Chapter 30 #2
When I finish the video and close it, going back to her, my eyes still aren't dry. "He included Bear."
"I know," she whines, tearing up with me. "It was perfect, Lizzy. He's perfect. And, it doesn't matter, but it turns out that his family is like stupid rich and have offered to pay for the wedding."
"That's amazing," I tell her, relieved that his family approves of her. "I could always help too, you know?"
She's already shaking her head before she replies, "They literally said everything. I have another huge favor to ask of you."
"Anything," I tell her without hesitation. She's the closest thing that I have left to family other than these men sitting around me right now. I'd do anything at all for any of them, no matter what it costs me.
"I need a maid of honor," she says, grinning again.
"Oh my god, Hannah!" I exclaim. "Yes! You already know I'm so there. Wait, can I do my duties from here, or do I need to come back to help?"
More than one set of shoulders around me stiffens just as my heart cries out in rejection of the thought, but it wouldn't be forever.
She relieves us all as she says, "Oh, you can do it all from there. I just need you here for the week of the wedding. Probably the whole week because of rehearsals and dinners and such."
"Okay," I tell her. "But, if you need me there for anything else, tell me and we will make it happen, okay? I'll legit even fly in for cake testing or dress fitting or whatever."
"Oh my god," she states, breathing out heavily. "I haven't even thought about my dress. His mom wears designer clothes, I bet she's going to try to get me connected with some big-name designer."
Dav En walks into the kitchen as she's speaking, but I don't pay attention to where he's going.
Not until his body comes into frame as he squeezes me into a hug.
My brain processes everything at once. Dav En's face on my screen next to mine.
Hannah's shocked expression. Arms waving across the bar at us trying to get Dav En's attention.
I drop my hand across the camera of my phone, but not quickly enough.
Hannah starts to call my name. I gaze up at Dav En with wide eyes before looking over to Seong Su.
All the while, Hannah has not stopped calling my name in different versions and they're getting more and more ridiculous every time one leaves her mouth.
It's only been about thirty seconds or so, but it feels like so much longer.
Seong Su, whose eyes have been locked with mine, finally gives me a short nod with a sweet half smile.
I look to Dav En and then Kyung. He's already wearing his own version of Seong Su's sweet smile.
It's all I need for reassurance. I will never ever be ashamed of being with all of them.
My panic was more for someone finding out for their sake.
Not mine. I don't want to be any kind of trouble.
I move my hand, letting the camera focus on me again. "Sorry, technical difficulties."
"Elizabeth-Lying-My-Pants-Off-Tierney," she states quieter than she was before. "I either just saw a cute Korean man next to you, or you have a ghost. Blink twice if you need to be rescued either way."
Making my eyes as wide as possible, it makes us both laugh, breaking the tension, just as Dav En slides back into frame.
"Hannah, this is Dav En," I tell her, introducing them.
She gives him a once-over as they exchange a polite hello in English.
Then, swallowing, I pick up my phone and turn slowly, introducing the rest of them in the room as I do.
Everyone says nice to meet you or hello in English to her as she returns them.
When the camera is back to facing only me and I've set the phone back down, she motions with her hand for me to come closer.
As I comply, leaning on the counter, she whispers, "Are you dating one of them?"
Of course, as with any video call, the sound is on speaker, so they can still hear her. Again, I will not be ashamed of dating all of them. It's exactly why I can't stop the smile from forming on my lips as I pull away so she can see my face.
"Holy sexy Korean men, Batman," she whispers loudly. "Which one is it?"
I laugh as do some of the others. "They can hear you, Hannah."
She fakes surprise. "Oh no, can they? Dude, they're hot. Now, tell me which one it is, or is it all of them?"
One hundred percent, she says the last part as a joke, but I just lift an eyebrow at her, making her mouth drop open in true surprise. She closes it then opens it again. "Here I am calling you to talk about my one and you're surrounded by a freaking buffet. How many even was that?"
She starts counting on her fingers, making us laugh again before I take pity on her and answer, "Eight."
"Okay, okay," she says, looking upward and apparently thinking out loud. "So, you're going to need a plus eight at the wedding then."
As she says the words, we both look at each other and start laughing uncontrollably. I have tears of the joyous kind slipping out of my eyes when she looks offscreen.
"Edward is here," she says. The man popping into frame with a quick hello before she adds, "I've got to go. Call me later, yeah?"
"I will," I promise. "And congratulations, guys."
"Thanks," they both say at the same time before the call ends.
I'm still chuckling a bit when I glance up from my phone. Eight faces stare back at me in humor and wonder.
"Well, not exactly how I expected my morning to go," I say, making them laugh with me.
A few days go by quickly since I've been helping at the kids' home a little more and been spending time talking to Hannah too about wedding plans.
I've just made it home and hung up with said bride-to-be, walking in and slipping off my shoes to go off in search of the man that made her cry today.
I find him in the living room with a few of the others, Jae-un, In Se, Kyung, and Minsul all spread out on the couch on their phones.