Evenstar

17. Family

Saturday came and Dae Eun woke up early to get ready. She felt foggy-brained, sleepless after trying to absorb all Taehyung's content online. His early years after BTS debuted broke her heart. They worked so hard and were exhausted, but they kept on going. He was rejected by many fans because he looked different or stood out too much, and that time when a fan passed him over during a fan meeting made her tear up. By the time she got to the third festa, when he was telling his fans that his grandmother had died while they were on tour in the Philippines, she was sobbing uncontrollably. They were all so young and went through those hard times. There were videos of them collapsing backstage, and one of Taehyung's legs giving out at the end of one concert, but she didn't find any videos of the accident June talked about. There was so much footage, it would take her weeks or months to go through them all.

Dae Eun went through her morning, making her rounds on the farm even while it was still dark outside. She greeted the workers that were starting their day too and chatted with them before heading back home. She was arranging the delivery schedules for their produce when her mobile phone rang. It was an unregistered number.

"Annyeonghaseyo! Ms Kwan Dae Eun?"

"Yes?"

"I'm Jo Iseul from Seoul Comfort Food. I was wondering if you have kimchi that we can order? And fruits in season too?"

Dae Eun was surprised, how did he get her number?

"Yes, we do... but how..."

"A friend referred you to us. When will you be coming over to Seoul so we can discuss arrangements? Please bring some samples."

Dae Eun almost couldn't believe it. She said she'd come to their restaurant next week, after the 21st, her birthday. She was already excited to have them taste their kimchi, which was aged and made from premium Napa cabbage. She would bring dried persimmons too and other fruits and jams.

"Nana! Someone's interested in our produce!" Dae Eun told her as soon as she came into the kitchen.

"Really? Who?" They had already saturated the Geumsan market and nearby areas.

"From Seoul! We'll need to bring them samples next week."

"But that's your birthday!" They had prepared a celebration for Dae Eun, sponsored by her dad, and she was sure Dae Eun would enjoy it.

"We'll go after. Looks like you have something planned for my birthday." She hugged her nana and asked her to fess up.

"You'll know soon enough." Nana smiled. Dae Eun's family would all be going to Europe on her birthday, such a pity, but she would make sure Dae Eun had a grand celebration with her farm family. She felt sad for Dae Eun most of the time and wished she would get married and have her own family. If she were bolder, she'd like to give Mr Kwan a piece of her mind. Ever since Mrs Kwan died, he always drowned himself and his boys with work, and left Dae Eun to manage on her own.

"I'm already excited!" Dae Eun was happy to have this to look forward to. So many good things were happening. It seemed unbelievable to her that they could bring their produce to Seoul. She was proud of their farm products, but her clumsy marketing skills had kept them from expanding outwards. Now she had a chance, and she wondered who the friend was who referred her. She would probably know when she got to Seoul.

After her early morning routine she began getting ready for Ae-Cha's wedding. They had to be at the wedding hall by 10 AM to take pictures with the family and the bride and groom. Then the wedding ceremony would start at eleven and would probably be over by noon. Around 600 guests were expected, and everyone - especially family - was encouraged to look their best. This side of their family was particularly glamorous and well known in their hometown for their luxurious lifestyle, while her own family was more traditionally conservative and lived their life out of the limelight. Her appa always cautioned them about being in the public eye and the focus of unwanted attention.