I should have seen it coming. I mean, I expected that Ms. Oh would do something to embarrass the three of us in class but I never expected her to give us homework. And what’s worse is that this homework is for the whole class. I thought it’d only be the three of us who’d be receiving the punishment but letting the whole class suffer with us made the guilt unbearable. In the last three months I’ve been with her, I didn’t expect for her to unleash this kind of wrath upon us. The kind of wrath that makes you feel guilty for being tardy.

When Ms. Oh announced that we had to do a 5,000 word essay on the botanical works of Archibald Menzies, I nearly lost it. Jongdae seemed to handle the announcement well because the only reaction Ms. Oh got from him was an inaudible tsk. Sora groaned when she heard about the homework. She then followed that groan with a never-ending rant about how inconsiderate it was of her to give us homework on a Friday.

So now, because of our tardiness and Ms. Oh’s unwavering fist of justice, our whole class was expected to submit said homework by Monday.

“I can’t believe she gave us homework. On a freaking Friday. How am I supposed to finish that when I have a Lit paper to accomplish as well as more math homework?”

I watch as Sora runs both her hands through her blond hair. As of the moment, I’m having a video call with Sora and Jiyoung. While Sora looks as if she’s ready to burst any minute, Jiyoung looks completely calm with her short hair gelled slickly into place. I smile slightly at their contrasting appearances before giving myself a quick once over. I guess I can be considered as the ‘gray area’ because my hairstyle isn’t exactly the neatest like Jiyoung’s nor is it the messiest like Sora’s. My hair’s pulled up into a bun but during my stay here in the coffee shop, a few tendrils escaped from my tie’s grasp.

“That’s what you guys get for being late,” Jiyoung comments. She has her pet cat, Romeo, on her lap. She gently his ears and the action makes me want to my own cat. That is, if I had one.

“But she didn’t have to be such a about it.”

“Language, Sora,” I remind her. I don’t want the other people around me to complain about Sora and her rashness, even if I’m wearing earphones. Sometimes, she gets so loud that the people around me can hear what she’s saying. If I were at home, it’d be okay but I’m out in public which makes it a no-no.

I’m in a local coffee shop a few blocks away from my parents’ house. For some reason I never find it comfortable to stay in that house for long periods of time so I stay out instead. Also, I somehow find this place to be my solace whenever I’m stressed. I enjoy the sweet aroma of roasted coffee beans just as much as I enjoy the calming music being blared on the speakers. I know, cliché right? But it’s true.

 Due to my frequent visits, some of the baristas already know my name as well as my go-to drink—caramel macchiato, decaf.  Today seems to be a slow kind of business kind of day so there are only around five people in the place—minus the employees.

I twirl the cord of my earphones around my finger and listen to what Sora has to say. I’m guessing she’s going to rant some more about our homework and how it’s so unfair for everyone.

“It’s so unfair! I mean, why make everyone do paperwork when she can just pinpoint the people who were wrong and do justice to them instead.”

Jiyoung and I raise an eyebrow at this.

“So you mean you’re willing to take the bullet for everyone?” I ask slowly, gauging her reaction. She mulls over this for a few seconds before she answers with a clear and steady voice.

“What? Oh, hell no.”

Jiyoung chuckles while I roll my eyes.

“Then what’s the point of you saying that?”

Sora her lips and opens . No words come out. She huffs and leans on her bed’s headboard before shaking her head.

“You know what? Nevermind. Let’s just end it at ‘it’s unfair.’”

I take a sip from my drink while Jiyoung her cat some more. I can tell that Sora’s judging us by the way her eyes run from left to right. She lets out a loud sigh before cupping her cheeks with her own hands.

“God, why am I friends with you guys?”

“Because you love us,” Jiyoung responds.

“Because God says so,” I reply. She rolls her eyes at our responses before waving it off with her hand.

“Anyway,” she takes out her math textbook and flips to a page I’ve never seen before. “Do you guys know how to do this? Because I have no idea how to do this math homework. And it’s also due on Monday.”

“Wow, how many things do you need to pass on Monday?” Jiyoung asks, pure curiosity shining in her eyes. Sora scoffs and takes out her phone from her pocket. She scrolls over it before positioning the phone on her laptop’s camera. Jiyoung and I squint at the tiny text before letting out a sigh.

“I’m sorry that you have to go through all of that,” Jiyoung says, shaking her head in sympathy.

