XLIV. MIHYANG'S BIRTHDAY BASH

"Happy birthday, creator!"

Gyeoul carefully sat on her mother's lap like she was still a child and placed a sloppy kiss on her cheek.

Wrapping her arms around her daughter's waist, "Did you rent out that bouncy castle I wanted?" Gyeoul nodded with a grin. Mihyang's eyes lit up with excitement and tightened her arms around her. "Have I ever told you that you're the most beautiful piece of art that I've ever created?"

"What do you want for your birthday other than that godforsaken bouncy castle?"

"A grandchild."

Already used to her mother's attitude, Gyeoul only scrunched her nose and patted her mother's head before standing up.

Chuwon walked into the living room and placed a mug of coffee for Mihyang on the center table. "What time is your bitchy sister coming over?" His wife glared at him. "Sorry, slip of the tongue. I meant, baby sister."

"Dajung is coming any second now," she sighed, sipping on the coffee Chuwon gave her. She turned to Gyeoul and raised an eyebrow, "And you better prepare yourself to tell her that you're together with Taehyung. She's not gonna be happy about that, that's for sure."

Instant dread punched her in the gut. How stupid of her to forget that she still had to tell her aunt about her relationship. She's been too happy these past few weeks that it completely slipped her mind.

Excusing herself from her parents, Gyeoul went back to her room with her mood tremendously deflated. Her excitement to see Taehyung and his family again dimmed into worry. It wasn't that she was scared of her aunt, it was because her aunt was her second mother. She was a huge factor that contributed to where Gyeoul was at that moment.

Like she would with her parents, she wanted her approval. Although it wouldn't hinder her relationship with Taehyung if she doesn't, it would make her happy if she did.

She took her phone from her nightstand and texted someone before she would go to find an outfit for her mother's birthday bash. Putting it down, she went to her closet and tried to find something appropriate for the occasion. Since there was a bouncy castle, she had to wear something on the looser side—

"Would it kill you to redecorate sometime? This room has never changed since you were nineteen."

Gyeoul blinked upon hearing her aunt's voice. She inwardly sighed and stepped away from her closet, smiling at her.

"Imo, you're a bit too early for the party," she commented, walking up to her with her hands linked behind her.

Her aunt hummed, pulling out her swivel chair and sitting there. "Do you have some wine?"

"It's 9 AM."

"I'm sure it's happy hour somewhere, dearest."

Gyeoul chuckled, sitting down on her bed. "How was France?"

The question triggered her aunt to roll her eyes, "If only my students were as bearable as you, everything would have been perfect."

"I'm sure you're exaggerating. Everyone has their own capacities, and if your students are enrolled to be taught by you, then they're probably very talented."

Dajung narrowed her eyes at her niece, "You're buttering me up. Are you not telling me something?"

Was this woman a secret agent or something? she thought, furrowing her eyebrows. "I'm not buttering you up."

But her aunt didn't look convinced. "Okay, then how is that performance director stuff going for you? I still feel like you're better off without them. How much is your salary? If it isn't far off from the money you gain from your workshops then being an in-house choreographer isn't worth it. Just saying."

"I won't specify my salary, but I earn less than a regular performance director because I'll be given three months every year—"

"And don't get me started on those dating rumors. One of my students showed me a picture of your xiaolongbao and asked if you were dating him. It's annoying. I don't want you to get recognized for something like that."

Gyeoul smiled slightly. Her aunt may not like her choices, but it was all reasonable factors that even she couldn't deny. But she could handle herself.

"By the way, how is Taehyung? He's showing up later with his family, right?"

"Taehyung's doing well. His family's probably on his way right now, but he'll show up a bit late with some of the other members because of work."

Dajung raised her eyebrows, "His members are coming? Does that include that J-Hope boy?"

The younger woman wasn't surprised that her aunt asked that. Everybody loves Hobi.

"He will," Gyeoul smiled. She shifted on her spot on the edge of the bed. Her aunt stayed silent, picking up that Gyeoul had something to say. "Speaking of Taehyung—"

"He got you pregnant, didn't he?" Dajung assumed before her niece could say anything. Gyeoul looked at her incredulously. "No wonder you're glowing. Did he take responsibility? I want grandchildren, naturally, but I didn't expect it to happen before you got married."

What is with the Sim sisters and grandchildren?

Gyeoul smiled awkwardly, "I'm not pregnant, but I'll take that part where you said I'm glowing as a compliment."

