This is past due, so let's not prolong it anymore than necessary.

Thank you for understanding, for supporting, and for being patient.  I am humbled, truly.

Thank you everyone.

P.S. Hallejulah...the line break is back ^^

Previous Chapter:

After the phone call with Umma, I hurried into the kitchen to warm up the Yakgwa she had prepared.  After that, I gathered my things and made my way out to Jin Ki’s car. After putting the things into the trunk, I went inside the car and buckled up.

“What took you so long?”

“Umma made some Yakgwa to bring and I had to heat it up.  We won’t need to stop at the bakery.”

“Arasso.  You’re all ready right?”

“Yes, I mean, no…yes…maybe?”

Jin Ki chuckled and leaned over to peck me on the cheek before staring up the engine. Grasping my hand, he reassured me again.

“You’ll do fine, I know it.”

“Let’s hope all that confidence will be of some help…”

“It will, don’t worry.”

Driving toward Jin Ki’s house, I was in jitters.  I tried to take deep breaths and think of anything else, but it wasn’t really working.  I was still nervous.  When I looked out the window, I was surprised to see that we were in a rural area.  Hmm, I had never seen this part of Seoul before.  Here and there, there would be huge houses with large lawns and high iron-wrought gates surrounding the estate.  So this was the area where Jin Ki lived.  I wondered what his house would be like.  When we came to a stop, I saw that we were in front of a gate and Jin Ki was waiting for the gates to open after pressing a button on a remote he had in his car. 

The gates slowly opened, revealing a stone driveway up to somewhere.  I didn’t even see the house yet.  It was still the nice woodsy scenery alongside the path, and once Jin Ki drove up the stone driveway, my jaw dropped to see the monstrosity that was his home.  This was nothing compared to the houses I saw on the way.  This was a mansion, enormous and decorated as fit for the family of the Lee Dong company. 

Jin Ki parked in the driveway and turned off the engine before turning to me, his face serious.

“Are you ready?”

“How about..no?”

“Well, better to get it done with as soon as possible, right?”

I let out a sigh and nodded, my nerves returning at full blast. My heart was thudding against my chest rapidly, and I was getting a little hot in the car, even with the cold weather outside. Stepping out of the car, Jin Ki met me at the front of his car (after getting our gifts from the trunk) and took my hand in his, giving a squeeze in reassurance; it did little to calm the storm of nerves.  Leading me up to the door, he pressed the doorbell once.

“Don’t you have a key?”

“I’m humoring my mom,” he said, shrugging.  Nodding mutely, I turned back toward the door and found it open with a smiling Mrs. Lee.

“Yun Hee! You’re finally here! How wonderful it is to see you again.”

“Deh, Annyeohasaeyo Eomonim.”

Hey, I figured I could make use to that title now, right?

“Come in, come in.  Jin Ki, why are you keeping her out in the cold?”

“Deh Umma.”

Mrs. Lee took me gently by the arm and led me into their home.  I almost moved to take off my shoes, but remembered that Jin Ki told me that they wore shoes at home. Standing straight, I held out the box of homemade yakgwa out to her.

“Umma made this for me to bring over. I hope it’ll suit your tastes.”

“Oh, my dongsaeng made this? I know it will be delicious.  Come, let’s bring it into the kitchen.”

She dragged me into the kitchen as I glanced back at Jin Ki helplessly, who was grinning as he set our other bags in the den.

As I turned my attention back to the kitchen, I began to notice the smells that were present in the air.  It was a good smell, something that reminded me of home, strangely enough.  I suppose it was because it was home cooking, all by Mrs. Lee.

“I hope you don’t mind that we’re eating a small meal today.  We usually have our workers cook for us, but I wanted to make something special since you were coming tonight.”

I didn’t doubt the workers making dinner part, but it flattered me that she wanted to cook herself because I was coming. Still...the small meal didn't really register in my mind.  It looked a lot more than a small meal...

“Eomonim, you didn’t have to trouble yourself on my account.”

“Nonsense! I have to do something for my future daughter-in-law.”

I nearly choked on air hearing that coming from her.  Immediately, I felt my face flush red. Jin Ki cleared his throat and spoke to his mother.

“Umma, really?”

She looked at him, surprised and somewhat incredulous that he would even suggest anything otherwise.

“What? I’m simply stating the truth.  There is no use in beating around the bush concerning this matter.”

Beating around the bush, hmm? I looked at Jin Ki and we both shared a secret smile.  We knew a lot about beating around the bush. 

“Anyway, why don’t you show Yun Hee your room.  Dinner will be ready soon.”

