The Ghost of You
Chapter 5: The Wedding Prep
Areum's POV
It's been a month since MC and Saeran had gotten engaged, it was the happiest I had ever seen the pair. It has also been two weeks since I met my dad for the first time in 18 years. Today was the day that I was going to have him meet Saeran and MC. I looked at my father and smiled, having him around was like a missing piece was filled in my heart. Though, no matter how much my father loved me, Saeran somehow felt like my true dad. My father hugged me and brushed my hair out of my face. "I'm still so very sorry for being absent these past years." He said while smiling. I scoffed and shook my head. "It's no big deal, dad. It is weird seeing you!" I laughed nervously. My dad smiled and stood up, I followed quickly after. We left his small apartment and walked for a bit before getting to MC's apartment building.
"Dad... are you ready to meet them? I-I mean there is nothing wrong with Saeran or MC but-" I started to ramble before he gave me a look. I shut my mouth and gave him a nervous smile. "Well, lead the way Areum." He said while pushing me towards the stairs. I nodded and started to walk quickly, this meeting gave me awkward vibes. We made it to the apartment building and I could tell from the voices that everyone was there. I opened the door and was immediately greeted by a boy that I didn't recognize. He looked to be about my age, Zen quickly ran over and grabbed him by his shoulders. "Adrien! I see you have met the lovely Areum." Zen winked at me and laughed at the boy. I blushed and slipped past Zen and Adrien with my father to find MC and Saeran.
The couple was sitting at the kitchen table, looking through a website on honeymoon locations while Jaehee finished up baking some sort of cookie in the kitchen. I threw my arms over the couple and kissed MC's cheek. "Hey guys. What are you lookin' at?" I asked while pointing at some beach location. MC smiled and ruffled my hair while Saeran patted his leg. I moved over and sat on it, giggling as he started to braid my hair. "We are looking for honeymoon locations, Areum. Wanna give us a hand?" MC asked as she flipped through the pictures again. I thought for a moment and pointed to a beach. "Why not there? It says... Koh Tao in Thailand?" I shrugged while looking at the water in the picture. Saeran looked at MC and nodded, she smiled and wrote it down.
She continued to scroll through the pictures until I stopped her again. "Oh! You should go there, too!" I said excitedly while pointing to a picture. "Udaipur, India? Well it certainly looks gorgeous." Saeran muttered as he undid the braid and started over again. The boy, Adrien, walked up beside Saeran and I, smiling slightly. "Zen said I should introduce myself to you, miss. May I borrow some of your time?" He asked softly. I blushed a bright red and nodded, taking his hand as I got off Saeran's lap. Adrien walked me outside before he sighed loudly.
"I'm terribly sorry for bothering you. Uncle Zen was very adamant about us meeting." He said while leaning against the balcony. I shrugged and offered the boy a small smile. "It's okay. I was eventually going to introduce myself to you!" I blurted out. Areum you really need to work on getting a verbal filter! I scolded myself. Adrien laughed and my heart skipped a beat. He has a really nice laugh. I'm not blushing right?! My mind was in complete panic mode as I laughed nervously. "Well, it's nice to meet you then. My name is Adrien. Zen is my uncle, as you can see the only thing that even proves that we are related is the silver hair. I'm 19 and can make situations incredibly awkward because of my lack of a verbal filter." He said sweetly while kissing my knuckles. I blushed more and played with my hair.
Adrien was tall and thin. I could tell that he probably danced or did some sort of physical work because of the toning in his arms. His silver hair was cut short, but styled in a perfectly messy way. His eyes were a dark, emerald green that sparkled when the light hit them. Adrien was lightly tanned, which made his hair and eyes stand out even more. I was entranced by those eyes, he probably has girls fawning over him left and right. "I'm Areum. I'm 18, I live with MC and Saeran, we aren't related at all. I think you are gorgeous!" I blushed and muttered quickly. Adrien laughed again and rested his chin in his hands. "You are quite beautiful yourself Miss Areum. What does your name mean, do you know?" He asked.
