At the royal wedding (2047):

Hiro to Sunjin:
”Sooo.” He looks his tiny brother over, in turquoise hanbok and with a shock of black hair into his eyes. ” You want a beer? It’s a wedding party, we should celebrate!”
Hoyeol in upset tones:” He’s three!”
”Then what are we supposed to do with him?”
Hoyeol nearly loses it at his hyeung being irresponsible. Again. Hiro gives Sunjin soda, something like trocadero, lets him playact being with the grown-ups, his wonderful big brothers, before being sent to bed with the other young kids. After Jae Vera fetched her son to take him to bed, and thanking them for their patience, Hiro turns an accusatory finger on his brother.
 ”You are no fun!”
”And you’re irresponsible”
” Don’t you remember being a kid, what attention from the right people felt like? It made your day.”
” You gave him beer!”
” We both know he had a soda and that we were playacting. I think even Sunjin-ya knew it was a game. I just made his wedding party wonderful and he’ll never forget it.”
Hoyeol is fuming with quiet righteousness
” You are such a menace”
” Tcha, you’re only saying that because Sunjin loves his big brother, me, and stuck out his tongue at you because you didn’t get any soda.” He paused then continues in an innocent voice. ” It’s fine, Lee Hoyeol, I would be envious too”
” You’re being very immature, hyeung, we’re at an official event. What If someone had caught that on film?”
” How about you go chat with the bridesmaids or something, instead of nagging me? They have been spoiling for our attention all evening, and I’m apparently too immature according to you.”
”Sometimes. Just sometimes I wonder why I even like you.”
Hiro feints looking injured.
” Hey, you’re a hot single guy, and here I’m giving you a clear field to talk to Karo’s exotic cousins. What’s your problem?” He shrugs. ” I’ll go check on Mom, do the Snarkster commentary special with her, she loves that. You have fun, hyeung.” He waves and walks off, after a quick bow at someone.

Hoyeol frustrated, annoyed, just slightly envious at how smooth his brother can be. Turns around, finds himself surrounded by the three bridesmaids, his sister-in-law’s cousins and friends, all of them with that pretty Northlander colouring, in rose-pink flowy dresses and the sharp look of a huntress in their gaze.
” Oh. Proshuvas, a pleasure to meet you again, goshie.” (He’s speaking Russian with a sprinkle of Sibeorineo, he and Hiro spoke Korean) He bows politely, thinks they’re standing a little too close. He hasn’t spent that much time in the northland capital, just a few days before the wedding and everyone local was at an outstretched arm’s distance and looked glacial If you moved so much as ten centimetres closer. He is used to Magadan and its majority mixed-Russian population and it’s ways. The Northlanders are a different kind of Russians, no, not Russians, not really, remember Hiro had said that in passing to someone and nearly gotten into a fight.

” Good evening, your highness. I hope you are having a pleasant evening.”

