Chapter 21: Knowing more about him

“I said, we could get married.”

That threw me off guards. I was just telling him how Jinae started to feel pressure with all weddings coming in from our friends in university and she had been complaining that whenever she received one, they’ll be asking when would it be hers?

Since Jinae and Kyungsoo had been a university sweethearts that a lot of people had knew – courtesy to the ever so popular Kim Jongin – people were starting to wonder. If we flashbacked to the time we were still students, no one had expected that Im Jinah from Food Tech would end up with Lee Dongwoo from Economy or how Seo Jisoo from Korean Literature would end up with Yoo Jaehyun from Education.

But they did expect Kim Jongin would end up dumping Oh Hana. Oh well.

The thing was how did this topic ended up focusing on me. I wasn’t sure. I have a good memory despite my clumsiness and all – I should at least be good at something right – that Byun Baekhyun had told me he can’t commit to Yerin’s request of marriage was the cause of them splitting. And now he casually spoke of marriage to me – his face rendered me speechless – when we just –

I need air because my boyfriend just literally sound like he’s asking me to marry him.

“Now? We’ve been dating for just three months, Baek.”

He turned to look at me. “I’ve been counting on that too, in case you don’t know.”

“So, do you even hear what you are talking about?”

Yerin told me she was the woman Baekhyun dated the longest. Baekhyun had dated Han Yerin for one year but he wanted no marriage. Not yet at that time.

“I’m not asking you to marry me now. I’m telling you we could. I’ve never been this serious and I’m serious about us. Why do you freak out anyway? It’s not like I’m going to kidnap you while you are sleeping and bring you to the registration office and made you stamp your fingerprint on marriage certificate and when you wake up, tada, you’re married to Byun Baekhyun.” He was silenced for a second, giving a thought to what he just spat. “Or, I could actually just bring the form to your house and make you do it while you are busy drooling.” He laughed when I nudged him.

“Don’t you ever want me to be a part of your life?” he asked softly.

“You are a part of my life.” And I knew that I answered exactly how he wanted when that smile widened and he turned his hand over from grasping the gearstick to intertwine with mine that had been on the back of his hand.

“So, when are you going to marry me?”

“Baekhyun!”

“Tell me, what are you so afraid of?”

I took a moment and huffed. “I don’t know you.”

That stunned him. It was lucky enough the car had to make a stop because if not, he would have lost control over the steering wheel or he would have pulled over to talk about it. Because that wasn’t what he expected coming to him.

“Hey.” He fidgeted in his seat.

“We barely know each other, do you realize that?” I explained. “I know your job, I know where you live and I know who your best friends are. But what else? When you were gone out of reach for few days, Jinae was asking where you were and I can’t answer that because I honestly don’t know.”

I continued. “I had to go to Chanyeol and ended up meeting your senior and they were talking about you like I had an idea when I don’t, at all. They were talking about you but I don’t think that’s the same Baekhyun I have in mind. I don’t know you were this smart guy from SNU. And what does H2O got to do with your job, anyway?” he was about to cut me off but I signalled him to not to which he obediently nodded. “If you want to ask me if that even matters, it does to me. Because that is you. The person I’m in love with. I don’t know where you’re from. I don’t know what’s your favourite food. Or your favourite colours or – “

He turned his attention back to the road in silent when the car before us started moving, as the traffic light turned green.

“What I’m saying is it would be nice if I know more about you.”

“We could get that done.” He replied nonchalantly. “I could bring you to meet my grandmother or maybe my parents, if they are even in the country because I hardly see them. And then we could tour around the place that I’ve grew up at and place I used to hang out, also the place me and my friends used to jam at.”

“That’s nice.”

“I could get anything done until you have no reason left to reject me with.”

“You are not serious about that,” I meant it to take what he said earlier lightly but the laughter came out weird. “right?”

“No. I just want to see how you’re reacting to it. I would cry right here at the moment if I was being real. That was harsh.” He replied while feigning a displease look. “But it's true, I did think about it. Marriage is a beautiful thing. Why does this kind of topic is always pressuring and burdening?"

"I didn't think of it like that. I just don't want it to be a mistake, especially with you. As much as I found how you're dying to marry me is the sweetest thing on earth,"

"I did not say anything like that."

"Gosh, let a girl dream." He laughed at me whining ridiculously. 

“I understand." he spoke up. "Honestly, I can’t promise you I won’t make you cry one day neither I’ll be able to make you happy but while I am still sure of it, I’ll do it.”

I gave him a skeptical look at his words. He seemed serious with his words and it had made me fell in love with him deeper than the last time I remembered when he said that. I wished I could express how I feel about him as well as he always did to me but it was not I was best at. “Have you always been good with words when it comes to girls?”

“That just made you just fall head over heels on me, did it?” he raised his eyebrows, proudly.

“I kind of do.” I admitted, playfully giving him a wink while I was leaning against the dashboard, watching him driving on the road.

~~~

I freaked out when I figured what I did just put myself into. My words didn’t affect me so much over the week, not only until it hit Friday and the next thing I know, Baekhyun wanted to bring me to meet his family the next day like I wished.

Jinae sighed when another outfit came to her way as she was sitting at the foot of my bed while I was trying to look into my closet for anything nice.

“He was brought up by his grandmother.” I told her as I looked at the other two dresses in my hands. “His parents work for the medical missionary team overseas so he was much closer to his grandmother than them. Which one?”

“At that age, still? His parents are angels.” Jinae commented. “So now, you’re trying to impress his grandmother?”

“Yeah, I guess?”

Jinae gave it a thought. “Keep it not too revealing and simple. Kyungsoo’s mother wasn’t really fond of me when she saw the girl his son brought home is wearing some flashy, abstract dress.”

“You sure that’s the only thing?”

“No. I don’t know what Kyungsoo had been bluffing at her about my skills in the kitchen because after she saw how I couldn’t hold a knife correctly, she gave me the “what a spoiled brat.” look for the whole night.” she gave an irritated look. “And we’re not even married yet and his mother already hates me!”

Listening to her ranting while I was paying attention to something else has always been my expertise. “I’ll  just go with this instead.” I decided on going with the a white long ruffled sleeves chiffon blouse and matched with a pair of knee ripped denim pencil pants because being comfortable was the best choice anyway.

Taking a long deep breath, I kept myself focused more on the road we passed while battling with my own inner thoughts in my mind. It was a silence ride but I wasn’t even aware of it when my mind is being loud.

I flinched when I noticed a pressure against my skin, to see that Baekhyun placed his hand rested on top of mine. “Why are you fidgeting in your seat?”

I didn’t realize that. I did? I guess I wasn’t that quiet with my thoughts. “When did I? I’m fine.” I wanted to slam my head for being so obvious with my exaggerating tone that it just give it away how nervous I was at the moment.

He sneered at my obvious attempt of lying. “You think I’d believe that?”