Chapter 37

We had a two-hour delay but made it to Seoul safely. We took the train from Incheon airport to Seoul Station, and then transferred lines to catch the train from Seoul Station to Myeongdong. From there, the accommodation was within walking distance.

“I thought you were going to show us your home, Asher,” Ate Ania quipped. “We would’ve saved on accommodation.”

“Ategirl, I’m from Busan, not Seoul,” Asher replied. “And I’ve lived in Manila for the past ten years. Kaloka ka.”

Ate Ania and Asher traded barbs as we walked along a steep path to the Airbnb.

They chose a nice rooftop place, spacious enough for everyone else, and the only struggle was lifting the bags up the stairs because there were no elevators. The kuyas had been so kind to relieve me of my luggage, refusing to hear any protests, and we made it to the place, all panting.

Upon getting inside, Asher picked up his phone and ordered jjajangmyeon. Ate Ania checked all the rooms, inspected the utilities, and did the bed assignments. I noticed they left the nicest room empty.

“What about that one, Ate?” I asked.

“Oh, that room’s for the parents.”

“Parents?”

“They’re flying in from the US. Joint vacation! O ‘di ba, ang saya,” Ate Ania said. “I know that bed is nice but we would have another thing coming if we told Mama Bea they were to sleep in the living room.”

“Of course,” I said, internally panicking.

Why did nobody mention their parents were coming?

Oh boy, overthinking, here we go.

Asher had planned the itinerary for us and the next day was booked for seeing the historical landmarks in the city. We bought a week-long pass for boarding the buses and trains easily and I got high-key jealous of how efficient and clean their transport system was.

We took the bus to Gwanghwamun plaza and I was amazed by the beauty of it. I took a lot of pictures because it was the backdrop for the first episode of one of my favorite dramas, the one about a king from a parallel universe ending up in Seoul. There were tour groups who walked together, families, and workers in business attire just going about their day. Asher acted as tour guide, complete with a flag we did not know he had, and made us all laugh with his jokes that he spun effortlessly with his extensive knowledge of his country’s history.

We walked a bit more and at the end of the plaza, Asher beckoned us to a good spot and told us to wait. I took more pictures of the Gwanghwamun gate, took selfies with the family, and Ate Ania asked me to take a photo of her, Kuya Chip, and Risa in front of it. Asher then asked us to gather round in a corner and he explained that it was time for changing of the guards. We watched, awed by the precision and sharp movement of each person in the formation.

After the ceremony, Asher led us to some stalls just off the street that offered to rent out hanboks and we had a lot of fun fitting them. After we were all dressed, with Risa being the cutest, we went up to the Gyeongbokgung Palace and bought tickets.

“Biggest of the five palaces in Seoul,” Asher was saying as we went in. We got flyers and once Asher had showed us the more remarkable parts of the palace complex, we sat down for a little while.

“How about we split up after this? Just for a little bit,” Cholo suggested.

Kuya Chip and Ate Ania exchanged knowing glances and smiled while Kuya Chan agreed and told us to meet up at the entrance after an hour.

Cholo took me aside and we explored the gardens, taking selfies here and there. I posted the better-looking ones on my Instagram stories and shared the wackier ones in my family’s group chat.

“I’m glad to see you’re enjoying it,” he said, taking my hand in his.

I was still looking at our selfies, and we looked pretty damn good in our hanbok. “I am. Thank you.”

“You were pretty quiet last night, though. Barely touched your jjajangmyeon, too. Were you worried about something?”

Oh, he noticed.

“Yeah, um,” I said, putting my phone away. “I just didn’t realize your parents were coming, too.”

“Oh, that. When I booked the tickets it was just us—Kuyas, Ate Ania, Asher, Risa. But then we told Mom and she got jealous as she was a huge fan of Eternal Monarch and Weightlifting Fairy .”

“Classics in the making,” I said, and Cholo smiled.

