Chapter Text
Gahyun sits in front of the vanity and smooths her hands down the front of her dress, letting out a breath. Behind her, Yerim and Nayeon are fussing over her hair, and she can see their furrowed brows and grimaces in the mirror.
Yerim has her tongue poking out of the corner of her mouth as she tries in vain to get Gahyun’s hair to sit nicely.
On the other side, Nayeon is scowling as she runs a brush through Gahyun’s unruly locks, her eyebrows furrowed in frustration.
“I’m sure no one will mind if it’s a bit messy,” Gahyun says softly after Nayeon huffs loudly. “Messy hair is trending, isn’t it?”
“Not at your wedding!” Yerim replies with a shake of her head. “No, it’s fine. We’ll get this to work.”
Nayeon doesn’t say anything and just nods her head.
Gahyun resists the urge to roll her eyes. Being in front of the mirror means that the two bridesmaids can see everything, including her expressions. And she knows that if she rolled her eyes, she’d get scolded by one or both of them.
“Knock, knock!”
“Come in!” Yerim calls and glances over her shoulder as the door behind them opens to reveal Gahyun’s adoptive mother.
Gahyun smiles and wishes she could get up to hug the woman who raised her since she was six years old, but she can’t. Not without getting scolded by Yerim and Nayeon.
“Oh, my beautiful, gorgeous girl,” Gahyun’s mother coos as she shuts the door and moves to stand between Yerim and Nayeon behind Gahyun’s chair.
Gahyun’s smile grows, and she locks eyes with her mother in the mirror. “Hi, Mama.”
“Hello, my darling daughter,” Gahyun’s mother says, leaning down to press her lips gently to the crown of Gahyun’s head. “Oh, look at you.” She sets her hands on Gahyun’s shoulders and squeezes gently, her eyes filling up with tears.
Gahyun blinks. “Mama, no tears!” She exclaims quickly upon seeing the shimmer of her mother’s eyes in the mirror. “I’m not married yet!”
Gahyun’s mother sniffles and nods her head, accepting the tissue that Yerim holds out to her. “Thank you,” She says to the bridesmaid. “Sorry, Gahyunie. I can’t help it.” She squeezes Gahyun’s shoulder again with her free hand and lets out a sigh as she wipes her eyes. “You’re all grown up.”
Gahyun hums softly, nodding her head instead of saying anything. She’s all grown up. Twenty-six years old. She looks in the mirror at the woman who’s been her mother for twenty years and smiles at her. “Thank you,” She whispers.
Gahyun’s mother raises an eyebrow. “What for, darling?”
“For raising me,” Gahyun whispers, feeling her throat start to tighten as her own eyes well up with tears. “For loving me even though I wasn’t the easiest kid to deal with.”
“Oh, Gahyunie,” Her mother breathes, shaking her head furiously.
Gahyun keeps going, wanting to get all her thanks out before her mother starts talking. She isn’t sure how much longer she can hold back her tears, and she knows that Yerim and Nayeon will be pissed if she ruins her makeup before she even reaches the altar.
“Thank you for loving me, I know it wasn’t easy sometimes,” Gahyun says and watches her mother shake her head again. That almost makes her lose it, but she holds on. There’s still so much she wants to say. “Thank you for everything you’ve ever done for me, Mama. You gave me a home that was always full of love and warmth. And I know that sometimes it might’ve seemed like I was ungrateful, but I’m so grateful for you and all that you’ve done and all that you’ve given me.”
Gahyun sniffles and tips forward to grab a tissue from the box on the vanity. She dabs at her eyes and breathes out a soft sigh. “Thank you for taking me in. Thank you for giving me the chance that…” She trails off and clenches her jaw as she tries to swallow back the lump in her throat. “Thank you for giving me the chances that my parents never did.”
She sniffles and wipes her nose with the tissue before grabbing another one to dab at her eyes again. “Thank you for giving me a home that I could grow in. Where your love wasn’t something I had to fight for. You just gave it freely and without any underlying conditions. Thank you.”