“Eomonim, do you need any help? I wouldn’t mind assisting you with putting dinner on the table.”

“No, no.  You go run along with Jin Ki.  I have everything under control here.”

“But…”

“Go on!”

She pushed me toward Jin Ki and waved after dropping me off in the hallway, turning back into the kitchen to finish up her work. Turning to Jin Ki, I shrugged my shoulders and gestured to the rest of the house.

“I suppose I’ll need a tour of this place.”

“It’s not that big once you’ve lived it.”

“Uh huh…”

“Come on, I’ll show you around.”

And that was what he proceeded to do. I admired the architecture of the home, noticing how it was quite modern, loving how all the colors were coordinated perfectly down to a “T”. I didn’t know where every room was the first time around, but I made sure to remember where the restroom was, just for personal purposes.  After letting me scan the various rooms, including the library, the entertainment room, the vast garden and pools among other rooms, Jin Ki finally led me to his room. With a flourish, and a smirk, he opened the door to his room and let me in first.  Giving him a queer look in response, I made my way into Jin Ki’s room.

It was more humble that I thought it would be.  Sure, the room proportions were still quite large, but I suppose it was like any typical bedroom.  His king bed (figures) laid in the middle of it all.  Twin nightstands flanked both sides. Covering one side of a wall was a large bookcase, from ceiling to the floor, all filled with books of course.  He had a large balcony across from the books overlooking the garden…well, more like a terrace actually, which had its own table and chairs along with a couple of decorative flower pots. One of the doors I saw led to a bathroom, and another to a walk in closet, which I noticed was much larger than the one I possessed in my own room.  Finally, there was a large desk against the last wall in the room, all with a slim laptop, a laser jet printer, lamps, and his school books along with utensils to complete work. The desk was situated opposite from his bed, slightly to the right, and a large hd tv was mounted on the wall above it. 

Well, maybe it wasn’t that humble, but nothing too surprising. Jin Ki stood by my side silently as I took it all in.  After I was done oogling, he spoke up.

“So?”

“So, what?”

“What do you think? Was it what you expected?”

“Well, it’s just a bedroom.  A larger than normal bedroom, with a terrace, and practically a bachelor pad, but still a bedroom none the less.”

“Well, a bachelor pad would be inaccurate, since I am taken currently, and I don’t plan to have that changed anytime soon.”

He grinned at my flushed face and pulled me further into his room, letting me sit down in his leather chair as he leaned against his desk.

“What? It’s true, unless you’re planning to leave me.”

He looked at me pointedly.  I shook my head in response.

“I certainly don’t plan too, unless it would benefit the both of us.”

“Benefit the both of us?”

“Well, if we were suffering by being together, in addition to making others around us suffer, I would think that would be a reasonable excuse.”

“That’s not going to happen.”

“And you are so sure of this?”

“Of course, aren’t you?”

“O..of course.”

He looked at me, this time scrutinizing me.  He had caught my slip right there, and I hoped that he would let it go.  It was still surreal that I was here at this point in our relationship and I still had a hard time believing it would last.  It was just too good, and with the stalker in the midst of all this, I couldn’t relax yet.  Suddenly, a voice came on from what sounded like an intercom.

“Dinner is ready everyone.  Come down!”

After the intercom turned off, I turned to Jin Ki with disbelief written on my face.

“An intercom?”

“You’ve seen this house, haven’t you? It’s quite large.”

Shaking my head, I stood up and followed Jin Ki out of his room.

“Now you’re going to tell me that you actually have an elevator too.”

“We do.”

I stared at him before shaking my head in amusement.  I really shouldn’t be surprised anymore, really.

“Right. I saw that coming, remember?”

“Of course you did.”

Making our way to the dining room, I saw that it was elaborately set for a dinner of four.  Many dishes were present on the table, and I couldn’t wait to eat, but realized that I couldn’t just stuff my mouth, especially with potential in-laws at the table.  It reminded me of the New Year’s gala all over again.

It was then that I also noticed Jin Ki’s father sitting at the head of the table.  I bowed immediately and he saw me as well, nodding to acknowledge me.

“So you’ve come.  Well, take a seat.  It’s time for dinner after all.”

“Deh.”

“Yun Hee, you must sit here next to me!”

Mrs. Lee was already sitting to the left of Lee Jae Min, who sat at the head of the table.  She indicated to the seat next to her, and I made my way over as Jin Ki took his place at the right of Jae Min.

“Eomonim, this is so much.  You should have let me help.”

“What did I tell you dear? This is nothing, but if you insist, I shall let you next time, arasso?”

