Wedding Venue
Busan, South Korea

Indistinct murmurs filled the elegantly festooned hall, cameras added a further noise element with snaps here and there. Giggles, small talks and a few nervous whispers, seeing the worldwide musical sensation of Korea in the same gathering, could be fairly heard in every corner one zoomed at.

The parents, in faint tears with lips spread into smiles, close relatives and family friends were happy meeting the others after a long time.
BTS members were restfully tabled together and kept a close eye on Jeongguk, who sat far across the aisle with Mr and Mrs Jeon. 

In a genuine concern, Hoseok's comment brought the others' attention on the table and glance back at their little one.

HS : Is Jeongguk really going to be fine though? Poor him, he didn't even have the choice not to come today.

Jimin, being the only one, attuned with the topic from the closest—expressed his similar views.

JM : He is not okay, not right now. He clearly isn't.

The next moment, they noticed Mr. Jeon whispering something to Jeongguk's ear. Jimin grew a little alert, trying to judge if he should rescue him out of there. But seeing Jeongguk nod and staying calm, Jimin also loosened back in his seat.

Soon enough, the host bought everyone's interest on the mic as he announced the grand and awaited entry.

Host : I request everyone to please welcome, with a big round of applause, the stars of tonight : Jeon Ha Na and Anh Do Hwan. Please enter, the Bride and Groom!

With the rising volume of people's happy screams and whistles and camera flashes growing more frequent, all eyes now focused at the slowly opening door.

The painist playing them a slow and soothing classical wedding march, the claps got louder and the smiles spread wider. Except one face, that just descended to further gloom.

Never had he imagined, seeing someone in such a enthralling white gown, walking down the aisle with her husband-to-be—would be so heart-wrenching to watch.

But, the sight of her got him so mesmerized and enchanted, he was unable to look away. He was rooted still. The lights was it, or the twinkling bedazzle of her dress, she was gleaming with a surrealistic charm.

The sudden anxiety from focusing all the attention throbbed her heart, Ha Na clench on to Do Hwan's arm tighter.

That little detail didn't slip from Jeongguk's observation. It consequently dispelled him. The gesture popped his frail dreamy bubble and brought him to the reality, that she was going to be someone else's now.

Her eyes silently looked everywhere, to find that one face that could calm down her agitated nerves.
But just as she located him, he looked away.

Ha Na, keeping her practiced smile unwavered, dragged her sight back to the aisle. Constantly hurting, and asking herself why does she never get a chance in her own life and has to ultimately precipitate to marrying a complete stranger, to add.

In a blink of moment, Ha Na was provoked in the back of her mind, cursing her whole existence. That relentless and cruel fate. The taste of forbiddance, poisoning their souls to death.

The bride and groom finally reached the dias. Jeongguk and Ha Na, refraining from the desperate urge to look at each other, were standing only a few steps away, facing their backs.

The groom briefly after, started with his vows and Ha Na continued with her's. With those words scarring his heart even more, Jeongguk decided to leave. His parents, too immersed in the ceremony, could not thwart him from leaving.

With each step that he took away from Ha Na, she got closer to being married. His feet stoned up for a moment, as the priest pronounced them as the lawfully wedded husband and wife, and allowed them to kiss like the age-old tradition.

A weird tingle got into Jeongguk; he turned back to look at her one last time. But, the sight of them kissing clenched his heart more than anything ever could. And seeing her show zero resistance to the skinship, Jeongguk withdrew his gaze—forcefully bottling his bitters.

Little did he see her eyes, which slipped the tears of regret and remorse. Her lips remained as still as rock, she did not return the kiss.

Jeongguk simply exited the hall with his head hung low, turning a blind eye to everything.

He was walking away with a blank mind until Jimin's echoing voice snapped him from afar. Jeongguk looked back to find him racing towards his direction.

JM : Where are you going?

JK : Hyung...

Jeongguk looked down, trying to encase his tears that were bubbling up ever so often, as he spoke again with a heavy voice.

JK : I can't afford to stay anymore. I don't think I can pretend to happily send her off to her honeymoon.

Jimin no longer tried to stop him, but he was still resilient to leave him alone.

JM : Wanna go home?

JK : Probably...

JM : There is media outside. Let me come with you.

Jeongguk didn't argue back and quietly followed Jimin outside, the cameras snapping at them with each step they walked. But showing no bother, Jimin led him till they were out of the wedding-hall premises.

The older was about to take the car they came in with. But Jeongguk showed resistance, saying he wanted to go alone and by a cab.

JM : Hey, how can I leave you like this?

JK : It's okay, hyung. I really wanna be alone right now. Oh, and you all will return Seoul tonight, right?

JM : Im. In some time.

JK : (-nods-) Alright. Don't worry about me. I will come down tomorrow morning.

Although, he didn't want to leave him on his own, Jimin felt the need to give him the space so Jeongguk could sort his feelings.

JM : Okay. But, be careful.

With a nod, Jeongguk casually left by a taxi and Jimin returned to the boys inside the venue.

On the ride, his eyes dry, Jeongguk threw his gaze at the scenery outside the window.
He was so disheartened and lost that although he was looking somewhere, it wasn't forming any image for him.

Only till the driver's comment, did he notice the change. And the images grew more definitive.

Driver : Oh, here come's the first snow.

The white snow made an uncanny resemblance to Ha Na in her wedding gown. Jeongguk couldn't phase out her visuals from his head, as he keenly stared outside at the slow showering snowflakes.

JK : Yes, it's beautiful.

He sighed long resting his head on the seat, eyes fixed outside. What a pityful night for the first snow to visit, he wondered woefully.