“I’m sorry that I made you lie about the baked goods,” I add, pretending to wipe a tear from my eye.

She groans and tosses her phone to the side.  She runs her hand through her hair again before grumbling.

“I’m so stressed out. I don’t even know where to begin.”

“Same,” Jiyoung mumbles. Sora snorts and points at the camera.

“Maybe you can start with stop your cat.”

“Your grammar sounded off,” I mutter.

“No one cares,” Sora replies.

Jiyoung sighs but obliges with Sora’s request. I chuckle at the two of them. Usually, Jiyoung’s the one who tells Sora what to and what not to do but when her cats are involved, she turns into a whole new person. Sometimes Sora gets into small fights with Jiyoung because of her slight obsession with cats but by the end of the day, I intervene between them and crack a joke before things get any worse. We make an odd trio but for some reason, we work. Our friendships works. I take another sip from my drink and smile softly at them.

“What about you, Dohyun? Any homework worth complaining about?” Jiyoung places Romeo at her side instead and adjusts the camera. “I’ve been hearing Sora complain non-stop about her day but I haven’t heard yours. Care to share?”

I shrug. “There’s nothing much to say.” I pause and think back to my conversation with my parents yesterday. I still remember the shocked look on their faces when I first told them of my decision. Then, I remember my mom’s disappointed look as if she can’t believe that I’m giving up. I bite my lip and urge myself to shake those thoughts away. I don’t think it’s something worth mentioning. Right?

Jiyoung looks at me skeptically. I can already tell that she’s not going to drop it that easily.

“Right but your face says otherwise. What happened?”

At this, Sora stops flipping through her math textbook and focuses her attention on me. Being under the spotlight of my two friends makes me feel self-conscious and a little afraid. I don’t know what their reactions will be if I tell them about my decision and I’m afraid that they’ll only look at me in disappointment as well. But, they’re my friends and they have the right to know.

I bite my lip and shrug. “It’s got something to do with my parents. And their job.”

The two of them look at me with curious eyes, practically telling me to continue. I take a deep breath before telling them the story.

I tell them my story slowly, careful as to not surprise them. I tell them about my ‘epiphany’ when I woke up that morning and how I came to realize that maybe, planning weddings isn’t my thing and it never will be. I watch as their faces morph into something of shock and then understanding. I fidget under their stares and rub my palms together, anticipating on what they’ll say.

“So let me get this straight,” My eyes look over to Sora’s window. “You basically told them that you don’t want to continue their wedding planning business.”

I nod. “Yeah. I don’t see the point of making me their heir—“

“Heiress,”

“—because most of the weddings I’ve planned . Or what I’ve planned so far that is. I usually just drop the project and give up.”

Jiyoung frowns as this. “Then why don’t you try continuing it? I mean, your parents gave you a client already so why not make the best out of it? That means they trust you.”

I bite my lip. How can they trust me when I don’t even trust myself? I take another sip from my coffee and fix my gaze somewhere else.

“It’s just; I can’t find it in me to continue it.” I don’t have to look back at the screen to see their sad faces. They’re probably frowning at me or shaking their head because here I am, being the pessimistic girl I always am.

“But you’re sure of this?” Jiyoung asks. I incline my head towards the screen, meeting her eyes. In the last minute, Sora scooted closer to the camera. Right now, her window is showing her face and its entirety. I bite my lip even harder to stifle my laughter. Jiyoung sees this and focuses her attention on Sora.

“Sora, step away from the camera.”

“But—“

“Now.”

Sora mumbles words of disagreement before moving away from her camera. Jiyoung rolls her eyes before bringing back her attention to me. I fidget some more under their gaze. I’m always uncomfortable when people stare at me but I’m even ten times more uncomfortable when they put me in the hot seat. I play around with cup of coffee before placing a finger on my answer.

“In all honesty,” I trail off and frown at myself. “I’m not sure.”

“You’re not?” Jiyoung says this softly; as if she scared that she’s going in the wrong direction. I don’t take her question personally though because it just shows that she’s trying to understand me. When other people ask this question, they give me this judgmental look saying why? It’s as if they expect a nineteen year old to know exactly what she wants four years from now and if she’s unsure about it, it means that she’s not taking the matter seriously.

