“Can’t we just put it off for another week? A month? Maybe next year?” Sera pleaded as she tried to pry off Luhan’s hands from buttoning his white long-sleeved polo. “Not a chance.” Her boyfriend of two going on three years simply chuckled as he picked a black tie to go along with it.

It was Luhan’s brother’s engagement party; and being the royal-like family that they are, they had to make it an extravagant fête. And by extravagant, it meant: holding the banquet in the most luxurious among all the hotels owned by none other than the Lu Family, having the elite of the elite as guests, dressing impressively instead of comfortably and meeting the entire Lu Family – the part that she dreaded the most.

“I didn’t mean the party. I meant…me, us.”

“You want a break?” He asked flabbergasted, and a bit too exaggeratingly just to . He knew all too well how nervous she gets in front of a big crowd, and she feared that if she met the rest of his relatives in such a grand celebration she’d turn to stone at the first question thrown at her. Actually, he too was worried – not because she might embarrass herself but because his relatives might harass her. They were quite fastidious, meticulous and to top it off, nosy. It irked him to no end because they acted as if the immediate family’s wealth was theirs as well. Most of them were just a bunch of joy riders who had no manners. Sera would be the first girlfriend he’d ever formally introduce to the whole family, and he didn’t want her to go through all the stress.

“No! That’s not what I meant! I-ugh you know what I mean stop bullying me Luhan…” Sera whined as he laughed, directing her hands to adjust his tie. ‘I could get used to this.’ He thought.

She dropped her hands after and heaved a sigh. Luhan’s eyes softened as he stared at the creases forming on her forehead. He lifted his right hand, his fingertips trying to smooth away the lines. They trailed down a bit to cup her left cheek. “Baby, you’ll be perfectly fine. Trust me.” His thumb caressed her flawless skin, and he melted at how beautiful his woman was.        

“That’s what you said when you brought me to meet the important Lu’s. I ended up starting a fire in your kitchen and fire extinguishing your mom!” She cried dramatically. He couldn’t help but laugh at the memory while she dwelled in her misery.

She vividly remembered her first dinner at his house after a year of being together.

Sera wasn’t one of the less fortunate, but she didn’t belong in the influential world either. She was just a simple med student Luhan took a liking to during a medical conference he had to oversee as training in one of their hotels. At the time, he still wasn’t recognized as the second son, so she had no idea who he was. She didn’t know that a cup of coffee would serve as an entrance ticket to such a world. More so, she didn’t think she’d make it as far as his parents’ mansion to meet his family.

She was uncontrollably shaking in fear at the possibility of a cliché drama wherein the parents wouldn’t support the chaebol heir dating a middle-class lady. Lucky her, his family was made up of warmhearted and open-minded people who wanted to welcome her into the family. But because she had the idea of a scrutinizing one in her mind, she ended up making a fool of herself, thinking that all their efforts to make her feel comfortable were to interrogate her and make her feel small that she’d leave.

When she was asked to join the ladies – Luhan’s mother and his brother’s girlfriend – she thought that that was part of the plan to corner her. She ended up misusing the stove and causing a fire. In an attempt to fix it, she grabbed the fire extinguisher and in panic carelessly directed it around the kitchen – including the mom.

‘Oh, the horror.’ She thought as she mentally bricked herself. 

She closed her eyes, waiting for a furious Mrs. Lu to shriek and to force her out, but all she got was a laugh.

She glared at his bright expression. “What? It’s funny! They found it funny. They really liked you because they found you very amusing….also because that was the first time they saw the kitchen counter on fire as well as someone using the fire extinguisher, and at Ma too.”

“I hate you.” She crinkled her nose, trying to get away from his hold. “I love you too.” He grinned, pulling her closer. “And the ‘important Lu’s’ love you as well.” He added.

“Can’t I just call in sick?”

“What is this, school? Zhixin Ge and Shen Shen wouldn’t want you to miss their engagement party. The ‘important Lu’s’ would be incomplete then.”

The last statement warmed Sera’s heart even though Luhan said it nonchalantly. He glanced at his wristwatch and saw that they only had two hours till the event. “Now go get dressed.” He nudged her to their walk-in closet. She heavily trudged to the door while he chuckled at how adorable she was and wore his black coat.       

_________

Luhan wrapped an arm around Sera’s waist as they enjoyed a glass of champagne with the engaged couple. “Absolutely stunning.” He whispered in her ear. She wore a white fitting long-sleeved dress laced with intricate gold patte