Meet The Parents

Your second day in Busan with YongHwa consisted mostly of hiking up a very steep hill, which were YongHwa's words and not yours, you would have likened this particular hill more to an actual mountain but apparently YongHwa knew a little more about geology than you. Cough. Did he think he was an expert on everything? Anyway, it was wonderful of him to carry you the rest of the way up this hill as you gradually became more and more exhausted. His words rang in your ears, his romantic declaration that he would do anything for you, and now he really was. It was a beautiful feeling to be carried on the back of Jung YongHwa, up the dirt trails, through the shrub, ducking you both under the low-hanging trees and scrambling over rocks that were so inconveniently placed in your path by nature. He was certainly athletically skilled, nimble and strong. You admired his ease in the face of each obstacle, and he was barely showing signs of fatigue.

When the two of you reached the top, YongHwa finally set you down and you looked around at the open glade that you had arrived at. In the middle of the glade, which was paved with tiny granite stones all the way to the edges of the trees which circled the opening, in the middle was a glorious red temple with a traditional slanting roof of the old Asian style buildings. Hand painted details and pictures seemed to run up and down the walls, and you found yourself stumbling towards it to get a closer look at these pictures and the other details of this marvellous construction. Behind the temple, which seemed about two and  half stories high, but the other stories not being open to the public it seemed, you could see the sea of Busan in the distance and below. Tropical moss-covered trees clung to each other and seemed to frame the view of the sandy beaches and beautiful blue ocean down below. Your breath caught in your throat, as you realised what a spectacular view this really was. It really was worth the climb which seemed to take half a day and killed every muscle in your body. If you didn't have YongHwa with you, you probably wouldn't have made it to the top today. Actually, you would never have come here at all.

You turned to YongHwa, completely blown away by the peacefulness and the beauty of your surroundings. "Kamsahabnida, oppa. This place is truly beautiful."

YongHwa smiled at you, and you noticed his chest puffed ever so slightly. "I knew you would like it. Ever since we decided we were coming to Busan I knew I had to bring you here."

At his words you returned his smile and then continued slowly towards the temple to admire the structure and the woodwork, as well as the grand designs and paintings which covered it. YongHwa kept in step with you as you explored the perimeter of the temple, peeping at the sculptures and ancient seating arrangements that were inside, and then made your way over to the edge of the paved glade where you could get a better perspective of the view.

As you gazed out over the ocean and what looked like all of the city of Busan in the distance, you felt strong arms come around your waist and come to clasp themselves around your abdomen. YongHwa kept his arms around you and you leaned back onto him for a time as you both admired the beautiful Busan waters, and watched the busy bustling city down below. You could just spot little specs of cars making their way through the city and suburban streets. But always your eyes came back to the sandy shores, and gazed into the horizon where the crystal blue sea met the equally blue sky. What a wonderfulday to be out and about in nature, and even more beautiful with the company of the amazing man you loved holding you from behind.

After a while YongHwa disappeared for a little while to relief himself, and you sat and gazed at the view on your own. You watched as families with children and tourists came and went, laughing and taking photos together with the temple and the sea in the background. When YongHwa came back he was carrying two brown paper bags and two cans of Milkis (a popular Korean drink, like a fizzy milk.) He had noticed how taken you had become with the drink and you often chose it, much to his irritation, over the healthy option of bottled Korean tea. Which to you tasted too bitter to enjoy.

"Here you are, my lady." YongHwa offered you a can of Milkis and one of the brown paper bags as he sat down beside you on the stone bench which overlooked the entire glade.

You were curious as to what he had got and peeped inside the bag like a child searching the shopping bags for goodies. "What's all this then?" you asked, and brought out a pastry which seemed to be filled with meat and cheese.

"I figured you might be hungry," said YongHwa, before he took a bite into his own pastry. "I was going to pack a picnic but it would have been too difficult to carry it all the way up the hill," he continued roughly, with his cheeks bulging.

