"What did you say to Kiko?" Jiyong asked as soon Sohee got into his car. They just left the party after an awkward goodbye with everyone. "I told her about how we got together," she answered. The tension in the car is palpable. "What did you say exactly?" he asked again, sounding impatient. Sohee told him what she had said to Kiko and her friends earlier, and she instantly knew that she had made a mistake. "What?" she asked when Jiyong groaned. "I hate coffee shops. Kiko knows that. And she and I hooked up all Summer long," he answered.

"H... hooked up? As in..."

"Yes. , Sohee. ," he snapped.

Sohee clamped shut, not sure what to say or how to appropriately react. They spent the rest of the car ride in silence. When Sohee said goodbye, Jiyong only responded with a quick nod before zooming right out of the parking lot. Her glum mood remained when she walked into her apartment. "You're home?" her mom greeted her. Sohee sighed and tried her best to muster a smile. She was exhausted, physically and emotionally. "You know... you should bring your boyfriend here sometimes," her mom suddenly said as Sohee trudged into her room, keeping her frozen in her spot, "Dad and I would love to meet him," her mom's voice sounded perfectly cordial and friendly but Sohee could hear the underlying warning in her voice.

"I'll... I'll talk to him," was all Sohee could muster before her mom smiled and disappeared into her room, leaving her daughter stunned in the hallway.

***

When Sohee told Jiyong about her conversation with her mom, she expected him to flat out refuse to meet her parents. She had been thinking of excuses to use to her mom when Jiyong casually nodded. He was in a better mood today than he was last night. 

"What?"

"Why not? Your sister knows. I'm surprised it took your parents this long, actually," Jiyong sipped his Americano. He asked her to help him study for their Physics test and instead of doing it at the library, he drove them to The Street. Sohee said nothing about that, afraid it'll bring his bad mood back because she'd rather deal with happy Jiyong than angry Jiyong.

"You want to meet my parents?" she asked again.

He nodded.

"Jiyong, why are we involving parents into this? I don't want to lie to them," she groaned.

"It sounded like your mom came to her own conclusion about me and you, soooo technically you're not lying."

She gave him a face.

"Okay, fine fine," he sipped the rest of his Americano before setting it down and leaning forward, "I'll come over to your house. Have dinner. Introduce myself. And when we break up, we break up. End of story."

"You make this sound so simple," she grumbled, burying her head in her hands.

Jiyong laughed, "Because it is. You're making this complicated," he bopped her nose lightly.

"I hate you," she muttered under her breath.

"No you don't," he responded automatically with a grin on his face as he flipped his Physics book open. "Now this... I hate," he exhaled in exhaustion at the sight of all the things he needed to study.

***

The day of the dinner, Sohee could not stop fidgeting. Scenarios over scenarios of the worst possible thing that could happen kept playing in her mind. Maybe Jiyong would arrive in one of his eccentric attire that she saw him wear last year. It was a bright red leather jacket with spikes and patterned skinny pants that was "an insult to anyone's eyes" according to Krystal. That would've definitely made her parents hate him instantly. Her mom would probably say nothing but immediately lecture her after he leaves. Or maybe he would come in wearing his track practice outfit of sweatpants and sweatshirt. That would definitely not win her dad over, she thought.

"Your hand is so sweaty," Jiyong whispered as they walked through the hallway towards the parking lot. The school day is over and while it made everyone excited, the sound of the bell had an opposite effect on Sohee. She wanted to stay in school forever to avoid tonight's dinner, and it didn't help that Jiyong had to stay late for practice since they have