baby steps.

“I can’t even stand to look at her face,” Miyoon scowled as she stuffed chips into . She chomped on them aggressively yet carefully.

“Well, you’re going to have to get use to it. I overheard Hyunri noona already talking about marriage to my parents.” Myungsoo narrated.

“Oh my—kill me now.” She groaned and as though she had heard her snide comment, Hyunri glanced over to Miyoon and sent her a fake smile. She cuddled in closer to Kris and Miyoon gagged. “Why did she have to come?”

“Because this is a family’s new year’s party.” He answered, swiftly.

“So then why am I here?” she questioned. “And Sungyeol and Sungjong and Woohyun and—”

“I get it, I get it.” He stated, cupping . “It’s because you guys are my best friends, duh. Too bad Hoya hyung had to work.” Myungsoo explained, playfully as he thumped her forehead.

“Right,” she clucked her tongue and dusted her hands. After a week she learned to tune out that name.

This was the first year Myungsoo’s parents decided to host a party which was less grand than the one the Wu’s had held not even a week ago. Because it only consisted of family and close friends, there was no need for fancy food and elegant clothing.

People wore whatever they wanted, usually something they found comfortable and for Miyoon that was a pair of jeans that covered half of her abdomen; the kind that was really popular in the eighties and nineties. As a top, she had on a knitted pale-blue sweater which covered her chest and the rest of her skin. For shoes she pranced around in plain white vans that she hadn’t miraculously dirtied yet. Her hair was wrapped around into a neat and tidy bun, leaving nothing to hinder her view.

This was what Miyoon preferred to wear over dresses and skirts. And thankfully, the Kims did not mind one bit. With her eyes darting around the room, Miyoon noticed that even though they weren’t required to dress up, nearly half of the people there did so anyways. Especially the females. Miyoon sighed and shook her head. She should have expected this from a prestigious family.

She glanced down at her shoes which had come undone. “Seriously? I double-knotted it.” She whined.

“Double-knotted what?” Myungsoo asked, leaning against the table looking suave. Miyoon looked up and pointed to her untied shoe. She really wasn’t in the mood to crouch down and retie it, but if she didn’t the probability of her falling on her face and being humiliated would be even higher than it already was.

She surrendered and when she was about to squat, Myungsoo had beaten her to it. He knelt down in front of her on one knee, resembling the stance for a marriage proposal. Miyoon’s heart battered her chest as it pounded, recklessly, against it. Her fingers began to hook onto one another as she watched him tie the laces for her.

When he had finished, they met eyes and he smiled.  Everyone’s pupils dilated as they observed the two and then a thunder applaud consumed the room. “Aigoo! Our son is finally professing his love for our daughter-in-law!” Mrs. Kim squealed, excitedly.

Their gazing was disrupted as Miyoon blushed like crazy seeing his entire family and their friends, grinning at them like fools. Myungsoo straightened up and threw an arm around her, “Eh? Daughter-in-law? Omma, Xia is more like an actual daughter.” The crowd booed and he shrugged, “It’s true. She’s a member of the Kim family already, isn’t that right dongsaeng?”

Her heart went cold as she tried to smile, “Haha that’s right. Like I’d marry this doofus.” She chuckled, insincerely elbowing his ribs.

“Yah,” Myungsoo pouted.

“Well, if we can’t have you as a daughter-in-law we’re satisfied with having you as a daughter.” Mr. Kim agreed. Miyoon could only nod as the folks chuckled and giggled before returning to what they were originally doing. “Which means we do have a say in who our son-in-law will be.”

“Neh, samch—”

The elder cut her off, “I thought we just established our new found relationship status? I think after all these years it will be more than alright if you started calling us appa and omma, if you want to of course.”

“Ah jinjja? Arasso, appa, omma.” Miyoon spoke a little foreign to the suggestion. The couple nodded, eagerly as they returned to tend to their relatives who came a long way to visit them.

“But I want to be your daughter-in-law much more,” she muttered, sadly.

“What was that?” Myungsoo turned away from a conversation he was holding with Woohyun.

“Nothing.” She lied and without notice she bolted out of there.

“What’s wrong with Miyoon?” Woohyun blinked.

“Probably has to use the bathroom or something.” Myungsoo chuckled, shaking his head.

“Ah, so is that girl you were telling us about earlier coming?” Woohyun grinned, winking repeatedly at him.

Blush crept up Myungsoo’s face as his body burned up. “Sh-she said she’d drop by if she has time.”

“And when are you going to tell Miyoon? I’m pretty sure she still doesn’t know,” Woohyun commented. The latter turned to the direction of his best friend and sighed. He felt a little uneasy and didn’t know why. He thought it was perhaps because he was afraid Miyoon would be upset with him for not telling her of the news sooner. I mean they told each other everything. So how could he hold something as vital as this?

But truth was Myungsoo just couldn’t tell her. That was the only reason plausible.There was never a perfect timing and deep on the inside, a part of him didn’t want her to know. Why can’t I just tell her? Aish, Kim Myungsoo.

“Aish, why can’t I just tell him more than a brother?” Miyoon asked herself, standing at the far end of the room. She looked at the stars and closed her eyes, hoping, wishing, and praying for a miracle of some sort. She just really wanted to get everything off of her chest.

When Miyoon opened her eyes, she was greeted by a shoot star. fell agape as she quickly dropped her lids. Please give me the courage to tell Myungsoo how I truly feel about him.

“Hey, what are you doing?” his voice chided rather closely. Miyoon whipped her head in his direction but because he was leaning in so close, their foreheads ended up banging into each other.

“Ow,” both Miyoon and Myungsoo winced.

“If you didn’t want to answer you could have ignored me,” he pointed out as he comforted the sore spot.

“No one told you to stand so close to me.” She retaliated.

“I can’t help it. It’s like you have this strong gravitational force that’s pulling me in.” he cheesed. However, Miyoon could only scoff.

“Physics are never the way to go when you’re trying to pick up a girl.” She snorted and then that smile of his seemed like the only thing she could see at the moment. Miyoon’s stomach began to fill up with butterflies while her heart rate increased at least five times the normal speed.

was lounging open just begging for her to do it already. Miyoon swallowed without batting an eyelash which was amusing to Myungsoo who was observing her. “Xia, did you see a ghost or something?” her head swayed, slowly, side to side. “Bigfoot?” again the same action. “Your future husband?” Miyoon was caught off guard by that one therefore her response was delayed and hesitant.

She didn’t know how to answer that. I guess now would be a perfect time. Xiazi, just say yes and then tell Myungsoo that it’s him. She inhaled a sharp breath of air, she was prepared and ready. There was no backing down; this was a one way road now.

Miyoon nodded her head and Myun