“Oh, Gahyun,” Her mother whispers, her voice thick with tears. “You don’t have to thank me for any of that. You never have to thank me for any of that. I’d do it all over again if I were given the chance. I wouldn’t change anything. You’re my daughter, and I’ll always love you, no matter what.”
Gahyun grabs another tissue and presses both tissues to her eyes as she shuts them tightly against the tears. “Getting to be your daughter has made my life so much brighter than I ever thought it could be,” She whispers.
“And getting to be your mother has made my life so much more incredible and fulfilling,” Her mother says softly. She squeezes Gahyun’s shoulders and sniffles. “And you’ll always be my daughter, Gahyunie. You always have a home you can come back to whenever you need to. My door is always open to you, you know that.”
Gahyun nods her head, still holding the tissues to her eyes.
Her mother sniffles. “Okay,” She says with a soft laugh. “I didn’t come in here to make you cry, I swear.”
Gahyun laughs at that and pulls the tissues away from her eyes. She sniffles and blows her nose before tossing the tissues into the trash can underneath the vanity.
“I came here because you needed something borrowed and something blue,” Gahyun’s mother says. “You already have the old, my wedding dress, and the new, which is your veil.”
Gahyun nods and looks in the mirror as her mother digs something out of her pockets.
“Something borrowed,” Her mother says, holding up a rectangular velvet box. She cracks it open to reveal a silver chain necklace. Hanging from it is a small yellow charm shaped like a star.
Gahyun stares, her eyes wide. “That’s-”
“Your soon-to-be mother-in-law’s.” Gahyun’s mother carefully pulls the necklace from the box and drapes it around Gahyun’s neck, clasping it in the back.
Gahyun reaches up and covers the star charm with her hand, letting out a breath. “She really…”
Gahyun’s mother hums, nodding her head. “She wants you to wear it. She couldn’t come and give it to you herself because she’s busy making sure everything is perfect downstairs, so she asked me.”
“I’ll have to thank her when I see her,” Gahyun murmurs.
“And then, something blue,” Her mother says, reaching into her pockets again. She holds up another velvet box, this one a square, and cracks it open to reveal a pair of earrings. Dangling from each hook is a little blue gemstone that twinkles whenever it catches the light.
“Mama,” Gahyun breathes, lifting a hand to cover her mouth in surprise. “Those are beautiful.”
“And they’re for you,” Gahyun’s mother says with a smile.
Gahyun blinks. “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure,” Her mother says, reaching around Gahyun to place the box on the vanity. “Go ahead. Put them on.”
Gahyun waits for Nayeon and Yerim to stop messing with her hair to lean forward and put the earrings on. Once they’re in her ears, she sits back in her chair and looks at herself in the mirror.
“Wow,” Yerim says, her eyes full of wonder. “You look amazing.”
“Yeah,” Nayeon agrees softly, setting down the brush she’s holding. “Even if your hair still won’t cooperate with us.”
Gahyun’s mother laughs softly at that. “I think she looks wonderful, and I’m sure Marcus will agree.”
“Marcus better bawl when she walks down that aisle,” Yerim says.
“If he doesn’t, we’ll give him something to bawl about,” Nayeon threatens, but her tone is light, and she smiles at Gahyun in the mirror.
“Please, don’t harm my fiancé,” Gahyun says with a laugh.
“He’s about to be your husband,” Yerim says with a chuckle.
Gahyun hums and reaches up to touch the ends of her hair. Yerim and Nayeon had managed to tame it slightly, but she isn’t upset about how it looks. Her shoulder-length brown locks have always been a hassle for her to deal with, so she’s grateful for Yerim and Nayeon doing their best with the time they had.
“Sorry that we couldn’t get it to look any better,” Nayeon says with a slight frown.
Gahyun shakes her head with a soft laugh. “It looks good to me,” She says, turning her head to give Nayeon a smile. “I appreciate you two trying your best.”
“He’ll love it either way,” Gahyun’s mother says with a smirk. “Marcus is head-over-heels for you.”
