Jeongguk bounded down the front steps toward them and crouched to meet Taehyung’s eye level. “I was worried you’d gotten lost,” he said, offering the both of them a smile and opened the car door. He takes Taehyung’s hand as the latter exits the car. Jeongguk looks at his outfit, impressed.

Upon getting out of the car, Taehyung stared up at the majestic façade before him. His stomach felt like it had been twisted in a vise, and he smoothed out the creases on his suit pants nervously. “Are we late? But I doubt that with the way Jiminie’s driving.”

“No, It’s okay,” Jeongguk said and placed a kiss on Taehyung’s lips. Jeongguk then peered into the car and smiling at Jimin. “Thanks so much for driving him, Hyung”

“Of course,” Jimin said with an equally polite smile

And right in an instant when Jeongguk moved out of Jimin’s sight, a bored-looking man wearing a crisp blue long-sleeved polo paired with white slacks appeared on the front door. His jet-black hair parted on the side.  As soon as Jimin recognized the man, his mouth fell open and eyes as wide as a saucer as he takes in the sight before him, because there stands Min Yoongi, the love of his life.

Jeongguk and Taehyung noticed the star trucked expression on Jimin’s face and follows his line of vision. Jeongguk then waved his hand up to catch the attention of the man.

“Your mother has been looking for you,” Yoongi said upon reaching the pair and peered on the car behind his cousin and immediately recognized the silver-haired man behind the steering wheel, looking straight at him.

“Jimin-ah?”

“o-oh.. erm, Hello?” Jimin said awkwardly while scratching the back of his neck. Get a grip of yourself, Park Jimin! You’ve been on a date with this man numerous times, stop acting like a school girl!

“We’ll leave you two alone, I guess” Jeongguk pipes in and ushers Taehyung towards the house with a wink directed to Yoongi.

As Taehyung and Jeongguk entered the house, the first thing that caught Taehyung’s eye was the dazzling mosaic tiles in the grand foyer. He stood transfixed for a few moments by the intricate black, blue, and coral pattern before realizing that they were not alone. A tall man stood silently in the middle of the foyer next to a circular stone table clustered with pots of enormous white-and-purple phalaenopsis orchids. The man bowed ceremoniously to Taehyung.

“I hope it’s okay but it’s not just the family. My grandmother decided to have a small party, all arranged at the last minute, apparently because she’s going back to the US after Hoseok hyung’s wedding.” Jeongguk said

“Oh. Is that so. I feel really underdressed now,” Taehyung said pensively

“Not at all – you look absolutely stunning,” Jeongguk told him. He could sense Taehyung’s trepidation and tried to reassure him, placing a soft kiss on his boyfriend’s temple.

Walking up to the carved stone staircase, Taehyung saw something out of the corner of his eye and let out a startled yelp. By the side of the staircase lurked a huge tiger.

“It’s stuffed,” Jeongguk laughed. The tiger stood majestically and looked so peaceful but the enormous size of it made Taehyung’s skin shiver.

“It looked so real,” Taehyung said softly, recovering himself.

“It was real. It’s an Amur tiger. According to my grandmother, it was a parting gift to my grandfather when he went to the North. It actually lived here for so many years but then died without being able to mate.”

“Poor guy,” Taehyung said, reaching out to the tiger’s head gingerly. Its fur felt surprisingly brittle as if a patch might fall off at any minute.

“It used to scare me when I was little. I usually have someone with me whenever I have to pass by this area of the house.” Jeongguk said

“You grew up here?” Taehyung asked in surprise

“Yes, until I was about seven.”

“You never told me you lived in a palace.”

“This isn’t a palace. It’s just a big house.”

“Now, you sound just like Jiminie,” Taehyung said, gazing up at the cast-iron and glass cupola soaring above them. As they climbed the stairs, the murmur of party chatter and piano keys wafted down toward them. When they reached the landing to the second floor, Taehyung almost had to rub his eyes in disbelief. He felt momentarily giddy as if he had been transported back in time to another era, to the grand lounge of an Allure of the Seas ocean liner en route to Island de Mallorca.

The living room, as Jeongguk so modesty called it, was a gallery that ran along the entire northern end of the house, with art deco divans, wicker club chairs, and ottomans casually grouped into intimate seating areas. A row of tall plantation doors opened onto the wraparound veranda, inviting the scent of night-blooming jasmine into the room, while at the far end a young man in a tuxedo played on the Crystal Grand Piano?!