"Then what about Taehyung?"

"You know how people back then used to say that we'd be together when we grow up?" She watched as her aunt's expression morphed into a look of exasperation upon realizing what she was going to say. "Well, those people were right."

Dajung pursed her lips, looking at her unblinkingly for a few seconds just in case Gyeoul would suddenly laugh and say that it was only a joke. But none of that happened. She kissed her teeth and shook her head before standing up.

"You do know what this would mean for your career right?" she frowned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "One slip-up and everything you worked for will go down the drain. At least Taehyung has the capacity to recover from a scandal, but you don't! Don't make your life harder for yourself for god's sake."

"I know, I've thought about the consequences long before and—"

She glared at Gyeoul, "Don't you say anything about not caring about what others think of you. It doesn't matter that you don't care because others will! That will only ruin every bit of your success. Don't come crying to me when it all falls to shit. I raised you better than this."

With that, she shook her head at her and left the room.

Heaving out a sigh, Gyeoul stood up and continued to do what she was doing before her aunt came in to greet her. Her aunt can be a little stern sometimes and Gyeoul was used to it. Hopefully, she'd change her mind by the end of the day. She could only wish that her aunt wouldn't be a snob to Taehyung when the time comes.

❆

"Tannie!"

The small dog wiggled excitedly in Taejun's arms, eager to run towards the dancer. He got too a little out of control and Taejun had to put Yeontan down.

Gyeoul crouched down and Yeontan launched himself into her arms. She laughed, throwing her head back as he tried to lick her face. Once he calmed down, she put him down and continued to scratch and pet him to his heart's content.

"She's more excited to see the dog than see us," Ryuwon commented, looking at the dancer with a raised eyebrow.

She stood up, smiling sheepishly at Taehyung's mother. Yeontan jumped up, his front paws on her calf as he barked. Unable to resist the cute dog, she picked him up before walking toward the family. Taeri wrapped her in a back hug as soon as she was close enough.

"It's nice seeing you again, eomoni," she greeted, leaning in as the mother pressed her cheek against hers. "Did you all get here okay?"

Sangkyu stepped up and patted Gyeoul's head with a gentle smile, "We did. Is Taehyung here already?"

Taejun smiled at her and opened his arms, silently saying that he'll carry Yeontan inside. "Is the bouncy castle already inflated?"

"Taehyung and the other aren't here yet and my mother's already in the bouncy castle," she answered with a lighthearted chuckle, kissing Yeontan's head before handing him over to the boy. "We can put him down inside."

For her mother's birthday, Gyeoul rented out a lake house on the outskirts of Seoul since there were a lot of people coming over and her mother wanted space for a bouncy castle. Other than Taehyung's family, Mr. Seo, Hiromi, and some of the other BTS members were coming over.

They entered the lake house and Taejun set Yeontan on the wooden floor. Inside the lake house was her father who was preparing their food in the kitchen. Gyeoul momentarily left him earlier to open the door for Taehyung's family. Outside the house was her mother on the bouncy castle, and Mr. Seo and Hiromi lounging on the chairs under the pergola.

Hiromi's ears perked up as she heard someone walking out of the house from the back door, momentarily pausing her conversation with Mr. Seo. Her eyes landed on a pretty girl around her age. Blinking, her lips parted slightly.

Suddenly, the girl's head turned in her direction.

Pink tinted her cheeks as Hiromi held her gaze for a few seconds before looking away, resuming her conversation with the elderly man.

Taeri smiled, excusing herself from Gyeoul and her family and jogging over to the pergola where Mr. Seo and the girl was sitting. "Mr. Seo! It's nice to see you again." She was talking to the old man yet her gaze kept flickering to the girl who looked as if she was more interested in the floor than anything else.

"Have you grown taller?" Mr. Seo chuckled, gesturing for her to sit on the empty chair near Hiromi. "This is Hiromi, she's Gyeoul's guest. Hiromi, this is Taeri, she's Taehyung's sister."

The girl shyly waved at Taeri with a tight smile. "Hello."

Inside the house, Gyeoul went back to helping her father around in the kitchen while Ryuwon and Taejun ran out of the house to keep her mother company in the bouncy castle. Sangkyu watched them as he washed his hands, a fond smile plastered on his face.

"And off they go," he commented quietly in an announcer voice. He turned to Gyeoul who was breading the cordon bleu. "How has my son been treating you, Gyeoul? Has he made any stupid decisions yet?"

