The Park family estate had never seen such chaos.
Hae-soo Park, elegant and poised as ever, stood in the grand sitting room with fabric swatches spread across the antique coffee table like a battlefield. Opposite her, Soo-yeon—armed with a tablet full of mood boards and a dangerously determined glint in her eye—was ready for war.
"The wedding must be classic," Hae-soo declared, holding up a swatch of ivory silk. "Timeless. Elegant."
Soo-yeon scoffed. "Boring. Mira isn't some society doll—she needs something bold." She swiped to a daring red-and-gold design. "Modern. Unforgettable."
Hae-soo's eye twitched. "Red? At a wedding?"
"It's passionate!"
Mira and Jae, wisely, had already fled to the garden.
Outside, under the shade of a blooming cherry blossom tree, Jae poured tea while Mira stifled laughter. The sound of raised voices drifted through the open windows.
"—absolutely not lace! She's not a Victorian ghost!" Soo-yeon's voice carried.
"And she's not a nightclub performer either!" Hae-soo shot back.
Mira snorted into her teacup. "I think your mother just compared my best friend to a stripper."
Jae grinned. "I think Soo-yeon just called my mother's taste 'grandma-chic.'"
A loud thump echoed from inside—probably a fabric sample being thrown.
Mira sighed. "We should probably intervene before they set the house on fire."
Jae took a slow sip of tea. "Or we could wait and see who wins."
By the time they mustered the courage to return, the sitting room looked like a tornado had hit a fabric store.
Hae-soo, flushed but triumphant, held up a compromise: a sleek ivory gown with a hint of gold embroidery—"For tradition!"—while Soo-yeon had somehow negotiated a thigh-high slit—"For spice!"
Mira blinked. "That's… actually perfect?"
Hae-soo sighed. "Fine. But the flowers will be my domain."
Soo-yeon opened her mouth to argue, but Jae cut in. "Nope. We're done. Mira, run."
They bolted for the door as another debate erupted behind them.
Back in the garden, Mira finally caught her breath. "I love them, but I might need a vacation after this wedding."
Jae stretched out on the grass, hands behind his head. "We could elope."
"Tempting." She lay down beside him, staring up at the drifting cherry blossoms. "But your mother would murder us."
A comfortable silence settled between them before Mira turned serious. "What do you think about what Kang Dae-won said? About Eun-ji?"
Jae's smile faded. "She's desperate. And desperate people make mistakes."
Mira rolled onto her side to face him. "You're not worried?"
He caught her hand, lacing their fingers together. "After watching that?" He jerked his chin toward the house, where Hae-soo and Soo-yeon were now somehow arguing about napkin folds. "Nothing scares me anymore."
Mira burst out laughing.
And as the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of pink and gold, they stayed there—content, tangled together, and blissfully removed from the wedding chaos inside.
---
After hours of passionate debate, fabric swatches strewn across the room like casualties of war, Hae-soo and Soo-yeon finally reached an agreement.
"Fine," Hae-soo conceded, smoothing out a delicate ivory lace sample. "The ceremony gown will be classic—elegant, timeless, no sequins."
Soo-yeon grinned, victorious. "And the reception gown will be mine—modern, bold, and absolutely unforgettable."
Mira, who had cautiously re-entered the room with Jae, blinked in surprise. "Wait—two gowns?"
Soo-yeon winked. "One for tradition, one for the party. You're welcome."
Hae-soo sighed but nodded in approval. "At least one of us has taste."
Jae leaned over to whisper in Mira's ear. "I think they just became best friends."
Dinner was a lively affair, the tension from earlier replaced with cheerful chatter. The Park family's private chef had prepared an extravagant spread—seared scallops, truffle risotto, and a chocolate soufflé that had Soo-yeon groaning in delight.
"This is heaven," she declared, taking another bite. "I'd marry this soufflé if I could."
Hae-soo, who had been observing Soo-yeon with quiet amusement, finally spoke up. "You're a model, correct?"
Soo-yeon perked up. "Yes! Mostly high fashion, but I've done some commercial work too."
Chairman Park, who had been silently enjoying his wine, raised an eyebrow. "Any notable shows?"
Soo-yeon, never one to shy away from attention, immediately pulled out her phone. "Oh, just a few."
For the next ten minutes, the dinner table transformed into an impromptu fashion retrospective. Soo-yeon swiped through photos of herself strutting down runways in Paris, Milan, and Seoul—draped in avant-garde designs, fierce and flawless.
"This was last season's show for Dior," she said, flipping to a photo of her in a dramatic, feathered gown. "I tripped right before the finale but played it off like it was part of the choreography."
Hae-soo actually laughed. "Resourceful."
Mira watched in awe as her best friend—loud, unapologetic, and endlessly charismatic—charmed the notoriously reserved Parks. Even Chairman Park seemed mildly impressed, though he hid it behind another sip of wine.
Jae nudged Mira under the table. "Told you they'd love her."
As dessert was cleared and the evening wound down, Hae-soo surprised everyone by looping her arm through Soo-yeon's.
"You must come back next week," she said, her tone leaving no room for argument. "I have a charity gala, and you'd be perfect for the runway segment."
Soo-yeon's eyes lit up. "Seriously?"
Hae-soo smirked. "Unless you're afraid of upstaging me."
"Oh, it's on."
Mira exchanged a glance with Jae, both of them fighting back laughter.
Later, as they walked to the car under a sky full of stars, Soo-yeon let out a dreamy sigh. "I think I just found my future mother-in-law."
Mira choked. "What?"
"Kidding! Mostly." Soo-yeon winked. "But seriously, your in-laws are cool."
Jae groaned. "Don't encourage them."
Mira just smiled, lacing her fingers through his. "Too late."