TIME AFTER TIME ; jjk

12

My aunt's face reddened and I guessed it was from embarrassment. However, through the years, I knew she didn't like losing and she might have just been offended.

"I think I have to go. I'm running late for work," I told them as I gathered my stuff so I could make my way out of the awkwardness.

"Oh, okay... Go visit us when you have time, Soohyun, okay?" Aunt Jinhee said to me.

"Of course."

"I'm leaving, too." Jimin stood up while I gave him a questioning look.

"Both of you are not joining us for lunch later? But I thought—"

"Next time will do, mom. Love you." Jimin pecked my mother's cheek and did the same on Aunt Jinhee who was struggling to keep herself together, sign of resignation on her face.

I felt bad that we had to end our family time sooner than we expected just because someone ruined the mood. I didn't have much tolerance for this.

"Junghwa, you've seen all that. I feel disrespected. My children never acted that way. I suggest you change your son's mind and tell him to be even more respectful..." The voice faded into the background as we walked away.

"Blah, blah, blah. Sometimes I hate adults who think they know everything." My brother sighed in frustration.

"She's hopeless, Jimin. I didn't know you were this, uh, smart? Wow. You ticked Aunt Jinhee off. She's clearly mortified." I liked my brother the most during family reunions. He usually saved ourselves from directly answering tricky questions by fabricating hilarious ideas. Being part of the older ones among the cousins, we had been targeted by sensitive, uncomfortable inquiries since we turned twenty-five. Those include 'Do you not want children?', 'When do you plan to get married?', 'Why don't you have a boyfriend yet?' and some other callous questions that felt like ones we would answer in cross-examination. But I thought it all rooted from the genuine curiosity or ignorance because most people in our family married before they were thirty. The pressure of settling down before the age of what seemed to be the limit became a strange norm. A tradition to break, as what Jimin always referred to. I agreed that it was so stupid and it would not be able to change my resolve that I would marry someone if I wanted to.

Jimin shrugged his shoulders and put a hand into one of his jean's pockets. "Do I need to drive you to the hospital? After lunch, of course."

I checked the time on my phone, noticing there was still more time left before my duty. "Can we buy clothes first? My teammates told me I have such an excellent fashion knowledge and I want to be some kind of fashion inspiration at work. It makes me feel so proud."

Shaking his head, he said with a smile, "You never grew out of this weird shopping addiction."

"I use my hard-earned money."

"I thought you've been saving up for the apartment you want to buy. Are you moving out of the house soon?"

"I haven't made up my mind yet on where I'll move into. But I'm definitely leaving the house because someone said I am thirty." I rolled my eyes.

A laugh escaped his mouth. "And we're rusty and getting old. We'll be pitiful if we don't get married soon!"

"Absolutely. What are you waiting for?"

"No thanks, sis." I wondered if there was a dirt or something on my face when his gaze lingered on me and he was weirdly smiling. "I'm just happy you finally moved on from the guy you never dated."

My mouth hung open as I leaned closer to my brother and playfully hit his arm. "Don't remind me of my foolishness, it's so funny!"

"It's funny now? What an improvement. Months earlier, whenever I brought him up, you were always close to tears."