Eunjung observes her mother quietly reprimanding her father, about a can of coke he ordered as she sips her cup of tea, with much dread. She had met up with them only twenty minutes earlier before Jiyeon and her mother would arrive. She had received a text from her best friend about how they’re currently on their way and briefly mentioning about her ears being sore after getting a good twisting from Mrs. Park’s perfectly manicured nails.

Whatever happened, she truly didn’t know the details yet because she too hoped she’d only get a good ear twisting action from her own mother.

But then again, that would be pretty hopeless of her to expect only that as a reaction. She knew her mother would go ballistic and borderline cruel. It was just instinct, especially knowing that Eunyoung Ham despised, in every sorts and forms, homouality. She more than frowned to it and knew she was capable of insulting them. It was pretty ironic that her own mother curses her daughter’s ‘kind’.

And it’s pretty weird enough of her to say she even has a ‘kind’ as if she belonged to a different species altogether. Where was the equality of everything when she needed it anyway? Maybe it could help her enlighten her mother about what was to come or something?

“You can’t drink any more soda. You can’t have too much of everything, jagiya. Look what’s happening to Jihoon, he’s at the hospital again and Sooyeon told me he won’t be out for a few days. I can’t bear it if you’re on a hospital bed too. We’re old now,” she hears her mother reprimand her father who simply reads the menu with his reading glasses, completely ignoring her.

“Your stomach too, it’s bigger than before. It feels like you ingested a balloon and all the gas blew it up. I told you to come with me for a morning walk, at least get some exercise,” her mother drawls on and on even more.

How her father’s able to live with his wife nagging, she didn’t really know. Seeing him feign ignorance amused her greatly, and she would even laugh and joke around with her father about it if she wasn’t stuck in the situation to come, hiding behind her own menu, just waiting for the right opportunity.

Her eyes dart from her father to her mother, just waiting…patiently waiting.

Zzzzz Zzzzz Zzzzz

Eunjung glances back to her vibrating phone, placing her menu on the table, as she hears her mother proceed to a speech of diabetes and heart attacks along the lines of her having sinned again for taking too much of what’s given by God. She drowns out her mother’s voice like her father, maybe she had taken after him with that, besides who wanted to listen to deaths at a time like this? She didn’t need any more frightening facts other than the fact her mother might really kill her!

Jiyeonieee~

Probably 30 mins. Stuck in traffic. Yeah mom spoke to my

Ob-gyn. All the luck to you Jungie! Go tell your mom and

Have my baby!

Eunjung chuckles softly at the text, knowing exactly what she’s gotten into now. She was really already prepared for it. Heck, she had days to even think about it if Jiyeon’s mother would prevent them from marrying. She knew what the Parks’, or more like the ‘Lee’s’, problem was from the beginning of time since she started learning where babies came from and what the heck was going on down there where the sun doesn’t shine. She didn’t need Jiyeon to tell her details.

She’d always known.

It was clear as daylight that her best friend would have trouble reproducing and it must be quite the heartbreak despite Jiyeon’s jokes. Jiyeon doesn’t really talk about it anyway. It must be why after her first boyfriend, first girlfriend, second boyfriend, second and third girlfriend, and several co-ed flings, Jiyeon simply refuses to date men other than her obvious preference. She could have had boyfriends along with girlfriends if she wanted.

She frowns at that thought. This is probably one of the reasons why Jiyeon would easily marry her because if there was any one of the two of them to deny this crazy arrangement, it would be Jiyeon. Jiyeon would have preferred to be swept off her feet, married in a grand palace like a princess and live happily ever after and have lots of children.

Eunjung didn’t feel any better just thinking of how they’re gonna be marrying each other and how she never really tried harder than this. She could have at least made Jiyeon wear a white dress.

Jiyeon wouldn’t even be wearing a dress now, I’m such a fail, she thought while sighing glumly.

She looks up to see her mother instructing the poor waiter on how the salmon should be cooked, and then checks to see her father looking bored. She hadn’t missed much but it was almost time to get the plan into action.

Ignoring the sadder thoughts at the situation at hand, Eunjung hurriedly types her playful reply with a smile to at least humor her best friend and kill the remaining time.

                                    Eunjung

My uterus is for your happiness princess ;)

                                                I’M ALL YOURS!

Jiyeonieee~

Ew did you just call me princess?!! SHUT UP!

                                    Eunjung

Love you too :-*

Jiyeonieee~

Yeah yeah, fine, love you.

Eunjung chuckles at their short exchange. She and Jiyeon never really say they love each other, it was just on random playful conversations, and usually it was sarcastic like now. It was amusing to her, really. There wasn’t a need to say it before but now she knew it needed to change.

She could actually list a lot of reasons why marrying her best friend is the best choice and why she’s doing the right thing. And she could even list more reasons as to why marrying her best friend Jiyeon, to be more specific, is the best thing she’s ever going to do this year. It must be why she wasn’t that phased by their up and coming problems with regards to this marriage…

But who was she kidding?

She’ll probably be stressed and pressured by the time they’d have to adjust and break the news to people. What more, if they have to fall in love? This is something she can never let slip away. She can’t screw it up.

Though she can find this situation a bit amusing, now that she really thinks about it? It’s pretty strange how she and Jiyeon seem to be forcing everything to happen. It’s even more amusing how their lives are changing just because they’re going to marry in a few hours. What would really happen once they truly married?!

