Since Jason is a Korean-Canadian, there's a bit of Korean language mix in within their conversation. Name-hyung is used to address someone for the men to an older man, while name-oppa is used to address someone for women to an older man. While name-nuna is used to address someone for the men to an older woman, and name-unni is used to address someone for man to an older woman.

 

--

 

Music was in the air. The first thing that came through his mind.

 

Too loud.

 

Jason wanted to shut his ears, but a nudge from Gina made him stopped.

 

“Try not to die,” said Gina.

 

She showed him a fake smile and went off mingling with the other cousins. Jason definitely knew what she meant by that. Jason stood there all alone, surrounded by people having the time of their life. He, on the other hand, had a stoic face not bother by the joy surrounding him. Like a boulder in the middle of a torrential river.

 

“Jason hyung, is that you?” someone from the crowd called out to him.

 

“Stop speaking in Korean, you know I’m bad at it,” said Jason.

 

Yet the cousin kept on talking in Korean.

 

“Hyung, come and meet my dad.”

 

“Dan, you don’t-” Jason was dragged much to his annoyance.

 

Closer and closer, Jason was getting nearer to the main table which was right in front of the stage.

 

“Dad, I brought Jason hyung,” said the young cousin of his.

 

“Jason,” a wide smile on the birthday man himself.

 

A pair of arms wrapped around him as he felt the hug from his uncle.

 

“It’s been a long time since I met you, how is it going. I heard you’re trying your luck at Wall Street,” said Jason’s uncle.

 

Trying my luck?

 

Those words were not pleasant to hear but he flashed a fake smile.

 

“Yeah, it's all good,” said Jason.

 

“Well, good luck. Things will get better,” his uncle patted him by the shoulder.

 

Jason could only smile not saying a word. He then greeted the rest of his uncles and aunts. A few were asking about his parents while some asking about his accomplished siblings. Short answers were enough to satisfy these uncles and aunts of his. It was all smiles and laughter along with the same words of encouragement.

 

“Things will get better,” said one of her aunts.

 

Jason left with the fake smile still hanging on his face.

 

--

 

Sitting at the far end of the hall at an empty table, Jason was eating in peace. His eyes glanced around and saw these people having fun, it got him thinking.

 

These people really don’t care at all about the crack in the air.

 

The buffet, on the other hand, catered much to the client’s desire and Korean food was nothing for this five-star hotel.

 

At least better than deliveries.

 

Since his tongue grew accustomed to delivery food, these high-class foods were cleansing his palate from those artificial flavors.

 

“Oppa,” Jason tilted his head to the side seeing a cute lady dress in casual attire sat at his side.

 

“Oh,” he didn’t say much and continued on eating.

 

“Don’t be so mean oppa, it’s been a long time since we last met,” said the woman who was in her early twenties.

 

“Speak in English Eugene, you know how my Korean is pretty rusty,” said Jason.

 

“No can do, my mom's going to smack my head if she heard me talking in English, she said English is off-limits during the party,” said Eugene.

 

While they were conversing another lad appeared and sat at the opposite end of the table.

 

“Yo, hyung. It’s been a while,” a cousin of Jason who was also in his early twenties.

 

“English, speak in English,” said Jason.

 

“Sorry hyung, my English is kind of rusty. My Korean is better,” said the guy.

 

“Yaa, Park Paul. You’re born in New Jersey and you said you can’t speak in English?” Eugene reprimanded Paul.

 

“Shut up Eugene, I’ve been studying at Seoul University for the past two years. You can’t blame me for having rusty English,” said Paul.

 

“Hmph, studying? From what I heard, more like every night drinking until you freaking faint,” said Eugene with a smirk.

 

“What? You want a fight?” an annoyed look plastered across Paul’s face.

 

These two started bickering while Jason sat there eating his meal ignoring these two.

 

“Hey, hey break it off you two,” a man dressed in a fancy suit sat in the middle between the cat and mouse.

 

“Hyung, how’ve you been? Have you found a job yet?” asked the guy with a two-block hair cut.

 

Jason didn’t bother telling this cousin of his to speak in English since the rest of them already ignored it.

 

“No, not yet,” replied Jason as he munched down a rice ball.

 

“Ah, too bad. It’s fine hyung, the economy is pretty bad lately, but hyung you want to try out a job in my company? The pay is pretty sweet but you’re going to be under me, is that fine? Well, that doesn’t matter right, as long as you got the money. We cousins need to help each other out, right. We...” this cousin of his kept on blabbering on with that condescending tone of his.

 

It really put Jason in a bad mood. He was already in an anxious state due to the crack in the air and now these cousins of his were driving his emotion to the edge. The sound of his fork dropped on the plate rang in the air catching the attention of these three noisy bunch.

 

“Oi, can’t you piece of shits talk somewhere else? I’m freaking eating here and you guys got to mess it up huh. Eugene, why the heck are you here, go and talk with those people at Gina’s table, and you Paul go f*ck off to Seoul if you can’t speak English,” he paused for a while taking a breather.

 

“and you David, f*ck off and mind your damn business,” Jason stood up and left the hall after letting out his frustration at these younger cousins of his.

 

While the rest of the three sat there with a blank look on their faces. They didn’t expect that to happen. After a few seconds, Eugene pouted.

 

“I don’t like the people at that table.”

 

---

 

At the emergency staircase, Jason sat there alone with a can of cola in his hand. He stretched his head in every angle before letting out a sigh.

 

“Those cousins of mine really annoyed me, at least Gina isn’t there,” said Jason as he complained to himself.

 

He opened the can of cola as the foam burst out. He frowned as he cursed out loud. Things aren’t going well for this man. Then the door from behind him opened up. He glanced out of reflex and saw a person dressed in a rather glamorous dress. Their eyes locked at each other as silence surrounds them. It took him a while before something just clicked inside his head. Both of them spoke at the same time as their eyes opened up wide.

 

“It’s you.”