“Deh.”

Jae Min picked up his utensils and indicated to the dining table.

“Let’s eat, shall we?”

We all nodded and after murmuring “Chalmotgaesubnida”, we all dug into our meal.  I ate as properly as I could, without stuffing my face or spilling things onto the beautiful table cloth. I answered questions here and there that were directed toward me and tried to keep a smile on my face. I even threw in a couple of things about the economy these days, as well as what I heard about the business, just to see if Jae Min would notice anything.  Of course, he simply commented without much enthusiasm, in his normal voice.  Somehow, even like that, he still made me feel so inferior.  I suppose I wasn’t at the top of the society food chain like he was, and it must have felt like a wannabe was trying to force her way into his family.

Of course, I knew that he wouldn’t give in without a fight and that I wouldn't give in without a fight either. I was worried the whole night about the so called “tests” that he still had in store for me.  Nothing seemed like the sort yet, but for all I knew, eating dinner could have been a test, or even making the right sort of eye contact.  I made sure I did that all through our conversations.  I made sure to let him know that I wasn’t as intimidated as I really felt.  Nothing would make him more satisfied than to know that his son’s girlfriend wasn’t worth all she said she would be during his New Year’s gala.

Once dinner was done, Jae Min wiped his mouth and smiled at his wife.

“Dinner was delicious tonight buin. I hope you will grace us with your cooking again soon.”

“Of course dear. Perhaps if Yun Hee came over more often, then I would.”

She looked over at me, smiling.  I smiled back in return and looked at Jae Min as well.  He was smiling, but I was wondering what he was really thinking of.

“Well, I suppose I’ll have to ask Yun Hee to come over more often then? You will, won’t you Yun Hee?”

“Yes, of course.  I shall come whenever I can.”

“Good.  Now, Jin Ki, I need to talk to you.  If you’ll excuse the both of us.”

He took a drink of water before standing up and moving out of the room.  Jin Ki followed suit as well, but not before sending me a smile. While the men were out of the room, Mrs. Lee and I stood up as well.  She began to clear the dishes, and I helped.

“It’s so good to have another female in the house. I love my husband and son, but I’ve been missing some girl companionship lately.  We’ll have to call your mother, and of course your father over soon.  I haven’t talked to them in awhile.  It must have been fate that we all met in New Caledonia, don’t you think?”

“Deh. I’m glad you like me being here.  I’m starting to feel at home now, and I’m sure that my parent would love to have dinner sometime.  I’ll make sure to let them know.”

“Great.  Now, let’s get these dishes back into the kitchen.  Thank goodness you all have appetites. I hate letting food go old another day in the fridge.”

And so we proceeded to clean up the dining table, rinsing the dishes before putting them into the dishwasher.  Once that was done, we made some tea to go along with the yakgwa that I had brought over.  I held the tray of desserts as we walked into the den, where father and son were talking quietly.  Noticing the both of us come in, Jin Ki and Jae Min sat up straight, smiling.

“Ahh, and here is the refreshments we’ve been waiting for.  Is that yakgwa?”

“Deh.  Umma made it for me to bring over.  Appa must have tipped her on that, didn’t he?”

Jae Min chuckled as I set the tray down and set the cups of tea in front of him, his wife, and Jin Ki.

“Yes, yakgwa is one of my favorite things to snack on. I’m surprised you know that.”

“I heard him mention it before…”

After I finished setting the cups and yakgwa on the coffee table, I took my own seat next to Jin Ki.  There was a silence as we all munched on yakgwa and rinsed our mouths with the green tea. I was suddenly reminded of the gifts that I had brought when I saw the bags next to the sofa on Jin Ki’s side. Setting down my cup, I tapped his shoulder and indicated to the bags.  He noticed and handed me to me silently.  Jae Min and Mrs. Lee looked at me curiously as Jin Ki handed me the bags. I didn’t really know how to start, but Jin Ki helped me.

“Umma, Appa, Yun He brought some gifts for the two of you.”

“Gifts?”

“Ah, deh.  I didn’t want to come empty handed, and I just wanted to express my gratitude for you kindness.”

I pulled a box out of one of the bags.  Handing it to Jae Min, he opened it to find herb medicines and other vitamins to take.

“I bought some herb medicines and vitamins for the two of you to take.  I heard that such things will improve health and keep you stronger.”

Mrs. Lee laughed and looked at the varieties of medicines that I had brought.

“Are we so old that we have to drink these already?”

“Aniyo! Even I take those daily to keep myself healthy, especially because I play badminton.  It’s good to take them at any age to help keep your body strong.”

