Before SoLin could answer, they turned to see a blue car pull up the road and park in front of their house. Three doors opened but Jeremy bounded up the hill first. He ran in circles, very excited, as TaeKyung and ShinWoo walked up behind him. They stopped when Matt stepped out of the house with squeezable ketchup bottles in his hands.

No one liked getting condiments on their clothes.

Matt smiled, “Looks like we’ll have help. Come on back, you guys,” he added, stepping aside so that people could pass him to get through the door, into the house.

Jeremy swallowed and asked, “Do we have to go into the house?”

TaeKyung shook his head, “No. Go MiNam, GoMiNyu, let’s go.”

SoLin stood and frowned, “I invite you guys to dinner and this is how you reject me?”

From either sides of the house, Ruth and Jaci appear, holding super soaker guns that were fully loaded with liquid. “That’s not nice,” Ruth stated, pointing her gun at the guys.

Jaci raised hers as well, “Not nice at all.”

TaeKyung looked very annoyed but ShinWoo stated, “Staying for dinner might not be too bad.”

TaeKyung looked from the girls to Matt, and then, from within the house, everyone heard TaeJin shout, “Get your butts back here!”

Jeremy obeyed, followed by ShinWoo, and last went TaeKyung. Through the house, into the spacious kitchen that opened up to the backyard, where three barbeque stands were live with hot coals. TaeJin turned from her station and commanded, “Put on an apron and grab a tong. We’re barbequing tonight.”

They did as she said without protest. Matt chatted merrily with Jeremy as Ruth watched over TaeKyung and Jaci watched over ShinWoo. Every so often, ShinWoo would steal a glance at TaeJin, and when Jaci caught him, she asked, “Do you like her?”

ShinWoo shook his head and replied, “I think I hate her.”

Jaci smiled and asked, “Why? Because she’s better than you at the guitar?” ShinWoo blushed and then Jaci laughed out loud. “Everyone is jealous of her, but if you work hard, you can become better than her,” she added and then walked over to TaeJin for more meat.

TaeJin actually smiled and laughed with her friends, careful to stay away from the three members of A.N.Jell. When SoLin appeared, MiNam and MiNyu followed her. SoLin smiled and rubbed TaeJin’s head affectionately as MiNyu watched and smiled. SoLin, then turned and pat MiNyu affectionately on the head.

TaeKyung noticed but remained silent. But TaeJin noticed his glare, and so, she smiled and handed MiNyu a plate of meat, “Please ask your boyfriend to cook these.”

MiNyu blushed and nodded, “Yes, Eonni.” She stepped back and then walked over to TaeKyung as Ruth left and walked back to TaeJin.

“He’s so closed minded,” Ruth stated, shaking her head. “He seems to think you guys are going to steal his girl away,” she added, covering the cooked meat with tin foil.

SoLin sighed, “If she can sing as well as SoJin, I’d like to see if she wants to join Smooth Edges. Then Matt can be bumped to second electric and that would make the sound different,” she added quite thoughtfully.

TaeJin and Ruth looked at SoLin, “So you had it all planned out, eh?” Ruth asked dryly.

SoLin laughed and nudged Ruth, “Honestly, that’s how the band would have been if her mother came with me when I first started. I always had it in mind, she simply fit into my structure,” she added smoothly.

TaeJin rolled her eyes and added, “What my Mom is failing to say is that, you’re irreplaceable, Ruth!” TaeJin reached over and grabbed Ruth, kissing the top of her head as they laughed. 

ShinWoo caught this, though. He frowned and then asked Jaci, “Does TaeJin like women?”

Jaci looked up at him and then to Ruth, who hung onto TaeJin affectionately, and laughed out loud. She grabbed her sides and fell to her knees, laughing so hard. Matt hurried over and tried to help her up, “What’s up? What’s the joke?” he asked.

Jaci panted as she repeated, “He asked if… TaeJin… was… lez…” she stopped and continued to laugh as Matt joined in the laughter. ShinWoo tried not to look at them but he couldn’t help but wonder why they laughed so hard.

Later, while everyone sat around a long picnic table connected to the front patio table, in comfortable and makeshift chairs, Ruth asked, “Why were you guys dying while cooking?”

Jaci looked at Matt and then replied, “I was asked what TaeJin’s romantic preference was.” The entire circle was silent.

TaeJin was mid bite when she heard it and looked up at Jaci, “How did you answer?”

Jaci giggled and replied, “You saw my answer.”

To make matters more confusing, Matt added, “It doesn’t help that your fan base consists of many of questionable preferences.”

TaeJin rolled her eyes and stated, “I’m straight and I prefer men. However,” she added, and then smiled, “it’s not like I’ve ever dabbled on the other side.”

