The reaction their parents and extended family had given them when the girls first told them about their engagement was rather ambiguous. On one hand, they had already known it would happen. Seulgi’s brother and his wife slid a few bills toward Seulgi’s dad, and Yerim collected a fat wad of cash from Joohyun’s parents and aunt, a bunch of hands shifting multi-coloured sheets everywhere, when the girls told them that they were getting married.

            “You guys seriously bet on the time it would take for us to get married?”

            Seulgi’s dad shrugged. “We all knew you guys would end up together. It was just a matter of when.” He counted the money in his hand before turning to his wife. “Honey, I’m missing two thousand won.”

            “You never specified whether it was when they told us or when they actually got engaged.” It was Joohyun’s aunt who spoke. She turned towards the couple. “When did you two get engaged?”

            Joohyun widened her eyes, trying to remember. “I honestly don’t know. But it’s been about two years, I think, because I’ve had this ring for one year, and the first year, I didn’t have it.”

            “Jesus. And here we were thinking we might become the next generation of fossil fuel before you two even started dating.”

            “Jumped straight into marriage, didn’t they?” Seulgi’s brother glanced at his wife. “Didn’t we date for a good five years before we tied the knot?”

            Seulgi snorted. “I should’ve told her to run in that time. I’m so sorry I couldn’t save you, unnie.”

            “Hey, Joohyun. Seulgi snores at night. Leave now if you wanna sleep at all for the rest of your life.”

            Joohyun shrugged. “I’m sure I’ve gone deaf at this point already. At least she doesn’t sleep talk.”

            “Aww, look at you defending your wifey.”

            “Kim Yerim, unless you want my foot in your face, you might wanna shut up.”

            “Seul, I don’t know if that’s the best thing to say in front of all the adults.”

            “Hyunnie, we’re adults too.”

            “Oh,” Joohyun’s dad crooned. “You’re all babies in our eyes.”

            Seulgi’s dad turned to him with wide eyes. “You’ve been thinking of me as a baby this entire time?”

            “Dad, this is not the time for dad jokes.” Seulgi threw up her arms in the air. “Don’t normal families celebrate? Like, we didn’t even get a ‘you’re getting married already?!’ or anything, you all just coughed up the money from those stupid bets.” She pointed at her sister-in-law. “Why are you even betting?”

            Her sister-in-law curled her lip in disdain. “And lose a chance to make some big bucks? No way.”

            Joohyun sighed. “Our friends were a lot more enthusiastic than any of you are right now.”

            “You guys have friends?” Both girls glared at Yerim. “What? I haven’t seen you two interact with anyone other than each other with more than a business attitude.”

            “Yes, Yerim,” Seulgi sneered. “We have friends. They’re cooler than your friends.”

            “Excuse me, I told you that it’s Yeri, and are you insulting Nayeon—”

            “Well is Nayeon a celebrity?” Joohyun quipped. The couple was tag-teaming, and the parents bit their lips in anticipation, knowing Yerim would lose. Seulgi and Joohyun were indestructible when they joined forces, something the adults and Seulgi’s brother learned relatively early on through much verbal assault. Not a pretty sight.

            “You guys expect me to believe that of all the people to be friends with, you know a celeb—”

            “Well, guess what,” Seulgi said. She and Joohyun crossed their arms at the same time. “You can come talk to us when you’re friends with both Yook Sungjae and Park Joy.”

            Seulgi’s sister-in-law gasped. “Park Joy?”

            “Yeah. Cutie-y Park Joy.”

            “Oh my god, babe, I’m gonna die.”

            Seulgi’s brother facepalmed. “She mentioned Korea’s top ten iest men Yook Sungjae, and you’re fawning over Park Joy?”

            “Okay, but why aren’t you fanboying?”

            “Because she’s not my type!”

            “Oh, she got really hot though, oppa.” Seulgi gave her brother a lazy smile. “I know you remember her as the girl-next-door, but hot damn.” Joohyun slapped her arm. “What? It’s true.”

            “Wait.” Yerim furrowed her eyebrows. “You guys barely looked each other in the eye. How did you become friends with her?” She turned to Joohyun. “And I know that if anything, you pretended Yook Sungjae was a rock the entire time you attended school with him.”

            Joohyun shrugged. “Things change.”

            “Well if things change too suddenly, it means you’re gonna die.”

            “Jesus, Yerim.” Seulgi wrapped an arm around Joohyun’s shoulders. “Can you not?”

            The parents looked at each other again. Yerim was going to have to back down if she wanted to last until the wedding.

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            “Jesus, mom, no, ow!” Seulgi scowled. “Stop poking me with that! I’m in a dress!”

            The monolidded girl sat waiting in her wedding dress, wondering what would happen if she had to pee. There was an hour left until the wedding started, and Seulgi had been locked into the room because it was bad luck to see the bride (something she was confused about given that both her and Joohyun fit the description). Although she thought it was bull, because there really wasn’t much that could tear the two apart after everything they’d been through. Maybe death. Seulgi shivered. She wasn’t going to go down that route.

            “Alright, honey, let’s get a few more pictures, and hopefully it’ll be time by then.”

            Seulgi grimaced and pointed her thumb at Joy. “Are you sure you just don’t want to brag to all your friends that your daughter is friends with an A-list celebrity?” She looked at the taller girl. “You don’t come out in any of those morning dramas or day-to-day ones, right?”

            “I did once? Like, right after my debut film.”

            “Ah.” Seulgi nodded in understanding. “That explains all the ahjumma fans.”

            “I have younger fans too.”

            Seulgi raised her hands in surrender. “I didn’t mean to say you didn’t. I was just trying to poke fun at my mom’s age.”

            “Unless you want to get poked by this again, you might want to shut your mouth, Kang Seulgi.”

            Seulgi gulped at the prop in her mother’s hands. “Why in the world did you even bring that?”

            “Pictures.”

            “Ah, so you are just trying to get pictures with Joy.”

            Joy gave her award-winning fan service smile. “I’m always glad to take a few pictures with my fans.”

            “See how nice she is? Why can’t you be like that, Seulgi?”

            “I’m one of the best interior designers in Korea, mom.” Seulgi gave her birth giver an annoyed face. “I literally make enough to support three families.”

            Joy made an amused face as Seulgi’s mother shook her head. “I hope you don’t mean that literally, because it would if Joohyun caught you cheating and buried you in some forest. Your oppa doesn’t make enough to satisfy my allowance cravings.”

            “Can you just go out to the hall?” Seulgi turned to Joy pleadingly. “Please take her out,” she whispered.

            Joy gave her a solemn nod before flashing another bright smile at Seulgi’s mother. “Mrs. Kang,” she crooned in a sickeningly sweet voice. “Have you met my boyfriend yet?”

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