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If it were up to Sana, she’d throw a party every day.

For her, even the minor accomplishments deserved celebration. If her little brother finally scored a high mark on his exams, she convinced her family that they should host a celebration dinner. If her older sister nailed that guitar note she’d been practicing all week, Sana would take her out for ice cream. And if her parents got a raise – even if it was only a few measly cents – that was something to be proud of. Life, Sana figured, was short and because it was so short, every moment deserved a commemoration. Sana was everyone’s favorite cheerleader – but this was especially true for her best friend, Lucille. 

Lucille shifted the large box between her hands, tucking the large box tighter underneath her arm. She felt immense guilt. She was due at the party nearly an hour ago but thanks to her terrible time management skills and awful sense of direction, she had gotten lost on the way to Jimin’s house. She had gotten off at the wrong bus stop. After taking public transportation for years, Lucille figured she’d have a firm grasp on it but apparently, she did not. Eventually, after wandering around in the Gangnam district for a bit in a pair of very painful heels, she conceded and shelled out a bit of money for a cab. Besides, homeowners began eyeing her as if she was some sort of thief and the last thing she needed was to spend the night in jail over assumptions.

She readjusted the silver-wrapped box once again. The gift was originally only supposed to be a thank-you. Lucille wanted to find a way to express how much she truly appreciated the way Sana had stuck by her side this last decade but now it would be doubling as a ‘I’m-sorry-I’m-late-to-the-party-you-described-as-the-most-important-party-you’ll-throw-this-year’ gift.

When Lucille finally made it to Jimin’s house, she double-checked the address on her e-invite. This was the place, Lucille concluded. If she thought Taehyung’s house had been big as a child, this place trumped it. She made her way up the walkway, taking in the magnificent sight. It was a three-story home, mostly made of brick, with large windows boasting from every floor. Each time she took a step on the walkway, the tiny outdoor lights would change color. She could see the partygoers through the large windows on the ground floor. This was far more people than Sana had described but then again, the party was being thrown at her boyfriend’s house. His friends were probably here too and since he worked in the music industry, he had tons of those.

She rang the doorbell and after a few moments, the large dark wooden doors swung open. Sana appeared on the other side, a ‘Thank-god-you’re-here’ expression on her face. Lucille opened to apologize but was cut short when Sana grabbed her and hugged her as tightly as she could.

“Where have you been?” Sana asked, letting go of Lucille.

“I’m so sorry. I got off at the wrong bus stop.”

“I told you Jimin would have sent a driver to come get you,” Sana said, looping her arm through Lucille’s and leading her through the crowd. “Way more people came than I expected.”

Lucille looked around. She noticed a few familiar faces. Sana’s family was here, and a few friends from high school were lingering around the snack table but other than that, everyone else was completely new. She suddenly felt self-conscious. She had followed Sana’s instructions and wore a burgundy formal dress, accessorizing with gold jewelry, but she still felt undressed compared to what everyone else was wearing.  “Who are all these people?”

“Jimin’s family and friends from college,” Sana answered. “And nearly half of the people he knows in the music industry. I planned for a party of fifty but eighty showed up.”

Lucille gave her friend a sympathetic smile. “It looks like everyone is having a good time though. I think your title of Event Planner of the Year is safe.”

Sana smiled. “I don’t know why I’m so nervous. I’ve handled parties much larger than this.”

“Maybe it’s because you know I’m such a harsh critic,” Lucille teased. “What’s the occasion for celebrating, anyway?”

“You’ll see soon but for now, can I get you anything? A drink? A snack?”

Lucille shook her head. “I’m fine but I do have something for you.”

They stopped near Jimin’s large staircase. Lucille placed the silver rectangle in Sana’s hands and her face brightened at the sight. She began carefully tearing away the wrapping paper. Lucille watched with glee as Sana’s face went from happy to incredibly ecstatic upon recognizing what the gift was.

“Luci! Baby!” Sana beamed, pulling her best friend into the tightest hug she could muster. “When did you do this? How did you do this?”