The middle girl drops into a deep curtesy – that’s right, Hoyeol reminds himself, women in the west don’t bow – which the gown isn’t really cut for. Or maybe it is, he’s certainly getting an eyeful. Her fellow bridesmaids also offer greetings and quick curtsies.
” I wonder,” one of the others chime in, ”why you three marshalls have been avoiding us all evening.” A quick exchange with the other two. ” Sorry, you groomsmen is the correct word. Haven’t we been friendly enough? Your highness?”
Lee Hoyeol is somewhat lost at this, juggling at least two different cultures and dialects of a shared language, in this case Russian. His brother’s wedding reception which looks to cement the strategic alliance with social fast-setting glue isn’t the place for a diplomatic misstep.
” Everyone has been very welcoming, friendly. Warm. Eh. I haven’t been avoiding you three ladies on purpose. Apologies for any unintentional slight.”
” You were very brave defending your royal lady against that American just now.”
” I didn’t do much, but thank you”
” And you’re a brave naval officer”
” Such a lovely speech at dinner too. It was charming.”
” Such a sacrifice to spend so much time … alone.”
He’s not aware of himself shifting away slightly until his back hits a chair and table. The trio isn’t exactly crowding him, or maybe they are. Unless he wades through them, he’s hemmed in by exotic beauties in lowcut pink gowns and roses in their wheat blonde hair. What is the best course of action here? Because, to his ear, they say all the proper words but they sound very ahem friendly. Very friendly indeed. His pop-up akita kennel reminds him that hilly expanses like these make for lovely dog walks. But he is probably misreading the situation, the Northlands are at once standoffish and verbally malicious. He had listened to some of their stand-up routines on the long flight over here, and ouch how these people could do double triple even quadruple layers of meaning, all of them pointed. Maybe it would be better to back off? He’s getting somewhat sweaty with the combination of akitas and pressure.
” I’m flattered, ladies, maybe I’m misreading your intent, easy to misstep, but I’m unsure what I can do for you. Oh!”
That’s a firm hand, with elegant nails, pressing somewhere a firm hand shouldn’t be, even discretely hidden by pink skirts. His akitas sit up and beg.
” It seems to me” (pause)” there might be something you could do. For us.”
If she stood any closer, they would touch. Her companions nod, slight smiles and eyes on his reaction.
” Ehhh, yes, I could, seems like it, but … this is a wedding reception, my brother’s wedding, there are live cameras around. Not really the time and place for …” a strained groan.
She leans in further, almost face to face, now her hand is moving damnit.
” And if a place, a private place, could be found?”
” You are tempting me; you do know that? …. We really shouldn’t do any more than … oh …”
 A steadying breath
” You want me to stop?” An arch look, not stopping.
” Not really.” It’s a pained admission, with clenched jaw.
” Good man. See, Kaisa got us a key.” One of the others holds up a key, large and old-fashioned, with a wicked smile. The third girl chimes in:
” We came prepared. It’s Northlander planning skills.” She puts a hand over his as he’s still leaning back against that chair, a steadying hand on the table. It’s warm, nothing untoward if caught on camera. Continues in a whisper: ”You can say no, your highness, in this corner of the globe saying no or yes is equally valid.” Pause, exchanges a naughty grin with the others, he can barely tell them apart” Say no and we’ll respect that.”
” When you are trying to … Ugh … influence my decision? Right now. Like this.”
The third girl, the one with the key:
” Playing is one thing, never said we’d be playing fair”
In the middle of thirst and embarrassment, Lee Hoyeol throws caution to the wind. Let’s take one for the team. Or something like that. No one needs to know, and if not himself, this army of determined ladies might spread out their hunting. There may be a public scene. And media attention, if they’re not stopped. Or so he tells himself. His akitas vote unanimously in favour of the idea.
” If I let you show me that room you nabbed, promise me one thing” pause ” Leave the others alone. Too much risk for videos leaking. Trade you that for me keeping you happy?”
Furtive exchange of glances between the bridesmaids. He checks the room quickly. Hiro is standing next to him mom, pointing out something and laughing, and Kiyo has Sasya and some of the other teen gathered, looks like language class in hero worship style. His father is having an animated talk with Karo’s father, hands waving, probably theoretical calculus or something. Guests are dancing and milling about. Chatting, drinking. He spots Byeol twirling Karo on the dancefloor, she’s laughing, the bridal crown nearly falling off.
Doesn’t look like he himself would be missed for an hour or so, hopefully.
” Sounds fair to us.” Nods all around. Time for action.
” Very well, the one of you with the key – Kaisa? – leads where we’re going, I’ll tag along, just seeming to head in the same direction.” Pause to check that everyone is on the same page. ” The two of you detour through the room, on your own, and catch up once we’re outside the reception hall, with fewer eyes. Sounds like a plan?”
Nods and wicked smiles.
” Decisive and hot, I like that in a man.” A general move to execute the plan.

From across the room, Hiro is giggling having kept an eye on his uptight brother’s dilemma.
” What? You spotted something?”
He’s in two minds If he should tell his mother, Hoyeol’s madam auntie, what his brother looks to be up too, debates what would be more fun.
”Count the bridesmaids, they have the same dress, almost interchangeable.” He points discretely. Shiori looks around, eyes narrowing.
” Going somewhere, are they?”
” Not sure, but look for Hoyeol hyeung, the four of them were chatting just now. Looked like they had him backed into a table.” Hiro makes his voice very mild, as he watches Hyeol opening a tall door to the hallway beyond and sneaking out after a woman in rose-pink.
” That’s one, there’s the other … the third one just left … wait, they’re all heading to the same exit?”
” I think my little brother just got very lucky.”
Hiro raises his glass and toasts the now closed door. His mother snorts, a wicked grin he recognizes from looking in a mirror dancing on her face.
” Indeed, it does look that way. And you pointed this out to me so that you think I’ll tell everyone and make him blush for weeks.”
” Part of my current plan, yes.”
” You do realise he’ll retaliate saying something like he has raised the bar? Trying to one-upmanship you in the field of pillowing?”
” Of course he will, that’s half the fun”
” As your mother, I suggest not trying to outcompete each other in that field.” A pause, a sip of wine from a crystal flute, another pause. “It’s none of my business. But if you do, even just enough to imply things, rubbing it into Takashi-san’s face would drive him up the Wall with envy and frustration.”
Her voice is cool and mild with devilry. Hiro bows to her, in recognition of his Sensei his mother, the master in the art of snark.
” That was why he made me move to Japan, after all. I imagine a rumour like that should make Uncle Taka thrilled.” His voice is as innocent as hers, with the exact same intonation.