If not for Seunghyun’s dad, it would have been another awkward dinner for him and Chaerin. He would have melted under Chaerin’s angry stares. She isn’t too subtle in expressing her disappointment either. All throughout dinner, Seunghyun would jump out of his wits every time she stabs the chicken kiev forcefully, shredding the meat into small strips with precision.

Another knife slam was coming and this time Seunghyun closed his eyes in preparation. He heard the glasswares and plates jump simultaneously making clinking noises as an aftermath of Chaerin’s raging storm inside her. He opens his eyes and pleaded his dad to do something.

“Chaerin, if a kiev could bleed, it has died from losing too much blood already.” Mr. Choi teased in a sing song manner. Seunghyun could not believe the calmness in his dad’s voice in the middle of this cold war. It was followed by another hearty laugh from his dad and Chaerin immediately blushed and bit her lower lip in embarrassment. It was as if Chaerin was snapped out from her anger.

“Ahh, dad, I didn’t mean to.” She looked down on her now unrecognizable food still resisting to look at her husband.

“By the looks of it, you’re ready to pounce on Seunghyun a moment ago…but you could swallow him later dear, if you know what I mean…” Mr. Choi wiggled his eyebrows,

“DAAAAAAAAAAAD!” the couple screamed in unison, quite scandalized with the older man’s remark. Good thing Haneul is sleeping already.

“Oh please, it’s not like you’re still teenagers.” He stuffed a piece of meat on his mouth and smiled. Seunghyun massaged his temples. Everything his dad was doing is so new to him.

“You have a headache son?”

‘I bet he had a rough day, he even forgot to fetch Haneul.” Chaerin went back to her feisty self in a second, stabbing the indistinguishable lump of meat in front of her. The intensity of her glare built up the tension between them again.

“I was busy at work, okay?” Seunghyun responded defensively, Chaerin merely scoffed and rolled her eyes. He was losing it again.

“CHILDREN! Stop it! The nights are getting colder, might as well have make-up already.” Mr. Choi breezed in, cutting through the thick tension in a matter of seconds.

“DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD!” both were blushing madly.

“Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?” Mr. Choi shrugged like it was the most natural thing to do. “Chae, Seunghyun is working hard here, give him credit for it. And you young man, don’t act all too innocent on me. It’s not like you stared at each other the whole night while you were making Haneul. Make Chaerin shout Hallelujah again!”

Seunghyun went to a deeper shade of red while Chaerin started to burst out laughing. She was letting it all out that it lasted for a minute.

Wiping a tear from her eye, she sighed as a sign of relief. “Oh dad, I can’t believe you. But thanks anyway, I needed that.” She smiled at Mr. Choi as the older man reached out for Chaerin’s hand and squeezed it lightly.

Seunghyun watched the whole scene unfold and a tinge of unfamiliar feelings came rushing in.

Dinner was over and so was the argument of Chaerin and Seunghyun. The moment they left the table, Chaerin was beginning to look at him again. She smiled at him though he felt it was just an effect of his dad being around. He went out to their garden and saw Mr. Choi sitting peacefully under the stars, a faint smile painted his face.