It’s the middle of winter vacation now, and I must say, I’ve been doing better lately. Chaeyoung and I are working things out, the girls have been nothing but supportive, and we are figuring things out little by little.

My parents called me about another one of their business parties tonight, and I welcome the distraction. It’s good to just let go of real life and focus on impressing the children of bigshots with laughing like a tool and just saying whatever they want to hear. I hate this part, but dad says it’s good for teaching us how to socialize as grownups.

I take the train back home, since we are going together, mom insisted that I should have let their driver pick me up, but I convince her I’ll be fine going home on my own. Also, I need and excuse to look slightly short of their standards. I know I said I’m better, but I’m still not all well yet, and I never really got around to tell them about Chaeyoung at all. My big sister knows a little about it, but I never really went into too much detail with her.

I feel my phone vibrate and decide to check it, I still have about forty minutes to go, might as well chat with someone to pass the time.

From: TamedSnake:

So, since your parents do business and my parents do business…

Are you, by chance, attending the party at the Lee’s tonight?

To: TamedSnake:

Yeah, I’m on my way home right now.

Wait, you are going too?

From: TamedSnake:

Yup yup, Jeongyeon is attending too.

I had to bribe her into going? Perhaps

But she is going

To: TamedSnake:

Oh, I gots to see this.

Is she wearing a fabulous party dress?

From: TamedSnake:

Absolutely!

Is the dress way over the top on purpose? You bet it is!

To: TamedSnake:

Tell me that you’ll take a picture and send it out

From: TamedSnake:

I kind of have to

You know, for science

To: TamedSnake:

Can’t argue with science

So, see you two tonight?

From: TamedSnake:

Oh, you’ll be seeing us, alright

To: TamedSnake:

What do you mean?

From: TamedSnake:

I have to introduce the bride of the Minatozakis, remember?

To: TamedSnake:

Oh, yeah. I forgot we do this kind of thing

Did you tell her yet?

From: TamedSnake:

Absolutely not, and you are not going to say anything either

It’s hard as it is to take her

I don’t want any unnecessary trouble

To: TamedSnake:

Don't look at me

I’m not telling anything

From: TamedSnake:

Good girl. Now go get dolled up and make me want to sin tonight!

To: TamedSnake:

Promise.

Bye boo.

From: TamedSnake:

No.

Just no.

Gotta run!

Shortly after I get to the station, when I hop off, my sister is waiting for me smiling like and idiot. But I have to admit, I must look dumb myself, I missed this annoying person so much.

“So the prodigal daughter arrives.”

I just run over and hug her.

“Don’t call me that. You know very well how mom and dad are about ‘raising us to be strong and independent’. I have to bust my , same as you did.”

“I know, but you kind of could have visited?”

“I was dating, remember? And I worked a lot of holidays to get some extra money. Going out costs, you know?!”

“Yeah, I know. But tell me about this girl of yours.”

We catch up with each other during the car ride. Mostly, she is asking me about my life away from home, and gets very surprised when I tell her I got to be friends with the heir to The Minatozakis, and even more when I say Jeongyeon is engaged to her.

We get home before I notice it, and my sister tells me our conversations should stay in the car. But I should tell dad about befriending Sana. Honestly, this business protocols are ridiculous, but one can’t really choose where they are born, can they?!

Things at home are formal as usual. I get in, get welcomed by the head maid, she tells me my parents are waiting for me on my dad’s office, I go in, they ask the basics, I answer the basics… Same old, same old, until I mention Sana, that is. Father got weirdly interested on our friendship. But we don’t prolong the subject much, one of the maids comes to announce the hair stylists are here.

Since I should take a shower before I start preparing, mom goes in first, this always goes by age anyways. I go and check on my sisters, so I can choose something to wear that won’t be like theirs. My older sister is wearing a black and white dress, and the youngest a white dress with some black laces, so I decide for a black one with sparkly highlights.

I get the dress out and give it to one of the maids to get it cleaned, I know it takes a while, but I still have about four hours before it’s my turn to go in and get ready. So I take this time to be with my little sister. She is much younger than me, and I try to talk to her as much as I can, living by myself, it’s harder to spend time with her.

* * *

We are here! Not that I’m excited to kiss some butts, I just want this to be over with fast. I want to go home and mope around with uncooked cookie dough and icecream. Then kill myself at the gym the next day because I feel guilty for eating the whole thing. Not very healthy, I know, but can you let a girl enjoy her breakup a little? The kids have been way too active with both me and Chaeng all this time, so we didn’t get much chance to do that.

But, here we go. Time to make some business connections and be as fake as a tree dollar bill. At least today I’ll have Jeong to keep me entertained for the evening. I can’t wait to see how this goes, her on a over-the-top fancy party dress will be a moment to remember.

We go in, and seems like Sana’s family have just arrived as well, I can see her surrounded by some business people and her father, I know it must be him because it just Sana with glasses and a goatee, seems to be doing most of the talking, and I’m dying to see how the potato sack I call best friend is looking.