I think over Jiyoung’s question for a moment before nodding my head. “Yeah. I just think that this career path isn’t for me you know? But at the same time, I’m not sure if I making the best decision for me.”

Jiyoung nods in understanding. I turn over to Sora who has a hand under her chin.

“Well whatever your decision is, I hope you’ll be happy with it.”

“Thanks, Sora.”

“How did your parents react to it? Seeing that their only daughter isn’t keen on becoming the next wedding planner?” Jiyoung presses. I give them a half-shrug.

“They’re not too happy about it. I actually think they’re disappointed in me.” My mind reels back to their faces and suddenly I want to go to a corner and think about what I’ve done. I’m pretty sure the one who’s most affected by my decision would be my mother. It took her twenty years to get the name Majica across the country and now that there’s no successor, she’s stressing as to how to keep that name in our family’s bloodline. I guess a person can say that Majica, her planning business, is her baby. She treasures it like it’s her own child.

“They’re not going to disown you, are they?”

I almost choke on my saliva. I immediately shake my head at Sora’s question. Jiyoung looks at Sora in surprise and disbelief.

“You did not just ask that question,” Jiyoung states. Sora scoffs before rolling her eyes.

“I’m curious okay?”

“Guys, I’m still here,” I sputter out. The two give me sheepish looks before settling down.

“Well,” I start. “I don’t they’d go that far. I think I still have a chance of belonging to the Im family so not to worry.”

“And you’re absolutely sure?”

“Yes Sora, I’m sure.” It’s true that my family’s more or less disappointed in me but I don’t think they’d kick out their only daughter from their lives. In order for that to happen, I have to ruin my family’s name first.

Sora sighs in relief as she puts a hand on her chest. “That’s good.”

I smile faintly. “I know.”

“So, do we still continue this conversation or move on?”

I focus my attention on Jiyoung’s window. Romeo’s on her lap again and she’s gently patting his head. I mumble words of agreement and Sora does the same. I guess the three of us find my dilemma a bit draining.

Jiyoung brings Romeo closer to the camera. “Guys, isn’t he cute?”

“This is your idea of change topic?” Sora bursts, eyeing the cat with displeasure. Jiyoung slowly brings down Romeo before glaring at Sora.

“Yes. It’s better than stressing over things, right Romeo?” She lifts one of his paws and uses it to wave at us. I giggle at the sight while Sora sighs.

“Speaking of stress, I still don’t know what to do with all the workload college dumped on me.”

“Maybe you can start with doing your math homework,” Jiyoung points out.

“Oh yeah, good point except for the fact that I don’t know how to do any of it!” Sora exclaims.

I glance at the store’s wall clock and scowl. I should probably start doing that Bio paper since it’s due on Monday. I turn my attention back to my friends who’re now discussing the formulas on how to solve Sora’s math problems.

“No, that’s not how it goes. God, no wonder you’re not getting it.”

“Not helping, Jiyoung.”

“Guys,” I cut between them. “I think I have to go now. I better start working on Ms. Oh’s paper.”

“Oh, sure.” Jiyoung picks Romeo up again and uses his paw to wave at me. “Good luck!”

Sora snorts. “Yeah, good ing luck doing that. Tell me if you didn’t die.”

I chuckle. “Sure thing. Bye guys.”

The both wave me adieu before I click on the ‘sign out’ button. Their windows disappear and I’m left with a reflection of my face. My face looks relaxed and calm even though inside waves are crashing. There’s a trace of a soft smile on my lips and I guess I have to thank my friends for uplifting my spirit for the day.

I exit the application I was using for the video call and then open MS Word. I take off my earphones and place them beside my laptop. Once they’re off, I’m met with the sounds of jazz and the small chatter of the people around me. I see the baristas hunching over the espresso machine, a look of concentration on their faces as they make the drink. A few customers have their laptops on, browsing through whatever it is on their computer screens. I lean back on my seat and make myself comfortable. I have a long day ahead of me and I’m going to spend that day writing this paper.

I start typing the introduction, the words flowing effortlessly from my fingertips. I squint at the screen, reading what I have so far before shaking my head. It lacks something, something I can’t quite put my finger on. My pointer hovers over my browser’s icon and I click on it. A new window appears and I type in the scientist’s name hoping to see some good results.

