DP Side Story 2, Episode 17
by BrieDeep Pivot Side Story 2, Episode 17
A swirl of complicated emotions swept through him. He was a little resentful that his lover hadn’t given him any warning, surprised at how easily he fell for such a predictable setup, and also—somewhat foolishly—excited.
In the end, Yeon-woo took a deep breath and steadied himself. A few seconds later, his hands, now lowered calmly, folded around the bouquet with gentle grace.
Seo-joon, watching the play of emotions pass over his lover’s beautiful face, captured the sight of Yeon-woo in a white tuxedo and veil with satisfaction. The wedding aisle wasn’t very long, so he could clearly see Yeon-woo’s expression even through the veil.
Lieutenant… you’re really unfair. You should’ve at least told me in advance, given me time to prepare my heart. That unspoken complaint mingled with a joy he couldn’t quite hide, settling softly across his lovely face.
The embarrassment was short-lived. Soon, Yeon-woo took his first step forward.
At the far end of the wedding aisle, where Ludovico Einaudi’s Nuvole Bianche flowed softly through the air, Seo-joon kept his eyes fixed on his approaching lover, not missing a single moment.
…In that moment, Cha Yeon-woo was the most beautiful person in the world—Ji Seo-joon’s one and only.
The one person Seo-joon could truly call both lover and family, the singular light of his life, drifted toward him wrapped in the radiance of a sunset as brilliant as he was.
Watching Yeon-woo walk in sync with the melody, as if he’d rehearsed it, made Seo-joon smile. When he smiled, Yeon-woo let out a small laugh too. He covered his face briefly with the bouquet, then lowered it and resumed walking solemnly. It seemed he had decided to fully savor the moment.
Their team members clapped, whistled, and cheered loudly. Do-young followed Yeon-woo’s every step, filming with his phone. Min-geon, also holding up his phone and snapping pictures, whistled and teased that the bride looked way too young.
“Shameless baby thief!” “The baby got caught by old man Ji!” The jeers mixed messily into the air, cutting through the solemn music.
At last, the two drew close. Seo-joon reached out his hand, and Yeon-woo stepped forward to take it.
Lieutenant… you’re really too much.
A whisper, light as air, slipped between them.
“And now, we shall witness the union of Master and Baby.”
Laughter erupted from the guest seats at Cheong-oh’s announcement. “Anything to say on behalf of the baby?” he joked, holding out an invisible mic to Yeon-woo.
“What are your thoughts on the Master allegations?”
Yeon-woo answered calmly.
“No comment.”
Laughter spread again. Cheong-oh turned the imaginary mic toward Seo-joon this time and asked, “Are you interested in signing a slave contract?”
He was nearly kicked in the shin.
“Groom, Mr. Ji Seo-joon. Do you swear to love and cherish our baby with all your heart, in good times and in bad, in health and in sickness?”
“Yes, I swear.”
“Bride, Mr. Cha Yeon-woo. Though you are far too good for this gathering…”
He paused, waiting for the laughter to subside.
“Do you swear, with all sincerity, to live your life beautifully, comfortably, and with full honor as you bask in Ji Seo-joon’s wealth—until the cartilage wears out of his knees?”
“Yes, I sincerely swear.”
There were no tears, no solemnity—only thunderous laughter and cheers. Seo-joon gently moved the ring from Yeon-woo’s right hand to his left. Only after lifting the veil from Yeon-woo’s face did he notice the tears brimming in his eyes.
“You’ve got to choose—laugh or cry, not both, Yeon-woo.”
Joking as he gently cupped Yeon-woo’s flushed cheek, he kissed him. And then Yeon-woo whispered softly:
“Honey.”
“I can officially call you ‘honey’ now.”
Seo-joon chuckled and teased, “You can’t even say ‘babe’ right, and now you’re jumping to ‘honey’?”
Jeong-woo walked down the aisle, scattering paper flowers from a basket. Yeon-woo, laughing, scooped him up in a hug.
“And now, I declare these two officially married.”
Cheong-oh announced in a loud voice, as if trying to redeem his entirely ridiculous officiation with one grand statement. Cheers and applause erupted from the team.
Group and couple photos followed. Cinderella and Elsa—who had sacrificed themselves to get that veil on stubborn Yeon-woo—stood solemnly on either side of the couple, striking dramatic poses.