It was a painted portrait of the first picture Sana and Lucille had taken together. They were on the steps of Sana’s childhood home, still wearing their middle school uniforms and making kissy faces at the camera. When Lucille moved, Sana gave her the picture as a gift to remember her, but Lucille ended up losing it while at college. Sana was, at first, incredibly upset about it. It was one of the first times Sana felt truly hurt by her best friend. She felt as if Lucille was careless with the photo and despite having tons of pictures together, that one was sentimental for Sana. Lucille eventually found the photo in a box of old things, but it was distorted so she painted the portrait mostly from memory.

“It took me months, but it was worth it. Just to see that smile,” Lucille said, giving Sana a kiss on the cheek.

“Luci, you don’t understand how perfect this gift is,” Sana said, still beaming at the portrait. She pointed toward a room to the right; it was mostly empty except for a desk and a large purple desk chair. “I think I’ll hang it in there, right over the desk.”

Lucille furrowed her eyebrows. “You’re going to hang the photo in Jimin’s house?”

Sana began to explain but Jimin suddenly appeared by her side. He greeted Lucille with a small hug before kissing his girlfriend. Lucille had only met Jimin twice, but she had a good impression of him. He was polite and Sana always smiled when he was around. They had been dating for only a year, but it was clear the two were in love. The way their eyes lit up any time they saw each other made Lucille’s heart swell. 

“Hello, Lucille, how are you?” Jimin asked, flashing his ever-so-charming smile. Lucille could understand why Sana fell for him so fast.

“I’m great, Jimin. Your house …” Lucille trailed off, looking around in amazement. “Is really, really, big. And beautiful.”

“Thank you, thank you,” Jimin replied and then turned to Sana. “I think everyone is here. Should we begin?”

“Oh, yes,” Sana said and stopped one of the maids that had been passing by. She handed the older woman the painting. “Can you please take this to the bedroom? And be very careful with it, please?”

The maid smiled and headed upstairs with the gift.  Sana and Jimin began up the staircase themselves, stopping at the landing in the middle. Jimin raised the wine glass he was holding and called out, “Excuse me! Excuse me, can I get everyone’s attention please?” The crowd turned to face Jimin and Sana. Jimin continued, “I’d like to thank everyone for coming out tonight. Sana and I have two very important announcements to make.” Sana and Jimin shared a loving look before he continued. “Firstly, my long-time friends may have noticed a more feminine touch to my house. Well, that’s because Sana and I have moved in with each other.”

The crowd erupted into a cheer. Sana and Lucille made eye contact. Lucille mouthed, “Oh my god!” to Sana. Sana replied with a look as if to say, ‘I know’ before she acknowledged the crowd.

“And for my long-time friends, you’ve probably noticed this,” Sana held out her right hand, showing off a large rock sitting beautifully on her ring finger. “We’re engaged!”

The crowd cheered again but there was a distinct sound of women squealing. None louder than Lucille.

Jimin waved his hand, quieting the crowd down. “We’re so thankful that you all came to celebrate with us.”

“And while we have you all here, we thought it’d be fun to announce the wedding party,” Sana added. “So, Jimin, would you like to start?”

Jimin shook his head. “Oh no, my dear, ladies first.”

Sana looked at Lucille, throwing her a wink before beginning. “I am humbly asking these six girls to be part of my beautiful, fabulous, and amazing wedding party. JiHyo Park, MiYeon Cho, Momo Hirai, Eunbi Jung, Jennie Kim, and finally, as my maid of honor, Lucille Lee!” There was a small applause. Although they were best friends, Lucille certainly wasn’t expecting to be part of the wedding party, let alone the maid of honor. They had kept in contact for the last six years, speaking nearly every day despite their time differences, and when Lucille moved back, it was as if nothing had changed but Lucille figured that one of the other girls was more deserving of the title.

Jimin’s voice broke her out of her thoughts. “Okay, my turn. I’m humbly asking these six men to be part of the most lit weddin