I told Yonghwa about the whole situation. He sat there not saying a word. I called out his name a few times and waved my hands in his face to try and catch his attention. He was in shock from hearing his. I know how he feels, I was too. We sit there for a few moments just being in each others arms. I feel we're thinking about a way out of this situation.

We sit on my couch longer just silently enjoying each others company. I stare at my TV that's blank, just like how I feel about the situation. What am I to do? Run away again? I sit up as if I had some sort of brilliant idea. 

"What is it?" Yonghwa says looking over at me.
"I don't know. All I can think of doing is deny it over and over again." 
"Maybe that's just what you need to do. Deny, deny, deny."
I chuckle a little. "Maybe I'll just continue to do that, haha."

My phone starts to ring shortly. I look at the caller ID and it's my mother. I throw my phone not wanting to answer it. Yonghwa asks why I don't pick up. I point at my phone and he looks at the caller ID. He picks up my phone and hands it back to me. "Answer it." He says with a small smile and I do what he says. 

"Minhee, are you okay?" My mother says sounding worried.
"Yes." 
"Why did you run out like that? It wasn't very polite to do that."
"Seriously? That's what you're concerned about? Appealing to our guests?"
"Look, in this family we have to keep up appearances and not have a bad face."
"You don't care at all about the fact that I don't want to marry someone who I have never met?"
The line was silent, almost like she hesitated.
"That's what I thought. At least my other parents would've let me choose who I wanted to marry."
"Minhee." She sounded disappointed.
"I'm sorry, but I don't approve of this marriage." 
"Get to know Dylan, maybe you'll change your mind."
"Mother, no. I am already in a faithful relationship. I am not going to be with another guy."
"I-I thought you and Yonghwa were just friends..." She trails off.
"No, you did know. You just didn't want to accept it because you wanted me to marry Dylan."

The line was silent, indicating that I was right. She couldn't object to it. Yonghwa just looked at me with an admiring look on his face. I gave him a curious face to why he was looking at me like that. He just smiled and signaled me to continue the conversation. Me and my mother kept discussing about the situation. Well, more like she kept trying to convince me to change my mind. I decided to end the conversation, it was going nowhere. "Bye, we'll talk about this some other time." She says and I just hang up. I take inhale then exhale. I look over at Yonghwa who's just staring at me. He smiles and holds my hand. He tells me that he's glad I'm fighting for us. Of course I would, we're together and I'm happy with him. Why wouldn't I fight for the both of us.

_*_

After not speaking to my parents for a few weeks, they called me over to their house. I was curious to why all of a sudden now but I didn't question and just decided to go. I also decided to bring Yonghwa along with me, just in case it was a trick and they brought Dylan over. I was a bit nervous to go over there. I mean, I feel awkward for Yonghwa if he's there and my parents just keep pestering me to marry Dylan. I took a deep breath in and out.

"Are you okay?" Yonghwa asked holding my hand in the car.
  I shook my head, I felt like I was being suffocated. 
"Don't worry, I'll be right there with you. I'm not going anywhere." He smiled.
I nodded and we exited the car. 

We walked up to the door and rang the door bell. I closed my eyes and took another deep breath in and out. When I opened my eyes, my mother was there signally us to come inside. She looked didn't look surprised at all, almost as if she knew I was going to bring Yonghwa with me. We walked into the living room and sat down. The maids brought in some drinks for us all, they bowed and smiled and waved as they were leaving. I gave them a smile back. "I'm glad you came." My mother said with a small smile. I just nodded. I just sat there looking at her and my father blankly. I looked at them to try and sense what they were going to say but then suddenly my father spoke out. 

"I know you both don't like the idea of Minhee marrying Dylan." My father started, he leaned in resting his elbows on his knees. "But this is something that has to be done. It's a deal between our two families." 
Yonghwa just sat there quiet while I was boiling with anger. 
I stood up, "Family? I didn't even know I was a part of your family until 6 months ago. And I thought everything was going smoothly and here you go dropping a bomb. 'Oh by the way you're going to get married to a total stranger'." I said in a mocking tone.
"Minhee, there's no need to get angry." My mother said.
"Obviously there is since you guys aren't understanding what no means. No. N.O. I DO NOT want to marry Dylan. I won't. I'm sure he's a nice person but I already have someone I am happy with." I sat back down trying to calm down. Yonghwa grabbed my hands and rubbed them trying to soothe me.
"I don't understand why you guys are making her do this. Not to be disrespectful but this just isn't right. I-I love your daughter and I can't let her get married to him." Yonghwa said. 

Shocked, I look at him. He looks back at me and gives me a reassuring smile. I smiled back, that's the first time he's said I love you and all I could do was stare at him. Stare at him like I was in high school looking at the most gorgeous guy in school. Soon, I came back to reality and realized even though he said I love you, I felt as if something was going to pull us a part sooner or later.

Minhee, you shouldn't be thing negative right now! You need to think positive, I told myself. I snapped out of my inner thoughts and came back to conversation with my parents.

"You're just saying that because we're making her marry someone else." My father said to Yonghwa.
Yonghwa looked angry. He let go of my hand and stood up. "How are you going to tell me how I feel?!" He raised his voice.
I was surprised. I've never seen Yonghwa angry. He's always a calm person who just pretended to get mad. I looked at the two of them argue about feelings and about the marriage. This is overwhelming. I can't handle this right now. There are too many things going on. I'm conflicted with hearing Yonghwa saying he loves me and the fact that my parents insist on forcing me to marry Dylan. 

I stand up and leave the room. I walk outside and sit on the bench on the porch. I rest my my elbows on my knees and throw my head into my hands. "What is going on right now." I say aloud to myself. I stare into the dark sky with little stars in the sky. I wonder in the sky and wonder it's like to see things from up there. Is it easier just watching what goes on from up above? I look back down the floor and ponder about different things. Are things ever going to be easy for me?