"Jongdae-ah, I'm parking at the hotel parking lot now. Where are you?" You spoke with your boyfriend through your bluetooth headset. 

"I'm up at the restaurant now. I'm waiting for them in front of the restroom."

"Oh arasso, we'll be up in a bit. You all can get seated first." 

"Okay. Park safely, babe. We can wait; take your time." 

You blushed every time at his nickname for you. "Okay. See you in a bit then. Anyeong."

"You could have called him 'jagiya' like how you would usually do when you're on the phone with him, honey. No need to be shy in front of us. You are in love and we are happy for you." A loving voice spoke up from the back of the passenger seat of your car.

"Umma! It's not like that." You whined at your mother's teasing. 

That's right. Your parents were about to meet with Jongdae now, as well as his parents and his brother. After the long talks and make-up after last month's argument, you both decided to give it another month to learn more about one another, just to make sure that this is what you wanted and that is to be together. Both of your answers never seemed to change even until now. Therefore, you two compromised that to reduce the nervousness, you'd both introduce one another to your own respective family at the same time. This way, you would both feel less pressure knowing that you were going through it together. So there you were, on your way to a private restaurant of the hotel, booked by Jongdae for privacy.

"Honey, calm down. I'm sure they'd like you." Your mother hugged you from the side in the elevator.

"That's right. How can they not like you. We raised our daughter well, I would say. Right yeobo?" Your dad pointed out in attempt to enlighten your mood.

"Just be yourself, dear. Believe yourself and your love for him. Everything will go well, trust me." Your mother said tucking a strand of your hair. 

"And if it doesn't go well, we will be right there with you." Your dad patted your back. 

"Thank you Umma. Thank you Appa." You led them out the elevator. "Let's do this."

As soon as you stepped in the premises of the restaurant, Jongdae stood up from his seat and came to greet you and your parents. At the sight of his face, you broke into a smile. "Jongdae, this is my father." You directed your hand towards your dad. Jongdae bowed ninety degrees and shook your father's hands. He did the same thing when you introduced your mother. "And this is my lovely mother."

"Umma, Appa, this is my boyfriend, Kim Jongdae." You touched his arm softly.

"Anyeonghaseyo, Jongdae-imnida. Nice to meet you finally." He bowed again and you noticed now he was wearing a form-fitting black tux with matching pants and dress shoes. Inside, he wore a white polka dots on dark navy blue dress shirt with his first two buttons open. You chuckled at the sight because your pleated and flared flower-pattern knee-length dress was of the same colour combinations: black, navy blue and white. You felt happy on your own at the matching coincidence.

"Please come this way, our table is just by the window." Jongdae gestured your parents to the table and allowed them to walk ahead of him. He waited for you to follow and pecked your cheek quickly before anyone could see. He then led you towards the table as well, with his hand holding the back of your waist tenderly. "We'll be fine, we're in it together okay?" He whispered softly in your ear before introducing his family.

"Appa, Umma, this is my girlfriend Lee Kyung Jin. And here are her parents: Mr and Mrs. Lee." Jongdae initiated the introductions.

On the first impression, his parents looked very intimidating with their tight lips and their serious faces which had lines indicating many years of life. However once their faces changed into familiar smile. All of those thoughts disappeared and you could see why Jongdae grew up to be a friendly and a loving person. Those lines may have been because of laughters and  of happiness within the family instead after all. 

"Mr. and Mrs. Lee, here are my parents and my brother Kim Jongduk." Every one exchanged their bows and handshakes. Then everyone took their seats around the long oval table. The parents sat opposite of each other. You sat beside your mother while Jongdae sat in between his mother and his brother. 

"It's good to finally meet you again Kyung Jin." Mrs. Kim smiled at you and then turned to rub her son's arm. "We have heard a lot about you from Jongdae these past couple of years."

You first gave Jongdae a questioning look. In the past couple of years? And to meet me again? You questioned in your head.

His mother noticed your furrowed eyebrows and explained. "Ever since he introduced that you were the one who helped us that day, he never seems to stop mentioning you whenever we meet." 

"I apologize for my poor memory, but have we perhaps.. met before?" You started panicking at her statement. You tried to remember and remember but you really couldn't come up with when and where you might have met his parents before. 

And again, his mother noticed your worries. "Don't stress yourself out, dear. You must have had a lot of your mind then so may not remember it well. It was only a short moment anyway. But we appreciated what you did for us at the time." This made you even more confused on what you may have done before. The lack of memory was making you anxious.

"Kyung Jin-ah, remember the SM town concert a few years ago?" Jongdae finally stepped in at this exchange of words. "My parents were trying to come see me behind the stage before the concert started. But they were held up agressively by the guards even though they had the proof and everything. However before the guards could successfully drag them out, you came from no where and helped my parents talk to the guards when you saw their passes. You even led them to our change room while I was about to go on the first stage. My parents appreciated your help very much because they saw that you were busy but still took the time to kindly guide them when people kept approaching you to ask questions about things regarding preparations for our performances. That's what my mother was referring to."

