward me.
Seo-ha had once mentioned that on the day of her wedding, she wanted to look like the most beautiful person in the world.
And at this moment, I believe her wish was truly fulfilled.
At this moment, anyone looking would undoubtedly agree that the most beautiful person in the world is none other than Seo-ha. I doubt anyone seated in the audience would be able to argue against that.
Confirming this, I took two steps forward and offered a greeting to my father-in-law.
“…Well, what do you think? Isn’t our Seo-ha beautiful, in your eyes?”
“Of course, she is, father-in-law.”
I responded immediately without a second thought to what seemed like a question asking about the obvious truth of the universe, and my father-in-law smiled contentedly, nodding his head.
“She’s the most precious and beautiful flower in the world. Please take good care of her.”
“…I will engrave that deeply in my heart.”
I could only imagine the multiple meanings behind that statement, too intense for me to fathom.
The sorrow of sending off a daughter cherished for over twenty years into the arms of someone else.
Yet, understanding that this moment is the most important turning point in her life, marking the start of something new, a feeling of joy and pride arose.
After hearing those sentiments, I embraced my father-in-law and exchanged greetings before finally reaching out to my sister.
Her delicate, soft hands, devoid of any excess flesh, placed gently over mine. As I realized this was the very being I must protect, something heated surged within my chest.
Yet, without showing it on my face, I held onto my sister’s hand and moved toward the front of the stage.
– Next up, the groom and bride will exchange rings as a symbol of their love and vow for a lifetime together.
The host continued, and the employees approached from both sides, handing us the rings we’d prepared.
Diamonds representing eternal love.
Holding the ring adorned with that precious gem, we slipped it onto each other’s fingers simultaneously, sharing smiles as if we had made a promise.
– Next, the groom and bride will read aloud the vows they’ve written as a promise for their future married life.
Then, while interlocked in each other’s arms, we turned to face the audience, beginning to read the prepared vows.
Truthfully, there wasn’t much content to it.
It was merely a summary of our short yet long story, relaying how we would continue to get to know each other just as we had during our journey so far.
As I continued reading, I knew my sister’s voice was getting slightly choked, but I chose to ignore it. I could sense that if I comforted her at this moment, she might burst into tears, which wouldn’t do.
I simply tightened my grip on her hand a little more, reminding her of my presence.
“…Thank you.”
That was enough for her; her expression transformed from one about to cry to a bright smile aimed at me.
– And next, to embellish this joyous day, we have a singing performance by the attendees.
We then turned to look at the individual stage next to the audience.
Standing there was none other than Yoo Na-yeon.
“…Na-yeon?”
“Surprised, huh?”
“Uh, yeah. Na-yeon, you sing really well…”
“I even dreamed of being a singer at one point.”
As she whispered this only to me, her surprise performance made my sister’s eyes widen in astonishment, and upon noticing that, a smile crept onto Yoo Na-yeon’s face as she held the microphone.
The plan was quite successful, it seems.
But I wonder if she’ll be even more surprised next.
♬~
Holding hands with my sister, we watched Na-yeon’s performance.
I always thought she was exceptionally good at singing. Although we didn’t go to the same school, I heard from Park Jae-seong that she had participated in singing competitions back in high school and won a good number of awards.
We closed our eyes together, enjoying the harmony made from her rich vocals and sweet melodies.
“…Always and forever, the two of us.”
As the song concluded, applause echoed again.
My sister seemed ready to turn away, thinking that was the end of the encore. I shook my head and smiled, indicating otherwise.
There was one last performance left.
“Uju…?”
Releasing the grip of our hands, I walked briskly toward the stage, and I heard my sister’s soft voice from behind.
I took my seat on the prepared piano chair, brought the microphone close, and stole a glance at my sister. I caught a glimpse of emotion-filled eyes.
– The final performance will be something special. The groom, Kang Woo-joo, has prepared a song to sing for his bride he will cherish for a lifetime. Apparently, he even took calming pills because he was so nervous.
I couldn’t help but feel slightly annoyed by my brother-in-law’s unnecessary but informative TMI, but it was the truth, so I forced a smile despite feeling embarrassed.
Indeed, what was making me particularly nervous today wasn’t just the wedding itself but also this performance.
Ding. Ling.
I let my shoulders relax as I hit the piano keys.
It was a song I had never sung even once on my broadcasts, prepared solely for today, so I was incredibly nervous.
I learned today that singing for one person is much more challenging than singing for many.
The song title is “Proposal” by A-in.
Although it isn’t widely known, the lyrics are incredibly beautiful, and I found myself tearing up while singing it. It truly is a wonderful song.
“I want to spend my entire life with you…”
I sang softly, delivering the straightforward lyrics to my lifelong partner.
But because of that simplicity, I believed it was sufficient to convey my true feelings.
“I want to share all my days with you…”
So engrossed in the song, I almost forgot to observe my sister’s reaction until I finally shifted my gaze.
There she was, illuminated by the soft, warm lights of the venue, tears streaming down her cheeks, glistening like gems as she listened to my song.
I couldn’t help but wish I could hold her hand now, to keep her from crying.
But nevertheless, I felt thankful just to know my sincerity reached her, as I concluded the song as it reached its climax.
“In my final moments, it will only be you──.”
After finishing the song, I closed my eyes for a moment, soaking in the emotional remnants, before finally rising to face the crowd.
Suppressing my emotions amidst the applause, I bowed and finally returned to my sister’s side, joining hands before speaking.
“How was it, sister?”
“Whew…! That was unfair, making me cry on a day like this…!”
“I didn’t intend to make you cry… Sorry. Oh no, your beautiful face is all ruined now.”
I comforted my sister, who was sobbing uncontrollably enough to worry about her makeup getting ruined.
Even if her makeup ran a little, it wouldn’t overshadow her beauty, but I still feared that she wouldn’t meet her wish of being the most beautiful person in the world today.
Just as the atmosphere in the venue became slightly chaotic due to my sister’s tears, we pondered momentarily whether to pause the ceremony and delay it when suddenly…
“…Uju.”
“Yes, sister?”
“Right now, at this moment, I’m happier than anyone in the world. So… really, thank you. For giving me this happiness.”
“No, thank you for coming to me… Huh!?”
In response to her words, as I tried to continue, she seemed unwilling to let that moment go.
With a forceful approach, she closed the distance and kissed me, speaking loudly enough for everyone to hear.
“I love you, forever.”
That was the most beautiful smile I had ever seen from my sister.
More radiant and glimmering than that time at the beach when I had confessed my feelings.
Upon realizing that, an indescribable joy began to envelop me.
I was overjoyed to witness the most beautiful smile of her life twice.
I was deeply moved by the thought that I would walk alongside her in life, able to see such a beautiful smile in the future.
Thus, we finally put a period on our individual journeys up to this moment and began to inscribe the first line of our new story together.
– My girlfriend is my fan (The End) –
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