Soonkyu’s

       I inhaled deeply before I pushed the bell in front of me. It was the bell of Park Residence. Yep, the day had come. I was going to meet my girlfriend’s parents officially today.

         The result of my university acceptance had come out. I was proudly stated that I PASSED! You read it right, my friend. I passed and now I was a college student in THE best university in the country! Yeah!!! My moms were so proud of me. So did Hyomin. I couldn’t believe my luck when Hyoyeon told me she also passed the test. We’re definitely going to be best friends for life.

         Back to present time, so here I was, waiting for the door to be open with racing heart. Who wouldn’t be nervous meeting your girlfriend’s parents? Especially when you knew that 90% chances were they wouldn’t like you to date their precious daughter. But I love Hyomin very much. She didn’t care about my age. I definitely didn’t give a damn about our . Love is love, right?

         I heaved a sigh. Who was I kidding? Of course with this huge her parents would care.

         “Mr. Lee?” a voice interrupted my train of thoughts. In front of me stood middle aged woman. Huh? Was this Hyomin’s mom? I’ve met her once on her graduation. She looked different and she wouldn’t call me Mr. Lee.

         “Uhmm yes?” I said unsurely. I didn’t know what to do now. I was not certain that this woman was Hyomin’s mom, but I didn’t want to be rude if turned out that she was.

         Suddenly my heroine came, “Sunny-ah! You’re here.”

         The middle age woman took a step back and smiled.

         Hyomin hugged me briefly then she turned to the middle age woman, “Thank you for opening the door, Mrs. Kim. I’ll take it from here.”

         “It’s my job, Ms. Park.” She bowed slightly.

         Hyomin took my hand and dragged me inside the house. I smiled and nodded awkwardly to Mrs. Kim.

         She took me to the living room and I was amazed. This house was big! I wasn’t poor and the house I lived in with my moms were okay. But this was not a house. It’s a mansion!

         She sat on the leathery couch and I sat beside her. She still held my hand and put it on her lap.

         “Your house is huge.” I said to her while still looking around.

         “Yeah.” I heard her tone was not that excited. I looked at her and she seemed very nervous.

         “Nervous?” I asked her and I held her hand with both of my hands.

         She just nodded weakly. I was also nervous, but no use if both of us nervous.

         “Ummm... Mrs. Kim is your servant?”

         “She is.”

         “At first I thought she’s your mom. Thank God you came just in time. Or it would be so awkward and embarrassing.” I said to her, trying to make her relax.

         She laughed, finally at ease. I chuckled at my own silliness.

         “So where’s your parents?”

         “Mom is still cooking and dad will come down any minute.” She looked nervous again.

         “Hey, it’s going to be fine.” I smiled, trying to calm her down again. I leaned closer to give her a kiss on her cheek, but I halted my movement when I heard a man coughed. I retracted my hands and she jerked up instantly.

         “Dad!” she stood up and of course I stood up too.

         “You are my daughter’s boyfriend?”

         Straight to the point. Hyomin was about to open but I cut her off.

         “Yes, Sir. Soonkyu, Lee Soonkyu.” I smiled and held my hand out.

         He took my hand and shook it. My moms told me one way to know a person’s personality was their handshake.

         He nodded his head and drew his hand back with a smile, “You got a strong handshake, young man.”  

         My smile got wider.

         “Let’s eat dinner then, shall we?”

         He led the way to the dining room. Hyomin and I followed behind him.

         I nudged her arm with my elbow. She looked at me and I mouthed ‘Don’t worry.’ to her. She smiled and relaxed a little bit.

         We got into the dining room and her mom was still wearing an apron and she was putting the last plate on the table. Mrs. Kim was there, helping her.

         “Ah, you’re here!” She took her apron off and came to me. Hyomin’s dad sat himself and Hyomin was still standing beside me.

         “Welcome to our home!” she hugged me which took me by surprise.

         I could see Hyomin smiling. Her mom let go of the hug and I instantly bowed while introducing myself.

         “Good evening, Mrs. Park. My name’s Lee Soonkyu.”

         She smiled widely at me, “Good evening to you too, Soonkyu. Take a seat.”

         She went beside her husband and sat herself. Hyomin took a seat in front of her dad, so I sat beside her. And the interrogation started here. I went through this so-called orientation with Hyomin’s best friends before. But they were really playful and I knew no matter what her friends would think about me, we would still be dating anyway. This time it was different. A blessing from her parents was a must. 

         “So.. tell us about yourself, Soonkyu-ssi.” Her dad spoke.

         I smiled nervously, “What do you want to know, Sir?”

         “What’s your job?”

         I cleared my throat before I answered him. Hyomin was looking at me anxiously.

         “I’m actually still studying, Sir.”

         “Oh? You’re taking a master degree?”

         “Umm.. no, a bachelor degree.”

         He looked surprised. Hyomin was faster than me to say something.

         “Dad, Soonkyu took the same major as us, in the same university also.”