I shook my head and brushed some of my hair out of my face. Adrien gave a small smirk and moved closer to me, tucking the stray strands of hair behind my ear. "It means beautiful..." He whispered as I blushed once more. We stared into each other's eyes before Saeran walking out of the apartment caused us to jump apart and suddenly start talking about a meme we had seen. "Areum, hun, MC wants you to go with her and Jaehee to pick out dresses." He said while eyeing Adrien. I laughed and pushed him back into the apartment while giving an apologetic look towards Adrien. "Yes, yes perfect. We shall go do that now!" I laughed while waving a small bit to the boy at the balcony.
MC grabbed my shoulders and spun me to face the front door of the apartment. "Go get his number, Areum. It's clear that he likes you." She whispered. I looked at her in shock and laughs softly. "We just met though!" I hissed. MC shrugged and winked at me before pushing me towards the door. "I can see the chemistry between you two. Go get him!" Was all I heard before I ran into Adrien's chest. The cologne he was wearing smelled like cinnamon, and his chest was really warm. His arms wrapped around me as we both fell to the ground, his back hit the pavement first. I went to get up but he held me against him. "I- I didn't mean to... I'm sorry!" I said, clearly flustered. Adrien's laugh bubbled up and he grinned happily. "I don't mind, it's not everyday that someone as beautiful as you falls on me." His words had caused me to blush a bright shade of red. Adrien placed a quick peck on my cheek before standing us both up, then he got out his phone. We exchanged phone numbers and said our goodbyes before he left for the day.
A few hours later; MC, Jaehee, Yoosung's girlfriend, and I were all headed to the wedding shop to pick out dresses. Jaehee tossed the idea of a mint theme, MC agreed immediately. "Oh my gosh the mint theme would so work for you and Saeran!" Yoosung's girlfriend, who finally said her name was Jen, said cheerfully. I nodded and linked my arm with MC's, the woman gave me a gentle smile. "I know a great dress shop just into the city, let's go there for your dress MC." Jaehee muttered while hailing a taxi. We all nodded and got into the vehicle once it arrived.
While we rode in the car, my phone buzzed with a text. I checked it and smiled, it was from Adrien. MC smirked at me and motioned to my phone. "Let me guess, it's Zen's nephew?" She giggled. I nodded and hid my phone from her, while sticking my tongue out. "Yes. I think he is cool." I said lamely while noticing Jaehee's eyes on me. "Adrien did get Zen's looks. He even dances at the same studio as him. Although, the boy is a swimmer not a dancer." She stated while smiling. I laughed and tilted my head to the side. "You just like the fact the Zen is teaching people how to dance!" I laughed. Jaehee blushed and didn't say a word. I looked at my phone again and blushed lightly.
Adrien: Hello, Miss Areum
Areum: Hello Mister Adrien
Adrien: Lol, you don't have to be so formal with me
Areum: I was going to say the same to you!
Adrien: Great minds think alike. I was called by the guys to go tux shopping for the wedding. Are you with the ladies?
Areum: Yeah I am. We are headed to some dress shop in the city. It's a mint theme lol
Adrien: How lucky, Saeran suggested that. I shall confirm him on that then. Btw, will you show me a picture of your dress? I would like to get an idea of what to wear
Areum: Yeah! But I gotta see you in a tux first. Like when you guys go to get fitted for them or however that works lmao
Adrien: But of course. Oh... I'm being called to go get fitted rn. Text you soon :*
Areum: See yah :3
I blushed lightly at the thought of him in a tuxedo. "Hey MC, Saeran thought of the mint theme too, so there's no complications in that!" I said while pocketing my phone. The taxi stopped and we all got out, looking around at the inner city. "The shop should be over this way. Zen recommended it to me, his friend Andre Kim is the designer here." Jaehee explained as we all walked down the sidewalk. Us girls chattered about how the wedding will go as we walked.
When we reached the shop, MC gulped audibly. "I'm nervous. Will I even find a dress?" She asked while eyeing me and Jaehee. We both nodded and pushed her into the boutique. Jen raced to the dresses on racks while Jaehee went to find Andre. I patted MC's shoulder and looked around. There was so much white in the store, the color almost made me dizzy. Jaehee came back with a man dressed head to toe in white trailing behind her. He smiled at MC and pulled her to the side to discuss possible dress ideas. My phone chimed loudly, causing me to jump and almost knock over a mannequin. I quickly apologized and looked at the alert, smiling when I saw Adrien's name. He had sent a picture and a video, clearly wanting to show off. I rolled my eyes and watched the video. "Look Areum, I'm all fancy!" His voice said as the boy showed off the tux. The picture he sent was stunning, I smirked and studied it.
