"Ah-!" Ara winced as her mother pulled at the strings of her corset. She could barely breathe, and she felt herself getting bluer by the second. "Eommoni, why does it have to be so tight?" she asked with a strained groan. Her mother looked at her through the mirror and smiled slightly. 

"Because it looks beautiful!" she said, quickly knotting the strings tightly and stepping back to admire her work. 

"But I-" Ara started. "Now for that rat's nest you call hair..." her mother interrupted. Ara closed her eyes and took as big of a breath her lungs would allow trapped in the confinements of the corset. Slowly releasing it, she reluctantly made her way to the powder room for her mother to "fix" her hair.

"There, now look how gorgeous you are," Ara's mother complimented. Ara examined the top of her head in the mirror. Carefully, as if it were made of glass, she caressed the silk that was once frizzy, untamable hair. She grinned, letting her mother know that she approved of her work- for once.

"Now put on your shoes, we're already running late, she said abruptly, motioning Ara towards the door. Ara obeyed, and soon the Yoon family was sitting in the carriage, on their way to the gathering. Ara's brother, Doojoon, and her father were conversing different 'manly' activities, while her mother began knitting. Ara, however, sat alone, playing with the hems of her dress out of pure boredom. Eventually, she began kicking her feet against the back of her father's seat.

"Ara, please stop it!" he demanded moreso than requested. "Just sit still for the rest of the ride, it's not much farther." This was a problem for Ara. She had never been the type to "sit still." Something inside her wouldn't settle for boredom and motionlessness. But, not wanting to agitate her father further, she restrained herself.

By this time, Doojoon and her father had dropped their conversation. Now all that could be heard was the gentle clicking of her mother's knitting needles. Silence in the Yoon family was never comfortable. When nobody spoke, somebody was expected to pick the conversation back up again or start a new one. Usually, Ara was the one to do so, but today she didn't feel like talking much. She simply dreaded the party she was going to, and Ara hardly ever spoke when seh wasn't happy. She glanced over at Doojoon, dressed in his best suit, with his usually spiky hair combed and gelled back. He was looking out the window absentmindedly, allowing the sun to reflect and bring out his handsome facial features. Ara's brother was handsome. She knew it, too. In fact, she constantly questioned herself as to why he didn't have a girlfriend yet.

Doojoon seemed to notice that she was staring at him, because he turned his head and cocked an eyebrow at Ara. She simply shrugged and looked away, rolling her eyes in the process. Again, Doojoon and his father began another heated debate about god knows what, once again leaving Ara with nothing to do.