“Arasso, gomawo Yun Hee,” Jae Min said. 

I then proceeded to pull out two additional boxes from my bag, both of which were slim in size and flat.  They had simple ribbons around the boxes, and I handed one to Jae Min as well as Mrs. Lee. They both looked surprised as I handed them my second gift.

“There’s more?”

“Deh. If you’d like, you can open it now.”

“Well, why not?”

The both of them proceeded to open the boxes, and out came couple scarves.  They were both navy blue in color, and I hoped that they would like them.

“Since it’s the cold season, I thought it would be appropriate if I gave you scarves.  I hope you like them.  If the color doesn’t suit your taste…”

“What do you think buin?” Jae Min interrupted.

“I think the color is lovely, don’t you?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact.  I think I will wear it tomorrow while commuting to work.”

I did a little cheer inside of my head, glad and relieved that I had picked a color they both liked. I smiled as they both tried on their scarves and then took them off to place them back into their respective boxes. Mrs. Lee looked at me admiringly after doing so.

“Yun Hee, you have exceeded my expectations.  Thank you so much for the gifts.”

“Aniyo, it’s the least I could do.  But, there’s one more thing.”

Jae Min looked at me incredulously.

“What else could there possibly be? This is already more than enough.”

I reached into my bag and pulled out the last things I had to give.  These were two cream envelopes, addressed accordingly, and I handed them to the correct persons before sitting back down.

“I wrote a letter to the both of you.”

I didn’t know what else to say after that. They looked and me expectantly, as if waiting for something.

“You…you could read them now if you wish, or later if you prefer.  I don’t mind.”

They looked at each other before opening the envelopes and reading the letters I wrote them.

And so we slipped into a silence again, Jin Ki and I sipping at our tea, me doing so nervously as they read their letters.

Dear Eomonim,

            This is the first time that I’m doing such things as greeting you as Jin Ki’s girlfriend. I hope that I am doing things properly, and that I won’t be disrespecting you in anyway.  If I am doing anything wrong, please don’t hesitate to correct me.  I want to be able to do things the right way, and I understand that there is no room for error in this family.

             How do you like the gifts? I tried to think of giving you something that would be practical as well as useful.  If the scarf and medicines are not to your taste, I would be more than happy to exchange them for you.  If you should like them in their original form, then I shall be very relieved.

            Lastly, I would like to thank you for your acceptance of me.  I know it may be hard to know that Jin Ki is seeing me like this, and that I may not meet your expectations, but please know that I am doing all that I can to meet those.  I hope that you can teach me much in the future, and that I will become a person that you expect for your son.  Once again, thank you.

Sincerely,

Yun Hee

Dear Abeonim,

            This is the first time that I am greeting you as Jin Ki’s girlfriend, and I hope that I am doing things properly, as well as giving you the respect that you deserve. Please don’t hesitate to correct me if I am doing anything wrong.  I would like to do things correctly, and I understand that any errors made shall not be tolerated. 

            I hope you like the gifts that I’ve gotten.  If you should find them not to your taste, I will find something else to suit your preference.  On the other hand, if you do like them in their original state, I shall be very relieved and happy that you do.  I looked very carefully to find the best gift, something that would be practical as well as simple.

            Finally, I would like to express my gratitude for providing me a chance to prove my worth.  I know that you didn’t approve of me the first time, but for giving me a chance to show you what I am capable, I am eternally grateful.  I will continue to strive toward your expectations and hopefully one day, I will be able to meet them.  Once I do, I shall continue to work hard so as to not disappoint you.  Once again, thank you.

Sincerely,

Yun Hee.

As they finished their letters, both Jae Min and Mrs. Lee looked up at me before smiling.  They then looked at each other as they slipped their letters back into the envelopes.  I sat there nervously as they did this.  Mrs. Lee was the first to break the silence.

“Well, Yun Hee.  I can say that I’m very touched with what you’ve done for us.  I know that you’re the best thing that Jin Ki can have.”

Jae Min cleared his throat and my attention turned to him, feeling like I was sitting on pins and needles waiting for his response.

“Well, after tonight, I think I can be relieved that Jin Ki has someone like you.”

And that short phrase was all it took for me to become relieved.  All the effort that I had put into impressing his parents worked.  Of course, that didn’t mean I could stop doing so.  I had to keep working hard to keep them satisfied, but still.  Since what I had done so far bore fruit, I suppose I should be happy, right?

“Kamsamhamnida.  I’ll continue to strive to keep up with your expectations.”