You snorted. "You? Pack a picnic?" You also took a bite out of your meat and cheese pastry, it was really quite delicious.

YongHwa paused, his cheeks still bulging like those of a squirrel, and looked at you bemusedly. "Moh? You don't think I can prepare a picnic?" He swallowed the whole lot in one gulp and continued to stare at you with mild accusation.

You stuck your tongue out at him. "Neh, I can't imagine it. I'm sorry YongHwa but I don't think I've ever even seen you cook."

YongHwa pouted at you over his can of Milkis which he had brought to his lips. After a while he brought the can back down again and hung his head dejectedly. "I can't cook," he conceded.

You raised your eyebrows and laughed lightly at his confession. "Neh, arraso. But it's the thought that counts, isn't it." You patted his shoulder and tried not to laugh at him.

"Didn't I say I was going to make sure you got fed at least three times a day?" YongHwa went on with newfound enthusiasm. "Just rely on me for breakfast, lunch and dinner! Although I seem to be screwing that up already..." he trailed off mumbling inaudibly.

You tried not to roll your eyes. "It's quite alright. I am, after all, a grown woman who can feed myself."

YongHwa's face swung around to look at you seriously. Then his lips quirked.

"Weh?" you asked, feeling self conscious and trailing your fingers over your mouth to make sure you hadn't left any food debris there.

"Didn't you say that to me once?" YongHwa crossed his legs and faced his body towards you now. He held his pastry loosely in his right hand as if he had forgotten all about it. It felt rather crowded on the little stone bench all of a sudden. It was amazing how YongHwa had that affect on the atmosphere, well more exactly, on you. Even after all this time, and the extent of which your relationship with him had grown.

You shrunk back into the bench's backrest a little. You noticed a pair of tourists looking in your direction and forced your chin in the air, trying to make the exchange between you and YongHwa seem more casual. "Wh-when did I say that to you?"

YongHwa's lips curled even more, and his eyes were shinning. "You're heating up," he observed. With that observation he leaned in a little closer to run his eyes over your face and down under your neck.

"Do you mind?" you hissed, bringing your collar up under your chin so your neck was no longer exposed. "Just answer my question!"

"Ah, but I thought you said I'm the one with the bad memory," he teased, but at an annoyed look from you he went on, "Don't you remember the morning after our first kiss?"

You made a face as if you were trying to bring back the memory, and even though it was coming to you, you wanted YongHwa to explain it to you again anyway. You scrunched up your face and looked at him expectantly.

"Ah, pabbo, your memory is worse than mine," he tapped you gently on the side of the head and then leaned back into the bench again as the nostalgia took him over. "You were in the reception area of the FNC building, and then when you caught the lift I came up behind you and got on with you." He smiled at the memory. "Then when all I wanted to do was kiss you, I was so excited that I'd skipped breakfast and called you my breakfast instead... you told me I was a grown man who should be able to feed myself." He turned to look at you, his eyes misty from the memory. "Even then you were a bossy little thing," he chuckled.

You drew yourself up indignantly. "I am not a bossy one! You're the bossy one! Out of the two of us I'm the more accommodating!"

YongHwa raised his eyebrows. "Actually I'm the one that does everything for you. And even then you continue to pick me to pieces rather than be touched." He put his arm around you, he was still smiling. "Don't ever change, yobbo. I love my fiery little girl."

"I'm not a little girl..."

He rubbed his nose against your ear with a slight laugh. "That's exactly what I'm talking about. You won't even back down for a moment. With an attitude like that I don't have to worry about other guys taking you from me."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" you tried turning to face him but it was an awkward manoeuvre as he held onto you firmly in case you were trying to escape him.

YongHwa grinned. "Who'd want a girl with an attitude as bad as yours?"

You poked him hard in the ribcage for vengeance, your face contorted into an evil kind of pout.

"Yah! Stop beating up your boyfriend! You're only making yourself look bad!"