Not long after, Jeongguk reached his home and entered the empty house.
He realized, it was never this silent before,  and quietude irked him. There was nothing to help it, nevertheless.

Jeongguk sighed again, turning the lights on as he leisurely climbed upstairs to his room. He didn't wait a moment and changed into other clothes—the tuxedo reminding him of the wedding.

Feeling thirsty, Jeongguk went back downstairs and the moment he stepped down the last stair, his eyes turned to the right-habitually. There was a door and his legs now automatically walked him towards it.

He read the letters stuck on the door which said, "HaNa's Room. Please knock." in english. It heighted till the middle of the door and was written in an elementary schooler-handwriting.
He plucked the DIY plaque and smiled, imagining how little she might have been then.

Sticking it back to a normal door-plate height, Jeongguk pressed it firmly. He then voluntarily went inside her room, and her characteristic scent filled his senses. It had her warmth. It had the essence of her presence.

The room was packed out, Jeongguk observed. So many things were gone. But, a photo frame on her table grabbed his heed. It was the only thing new to his eyes out of ordinary. And he was naturally allured towards it, totally forgetting about his dry throat.

Picking it to him, he could vividly reminisce the day when the photo was taken. Jeongguk couldn't keep his camera focus out of her and thus this picture existed.

"Thanks, Jeongguk-ah." read the little message beside. Jeongguk scoffed with a bitter twinge in his heart. He kept it back upside down and simply left the room.

Now, every corner he looked around the house, he was only reminded of her. In the kitchen as he went to quench his thrist, Jeongguk recalled the one time where he surprised himself by making her breakfast. In the dining, fighting over the last piece of the egg rolls when they were little. Near the stairs, her always ruffling his hair and running to her room, literally everytime.

His own house started to suffocate him with her memories. He couldn't take it anymore and stormed out quickly before he lost it.

Walking aimlessly for a while, he reached the neighborhood park where Ha Na and he used to hang out most of their childhood days together. His steps slowed down on the hill stairs as he stared down at the playground for a moment.

The next instant he could register was him already siting on one of the swings, where they had majority of the 'talks'. Tonight, however, the swing next to his was vacant.

He realized no matter where he ran, he was too filled with her memories everywhere, to escape her thoughts. Even after an aloofness of thirteen years, she was all over his heart and soul.

As if he was numb to any sensation, he couldn't feel the cold that the snow teased around.
His vision grew blurry and before he realized it, he was bawling his eyes.

Jeongguk shut them close, squeezing in as he let out the big knot of pain and regrets, to flow out through his eyes.

Having no company, assured that no one would be able to see or hear him, Jeongguk freely cried to his heart's content.
He desperately asked where he had gone wrong to deserve this. Why did he have to fall for someone who was never meant to be his. So clichè, yet so excruciating.

Jeongguk weeped and weeped, only till he heard a familiar little voice, "Jeongguk-ah."

He sniffed, lifting his head up to the source and saw a twelve year old Ha Na beside him, seated on the empty swing.

As if it all made sense and nothing was weird, he kept staring at her illusion wistfully, sniffing off and on.

Ha Na : Why are you crying? Won't you tell me?

He could evocatively see her as if he time-travelled to the day when he hated her the most. The day, he wished never arrived, or had passed on differently.

Ha Na : You can tell me, aren't I your elder sister?

For this very fact, that for the world they were siblings—Jeongguk resented her. He hated to be called her brother when they were not even half related.

It was a very casual afternoon for the Jeon family. As much for the parents as was for the children, making the best out of their last day of summer break.

Only until, the children find the secret door that their loving parents have been hiding from them.

Jeongguk inside the store under the stairs to get his ball, overheard his parents talking. The dad, believing the kids were in the park playing, felt it safe to bring out his concern to his wife openly.

Mr.Jeon : Honey, Ha Na will turn twelve in no time now. Don't you think, we should finally tell her the truth?

Mrs.Jeon's smile of a 'good day spent' dropped instantly, listening to her husband's words.

Mrs.Jeon : Is it necessary though? The kids are so happy right now. I don't want her to feel abandoned by her own mother. We are taking good care of her, aren't we?

Mr.Jeon : (-holds her hand-) Yes, I know we are trying our best. But, I was just saying because it is her right to know.

Mrs.Jeon : We can just hide it like we have been doing so long.

Mr.Jeon : Honey, I understand your feelings. But if she finds out later that she is adopted, Ha Na would feel really betrayed then. And I don't want her to think that.

Jeongguk dropped the ball in his hand and immediately muffled his mouth, preventing himself from making any further sounds.

No one knew what Jeongguk had discovered. But, from that day onwards, Jeongguk and Ha Na's bond was unrepairably broken.

Everytime, his parents would favor her over him, he would feel more hatred towards her. Thinking, she is the reason, his mom and dad were not giving him all the love and care he deserved as their real and biological son.

The tender ten year old couldn't help his scarred sentiments from surfacing. He generously expressed that through his rude actions around her and announced he would never call her 'Noona' again. Upon her deliberate attempts to aid their sudden wordless and unexplained ruptured bond, Jeongguk once yelled back at her. Only to further aloof their relationship.

Ha Na : Why wouldn't you call me Noona? I am your sis-

JK : (-cuts her off-) Because you are NOT my sister!

_______

Author here! After a long time, I finally started this fiction. :)

Hope you'll give it your love and support.

And if you haven't checked out the trailer yet, go DO it now!
You will find many scenes from today's chapter too. So, it's fun to watch.
And why not make a guess of how the plot is going to run, based on that? ;)

Anyways, MeherJin's out!
Happy reading!

Which one appeals more to you? 🤔