         He looked at me with amazement and nodded once. I guessed he was pleased to hear that?

         We continued to eat and he asked me again, “What’s your plan after you graduate then? Won’t be long I supposed?”

         I swallowed the food before I answered him, “I’m a freshman, sir.”

         The atmosphere turned tense in an instant. Mr. Park widened his eyes and even Mrs. Park had stopped eating.

         It was really an awkward silence for a couple of minutes that felt like hours to me. Mrs. Park finally spoke up.

         “How about your parents? What did they do?” her tone was polite.

         “Both of my moms are working. They-”

         “Moms?” Mr. Park asked with a questioning look on his face.

         “Yes, sir. I have 2 mothers. They’re.... lesbian.”

         Mrs. Park dropped her spoon and Mr. Park’s eyes were so big it almost fell out from the socket. The following silence was more suffocating. Hyomin and I seemed to forget about this little detail of my life. Was it a problem that I was the child of lesbian parents? Well I think it was.

         Nobody spoke until dessert. Hyomin didn’t know what to do. Her parents didn’t know what to say. At least they didn’t tell me to get lost, right?

         I finished my dessert and about to say my gratitude of a delicious meal to Mrs. Park when Mr. Park finally opened his mouth again. He looked straight at me with such intensity.

         “You realize my daughter is way older than you, right?”

         “Yes, sir. I am well aware of that.”

         “So what’s really your intention? Her whole future is at the tip of her fingers now. She’s at the proper age for marriage. Did you think about that? Have you even thought about your own future?”

         “Dad!” Hyomin shot a glare to her dad. I held her hand to calm her down and told her it’s okay.

         It was a common question for this kind of situation and I was not offended by his insulting tone. Well maybe a little bit, but he was just trying to protect his daughter.

         He still looked at me with blazing stare. I looked back at him confidently.

         “I might haven’t thought about my own future, let alone marriage. But with all due respect, Sir, I know for sure that I’m the only man that can make her happy and my foremost intention is her happiness.” I smiled at him and he was still having this stern look on his face, seemingly my answer was not what he expected at all.    

Hyomin’s

         It was another deafening silence after he answered my father’s question. His answer supposed to warm my heart, saying in a very confident way that his foremost intention was to make me happy, but somehow his whole sentence gave a quiver to my heart.

         My thought was cut short when he thanked my mom for a lovely dinner. My mom replied a very polite ‘your welcome’ with also a polite smile. He turned to my dad again, saying it’s time for him to go. He just nodded at him with a stoic expression on his face. He stood up and I followed along. He bowed to my parents before we left the dining room. I led him to the front door and to his car.

         He grabbed my wrist and turned me to face him when we approach the car. He cupped my cheeks and looked at me with such an affectionate stare that could melt my whole being.

         “Are you okay?”

         I didn’t answer and gave him a weak smile instead.

         “That didn’t go very well, huh?”

         I just put my hands over his on my cheeks.

         “But we’ll be okay, right?” He sounded.... worried.

         “Of course.” I gave him another smile, more genuine one.

         He smiled back before he kissed my forehead and let go of my cheeks. We bid goodbye and he drove home. I watched his car until it was out of my sight and returned to my house.

         It’s time for the real talk with my parents. Sure, they’re polite enough not to state their disapproval in front of him, but certainly they would say what’s really on their mind if it’s just me by myself.

         I went to the dining room and both of my parents were still there. My dad had his arms folded and my mom was looking angrily at him. Seemed like they were in an argument but stopped instantly when I entered the dining room.

         I sat in my previous seat and ready for the argument to begin.

         “What are you thinking?!” my dad had started. “Seriously, Hyomin-ah? Dating a..... a boy? With that kind of family background?! I thought you’re big enough to know what’s best for you!” he couldn’t control his tone and ended up shouting at me.

         “I am big enough to know what’s best for me! What’s wrong with dating a younger guy?! And who cares if he doesn’t have a father?! All that matter is I love him and he loves me!” I shouted back at him.

         “Oh, really?! That’s all it matters? So you don’t want to marry this guy? You don’t want to build a family with him? You plan to fool around with him for the rest of your life?!”

         I didn’t know what to say to that and I felt my eyes were getting moist. Maybe it was because I hated having a fight with my dad or maybe the question that he just laid in front of me.

         I stood up and tried to suppress my tears to come out.

         “I’m not breaking up with him, dad. I’m dating him whether you like it or not.”

         With that, I went to my room and let all of my tears out. I didn’t know why I’m crying. Was it because my parents disapprove my relationship?          

         But Sunny’s words kept echoing in my ears: ‘I might haven’t thought about my own future, let alone marriage.’

         So where did he want to bring this relationship? Wasn’t marriage the main goal of a relationship? Why didn’t he think about that yet? We’ve been together for 2 years! Didn’t he think about the future with me in it?

         My friends warned me about this and I knew perfectly that this issue would come sooner or later. But I never thought about it much. I guess realization hit me real hard this time.

         Was that why I’m crying my eyes out now?