Gahyun watches Nayeon and Yerim share a look but thinks nothing of it as she smiles at her mother in the mirror.
Nayeon glances at the watch on her wrist, and her eyes go wide. “Oh, shit.”
“What?” Yerim asks, reaching out to gently fix a lock of Gahyun’s hair.
“We gotta go,” Nayeon says and ushers Gahyun up from the chair. “We can’t be late on your wedding day!”
Gahyun blinks and lets herself be pulled up from the chair and bundled out of the room by her two bridesmaids and her mother. They lead her down the stairs and down the hallway that leads to the church’s main room.
Gahyun’s mother lets out a breathless laugh as they meet up with the other bridesmaids and the line of groomsmen, all waiting outside the doors.
“Finally,” One of the groomsmen says, laughing gently as Gahyun reaches up to touch her hair.
“Music’s about to start,” The best man remarks gently. “Cutting it pretty close.”
“Sorry,” Yerim says, but she doesn’t sound the slightest bit apologetic.
The best man says nothing in response and turns toward the doors as the music begins, and the doors creak open as the flower girls head inside.
Gahyun fidgets with the cuffs of her sleeves anxiously as she waits for it to be her turn to head inside.
“Relax,” Nayeon whispers. “You’ll be fine,” She assures before she turns and heads inside with the groomsmen next to her.
Gahyun sucks in a breath and nods her head, relaxing her hands and smoothing them against the sides of her dress. She’s fine. Her mother is right next to her, and the man that she loves is waiting for her at the end of the aisle. She’s fine.
“Ready?” Her mother asks, looping their arms together.
“Ready,” Gahyun says as they start forward in time with the music.
As they step into the main room of the church, Gahyun keeps her eyes forward. She can hear soft whisperings from the guests, and she smiles when she hears a few oohs and awes.
At the end of the aisle, the bridesmaids and groomsmen have gathered and are patiently waiting for Gahyun to reach them. Marcus stands with them, his lips parted slightly as he watches Gahyun make her way toward the altar.
Gahyun’s mother squeezes her arm gently as they slow to a stop before the altar. “I love you,” She whispers, tugging the girl into a tight hug. “I’m so proud to be your mother.”
“I love you, too, Mama,” Gahyun whispers as she rests her chin on the woman’s shoulder for a brief second. “And I’m so happy that I get to be your daughter.”
Gahyun’s mother grins and shifts to press her lips to the girl’s forehead. “My lovely girl.”
Gahyun hums softly and waits for her mother to pull away before she squeezes the woman’s hands and makes her way up the few steps to join Marcus in front of the priest.
“God, you’re stunning,” Marcus whispers as he takes Gahyun’s hand and squeezes gently.
Gahyun blushes and squeezes his hand tightly, unable to say anything before the priest opens his mouth to address the crowd.
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the love between these two individuals.”
Gahyun lets out a breath and listens to the priest continue with his speech. He addresses the crowd again, asking if anyone has any reason to object to the union between her and Marcus, that they do so now or forever hold their peace.
No one speaks, and Gahyun breathes out a sigh of relief. Not that she expected anyone to speak up, but still.
“Face each other, please,” The priest says gently.
Gahyun turns to face Marcus and smiles brightly at him. The man she’ll spend the rest of her life loving and growing with. She can’t wait.
They’d met in high school, and ever since then, she’d been head-over-heels for him. Marcus was popular with everyone in school, but he’d never once made her feel like she needed to worry about his loyalty.
Gahyun pulls in a breath and listens to the priest instruct Marcus to deliver his vows. She watches Marcus shift in front of her, laughing as he sheepishly retrieves a piece of paper from his pocket.
“Lee Gahyun,” Marcus begins.
Overhead, the chandelier creaks. Gahyun glances up at it and frowns as she watches the crystals sway gently, as if they were caught in a light breeze.
Marcus glances up as well, frowning, but he shakes his head and returns his gaze to the piece of paper in his hands. “I met you in high school. Freshman year English class. You sat at the very front and raised your hand for every question. You always had the answer to them.”
