Jiyong’s POV:

“Mrs. Kwon, is there anything I can help?”

My mom looked surprised visibly, looking up from whatever she was making by hands. She narrowed her eyes and looked at Nayeon with judging eyes, when she bowed to greet my mom properly, before rolling up her sleeves and dashed into the kitchen so quickly that even I myself could not comprehend what was actually happening.

“I’m sorry if we come a bit too early.” Nayeon smiled. Had I told you how much I loved that sweet smile of hers? “But I thought it would be rude if we just come in time for the dinner.”

I saw mom raised her eyebrows at me, and I just shrugged. “We’re free today anyway, mom.” I said nonchalantly. “I’ll go look for dad.” I didn’t know why, but I felt like I should not stay here. Nayeon could be left alone with my mom, I had no fear of that, even though I was not really sure why about that either.

Nayeon didn’t even glance at my direction even just once, heading straight to my mom’s side and eagerly looked around the huge kitchen in our mansion. Shrugging the lonely feeling off, I walked away, to dad’s working room.

What you have for me, how much serious was it?

I thought about Nayeon’s question for days. When we kissed and she rejected me 3 weeks ago, I wasn’t this confused.

At that time, I kissed her just because I wanted to. I asked her to go out with me, to have a relationship with me because I wanted to. I was silent for 3 weeks and did nothing to coax her because I didn’t want to. When dad told me “if you’re playing around with random girls now, then you should just marry my friend’s daughter for good”, I told him immediately she was the one in my heart because that was the first thing came into my mind. When I whined about how the beefsteak served at our house didn’t taste as good as what served at Nayeon’s restaurant, I did that because I honestly thought so. Everything about Nayeon, I did them just because I thought those were the right things to do.

And now when she asked me to ask myself, “do you really want this?”, I was confused with my feelings.

I thought Nayeon didn’t give a serious thought about my offer, but it turned out that, that person was me.

“Ask yourself if you’re ready for a serious relationship again now. We can give it a try, only when we know what we’re getting ourselves into.”

Aish, since when Yeon Kim liked to make things complicated?

“Come in.” Dad’s voice could be heard at the other end of the door. “Oh, you’re here already? Wait, how about your girlfriend?” Dad looked as surprised as mom did earlier, seeing me entering the room.

Since mom already told us to come over for dinner, I still came to pick up Nayeon at 4 in the evening that Saturday. We hadn’t really talked again after that night I drove her home, even though I still came to her restaurant to have lunches and dinners sometimes, and she also didn’t make any effort to talk or ask me anything. I figured she was giving me time to decide on my own, to “be honest with your feeling”.

“I guess you have the answer for yourself. I’ll make things clear after the dinner then.”

She told me so before getting off my car to enter the Kwon mansion. I guessed she was talking about informing my parents that we didn’t actually date. If I knew anything about Kim Nayeon after more than 6 months getting to know her, she hated cheaters and liars. She idolized honesty, especially in relationships, whatever the kind of that relationship was, romantic or not.

Truth was, I hadn’t had an answer for myself, yet. I wanted to have something with Nayeon, but that kind of serious relationship she was insisting me on deciding, I was afraid that, yes, I might be not ready enough. Ironically, eventually, it was still Kim Nayeon who understood me most. Since I got to know her, I always felt like she could read me, secretly. I was tired of the player image I was posing to the world, I wanted a change. I wanted a try, with Kim Nayeon. But, serious relationship? How serious it was, though, in Nayeon’s perspective?

But I had the feeling I was gonna find the answer tonight.

“She wanna come here early to help for dinner.” I sat down on the comfy sofa inside dad’s working room, my favorite place in the house. I always sneaked into here to steal a nap whenever I knew dad wasn’t around. He had the best comfy sofa in the world, I must tell you. “She’s helping mom in the kitchen.”

Dad looked amused. “That is fresh. Girls nowadays don’t know how to cook.” He put down his glass, it seemed he stopped whatever he was working at and walked to my place. “But, again, we haven’t had any girl as your girlfriend before to compare.” He laughed. “I wonder why is that though, son? Is this really your first serious relationship?”

Actually, no, I had 3 serious relationships, and this one with Nayeon, whatever it might be called, wasn’t as serious as my previous ones, to be quite honest. Well, maybe, not yet.

But, I wondered myself, too, that why I never brought anyone of them to home before? I was afraid. Because somehow I knew, they wouldn’t fit into my family.

Even with Eun Seo, the longest, also the most serious relationship of mine, I did try to imagine how would she look like if I introduced her to my parents. She was a modern girl, outgoing, funny, smart and lovely, but, I just knew, she was not my family’s type. But, I didn’t give a thought much of that before. I loved her, I even thought about marriage with her, and I thought, nothing mattered anymore, since love could help us to overcome any obstacle. Sadly, our love wasn’t that strong.

