199 - Upki Girl

< Spring, Girls, and an April Wedding > Four hours before Jong-hwan's wedding. Awakened by the alarm, I grabbed my phone to give the kids a morning call. Just then, Eun-bit called me first. "Whoa, what's this? You woke up before the morning call?" "Oppa, there's trouble! Please come quickly!" "What? What's going on?" "Come on, now! Eeeeack!" What’s this, did someone get hurt? With Eun-bit’s final desperate scream, the call abruptly ended. My drowsiness evaporated, and I ran straight towards the main house in pajamas. --- “Beep-beep-beep-beep, click!” As soon as I opened the door and stepped into the main house’s living room, the first person I met was Seowon. Startled! She had just come out of the bathroom, stark naked again as if she had just bathed. However, unlike last time, she didn't dash back into the bathroom but just stood there. With only a body towel covering the front of her body, she frowned. "You're doing this on purpose, aren't you, Director? Do you have some kind of voyeurism, or what…” Already on edge because of Eun-bit, I interrupted her. “Where’s Eun-bit?” “She’s probably in her room on the second floor. Why?” “She just called me, saying there’s something urgent and I need to come quickly.” “I don’t know. I think she was just getting up to shower a while ago. Isn’t she just playing a prank on you?” “Her voice sounded genuine. Did she slip in the shower or what?” “If so, she would have called us first, right? Why call the director who’s in the separate building… Ah, but if it were Yoo Eun-bit, she might.” That’s when Eun-bit's voice rang out from the second floor. “Oppa! Hurry!” “See, I told you something happened. Oh! Going up now!” “Hey, I think she’s just playing around.” Ignoring Seowon’s words, I took the stairs two steps at a time and went straight into Eun-bit's room. On her bed were various outfits laid out, coordinated in top and bottom pairs. Eun-bit stood in front of them, stroking her chin. She had a serious expression. Without even looking at me, she asked, “Oppa, what should I wear?” “What…?” “It’s a wedding, so I should dress all feminine and innocent, right?” “…Don't tell me you called me here just to choose your outfit…” “That’s right.” “You little rascal…” Seowon was right. Not understanding my frustration, Eun-bit turned to me with a nonchalant face and sparkling eyes. “Oppa, you choose for me.” “Choose yourself first. Want a kick to the backside or a slap?” “Why! I’m really serious here. I've been stuck with choice paralysis for 30 minutes before asking for help.” “You should be grateful you’re born a girl. If you were a guy, you’d have gotten slapped.” Eun-bit blinked her eyes with her hands cupping her face. “Yeah, I live in gratitude to my parents for letting me be born as such a cute and sexy girl.” “Ugh…” “But I’m pretty, right? Huh? Huh?” “I’ll handle it. Don’t dirty your hands, Director.” It was Yona. She had just come up, toweling her wet hair, fresh from the shower. “I knew you'd be like this. I told you to choose your outfit the night before you sleep, but you just went to bed, didn’t you?” “I was so sleepy. Have the others chosen their outfits?” “Liya matched yours too, so go down to the basement.” “Really? Sorry, oppa!” As she made a finger-gun gesture, her butt brushed past me, requiring strong patience on my part to resist the urge to kick her. *** “Why can’t we just go to a shop?” “It’s not an official schedule, so we should save money.” The girls, done preparing, were busy checking their faces with their phone’s selfie cameras. To save on operating costs, they had done their own hair and makeup, which resulted in a slightly awkward look. Seowon and Hongi, who were not good at doing makeup themselves, were helped by Yona and Eun-bit. After examining her face in the selfie screen for a while, Seowon nodded satisfactorily at Eun-bit. “Hmm, not bad?” “See? I told you I’m good at this.” “Director, how’s my makeup? Is it odd?” Seowon thrust her face at me. She looked as fresh and pure as a new college student. Broadcast makeup needs to emphasize facial contours with thick base and bright tones, resembling Kabuki makeup in real life. However, this natural look, highlighting her original skin tone, seemed more beautiful and natural to my eyes. “Eun-bit did well. I like this better than broadcast makeup.” “Really?” “Did Eun-bit do Hongi’s as well?” “No, Director Yona did mine.” “Oh, it’s nice, nice.” “Moonmoon, leader Yon did Aliyah’s too. How is it?” “Oh, Liya's pretty, too. Eun-bit and Yona have a knack for this.” I felt a bit guilty for not sending them to a salon, but luckily they managed well. The guest fashion, mostly coordinated with Liya’s clothes, was bright and innocent, suiting everyone well. It looked like a group of college friends heading to a meeting. “If you’re all ready, let’s go.” “Lego! Lego!” Spring, girls, and an April wedding. The girls, momentarily escaping their dense schedule, looked as if they were off to a picnic, cheerful and excited. Among them, Eun-bit was the most thrilled. She chattered non-stop all the way to the venue. “Oppa, can we take photos too?” “The guest photos?” “Yeah. I really want to take them, haaah.” “Well… the relation is a bit ambiguous. Usually, close friends or colleagues take those