A laugh ripples through the crowd.
Gahyun rolls her eyes fondly and squeezes Marcus’ hand. The chandelier creaks again.
“I have loved you since that time in gym class where you spiked a volleyball into the back of my head,” Marcus says, getting another laugh from the guests.
“Knocked some sense into you,” Gahyun whispers, watching as Marcus cracks a grin at her words.
“Yeah,” Marcus agrees with a soft laugh. “Knocked some sense into me.” He pauses, his eyes scanning over his piece of paper. He pulls in a breath and stuffs the paper back into his pocket, reaching out to take Gahyun’s free hand in his. “Gahyun, I-” He stops, and his eyes take on a guilty look.
Gahyun frowns and swallows back the sudden jolt of fear. She says nothing and squeezes Marcus’ hands tightly, hoping he’s just trying to work up the courage to say the next line of his vows.
“Gahyun, I can’t-”
Overhead comes a loud snapping sound.
Someone screams.
“Look out!” A guest yells.
Marcus tears his hands out of Gahyun’s and stumbles backwards, his gaze turned upward.
Gahyun tilts her head up, taking a single step backward. Her heel catches on the train of her dress, and she slips, falling to the floor. Above her, the chandelier swings wildly, one of the chains holding it up having snapped. She gasps and struggles to push herself backwards.
“Gahyun!” Someone screams, but no one dares to run forward and help her up.
Time seems to slow down as the other chain holding up the crystal chandelier snaps with a loud pop. Gahyun stares up at the lights as they grow bigger and brighter.
There’s an ear-shattering crash, a burst of sharp pain all over her body, and then, nothing.
Gahyun gasps and stumbles backward. She trips over the train of her dress and falls, hitting the floor hard. She snaps her head up, but the chandelier above her isn’t swinging crazily. It’s not even lit up. She presses a hand to her chest and does her best to slow her breathing. A bad dream, maybe?
“Yo.”
Gahyun whips her head toward the rows of pews. They’re all empty, save for the one on the right side at the very front. Someone is lying down along the bench. She frowns. “Who are you? Where is everyone? What just happened? Where did everyone go?”
“One at a time, please,” The person says, sitting up. They’re dressed in a nice black tuxedo. There’s a white stick poking out of the side of their mouth, and they pull on it, revealing a lollipop.
Gahyun frowns deeply and looks around. The church is empty and dark, which is weird because she could’ve sworn just minutes ago, it was full of guests, and she was about to be married. She blinks. “Where’s Marcus? Where’s my mom? Yerim? Nayeon? Where is everyone? Where did they all go?”
“Chill,” The stranger says, sticking their lollipop back into their mouth. “They didn’t go anywhere. You did.”
Gahyun frowns. “What do you mean?” She looks around. “I’m still right here.”
The stranger shakes their head. “You weren’t here before,” They say gently. “You’re the one who went somewhere, kiddo.”
“Kiddo?!” Gahyun demands, getting to her feet. “I am not a kid!”
“Well, to me, you are,” The stranger says, standing as well. They step forward, into a sliver of light coming in through a window, and peer at Gahyun. “Yeah, you’re what? Early twenties?”
“Mid twenties,” Gahyun corrects with a frown. “And you don’t look that much older than me. You’ve gotta be like late twenties.”
The person hums gently. “I was,” They say with a shrug of their shoulders.
“What do you mean, was?” Gahyun asks. She takes a second to really look at the person in front of her. They have an angular face with a nice mix of feminine and masculine features. Their red hair is slicked back away from their face and it makes them look a lot sharper. “Who are you? What’s your name? Where are we?”
“Siyeon.” Siyeon pulls the lollipop from their mouth and shrugs. “Hell, I suppose.”
“What?” Gahyun asks. “That’s not funny.”
“It’s not a joke, cupcake.” Siyeon spins around slowly, lifting their arms up slightly to gesture around them. “Welcome to the afterlife.”