They both nodded and suddenly a cellphone rang out.  Jae Min slipped it out from his shirt pocket and frowned.

“Hmm, I suppose the company needs my attention again.  Off to work I suppose. I’ve had a wonderful dinner.  Thank you, Yun Hee.”

“Deh, aniyo.”

With a departing smile, he answered his call and walked off into the house, probably his home office.  Mrs. Lee gathered up my gifts and stood up, smiling at me.

“Well Yun Hee, it looks like you’ve outdone yourself tonight.”

I blushed and shook my head.

“Aniyo.  It was the least that I could do.”

“I think it’s time for you to relax, don’t you think? Jin Ki, why don’t you help her? I think I’m going to do that myself as well, after I clean up and put these lovely gifts away.”

And so she did, leaving Jin Ki and I in the den.  Letting out a deep sigh, I slumped back into the couch, glad that I was done impressing the adults. Jin Ki smirked and turned toward me, leaning into the couch as well.

“How was it?”

“It was…interesting.  Do you think I did well?”

“I think you did more than well.”

“Hmm…”

He checked the time before standing up and offering me his hand.

“Come on, I’m supposed to help you relax, remember?”

“By relax, you don’t mean a spa treatment, do you?”

“If you want that, it wouldn’t be a problem.”

I stood up and looked at him, deadpanning. 

“I was joking.”

“And I was too…sort of.  But, the relaxation I’m thinking of doesn’t involve a spa treatment.  Perhaps another day will be suited for that.”

“All…right?”

“Come on.”

He tugged my arm and led me through the hallway and various other doors, finally opening the door to a medium sized room.  There was a piano on a small stage and a sort of sitting lounge for listeners.  It was then I knew what relaxation meant.

“You’re going to play the piano for me?”

“Sure, unless you want to do it instead.”

“Well, it’d be nice to I suppose.”

He lead me to the bench and let me sit down before joining me.

“I haven’t played for you since the time I asked you out, right?”

“I think so.  Wow, that’s been a long time.”

“It has.”

A silence ensued, but then Jin Ki began to play a song.  As it suggested, it was quite relaxing, even if I wasn’t sitting in the leather seats in the audience area.  The song was a beautiful composition, making the mood light and happy.  I found myself swaying to the song and when it was done, I opened my eyes to see Jin Ki looking at my serenely.

“Did you like it?”

“That I did.  I am now thoroughly relaxed. What is the song called?”

“Not sure.  I sort of composed it a little while ago and haven’t thought up a title yet.”

“You composed that?”

I thought I couldn’t be surprised anymore. Apparently, I was wrong.

“Yes, thinking of you.”

“Aww, you’re going to make me cry.”

“You aren’t really going to cry, are you?”

“Not right now, but if you keep up with that…”

“Arasso, arasso.  I don’t think we need you to cry.  You like it, and you’re touched.  I get it.”

Grinning, I turned back toward the piano and began playing random notes here and there. 

“Do you want to play something?”

“Hmm…perhaps, if I can think of something to play…”

And suddenly, I thought of a song to play.  My fingers naturally positioned themselves over the keys and I began to play “Kiss the Rain” by Yiruma.  Sure, the title may seem a little sad, but I always thought of rain as a blessing, a way to renew the earth and provide life to all the things living on it.  After I was done playing, I felt Jin Ki’s stare on me and I slowly turned to meet it.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“Really?”

“Well, not nothing…”

“Then?”

“Just wondering how I found such a great girlfriend.”

For the millionth time tonight, I felt myself blushing, but only this time, it was because of his compliment.  I didn’t think much about myself, but hearing it from Jin Ki, and seeing it in his eyes made me feel like someone special.  Of course, I was lucky all the same being able to be with Jin Ki, and after tonight, I was glad that I finally got both of his parent’s acceptance.  Things could only look up from now on, right?

“You’re funny.”

“Hey, I try.”

And with a smirk, he leaned in and captured my lips in a kiss.  Hmm, I guess dinner wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be…

If you've followed the YongSeo couple, then you'll see what I've written is very familiar.  I thought Seo Hyun did a really good job of impressing her mother in-law, and since I've never done that before, I figured I could borrow it.  Gomawo Seo Hyun unnie!

Also, I listen to a lot of Yiruma.  That guy is a true genius, and "Kiss the Rain" is one of my favorites.

I just realized what I wrote near the end is eeriely like what happend when Edward took Bella home...o.o

Hope that chapter was all right.  I've been out of practice for awhile, unfortunately.

As always, I will appreicate it if you Comment and Subscribe.

<3 WinterRose