The thought of Taehyung made an involuntary smile bloom on her face. "Nothing changed much from we were still friends. He was as caring to me as he was before. Our treatment of each other just became romantic, in some sense. He's still my best friend."

Her father hummed, stirring something from a steaming pot. "Friendship is always a good foundation for a relationship."

"What time are they coming over?" Sangkyu asked. He approached her and motioned her to go away. "Let me handle that, chef."

"Around 3 PM, I think. It depends on the traffic," Gyeoul answered, stepping aside as Sangkyu offered to bread the cordon bleu instead.

Contrary to her prediction, Taehyung and the others arrived an hour and a half later.

They could already hear the clinks of the metal utensils against the plates when they got there.

Taehyung grimaced as they took their shoes off at the entrance. He led his other members inside and their sights went straight to different things.

Jimin and Jungkook's eyes went straight to the bouncy castle seen through the large windows of the house while Hoseok's eyes went to a small dog that approached him with a wagging tail. Meanwhile, Taehyung's eyes were stuck on a certain someone.

The most beautiful woman he's ever beheld appeared in his line of sight and talked to someone while wearing a fatally heartstopping smile plastered across her heavenly features. His jaw dropped slightly into a subconscious open smile as he watched her tilt her head back laughing at whatever that person said. The dulcet sound of her laugh made his heart clench into this euphoric ache, leaving him weak in the knees.

"Wow," he breathed out, catching his members' attention. "Who's that beautiful girl over there?"

Jimin tore his gaze away from the bouncy castle that was calling his name and looked in the direction Taehyung had his eyes on. Was this guy stupid? "That's your girlfriend," he deadpanned, narrowing his eyes at him.

Taehyung smiled giddily, "That's right. That's my girl."

With that, Taehyung jogged over to the table and greeted them, giving Gyeoul a 'friendly' head pat before sitting down on the seat she saved for him. Jimin was floored. He was left there with his nose scrunched, a part of him inwardly dying of cringe. He decided to let it slide, knowing that his best friend couldn't brag about his girlfriend other than to a group of select people.

"How cheesy," Hoseok snorted, patting Jimin's back before going over to the same table.

Gyeoul poured Taehyung a glass of water and continued her conversation with a stunned Hiromi who gaped at the four members of her favorite group. Taehyung smiled sweetly at her before he piled his plate with food. After he did so, he put another two slices of cordon bleu on her plate, earning an appreciative smile from her.

Sim Dajung watched the whole interaction, it was hard not to, considering they were right in front of her. Taehyung seemed to have sensed her burning gaze and turned in her direction. Once he did, he smiled at her, that same smile she always received more than a decade ago. That was her niece's childhood best friend, there was no doubt.

"You look like you never aged since I last saw you, Ms. Sim," Taehyung grinned, nodding his head politely at her.

She nodded curtly back at him, "And I almost didn't recognize you."

He did a flower cup and batted his eyelashes at her, "I grew up to be handsome, didn't I?"

The woman only looked weirdly back at him before looking away.

Taehyung was filled with instant regret the moment she looked away. He tried not to visibly cringe at himself for weirding Gyeoul's aunt out. A light hand laid on his thigh, bringing him out of his turmoil. He turned to his side and saw Gyeoul smiling slightly at him. She patted his thigh once and shook her head, her eyes flickering in her aunt's direction for a quick second then back at him.

It was one of their 'telepathic' conversations and Taehyung immediately deciphered that Gyeoul already told Ms. Sim, but didn't approve of their relationship. How he got that from just one look was still a mystery to them both.

He sighed, nodding his head. He gave Ms. Sim one last dejected look before deciding to give up trying to make conversation.

An hour later, Gyeoul and Taehyung found themselves on the dock in silence, watching the way the glow of the orange sunset reflected against the calm lake. In the background, rowdy yells and screams came from the other guests. Some were chasing after each other, some were playing on the bouncy castle, and some were trying to recreate a scene from Avengers: Endgame.

The couple would have joined them but they were too caught up with the way the sunset kissed the water, making it look like it was glittering. A touch of gold, in some way.

Gyeoul yawned. Her head dropped to his shoulder, closing her eyes and breathing in deeply. "I'm sorry about my aunt."

"I have a feeling that she doesn't like me. She's known me ever since I was a kid and she chose to talk to Hobi-hyung the whole dinner. I mean, I don't blame her, everybody loves him, but I would have appreciated it if she asked me how I've been doing."

