TWENTY NINE | Deadlier than a dead sea |KIM TAEHYUNG

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The level of my parents' gleeful state could be ascertained from the fact that they were ready to attend their daughter's engagement ceremony, despite the exhaustion weighing upon them as they carried on their tiresome journey from London to Korea. The arrangements for tonight had been done by the town's best event management team. It was Molan's idea to rent a late-night party boat, citing solitude and tranquility of the sea waves as the main factor.

Bristling, I rubbed off the red lipstick from the back of my hand in front of the bathroom mirror. My back collided against one of the two stalls as if a strong gust of wind pushed me back. Tonight, I would see my love smiling for someone else. My love proposing to someone else. My love kissing someone else. And that someone else was Choi Molan. By now, my heart should get used to suffering and pain.

As I emerged out of the bathroom I saw Mark standing afar with tension drawing thick lines on his forehead.
"Mark? What happened?"

Silly of me to ask this in the first place. He must be hurt. After all, he was my confidante, a witness to my love life.

While he chose not to speak I filled in myself,  "Oh, well, if you think I'm not happy. Then it's not true. I may not look okay but I'm bursting with-"

"Taehyung is there, checking on the steaks," his words hit straight like an arrow.

"Oh, the future groom has come. That's cool." I hid the nuanced change in my expression. "His presence is highly anticipated."

"He told me to tell you something about his past." Mark looked damn scared as he called in for some sincere attention.

I gulped and asserted, "That he's rich. That he has hosted dozens of events at casinos."

After a long pause, he took the pleasure of proving me wrong.

"He's father to Somi. Noona had a fling with Taehyung four years back." I stared at him as he savagely relayed some more facts. "Tae blames himself for infidelity. She was . . . pregnant when they broke up eventually." He purred his lips and made me sit next to him on the bed.

I began pressing the acupuncture points irregularly, pretending to hear okay. "And then."

"He returned in the camouflage of a driver, only to persuade Molan to get back to him. He changed his lavish lifestyle and addiction to women and clubs. But, Molan had already  developed hatred toward him, so he didn't get any attention."

My gaze turned at the floor. "All this happened when I was chilling in California."

"He admitted that if it hadn't been for your love, he wouldn't have taken long to get back to his bullshit days."

I covered my mouth and tears leaked through my eye sockets. Mark hugged me and I wrapped my one hand around his back. "I need him. I still couldn't get over everything we endured-" Suddenly, the door clicked open and my wet eyes widened at the sight. "Taehyung . . ."

His emotions flooded all at once. He rushed inside and got on his knee; he ran his hand at the scruff of my neck until pressing his forehead against mine. Mark made his way out silently.

He peppered kisses all over my face.

"Hanuel, I missed you so much. Thank you. Thank you for understanding, and for accepting me. That was my past. I was bitchy back then." His breath tasted of coffee. Really warm and toasty. "And this is my present. You don't know how much I longed for you." Taehyung kissed me passionately, as I descended to sit on his thigh.

I broke out a breathy sentence amid a short laugh, "But how are you gonna do this?"

"I think it's time to use six, somewhat matured people to see what they got." He smoothened my hair with both his hands and placed one last kiss on my forehead.

"Hey, you have invited your friends right?"

***

"We have to stop this engagement anyhow," Jimin muttered, taking rounds in the storeroom, where cartons of fresh vegetables were stored. The place was very small, and congested so a few tall ones chose to sit instead.

I leaned into Taehyung and he gently stroke my bare arm.

"Aish, it's not the right moment to get lovey-dovey, Tae," Jin's thunderous voice sent a shock wave to his bicep.
I separated myself from him and fell into a deep thought of an escapade. We needed to be quick.

"But, exactly how?" Namjoon countered, taking off his black jacket to furl his shirt's sleeve up to the elbows.

"Let's pour some poison in her drink. The game ends right there," Yoongi stifled his yawn and said it with a distaste.

"Hey, you mean to say life instead of game. Can't you people be an inch serious? We don't want police to be guessing the killer here," Jin boomed, eyeing me hesitantly. "I don't want to marry her dead body."

"Or a sleeping pill?" Jimin poked his head sideways.

