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Granny wakes us up at the asscrack of dawn.

Over the months that she's been staying with us, I've yet to determine whether this is an intentional act or not. She's mostly deaf without her hearing aids, so really there's no way for her to know how loud she is. On the other hand, she's still a human that should be able to discern these things.

Like, she should know from all the time she had fully functioning ears that slamming doors and loudly passing gas would ultimately lead to our sleep being interrupted.

Eun-ji is hogging a good portion of the queen size bed we share, curled into my side and generating enough body heat to rival that of the fires of Mount Doom. It's so warm and comfortable that strangely, I don't care that she's pushed me into one corner of the padded mattress.

Last night, rehearsals had taken longer than I'd thought and in the end I was unable to speak to Namjoon again. Bed was more inviting anyway, considering I'd woken up before sunrise yesterday.

Today is an important day. Getting up and dressed and prepared is what I should go ahead and get a jump on, but the idea of another hour's sleep draws me in, while at the same time, Granny in the adjacent restroom slams the toilet lid shut.

No. It's not happening. I will go back to sleep. That is my Nindō, my ninja way.

"Guess we should get up." Eun-ji mumbles into the pillow, but then does just the opposite and curls more comfortably under the blankets.

Birds. I've decided I hate them. Because not ten seconds later does an unidentifiable number of them begin to chirp and sing right outside our window. Then granny—I could never hate her, just her presence at this moment—shuffles out of the washroom and rips the curtains wide open.

Now I hate the sun. Is it really crucial to our survival like all those scientists say it is? Or was it intentionally put there by someone out to get me, specifically?

I whip around on the bed to glare, but the sun immediately attacks my eyes. See! It did that on purpose!

Still not dramatic.

"Y/n sweetie, you're awake." My grandmother that I definitely do not hate or hold any type of resentment for in any way whatsoever, smiles in greeting. "Would you mind getting your granny some coffee? You know how my hip is."

Now I hate hips!!

Stupid old hip that wants to act up first thing in the morning and when it's cold or rains. I HATE THEM.

Not only that, but old age! Why can't we be like those ancient bitches in Tuck Everlasting that wanted to fish and eat pancakes all day? Why do we have to grow old and have our bodies deteriorate out from under us?

The natural process of aging can go fuck itself!

...I might be a little dramatic when I don't get enough sleep...and during my time of the month.

But that's the only times!

I grunt in acknowledgment and roll out of bed, barely managing to catch myself before I fall flat on my face. It's almost summer time. WHY is the floor freezing cold?

Because it hates me, obviously.

After slipping on a pair of socks and a sweater, I stumble my way down stairs and am immediately confused. People everywhere. Moving tables, carrying instruments, clearing out space and strategically placing brightly colored flowers all over the place. How are these people doing this? What kind of monster can move that efficiently this early in the morning on a Saturday?!?

Maybe I should be more self conscious that my hair resembles a rats nest and that I look like a divorced, hungover seahorse on a drinking binge. Maybe I don't care. Maybe it's Maybelline.

Dodging and weaving around carefully so as not to get in anyone's way, I move into the empty foyer where I saw a coffee table by the front desk yesterday. When I arrive, it's to find that thankfully someone had already made a pot.

Granny wants coffee, but right now, I need coffee. It looks and smells so inviting, like a siren calling me in and drawing me to-

"KITTY!"

"FUCKSHITFUCKYOU JUNGKOOOK!" The single peaceful moment of my morning is ruined oddly enough by Jungkook actually out of bed before he really had to be. Not sure how this is possible. Putting this rare occurrence aside, did this fucker really have to jump scare me like that?!?

Said boy in question is laughing his head off at my reaction. There's this stray thought in my head that I'm glad none of the other guys are here to have heard me yelling and cursing at him. If they had been, I'd probably get scolded. No one yells at Jungkook. Not their 'innocent' baby that is as pure as the driven snow. How they intentionally turn a blind eye to his real personality, I'll never understand. The closest I can come to fathoming this is when I equate it to how I look at my cats. Like Lucifairy. I'm not blind; I know she's a bit unhinged. However she is my child so I love her unconditionally. The difference between these two situations is that I can admit Lucifairy isn't all there. But Jungkook? Ask any of his hyungs and they will deny until they're blue in the face.

"Why," I breathe out, a hand over my racing heart, "are you like this?"

