Chapter 11

Jiyoon rummaged through her bag, taking out the previous day’s books and re-filling it with the books needed for the day. As she took out her school diary to check the subjects she had, the guidebook the teacher had handed out for the school trip slipped out and landed on her desk. She picked it up, flicking through it briefly before closing it and remembering that she needed to tell Luhan about the trip.

The ring on her left hand winked in the light and she stared at it, wondering if he was going too fast. Only a few weeks before she had rejected vehemently against the arranged marriage, but after a few dates and the constant affection he literally threw in her face, Jiyoon was already warming to his continuous presence in her life. Though currently, she was still a little doubtful of whether this was genuine and not just some dream, even if it has been a week since the ring was pushed onto her finger.

She picked up her smart phone and quickly went through her Tumblr dashboard, checking and reblogging some of the new EXO fan taken pictures. Jiyoon wondered if Luhan ever searched up his own name and stifled a laugh, he probably has, she thought and rolled her eyes.

With her bag filled with everything she needed, Jiyoon put on her glasses and headed downstairs for breakfast, her bag hung over one shoulder. She could hear her parents’ voice floating up the stairs, snatches of sentences reaching her ears. “Oh! You didn’t… when?” Her mother’s girly squeal, “Last week,” Luhan replied, humouring her mother (probably with an unnecessarily wide grin too), “…It’ll be after she graduates…” her father’s gruff voice.

“Yah, you’re all talking about me behind my back aren’t you!” Jiyoon said loudly as she walked into the room. “STILL!”

“Who are you going ‘Yah!’ at young lady?” her mother scolded.

“Whatever. So what were you all talking about behind my back? Hmm?” Jiyoon said, crossing her arms and staring pointedly at Luhan. “Hmm, I wonder what it was. It isn’t about the ring on my left hand is it? Or the possible future wedding my mother wants to plan?”

Her family laughed except her brother, who as too busy eating his cereal and playing on his 3DS. Mrs Park came over to her daughter and hugged her tight, whispering in a quivery voice, “Oh, you’re already engaged properly now. My beautiful, beautiful daughter.” A few tears leaked from her eyes and Mrs Park quickly wiped them with her sleeve, sniffling and on the verge of a full-blown outburst of tears. Jiyoon was so used to this for the past week that she was starting to feel a little annoyed and more than put off with her mother’s constant tear-stained face. How has she not run out of tears yet?

Jiyoon stepped back as her mother let her go and quickly checked her clothes for any tear stains. She sat in the only available spot at the table, next to Luhan, and ate her breakfast quickly while glancing at the clock for the time. Every now and then, she would push her glasses back up her nose or scratch at her head as she thought.

Luhan watched her butter the toast, add jam and then proceed to cram it into as quickly as possible. Jiyoon turned to face him, asking a plain, “What?” feeling Luhan’s constant gaze on her face. He pulled out a tissue from its box on the table and wiped off the jam at the corner of her lips. “Ah, thanks,” she said, back to eating even more quickly than before as pink tinged her cheeks. He chuckled and leaned back in the chair, taking a sip of water from his mug.

“Ah-choo!” Jiyoon sneezed loudly, covering and squeezing closed her eyes before she blinked, slowly recovering. “Excuse me…” She muttered sheepishly and finished off the rest of her breakfast. With a clean plate and emptied cup, she wiped and pushed the plate forward, indicating that she was done. She cleared catching the attention of Luhan and her parents. “I have a school trip in about a fortnight,” she stated simply.

“What?” Mr Park frowned, “Have we paid for it yet?”

“Yeah. It was in the school fees.”

“Oh! Then we need to buy your necessities and such for the trip! How long is it? Do you have a list of what you need?” Her mother rambled, smiling delightedly - another excuse for her to go shopping.

“It’s a week long and yes, I have a list.”

“Is it a camping trip?”

“No, appa. We’re living on the ground,” Jiyoon said sarcastically, “No, we’re staying in motels or hotels. Most likely in hotels.”

“Where is it exactly that you’re going?”

“Gyeongju. It’s a historical learning experience,” she answered and wrinkled her nose. Hi