As I scroll through the search results, I hear a soft chime coming from the store’s entrance. My eyes flick over to the door and see a lady, around my height, stroll in. She has a red barrette holding her raven black hair in place. She’s clad in a light blue dress, a color so calming that I feel as if I’m in the middle of a beach relaxing. Her face is covered by a pair of shades that’s ten times too big on her. My eyes follow her stature all the way up to the counter before I shake my head and tear my gaze away from her. I continue scrolling through the results until I feel my phone buzz from my . I groan and hurriedly take it out, finding my phone yet another distraction for me to overcome. I really have to finish this paper and looking at people entering the shop and at my phone isn’t going to help me finish this on time.

I’m about to ignore the call and turn it off when I catch sight of the caller ID. Mom. My fingers freeze at the off button. It’s only been a day since my last conversation with her. When I got home yesterday, my parents were nowhere to be seen. I thought that they had some work-related things to do so I didn’t think much of it. I’m also quite thankful that they’re out of the house because then I didn’t have to worry about having an awkward dinner. Today, it seems as if the conversation will finally resume.

I gulp before placing my finger on the ‘accept’ button. I place the phone next to my ear and anticipate the words that might shake me.

“Hello?”

“Dohyun, where are you?”

Her voice sounds slightly panicked and a bit distressed. I immediately sit up straighter. “I’m in the coffee shop two blocks away. Why?”

My mom takes a deep breath before continuing. “I want you to come home now.”

“Mom,” her tone’s making me anxious. My grip on the phone tightens as I listen. “What’s wrong?”

“I’ll explain when you get here. But right now, I want you to come home this instant.”

“Mom?” The line drops dead and I’m left bewildered. I pull the phone away from my ear and stare at it incredulously. I don’t know why my mom needs me at home seeing that it’s a Saturday meaning I get to have a ‘day off.’ However, her voice clearly shows that she’s stressed out with whatever’s happening at home. I quickly close my laptop and shove it in my bag as well as all my other things. I sling it across my shoulders before making my way out of the shop.

I push through the shop’s door and I’m instantly met with the coldness. I shiver in the cold and wrap my coat closer to my body. Winter’s approaching and yet here I am, making do with a thin coat and even thinner clothing inside. I check my phone to see if I have any more messages. Seeing that there’s none, I tuck it inside my coat’s pocket and start walking home.

A chilly breeze rocks through my body and I shiver some more. I walk faster and focus on my steps. The faster I walk, the faster I’ll get home. I don’t want to stay out especially since it’s getting colder and colder. I’m never cut out for cold weather so when the winter season comes in, I’m like a prisoner locked up in jail. I feel my phone buzz again in my pocket and I take it out in a snap.

“Hello?”

“Dohyun! Where are you now?”

I frown this time. I wonder why my mom’s rushing me so much? I walk even faster and finally take a turn at the street.

“I’m one block away from home.” I contemplate on asking why she sounds so tense and decide to just go for it. “Why do you sound so stressed?”

I hear rustling in the background and my eyebrows furrow in confusion. “What was that?”

“That was your dad. He’s looking for our albums.”

“By albums you mean?”

“The event album yes. We have a VIP customer coming in today and I want you to come here as fast as you can.”

I bite back the next words that threaten to spill from my mouth. Why do they need me there? Didn’t I already tell them that I wanted no part in the business? I really want to say that but I have a feeling that right now isn’t the best time for it. For now, I’ll have to follow what she says. She’s already stressed as she is now and I don’t want to add more unwanted stress.

“Okay, I’ll be there in ten minutes tops,”

“Get here in five.”

And with that she drops the call once again while I stare at it, stunned. I purse my lips before shoving it inside my pocket. I jog down the street and pass by innocent bystanders, giving me a confused look as to why a girl like me is jogging with a bag as heavy as ten rocks. I pay no attention to them and focus on where I’m going. A black car passes me by, its exhaust clogging my nose. I cough and muster up the nastiest glare I can and direct it at the car. Can’t the driver see I’m jogging? That means I’m breathing in heaps of air and he decides to mess it up by making me inhale smoke instead. I cough some more and shake my head.

I jog faster until I reach the street where I live in. A few cars roll by and I ignore them. I fix my bag that’s now slung haphazardly around my body and observe my house. At the very least it still looks solid and intact. I walk over to my home while wiping away the sweat that formed on my forehead. Even though it’s a bit cold, my body still sweats like there’s no tomorrow.

