Today is a big day. Everyone in the house has been busy preparing for the teeth filling ceremony since dawn. According to the Balinese costum, every Balinese must have their teeth filing ceremony before they can get married. Well, symbolically, since this ceremony is a symbol of adulthood, but it can be held any time after their onset of puberty age according to the finances of the family, the latest age is when they died. It symbolized one’s coming of age, a transition from animal to human (represented by the filing of the sharp canines), and the control of the six human evil : kama (desire), lobha (greed), krodha (anger), mada (intoxication or being under the influence of stong emotions), moha (confusion), and matsarya (jealousy). When this ceremony has been done, it is said that one’s parents no longer owe them anything and they are free to explore the world and live their life. In the past, the Balinese people’s teeth really filed their teeth by using a small hammer and a carver, done by the highest priest in their community. But now, they only scraped a bit of six of their teeth that represent the six human evil (from the left canines all through the right one), and then held a fiest full of offerings and food. Seunghyun choose the latter. He was a religious man, but not enough to let himself experience the real pain of the teeth filing ceremony.

Only a couple of hours are left until Seunghyun had to get his teeth cut. He’s a nervous wreck, and he hasn’t seen Jiyong since the day before. Seunghyun sighed as he stood up from his seat to look out the window, trying to calm down his heart as much as he could. His eyes caught the sight of the calendar next to the window, and his eyes learned the numbers. Only two weeks left until his marriage. Until their marriage. With their own spouses. Is this how it’s gonna be? Is Jiyong really not going to fight for their love? For whatever beautiful memories they made those few days in Bali?  Is Bom the person he’s going to spend the rest of his lifetime with, for better or for worse?

“Hyun?”

Seunghyun’s mother’s voice pulled the man from his wandering thoughts. He turned to see his mother peeking through the door.

“Come in, Umma,” he approached his mother, opened the door for her. Her mother is already dressed in a Balinese kebaya, and she already had her hair and makeup done. “I’m nervous.”

Haneul smiled at her son’s confession. None of their family member had done this before, of course Seunghyun is nervous. He can only consult to Putu, or Ketut, or other trainers in their workshop, but no family members to share the story.

She sat on the edge of Seunghyun’s bed, smoothing down the cloth she brought with her on her lap. “Jiyong was supposed to help you with your outfit,” she paused, glancing at her son to see his reaction. When she realized Seunghyun’s figure tensed slightly at the mention of Jiyong, a small smile appeared on her beautiful feature. “But he hasn’t showed up. Daesung has been looking for him everywhere, Bom is still desperately trying to call him and Jiyoon cannot stop pacing in the kitchen.”

Seunghyun mirrored his mother’s smile, trying to picture the chaos Jiyong has created simply by not being there. “Today was supposed to be about me,” Seunghyun pretended to sulk, sitting beside Haneul who lifted the smallest piece of cloth and circled it on Seunghyun’s head.

“It is,” Haneul said, knowing well Seunghyun was not really angry. She can see that Seunghyun is worried too, his eyes are the most honest eyes Haneul had ever seen her whole life. “It still is.”

“He’s going to show up, right Umma?” there’s a slight shakiness in Seunghyun’s voice, but his mother heard it clearly. She smiled as she finished tying the knot of the piece on his head, then her hands moved to cup Seunghyun’s cheek. It was a simple question, yet holds a deep meaning. Haneul understood that. After the conversation with Jiyong the morning before, Haneul was sure that his son’s heart no longer belong to Bom. It was never Bom. It was Jiyong all along. But she herself does not dare to step across God’s plan. It’s in Seunghyun and Jiyong’s hand now.

“If the both of you are meant to be, there will be a way,” she whispered to her son, her thumb tracing the dimple on Seunghyun’s cheek.

Seunghyun isn’t even sure how her mother knew, he was a bit surprised himself. But then again, his mother can always see right through him. Knows stories he kept buried inside, knows secrets he tells no one about. It worried him sometimes, but if there’s anyone he was to share about his f