A week later, on the night of the family dinner in place of the sanggyunrye* (*The formal meeting of families when a couple decides to marry), Minseok was helping Kyungsoo set up the table for their guests when they heard the doorbell ring. 

“Is that the caterer?” Kyungsoo wondered, as he immediately hurried to the door.  He peeked into the CCTV to see who was at the gate.  “Hyung?” 

Jongin and Sehun, aboard Jongin’s Lambourghini, grinned and waved at the camera. 

Kyungsoo shook his head and punched in the access code to let them in. 

He opened the front door, looking at his hyungs curiously.  “Aren’t you a bit early?”

“Ani,” Jongin answered, sauntering effortlessly inside.  “Yixing-ssi said that he would be here shortly with the caterer.”  He rubbed his tummy, an eyebrow arching.  “Do you have any food, though?  I’m starving.”

Kyungsoo pointed him towards the kitchen as Minseok went with Jongin when he noticed that Sehun was grunting softly, with his hands hefting a heavy, red-silk clad box on his back.  “Is that what I think it is?”

Sehun’s handsome face cracked into a grin.  “Well, your alpha wanted us to deliver this to you before the formal dinner started.  Of course, what’s a wedding without *ham?” (*bridal gift box/treasure chest)

Kyungsoo’s smile widened as Sehun set it down before the couch.

“Give me a couple of seconds to breathe,” Sehun panted, plopping down on a cushion in exhaustion. 

“Chanyeol didn’t have to do this, you know,” Kyungsoo mused, laughing.  “He’s given me so much already.”

“But it’s still tradition,” Sehun insisted, proceeding to divesting the big box of gifts of the red silk believed to stem it from evil spirits.  When he opened the box, it caused Kyungsoo to gasp in awe.

“No wonder it’s so heavy,” Jongin murmured amid chewing on a sandwich, which caused Sehun to frown at him.

Minseok set down a pitcher of iced tea on the table, smile widening in delight at the contents of the treasure chest.  “Chanyeol hyung certainly knows how to impress.”

The embellished wooden box contained an embroidered handkerchief, a personalized paintbrush, a 50-year-calendar, chocolate mints and champagne that came from Turkey, perfume, and a sterling silver soundwave ring.

“We were with Chanyeol hyung when he picked up that ring,” Jongin shared, swallowing the morsel in his mouth, and then whistling in admiration.  “He said he wanted to get you something very special.”

Kyungsoo felt extremely touched, for they were such thoughtful and beautiful gifts.  He reached for a letter, wrapped in blue and red silk, which was to symbolize harmony between the married couple in their home.  Before he could open it, they heard another vehicle coming in the driveway.

“Is that the food?” Jongin automatically asked. 

When everyone’s eyes turned to him, he grinned cheekily.  “I mean, Yixing-ssi must be here, WITH the food.”

Kyungsoo ran to the front door once more when it opened and revealed his alpha, his mother and his uncle. 

Chanyeol’s lips broke into a gentle grin.  “You look amazing, jagiya.”

Kyungsoo hugged him tightly, not minding that it was in front of their friends and family.  “The gifts were lovely.  Gomawopta.” (Thank you very much)

“Anything for you,” Chanyeol whispered as he dropped a kiss on the smaller one’s head.  “We’re not late, are we?”

Kyungsoo shook his head, grinning up to him.

“The caterer isn’t here yet,” Jongin piped in, reaching for another sandwich. 

Jongdae saw that Kyungsoo was holding the proposal letter in his hand.  “Would you like me to read it, my dear?”

Kyungsoo’s round brown eyes twinkled as he reverently handed the letter to samcheon with both hands and everyone settled on the long L-shaped, velvet chocolate brown couch to listen. 

Jongdae cleared his throat and observed each of his audience’s faces with an almost serene wistfulness.  “Ah… all of you must be drinking such refreshing and nice drinks.”

Kyungsoo, Chanyeol and their family and friends looked at each other in bewilderment and immediately picked up a glass of iced tea to raise for toast. 

“Okay, what did I miss?”

Everyone’s attention diverted to the door where Luhan came up running, in his hands a gorgeous bouquet of flowers.

“See what I mean?  I’m surrounded by such attractive guests,” Jongdae joked good-naturedly as Luhan blinked at him, puzzled, while taking his seat beside Sehun.

“Araseo, down to business,” Jongdae cleared his throat, his deadpan joke not received as warmly as he expected, opening the letter instead.  He lifted his eyes just for a moment, and met Chanyeol’s gaze.  “Since my hyung-in-law—may he rest in peace—is unable to do so anymore, I was asked by Chanyeol to write this proposal letter.  And I just want my nephew to know, whom I love as if he were my own son, that it’s a privilege to do this for him and his lovely omega.”

Chanyeol nodded at his uncle gratefully, drawing Kyungsoo close to his side.

Jongdae smiled finally and began to read: “Dear Kyungsoo-yah, I am writing this as I lay on the hospital bed…”

Kyungsoo buried his crimson face on Chanyeol’s chest as everybody laughed, hearing about how Kyungsoo attacked samcheon with a ming vase and how Jongdae ended up with a concussion because of it. 

“Anyone that brave in the face of potential danger is already welcome into our family, even if he could have the light first to see who it was.”

More laughter.  Chanyeol chuckled and playfully tousled his hair while Kyungsoo kept his mortified face hidden, although the smaller one was laughing himself.

“However, more importantly, an omega who would blindly and instinctively protect my 6’1” tall nephew like that, even if Chanyeol was perfectly capable of protecting himself, is already treasure in my book.”

Kyungsoo slowly lifted his head to look at Jongdae, who was already smiling at him.

Samcheon continued to read though.  “This isn’t a long letter as I am currently feeling drowsy, so whatever I say here will be brutally honest as if I were drunk.  Chanyeol has always been independent, and shows his strength loving the people around him the best way he knows how.”

Chanyeol shifted uncomfortably in his seat, obviously hearing this out loud for the first time, while Kyungsoo squeezed his hand. 

“But being too strong or too independent is not healthy.  In life, you need someone to turn to, the one you’ll look for in every moment you succeed and the one whose arms you’ll run to when all else fails,” Jongdae went on, looking briefly at Chanyeol and Kyungsoo.  “I was never one to believe in fate or destiny, and neither was Chanyeol.  He has learned early that anything worth having is something you earn and work hard for.  However, in the brief time that you have been together, I have become witness to my nephew coming to you in his own accord, his heart opening little by little, until even I am unable to deny the love you have for each other.” 

Luhan handed Kyungsoo a tissue to wipe his sudden tears as Chanyeol inadvertently lowered his gaze.  Any mention of love and fluff and romance was hard to hear, although he felt all of that and with such depth about his omega.

“With that said, this isn’t a letter of proposal, because there is no need for it.  You are both adults who can discern between right and wrong.  You have become a blessing not just to Chanyeol, but to us, too, Kyungsoo-yah.  Please take good care of our Chanyeol-ah’s heart as he has given him yours.” 

Jongdae sighed deeply, a sincere smile forming in his lips.  “And before I forget, babies.”

Kyungsoo, Mi