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67.  IN THE PLANE (BYONG’S WEDDING - 4)

 We made a conscious decision to keep Puppy away from his relatives for the duration of the wedding. To this effect, Puppy was pushed into taking care of our political guests with Siwon and DongHae. Thankfully, the three of them had the foresight to personally invite those politicos who were actively lobbying for legalizing same-gender marriage in the country.

When it was confirmed that the Prime Minister would attend the wedding, there was increased pressure on us to extend the invitation to many other politicians who had the presence of mind to keep silent about their anti-gay sentiments for the duration of the wedding, though a few had pointed out in media that they were attending it to confirm how erse and hedonistic our lifestyle was.

Kibum and Heechul had cackled with unconcealed laughter for days on reading the news. Sehun had wondered what erted hedonistic act we’d do during a week on the island. Jaejoong had suggested a soccer match in the buff, but retracted it when Junsu and Byong sat on him. I silently thanked the invisible gods above that our family decided on just being their rambunctious selves.

Puppy had grumbled about the invitations to such politicians. But abeoji, Heechul’s father, and his political friendships were kept in mind when accepting the names he wished to invite. According to abeoji, the wedding was the perfect time to show the world that same-gender families lived normally too. His second logic was more effective. We all agreed that abeoji had all the rights to invite anyone he wanted to his only granddaughter’s wedding.

In the flight, we had made arrangements for snacks and drinks of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic variety to be served to all our guests, based on their age and preference. Though the flight was short, by the end of it, there were loud guffaws from the front of the plane and equally loud squeals from the back from the kids and youngsters. The other guests’ chatter was no less in volume.

Eunha did not leave Minho’s side for most of the flight, simply because Amber’s twins refused to leave her arms. It was quickly decided to move her into kid-care with Minho and Uncle, and her responsibilities were taken up by Jeysee and Yesung.

Minx nudged Eunha and stage whispered, “Unnie, are we going to see a double wedding?” When Eunha looked puzzled, Minx grinned and winked at her and pointed towards Minho with her eyes, “The two of you make a cute couple, in my opinion.” Eunha’s mouth gaped in surprise and she shook her head vociferously to deny Minx’s suggestion.

Jae-Mizui, who had overheard the two, pouted and looked longingly at Minho, “Minx unnie don’t say that. I have my eyes set on him for a holiday romp in Jeju.”

Minx scrunched up her eyes distastefully and advised the young girl, “He is too old for you. Set your eyes at Kiwoo oppa. You can even continue your romp with him beyond the holidays as you both live in the same city.”

Jae-Mizui moved her eyes from Minho to Sehun’s older brother, Kiwoo, and back again. She tilted her head to one side and looked at Eunha who was looking relieved at the mention of the young student’s interest in Minho. Finally, she looked at Minho longingly and slowly smiled deviously while speaking to Minx, “He is too old for me, but you consider him good enough for Eunha unnie? Have you seen his body? I bet he is hiding a good set of abs if his muscled arms are anything to go by. I start drooling every time I look at him.”

Suzy joined their discussion with a whisper of her own, “Move aside both of you, I want him for the week. Since I can’t have these married men I work for or their husbands, Minho-ssi is the man on my list. This week will be perfect to find out if he is good husband material or not. After all, I am not getting any younger.”

Eunha looked at Suzy and Jae-Mizui, and then at Minho who was feeding Taeyong a sandwich while making sure that Irene and Jungkook did not spill the juice on their clothes.

The three of them stared at him with very different expressions on their faces. Jae-Mizui looked at him as if he was her favorite kind of chocolate. Suzy’s eyes held appraisal as she observed his every moment and her mind analyzed it. Eunha’s face softened and she smiled as Minho took a bite from Taeyong’s sandwich when the little boy pressed it to his lips. It was well-known to everyone in our circle that Minho did not like eating bread.

Eunha sighed and said to Suzy and Jae-Mizui flanking her, “Jae-Mizui, he is too lonely for you to have a few days’ affair and leave. It will be unfair to use him to satisfy your brief desires. Let Suzy have him.” She then beamed at her colleague, “Promise you will take care of him and give him lots of children to dote over. He deserves nothing less, Suzy.”