“So yeah, she and dad just told us days ago, like, ‘Hi! We’re coming too!’ You should’ve seen Asher panicking while changing the accommodation,” he said. “Sorry I hadn’t mentioned it. What with the acads and the campaign?—”

“And us not talking properly…”

I said that out loud to try and lighten the mood but I saw that it did not do what I intended it to.

“Yeah, actually, that’s why I wanted some time alone.”

I sighed. We reached the pavilion area again and I admired how tranquil the water around it looked.

“Hey, if it makes you feel better, my siblings are the harder ones to please. Kuya Chip and Kuya Chan basically raised me. Them and Patsy. Next to them, my parents are the easier ones to deal with.”

“It’s okay,” I told him. “I’ll do my best, anyways.”

“I’m getting the feeling that there’s something you’re not telling me,” he said, taking my hand. “Is there something else bothering you?”

I could not look him in the eye at first and then figured the reason it all got messed up was because of my lack of proper communication.

Maybe it was time to communicate like an adult.

“Remember the launch party?”

“Why are you bringing that up now ?”

“I heard that conversation you had with Miss Mikayla. The one about the tarps left at home,” I said.

Cholo’s eyes widened in surprise. “Oh.”

“I heard that part that she said I’m not the type you could bring home to your Angkong and titas,” I said. “She also said I was going to be a nuisance to you.”

“Is that why you were so angry that day?”

“Mostly it was the other nasty things she said about you but, yeah, I’d be lying if I said that didn’t affect me,” I said.

“You’re no nuisance to me. You’ve helped me a lot this term, too.”

I still could not meet his eyes. I sighed and looked at the water again like it had the answers I needed.

“And that day we fought. I hadn’t explained myself properly yet,” I said. “Summer was there. She told me you were booking my subjects and internship.”

“We already cleared that out, right? That I can’t book things for you like that. We’ve also established that changing you is the last thing on my mind.”

“Of course. It’s just that I’m thinking what if she and Miss Mikayla were right? What if I’m not the kind you could introduce to your Angkong, your parents? Your scary Titas?”

“Why does that even matter?”

“Because it does.”

“I’m saying it doesn’t. Not to me. Clearly not to my siblings or to my niece, who thinks the world of you. And not to my cat, for that matter.”

“But what if your parents?—”

“They live half a world away. My Angkong is awesome, yes, but the titas we can do away with. You don’t even have to meet them. Why should any of them matter? You’re doing great. You’re awesome to me and to the ones who count.”

I bit my lip, my worries overpowering me. I did not know what to say to him.

“What do you want, Vinnie?”

“I don’t know. I’m just scared beyond belief,” I replied. “I wish I wasn’t. And I wish I hadn’t given so much weight to Summer or Miss Mikayla’s words but I’m terrified of all this. I want your parents to like me and your other family, too.”

“As you’ve seen before, some of my family members don’t even like me ,” he said. “It’s only a problem if we want it to be.”

I let go of his hand slowly as I did not know what to say.

“I’m starting to miss the days that I thought our biggest problem was our tempers,” he said with a small laugh.

I looked at him and saw that he had stepped a little away from me and that sudden distance felt too far.

“The hour’s almost up,” he said, turning away when I could not think of anything to reply. He then pointed to a stall selling pizza cones. I felt my chest constrict a little as I remembered us having pizza months ago, when we were first getting to know each other. He paused, looking at the food, and shot me a smile that did not reach his eyes.

“They probably won’t have chicken or shrimp, but pepperoni’s a safe bet,” he said. “Let’s get a snack and get back to the palace entrance.”

“Vinnie, what did you do?”

Ate Ania cornered me while I was returning my rented hanbok. Asher appeared right next to her wearing an annoyed expression.

“Maria Lavinia Magdalena, sagot!” said Asher. The use of my altered government name would have been comical had he not been looking at me like I kicked a puppy. “We left you to make amends but what on earth did you do?”

“Bakit ako agad!” I protested.

“Harujusko, how very fire sign of you,” Ate Ania groaned.

