He had been sneaking off to corners for days, trying to be inconspicuous, and this must have been the reason.
Muheon enjoyed the clear, sky-matching voice for a while.
Of course, at the wedding, he intended to act as if he was hearing it for the first time, just as Hakyung wished.
He didn’t think hearing it beforehand would diminish the deep emotional impact.
He didn’t think he was the type to anticipate such events or ceremonies, but with Hakyung…
He worried that if he left it for too long, he might change his mind.
Muheon deliberately made a lot of noise as he entered the dorm.
It was loud enough for Hakyung to hear, even though he was engrossed in practice.
Sure enough, the naturally flowing melody abruptly stopped, and Hakyung tumbled out.
“CEO!”
“Oh, were you resting? Why are you out? I told you not to leave the room.”
Muheon put on a stern expression, wrapped an arm around Hakyung’s shoulder, and guided him back into the room.
Hakyung’s lips pouted in displeasure as he found himself lying on the bed without much say.
“My back hurts from lying down too much, and it feels more uncomfortable.”
“No. You won’t be able to sit all day starting early tomorrow morning, so you need to conserve your energy.”
“I’m not that weak, you know?”
“I’m not saying you’re weak; I’m saying you’ll be tired, so rest while you can.”
Hakyung no longer retorted and simply nodded, touched by the concern expressed as Muheon gently stroked his pink hair.
Hearing such a gentle voice expressing worry made his whole body tingle, and warm breaths puffed from the top of his head.
Hakyung expressed this affection to Muheon without hiding it.
He sprung up from his lying position and planted enthusiastic kisses all over Muheon’s handsome face.
It was an exaggerated display of affection, like a puppy showing joy to its returning owner.
Muheon smiled and accepted Hakyung’s kisses.
Just as Hakyung felt boundless affection for him, Muheon also felt boundless affection welling up for Hakyung.
***
As Muheon had said yesterday, Hakyung had to be up and moving from 4 AM.
He had thought the preparations would be light since his hair was short and he didn’t need color makeup, but it turned out to be much tighter than expected.
“Groom, please don’t close your eyes.”
“41, 41!”
Was it called dressed up but looks casual, or natural makeup?
Shading and highlighting the face to look good under lights and in photos without appearing overly done was incredibly delicate.
What was even more upsetting was that while they meticulously made up his face, Muheon only had some tone-up cream applied.
The makeup director shyly smiled, saying that Muheon was already perfect and touching him further would make it look excessive.
Of course, compared to Muheon, his own face was rather plain and round, but it was still upsetting.
As the initially cheerful Hakyung gradually became sullen, Muheon, who was beside him, tried to cheer him up.
He held Hakyung’s hand, played with his fingers, and showered him with endless compliments.
The makeup director, noticing Hakyung’s low spirits, also chimed in.
“Groom, your skin is so fair and clear that it would all wash out under the lights. So, I’m just adding a little shading!”
“I-is that so?”
“Of course! You’re the best groom I’ve worked with recently! You must have been up since dawn, but you don’t have any puffiness at all!”
Hakyung’s butt would wiggle with excitement even at empty compliments, so compliments based on facts were, needless to say, even better.
“And your pink hair color really suits you. You look like an idol.”
“Oh, an idol…?”
Hakyung blinked his eyelids shyly and squirmed.
His mood, which had sunken when compared to Muheon, now floated high in the sky.
Muheon chuckled softly at Hakyung’s rapidly changing mood, like a pancake being flipped.
No matter what, Kang Hakyung was still a child at heart.
The rather challenging makeup and dressing were finally done.
Just when he thought he could catch his breath, Hwang Young and Hwang Lin were waiting.
“This way, hurry up and try it on. We need to check if it fits well!”
Hwang Young impatiently grabbed Hakyung’s hand and put a ring on him without explanation, saying time was short.
After confirming it fit roughly well without any awkwardness, she did the same for Muheon’s hand, giving it a quick look.
Hwang Lin, standing nearby, apologized repeatedly for his meddling.
With multiple voices flying at once and everything happening in the blink of an eye, Hakyung didn’t even have time to see how the gems were added to the rings.
“We’ll give these to you when you have the ceremony.”
This was because a hotel staff member, who had appeared out of nowhere, collected the rings with a kind smile.