Whatever, I’ll just have fun with the marriage thing once the revelations are over.

She chuckles once more, only to look up to see her mother eyeing her and her phone.

Her messages…

‘I love you’…

.

She totally didn’t notice how the room turned quiet. Even her father seemed wary, looking between his wife and his daughter, as if something was about to happen. He had a very good vantage point, especially when she and her mother were sitting beside each other before him. But he pretty much looked clueless as to why exactly her mother looked very murderous.

Perfect, just perfect, Eunjung thinks sarcastically as she quickly hides her phone.

If she managed to convince and ease her mother’s doubts before, then this would be just the perfect thing for all the doubt to come back.

“What was that about?” Her mother asks with obvious suspicions in her tone, with her eyes glancing at the now-hidden phone.

Eunjung gulps. This wasn’t what they planned to do…

“Mom,” Eunjung says softly, observing how her mother adjusts herself on her seat to face her.

This is bad!

“Don’t tell me it’s not what I think, because that was quite affectionate of the two of you,” Eunyoung says sternly, placing her cup of tea on the table. “Saying you love each other and all…”

“Don’t you ladies do that with your best friend,” her father quickly says, immediately putting the pieces together, sipping on his can of coke. But his eyes…his eyes seemed to be asking her questions she couldn’t say yet. Eunjung knew what that gaze meant and it was a bit helpful to calm her already growing nerves. It was as if he knew along and was defending her.

“I…yeah,” Eunjung mutters unconvincingly.

It was more ‘unconvincing’ how she turns away from her parents’ gazes and she knew that instant that her mother saw how she was lying. It was the biggest mistake she ever unconsciously made because Eunyoung tensed on her seat, completely unmoving as her eyes widened in disbelief.

“Eunjung,” her mother gasps.

“Mom, it doesn’t mean anything,” she quickly says…but it was too quick, too loud and too defensive.

Damn it!

“Yeobo, I think its best you listen to your daughter,” Jungmin says eyeing Eunjung as if he was warning her.

But Eunjung didn’t need any warning as Eunyoung looked too enraged like a bull charging at her. And it didn’t help how she had turned red and as if she was growing horns!

“Then tell me what it means,” Eunyoung says between gritted teeth, her eyes turning to slits in a glare.

“I…Mom…I-I can…”

“It’s nothing. Don’t read too much into whatever Eunjung does. She’s an adult, for goodness sake,” Jungmin quickly says, his quiet annoyance now slipping out of his defenses as he observes how his daughter struggle for words in obvious panic.

Eunjung wanted to cry. Her father may have known in his own way even if she didn’t say anything but she felt so happy just seeing him ready to fight for her. Jungmin was exactly like a pillar she needed at a time like this.

But it was unfair. Here she was, about to lie once again. Just how many lies is she capable of saying before she needs to put a stop to it? Just how many times would her father fight his own wife just for her to lie again?

She needed to stop now before everything gets out of hand. This is why she was in that restaurant in the first place. It was the very reason why she even decided to marry Jiyeon. She wanted peace, she wanted freedom, and she wanted to be happy…

Just how the hell would she make all those happen if she herself can’t even own up to her lies?

“It’s okay,” Eunjung whispers.

Jungmin seemed to hold his breath as he heard her say it. It was as if he feared for her and it was enough for Eunjung to push through. She didn’t need her father to fight his wife, her mother, for her. She didn’t need to lie to her mother anymore. She didn’t need to run away…

It’s time.

“I invited you two here for a reason,” Eunjung says softly standing up, to push her seat aside. “I have lied a lot…”

It was as if she had truly done something so horrible. It was as if she had killed someone as she stood before her parents and maybe before God, whoever He is her mother praises too much. But she couldn’t take it anymore. She couldn’t pretend any longer.

Even before her parents could figure out why she had stood, Eunjung bows.

She had never bowed to anyone as deep as she had bowed now. Her bows before were mere nods. But this was something else. This was a bow out of respect and for forgiveness…whatever she needs to be forgiven for but she felt she needed to bow.

“I’m sorry…but…I’m getting married,” Eunjung announced.

“What do you mean? That’s great!” Her mother gasps in shock. “You’re getting married so why are you—”

“I’m getting married to Jiyeon,” Eunjung completes and before her mother could get a breather, she says, “I’m sorry. But yes, I’ve lied all along because all this time, I’m gay.”

The room was quiet despite the noise of a chair dragging across the floor. She could hear her father’s can of coke dropping but she couldn’t hear anything from her mother.

She was brave, she was strong but it had taken her to get what she has because the guts she has now had to be dug up from ground up and built up for all the years. She had always known she’s gay. There was no doubt about that. But she couldn’t express it.

Freedom may have been one of their family’s principles but since she was a child she didn’t feel free. She never was. She had only made up for it by doing whatever the hell she wants. And freedom had to be paid the hard way for her… And this only, somehow, angered her.

Because for more than twenty years did she pay to have it!

She shouldn’t even bow! To hell with it, she thought as she stands bravely only to see her mother before her with tear-stained yet furious eyes and before she knew it, her vision blurred.

A rush of heat flooded to her cheeks, her face turned to the side in an angle that it made the other occupant of the room wince. Eunjung was taken aback, in complete disbelief.

Jungmin was about to stand to defend his daughter but Eunjung had already looked up; her eyes gathering tears as they closed in accusingly on the one person she thought wouldn’t hurt her.

Her own mother…<