Soonkyu’s

         I was driving happily to my girlfriend’s house. She never asked me to pick her up from her house. It’s a little bit out of the blue and I wondered her reason, but I didn’t want her to change her mind when she asked me last night.

         I arrived at her house and I contemplated whether I should knock on the door or just called her cell phone? I was in deep thought (it was a big matter! What if her parents open the door instead of her? She would be mad and told me I should’ve called her instead) when someone knocked my car’s passenger window.

         I instantly smiled and unlocked the door.

         “Hey~” she entered my car and settled into the seat before leaning over and kissed my cheek.

         “Hi~” I smiled like an idiot while she put her seatbelt on, “Soooo, this is new.” 

         “What is?”

         “You wanting to be pick up from your house.” I started driving the car.

         She didn’t say anything and I saw from my peripheral vision that she turned her head to look outside the window.

         “Hyomin-ah?”

         “I’m too lazy to drive today.”

         She’s lying to me.

         “Yea, right. You went crazy the last time I went to your house, but now you casually wanted me to pick you up from your house, just because you’re too lazy to drive?!”

         I didn’t mean to sound angry, but what’s with the lie? I didn’t like it when people lie to me.

         She flinched a little bit but still kept quiet.  

         I exhaled loudly, I didn’t want to ruin the mood, but did she really have to lie to my face like that? It was just a question that came from my simple curiosity.

         “Hyomin-ah, you know I don’t like people lying to me. Especially my girlf-”

         “I know, I’m sorry.” She rubbed my upper arm soothingly, effectively calming my temper.

         “What is it then?”

         “Can we talk about it later? After our date? I promise I won’t lie. I just don’t want to talk about it now.” 

         Huh? Why couldn’t she tell me now? Was she going to break up with me?!

         “Are you breaking up with me?” I blurted out, feeling nervous all of the sudden. Thankfully it was the red light. I looked at her with wide eyes. She laughed.

         “No, silly.”

         I sighed in relieved, but I was still really curious about her reason.

         “Then what is it? Can’t you just tell me now?” I whined.

         She giggled, “I don’t think I could break up with such an adorable guy like you.”

         The light turned green and she pinched my cheek.

         “That hurts!” I whined, again. I didn’t know what the hell was wrong with me. Trust me, I didn’t show this childish side of me to another human being and I should’ve act manlier around my girlfriend, but she seemed to like every side of me. So why bother?

         “I can’t help it. You’re too cute. You’re my cutie pie.” She said while still giggling.

         I showed a disapproving look, “Cutie pie? That’s too mushy! Choose more masculine nickname, please?”    

         “Hmmmm... my cutie stallion?”

         I burst out laughing at that. She was also laughing.

         After our laughter subsided, I felt my cheek still stung due her pinch earlier.

         “My cheek still hurts.”

         “Aaaawh, I’m sorry.” She rubbed my cheek with her fingers.

         “It doesn’t lessen the pain. It needs something else.” I smiled mischievously.

         “Mmmm... I wonder what would that be?” she asked, as if she didn’t know what I was thinking.   

         “Kiss~”

         She smiled widely and leaned in to kiss my cheek ever so lovingly.

         By now, I already forgot why I was mad at her earlier.

         As she promised yesterday, we watched the scary movie I wanted to watch. What I liked about watching scary movie with my girlfriend was she would cling to me for the whole movie. What could I say? I was just a normal typical guy~

         Every time the music started to get scary, she would hold my arm tightly as if she didn’t, the ghost would appear right next to her. When the ghost appeared on the screen, she would scream her lungs out and hid her head on my shoulder, while I just laughed because the ghost didn’t look scary at all and my girlfriend was just too cute. She had her arms around my body for the entire movie and I put my arm around her shoulder protectively. Such a nice way to enjoy a movie, right?   

         “That wasn’t so bad, was it?” I asked when the movie ended and the screen was showing the closing credit.

         She lifted her head a little bit and took a peek to make sure the movie was really over. I chuckled at her antics. She finally pulled away from me and hit my arm.

         “Wasn’t so bad?! That was horribly scary! Why did I agree on watching this movie with you?”

         “Because you love me so damn much.” I said smugly and stood up, “Come on, let’s go.”

         We ate and I drove her back to her house. It was a really nice date. I was smiling all the time. I wished I could do this everyday with her.  

         I was unbuckling my seatbelt to open the door for her when she put her hand on my shoulder.

         “Sunny-ah, we need to talk, remember?”

         “Oh, right! I almost forgot.” I turned my head to her, “So what’s going on?”    

