When the stars align

Past part -II

The Cousin's Wedding 

Author's POV

The house was alive.

There was no other way to describe it. Every corner smelled of marigolds and rose petals, of fresh sweets being made in the kitchen, of incense and oil and the particular warmth that only comes when too many people who love each other are crammed into one space. Voices overlapped everywhere — aunts giving instructions nobody was following, cousins running between rooms, children being chased by their mother.

San had only managed to arrive two days before the wedding, though her cousin had been requesting her presence for at least 10 days prior. Michigan and her research timeline had made that impossible, and she had apologized approximately forty times over text. 

So there San was — in suit, hair half done in bun, decorating house with her sister-in-laws and two cousins for function who were all talking simultaneously about three completely different topics. She had lost track of which conversation she was supposed to be in but was nodding at appropriate intervals, while working.

Then her phone buzzed.

She glanced down.

Mio 😘 — Video Call

She stared at it for one second, looked up at the circle of women around her, and typed quickly.

San: Sorry, I'm busy right now.

The response came within seconds.

Taehyung: 🥺 For me you are always busy.

San bit the inside of her cheek.

San: It's urgent. Give me one second.

Taehyung: It's always urgent with you, woman.

She looked up at her cousin sitting beside her. "I'll be back in two minutes, it's important."

Her cousin gave her a knowing look that San chose not to acknowledge. She slipped away from the group, weaving through the crowded corridor and stepping into the slightly quieter back veranda. She  Video called him.

He picked up immediately.

"Mio."

Tae: "Hmm." His voice was flat.

San: Yah, leave that sulkiness and talk to me.

Tae: Wae? Weren't you busy two seconds ago?

"I was with the ladies."

A pause. The flatness cracked slightly. "What ladies?"

"Sister-in-laws. Cousins. We were doing some household work for the wedding."

"What kind of household work?"

" Decoration. The house looks beautiful actually – everything smells like marigolds and there's sweets being made in the kitchen and—" she stopped herself, realizing she was rambling. "Why are you asking?"

"Casually "

"What are you wearing? Show me, Keep phone a little away."

San blinked. "Why?"

" I want to see you properly."

"Taehyung, I'm not in good outfit, dust is all over me because of the dusting and decorating. You won't want to see —"

" Then, I surely need to see, how domestic you look" he said in dreamy voice.

"Absolutely not. There are forty people in this house."