keeping up with the lees || svt

twenty-eight: party

 i havent been focusing on chan's side of the story lately because he doesnt have much going on hes literally fifteen in this story.

-

jihan anxiously watched as guests continuously entered the venue. her hands were cold, feeling as if they're about to fall off and detach from her body. she looked around, scanning her surroundings.

seokmin was with the choi family, as expected. chan was hanging around with the boo family while jihoon was right by her side.

"won't you greet the guests?" jihoon asked his nervous sister.

"dad's doing that. it's his party anyway"

"why don't you greet your in-laws?"

"i already did" 

"i can't believe you're engaged. the thought pisses me off"

"you don't say" she replied. 

spotting someone, her heart sank. she felt like all of her courage had crumbled down into the depths of nothingness.

noticing his twin sister's abrupt change of attitude, jihoon worriedly asked, "what's wrong?"

"the kim family"

"what?"

she turned to face him and jihoon was shocked. she was actually readable. she looked sad, worried, and broken.

"who invited mingyu's family?"

"mingyu's family?" jihoon asked. "dad, why?"

"the audacity of that asshole" she said, her breathing quickening.

"jihan!" her father approached them, smiling. "the emcee will start. you must be there, she will introduce you"

not bothering to even smile, she said, "why can't joshua do it alone?"

"jihan, go"

clenching her jaw, she walked away. walking to the front of the venue, she grabbed a microphone, holding it tight as though wanting it to burst. 

she glared at joshua, who was already standing there as she stood in place.

"ladies, gentlemen and everyone in between, today we will be celebrating the engagement of two young and beautiful hearts, esther (jihan) lee and joshua (jisoo) hong"

everybody started clapping except for her three sibilings.

"why aren't you happy, children?" their father asked his children who all were glaring at the announcer. "brighten up"

"i don't know. i'd be happier attending a funeral" chan commented, making his two other siblings who were beside him look at him in surprise.

"what was that?" their father asked, not catching what his youngest child had said due to the loud voice of the emcee.

"i said i'm happy to be here"

"congratulations, you two" the emcee smiled at both of them.

joshua kindly thanked her while jihan pretended to not hear her even though the emcee was using a microphone.

"do you have anything to say about your engagement? joshua?" 

"ah" joshua chuckled nervously, unprepared. "first of all, thank you all for being here. i guess this was really unexpected for both of us. we're still young but already have huge responsibilty on our shoulders. 

i'm just happy the girl i'm engaged to is jihan. she's a wonderful girl. i hope to learn a lot from her"

"wow he's so good at faking" chan crossed his arms.

"he's doing his job, chan" jihoon told. "that's what they're supposed to do- make it look real. i just don't think jihan can do that"

"how about you, jihan?"

jihan brought the microphone us, leveling it with her chin, "like what joshua said, it was a surprise. a rather unconventional surprise, might i add. i hope that-"

at that moment, she spotted mingyu among the groups of people, sitting as he had his eyes glued on only her. what killed her was the fact that he was smiling. 

it wasn't the usual smile he wore whenever he was happy. it showed no teeth and somehow, someway, it was sad. 

all the words she was supposed to say dried out from her throat and all her composure crumbled down, hit by a sledgehammer.

"jihan" joshua whispered, snapping her out of her little moment.

trying her best to pull herself together, she said, "i hope that even though we are tied like this at a very young age,

we will still be able to find what we've been looking for. that we will still be able to find happiness"

"thank you for that lovely speech, joshua and jihan! now, everyone-"

jihan didn't think twice before handing the mic over to joshua as she discretely left the scene, unable to stand anybit of it. 

everything was a blur that she didn't even notice the eyes of her three siblings worriedly following her.

she left the convention room, fast paced. she didn't even bother looking up.

she then felt her head bump into something, the impact making her stumble backwards lightly. luckily, the person was able to hold her by her arms, stabilizing her structure.

jihan looked up, meeting eyes with the stranger. shock took over her system as she recognized him almost instantly. cupping her mouth with her left hand, she stepped closer to the man. 

"yoongi?"

_

"don't you think this is too much?" their mother asked. "don't you think, jake?"

their father rolled his eyes, "ugh please, you're still affected by kim myungsoo. get over it hanyoung, it's been years"

"the audacity that you have-"

"but then again, like mother like daughter. jihan seems to have inherited a part of your stupidity. just how did you raise my daughter?"

jihoon seemed to have gotten it as he stared intently at his father while seokmin and chan didn't know what was happening.

puzzled, mrs. lee furrowed her brows. "what?"

"you think i don't keep an eye on my only daughter?" he scoffed. "i know she likes kim myungsoo's only son"

jihoon balled his fists under the table, the force he was exerting made his whole arm tremble. 

"not here, father, mother" seokmin said, trying his best to stay calm.

chan clutched his phone tightly, causing parts of the screen to breach and crystals of glass to fall on the carpeted floor.

"jihan likes myungsoo's son?" mrs. lee asked in disbelief. "kim mingyu?"

"i believe there's so much more than that" mr. lee told.

"jihan likes someone?" chan asked in a tone threatening enough to intimidate even his father. "so you engaged her to someone when she has eyes for another"

"you didn't know?" mr. lee raised a brow. 

"i knew. i always have" jihoon replied. "you didn't raise a fool, father. i'm always one step ahead"

crossing his arms, mr. lee questioned, "one step ahead?"

"i guess you could say that" jihoon smiled. 

"stop your nonsense, woozi. you're not at my level yet"

"that's right" jihoon agreed, "but i'm above you today"

he then turned his head to the entrance. on instinct, his father did as well. 

mr. lee dropped his utensils as he stared at the face of his most unwanted son.

"i sure did raise smart little brats"