         She was fidgeting a little bit. I took her hand in mine and caressed the back of it with my thumb.

         “Is everything okay?” I asked her gently.

         “I told my parents yesterday.” She looked at our clasped hands.

         “About what?”

         She looked up at me, “About you.” 

         I was frozen for a moment. She didn’t say a word and gazed at my face, observing my expression.

         “Oh.” I tried to be as calm as I could, “And what did they say?”

         “I only told them that I have a boyfriend. I didn’t tell them anymore than that.”

         “Oh... Okay...” I looked down at our hands and started caressing it again. 

         “But they want to meet you, especially dad. And I planned to tell them everything about you when that time comes.”

         “That’s a good plan.” I tried to smile, “But... um... can we do that after the result of my college entrance exam come out? At least I won’t tell them I’m a high school student anymore.” I chuckled to ease the tense atmosphere.

         She smiled, “Of course.”

         It was quiet again after that.

         I looked at her and she was also looking down at our hands. She looked nervous. I remembered she was really anxious when she was going to introduce me to her close friends. She’s going to introduce me to her family now. The anxiety must be more overwhelming this time.

         I needed to be the calm one. I couldn’t be nervous. I should be the one to calm her down instead.

         “Hyomin-ah, it’s going to be fine.” I tried to give her the best smile I could muster. She just looked at me with uncertainty.

         “No matter what your parents think, we’ll still be together. I’ll fight for you.” I tighten my hold on her hand.

         She finally gave me a genuine smile, “I love you.”

         “I love you too, so damn much.” I said before I leaned in to kiss her lips.

Hyomin’s

       Yesterday’s date was amazing and the way he calmly accepted the news about telling my parents about us blew me away. I thought he would freak out or fussed about it, instead he faced it like an adult.

         I didn’t tell him about the dinner with the Jangs though. Wooyoung knew I have a boyfriend and we decided to stay just as friends. Besides, Sunny could get jealous and got insecure about it. 

         I completely understood why he wanted to do it after his result was out. He said at least he could tell my parents that he was studying at the best university in the country. Yes, it was my alma mater and also my dad’s. He’s so proud of his alma mater and that would be a plus point for Sunny, wouldn’t it?  

         I was lying on my bed on this Sunday afternoon. My family just finished lunch together at home and I decided to be lazy today. Lazy Sunday before hectic Monday came again.

         I heard a knock on my door.

         “Come in!”

         “Hi, sweetie.” It was my mom.

         “Hey, mom.”

         She sat on the edge of the bed and I instantly lay my head on her lap. She started to my hair gently.

         “Mom, dad is such a busybody.” I started to whine. All through breakfast and lunch, he was pestering me about introducing my boyfriend.

         She smiled, “He wants to make sure his daughter is in good hands.”

         “And you don’t?” I asked her.

         She widened her eyes, “Of course I want that too!”

         “But you’re not fussing over it every single time! Why can’t he be more like you?” I pouted.

         My mom smiled again, getting my point, “We showed our love for you in different ways.”   

         “Yours are better.” I said stubbornly.

         She just chuckled and continued to my hair.

         I got a little bit sleepy with my mom’s my hair like she used to when I was a child. I closed my eyes and about to doze off when she called my name.   

         “Hyomin-ah?”

         I hummed in response.

         “How long have you dated your boyfriend?”

         “Mmmm almost 2 years.” I answered, still with closed eyes. 

         “That long?” she sounded surprised, “You kept it a secret for us for that long?”

         I opened my eyes and looked at her, she wasn’t mad, was she?

         “I thought maybe months or even weeks. Wow, you’re really good at hiding it.”

         Somehow I felt guilty, as if I was lying to her all this time. 

         “Mom, I’m.... I’m sorry for not telling-” seeing the agonizing tone in my voice, my mom cut me off.

         “It’s okay, sweetie. I bet you have a pretty good reason doing it.” She smiled her motherly smile to me. I felt relieved. She’s really the best mother anyone could have.

         “May I know the reason you’re not ready to introduce him to us when you already date the guy for almost 2 years?”

         I looked away from my mom’s gaze, “I just feel like you guys won’t give us your blessings.”

         “Why is that?”

         I tried to pick my words carefully, “He might not be up to you or dad’s standard.”     

         “How so?”

         I heaved a sigh before sitting up, “Mooooom, you’re starting to be like dad.” I whined.

         She chuckled, looking at my childish act. “You still are my little girl, aren’t you? Okay, okay, I won’t ask about it again.”

         It was comfortable silence after that. I was feeling sleepy again and my mom’s humming a song didn’t help at all. I slowly drifted of to sleep.