At his explanation, you heard small sighs from both of your parents. You smiled seeing that your parents were rooting for a good ending as much as you were. You were relief that in the end, you gave Jongdae's parents an amicable first impression. 

"From what we hear, you raised your daughter very well, Mr. and Mrs. Lee." Jongdae's father spoke up with his wife nodding supportingly from the side. 

And you didn't even have to look at your parents to see that they were smiling proudly at this compliment. 

"See, I told you. You didn't have to worry about a thing." Jongdae hugged you from behind at the restaurant's balcony. Both of you excused yourselves to come out for a breather and to observe the night view of Seoul after the dinner. 

"Well you didn't do a very successful job trying to make me feel better because you didn't tell me the whole story that they already met me." You complained while leaning into his chest.

"Knowing the whole story wouldn't be fun now would it?" He grinned from behind holding you tighter towards him.

"Jongdae, how come you were not nervous at all?" You looked up at him and asked. You observed him over the dinner and he had seem to be perfectly fine as if this was not a big worry. He engaged in conversations with your parents very well and he made the atmosphere less awkward or stressful. Well, he was an idol after all, so speaking well was one of their perfect assets. 

"I was, trust me. But after you've accepted me, nothing else seems like too big of a challenge for me." He looked down at you and gave you a soft kiss on your forehead. "As long as you stand by my side, I am willing to go through anything that comes forward." 

"Aigoo, you're so cheesy. It's giving me goosebumps." You by using your hands to close your ears and shook your head from side to side in disagreement. 

He laughed out loud at your action and took down your hands. "I really meant it okay? Don't tease me. I am a shy boy." 

"Hah! 'Shy,' that does not suit you at all. When are you ever shy? Ohh, you silly man." 

"I am more nervous around you than you'd ever know." 

"Really now?"

"Really." He leaned his forehead against the back of your head and whispered through your ears. "You know, although it may be early for you, but it has been a long time for me since I have developed feelings for you. When my parents spoke well of you, I was beyond happy to have love the right person. I want to let you know that I do see my future with you, jagiya. I hope than one day, you'll see your future with me in it too. I am looking forward and I will be waiting until the day."

He turned you around to face him. He kissed your forehead once more and caressed your face. "I love you Kyung Jin. I would love to make you my wife one day, if you would allow me."

This time, you reached up to caress his make-up free face. You touched the mere dark marks near his sideburns and looked into his eyes. His eyes remained the same again time after time since that first day he confessed. Has it been like this all along? Why do you see so greatly of me when sometimes I don't even know what I live for. What did I do to deserve someone like you, Jongdae. As you continued to stare into his eyes, you felt warm and suddenly you thought of 'home' where you know you'll receive love, contentment, compassion and trust. 

"I am starting to see it now. But please be patient with me. I want to be able to tell you whole-heartedly that I can see my future with you and no one else. You deserve someone who loves you with no doubt or second thoughts and I hope I can be that person in the future. Please give me time." You stopped to think for a second. Would this be fair for him? "But if one day, your heart changes and you- " 

"Please don't say that." He stopped you from saying any further. "I have observed my heart for a long time. And even when I tried to look at some other girls, my eyes seem to always find their way back to you. Believe me, when I say I tried to test this out many times. But there I was and still do, constantly pondering what you were doing at each time of the day, if you ate, if you got enough sleep or if you have laughed or smiled enough during busy times. When I say 'I love you, Kyung Jin,' I left no space for any other woman in my life." 

"Well except for your mother."

He chuckled  "Way to ruin the mood, babe. But yes, except for Umma and you, there's no one else." He leaned in close to your face, with your lips only a few inches apart. "I love you." 

He closed the space and captured your lips. If his words and actions didn't convey you enough of how he felt, he poured it all out through his kiss. It was not rushed but it was gently passionate and loving as if you would break if he did anything rash. 

SNAP. You both jumped away from one another when you heard the shutter sound from the door.

SNAP. You saw both your parents and Jongdae's family at the balcony door. Jongduk, his brother, had a camera in his hands.

"You did well Jongduk." Your father laughed and patted his shoulder.

"I think I can use this to blackmail you for the rest of my life, Jongdae." Jongduk teased his brother.

"Hyung! Don't you dare!" Jongdae wrapped his arms around your waist and hid behind your neck adorably. "Kyung Jin, look. He's bullying me."

Everyone chuckled at the now-turned childish Jongdae. "Then I guess you would have to be on your brother's good side, Jongdae." 

Jongdae gasped and then pouted at you when you took his brother's side. 

"Oh, Kyung Jin - jesu (sister-in-law; younger brother's wife), I think you and I will get along just fine." Jongduk came to high-five with you and then everybody broke out into laughters. 

SNAP SNAP SNAP. More photos were taken of the situation. However this time, those sounds were muted as the photographer captured the moment from the opposite side of the room in discreet silence.