“If he was so deserving, he wouldn’t be Jinki-ssi’s ex,” Suzy muttered watching Minho with the same keenly observant eyes.

“People can change. If appa and ummappa have made him a part of our family again, then that’s good enough for me. It’s like the best character certificate that any person can get,” Minx stared at Minho as she pointed out Puppy’s efforts in including him into our family. “I didn’t want Minho appa back in our lives. But appa thinks he has changed and deserves to be with us. I trust appa. You can judge him any way you want.”

Minx caught Jae-Mizui’s arm and pulled her, “Come, I will make you sit next to Kiwoo oppa. You will find him much more interesting.”

“I have met him at your house, unnie. He hardly spoke two words to me,” Jae-Mizui whined when Minx appeared adamant on steering her away from the older man.

“He is shy. Sehun and I think he is still a . That would be more fun for you - teaching him how to enjoy ,” Minx was undeterred in her mission to keep her young charge away from Minho and at the same time find a good way to bring her brother-in-law out of his shell. “Who knows you might become a permanent part of our family.”

“I am not interested in s. And I have absolutely no plans to marry before I am thirty. So stop your crazy schemes. Jinri warned me about you,” Jae-Mizui hissed at Minx, digging in her heels and refusing to move.

“We did not say he is one. We just think he might be. For your information, our family members seem to have a tradition for being devoted to one and only one person in their life. You won’t find a better life partner Jae-Mizui,” Minx lectured the younger girl. “Think hard before making your decision. Kiwoo oppa is a wonderful person and you can work around a reserved personality. Do you really want a playboy in your life?”

I tried to control my laughter on hearing my match-making daughter. I waited in silent patience for the four women to notice me and clear the aisle for me to reach my destination, which was the aircraft’s pantry at the back. Minx was right, Eunha seemed better suited to Minho than Suzy or Jae-Mizui. Eunha was soft-hearted but could be a tough task master when the need arose. She was exactly the kind of woman to keep Minho from walking all over her and still give him the love and companionship he needed.

It was going to be an extremely interesting week, apart from the wedding. I wondered if Minx would be successful in setting up Kiwoo and Jae-Mizui. Would Eunha be too generous and give way to Suzy where Minho was concerned? That was a triangle in progress. Junsu and Yoochun were rooming together. Jaejoong would share a room with Jung brothers. God only could save Yunho and Changmin from my havoc-wrecking nephew.

I looked at Yoochun and Yunho sitting together holding hands and talking. Junsu was sitting on Yoochun’s left, lost in his own thoughts. Jaejoong, who was sitting behind the three, kept poking Junsu and urging him to talk to Yoochun but Junsu ignored all of it. He looked at the source of his dreams and smiled in satisfaction. Joongie pouted and gave up on his older brother. He turned to Changmin sitting next to him and poked his cheek. The two began squabbling.

“Call me hyung, I am older to you,” Joongie insisted to Changmin, poking him in the cheek again.

“You are nothing but a short squirt. I think pygmy suits you better,” Changmin laughed when Joongie pouted at his teasing.

“Just because you are tall for your age does not mean you can make fun of your elders. I am still a growing boy,” Joongie poked Changmin’s cheek once more, hard enough to leave a red spot behind.

“Even when fully grown you will still remain a teeny-weeny, itsy-bitsy pygmy,” Changmin turned his head and bit Jaejoong’s fingertip when the older boy tried to poke his cheek again.

“Ouch! You ever-hungry piranha, stop chewing my finger,” Joongie pushed Changmin and then checked his short, chubby finger for damage.

Changmin also looked at Jaejoong’s hand and grinned, “See, even your hands are small. Look how much bigger my hand is compared to yours. I think it should be you who calls me hyung.”

“Absolutely not! There is no way in hell I will call you by that honorific,” Joongie pushed the younger boy again. Changmin pushed back this time and Joongie fell out of his seat into the aisle. He got up and sat down to push the younger boy once more, “You are such a meanie and ugly on top of it.”

“I prefer ugly to looking like a girl. Are you sure you have a weenie? It could explain why you are so tiny. You are a girl. I will call you noona,” Changmin winked at Joongie and leered, “Oh noona, you are so y!”

“You ert. I will get my room changed. You Jung brothers will molest me at this rate,” Joongie was scandalized at Changmin’s words, his face turning red in embarrassment.