A small smile grew on her face upon hearing the pout in his voice. "I'm sure she likes you, she just doesn't want us to be in a relationship. She thinks that being with you would mean bad news for my career if we ever get exposed."

He leaned his cheek on her head, taking her hand from her lap and interlacing them with his. "I can't blame her, I worry about that too."

"It's okay to worry, but all that worry shouldn't make you feel like you're any less deserving of love," she said, raising their interlocked hands and pressing a kiss on the back of his hand. "One day, my aunt will see that too. If she doesn't, that's okay too, I'll still be by your side at the end of the day."

Warmth spread throughout him as she said those words. "You're getting more and more used to saying those kinds of stuff, teach. I'm surprised you haven't barfed by now."

She pulled away and smiled at him. Taehyung smiled back at her and cupped her jaw, slowly inching closer to close the jaw between their lips—

"Wait!"

Taehyung nearly jumped out of his skin.

He looked at her worriedly, "What's wrong?"

Gyeoul turned her head back to where the others were. "Hiromi's here. She doesn't know about us."

"I didn't know Hiromi would be here," he commented, watching as the said girl and his sister played in the bouncy castle.

Gyeoul hummed, "My mother wanted a grandchild for her birthday so I invited the next best thing."

Laughing slightly, Taehyung leaned forward and kissed her temple instead. "I'm pretty sure Hiromi's already figured it out." He paused, humming in thought, "And it looks like she and Taeri are getting along well. A little too well if you ask me."

"They look cute," she commented. She looked over to the space near the bouncy castle. Hoseok, Jimin, Jungkook, and Taejun were playing with Yeontan by acting like they were dogs too. "And they look terrifying."

Taehyung reached up and covered her eyes, "Don't stare at them too long. They might run over here and give us rabies."

From inside the house, Dajung watched the couple with crossed arms and thoughtful eyes. They were cute together, she couldn't deny that. They never lost their childish touch from when they were still those two troublemakers that ran around the neighborhood like it was their personal playground. She didn't realize how a small smile reached her face as she watched them laugh at something.

Mihyang raised her eyebrows at the sight of her sister watching the couple from the window. "Careful, some might say you have a heart."

Ryuwon was also in the kitchen with them. She took a sip of her wine, "Do you mind me asking what's so bad about Taehyung and Gyeoul being together? You don't seem so fond of the idea."

Dajung sighed, sitting down on the stool by the kitchen island. "She loves dancing more than anything. That girl lives and breathes music like it's her first language. She had some dating rumors in 2019 with Jackson Wang because she choreographed for him once. It impacted her career negatively, but not too damaging since there was barely any foundation to those rumors.

"But with Taehyung, everybody knows that they're friends and the public knows that so there's some basis to their rumors. What if someone proves their dating rumors and sells them to some media outlet? Do you have any idea how much that would ruin Gyeoul's career? It'd be fatal for her. She might not be able to receive more offers because of that."

Taehyung's mother sighed, pouring wine for the stressed aunt. "They both know that and they've told the company about it."

Mihyang smiled gently at her sister, "As much as Gyeoul loves dancing, she loves Taehyung too." She patted her shoulder and looked out the window. "They're not kids anymore, Dajung. Whatever comes next, they can handle it. I trust that they'll be by each other's side through it all."

Dajung grit her teeth, looking out of the window and watching as Gyeoul and Taehyung stood up from their place on the dock and chased each other to the bouncy castle. She'd be lying if the sight didn't make her heart melt. Gyeoul's happiness made her happy.

She sighed and shrugged her older sister's hand off of her shoulder, "Whatever." She walked off and went outside where Mr. Seo was sitting.

"She's conceded," Mihyang commented.

Ryuwon furrowed her eyebrows, "How can you tell?"

"She didn't spew out any more excuses. Her pride's just too big to admit that she's accepting their relationship."

NOTE

ever since i started tagging along bts' journey, i found myself becoming a better person and actually blooming into myself. because of bts, i found comfort in loving myself. they're like a hug i never knew i needed whenever the world felt like it turned against me. bts touched my heart. happy nine years to the seven angels who make me happy.

11/19/22 — reading that short a/n made me cry ngl HAHAHAHAHA i love them so much it makes me cry just thinking about how i wish they're happy with their lives just like they make me happy, especially now since jin's going to the military soon. i wish i could hug them all.