Asher looked at her proudly. “Look at you learning,” he said and I stared at both of them, bewildered when they did a high-five. “Hay naku. I called it from the beginning. Two fire signs together. While you two are compatible in theory and similar in many ways, you have a lot of work to do.”

“Anyway, free will has to do the work this time,” Ate Ania said. “Look, the parents are coming and the rest of us, your Kuyas and me and Asher, would really rather not spend our day tiptoeing around you two.”

“Honestly, in my itinerary, you two should have made up yesterday,” quipped Asher.

“ That’s in your itinerary?” I exclaimed.

Ate Ania giggled.

“Yes, and since you failed to do that, we go to Plan B. Kaloka, my schedule’s going to get moved around tuloy,” Asher complained. “Anyway, we can move the scheduled activities this afternoon for after the parents arrive, that gives you the afternoon free, Maria Lavinia. You better make use of that.”

“Uh. Okay.”

“Anything coming to mind?” Ate Ania demanded.

I racked my brain.

Amusement park? Nah, it was cold and we wanted Risa around for the rides.

Namsan Tower? No, it would be very awkward to ask to put a lock in there with Cholo still mad at me.

Bukchon Village?

Cheonggyecheon?

Era of Maidens…?

“Aha!” I said. “The LS entertainment museum. There’s a gallery with Era of Maidens standees and clothes and everything else in there!”

“Perfect!” Asher said, impressed. “Now let me google and get tickets?—”

“No, I’ll do it. I’m paying and planning for it this time.”

“Ah! Look at this girl taking charge. Hwaiting!” Ate Ania said with a fist pump.

Asher shook his head and rolled his eyes. “Don’t reward the bare minimum,” he scolded her. “Ikaw, Lavinia, make sure you sweep him off his feet and earn his forgiveness. If you two still go home awkward after this, I’m escorting you to Incheon Airport and put you on the next flight to Manila.”

“Yes, boss!”

Thankfully, Cholo cooperated despite being quite cold with me. Asher declared the afternoon a free day and at lunch, I told Cholo I had gotten us tickets to the LS Town Museum. He shrugged, still quite upset, but did not protest when I pulled him out of the restaurant where we had lunch to begin our journey to Gangnam.

The LS Town Museum was much more beautiful and overwhelming than in photos. I could not help but pause as I looked up at the exterior, where they were flashing photos and advertisements of their artists. While I was a diehard Era of Maidens fan, I also followed some of their labelmates so I knew this was going to be enjoyable.

Cholo followed me inside the compound. I took charge and showed the tickets I bought to the front desk staff and then led him inside the place. We slowly looked at everything, even at the items relating to artists we did not really follow. At the end of the hall, I found what I was looking for.

“Cholo, here,” I said, and he followed me without saying anything. We climbed up some stairs and I could swear my heart stopped.

There it was, that hallway I had only seen before on other fans’ Instagram stories. A whole display behind clear glass showed standees of the eight members—four of them wearing clothes from a different era, the other four from their last world tour. Beside the standees were mannequins displaying their outfits from their most memorable concerts.

“Oh my god, that’s Hyoyoon’s costume for ‘Got The Girls,’” I exclaimed, pulling Cholo’s hand and running towards the mannequin. There was a TV in the middle playing their MVs, and at the moment their music video for “Tiger Heart” was on display. “And isn’t this…”

“Juhyun’s outfit in Dream Con,” Cholo finished my sentence, looking at the mannequin beside Hyoyoon. “I didn’t even know this hallway was a thing! When did you find out about this?”

“It’s new so that’s understandable. I saw it from some fans’ reviews and I bookmarked it on my mobile browser. I thought I’d try and see it with you.”

He looked at me, his expression softening. I smiled at him, happy that I had made a crack.

“Do you want to see the others?” I asked and pulled Cholo to the other mannequins on the other side of the hallway.

We left the museum with a bag each of merch, albums we were missing, and one official Era of Maidens lightstick each (mine sponsored by Kuya Chan). I had wanted to buy more, but my wallet said no as we had another five days left and there were some skincare items that Liana and Cris had asked me to take home for them.