Changmin laughed wildly, “Are you scared that we will find out that you are actually a girl?”

“Me? Scared of a ert like you? No way. Just wait and I will show you that I am a man,” Joongie caught hold of Changmin’s ear and twisted it. “Call me hyung,” Joongie demanded.

Changmin tried to wait it out but Joongie kept twisting the ear till it turned bright red and tears sprang in the younger boy’s eyes, “Hyung.”

Changmin’s whispered honorific brought a satisfied smile to Joongie’s face and he gave one more extra turn to the ear between his fingers before letting go. Joongie then sat back in his seat glowing with happiness. He had triumphed in the battle of wills with Changmin.

I agreed with Changmin’s assessment. Joongie’s longish hair and bangs over his forehead made him prettier than many girls. Add to that his large doe-shaped eyes and the soft laughter which he shyly covered up with the back of his hand. I was no longer certain if letting him sleep in the same room as the Jung brothers was a good idea, especially when the older one was interested in boys. But Joongie was not a puffball. His getting Changmin to call him hyung was evidence of his strong will and an even stronger desire to win.

I had to abandon my trip to the pantry as the seat belt signs lit up signaling our impending arrival at Jeju island. The aisles quickly cleared up as everyone sat down in their seats and buckled in. From the back seats were loud screams of the soon-to-be bride and groom’s friends teasing them.

“Jinjong the countdown begins. You will finally get some action.”

“Jinri don’t give in easily. Make him work hard all night long.”

“Don’t worry girls, our Jinjong has great stamina. He’d have Jinri begging him to stop.”

“First, it will be him begging Jinri to let him begin. Jinri, be strong and resist.”

When Siwon couldn’t take it anymore, he stood up from his seat near the front of the plane and roared towards the back, “Pipe it down kids or I am sending you right back to Daegu with the plane. Remember, that’s my little girl you are yapping about.”

Impudent Byong laughingly challenged Siwon, “Simba appa, she is going to be Kim Jinri in a few days.”

“Till then she is Choi Jinri. Be careful Byongie or I will turn you into Choi Jinjong.” Siwon roared right back making the rest of us laugh.

“We can be both appa. How does Kimchoi or Choikim sound to you?” Byong, the diplomat, knew well how to pacify his agitated father-in-law.

“Appa, I prefer Kim Jinri. I have even practiced my new signature. Don’t put ideas in this moron’s head. Stop roaring and sit down. Fine time you have chosen to live up to your nickname,” Duckie’s loving directive to her father was greeted with hoots from the rows where our family was sitting.

“Sweetheart, the name is not important. What will not change is that by the time we fly back, we will be husband and wife,” Byong stage whispered to Duckie.

“That sounds so beautiful, moron. You have a wonderful way of reminding me why I love you so much,” Duckie’s ecstatic voice carried itself to her father who finally sat down just as the wheels touched the tarmac.

As soon as the plane halted, the baggage handlers ran towards the door. I saw Sehun, Chan Yeol, Hyukkie, Jeysee and Yesung gather together with their digi-pads in their hands and confer. They’d need to change the room tags for Puppy’s relatives without anyone becoming wiser to it and get the entire load of luggage into the hotel and proper rooms before the guests entered their rooms.

To give them time, Taemin had planned to serve welcome drink and buffet food in the restaurant. As I watched Minho and Eunha attempt to keep the young kids in line while Uncle managed the older ones, I wondered how I could have thought that we would have any time to relax during the week.

“Jinx so many things can go wrong. I just hope no one gets drunk and drowns in the pool,” Heechul whispered to me as he passed me on his way out of the plane.

“By the time this week ends, I would be ready to that myself Cinder,” I said to Heechul’s retreating back.

Heechul looked back and grinned, “Together forever. Count me in.”

“You two are again planning something and keeping me out of it. I am always the last to know anything,” Kibum grumbled with a sweet pout as he heard Heechul.

I laughed softly and soothed his ruffled feathers, “We are planning on getting drunk and swimming, after the wedding is over.”

“I hope no one decides to drink and drown in the pool,” Kibum muttered and grimaced in worry.

Heechul and I began to laugh crazily. No wonder the three of us were business partners.