Adrien had swept his hair to one side, his lips were curled into a subtle smirk. The tuxedo was black, but there was a mint green dress shirt under the jacket. His emerald eyes sparkled, his thin frame was shown off in all the right ways. I quickly typed a response and took a picture of myself, the half-knocked over mannequin in the background. MC was dragged away by Andre, Jaehee and Jen quickly following her.
Adrien: That poor mannequin! What did it ever do to you?
Areum: It got in my way, so I had to teach it a lesson!
Adrien: I can't believe I met such a brutish person. Oh btw, we are literally in the store right next to that one.
Areum: No way! MC just got dragged to the back, probably for some sorta dress fitting.
Adrien: Well, once everyone is done getting tuxes and dresses, wanna go grab some coffee?
Areum: You had me at coffee. I'll text you when we finish up.
Adrien: Don't forget that picture, Miss Areum
Areum: I won't! Gosh trust me lmao
Adrien: No promises caffeine freak
I laughed and put my phone away. I quickly walked to the back room and smiled at the women in front of me. MC had a lovely white gown on, it hardly needed any adjustments. It was higher in the front and trailed on the ground in the back. The waist was lined with sparkling black gems, and it had a sweetheart neckline. MC twirled a little and stared at herself in the mirror. "It's perfect! You have to get it." Jaehee and Jen said simultaneously. MC looked over at me for support. I stuck up my thumbs and grinned, the dress was simple yet stunning. Andre helped MC out of the dress while Jaehee, Jen, and myself went back to the front of the store. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Adrien, Saeran, Zen, Yoosung, and my father. I waved a little when Adrien's dark green eyes met mine, he winked and smiled as he waved back.
MC emerged from the back with Andre, they were chatting happily about when the dress would arrive; apparently Andre had some work he had to do on it still. Us girls left the shop and walked down the sidewalk to a different place. When we entered the store, a swarm of employees surrounded us, asking different questions about what we wanted. Jaehee expertly talked us out of the crowd and dragged all of us to the green dresses. "Go pick the mint ones. Meet me at the dressing rooms." Was all the woman said before darting off.
Jen and I sifted through the dresses before MC came over and pulled one out. It was a short, strapless dress with a little flower on it. "Jaehee would like that one!" Jen said as she pulled out a dress for herself. MC nodded and walked with Jen to the dressing rooms after ruffling my hair. I smiled at her and kept looking, all of these were either strapless or had a strange neckline. I sighed and kept looking, vaguely aware of the sets of eyes on me. One employee approached me, offering to help. I took it, suddenly nervous about not being able to find something.
The employee looked at me then motioned to follow him. I trailed close to him, shrinking under the eyes of the other workers. "Don't worry. I have the perfect dress. You wanted a mint one right?" He asked. I nodded quickly and smiled. "Yeah, can you find one that's an off shoulder? Please?" I asked. His eyes lit up and he nodded before rushing off into the racks of fabric. I pulled out my phone and shot a quick text to Adrien then MC.
Areum: Dress finding is hard. Why can't it be as easy as picking out a tux?!
Adrien: I dunno. But at least you girls have more variety!
Areum: True lmao
The employee came back with an off shoulder mint dress, he happily handed it to me. "This was the only one we had. If you need any size or length adjustments, just find me. I'm Todd, I'll fix it up for you in no time." Todd said while smiling. "Thank you. I'm going to go try it on now." Todd waved as I walked to the dressing room, when I reached it, Jen waved at me and spun around. Her dress didn't have sleeves, it was just a simple knee length mint dress. "Did you find something?" She asked. I nodded and held up the hanger to my body, the dress seemed like it would fit from just hanging it up against my body, but I still wasn't sure.
Jen led me to an empty dressing room and left me to change. I took off my sweater and shirt before quickly adding my shorts to the pile. I stared at the mint colored garment before slipping it on. The length fell a few inches above my knees, the garment fit correctly everywhere, it was just coincidence that it was in my size, wow. I smiled and swayed while watching how the skirt moved in the mirror. I quickly grabbed my phone and took a picture of myself in the dress, then sent it to Adrien. Before he responded, I set my phone down and walked out to the other girls.
