“Can’t you do it gently?” you reproach, rubbing the back of your head.

The hair dresser standing behind you mumbles an inaudible apology as she continues to tug your hair through the straightener.  You sigh and examine your freshly groomed nails.  They have been painted the most atrocious shade of pink after being chiseled at all morning. 

Since sun-up, you had been seated in this salon chair to have your hair fussed over, your hands primped, and your wardrobe selected for you.

“Be ready by noon,” Grandfather had reminded you.  “We are meeting at one o’clock,” he had said.  And what time was it now? 12:30.

“Please hurry up,” you prompt the hairdresser.

She nods languidly.

You really felt like giving up this time.  You didn’t have the strength to tell Grandfather that you didn’t want to be married.  You didn’t have the courage to tell him that all of these arranged dates were a joke, they were nonsense.  No matter how hard he tried, marrying you off to a stranger wasn’t something that should go his way.

“Oh, Yoon Hee?” you say as you answer your buzzing cell phone.  She doesn’t bother to greet you but instead babbles on something about a get-together with the new students a club called The Lucky. “Tonight? I don’t think I can come.”

“That’s right,” Yoon Hee replies regrettably.  “You have the date today, don’t you?  Do you know his name?”

“Grandfather said his name is Lee Jung Hyun,” you say, attempting to sound optimistic.

You hear Yoon Hee let out a surprised gasp.  “Lee Jung Hyun?  He sounds handsome already.”

“We’ll wait and see,” you laugh.  “Okay, see you tomorrow then.  Have fun.  Bye.”

You hang up with another disappointed exhale, desperately wishing you could be like your friends, dating and going out naturally, instead of living forcefully under the hand of a stern elder.

“There you go, miss.  You’re all finished,” the hairdresser says, brushing your hair around your shoulders.  “What do you think?”

You gazed at yourself in the mirror. 

We’ll wait and see.