Then again, I also questioned myself, why I didn’t object to the idea bringing Nayeon to home? To the Kwon mansion? To introduce my parents, even though we didn’t really date? Again, I had that familiar answer whenever it came to Kim Nayeon.

I just felt it’s the right thing to do.

“How is your work recently?” I left dad’s question unanswered.

“The great son cares about my business now.” Dad said mockingly, wiggled his eyebrows at me. “I have to thank your little Nayeon later.”

“Dad…..” I whined. Even though I was a 31 years old man, I still liked to acting childish, but only in front of people I felt totally comfortable with. “I wasn’t that bad….”

“Thanks for asking, precious son.” He mocked me again, laughed loudly. “When will you come to help me, though? You cannot leave my business without a care like that, son. You’re my son, after all. That small hotel isn’t all your future.” Dad used that serious tone again.

I inwardly snorted. What would people think, if they heard how my dad called Grand Hyatt Hotel as “small”? But I could not blame him, though. A very few people knew who my dad was, and what my family actually was.

In our “BIGBANG” group, Daesung was famous for having the most impressive background, as the heir of The Kang Enterprise. Truth was, The Kang Enterprise was a part of K Group, and, the very owner of K Group, well, was my father.

Yes, I was that secret heir of the biggest and most influential family in Korea.

But, I didn’t really care about that position. I loved having a business of my own to run. That was how Grand Hyatt born. Of course, without my family’s financial help, dreams would forever be just dreams. That was why I promised to myself that one day, I would help my father with his business, whenever he needed me, and maybe, I would take over his works when he wanted to retire, just maybe. I was still thinking about that. K Group was still something too big for me to handle.

“I’ll help you when the right time comes.” I just smiled. “I enjoy my works right now.”

“Fine.” Dad sulked, but I knew he understood my will. “Anyway, talking about this now is outdated, but for chatting doesn’t hurt, does it? I intended to set you up with Kim’s daughter.”

“Dad….” I frowned when he brought that topic about blinded date and arranged marriage out again. “I already said….”

“Yes, I know, your precious Nayeon is here.” Dad cut in with an annoying look. “I told you this was just for chatting, naughty.” He scowled. “Do you remember my friend, Kim?”

KIM Company was another member of K Group, even though their activities mostly were foreign. They’re K Group’s representative in European market, especially England. That was all I heard and knew about KIM Company. I never really paid any attention on dad’s works. The idea about Grand Hyatt started when I was 18, and ever since then, I worked for my dream, with great support from family though.

“I know about KIM Company, but not sure about its owner.” I replied.

“Aish, bad boy. He visited us a few times before, when you’re about 5 or 6. He even played with you.” Dad reminded me, but nothing came into my memory.

“I don’t remember.” I grinned. “We’re not destined, see?”

Dad kicked my leg. “It’s not funny. He sounded really sad when I informed him that you already had a girlfriend, and our plan to set up his daughter and my son was ruined.” Dad sighed. “I really wanna be in-lawed with him too. He’s a good friend.”

“I thought you don’t trust people easily?” I reminded him. Dad was a scary person in business. If he wasn’t, K Group could not be existed until today.

“Yes, and he is one of the very few ones I do trust.” Dad smiled. “He’s about to go back here in a few more months, and we planned to meet with our children. You’re my only son, and he said he only had one precious daughter too. Isn’t that perfect?”

“Dad, I have Nayeon.” I reminded him annoyingly. “But we still can meet, as friends.” I offered. If dad really liked him, I guessed I should treat him nice.

“Good boy.” Dad smiled satisfyingly.

___

The dinner was an amusing event to witness, to be honest.

For the first time in my life, mom ignored me completely in a meal.

“Nayeon, try this soup. You were very curious about it just now, remember?”

“Nayeon, this is why I asked you to cut the vegetables nicely in shape. See how perfect this dish looks?”

“Nayeon, this one tastes the best with rice, have some more rice.”

Then….

“Try these, these were made by Nayeon.”

“Nayeon suggested me to add some more honey for the meat, even though I didn’t think it was a wise idea. But it seems she really knows what she is doing.”

“Nayeon made the shrimps perfectly, even I myself can never be that good with shrimp.”

Almost all the dinner, all I heard from mom was Nayeon this and Nayeon that. I honestly never saw mom talked that much until that dinner. She was usually quiet in meals, listening to what I and dad conversed, only said what she wanna say if is was necessary. But I guessed I knew how Nayeon did the wonder now.

She knew how to cook.

