Every year, the tradition in the holidays for them goes like this: Nam Ji Hyun would go back to Incheon to celebrate the holidays with her family and relatives, with her talking and spending time with her cousins and her sister with a bit of liquid courage, as well as eat until they pass out. Ji Chang Wook would have his eomma and his dog Ggoma visit him for the holidays and spend time together by eating some food and catching up together, and maybe even go to a few spots in the city to let his mom explore and have fun as well with him. 

In accordance to this and last year, the traditions have slightly changed either for the better or for the worse.

With the demand for Ji Hyun’s work in the city, her family had no choice but to bring the party to her home in Seoul. This time, her parents and her sister (for the first time) are visiting her for the holidays. In Chang Wook’s case, this was the first time that they would spend time with their loved ones as a couple, and this scared them more than they would know. Ji Hyun was already a panicking mess as she went back and forth her kitchen and his kitchen to help in preparing the meals for the holiday dinner. This was a big deal for her since his eomma would probably still remember last year's emotional breakdown over the ruined dinner party.

“Ji Hyun, slow down.” He spoke, grabbing her shoulders and rubbed her arms afterwards to calm her down. 

“Calm down? Our families are visiting us at this very moment, and your mother probably still remembers me as the woman she saw in a middle of an embarrassing emotional breakdown on the other side of the door.” She breathed out. "I need to at least make a good impression on her in order for her to forget that memory.”

“I’m pretty sure she has forgotten about it.” He replied towards her. “Hyunie, it’s going to be okay. We’ll be okay.”

“Well, we’ll be okay right now if you would help me out and check our chicken that has been sitting in a broiler for how long now.” She remarked. “Can we please not repeat last year’s mess?”

He sighed at the memory before letting her go and checking the oven. Ji Hyun then moves back to her home and checks on the food that has been cooking. The seaweed soup has been boiling along, and the bulgogi has been prepared well. Luckily, the chicken inside his oven has been properly cooked as he takes it out of the oven. And then, another dilemma rolls in her mind. 

“Wait, where are we going to eat? Are we going to eat separately or together? Should our families eat in our respective places? Or maybe in your place? Or maybe mine? Or—“

“Ji Hyun.” He spoke, stopping her completely. “Where do you all want to eat? Do you want to eat with us in my home? Or do you want to eat here in your home?” 

She took a deep breath as she thought about it, but before she could even talk, a knock on her door stops her. Her adrenaline then spikes up from the sound, thinking of how is everything going to go. 

“I—Uhm—Let me talk to my family.” She abruptly replied before dashing towards her door, only to meet her parents, as well as her sister. She greets them all with a bow and a hug as well before moving inside the house. 

“Wookie! Happy holidays my boy!” Eomma greets the man by the door, while appa gives him a firm hug, and unnie bows respectfully towards him as they sat by her dining table. 

“Are you celebrating with anyone this year?” Appa asked, and right on cue, a knock on the door interrupts them. He then excused himself from the family before moving towards his door, only to meet his eomma holding his dog in her hands. 

“Happy holidays, eomma.” He bowed before he kissed her cheek and turned his attention to his dog.

“My beautiful girl.” He cooed. “How was she eomma? Has she been good?”

“She was well. We bonded pretty well.” She replied, a small smile on her face. “How about my lovely son? Have you been well? Anyone special at the moment?” 

“Well…” He trailed off, but before he could say anything, Ggoma moves towards the other side of the open door, and when the mother and son followed the dog, they were met with Ji Hyun’s eonnie and eomma entertaining and petting the dog, with Ji Hyun coincidentally passing by them. Wook’s eomma looked back at him with raised eyebrows after she watched the scene in front of them. 

“I’m guessing things have been going well right now, considering how you didn’t ruin the chicken like last year.” She started before turning towards Ji Hyun’s family, bowing towards her parents. “Hello everyone. I hope I didn’t intrude anything.”

Ji Hyun’s parents also bowed towards the woman, a friendly smile on their faces. “No, ma'am. We’re very pleased to have you as our company.”

Wook’s eomma moves towards Ji Hyun’s eomma for a friendly hug, and then she moves towards her appa for a formal handshake and a bow, before settling towards her eonnie, who bowed towards her in respect. 

“Would you like to stay with us for the holiday dinner?” Ji Hyun's appa asked her. "We'd be happy to have you again after last year's events."

Ji Hyun cringed internally from her father's words, not really willing to look back and think about it again as she places the side dishes and other food onto the plates. She doesn't want to revel on the entire burnt holiday dinner fiasco, especially when she broke down in front of her parents after the ruined dinner. 

"Well, I'm pretty sure right now that these two," Wook's eomma said, pointing towards the two adults, "are more responsible now that all of their dishes are well-cooked and well-managed. So sure, I would be honored to join all of you for dinner."

Both of their parents are now settled in the middle of Ji Hyun's dining area, chatting casually about their children's works and even some vacation spots that they've been to. As they were occupied with the story on Ji Hyun's family's recent trip to Anyang, the couple were busy placing the food and other utensils onto the table, both of them feeling cautious on the placement of everything on the table. The two sighed in relief as they finally got through the preparations smoothly, and they sat down across from each other, with him sitting beside his mother, and with her sitting beside her mother. Ji Hyun pours everyone a drink as they started their meal, and afterwards, they ate in comfortable silence. 

"I watched the first broadcast of the drama you directed." Ji Hyun's eomma started. "The story is really intriguing, and the cinematography is something else. You're a really good director, Chang Wook-ssi." 

"Thank you, eomonim." He replied, bowing in gratitude towards her. "I will work hard to make my craft better." 

"I will look forward to it." She replied, a warm smile on her face.

"Oh, Ji Hyun-ssi." Wook's eomma spoke. "Your parents told me you're going to study in America soon?" 

"Yes, eomonim." She replied. 

"I heard it was New York University? For creative writing?"

Ji Hyun nodded in response as she continued. "When will you leave?"

"By the end of spring, eomonim." She replied. Wook's eomma looked back at his son, and Ji Hyun's heartbeat spikes up since she doesn't really know what his mother is thinking. 

"I wish you the best of luck in the future, Nam Ji Hyun-ssi. I hope you can study well out there." She curtly replied, and Ji Hyun b