"Nah-Nah, let's cut down the electricity supply when it is Taehyung's turn to put the ring." Hoseok tapped his foot as he perched on one of the crates, and shrugged his shoulder.

"What if we cut the ring finger and put a band-aid on that? That has stopped quite a lot of engagements in the movies." Jungkook snapped his fingers, and his round eyes looked bigger.

"But whose?" Namjoon laid back, finding a piece of broken metal in his hand. "Where did this come from?"

From your clumsiness, I wished he could hear my mind.

Jiming looked at Taehyung, placing a sorry hand on his shoulder, "Bro, I was just thinking about the evolution of the modern world. I mean having three fingers and one thumb is a very advanced thing. You would open a new era for our kids to come."

"Shut up!" Taehyung grumbled.

"See, at first you would miss the feeling, that's natural. But as time passes by-"

"Just shut up, Hobi. I didn't expect you to speak his language. I'm out." Taehyung stormed out of the room.

We all sat on the chairs placed before the podium with a mental acceptance that nothing could stop this event. Molan was shocked to see them again, but never really gave much attention because she didn't have one. She was on cloud nine. Along with Somi, who was bashfully playing in Taehyung's arms.

The lights focused on the two of them, well three of them. Our parents backed away into either dark side of the stage. Molan whispered in Taehyung's ear and he smiled, head downward.

I wondered what words did she whisper in his ear, that he had failed to hide his blushing cheeks.

Suddenly she got off the stage, in her beautiful pink ball gown and stopped by to take my hand in her. Baffled, I climbed up on the stage with trembling knees. I ran out of words because my guts shivered at the uncertainties unfolding.

She tapped on the mic, placed it at the center, and announced, "Today is a very special day. Not just for me, but everyone in our family." She motioned Taehyung to extend his left hand briskly.

I cast a surprised glance at Taehyung from behind her back.

"I look a little out of place, so, let me do this before I pull up a chair." She backed away, sticking my hand with Taehyung's. She bent to announce, "Play some music, my younger sister is getting engaged!"

Oddly, everyone shared a peal of high-spirited laughter. His friends and even Mark. A round of loud applause shook everyone on the floating surface.

Taehyung's lips turned upward and he offered me a sly glare through his caramel locks. "You know you are officially mine."

My fingers shivered but I shoved the ring somehow. "Why isn't there any commotion? Why is Uncle Mojo laughing at me? Is this even real? Molan-M-olan . . ."

Taehyung pointed straight and I turned around.

Much to my surprise, Molan's hands fisted Seokjin's shirt completely and they were kissing each other behind the decorated wall of the flowers. His one hand dove to catch her thigh under the billowy dress, and the other in her hair.

I exhaled all the amount of air I had collected in my body, "How did this happen?"

Taehyung held my hand and smiled. "Somethings are better unsaid."

I turned to the restive audience to express a blurb of my love story, "In life, we all eventually come to meet with a strange individual who can't be contained by reality. And I've met him."

I threw my hands wide as he lifted me.

"Let's go and meet them." I thumbed at the band of six handsome guys sporting tuxedos in their different styles.

We were talking to his friends who lingered with their wines around the drinks dock and punched in some of the old corny jokes only to lead me into a silly disposition, and Taehyung into come on, stop it.

Unconsciously, as I slanted my head and hit Yoongi playfully, I saw Uncle Mojo calling me by his signature secretive hand movement. I pointed at him to confirm if he needed me alone, but his action meant that he wanted Taehyung to come along as well.

"Enjoy yourselves," I excused them and dragged Taehyung toward the elder hurriedly, who smoked his favorite cigar.

Taehyung was nervous when he bowed down to him. The cigar slipped through his brow lip, and before he could exude sentences of heavy words, which were dangerous I assumed, I went on, "So, Uncle Mojo, what do you have to say about this man?"

He looked up at him and addressed Jin who was with Molan and Somi at a fairly long distance. "I'm happy that both of my sons-in-law are impossibly gentle, handsome, and rich."

In high spirits, we strolled at the backside of the ship, arm in arm, the shaky ground finally became more stable. "You know what I considered calling you?"

"What?" I cutely pouted.

"My better half and half."

A/n

It's a wrap. I hope you all have enjoyed the story so far. Do let me know your views on the comment box.

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