My house finally comes into view and I slow down to a walk. I huff and puff as I observe the house, seeing if my mom’s anxiety is because of work and not because something happened disastrous happened to our home.  I check to see if its four walls are still intact and if the red roof still hangs securely over their heads. I scan our little garden and sigh in relief. At least my mom’s telling the truth. I glance at our driveway and my brows furrow in confusion?

I’m 100% sure that that is not our car.

My eyes widen and I break out into a sprint. I can feel my lungs burst inside me as I run towards our house. The cold breeze slaps my face sharply but I ignore the pain. I skid to a stop in front of our house, my breaths heavy and a bit erratic. I place a hand on my chest, feeling my heartbeat drum faster and faster. My eyes hover over the black car parked in our driveway and gulp. I stare at it longer, wondering why it looks so familiar. Shaking my head, I jog over to our front door and quickly unlock it with my keys.

I gnaw on my bottom lip before turning the knob and taking a step inside. I look around the living room and quickly shut the door behind me. I slowly walk towards my parents’ office. I can already hear some voices coming from the room and I start to wonder who could be these VIPs.

“Dohyun?” I swivel around to see my mother holding a tray of refreshments. She looks slightly frazzled and I wonder what could have happened to make her look this way. I’ve always known my mother to be the kind of person who’s always prepared. She knows exactly what she’s doing and so seeing her like this comes as a shock to me.

“Mom?”

She lets out a sigh of relief before handing me the tray. She hurriedly fixes her hair and glances at me. I give her a slight nod then she takes a deep breath.

“Your father and I have talked about your decision.”

“Y-you have?” I stutter. I grip the tray tighter, suddenly afraid of what she has to say.

“Yes. We’ve decided that we’re going to give you one last chance to prove yourself.”

I knit my brows in confusion. “Prove?” What more do I have to prove that I’m not qualified to be in this type of career? Can’t they see from my past experiences that I’m an utter failure at these types of things?

My mom gives me a long, hard look before nodding her head. “A chance to prove yourself wrong.”

I gape at her words, unable to comprehend what she’s saying. Prove myself wrong? Is this her way of telling me to rethink my decision?

“Mom, I don’t think—“

“Follow me,” She starts to walk towards the office and I scowl. Why did she have to cut off what I had to say? I trail after her, still holding the tray while my mind wanders. Will she make me plan another wedding?

“I want you to plan this couple’s wedding.”

My footsteps come to a halt and I’m left starting at her wide-eyed.

“W-what?” My mom doesn’t even spare me a glance. She continues to walk ahead of me, pace never slowing down.

“We want you to plan this couple’s wedding. This is the last thing we’ll ask of you. After this, we’ll accept whatever decision you’ll say afterwards.”

“But mom—”

“Dohyun,” At this, I shut my mouth. We’re already at the office’s door. My mom turns to look at me with an almost sad expression on her face. It pains me to see her look at me this way, almost as if she’s pleading that I agree. “Do this for us. Please?”

I knock back the bile rising in my throat and force myself to blink. I don’t want to do this. I don’t want them to see the very reason why I can’t be a wedding planner. Most of all, I don’t want to ruin their reputation. She even said that this is a VIP and the last thing I want is to mess it up. My hands start to shake as I contemplate on my answer. It shouldn’t hurt to accept it because in the end, my parents will agree with whatever I have to say but then again, they’ll get the shorter end of the stick. I bite my lip and shrug.

“Do I even have a choice?” I mumble more to myself than to my mom. It doesn’t look like my mom will back down about this request.

My mom gives me a look of approval before knocking twice on the door.

“So,” I start nervously. “Who’s the couple?”

My mom gives me a small grin before opening the door.

My mom loves surprises. Maybe that’s part of the reason why she became a wedding planner. She wants to surprise people at their receptions and see their bright smiles. However, this surprise certainly does not bring a smile to my face.

There, sitting on our two plush red velvet chairs, is the same girl who came in the coffee shop I was in. Her back’s facing me but I’m definitely sure that that’s the same dress I saw a while ago. But, the biggest surprise would be her soon to be husband.

“I-is that—“

My mom nods.

“Yong Kijoon.”

A/N:

Oh my gosh, new subscribers! Hello!!!! As I said, the chapters will get longer so I apologize in advance if you guys don't like wordy chapters :( Hope all of you are enjoying this just as much as I am. :)

xoxo