And mom loved cooking. Even though we’re a classy family with servants and all, most of the meals were done personally by mom. She loved cooking for her husband and child. And of course, her food were the best in this world. And I guessed, by helping her in the kitchen, Nayeon earned brownie points for herself.

I watched how mom talked nonstop with Nayeon, giving her this food to that food, how Nayeon smiled sweetly and laughed softly because of mom’s overreacted affection, how dad bemused by them and enjoyed the meal with a content smile, and I knew I got my answer.

I wanna a serious relationship with Nayeon, no matter how serious she might want me to be. I was not ready for serious stuff like marriage yet, but, I would try my best to work this relationship then, since I knew she already be all serious about this whole thing.

“Full yet?” I asked from behind, noticed Nayeon’s figure standing comfortably just outside the balcony of my room.

We finished dinner a while ago, and while waiting for the dessert, I excused us to have a tour around my house, ignored Nayeon’s frown at me. She even frowned deeper when I suggested to visit my room. Even though I had my own apartment now, of course, I had my own room in the Kwon mansion, if you could call a 1,500 m2 area as a “room”. I just wanna have a secluded place to talk with her.

“I see you enjoyed seeing me being in full attention of your mom.” She raised an eyebrow at me, glanced aside to roll her eyes at me. She went back to drink the wine I gave her after we entered the room.

Let me reveal a secret to you. Kim Nayeon tasting wine was the iest thing to watch in the world.

I leaned in to snatch the glass in her hand and placed it on the table nearby, making she frowned her eyes again. Those pretty eyes frowned at me quite a number of times today, I noticed.

“I pondered carefully….” I started, spun her around to face me completely. “You were right, I wasn’t sure about all the serious things before. I just thought about having a relationship with you, but not really thought about it on serious level as you pointed out.” I pulled her closer, to hold her close in my arms.

I hadn’t noticed this before, but Nayeon in my arms was the rightest feeling I ever had. She looked at me silently, through that intense gaze and those pretty eyes. “But I thought about it. I’m not sure if I’m ready for serious relationship right now, but I’ll try to, as long as you let me.” I palmed her cheek, using my thumb to caress her earlobe, and I smiled when I saw how fluttering her eyelashes fell, even though it was very slightly.

I pulled out from nowhere, ok from my behind, a bouquet of 8 red roses, and presented it in front of Kim Nayeon.

“Kim Nayeon, here, in my parent house, to show you how much serious I am right now, I am asking you, will you be my girlfriend?” I asked with my most sincere voice and with my sweetest smile.

Nayeon took the roses from my hands and lifted them up to her nose to inhale. Then she looked up from the roses, her nose still was buried inside those red petals, yet her eyes indicated that she was smiling.

“Yes, silly.” She giggled, inhaled the roses once again.

Even though I was confused with her reaction, I grinned.

“All I need is a decent ask, that’s all.” She explained, still having that wicked smile on her face.

I groaned, but leaned in and wasted no time to capture , caught her off ward on whatever she might say. I took the roses back from her hands and blindly put them onto the table, finally removed the obstacle between us to have a proper kiss.

“You gave me headaches for days.” I murmured into her ears, scowled when she giggled to answer back. I growled when I pecked repeatedly, enjoying the joyous feeling I was having in the stomach to finally be able to claim that cute lips of hers as mine.

_____

Author’s POV

“Angel, will you like it if I arrange a marriage for you?”

“What?” Nayeon was caught off ward, choked on the drink she was drinking. “What are you saying dad? Don’t joke.” She scowled.

“I just asked.” Mr. Kim laughed. “I intended to match you up with the son of this friend of mine. But too bad, he already had a girlfriend, I heard.”

“Glad to hear that.” Nayeon sighed in relief. “Dad, what time is this now? Arrange marriage? Seriously? We’re not in ancient time anymore.” She chuckled.

“But you’re 26 already! You should think about marriage….”

“I know.” She cut in. “Trust me, I’m working on it.” She coughed uncomfortably.

“Working on what? Marriage? Or having relationship?” Her dad had a full attention on her words now.

“Not now, not yet dad.” She laughed.

“Need me to tell Jae Sung to check?” Her father teased.

“What? No!” She nearly yelled. “Aish, I don’t need oppa to babysit me.” She complained, and she already could hear her brother’s laugh just next to her father.

“Whatever, beware, kid, we’re gonna visit you soon.” He father dropped the hint.

“Really? When?” Nayeon asked excitingly. It was so long since the last time she saw them, and much more than long since the last time they all in Korea. “Come here with me, I am so lonely in Seoul.”

“Soon, princess.” Her brother whispered teasingly on the phone, leaving Nayeon to scowl and yelled for giving back the phone for her father.

___

A/N: A/N: thank you so much for your sub & comments & upvotes! Much love from Rosie ♥