You poked him again. "I'm not beating you up, you wimp! I'm just prodding you!"

He grabbed onto your arms and pinned them to your sides, so you struggled furiously against his hold. Then he brought his lips to your ear. "Maybe I should show you what real prodding is."

You froze. "Moh?" Your struggling picked up with all the more fervour. "And what is that supposed to mean, Mr Jung Yo-"

"Shhhh, we don't want people to find out it's me," he whispered into your ear quickly. He paused. "But I think you know what I'm talking about..."

"You erted little-" you mustered up as much might as you could and just as you swung yourself as far as you could to the left, readying yourself for the big heave to get yourself out of his grip, YongHwa stuffed the last of his pastry in his mouth, poked the last half of yours into your mouth, and then lifted you over his shoulder as he stood up.

Tourists looked on both in shock and amusement as they watched you being carried away kicking and protesting over YongHwa's shoulder. Little did they know they were watching two of South Korea's most popular pop and rock celebrities. Long time veteran of Korean indie rock favourite Jung YongHwa and up and coming star _______ ________. This surely would have been a moment worthy of a paparazzi frenzy, possibly making the front page of all trending Korean magazines.

For the rest of the afternoon YongHwa took you around the city of Busan in a private car with plush leather seats and tinted windows so nobody could see inside the car. Here and there the car would stop and YongHwa would pull you excitedly out from the back and show you around some of the landmarks and otherwise less known attractions YongHwa deemed interesting enough to show you. You took some pictures together on your phone, happy to get some scenic selfies that consisted of both you and YongHwa. Your favourite one had to have been the one in which you were smiling innocently at the camera, the beautiful crystal clear waters of the Busan ocean behind you, and YongHwa ducking in last minute to plant a kiss on the side of your face with his eyes closed. You wanted that one blown up and printed so that you could put it on your wall back home.

One of the interesting things you loved about the random suburban streets of Busan was that artistic sculptures and characters were scattered on varying levels as the landscapes climbed the hilly areas of Busan, and each vantage point in which the wonderful view of the seaside could most be admired seemed to each have a colourful eccentricity awaiting the next visit. You truly felt like a tourist as you and YongHwa made a point of hunting down as many of these hidden sculptures and characters and taking quick photos with them before jumping back in the car. The evening came to a calming close as the driver dropped the two of you off back at Haeundae beach and you held hands and splashed around in the water before strolling up to the main street to grab some snacks and refreshing drinks. It was quite a warm day and you were glad for the chance to cool off towards the end of it.

However as the day came closer to a close, an anxious feeling was welling up inside your stomach gradually so by the time you and YongHwa made your way back to the hotel at a slow and steady ace, your stomach had worked itself into knots. YongHwa seemed to pick up on your mood, as you had begun to retreat more and more within yourself, dealing with this feeling quietly.

"Kwenchana, _________?" YongHwa enquired once the two of you had boarded the elevator that took you up to your hotel room. His face was plastered with outright concern and you felt a little guilty at making him feel that way about you after all the efforts he had gone through for you all day.

You offered him a weak smile. "Neh... it's just that... we're going to your family home now aren't we?" You and YongHwa had agreed to spend the last two nights in Busan with his family, and he had not told them about your coming yet. He had merely told them that he had a friend coming to stay, and that he had some good news for them. That being that you weren't really his friend but his girlfriend of course. You were worried about his parents' reactions.

YongHwa reached out for your hand and squeezed it. "It will be fine," he assured you. "My parents will lay eyes on you and fall in love right away just like I did. There's nothing for you to worry about." He smiled encouragingly and you returned the smile, the doors to the elevator opened and you walked hand and hand to your room. Your anxiety did not dwindle as you and YongHwa packed your bags and brought them down to the reception area to check out. Nor did they subside even slightly as you and YongHwa shared a champagne on the balcony of the bar as you waited for your ride. However, you did your best not to let these feelings show, and smiled and laughed as YongHwa chattered at you happily as if he was trying extra hard to keep your spirits high and your mind from withdrawing again.