I just follow my parents as we go around greeting everyone who is already here, when we get to the hosts, the Minatozakis are there as well, and I finally see Jeongyeon. She is on a long white off-shoulder dress that shows her legs and, at that moment, I had some thoughts that will die with me, because I can’t believe I had them at all.

Sana giggles when she looks at us, and wait until I finish greeting everyone before she introduces me to her parents.

“Father, mother, this is one of my really close friends, Park Jihyo.”

I bow to them and her mom just grabs me into a hug, saying it’s great to finally begin to meet her daughters friends. When she releases me, it’s time for Mr. Minatozaki to do the same, and his wife’s hug is stronger, if I might add. After that, I introduce my family and let the grown ups to talk.

I, maybe, can not pay attention to the conversation, but my sisters are not so lucky. My older sister has to be around dad all the time, since she is the one to take over, and my younger sister has to watch so she can learn how to go about these things. So, Sana, Jeongyeon and I just take a step back and talk among ourselves, although Jeong looks like she is still out of it.

“So you really did what I asked you to.”

“Well, I can’t just say no to someone asking me to make them sin, can I?!”

“You didn’t have to go all out like this. Are you going to take responsibility if my engagement gets into crisis?”

“We don’t go down like that. Plus, you never looked at me like that.”

“Says who? I can still appreciate the fine things in life. I just can’t have them.”

“If you say so. But shouldn’t you be tending to your bride? She looks lost, well, more lost than usual.”

Sana chuckles. “I know, just let her be. She’s been like this ever since she came out of hair and makeup. And I’m not really looking to find out what they did in there.”

“Fair enough. I feel like we should pay some attention to what ‘the grownups’ are saying tough. You know how these things go.”

“Yeah, I know better than I wish i did. We’ll have time later, let’s just soldier through this first hour.”

With that, we just keep on going around with our families. We get to the last of them, I can see Sana and Jeongyeon talking on a corner of the saloon, guess they finished first.

“Sorry, our daughter went out to freshen up for a while.” The man says. They look adorable, for lack of a better word. All three of them have a milky white skin, the parents are a bit short, but look really friendly, and the boy next to them, although a bit taller than his father, looks really young.

“Don’t mind that, Kim. We just came by to say hello, but it feels like your little girl is always somewhere else.” My father jokes and it seems to work.

They talk a bit, that boring business talk we have been having with everyone so far, and we are finally done.

“Very well, girls, you are free to go now. Your mother and I are going to walk about, but you can go and do whatever now.” My dad dismisses us. We wait until he is gone and go our separate ways, big sis goes to make her connections, little sis is out to eat, I remember being really hungry when I was her age too, and I go find Sana and the lamp she’s been going around with.

“How is my favorite snake doing? And her coat hanger too.”

“You do know I’ll kick your when we reach home, right?” Jeongyeon complains. Looks like she finally got herself together.

“Oh, so you are talking now?!” I tease, earning a glare from her.

“Like you were never nervous in these things.” Sana says, but I just vaguely hear her, not paying much attention.

Everything loses importance to me, as I see HER. The one who stole my heart so many years ago, she is all grown up now, and is looking ever so beautiful. I just stand there, with my mouth slightly ajar, having trouble remembering how to breathe, with my heart beating too fast and not at all at the same time.

Jeongyeon gets on my line of sight, bringing me back to reality.

“Jihyo, what happened? You don’t look so well right now”

“J-jeong, it’s her.” I’m having a really hard time talking right now.

“Where? I want to know her too.”

“She is by the entrance, the one with the golden dress, black hair and very fair skin.”

“Go talk to her, then! How many years has it been now?”

“I c-can’t. I don’t feel so well.”

“Come on, let’s get you seated for a while. You look really bad.”

Jeongyeon takes me to a table and gets me some water. A very confused Sana follows.

“Are any of you telling me what’s going on? And why were you looking at the Kims daughter?” She asks.

“That girl, guess I should say woman now, but she is Jihyo’s long lost true love.” Jeongyeon takes upon herself to explain everything, since I’m really panicking right now.

“Wait, I thought she loved Chaeyoung?”

“Well, she did, truly. But that girl, she has been Jihyo’s true love since our teenage years. This kid here fell for her many years ago, but have only been able to look at her from a distance.”

“And she is not going out there and talking to her because…”

“See how she is right now? Well, this is how she normally gets everytime she sees her. It got worse over the years, but she is just too much of a coward to just go talk to her.”

“And this is something I NEVER thought I would see. It’s refreshing, really.”

“Okay, you are getting weird now.”

“Don't be like that, just look at this kid and tell me this is not the most adorable thing you’ve ever seen her do.”

“I have to agree it IS cute how helpless she gets about that girl.”

“And I must say her beloved looks cute too.”

“Don’t you go looking for other women now.”

“You have nothing to worry about. But I HAVE been looking AT other women all night, though. This one right here almost got me, I must add.”

“Oh, me too. And I really want to forget the thoughts I had when I saw her today.”

Could this couple be any more fit for one another? They keep teasing each other for a while, and I finally get a hold of myself. We just enjoy the rest of our night, and I don’t see HER again. I’m a bit sad I just got a glimpse of her, but I’m still happy that she appeared again.