photos.” “What about taking them under the pretext of performing a congratulatory song?” “It wouldn’t matter, but… I'll check with Jong-hwan just in case,” I replied, but Seowon interjected sternly. “Yoo Eun-bit. Not taking them is actually our help. If I were the bride, I wouldn’t like it at all.” “Huh? Why?” "The bride is supposed to be the star, but if there are younger, prettier girls gathered, especially in a group, all eyes will be on them instead. It's not a celebration; it's turning into a nuisance." The fact that she said such things herself was amusing. "I'm with Seowon on this one. When you open that wedding photo book later on, it'll probably just be us standing out." With Liya's agreement, Yona also voiced that taking pictures wasn't a good idea. "The bride's friends might not feel comfortable either." Glancing through the rearview mirror, both Eun-bit and Shibal-sekki sat there looking perplexed and clueless. Although this perspective didn’t make much sense to me either, it got me thinking that it might be a valid consideration from the women’s viewpoint. I had heard that Jong-hwan's bride-to-be was a normal woman, just a year younger than us at 35, and somewhat possessive. Even though people are marrying later these days, it's relatively late for a woman. Her friends and juniors would mostly be in their thirties. Many of the bride's friends and acquaintances who would be in those photos are likely married or single. As brutal as it might be, if they came thinking they looked their best, yet found themselves among five girl group members in their prime, it could feel a bit off. Unlike the imagined scenario of skinny, handsome boys amidst my pot-bellied friends, today's focus must be on the bride. “Alright, let’s skip the photos. It's funny to inject ourselves into them when we’ve only met today. If you really want to take some, do it in the bridal waiting room during greetings.” *** We arrived at the venue about 40 minutes early for a sound check. After greeting Jong-hwan with the girls, I also said hello to his parents, whom I hadn't seen since I was twenty. “Mom, Yoon-ho is here. Dad, it's Yoon-ho.” “Oh, Yoon-ho.” “Hello.” His still-stoic father looked on with satisfaction, while his mother led the conversation. “You haven't changed a bit! Our Jong-hwan turned into such an old man!” “You haven’t changed either, ma’am.” “Oh, you and your fibs. You’re still single too, right?” “Yes.” “When are you planning to marry? Do you have someone?” “No, I don't.” “Want me to find someone for you?” “Haha... No, I'm alright.” “Why? I know many talented and pretty ladies who are daughters of my friends. There's a lawyer girl and a school teacher, hm? They’re about your age. Or, how about meeting Jong-hwan's cousin once? She's thirty-one, I think? Jong-hwan, isn't Ju-yeon thirty-one?” “She’s two years younger than me, so thirty-four.” “Oh? Is she already that old? Anyway, she'll be here later, so at least meet her. She's sweet and respectful to elders, but strangely doesn't have a boyfriend.” Jong-hwan, standing behind his mother, muttered, “Because she's not pretty…” Mother's witty response was swift. “What are you talking about? Ju-yeon is pretty. Do you care about looks, Yoon-ho?” “Haha... Pretty would be nice.” “It’s all the same once you marry.” “Well, if it's all the same, a pretty one would be better, right?” “My, you always have a comeback. Let's see, who would be a pretty match... Ah, Jong-hwan, how about Aunt Bo-yeon's youngest daughter? Isn’t she great?” “Yeah, she’s alright. Yoon-ho, want to go on a blind date with her?” Even Jong-hwan agreed this time. “Hello, mother, father. We’re singing the congratulatory song today.” The Upkigirl members, who had been waiting behind me for introductions, stepped forward with Yona greeting Jong-hwan’s parents first, with an exceptionally charming voice. Other girls followed with greetings as well, and mother’s attention immediately shifted to them. “Oh my, such pretty girls. Just like celebrities, aren’t they?” Since Jong-hwan hadn’t informed them separately, he now introduced them. “Mom, they really are celebrities. They’re Upkigirl, one of the most popular idol groups these days. Yoon-ho quit his job to become their manager.” “No wonder they looked familiar.” “That young lady sang with Seol Dae-jin, didn’t she?” Father pointed at Seowon, hinting he had watched “Song Duo.” Mother then pointed at Eun-bit. “Oh, you’re right. She looks familiar, too. You must be very busy but thank you so much for this. We’re counting on you.” The matchmaking plan got sidetracked nicely under Yona's skillful handling. The girls went on to greet the bride in the bridal waiting room. Eun-bit, although just meeting her, was already calling the bride “unnie” and complimenting her dress, asking how she felt like a reporter, displaying her affinity skills. The bride, thankfully a fan of Upkigirl, was delighted. They took photos with the bride’s friends and relatives, some even asking for autographs. “Hey, we could’ve taken the guest photos, after all. They liked it so much,” I suggested as we left the waiting room, but both Yona and Seowon immediately shut me down, saying that was different. The world of women is truly a mystery. However, within a few minutes, I started to understand. It