Chapter five - "Family."

A family dinner.

It was what Hee-Sun feared the most. Being in the same room as her father was more dreadful than walking barefooted on a path strewn with broken glass. Since that incident, she always saw the disappointment in her father's eyes every time he looked at her.

"How was Yunho's first seminar?" Her father asked with a cold voice from the armchair where he was sitting since the end of the meal.

"It was better than we expected." Hee-Sun answered with a faint smile painting on her lips, looking at the old man who was sipping his wine while her mother was watching with envy the older Jung couple with Yunho sitting between them. She knew that her mother was fond of this little boy, but she feinted not to care when her husband was in the same room.

"So, what kind of family are the other Kims?" Her mother asked slowly, turning her look toward her. "Are they new in our society?"

Hee-Sun put her cup of tea on the saucer gently, not knowing how to tell her parents and her parents-in-law what background the Kims came from. But Ji-Sub soothed her anxiety away, rubbing her back with small circles. She looked at her son and smiled, the little being returned her smile with a fainted one. For him, she must be strong. The young mother took a deep breath and said, "...they don't come from the same social background as us."

Frowning, Kim Ji-Won looked at her daughter. "What are you saying?"

She entwined her fingers nervously and looked at her mother straight in her eyes. "They don't come from the same background as us." She repeated.

"We can't do anything about that," said Ji-Sub's father, Jung Suk-Kyu, looking at his wife with a smile. "If the hospital can't find a perfect partner for you in a child from the same background as you, they can only resort at this possibility."

"We can't do anything." Kim Chang-Hun said, sighing at the fact to have in the near future a commoner in the family.

"And Kim Jaejoong is not a girl but a boy." Hee-Sun added, making the little Yunho raised his head to glance at his mother after hearing the name of his matched partner.

"Oh, God!" Her mother gasped. And the Jung older couple were looking at each other in silence.

"It is inconceivable that my grandson has another boy for a matched partner. We must do something." Hee-Sun's father broke this awkward silence.

"Father."

"We must file charge against the hospital. Yunho is a child from a suitable family. So, his matched partner must come from the same social background as him."

"Father, we can't do that."

"Why not?" asked her mother.

"Ji-Sub and I, we want that little boy as Yunho's matched partner." Hee-Sun said, looking at her mother. "We don't care that the child is a boy or comes from a commoner background." She added, determined. "Yunho is four now. We can't be demanding. If we delay more time again, we fear to lose him."

"I understand your fear." Her mother said sadly. "No mother wants the death of her child."

"Death or not, we don't want something like this in our family." Her father replied coldly. "Think about our reputation. It was enough to let you give birth to a mixed blood child. But, letting him have a boy as a matched partner is something I can't tolerate."

Hee-Sun smiled weakly. "Father, that little boy won't be a shame for our family."

"How could you know he won't be a shame for our family?" The older man asked sternly. "Having a mixed blood as a grandson isn't easy. Now, we have to deal with another scandal."

"Chang-Hun." Ji-Sub's father said looking at his friend. Jung Suk-Kyu didn't approve his friend's cold behavior toward his own daughter. But, he could understand the latter. Being in this society of elites, they had a standard to maintain.

"Another scandal..." Hee-Sun breathed out painfully. Her own father thought of her son as a scandal, something that they all felt ashamed to have within their family. Why would she feel hurt about his words? If not thank to Ji-Sub marrying her and adopting Yunho, she always knew that her father, the great Kim Chang-Hun would never accept her son for what he was.

"Yunho is an adorable child boy. And we like him. Don't think otherwise." Ji-Won said to her daughter, trying to appease the hurtful expression she had on her visage. She was better in her words than her husband, who felt betrayed by his own daughter and could only hurt her with his ruthless words."We try our best to accept him as our grandson, not thinking that he isn't Ji-Sub's son... but we can't deny the fact that he is the son of that stranger..."

Hee-Sun stayed silent. Ji-Sub squeezed her hand in his to comfort her.

"Hee-Sun-ah, you have to think about your father this time." The older woman added. "He loves you, really loves you. He let you have everything you wanted. You wanted to study aboard, he let you achieve your dream. But... you came back with a really bad surprise to us..." Ji-Won sighed. "Having a boy as a matched partner... it will be the straw that breaks the camel's back for him."

"But..."

"We won't change Yunho's matched partner." Ji-Sub said quietly, making everyone looking at him with surprise.

"Ji-Sub, you are a great man. Marrying my daughter and accepting her child is something I can never repay you with all my kindness. But..."

"I don't need your kindness or your compassion." The young man replied, looking straight into his father-in-law's eyes. "I just want you to accept this fact. Yunho is my son, not the son of any stranger. You don't have to be ashamed by him. He isn't a mixed blood either. He is like us, needing someone to survive. And that someone is Kim Jaejoong, his one and only matched partner." Ji-Sub added. And the little Yunho looked up at his father.

"You're a fool." Hee-Sun's father said.

"Call me a fool or a stupid man as you like." The young father said. "But, Yunho's life is more important than any good reputation. A child's life is more important than your pride. I'm sorry if I'm rude toward you. But, if you won't accept that little boy as Yunho's matched partner, I would like you to walk away from our lives."

"Ji-Sub." His father said with a scolding voice.

"This advice also applies to