We boarded the bus again and this time, he brought us to one of the more famous attractions in the city—Banpo Bridge. We waited for the rainbow fountain and watched happily while eating our fishcakes and slurping the broth that came with it.

“Thank you for today, Vinnie,” he said, eyes still on the changing lights on the water.

“Thank you for bringing me here with you,” I replied. “And thanks for not giving up on me yet.”

“Yet?” he said. I laughed at his expression.

“‘Di natin alam, eh,” I told him. “Lots of things could happen.”

“Yeah. I was planning to take you to the Rolling X-Train in Everland tomorrow and see how you like it.”

“A roller coaster? Why?”

“Because sometimes that’s what being with you feels like.”

I made a face.

“I hope you’re going somewhere nice with this,” I warned. “But yeah. Can I talk first?”

“By all means.”

“I came here to make amends. Explain what happened and understand what went down. While we’ve processed most of the things, there’s still some stuff that got left and I hate that I messed that up this morning.”

We looked at each other and I took his hand in mine.

“You say it’s not a problem but, of course, I can’t help that I want to be liked by your family. Not because their word matters over yours but because I want the people around you to accept me and not make your life even more difficult than it already was. Exhibit A, Miss Mikayla. I would hate for more of your relatives to say similar stuff to you when you bring me over to a Christmas reunion or whatever.”

His jaw set like he was biting down on something else but he let me continue.

“I mulled it over almost all morning and then came to a realization. The problem was with them , not you, because there was nothing wrong with you. And if they had something to say about you dating a girl who had one too many visits to the disciplinary office, that was on them, not us.”

“Glad to have you on board this time.”

“While that’s something I could live with, it doesn’t change the fact that you were right about me on a number of things,” I said. “I was a total piece of work. I was alone, lonely, and too proud to accept help. Every bit that perennial witch that I was in grade school. I also eat a lot, I’m too reckless, rude to my parents, a jerk to nearly everyone I meet. I had no direction and just let the wind take me where it wanted to go.”

I looked at the ground.

“That won’t help our case and can be a difficult thing to address in the future with the people who do matter to you. I’m terrified of things, like what if I don’t get along with your mom? What if something comes up and difficult decisions must be made and the Kuyas end up resenting you because of me? You know, those kinds of stuff.”

He nodded.

“But all I could do now is properly say sorry for mistakes, past and present. I’m sorry I let people like Summer take over my thoughts and that I believed them more than you. I let it get in the way. I’m sorry if it seemed I put more weight on the opinion of people I didn’t even know than believe you when you said it didn’t have to matter.”

I looked him in the eye now, hoping he would know how much I meant what I was going to say.

“I’m willing to let you be right this time. All the time. I’m just so sorry, for listening to them, for ruining that day you had planned for both of us. Sorry if for one moment I had made you think that there was anything I wouldn’t do for you.” I said, my voice breaking now. “Because there isn’t. There really isn’t. You’ve helped me grow so much as a person and I really want to keep doing this in the future, if that’s what you want, too.”

“Thank you,” he said, wiping my tears with his hands. “And I’m sorry, too, if it ever seemed like I wanted to control you for any reason. You can be assured I’m not going to try and make your decisions for you. I’m simply going to stay by your side and encourage you. Help you be the best that you can be, like you’re doing with me now.”

He leaned over and kissed me now, hand on my jaw, lips warm and welcoming.

“Jigeumeun,” he whispered against my lips, smiling. “Apeurodo, yeongwonhi.”

I laughed, recognizing the words as they were the greeting motto of Era of Maidens. Jigeumeun was ‘today,’ apeurodo was ‘tomorrow,’ and yeongwonhi was ‘forever.’

His phone beeped in his pocket and I moved away for a bit to let him read the text.

“The parents have arrived,” he said, smiling at me. “Are you ready to do this?”

Feeling lighter than I ever had in life, I took his hand and smiled back.

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

The End