was when Seowon and Eun-bit began rehearsing for a sound check. Guests, invited to the wedding, were already gathering inside the hall. This was thirty minutes before the ceremony began. Standing near the entrance, I clearly heard snippets of their conversations. The women's conversation, seemingly acquaintances of the bride, echoed exactly the warning Seowon had given about the guest photos. "Who are they? They're pretty. Isn't that supposed to be the girl group, Upkigirl? Wow, how do they know them? Celebrities really are something else. They've had those subtle touch-ups done well. Their faces are really small. The one who raps isn't as chubby as expected. Do you think they'll take pictures together afterward? They're not from the groom's side, are they? Nah, they must have been paid to be here. If they end up taking photos, I'll definitely bow out. Me too. No need to look like an octopus next to them. I know they're young and all, but even if it's for a song, they could've worn something a bit toned down. Yeah, they came dressed too brightly. Are they trying to show they're celebrities?" On the flipside, the expressions on the men's faces could not have been more pleasant. They were wearing 'dad smiles' akin to when Ha-neul calls my name. A few of my friends who arrived early gathered and immediately brought it up. "Hey, did you see Kim Yoon-ho embarrassing himself on TV?" "Hehehe, I saw it. I was watching the live broadcast with my wife and spewed beer everywhere." "What were you thinking? Didn't you know you were being filmed?" "Do you think I would've acted like that if I knew? I had no idea I'd be caught on camera three times." "Still, you get to earn money and are around girl groups all the time. If I quit my job and join your company, would you take me in? I could be a road manager." "Just hand in your resignation first. You've been saying you'll quit for like ten years now, but you're still there." "Man, if I weren't married, I would've done it a long time ago." "Anyway, aren't the girls really pretty today?" "Yona’s like a goddess. Has she thought about acting?" "She's been getting offers here and there, but she wants to focus on the stage for now." "Personally, I think Hongi would do well in acting. Doesn’t she have that actress aura?" "Yeah, more offers come in for Hongi than Yona at the moment. But Hongi wants to get more recognition as a singer first." Seowon and Eun-bit finished singing the first verse of a ballad and paused the rehearsal. Even though they were just balancing the sound lightly, the applause was overwhelming. Seowon conveyed her requirements to the sound engineer. "Yes, that's fine. When we perform later, could you add a little more reverb to the mic, and you can turn up the backing track volume a bit too." My friends went nuts again. "Wow, Seowon's damn cool." "A true singer, indeed." With the number of people gathering, we decided to skip the dance song rehearsal. The initial plan was for the other three members to surprise the crowd with a performance after Seowon and Eun-bit's ballad, but it would lose its fun if revealed beforehand. After finishing the rehearsal, Eun-bit, Seowon, and the other girls who were watching came over to the entrance where I was. They greeted my friends and spent time taking photos with children or giving autographs until the ceremony began. --- “Ladies and gentlemen, the wedding ceremony of Mr. Woo Jong-hwan and Ms. Lee Ye-eun will commence shortly. Guests outside the hall, please make your way inside. I repeat…” The wedding ceremony began. For convenience during the performance, the girls and I took seats at the front of the bride’s guest section. “Following the groom, we now have today’s star, the bride. Please greet her with a big round of applause. Bride, entrance!” The bride walked down the aisle, holding her father’s hand. This is where things took an interesting turn. Jong-hwan's father-in-law was carefully matching steps with his daughter, looking down to ensure every step was safe, making it a deeply moving moment. It resembled a father encouraging his daughter during her first steps. If it affected me this way, I could only imagine how our girls felt. All five of them, each with their own feelings or lack of a father figure, could not hold back their tears. “Oppa, heeing…” Eun-bit started to sniffle, the signal of her sorrow rising. Soon her sobs turned into a full-blown cry. Hongi and Yona followed suit. Even Seowon and Liya, who had been holding back, burst into tears when the bride's father began reading a letter to his daughter instead of the formal marriage declaration. Though other guests were also wiping away tears, our girls sobbed like little children, creating a wave of tears that continued even through the officiant’s speech. Had I known it would turn into this, I would have stepped out beforehand, but given that their performance was next, it was too late to leave now. “...Though you've become one through love, there will be times you can’t overcome challenges with just each other.” “Sniff, snuffle…” “There will come a time when you can't stand each other.” “Yeah, sniff…” “But during those times, lean on, consult, and discuss with each other…” “Sniff, sniffle...” < Spring, Girls, and an April Wedding > End