With that familiar, evil twinkle in his eye, he giggles and then skips past me to the coffee pot. Huh? Jungkook, coffee? I'm confused until he speaks up.

"Sorry noona, I'll get your coffee for you."

Suspicious, but ok. I glance around to make sure we're alone (or as alone as you can be with so many people in the adjoining rooms) before posing a question I've been wanting to ask.

"Jungkook, why do you pretend to be so innocent in front of your hyungs, when you're actually Satan?" The only reply I receive is another cackle as he turns around and passes the now full mug of coffee.

"Cause Trix are for kids." With that, he winks and walks off.

What? What the hell does cereal have to do with it?!?

It's when I'm back in the room that I realize I forgot to get a mug of my own. I pass the one Jungkook gave me over to granny and am contemplating going back when I'm essentially kidnapped by Eun-ji and forced into a chair as she says something about make-up time.

Why is it make-up time when the wedding's not till noon? Doesn't matter apparently. Sleeping in for another hour or two is so much more appealing at the moment, but I give in anyway, knowing I won't be able to sleep now that granny is awake.

This is how I end up sitting here for over an hour while she does god knows what to my face. I haven't the slightest clue what any of this stuff is, but I fully trust Eun-ji to do my makeup since she does her own everyday and always looks flawless. She spent forever on this while chattering non-stop about In-guk and how, quote: "totally like, hot, he's going to look dressed up." When she's finally finished, she pulls a mirror out of her (apparently bottomless) makeup bag to let me see my reflection. My mouth drops open at the sight before me.

Thick, caked on bright red lipstick, diarrhea green eye shadow that stretches all the way up to my EXTREMELY dark and elongated eyebrows, and some terrifying contouring that sharpens all the angles of my face and reminds me of an Egyptian sarcophagus.

I look like a painted whore!

"Eun-ji, WHAT in the WHOLE FUCK!"

My best friend barely acknowledges me, her eyes set on the task of untangling the cord of her curling iron instead. "Yeah, it wasn't working so I gave up like half an hour ago," she says flippantly, "I think you look better without the make-up."

I gape her, thoroughly confused. "You stupid ass!! You wasted all that time for this?!?"

"Well it's not like we have anything better to do."

"THE WE DON'T! I COULD HAVE BEEN SLEEPING, YOU HEARTLESS BITCH!"

"Oh, chill out." She rolls her eyes like I'm the one being unreasonable, just as someone knocks on the door.

I'm so horrified at the sight in the mirror that I don't even notice the door opening and Jin walking in.

"I forgot my face moisturizer at home and was wondering if-" he glances at me and starts screaming like he's seen a ghost. To be fair, I look scarier than a ghost. "WHOAWHOAWHOA!!!! YAH! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOUR FACE?!?"

Eun-ji, completely unbothered by this, has already found her moisturizer and is pressing it into Jin's hand. At the same time, granny, still deaf to the world without her hearing aids, looks our direction, spots me and says plainly, "Y/n sweetie, you look ridiculous. If you're going downstairs like that, I'm pretending I don't know you."

Why is everyone so mean to me today?

Yeah, it's not like we aren't always mean.

Whatever. Guess I need to go wash this clown makeup off my face. I make a passive aggressive show of grabbing my clothes and stomping off to the bathroom, all while Eun-ji, my former bestie, ignores me and sets to styling her hair.

An hour and a half later, I look less like a divorced, hungover, overly painted seahorse hooker, and more like a semi-respectable teenager girl. I guess. Dressing up is not something I do very often, though every occasion that calls for it, I never complain. I enjoy it. Namjoon tells me I'm pretty all the time, but for once I actually feel like I am. The dress is simple enough—white, knee length and flowy. If that's a word.

I walk out of the bathroom, roving my eyes over the room and spot Eun-ji, who looks up as she hears the door open. Naturally, her makeup is done and looks perfect. This bitch. She does look cute though, with a sleeveless white dress and a ribbon holding her curled hair up.

I turn to granny with the intention of asking if she needs help getting dressed, only to find her peacefully sleeping on her bed.

I don't hate my grandmother. I don't hate my grandmother. I don't hate my grandmother.

I just really don't like her right now.

"You look pretty~" Eun-ji speaks in a sing-song voice as she approaches and intertwines our arms, I'm guessing to make me forget what she did earlier.

