Junhyung’s breath was filling the silence as the other two stood in total silence in their seats. His palms were sweating on the wheelchair’s handles. His mind knew something…something was coming up towards him. Something bad. So he muttered out: “No matter what Seung Ho, I’m sorry.”

“Junhyung…”

Even Sang Hyun was watching them now.

“No, listen to me please! I can feel that there’ll be something about me, something hat you never knew till now. So I want to apologize before hand for it!”

“Junhyung, whatever it is, I’m sure it’s not that shocking. Plus, it’s already old news! So, calm down, alright?” Seung Ho smiled from his place. “Sang Hyun…”

But Junhyung could not relax whatsoever… …

❝I gulped as the car stopped in front of a pretty house. “Wait!” I pulled Seung Ho back by his sleeve. “W-what if they don’t…like me?”

He shrugged my hand off. “What if they don’t? It’s not like they’re going to marry you!” And he closed the car’s door behind himself. I sighed. He was really moody! And lately he was more of a jerk! “Coming today?” He opened the door for me.

“Jerk!” I hurried my pace so that I could catch his hand before entering the house.

“Oh, Seung Ho! You came?” A woman with a bright smile appeared as soon as we stepped inside the entrance hallway.

“Mother!”

I remained behind, watching the two of them smiling to each other.

“And you are?” A voice spoke from the side, making me jump two steps back, hitting the door with my back.

“Yah! Yang Seung Hoon! Is this the way you’re treating your future sister-in-law?!” Mrs. Yong came smiling to me. “I apologize sweetheart, on behalf of my son. I never knew I raise such a monkey!” Her hand squeezed mine with such warmth that tears filled my eyes instantly.

“Are you talking about hyung?”

I turned to the one that spoke only to find a strange replica of Seung Ho looking back at me with curios eyes.

“Yah!”

“It’s alright, Mrs. Yang,” I assured her with a smile.

“Let’s go in the living room! I have some warm tea for you two.”

“And for me?” Seung Hoom pouted.

“I’ll give you mine. I’m not fond of tea ever since I met your brother,” I whispered to him.

“Actually, I’m not fond of tea either!” He high-fived me.

“What are you two doing there? Plotting behind my back?” Seung Ho’s head popped from inside the living room. “Lyn Da! Come!” His stretched arm demanded for mine.

“Ay, ay, hyung!” Seung Hoon slapped his forehead. “Since when are you so possessive?”

“Since this woman is having my baby!”

I giggled as he pulled me inside the room. Mrs. Yang was there along with her husband. “H-hello! I’m Baek Lyn Da! S-Seung H-Ho’s…” The words remained blocked inside my throat. I was going to cry soon because of the silence that was filling the room.

“My soon-to-be bride.”

“We know, Seung Ho.”

“E-eh?!” Seung Ho’s mouth flung open. “How come? That Byung Hee…!”

“Can’t blame him! Come Lyn Da! I bet you’re hungry now that you eat for two,” Mrs. Yang took my hand and led me into the kitchen. “I’m sorry. I think I made you look bad out there,” she quickly added as soon as we were away from the men’s ears.

“N-not at all!” I tried to hid my blushing cheeks. The kitchen was all sunny and white, with boiling pots on the cooking machine. “I should be the one to apologize, actually. I’m forcing my way inside your family like this and everything is all of a sudden…”

“You know, Lyn Da, I’m actually grateful to you. Seung Ho needed you in his life without realizing that,” Mrs. Yang smiled while stirring into a pot. I sat on a kitchen chair, watching her moving from one pot to another. “He always wanted to have a family of his own, to be a young father. But he never took the first step, no matter who was the person beside him. But I’m glad you made him come around, Lyn Da. And I don’t think I could have a better daughter-in-law than you!”

“Mrs. Yang!”

Her smile reminded me somehow of my mother’s. Such a gentle being, with warm and soft hands… …

“You can start calling me ‘mother’ from now on!”

“What’s smelling that good?!” Seung Ho interrupted our little moment. “What?”

“Nothing!” We both laughed at his silly expression.

I helped them set the table, but couldn’t do too much since they would force me to sit every five minutes. Really! I could have managed putting few plated on the table! But who could be upset over such a small thing when they were all sun and laughter?!

The dinner? Tasty and funny! Seated between Seung Ho and his younger brother, I had to be careful who’s side I was taking. But I couldn’t keep a straight face for too long as Seung Hoon was telling me more and more interesting things about his brother.

“…I’m telling you! He’s going to kill you! He crunches his teeth in his sleep! Gosh, I can still hear him even after all this time!”

“Yah…” Seung Ho hissed from his place, leaning over me to smack his brother.

“What? I was just saying the truth! What, you no longer crunch your teeth?”

“Let her discover that, alright? And mind your own business, dongsaeng!”

“Did you know that he has magazines?” Seung Hoon’s evil smirk made me laugh.

“Yang Seung Hoon!”

☾♅☾

We entered my house after the midnight, still having smiles plastered to our faces.

“And to think that you were si afraid that they might not like you!” Seung Ho the lights. “You’re such a scared cat!”

“Whatever! Your brother is hilarious! And thanks to him I know so much more about you now. Thank you Lord for giving me such a brother-in-law!”

Seung Ho’s eyes were strange as he looked at me ins silence.

“What?” I dropped my bag on the couch.

“Do you like Seung Hoon?”

“W-what?!”

“I asked you if you like Seung Hoon. You two seemed to get along quite well tonight.”

I couldn’t help but feel hurt by his words. And even so, I chose to put on a tough mask. “What if I like your brother?” I leaned forward, trying to turn it into a teasing session.

But he shrugged me off. “Just pointing out that you seemed to take his side much more often then you took mine. But hey, Seung Hoon is handsome as well!”

“Do I sense some jealousy coming from you?” I lifted his chin with my index finger.

He was slightly pouting. “Jealousy? Please!”

“Oh, Seung Ho, you still don’t know who’s in my heart?” I smiled as I leaned closer to him and sweetly kissed his plump lips. “I have eyes only for you. Remember that, alright?” I cupped his cheek.

He turned his head so that his lips landed on the heel of my hand. “I’m a dummy sometimes and I’ll need you to remind me from time to time that it’s not only the baby that holds us together, but your feelings as well,” he mumbled against my palm, keeping his eyes on my other hand that was casually resting on his thigh.

“Dummy, dummy, dummy!” I giggled, pulling him into a tight hug. “I hope there will be no need for me to remind you of how I feel. I hope you’ll only look into my eyes and remember yourself that I chose you, Yang Seung Ho.” And we remained like that for a couple of seconds. It never crossed my mind to ask him about his feelings for me… …

“Can I stay for the night?”

“You can stay for a lifetime,” I pulled him up the stairs that led to my bedroom.

☾♅☾

The next two weeks became a real whirlpool of shopping, plans and white nights full of nightmares that would wake me up and make me call Seung Ho who was either sleeping in the car on his way to Korea, or in the middle of a concert in Japan. I was left alone to deal with the wedding. His family helped out a lot with the choosing of the venue, the invitations, the decorations and all of that, but the rest was left to me. Small things, but important: the menu, Seung Ho’s outfit and my dress. In my mind, I pictured myself going shopping for the wedding dress together with Seung Ho, but there I was, all alone, trying out wedding dresses for pregnant women. I felt like crying when I saw my big tummy.

“C’mon! Don’t be like that! It looks awesome on you!” Hye Ra handed me me a tissue.

“Yeah, like an elephant in an art museum!” I