To this, Ruth, Jackie, and Matt shared, “Ooh!!!”

SoLin laughed and shook her head, “What if your father were to hear that?” And then she added, for the others, “One of Smooth Edges’ selling point is the ambiguity of TaeJin’s preferences. Because she is pure without any scandals, it makes her more desirable by everyone,” she added casually. “That’s the strongest marketing point for my little girl,” she added affectionately.

TaeJin smiled and continued eating. TaeKyung noticed the lull in the conversation and then asked, “So, how do you know their parents, Lee SoLin-sshi?”

SoLin smiled and replied, “I am their aunt.” Off of several blank stares, she elaborated, “I am the fraternal twin of their mother. Twins run in our family.” When they turned to TaeJin, SoLin added, “Her brother is in America with my husband.” She left it at that.

TaeJin smiled and then sighed, “I’m sure he’d come right away if he knew about MiNam and MiNyu.”

SoLin nodded, “He would be fascinated, I’m sure.” And then she put down her plate and stated, “Tomorrow, I will take TaeJin to pay my respects at the graves of your parents.”

MiNam and MiNyu traded glances, and then MiNam asked, “Why? It’s not time yet,” he added carefully.

SoLin smiled, “I don’t celebrate their death days, I celebrate her birthday. Did you know,” she added with a mischievous look, “that her birthday is tomorrow?”

MiNam and MiNyu looked at each other and then MiNyu asked, “Really? Can we go with you?”

SoLin nodded, “Yes, but family only. We like to keep it personal and intimate.” She eyed TaeKyung, ShinWoo, and Jeremy, before she added, “But if the guys can hang out with the rest of our members, that might be fun.” Based off of TaeKyung’s look of annoyance, she added, “Or not.”

ShinWoo suddenly spoke up, “I’m sure we can figure something out. It would be nice to jam with another group,” he added.

Jeremy nodded, “I agree!”

TaeKyung turned to MiNyu, who smiled reassuringly up at him. “Sure, why not?” he conceded.

TaeJin sighed and added, “Let tomorrow be a practice for a future jam session. I want to be there for a real one.” She leveled her gaze with ShinWoo for the briefest of moments before she picked up another piece of meat.

ShinWoo, though having put down his plate, also reached for another one, glaring at her every once in a while. He couldn’t help but feel as though she challenged him and he wasn’t about to back down. Meanwhile, SoLin stood and waved to the rest, “I’ll bring down some photo albums.” She hurried into the house.

Jeremy smiled, “Today is fun!”

Out of the silence, TaeJin blurted out, “My mom really misses Aunt SoJin. When she lost her sister and the two of you, she thought her life was over. It was very hard on her,” she added, and then looked up at MiNam and MiNyu and added, “I think being around you guys makes her feel like she has her sister back.”

TaeJin sighed and stopped eating. She looked at ShinWoo and grumbled, “You win, okay?” She her fingers and then got up from the table. She dumped her plate into the trash bag and walked into the house.

Everyone looked at ShinWoo, who took one more bite and then chewed on his food before swallowing. He hadn’t meant to really force her to eat more, but he had noticed that he did eat more than her. So, he stopped eating.

Ruth rolled her eyes and got up, Jaci followed, leaving Matt with the others. Jeremy looked at Matt and then asked, “You’re not going with them?”

Matt shrugged, “They’ll be back.” He smiled and walked over to a patch of grass covered by the shade of surrounding trees and laid down.

He was very still for a while and then Jeremy wandered over. He hurried back to his friend and stated, “He’s asleep.”

TaeKyung rolled his eyes and stood, “We should go, too.”

But, at that moment, SoLin reappeared with four thick photo albums. Behind her, TaeJin followed with a large cushion often used by dogs, with Ruth and Jaci following her. She walked past the table and dropped the large cushion on the grass close to Matt. She took off her shoes and sat down. She laid back and closed her eyes.

Ruth laid down at the edge of the cushion, using it as a pillow, on her back, and Jaci used Ruth’s stomach as a pillow. The group, if anything, looked like puppies sleeping under the sun. MiNyu smiled and asked SoLin, “Isn’t it bad to lay down after eating meat?”

SoLin looked over at them and then shook her head, “They’ll make up for it later. It’s been so hectic on them, they’ll be up in a bit. No worries,” she added, and then placed the four albums on the table. She turned to the boys and added, “You guys can relax inside if you don’t like the grass.”

Jeremy smiled, “I’ll hang out with them,” he stated quickly and hurried over so as to lay a few feet away from Matt, on the other side of all the females. He sat up and waved to ShinWoo, but ShinWoo waved him off.