I shoot her a glare, but still allow for myself to be dragged off for breakfast. When we reach the end of the stairs, we're greeted by someone who must be a staff worker for the inn.

"Good morning ladies, if you're looking to break your fast, today we are dining in the sun room."

Why thank you my good fellow but if I may ask, why art thou speaking like a weirdo? Actually, that's kind of addictive and if I do say so thyself, I shall speaketh like this all day long, and for the rest of thy days.

Never mind that was way too much effort.

Already 'breaking his fast' in the sun room is dad, sitting next to a happily chatting Jimin. Pulling out a chair to sit next to dad, I gather he had probably asked one of those questions that older people always ask teenagers like: 'What are your plans after school?' Because Jimin is talking about police work and how he wants to help people. When I'd found out that was what Jimin planned to do with his future, I'd been surprised. He's been into ballet since he was a kid, so I thought maybe he'd go further into that, or since he loves helping people he's go into humanitarian work.

It also surprised me that he had attempted to convince Namjoon to go into it with him, claiming that he would be good CSI detective with his brainpower. That idea made me nervous. I'd much rather Namjoon chose a boring desk job over something that could potentially be dangerous. Of course I can't talk since I look forward to spending my days with wild (adorable) animals that could easily eat me for lunch. That, and I want him to do what he wants to do with his life.

We break our fast (I'm never saying breakfast again) with bits of conversation here and there.

When we're nearly through, Dad stuns me when he looks over and says, "I need to be absolutely certain one last time. Are you positive you're at peace with this decision?"

Jokingly, I ask, "Why, are you gonna pull out of this right now if I'm not?"

There's not a second of hesitation in his answer. "Of course."

My dad...how did my mom ever find it in her to leave him? Because this type of love and support is something most people would die for. He's such a good man and father that I can't fathom not only leaving him, but taking his daughter away at the same time. That he'd be willing to put his future with someone he really loves on hold, with the sole reason being to make me happy is beyond my scope of understanding. Is that what it means to be an adult, to be a parent? Because somehow I know that it doesn't mean that he loves Ronald any less. It means I'm first in his life. That I'd contemplated telling Ronald no once fills me with shame. Dad deserves all the happiness in the world. And since it's up to me, he's going to get it.

"Without a doubt, I'm at peace with it."

For once I don't feel stupid for crying, though I do try to hide it as I step around the table to give him a hug. For some reason, Eun-ji, Jimin, and the staffer who told us to break our fast all applaud. It's so silly but it does lighten the mood and helps me to push my tears back.

When we sit back down I attempt to covertly wipe my eyes while sipping on my glass of orange juice.

"So," Eun-ji begins, "not to steal your spotlight or anything ahjussi, but...In-guk and I are getting married too!"

Orange juices flies from my mouth to cover the pristine, white tablecloth. "WHAT!"

That can't be true. She's messing with us. There's no way in hell my best friends are getting married (at seventeen no less) and failed to mention it to me. The door slides open, signaling In-guk's arrival into the room and it gives me a slim ray of hope.

"Baby, you were supposed to wait for me to announce it!"

Or not.

"WHAT!" I screech once more, resembling a cracked out pterodactyl.

Eun-ji skips over and hugs In-guk's arm, chirping happily, "next weekend!"

"WHAAAT!!!" That one actually hurt my throat.

Dad's lips form into a thin line as his brow furrows. In-guk and Eun-ji had been my friends long enough for him to feel comfortable enough to lecture them, and that's exactly what I sense is about to happen. Good! What the hell are they thinking? They could at least wait till they graduate, for god sake.

In-guk grins and pinches her cheeks affectionately and for some reason the action makes me angry. Why does everyone else's love go uninterrupted? "Don't tease them, love," he chides and looks our way. "We aren't getting married till be graduate."

Ok forget what I said before! That is still too young.

Yet these two have been together for years and they have a whole other year to think about it. Do I still think it's too young for that type of commitment? Yes. Am I able to control people? No. But I wish I could. Then again, that would be a whole lot of work and I'm not invested enough in other people to actually give a shit what they do with their life.

So even though I don't think it's the best decision, I open my mouth to congratulate them anyway. However, the words never come out when Namjoon walks into the room holding a...wait.

Is that a puppy?

—

Edited 6/6/22