The ride to the Jung household was much shorter than you had hoped. Although the ride took around forty-five minutes by the clock, to you it seemed you had barely been in the car for five minutes when it pulled up the drive of the stately modest home that belonged to YongHwa's parents. Your insides flipped for the last time before you were able to subdue them and donned your brave face as YongHwa helped you out the car and the driver went around to the boot to retrieve your luggage. "Are you ready?" YongHwa grinned, reaching for your hand as you faced the house and nodded silently. "It will be fine, trust me."

As the two of you trudged up the white concrete path that was edged with pretty pansies of pink and purple, a light came on at the front of the house and you heard someone fumbling with the lock as someone came to open the front door. There was excited shouting inside the house and you smiled as you imagined YongHwa's parents alerting each other to his arrival. You understood they did not get to see their son that often as he was often so busy in Seoul or touring overseas. "Omma's having trouble with the locks again," YongHwa chuckled as two shadows bobbed around the frosted window beside the door. "She always has to get Appa to open the door for her. Seriously, they've lived in this house for five years and she still can't work the doors."

Even in all your nerves you still found that funny. You also realised how cute it was to hear YongHwa talking about his Omma and Appa like that, calling them by their names instead of "my parents" as you had heard up until now. You giggled at what he had said and felt his grip on your hand tighten and relax as he squeezed it affectionately. Just then, as the two of you stepped onto the front platform, the front door swung open with a mighty bang and a cutely sized adjumma with flying curly hair came flying out the door and bowled into YongHwa's torso making him stagger backwards and let go of your hand in the commotion. You stood back and grinned both in surprise and amusement as the adjumma hugged onto YongHwa tightly, jiggling her body around in delight and making funny cooing noises. YongHwa looked slightly embarrassed but happy enough also, he hugged the woman back and planted a kiss on the top of her head.

"My Yong! Oh my Yong-Yong! My handsome son has finally come home!" the adjumma repeated over and over again, burying her face into his chest.

YongHwa patted her gently on the back, "Neh, Omma. I'm home."

"Aiyuuuu stop acting so shy and squeeze your Omma harder! She's missed you so much!" his mother reprimanded when YongHwa made to pull back and tried to reach for you. Still his mother did not seem to notice you and continued cooing at and cuddling her son.

However a strict faced older man with YongHwa's nose and mouth was standing in the doorway and surveying the scene with a slight curl of his lips. He looked on and soon his strict eyes were lost in an eye smile that could have given MinHyuk a run for his money. His eyes sparkled, and you recognised the expression that you had seen so often in YongHwa's face. Of course this had to be his father. "Yobbo, you crazy woman. Give your son some breathing space! It seems he has brought a girl with him. Don't embarrass him in front of the young lady, neh?"

Suddenly YongHwa's mother stopped her incessant cooing and spluttering and coddling. She paused, then as YongHwa looked down at her face as she pulled slowly away from him, she turned her face around to find you. When YongHwa's mother looked at you with round teary eyes, her surprised face below YongHwa's matching wide-eyed expression, his own a look of anticipation, you found yourself blinking between the two faces stupidly. You saw now where YongHwa got most of his other looks from, aside the nose and mouth. YongHwa seemed to match his mother in beauty, with the same eyes and facial structure. Now it made sense why YongHwa was such a pretty boy, if he took so much after his mother's attractive features. His father's nose and thick lips broke up the mix so that he wasn't an exact replica of his mother, and of course his mother's skin was more aged than his so he was definitely the finest in the family. You wondered then what his brother must look like. If his brother was as lucky as YongHwa, you wouldn't know what you would do. Two pretty boys with YongHwa's looks staring at you over the dinner table, your heart wouldn't be able to cope. All this rushed through your mind within seconds as YongHwa's mother regarded you with those startled brown chocolate eyes you loved so much about her son. This just wasn't fair.