The next step for Hakyung, who had his ring taken away so anticlimactically, was greeting the guests.
Even though it was a wedding attended only by company brothers and family, the cameras live-streaming the event had been following their every move since earlier.
The equipment was so professional that it felt quite embarrassing.
“Hakyung-ah!”
“Grandma!”
Just as he was smiling awkwardly, unable to look directly at the cameras, his grandmother and younger siblings called out to Hakyung from a distance, waving their hands.
Hakyung and Muheon immediately went to them and hugged them.
Everyone was dressed so stylishly for the eldest’s wedding, making it clear that this was a “river dolphin” family event.
His grandmother, seeing Hakyung without his hat, didn’t spare any praise, saying, “Oh, my dear child, so pretty, so pretty!”
His siblings also gave Hakyung thumbs-up, complimenting him.
Hakyung, among his “river dolphin” family, looked like the happiest person in the world.
Naturally, they also showered Muheon with effusive praise, perhaps even more than they had given Hakyung.
Muheon smiled awkwardly beside Hakyung and bowed in greeting.
He had the expression of a newlywed groom.
“Now that you’re having the ceremony, live well, okay?”
“Yes, I will.”
“Oh my, he’s truly handsome! I don’t know whose husband he is, but still!”
Hakyung’s grandmother, wearing a brooch Muheon had given her on her hat, smiled brightly.
At her smile, Hakyung and his siblings also laughed and looked at Muheon.
Muheon had wanted to express his gratitude and promises in a grander way, but his lack of eloquence made it quite difficult at moments like these.
However, his grandmother understood Muheon completely.
Her own husband, Hakyung’s grandfather, had also been taciturn and a man of few words, yet trustworthy.
She had learned early on that it was better for him to act silently rather than speak.
“Alright, alright, you’re busy, go on. They said we can go that way, didn’t they? And Hakyung, be careful not to bump your head!”
“Yeah. Grandma, there’s a lot of food in the hall. Please sit down and eat. Make sure Grandma is well taken care of, okay?”
Hakyung’s siblings, answering loudly to his earnest request, entered the hall with excited expressions.
Seeing the backs of his family at his wedding made his nose tingle and his heart swell.
Sniff, Hakyung gave a small sniff. Muheon, standing beside him, wrapped his arm around Hakyung’s shoulder.
Hakyung leaned on his broad shoulder and sniffled, “It’s just because I’m so happy.”
Muheon looked down at Hakyung with a surprised expression at his tearful voice.
“It hasn’t even started yet, and you’re already crying…?”
“You really don’t have an ounce of sensitivity, do you?”
“No, I’m not criticizing, I’m just curious…”
“Never mind.”
Hakyung removed his head from Muheon’s shoulder and walked ahead.
Muheon, with a puzzled expression, trotted after the little river dolphin.
***
Despite the lavishly decorated venue, the guest list was incredibly sparse, almost empty.
The staff managing the ceremony had never seen such a extravagant wedding.
This hall typically hosted large weddings with over 500 guests.
But to have fewer than 50 guests, let alone 500…
They couldn’t fathom how the wedding costs would be covered.
Rumor had it that the couple were acquaintances of the hotel owner, but even so, this was excessive.
And so, their wedding, attracting the full curiosity of the staff, began.
Rather than making it complicated, they decided to simply exchange rings and then make their wedding vows.
Despite already being a married couple, perhaps due to the special nature of the wedding, both Hakyung and Muheon looked incredibly nervous.
They put rings on each other’s hands and met each other’s gaze.
They were deeply moved seeing their own reflections in each other’s eyes.
They stared quietly, as if entranced, and occasionally, muffled sobs could be heard from among the guests.
These were the sounds made by the sea shapeshifters, moved by Muheon’s wedding.
Conversely, Hakyung’s family, the “river dolphins,” were continuously smiling broadly, shouting “Kiss!” and whistling.
Thanks to them, the atmosphere lightened considerably.
With just the wedding vows, the ceremony, simple despite its lavishness, would be over.
And then, a sweet melody filled the wedding hall.
Everyone looked bewildered, glancing around, when Hakyung, holding a microphone from who-knew-where, tightly grasped Muheon’s hand and began to sing.
Hakyung’s lips curved into a wide smile as he met Muheon’s gaze, which was solely fixed on him.
It was a serenade of love for his other half.