‘You are insane!’ she yelled and I thank myself for choosing the secluded corner. Tiffany pulled her back down onto her chair. I am confused. Was she not the one who told me to get a consultant? My puzzlement must have shown as she continues, ‘she is student. No matter how intelligent, this setting is ridiculous.’

I look at the flames and then at the oddly silent one. It was as if this was a play about role reversal. Sometimes God’s creation does not yield to scientific research without great effort and our results are not always what we would like or predict. As I viewed the two in front, I understood the flaws of human beings being unpredictable.

‘I’m voting no to this. It is ridiculous.’ She says in anger. ‘It is ridiculous because it isn’t widely perceived by the majority as legitimate. We are not the uneducated speaking. We are taught professionals in human behavior. We understand that mistranslations of our science with regards to social intangibles are ever present. This set-up that I’m suggesting is ridiculous only because it is an outlier in your perception. I can help her. She will help me. I lack logic in that department. She only sees logic. It is somewhat a simple barter trade between two individuals.’ I explained.

I seek the swing vote of the bride to be. My competitor already having pleading eyes directed. The beauty of odd numbers, there will always be a majority. She remains quiet, pondering and evaluating both our lengthy arguments. Frankly, I didn’t catch a single syllabus that Sunny had been spewing. She is perfectly fine to her opinion. On the other hand, I’m perfectly fine in blocking out all that I deemed as bull.

She exhale, it is time for the gavel to hit. Fany takes my hand, ‘how much of this has to deal with my wedding?’ She asks. ‘What?’ I was taken aback. I couldn’t see the correlation. Is the bride to be too clouded by her approaching white veil? ‘This wedding that I am having, at what percentage is it disrupting your inner being. Answer honestly.’ She speaks with such precision and clarity that cause a shiver to skitter down. ‘I’m fine.’ I told her. Within, I could feel my defensive mechanism being gathered.

Fany looks at me with those lovely eyes. After a mere tenth of a second, I had to face away. The feeling of being exposed isn’t exactly a thrill ride. ‘Sunny ah. I will oversee it. I may be on leave now but I’m still an active lecturer.’ In that instance, I turn back to see sunny’s jaw dangling down. ‘She may be a student but Taetae will never listen to someone she had perceived to be her equal. If there is something about her that Taetae trust in her then fine.’

Almost immediately that Sunny’s lips had moved to form her first vowel, the fried chicken was forcefully stuffed into . Actions done with a beaming smile of course. Then, she faces me. ‘Taetae, I’m not going to change anything about my wedding. I’m going to be that selfish bride from hell. I’m going to force you to get through all of it. Hopefully after I embark on this new stage of life, you would have opened a new door too. So equip yourself with whatever, you will see that there is no illusion greater than fear and nothing more crippling than living in memories.’ The weight of sincerity, the spirit of challenges, the determination that resides in her, honestly, I couldn’t comprehend. ‘Now drink!’ she exclaims with excitement. Like a command, I drank the bottle down in one shot.

The rest of that gathering I can't recall. All that was left in the morning was the worse hangover and Father's disapproving eyes for breakfast. Taking the bowl of specially made Haejangguk, I drank it down in one shot. As I was wearing my oxfords, Father says loudly, 'Bottom's up to alcohol's splendid work. Be safe.'