You realised it was probably more polite to introduce yourself first, as you had seen the younger Koreans do with the older ones before. You bowed towards YongHwa's parents and introduced yourself as best you could. "Annyeonghaseo. I am _________, from _________. Very pleased to meet you. I hope you are well?"

YongHwa's father nodded and returned your greeting, bowing back to you graciously. However YongHwa's mother took a nudge from her son before she came to her senses enough to do the same. "Omma," YongHwa hissed as he gave his mother a sharp nudge.

“Annyeonghaseyo,” YongHwa’s mother greeted you in return, albeit a little hesitantly. She bowed back to you slightly, showing her respect at a further nudge from YongHwa.

YongHwa’s father was next to speak, he was still giving you his charming eye smile that put you at ease despite the awkwardness between you and YongHwa’s mother. “Please come inside, make youtrself at home. What friends of YongHwa are also friends of ours.” He gestured for you to step inside first, so you quickly set aside your shoes on the doorstep and stepped over the threshold, followed closely by YongHwa and his parents after him.

When the four of you entered the quant little sitting room, which you noticed was very cluttered yet neat with ornaments, china displays and other homey knick knacks, YongHwa drew himself up and reached for your hand. You whirled around to face him in surprise, and your expression matched those of his parents.

“Actually, Omma, Appa, _______ is not just my friend,” said YongHwa proudly, holding up yours and his entwined hands. You cringed as you felt his mother’s gaze burn onto yours and his hands clutched together so lovingly. Especially her son’s, which had made the gesture and was holding you there. You began to wonder if YongHwa’s mother had actually ever met any of YongHwa’s previous girlfriends, it seemed like she was having a hard time comprehending the idea of her son finding someone special. “________ is my girlfriend.”

There was an awkward pause. Then YongHwa’s father came forward and gave his son a thump on the back, and then a funny pinch on your shoulder which felt like he was about to give you a massage. Strangely it was a comforting sensation. His hands were strong, much like his son’s hands. “Phwah son, that’s great news! We weren’t expecting something like that! Now I know why you sounded so excited to come home! You wanted to show off your girl! And what a beauty she is too...” YongHwa’s father trailed off with a wink at you, and despite yourself, you giggled.

YongHwa grinned at his father’s praise. “Ah come on Appa, I’m always excited to come home, you know that. And thanks…” he looked over at you happily. “I know she is…”

“We know, we know. Arra, our Yong is such a home boy,” his father laughed, and then reached out to put his arm around his wife’s shoulders. YongHwa's mother seemed to have a worried expression on her face, and her worried expression was also starting to making you more and more anxious. You were hoping YongHwa's parents, both of them, would be nothing but happy to meet you and to see their son positively beaming the way he was. You started to wonder if perhaps YongHwa's mother didn't think you were good enough for her son.

"She certainly is a beauty," YongHwa's mother said unexpectedly, looking you over and smiling, however her smile did not meet her eyes and it was as if she did not truly believe what she was saying. Perhaps she was just commenting this way to appease her husband and son.

Nevertheless you kept close tabs on your manners and bowed in appreciation in YongHwa's mother's direction, perhaps a little more deeply in his father's direction as his father was naturally a jovial and warm kind of guy and you had taken to him instantly as he had taken to you. YongHwa's parents gestured for you and YongHwa to sit on the settee and YongHwa's mother swiftly left the room to go and prepare some hot tea and snacks to enjoy together. It was something YongHwa's mother always rushed off to do when she was taking visitors YongHwa and his father informed you in amusement.

"So how was it the two of you met?" YongHwa's father asked after the two of you excitedly, he rubbed his hands together as if preparing himself for an entertaining story. "I didn't think my son could land a beauty such as you. Well done son... didn't think you had it in you. You were such an ugly baby."

Your mouth fell open at this blatant insult but YongHwa and his father snickered heartily as if it was some kind of strange joke the two of them shared. "Komowo Appa, but you should always have more faith in me."

