In the early months of the next year, Jaehyung’s mother absolutely insisted on hosting an engagement party for the pair. School was out for a pleasant two weeks of winter break, and all of both Jaehyung’s and Hyerin’s families drove or took the train into their little town.

Hyerin’s family had longer to drive, having mostly situated further north than where the new couple lived with their respective parents.

Parties gave Hyerin a case of sweaty palms and a spinning head, especially when focused on her – too many people in one place, all trying to talk to her. Their mother’s planned the entire day completely, down to the color of Hyerin’s fingernails, which curled into her palms as she looked around the Park’s large sitting room for her fiancé.

She chuckled dryly at the thought – a party for her engagement, yet her fiancé was out of her sight.

Sucking on her bottom lip and grimacing at the taste of the caked-on lipstick, she let out a noise that she likened to a lost puppy.

Though, thinking further, she kind of was one.

Frustration struck her, as she thought back to how she hadn’t seen Jaehyung since that morning. Of course, he would always be the forward one to introduce himself and Hyerin to new people, to start conversations, to ask questions… So he’d naturally be socializing with even the most distant of relatives.

The more worried and frustrated she got, her frown deepened and her eyes glistened. As she clasped her hands together tightly, biting down harder on her lip to keep it still, she cursed how much control over her actions her emotions had.

Where was he?

She’d found her way out of the center of attention, as the guests began to busy themselves with each other, rather than the couple. A pair of arms snaked their way around her waist and pulled her back into the back of the room of Jaehyung’s house, their owner’s lips pressed to her cheek.

“What made you so upset, my angel?” Jaehyung breathed, stepping around to hug her tightly from the front “Tell me and I’ll fix it”

“I missed you” she breathed, suddenly feeling silly for how worried she’d been.
He flashed her a warm smile and bent his head closer to hers to press a soft kiss against her lips after brushing his nose over hers “You know I’ll always come back to you”