She believed it was at the end of July when she met Seulgi for the first time.

It was a hot summer day, her parents were busy preparing everything they needed to welcome Seulgi’s family into their house this evening for family dinner. Her mom was very busy in the kitchen and Joohyun was there to help her, while her father and the housekeeper were busy fixing the lights of a small chandelier in the middle of the dining room.

Of course not forgetting to clean the dust off their collection of chinese vases, which they didn’t really need to clean again because they already cleaned them every damn day, that were lined up so nicely to decorate their spacious living room.

“Joohyun, honey.. You actually didn’t have to say yes immediately to your father--”

Joohyun shook her head, cutting her mother’s words and smiling softly to her.

“No, mom.. It’s fine. I mean, I’m twenty six already. It’s time for me to settle down and get married, isn’t it?”

Joohyun answered calmly with an assuring tone, a light giggle escaped , melting the tension and clearing her mother’s dismay of her one and only daughter. Her mother smiled back in relief, caressing Joohyun’s soft cheek and nodded before resuming her chores.

“Joohyun, Seulgi is a great woman, she is very kind, well-mannered, and attentive.. We would not worry if you take her as your partner. You need to know that me and your father love you so much, we only want the best for you,” Joohyun’s mother stated. Her eyes were looking at a white plate she was cleaning, a calm smile adorning her motherly visage. The daughter smiled at her mother’s words, nodding once in comprehend.

“Yes, I understand.”

It didn’t take a while until the bell of their front door rang. Joohyun immediately put down the plate she was cleaning, walked out of the kitchen, through the living room, to the front door. Her small and delicate hand gripped on the handle and turned it, pulling the door inward, revealing a slim, taller woman with an older woman beside her.

The taller woman really caught Joohyun’s attention. This person wore a button up white shirt, with black jeans. Her slim body looked so good in it. She has high cheekbones, fair skin which is a bit more tan than her own. She has long legs, slender and long fingers, beautiful monolid eyes with charcoal orbs, and glossy, pink plump lips. She was stunned, this woman is beautiful but handsome at the same time. Must be because of the high cheekbones.

Is this Seulgi? She thought.

Joohyun has never met Seulgi before, she only saw the latter through a photo her parents showed her. The photo didn’t do her justice, Seulgi looked even much better in person.

“Ahem..” Seulgi cleared . “Sorry, you kind of..spaced out. I’m Kang Seulgi.”

Joohyun blinked a few times, snapping back into reality. She extracted her hand towards the monolid woman, and the latter accepted her small hand. Seulgi gave Joohyun a small handshake.

“Oh, I’m really sorry. I’m Joohyun, please come inside, my parents are expecting you,” she said, stepping aside so Seulgi and her mother could come into the house.

Joohyun then guided them into the living room where her father was. Mr. Bae’s face lit up once he saw Mrs. Kang and her daughter. Mr. Bae welcomed them and shook their hands. Joohyun thought he was kind of extra excited because he shook Seulgi’s hand a little bit harder than he should, which made Seulgi greeted him back and flashed him an awkward smile.

Mr. Bae proceeded to let them sit while Joohyun came back to the kitchen to help her mother. Mrs. Bae then flashed Joohyun a teasing smile while placing the cooked food onto the serving plate.

“So..?” She asked her daughter with raised eyebrows.

Joohyun only bit her lower lip to suppress a smile that was slowly growing, knowing her mother’s intention. “What?” she returned her mother’s teasing question, playing dumb.

“So how’s Seulgi? Did you meet her?”

“Uh, yeah..?”

“And..?” Her mother shot her another question, urging her to tell her daughter’s impression of Seulgi.

Joohyun’s smile finally broke out into a shy smile and she rolled her eyes, nudging her mother.

“Well she’s...handsome.. I guess?” she replied with a low tone, followed by a light giggle.

“Handsome? You guess? Is that what you think?”

“Mom! Stop it,” she nudged her mother again, she broke into a giggle this time while taking a full plate on each hand to put them on the dining table.

Joohyun picked a few exchanged conversations between her father and Seulgi in the living room while preparing the table. They were talking about Seulgi’s work and her hobbies. Turned out Seulgi likes physical activities, especially thai boxing, just like her father who is a fan of the sport. They get along well.

After everything was prepared, Mrs. Bae called everyone to the dining room. Joohyun and Seulgi accidentally walked past each other and their bodies bumped, Seulgi flashed Joohyun a smile and apologized to her. Being a very polite person that she is, the monolid woman pulled out the chair for Joohyun, before walking around the table to sit next to her mother.

The dinner wasn’t exactly silent, Joohyun’s father kept on talking about her embarrassing childhood memories that the latter had to whine and told her father to stop talking about it. But Seulgi seemed amused, though. Her eyes turned all crescent like the moon when she smiled or giggled, and Joohyun thought it was cute.

“I told you, Joohyun was really up for it that she tripped and got herself into the mud, it was funny!” Her father told everyone again, Seulgi laughed a little bit loudly this time. This is the first time since this evening Joohyun caught Seulgi laughing.

They were talking about this time when she was five and chasing after a white bunny back at her grandma’s place in the countryside.

“Dad, please, I was five!” Joohyun said, defending herself. “And the bunny was cute.”

To Joohyun’s attention, Seulgi wasn’t that type of person who talks a lot during the first meeting. She seemed a bit cold and distant, but she was sure really respectful. But she swore she could feel Seulgi would occasionally glancing at her when she laughed. Or is it just her mind?

After dinner, their parents were chatting in the living room over a glass of Brandy, while Seulgi was sitting on a swing in the backyard with a glass of wine in her hand. She was stirring the glass in her hand while watching the liquid spun inside the glass. Her head shot up once she heard footsteps approaching her. It was Joohyun.

“May I join you?” she asked, asking for permission.

“Of course, why not? It’s pretty lonely in here too..well except you prefer joining the parents inside making fun of me..” Seulgi said sarcastically with a cold tone.

Joohyun only replied with a smile and sat down next to Seulgi. The way Seulgi talked to her, she was thinking, was she bothering her? Because it sounded too sarcastic and cold.

Does she not like me?

“I’m sorry about the dinner, you know how dads could be..” Joohyun said, trying to start a conversation.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. It was funny though, when you fell into a puddle of mud..” Seulgi joked, but her tone is still somehow cold. Maybe Seulgi really is not quite an expressive person and Joohyun tried to understand. So she continued the conversation by replying anyway.

“Hey! In my defense, it was slippery, okay? And also, the rabbit was fast.”

“Sure, sure.. And you were five.”

Joohyun raised her eyebrows, turning to Seulgi. “Well someone paid attention..”

Seulgi chuckled, then both of them fell into a silence. Seulgi took a sip of her wine and looked up at the sky, while Joohyun was looking down and her attention was fixed on her swinging legs.

It was like that for a while until Seulgi broke the silence.

“What do you think about the marriage? Do you think it’s a good idea?” Seulgi started, turning her body towards Joohyun. Seulgi’s tone was still as calm as ever, almost cold even.

The older of the two suddenly halted her breath. Joohyun has never thought about it whether it was a good idea or not, because she has always been submissive when it comes to her father’s wish. Joohyun has always been trying to be a good daughter by complying with what her parents want. Now she’s tongue-tied.

“Well uh..honestly I don’t know,” she replied. Joohyun then brought her hands up to cover , looking blankly straight ahead.

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