YongHwa's father nodded and winked at you. "Kureh, you know I do, my son. So come on and tell me, you know your Appa likes his gossip just as much as the next adjumma."

You laughed at YongHwa's father's warmth and cheer and between the two of you, you and YongHwa explained that you started under CN BLUE at the company and that things had gotten off to a rocky start.

"And she was always hanging out with that dreg of a guy HanJu," YongHwa whinged, seeming to be making you out as the bad guy that he just couldn't help but love. You rolled your eyes and shrugged apologetically at YongHwa's father so that he didn't get the wrong idea about you.

YongHwa's father's eyes widened. "That slimy toad of a boy isn't still hanging around is he?"

"Seems like it, I'm not even sure to this day if he just still had it in for me and wanted to cause me some more trouble or if he actually wanted my girl..." YongHwa pulled you closer to him unexpectedly and your eyes popped in surprise. You looked quickly over at YongHwa's father who didn't seem to mind the intimacy, which you had always figured was rare among Korean parents. What a relaxed kind of guy this Jung-Ssi actually was.

"Of course he was after me!" you snapped playfully, "It's not all about you, you know!"

YongHwa's father erupted in laughter as his son pouted before him. "That's it right there, _______-Ssi! Our boy needs to be told more often! You go on putting him back in his place like that, God knows he needs it. Flying through to top gun like he has, he needs to be brought back down to earth from time to time!"

Just as YongHwa playfully engaged into some banter with his father YongHwa's mother entered the room with a tray of steaming Ginseng tea and what looked like an array of rice crackers and bean snacks. Everything seemed insanely healthy. You smiled politely as she set the tray down before you on the coffee table and YongHwa's mother nodded meekly back at you. There was definitely something troubling the woman, and you wished you knew what that was. What was it about you that had her looking so anxious? It was almost as if she wanted to like you but couldn't find it in her to do just that. What was stopping her? What was holding her back? You started grinding your teeth together absent-mindedly as YongHwa's mother took a seat beside her husband, facing you and YongHwa on the brown suede settee.

____________________________________________________________________

YONGHWA P.O.V.

As his mother came back into the room with a tray of her usual healthy red Ginseng tea, which YongHwa himself had been brought up on since he was a small boy and drank copious amounts of to this day, he looked closely at his mother's face to see if it had changed. No, she still had that tight lipped grim expression that he had noticed on her usually bright and beautiful face since the moment he had introduced you to her. He had been hoping things would have been different, no actually he had been adamant they would be. In YongHwa's steadfast and optimistic mind which had given him the ambitious streak which had lead him so surely through life and granted him success, he had been willing to bet that his mother would have not reacted this way as the slightest niggling in his guts had suggested.

He was usually very good at following his gut. And the fact was it wasn't just his gut that gave him this niggle, it was a deep founded knowledge that he knew for sure from his upbringing that he should have known better. This was something he shouldn't have been so ignorant of, something that couldn't be its head for the better just because he used his strength and willpower to change things for his favour. The fact was, his mother was worried. That worry wasn't just a simple little worry she had worked up herself for obvious reasons, it was a worry imbedded in her by her own mother. As much as YongHwa loved his grandmother, and he loved her very dearly indeed, there was some backward things he would have loved to coax out of the sometimes bitter old woman. This was one in particular, though he had never felt it so strongly until he had met you, now he felt it more than ever. He needed to turn around the views of the women in his family and he had to do it pronto. He didn't want you getting hurt.

YongHwa watched from the corner of his eye as his mother set down the tray of tea and snacks in front of you and barely gave you the nod you deserved before she moved around hurriedly to sit beside his father. YongHwa's smile shifted a little as he had been joking with his father about his non-existent big head that everyone seemed to about since his rise to stardom.

