Jin Won was very much displeased when he heard from a nosy bird that Jong Hyun and Bom got together, and Jin Young, though the youngest, had to step in for the young man. He convinced his hyung what Jong Hyun had achieved in life, including earning his own money for allowances through playing in the band. At first, Jin Won was unwilling to listen because he did not want his Bom to have a rockstar for a boyfriend.

"But you know, Hyung, Jong Hyun is 100 times better than all the guys you set her up with," Jin Young said. "They are dependent a******s who do not know how to earn their own money and only depend on their politics."

Jin Won and his wife got haunted over what Jin Young had said, but they yielded. Jin Young would not have been principal of the school if he had no sense at all. The parents tried to see Jong Hyun's point of view.

************

September 15, Jung Shin's birthday, Saturday.

Jin Won and his wife came to settle the matter with Jong Hyun and Bom, and when they got to the house, they saw Jong Hyun religiously mopping the floor of the living room, with Shin Hye dusting the furnitures and the windows. Shin Hye greeted her aunt and uncle, and she stood by her friend.

"Where is Bom?" Jin Won asked.

Bom came out from the kitchen, wearing an apron which was messed with colored icing. She greeted her parents cordially, and after making herself presentable, they had a word with her and her boyfriend. They told the young people that they were against their relationship, but Jong Hyun respectfully told them that he loved Bom and that he was studying hard so that he could graduate with the best grades and get into the best engineering firms. They saw the fire in his eyes (hence my burning-eyed Jong Hyun, kekekek), so they said that they are willing to give him a try and prove himself worthy of her.

"We do not want to consent because you are younger than Bom," Eomma said.

To this, Bom reminded her parents of their , with Appa being younger than Eomma. And her parents had to yield because of that harmless threat.

"Please give me one year, and I will prove to you that I am the right man for Bom," Jong Hyun said with confidence.

Eomma noticed his choice of word. "Man" instead of "guy".

"Arasseo," Appa said. "For now, we will be kind to you and let you and Bom be. But if you break our trust, even in the least occasion, we will have both of you separated at all costs."

"For giving me the chance, gamsahamnida," Jong Hyun said with a bow.

Bom smiled at her lover, but did not hold his hand because she knew that her parents hated public displays of affection.

**************

That night, Min Hyuk and Yong Hwa set up the living room to look like a noraebang (and this is my signature plot too). All the elders gathered with the younger generation after dinner. Before their singing spree, Jung Shin opened his gifts in front of everybody, and they clapped for him.

"Oppa, you are truly amazing!" Hyun Ah said.

She was about to kiss Jung Shin when she remembered that Bom's strict parents were there. It would have been all right if it was just Uncle Jin Young.

Seung Ho handed his hyung a thank-you gift for taking care of his girlfriend.

"Ne, Jiyeon is really already a little sister to me," the bassist told Seung Ho.

"Gamsahamnida," Seung Ho said graciously.

Shin Hye forgave Jung Shin just this day even if he was teasing her with her ugly clothes and her elephant thighs and her crooked teeth (which is not crooked, btw). It was his day, after all, and there's still tomorrow to beat him up. Kekekekek.

"Oh, I think we forgot to buy something for Jung Shin-ah," Jin Won said.

"Eh?" Jung Shin asked foolishly.

It was still eight at night, and there was still time to buy for whatever it was. So Jin Won and his wife left the company to buy some additional gifts for the untouchable goddess, and Hyun Ah rejoiced because she could kiss Jung Shin as much as she wanted. Bom was too reserved to even kiss Jong Hyun even in front of her uncle, but Jong Hyun did not mind--he liked her that way. Seung Ho did not kiss Jiyeon because he had respect for the principal, and he did not want to be kicked out of school just because he harassed the principal's daughter. Shin Hye and Yong Hwa were in the mood for some loving but they had to restrain themselves because of Uncle Jin Young.

As the fiercest gal in the room, Shin Hye sang two songs first. The first, a lively song as a birthday gift to her nemesis at home, the birthday boy. The second song, she sang it for her Yong Hwa. And while she sang to him, everybody listened intently because the world seemed to enclose and highlight only the two of them

*******

Jin Won and his wife came, bringing more gifts for Jung Shin, and they continued with the noraebang session. Our prince and princess got to the front porch to have some chat.

"What round are we in?" he asked her.

"Shhh.... if Uncle Jin Won would know this, he'd tell my Appa," she whispered.

They settled to just holding hands while looking at the stars.

"How long do I have to live to say that I love you so much?" Yong Hwa asked. "I just don't get tired of you."

"Forever?" she .

They looked at the people inside the housew while trying their best not to get caught. He scooted next to her and had her lean on his shoulder.

"I could kiss you all night up to Round 100 and get high," Yong Hwa said. "But we'd rather do that in secret."

"I agree," she whispered. "But with our epic Round 100 before summer, I had to really resist my urge. Do you know that at Round 71, I had wanted to do it with you already?"

Was that an invitation? He smiled at her as he also guessed what she was thinking.

"I also want to do it with you, Shin Hye," Yong Hwa said. "But not now."

"Ne, me too," she said. "With Uncle Jin Won in the scene, I think this is a good exercise of self-discipline."

She looked up to him, and he planted a soft kiss on her lips before them. She liked the sensation of his tongue on her lips. He felt high when her tongue also his lips before settling to giving him soft kisses on his lower lip.

"I'm crazy over you, Shin Hye," he whispered.

"Yong Hwa, make me crazy...." she whispered back.

They wrapped each other in each other's arms and kissed ala Round 24. Their kisses were so soft like a pillow and sweet like cotton candy, they could not resist it. Though the kiss was no longer a first, it tasted still as sweet as the first time.

"Saranghae, Yong Hwa," she whispered to him.

"Saranghae," he replied. "Shin Hye."

And they kissed again, Round 25.

(Insert song: "First Kiss" by FT Island)

****END****