Damn it.

He’d done it now. He made Eri cry. It hadn’t been his intention. Granted, he knew the woman is emotional, he still should have thought before he spoke. All he wanted to do was ensure they didn’t have a repeat of the drama five years ago. He didn’t want Eri to ruin her sister’s big day just like she ruined her mom’s wedding day.

Even though Eri made a scene at their house, not at the wedding hall, and only the family and some neighbors knew of it, but when she left, what was supposed to be a happy occasion turned into an unpleasant one. He can still recall Sunhee as the saddest looking bride on her wedding that day five years ago. It was a domino effect, his uncle also looking like the most somber groom he’d ever seen. But he did hear the family had worked things out, though they didn’t say the specifics outside the immediate family. Even his uncle is all praises for Eri now whenever she becomes the topic during gatherings. The couple is always excited to show everyone the photos of Eri in different gowns from all the high class, exclusive parties she’d attended. And her photos from her travels in America and Europe adorned the walls and credenza of the couple’s house.

Back to the present, he’d wanted to take the words back as soon as he saw Eri’s bottom lip quiver and the shimmer of tears in her light brown eyes.

Maybe if she hadn’t shown up like a cover model in her red dress that she looked absolutely gorgeous in, and the bag and shoes that probably cost more than half the folks in town made in a year, he wouldn’t have let it out on her. But Eri flaunting her money, along with that acquired city accent, wasn’t why he’d gone off on her. He expected that much. What he didn’t expect was the sickened expression that came over her face when she got a look at his scar. It bothered him. After all, Eri lives in Seoul now, in a world where people went under the knife for the slightest flaw. Shaving their jaw and injecting poison into their lips and forehead to the point they become unrecognizable. Eri hadn’t succumbed to the pressure yet, not that she needed it. She was pretty even without those layers of make-up. But nobody really knows about the future. He himself didn’t expect that the sweet small town girl she knew years ago would turn into the conceited city woman she is now.

But thanks to her shocked reaction earlier, he’d lost his concentration while walking across the uneven grass to the parking lot. After turning away from her, he almost tripped. The last thing he wanted to do was fall on his face in front of her, and he’d strained the weak muscle in his injured leg. The pain he endured just to remain standing nearly brought him to his knees, and that pissed him off. He was tired of pain, tired of seeing the worry on his uncle and brother’s face.

Eri just happened to be the receiving end of his temper and frustration. Typically he alleviated the anger with the reminder that he was lucky to even be alive. He should have thought of that before taking it out on her. Even though his warning was warranted, he could’ve toned it down a little.

He frowned when Eri threw herself into her mother’s arms, his fingers tightening around the baseball on his hand. Sunhee looked at him as she her daughter’s hair. He was sure it was a ‘what did you do’ expression on his aunt’s face. Even though she is quite fond of him and his brother as her husband’s nephews, he will never compare to her own daughter. He should probably apologize.

Just as he opened his mouth to do so, Sunhee asked, “Why are you crying darling? What’s wrong?”

Easing from her mother’s arms, Eri sniffed loudly. “I’m not crying, mom. I think there’s a plant in the garden that I might be allergic to.”

Huh? Seokjin was surprised she didn’t throw him under the bus. And that made him feel guiltier for the way he’d treated her. Because while she might be a vain city girl now, he knew she could also be sweet, compassionate and kind. There was a time, years ago, that he’d been the receiving end of her sweetness. Right before she’d played him and ruined everything he’d planned, making him carry a guilt he probably will never get rid off for the rest of his life.

“You’ve never had allergies before.” Sunhee trailed off as she searched her daughter’s face. “Do you have any other symptoms? Swelling on your lips or tongue? or tightening of your chest?”

Did she just think that Eri is having anaphylactic shock? Then again, he supposed he shouldn’t be surprised that Sunhee did. She had been angsting over Eri’s health after knowing the diagnoses by a cardiologist in Seoul that she had a problem with her heart. If she could put her daughter in a protective bubble, she probably would have. Something he could relate to. His uncle was as much a worrier as Sunhee. But there was one difference, Seokjin isn’t a hypochondriac, Eri was. Before this situation gets any bigger, he interrupted, “She’s fine auntie.” He put his arm around Eri and gave her a light squeeze. “Aren’t you?”

She stiffened, then removed his arm from her shoulder. “I’m fine mom. I’m probably just tired. Don’t worry.” She said to her mother, wiping her tears away.

Seokjin’s uncle, Eri’s stepfather, approached with a frown. “What’s going on?”

The last thing Seokjin wanted was to give Eri an audience. And if they stood there long enough, they’d draw a crowd. He had to move this along. “Look, I’m sorry Eri. I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

Sangwoo drew Eri to his side, narrowing his eyes at Seokjin. “You made her cry?” Sangwoo had become protective of Sunhee’s daughters as if they were his own.

Before Seokjin could defend himself, Eri gave her stepfather a fond smile. “It’s alright uncle. I’m used to Seokjin. I don’t pay much attention to what he says to me anymore. It goes in one ear and out in the other.” She demonstrated this with manicured polished hands, then her narrow shoulders raised on a sigh. “If I’m upset about anything…” She touched her damp cheeks, “…and obviously I am, it’s because of the work I had to finish so that I could come here this weekend. The stress got into me that I couldn’t sleep the past few days.”

The three of them stared at her.

She waved her hand. “But I’m perfectly fine, mom and uncle. No fussing over me. This is Myoung’s day. All the attention must be on her, okay?”

Oh she’s good. Seokjin thought.

“Well, okay.” Sunhee wrinkled her nose. “But, darling you should have enough sleep. Lacking it will be bad for your heart, remember what the doctor said?”

“Of course. I…” She fanned herself, looking a little panicked. “I probably just need some air.” She reached for her purse for her pills but realized she didn’t want to worry her mother and stepfather. She forced a smile and closed her purse back.

Her mother and stepfather visibly relaxed now, it appeared they believed her.

Eri didn’t know how she was going to survive the next hour, the time she set to be in this event. Especially if Seokjin kept looking at her with those startling dark eyes.

A distant memory ignited a warm flutter in the pit of her stomach. He used to look at her that way in high school, and everytime he did, she’d have the same reaction. Not something she should be thinking about now. The afternoon was proving painful enough. She needed a distraction. She had to look no further than her stepfather’s casual attire. The chinos and white polo shirt for the bride-to-be’s stepfather? What on earth was he thinking?

“Sorry about being a bit late mom. I thought the party would start at two.” She kept her smile firmly in place even though she inwardly cringed at the thought. More than an hour of faked happiness would be exhausting. Without proper medication, she’d have to be careful to keep her emotions in check until she returned back to the house.

===

Eri didn’t have the wrong time, Miyoung had informed her after all. It was just an excuse earlier because so much had changed in town while she was gone that she took a longer route and discovered new shops that weren’t there before. She did hear businesses were booming because of the tourists. She knew the location but she didn’t know the venue and theme, it turned out to be being held at the garden, not inside an air conditioned hall. But she can’t blame her sister for that as she herself didn’t know what the venue looked like. If Eri had known, she probably won’t choose to wear this kind of fabric and instead go for a cotton one. The heat is uncomfortable. And she probably would have worn a pair of heels that are better suited for the uneven grass.

She sat in a capri garden chair beside Kii. Compared to the other people in town, even though they don’t see each other often, they do talk everyday in their chats and calls so it feels like they saw each other just yesterday. He arrived five minutes ago and they were inseparable just like the old times.

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