When MC saw me, she grinned and inspected the dress with her eyes. Jaehee squealed and hugged me, complimenting me on how it looked. Jen just clapped slowly and nodded, clearly happy with it. "You are getting it. It's perfect for you!" MC said. I nodded and went back to the dressing room. I glanced at my phone and saw the screen filled with text notifications. I laughed softly and quickly changed back into my normal clothes.
Adrien: OH
Adrien:My
Adrien:GOD
Adrien: Areum if you do not respond I'm cancelling our coffee date
Adrien: AREUM PLEASE
Adrien: you are so beautiful omg
Areum: Reallyyy?
Adrien: ... YES are you like blind?!
Areum: Yeah maybe. I did get a stunning pic from u earlier sooo...
Adrien: you are over smooth. Meet me in 15. We need some coffee
Areum: Gotcha. See you soon~
Adrien: Don't tease me woman
Areum: meet you at the coffee shop near here!
Adrien: Make that 5. I'm not far from there
Areum: gotcha
I quickly shoved my phone in my pocket and met the older women outside of the dressing rooms. Jaehee paid for all of our dresses, and offered to store them at her house so that Saeran and the others didn't see them. MC agreed and went with Jaehee, while Jen called Yoosung and waited for him to pick her up. I said my goodbye's to the women and jogged to the nearest café. Funny how the only place for coffee around is Starbucks. Over-priced as hell but yummy. I thought to myself as I walked inside. I inhaled deeply and sighed happily, the smell of the coffee beans was incredibly relaxing.
The hairs on my neck stood up as I heard a familiar voice whisper in my ear. "You owe me for that dress picture miss." The voice purred. I laughed and turned around to find Adrien smirking at me. "I'll buy coffee, is that payment enough?" I giggled. Adrien laughed and put his arm around my shoulder, pulling me closer. "It is. Let's order before the line gets too long." He laughed as we both got in line.
We ordered and walked outside to find a spot to sit. There was an empty table right by the sidewalk, so we snagged it before anyone else could. Adrien got a cinnamon roll frappuccino with extra whipped cream and cinnamon powder, I found it cute but he just laughed at me. I bought a java chip frappuccino with whipped cream and chocolate sauce. When Adrien took a sip of his drink, some of the whipped cream got on his chin and bottom lip. "Adrien... you have a little something on your face." I giggled. He gently brushed his fingers over his face and laughed softly when he felt the cream on his lip. Before I could register what happened, Adrien's lips were pressed against mine. I blushed and covered my face as he pulled away a few moments later, licking the remaining whipped cream off his lip and reaching for a napkin to wipe it off his chin.
He smirked and continued to sip on his drink while watching me through his eyelashes. His emerald eyes pierced mine as we both drank our beverages. "You kissed me!" I said after a long period of silence. Adrien laughed and rested his chin in his hands, those emerald eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief. "Why yes. I did. It seemed like the perfect way to get the whipped cream off my lip. I don't hear you complaining." He smirked. I laughed and stared at him, challenging his confidence. "Well maybe I'm not complaining because you pulled away too quickly, therefore causing me to not have a fully formed opinion." I tried to sound smart, I think it didn't work.
Adrien's eyes went dark as he stood up and walked over to me, his lips curled into a smile. "Now now Miss Areum. Saying things like that in public is not a good idea." His voice was husky. Oh dear God what do I do?! I thought, very confused but also intrigued. "Oh? Why not? Betcha you won't do anything." I retaliated. Adrien inhaled sharply and gripped the arms of my chair, leaning over so that he was the only thing I saw. His silver hair fell as he stared into my eyes. "I'm resisting taking you back to my apartment, Areum." Was all he said, his voice was still husky. I smiled innocently and reached my hand up to play with his hair. The silver locks were soft and silky between my fingers. "What's stopping you?" I smirked and pressed a kiss to his cheek before sliding out from under him so that I was standing.
Adrien's eyes followed my every move as I grabbed my drink and held the straw between my teeth. I winked and slowly walked backwards, out of the seating area. He grabbed his own beverage and followed me. "Lead the way Adrien!" I giggled once he stood next to me. His arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me close to him as we walked a few blocks to a small apartment building in the city.
