I keep my head down as we’re sitting on our knees facing Appa while Omma and Durami eavesdropping from the kitchen as they prepare the dinner. I take a glance to my side and startle when I see Doctor Kwon Jiyong – I shall start to call him Jiyong instead of Doctor Kwon Jiyong for now I’m his fiancée – I mean Jiyong, return Appa’s gaze bravely but stays in polite way. I turned my eyes to Appa’s direction and true enough, his eyes piercing in Doctor—I mean, Jiyong’s direction.

As if he can feel my eyes on him, Appa turns to look at me, so I quickly staring at my laps.

“Ehem,” Appa coughs.

Appa ‘invites’ Doctor—Jiyong to dinner when he caught us at the door. He may or may not know what just happened a mere minute prior with the sparkling ring on my usually bare finger and our position.

“Doctor Kwon,” Appa starts, but Jiyong—finally I can say his name alone—cuts him.

“Just call me Jiyong, please, for I’ll be your son in law,”

I choke at his words. My face heats up. Okay, he states the fact, but he’s talking to my father! I nudge him in the side as I dare a glance to Appa’s direction. I see Appa’s lips twitches but no sign of angry at his face. It has to be a good sign, right?

“Jiyong-ssi,” Appa repeats and I swear Jiyong nods his head in approval. “Did you just propose my daughter?”

“Yes, I did.” Jiyong replies.

Appa sighs and shakes his head.

Eh, why now he shakes his head. At my side I can feel Jiyong’s back straighter.

“Didn’t you think that you should ask for my permission first before asked her hand in marriage?”

My eyes are getting bigger hearing what Appa says. It never occurs me that he’s traditional minded, but then again we never really ever talk about marriage and whatsoever. My eyes getting hot and tears threatened to appear when the realization hit me. Is Appa opposing our marriage?

“To be honest, it did. But when I was away, I couldn’t help but hope she was there with me… hope that she’s tied to me. And since I’m about to wed Dara, her concern is the most important. That’s why I asked her before you give your permission to us. Because I just can’t wait any longer.” Jiyong answers.

“And if I don’t give my permission?”

“Then I’ll keep asking and asking, until you give us your permission. I believe you wouldn’t want to deprive your daughter’s happiness.”

“To you?”

Before answering, Jiyong takes my hand to him, hold it thigh. My eyes move from our joined hand to his face, he’s facing me with a tender expression radiates. “Apparently, yes. Now I know for sure, she’ll be happy with me.” He tells Appa, but eyes on me.

I bit my lower lips to prevent myself from crying, but my effort is wasted as I watch Appa nods, smiling to us. “I understand.” He gives his permission.

I can’t help but to cry while gripping Jiyong’s hand hard.

“And Jiyong,” Appa says, “yes, I would never deprive any of my daughters of happiness.” Hear it I throw my body to Appa’s, hug him while I’m weeping for the second time today.

“Appa, thank you.”

**

After dinner, Omma pulls me away from Jiyong to ‘help’ her. Which I know it’s a code to leave Jiyong alone with Appa. Durami keeps plastering herself as my shadow as she wants to see the ring, so I just take it off and give it to her to inspect. While I continue glancing at the living room in worry, where Appa push another shot of soju to Jiyong.

“It’s okay, just leave them.” Omma stare at me, “Why are you so worried? Is Doctor Kwon Jiyong a light head?”

I don’t recall that he ever excessively drinking at my presence, even that one time when he asked for a drink and suddenly turned as reunion. That time seems has a very long time ago.  But he was just got off from plane, flies over the oceans and continents and different time zones.

“But he was just back from Netherland,” I tell my concern, again glancing at the living room direction.

Not long after that, Appa calls us. And my concern comes true. Jiyong passed out as he kept accepting drinks from Appa, too afraid to decline.

“I didn’t know it!” Appa cries.

So we prepare mattress and pillow and blanket for Jiyong to use in the living room, and together we try to put him on. For a lean guy, he weight more than his look.

**

The next day, with Jiyong wakes up at my home, we start our day. He tells me he would like to take me to meet his mother – I just know that hi