As Jeongguk led him into space, Taehyung found himself reflexively trying to ignore his surroundings, even though all he wanted to do was study every exquisite detail. The glamorous guests, however, appeared completely at ease while a retinue of white-gloved servants in deep-olive uniforms circulated with trays of cocktails.

“Here comes Hoseok hyung’s mother,” Jeongguk muttered. Before Taehyung had a moment to collect himself, a stately-looking lady approached them, wagging a finger at Jeongguk.

“Gukkie, you silly child, why didn’t you tell us you were back? We thought you weren’t coming until next week?” The woman looked so elegant in her lustrous, pearl-beaded fabric dress as it glinted, light reflecting from the room’s glow. The dress molded her torso beautifully. It was the color of a tan opal, complimenting her fair skin.

“I’m so sorry, imo. I thought you would be in New Zealand at this time of the year. By the way, this is my boyfriend Kim Taehyung. Tae, this is my mother’s sister and Hoseok hyung’s mother, auntie Shinha.”

The woman nodded at Taehyung, boldly scanning him up and down.

“So nice to meet you,” Taehyung said, trying not to be unnerved by her hawklike gaze.

“Yes of course,” She said, turning quickly to Jeongguk and asking almost sternly, “Do you know where Hoseok is? His fiancé arrived alone.”

“Not a clue,” he replied. “Is Seokjin hyung here yet?”

“Aigoo, you know that brother of yours is always late.” At that moment, his aunt noticed an equally sophisticated woman. “Omo, Mrs. Hwang, when did you get back from Poland?” she screeched, pouncing on the woman as Jeongguk guided Taehyung out of the way.

“Who is that lady?” Taehyung asked.

“That’s Mrs. Hwang, Hoseok hyung’s soon to be mother-in-law.”

As Jeongguk tried to Taehyung toward the bar, unwittingly steering straight into the path of a very posh-looking middle-aged couple. The man had a pompadour of Brylcreemed black hair, while his wife wore a class gold-buttoned red and white Chanel suit.

“Gomo and shinsamchon, meet my boyfriend Kim Taehyung,” Jeongguk said. “Tae, this is my uncle and his wife from my father's side,” he explained.

“Ah Taehyung, I’ve met your grandfather in Daegu, Kim Jaesuk, isn’t it?” The man asked.

“Er…..actually, no. My family isn’t from Daegu,” Taehyung stammered

“Oh. Where are they from, then?”

“Jeju originally, and nowadays London.”

Jeongguk’s uncle looked a bit taken aback, while his well-coiffed wife grasped his arm tightly and continued. “Oh, Central London, then?”

“Yes,” Taehyung replied politely.

“Ah, well, then, you must know the Cadogan Family? They’re great friends of ours.” The woman effused.

Before Taehyung could answer, another person greeted them and hugged Jeongguk side-ways.

“Jeongguk, my man! How are you?”

The next thirty minutes became a blur of nonstop greetings, as Taehyung was introduced to assorted family and friends. There were aunties and uncles and cousins aplenty. All this time, Taehyung didn’t know what to do and just let Jeongguk lead him across the hall. Just then, a familiar lump in his throat started to form and Taehyung knew, he needed to get out of here and breathe fresh air. These expensive-looking people and the way they stare him down are making him suffocated and as minute pass by, it is getting harder and harder to breathe. He needed to get away now.

And so, he excused himself to Jeongguk and the sultan of some unpronounceable Malay state, saying he needs to use the bathroom. Taehyung soon found himself outside the house, more specifically, in the garden.

The trees rustled softly against the cool evening breeze giving off an eerie feel. A brilliant, deep blue sky arched high over the horizon. The sky was a deep cool blue which almost seemed to sparkle like the waters of some lovely bottomless lake, and here and there, high, high in the arched blueness floated small clouds of snow-white fleece. The far-reaching sky itself looked softly blue instead of gloomy purple-black or awful dreary gray.

Taehyung found a small bench a few steps to his right and decided to take a seat for a while, not minding the cold that the winter season brings. His thoughts wander to the event that unfolds earlier inside the house. He thought how Jeongguk’s family seems to disapproved of his relationship with him and how they quickly averted their attention from him to the people who is not him inside the hall.

And Taehyung never felt so small in his entire life.