[EDITING]
When Jeon Jeongguk's sister gets engaged to his friend's brother, almost everything changes.
Desperate to hold onto a fragile friendship, Jeongguk is willing to get himself into sticky situations--even to the point of ruining his sister's...
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Chapter Twenty-Six: The Engagement Party
He stared at himself in the mirror and adjusted his jacket for about the fifth time. He knew it looked fine, he knew he should head downstairs, that it was past seven and that, as the younger brother of the to-be bride, he should be beside her kissing his aunts on the cheek. They would wonder where he was, he was sure of it. He imagined them freezing up, hands grasping the air instead of his upper arms, their lips wondering where to land if not for his cheeks, their blinking eyes feigning confusion. It would be cruel to put them in such a position, but his feet seemed glued to this very spot, in front of the mirror, and again he adjusted his jacket, his tie, his hair and his father's necklace. He then shrugged, snapping out of it and, before exiting the safety of his bedroom, grabbed his camera from his bedside table.
He already felt worn out for today, what with all the hectic preparations that had been going on since the crack of dawn; people running around, cooking, baking, picking up the flowers, cleaning the house from top to bottom, setting everything up, all the glasses and the plates, making sure there was enough seating and that everything was in its place. As Jeongguk looked down from the top of the stairs, he allowed himself to feel proud of the foyer, as there he had spent the majority of his day. Not a single piece of fluff was to be seen that wasn't supposed to be there and the shrine he had put up with photographs of Jeongyeon and Namjoon among with a guest book looked positively splendid.
Looking at it, he had to take a deep breath in, to prepare himself. The house was packed. The home, which usually was occupied with three people only (although often more than that, due to his mother's love for guests), now swarmed with people; some he knew, such as Jeongyeon's family and friends, but others, those who were apart of Namjoon's social circle, he didn't. The closet had been emptied so that the guests could hang up their overcoats and jackets – not that anyone in their right mind would dress that way in the pounding heat outside as summer bid its hello – nevertheless it was full (of mostly shawls and bags).
As he walked down the stairs, trying his best to take pictures, although it was challenging, the smell of grilled meat and baked goods surrounded him and he realised, as his stomach growled, that he was hungry. He had not eaten anything today. His mouth watered at the thought of the breadbaskets, the dumplings, the cakes and mochi that were just waiting to be eaten.
With his eye through the viewfinder, he focused on the middle of the room, where white flowers stood tall in a clear vase: roses and another type of flower that resembled pompoms. Scattered around were gifts of various sizes, despite the fact the couple had insisted none were necessary. He looked at the picture and tutted, it was too hectic. There were so many people it was hard to find symmetry, something steady for the eye to look at.
He walked down a few steps and stopped. On the other side of the room, near the entrance, stood Jeongyeon and Namjoon, welcoming in the guests. Jeongyeon was wearing a clean-cut, off the shoulder, black dress. She had on a silver necklace. Namjoon was wearing a beige sweater and tailored pants – and he looked perfectly scholarly. Jeongguk, without them noticing, snapped a picture of them, making sure to zoom in enough so that only them and the person, a friend of theirs from university, was visible. It achieved the desired effect. The photograph looked more intimate, the ambience between the three friends was warm, almost glowing.