“Min-geon hyung looks like a last-generation idol,” someone said.
“El—Elsa looks way too dependable,” said another.
Yeon-woo took off the veil he had been wearing and placed it on Seo-joon’s head. Lieutenant, it’s only fair you suffer too. Seo-joon, in silent obedience to his lover’s firmness, wore the veil and smiled for the photos.
That wedding veil then made its rounds—resting on Jeong-woo’s head once, then on Cheong-oh’s, and then on the heads of each team member one by one—before finally returning to Yeon-woo.
A simple wedding reception began.
Seo-joon and Yeon-woo quietly slipped away from the reception after putting Jeong-woo to bed and went for a peaceful walk. It was called a reception, but really, like the rest of the trip, it was just eating and drinking with friends—there was no need to stay until the very end.
“Lieutenant, did you know same-sex marriage is legal in the Netherlands and Belgium too?”
As they strolled slowly across the softly lit nighttime beach, Yeon-woo continued, phone in hand.
“Spain too. And Norway, Sweden, Canada…”
Seo-joon tugged him close by the cheek and kissed his chattering lips, smiling. Yeon-woo was still wearing the wedding veil. At first, he had been embarrassed, but at some point, he’d decided he liked it so much that he hadn’t taken it off through the whole reception.
“Are you planning a world tour wedding series now?”
“Yes! It sounds so fun. I want to do a surprise too.”
He added that next time, he’d make sure to put a long, extravagant veil on the Lieutenant.
“That kind of thing only suits you, Yeon-woo.”
There was no response from beside him. Seo-joon turned his head to look. Yeon-woo was staring at him with an unreadable expression, lost in thought. Then suddenly, he smiled softly.
“What’s so funny now?”
“Nothing.”
His grip on Seo-joon’s hand tightened.
“I think I just really, really love you, Lieutenant.”
Seo-joon smiled and pulled Yeon-woo’s hand to his lips, kissing the back of it.
“I love you too, Yeon-woo.”
Yeon-woo gasped and widened his eyes. Seo-joon chuckled and kissed his hand again. His face flushed in splotchy pinks as he leaned closer and mumbled to himself.
“I want to record that…”
Seo-joon flinched and covered his ears. “If you whisper it right in my ear, it’s not a monologue anymore.”
“There it is again. You and that recording nonsense.”
“Then how about a video?”
“Are you serious?”
“Cheh.”
“I’ll tell you I love you so often and so annoyingly that you won’t need a recording.”
Bickering with silly banter, they eventually arrived in front of the resort.
“Do you want to walk more? Or go back to the reception?”
Just then, Yeon-woo tugged him closer. In an instant, Seo-joon found himself pulled into a pair of thick arms.
‘Tonight’s our honeymoon, remember?’
The familiar whisper brushed past his ear. He must have thought whispering something dirty made it less dirty.
“…”
Seo-joon pulled him in. A quiet laugh spilled between their touching lips.
Their bodies, like two solid doors slamming together, stumbled into the suite in a tangle. The room, cluttered with unpacked clothes and scattered souvenirs from the trip, looked nothing like the setting for a romantic honeymoon night.
Yeon-woo’s shin knocked into the armrest of the sofa with a thud. Seo-joon pushed him down along with the fall, swallowing back a hot breath as he kissed him deeply.
Yeon-woo, yielding his lips helplessly, busily undid Seo-joon’s tuxedo, unbuttoning his shirt. “Baaaby,” he dragged out the word in a playful scold.
“It’s our wedding night, and we haven’t even made it to the bed. What is this?”
“Ah.”
Seo-joon chuckled and lifted his upper body slightly. Still wearing the half-loosened wedding veil, Yeon-woo continued to undo his shirt buttons. Seo-joon gently brushed a heated cheek and asked sweetly,
“Is there something you want? It’s our first night.”
Yeon-woo smiled with crescent-shaped eyes.
“Then how about we both do what the other wants tonight? Since it’s our wedding night.”
Grinning, Seo-joon loosened Yeon-woo’s tie. In truth, there was something he’d wanted to try ever since they started preparing for the ceremony—more specifically, ever since they picked out Yeon-woo’s wedding outfit.
The tie slipped from Yeon-woo’s neck and fell to the floor. As Seo-joon unbuttoned his clothes, he tugged gently on the edge of the veil still clinging precariously to his head.
“There is something I’ve wanted to try…”