Just A Few Numbers Away

Chapter 106

The Root of the Tree

​The thick, heavy heat of the summer month had fully settled over the bustling concrete expanse of Seoul.

Yet, inside the quiet, sun-drenched apartment of Yoongi's parents, the air remained crisp, cool and richly perfumed with the comforting aroma of toasted sesame oil and home.

​Weeks had passed since the "Ghost of the Mall" had boarded his flight back to the Philippines.

The digital echoes of that night at People the Terrace had faded into the archives of legendary celebrity moments, replaced by the rhythmic, daily hum of their real lives.

​Aen stood at the granite counter, her linen sleeves rolled up to her elbows as she carefully julienned vegetables into uniform ribbons.

Beside her, Yoongi's mother-the woman she had tentatively begun calling Eommonim during that snowy Christmas in Daegu-was moving with the effortless grace of someone who had spent decades nourishing a family.

​In the living room, the low, steady rumble of Yoongi's voice could be heard as he talked with his father.

It was a peaceful sound-the sound of a son who no longer carried the weight of the world on his shoulders, but was simply a man discussing life with the one who raised him.

​Aen glanced at the older woman, her heart doing a small, nervous skip.

Even though she had been welcomed with open arms, the weight of the upcoming wedding felt immense.

She didn't just want to be a bride; she wanted to be a Min.

​"Eommonim?" Aen started, her voice soft, hesitant.

​Yoongi's mother paused, her eyes crinkling with a smile.

"Yes, Aen-ah?"

​"The... the Pyebaek," Aen began, focusing very hard on the carrots in front of her.

"I've been reading about the traditional ceremony after the main wedding. I know we are doing the modern ceremony first, but... I want to make sure I do the traditional part correctly. I don't want to make any mistakes when I greet the family in the Hanbok."

​The older woman set down her knife, her expression softening into something deeply maternal.

She reached out, covering Aen's hand with her own.

​"You are worried about the dates and the chestnuts?" Yoongi's mother asked with a gentle laugh.

​Aen nodded, a flush creeping up her neck.

"I want to honor your traditions properly. I am a Filipina, and I know I have much to learn about being a Korean daughter-in-law. I don't want to embarrass Yoongi... or you and Abeonim."

​"Aen-ah," Yoongi's mother said, her voice firm but kind.

"Yoongi didn't choose you because of how well you can bow or catch a date in a silk skirt. He chose you because you are the only person who makes his heart quiet. But," she squeezed Aen's hand, "if you want to learn, I will teach you. Every bow, every gesture. We will make sure that when you wear the Won-sam, you look like you were always meant to be here."

​Aen felt a lump form in her throat, the kindness in her mother-in-law's eyes grounding her more than any "System" ever could.

She leaned in closer, a shy, conspiratorial flush creeping up her neck as she glanced toward the living room where Yoongi and Abeonim were still deep in conversation.