Adrien said nothing, as we walked. I blushed a light pink and nibbled on the straw. Did I mess up? Was I too cocky?! My thoughts were a mess until we reached his apartment door. Adrien's features softened as he unlocked the door, his eyes were still dark though. I gently placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled, before clearing my throat. "I...we... I don't want you to think tha-" My words were cut off when Adrien kissed me. It was gentle, soft and not rushed at all. My hands tangled in his hair as he picked me up and walked into his home.
We stayed like that for a while. Adrien holding me close in his arms, my hands tangled in his silky hair, and our lips pressed together softly. We broke apart to breathe, staring deep into each other's eyes. Adrien's hands traveled up my legs to my lower back, his fingers playing with the edge of my sweater. I smiled and kissed his cheek, close to his ear. "Go ahead..." I whispered softly. Adrien hesitated for a second before he quickly stripped my sweater and shirt off of my torso. His hands rested against my hips as he pressed his forehead against mine. "We... should go back to my bedroom..." He muttered. I nodded and kissed him, perfectly fine with what was to come.
We did not make it to the bedroom. The passion took over and next thing I knew, we were both stripped down to our underwear; our clothes were scattered around on the floor in front of the couch. Adrien was above me, slowly dragging his eyes up and down my body. It wasn't long before the idiot inside me took over and decided to reenact a scene from a musical. I blushed a bright red and spread my knees apart, keeping my thighs firmly together. I snorted internally at Adrien's reaction. His eyes were wide in confusion and interest before it clicked and he started laughing. "Heeyy..." I tried to say before I burst out laughing. We laughed together for a few minutes before Adrien gently placed a hand on my stomach. "Miss Maria Reynolds, that's not how the scene goes." He said in my ear while winking. I giggled and took my hair down from it's ponytail, my red curls fanned out behind me. "How could you say no to this?" I whispered. Adrien smirked and kissed me again, silently promising a fun few hours.
I curled up against Adrien's side as he pulled a light sheet over us. We had ended up moving to the bedroom, we kept almost falling off the couch. His hand gently brushed my hair away from my face as he smiled. "That was not how I imagined that date going." He laughed. I blushed and propped myself on my elbows. "I didn't imagine it going this way either but, I mean hey, it was a date after all!" I said while grinning. Adrien rolled his eyes and kissed my cheek gently. "I know I shouldn't be asking this but... nevermind. I'm moving too fast." He muttered. I tilted my head and looked at him in curiosity. "If whatever you were going to ask is considered moving too fast, then what was this?" I asked while motioning to the thin sheet over our bodies. A dark blush flashed over Adrien's face before he groaned.
"I am so sorry. I don't regret it but I should've controlled myself. I'm not like this usually..." He mumbled while turning his face away. I smiled and gently placed a hand on his cheek. "I'm not either. But I do agree that we should have controlled ourselves. Would you let me ask a question for you though?" I said softly. Adrien turned his face toward me and nodded, his green eyes were laced with worry. "Since we moved a little fast, but we both click well and get along, how about we make things official? I mean... unless you want to wait and go out on another few dates!" I offered. Adrien thought for a moment before grabbing my hand and lacing his fingers between mine. "Let's make it official and continue to go on dates." He said softly. I smiled and kissed his cheek then laid back down beside him.
So that was how things went from that day on. I went home later in the night, Saeran and MC were worried at first but they understood. My dad did too, although he wanted a lot of information on Adrien before he was okay with it. There was only a few weeks until the wedding, so Adrien and I decided to hold off on dates until after it. MC and Saeran finished their honeymoon plans, got their plane tickets and hotel rooms, and secured a place to hold their wedding. Everything felt like a fairytale. My adopted dad (Saeran) was getting married, I had a gorgeous and incredibly sweet boyfriend, I met my biological father, and everyone was happy. I only wished that it would last, because I'm hiding something from them.
The person who sent me an e-mail with the binary code for Saeran, contacted me again. They threatened to destroy the happiness that was surrounding everyone if I didn't respond to them after the wedding. How they would do that, I had no clue. I was worried though, so I'm keeping it a secret for as long as possible. Whatever the unknown person has planned, I hope it doesn't get dangerous, I don't want to see MC's heartbroken face again. I don't want anyone to get hurt either...
AN: Hey, hello yes I'm still alive. This took a while, sorry if the chapter sucks. Sorry about the dress descriptions being kinda sucky, my descriptions are shit. Please please leave a review! See you in the next chapter~