YongHwa didn't believe they really meant it, he was sure he was not one of those inflated ego type celebrities that suddenly thought they were better than everyone else just because they managed to make it so far in the industry. YongHwa knew he was lucky to get where he was, and he wasn't about to ruin that by slackening off. He had worked hard to get where he was, and his family had seen him slug it out. What they didn't know was that he slugged it out extra hard now that he did have a seat where he was. It was probably harder keeping up the hard work to remain where he was than it was getting there because now he had a lot more to lose, and a hell of a lot more was expected of him. However he didn't regret it for a minute, never once did he complain about his workload. Not to his family, not to his friends, not his band members and not even to himself. He loved his job, and he hoped he was fit enough to go on doing it for many more years. He would be like the Rolling Stones, keep rocking it out even when he's turned into a walking talking skeleton like Keith Richards. That was hard core rock and roll.

However it wasn't hard core rock and roll, nor what his family liked to about now that was bothering him. YongHwa now turned back around to face his parents squarely, and he wasn't shy about catching his mother's eye meaningfully either. He wanted her to know he knew what was going through her mind, and he wasn't going to let her sink into that direction of opinion. Not over you, she had to know that he was serious about you, and that her own anxieties were unfounded. YongHwa grabbed your hand and squeezed it firmly, as if proving a silent point. His mother averted her gaze.

This action also seemed to whizz over YongHwa's father's head as he went on laughing about how YongHwa was too good for his family now that he had made it the big time, and didn't have enough time to come and see them. YongHwa's father was a man that clearly could not read social awkwardness very well indeed, not even in his own wife who was unnaturally stiff and silent. It was something YongHwa admired about his father. No matter what, his father would boom on with his amusing trail of thoughts even if the atmosphere was so thick it could be cut with a knife. Sometimes it was the only thing that saved family parties and gatherings. In the end everyone would find their way back into their comfort zone again, coaxed in again by Mr Jung Senior's jovial attitude and warmth. He was completely oblivious to his talent of course. Well so YongHwa believed anyway.

"Our boy and ________ were just telling us how they met, yobbo," YongHwa's Appa informed his wife as she settled beside him and started pouring out four cups of steaming dark tea. "It's quite an interesting story! They should make a book about it! I suppose they will do one day," he smiled and grinned at you and YongHwa boyishly. YongHwa liked that smile of his father's , it made him look about ten years younger and very cheeky. Like a schoolboy wiggling his way out of trouble in class. YongHwa wondered if he was able to replicate that very same smile. He hoped he could do it at his father's age, it was a sure way to keep that youthful charm he found in his father. "If the two of you end up getting married, it will probably come out in our Yong's biography," he added swiftly.

YongHwa's mother seemed to spill some of the hot tea on herself and let out a gasp.

"Kwenchana, yobbo? Did you burn yourself?" YongHwa's father was quick to her aid, cradling her hand in his. "Is it sore?" When his wife nodded he at her finger to relieve the burning. You and YongHwa turned away uncomfortably.

"Appa!" YongHwa exclaimed. "Do you have to do that in front of us!"

"Your Omma hurt herself pouring the tea! Of course I should do that for my woman!" YongHwa's father quipped back at him. He then looked at you, "I hope my boy treats you well like this too."

You went red and clasped your hands together in your lap with an awkward smile. "Neh..."

YongHwa rolled his eyes. "Appa, you shouldn't embarrass her like that!"

YongHwa's father opened his mouth to retort when his wife spoke before him and said, "Neh, yobbo. You really shouldn't speak like that. There's no telling that YongHwa and this girl will actually be getting married." YongHwa noticed your hurt expression and opened his mouth to protest when she went on quickly, "And anyway, yobbo, dear. You are excluding the girl. It's not only our Yong that will be publishing a biography one day, but isn't this girl also an up-and-coming celebrity herself?"

There was a shocked silence which thankfully did not last very long as there was a quick wrapping at the door of metal on glass which quickly broke the icy atmosphere which had settled on the room, and YongHwa groaned as he knew exactly who had come to join the fun. This was exactly what he needed right now.

End Chapter Twenty Four