Leaning up into him with chin touching his shoulder, nose lightly brushing against his neck Namjoo took in a full whiff of the fresh scent of shampoo and body soap flowing off him, realizing he’d come out after taking a shower. He was full and warm, his arms gentle and secure around her. Sweet bliss poured from him before he withdrew and slid his hand down to entwine his fingers through hers. Namjoo glanced up at him as she moved beside him.

“So what were you doing not sleeping?” he wondered. Jongin leaned forward expecting an answer.

Avoiding his eyes Namjoo gazed straight ahead. She couldn’t tell him she had been pondering over Kyung’s words or what was really going on.

“You weren’t thinking of me?” he asked grinning. When her eyes shot toward him he broke out into a laugh. “I’m just teasing you.” Leaning back against the car he heaved a deep breath. “It feels good to be out.”

“Don’t you have class in the morning?” she wondered.

“Doesn’t matter, I’m used to getting a few hours of sleep. Now that I’ve seen you, I’m wide awake.”

Gluing her lips together she stole a glance at him feeling uncontrollably shy but snorted, “How corny.”

Jongin shared her laugh. “Are you tired? You can go back in.”

“I’m not.” She insisted.

“Then,” he began, “want to go for a ride?”

Smiling, she nodded. A minute later they were driving down the empty streets with the windows open and a flurry of wind rushing in. Namjoo’s eyes swung down to her hands covered by the width of his then back to him behind the wheel. Contentment plundered her senses and she turned to view the night scenery.

There was peace in the air tonight. Compared to earlier she was settled, her thoughts quiet and held at bay. Outside, the moon seemed to guide them toward their destination following them at every bending turn in the road. Here in the car she was safer and calmer than in her apartment alone, locked with her thoughts.

It was a strange ability, she thought, how Jongin seemed to make everything ok despite all the odds of her insecurities. He pulled up at the Han River and stepping out she joined him on the grass in front of the sparkling night waters. The crescent moon was a clear reflection against the deep river, an unknown world like her mind was to Jongin and his to her.

With a hand propped against the ground behind her he leaned back to admire the view. The city on the other side of the river was quietly awake, lit up with dozens of business lights in place of the diamond stars. Namjoo recalled stopping in her tracks on the way home in the middle of the night when sometimes work held her back from getting home. With hourly bus drivers gone home she would have to trek home on foot. Joohwan would be up waiting for her and sit with her to watch her eat the meal he prepared. Then they would finally call it a night and she’d wake up after four hours to head back to work.

Watching the night sky made her nostalgic of her exhausting past.

“What are you thinking about?” Jongin asked.

“Nothing,” she replied then glanced at him. “What are you thinking about?”

“About how nice it is to be out here,” he quietly answered. “It’s a different feeling than gazing at the moon from my bedroom.”

“I suppose it is.”

Jongin turned when the footsteps of a man passed by. Once his footsteps faded into the distance and her gaze locked onto the slow rocking waves Jongin gently pecked her cheek. She turned surprised and their eyes locked. Instead of shining onto the water the moon reflected off his eyes, making them appear bright and shiny. They appeared to her like sparkling gems.

As if asking and receiving permission through her eyes he leaned in to heartily kiss her. The warmth of his heart felt like it passed through the touch of his lips, touching the deepest part of her with gentleness and affection both uncalled for. In the next moment Namjoo felt her fingers brushing through his hair as she held him in turn.

After he sent her home that night, she slept really well.

~~~~~

It was Friday. Tomorrow his parents would meet Namjoo and he hadn’t yet talked to her about it. To be frank, Jongin was hesitant. What would Namjoo think? Would he scare her off by mentioning his parents?

He wasn’t ready to introduce her yet, still wishing to keep their relationship under wraps, have Namjoo all to himself without trouble lurking the corner. He wanted the sweet, heart pounding calm that belonged to them to last for as long as possible.

Just like now as he held her hand while walking the street. His eyes landed on her cute face, those big watchful eyes that absorbed the world around her in depth, and the small hands that fit his like it was made for him. Readjusting his grasp on her hand he reached over to help pull a loose strand behind her ear. Turning to glance at him Namjoo smiled the sweet smile that sent his heart pounding against his ribs.

They were nearing her hostel and he didn’t want to call it a night just yet.

“Want to share a drink with me?” he suggested. “We passed by a tent earlier.”

“Ok,” she innocently agreed.

His father wouldn’t let him off if he let Namjoo miss out on tomorrow. He might go searching for her – well, send someone out to find her. Jongin didn’t want to do things that kind of dirty way.

After the middle aged woman gave them two bottles of soju along with appetizers they’d ordered he poured her a drink.

“Can you hold your alcohol?” he wondered.

“You can find out,” Namjoo slyly smiled at him.

“Eat something too,” he said. “You shouldn’t drink on an empty stomach.”

“We ate earlier,” she reminded him. “I haven’t fully digested dinner. What empty stomach are you talking about?”

“Oh…that’s right,” he lightly laughed. He raised the cup to his lips then gasped after downing it. For a second he stared off into space then turned to find Namjoo observing him. Smiling guiltily he asked, “What is it?”

“You didn’t wait for my cheers,” Namjoo said. He quickly broke out into another short laugh and apologized only be caught off guard by her again. “I’m just kidding. What’s on your mind?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Why? You suddenly don’t want to talk now.” Shifting toward him she urged, “Come on, tell me. I’ll listen without judging you.”  

Jongin felt giddy, joyful that Namjoo paid much attention to him. He was grateful for her consideration. It heightened his mood to an extent he couldn’t explain.

“Tomorrow,” mustering up the courage he pressed on, “want to go somewhere with me? It’s not somewhere far but you’ll have to be brave with me, because I’m a little scared.”

Namjoo’s expression remained patient. Jongin nervously darted his eyes away then glanced at her once and then away again.

“Jongin?” she called softly with a bit of confusion laced into her tone.

He really wanted them to stay the way they were. It hadn’t even been that long since they started seeing each other.

Finally looking at her again he said, “Come see my parents.”

Her eyes slightly widened and she stared at him blankly. He knew it. He had scared her. His lips fell apart when she quickly lifted the glass up to gulp it down but couldn’t manage to say anything.

“What?” she gasped staring at him.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized, “it’s just…there was something…and I mentioned you. My father wants to meet you.”

With eyes wide Namjoo turned to look away then kind of whispered to herself, “Doesn’t that mean I need to look nice? I can’t go looking like this…”

“You don’t have to,” he jumped in. “I don’t need you to look nice.”

She abruptly turned to him, “What are you talking about? It’s your parents I’m meeting!”

Jongin looked taken aback but calmly said, “Don’t worry about it. I like you like this.”

~~~~~

Several minutes later after finishing the two bottles, Namjoo was on Jongin’s back pretending to be in a drunken stupor. He carried her steadily toward her hostel. With face hanging over his shoulder and arms dangling around him she soaked in the fact that tomorrow she would be meeting his parents.

If this wasn’t going too fast and perfectly as she wanted, she didn’t know what to say. It was going too well. Though everything was a win for her she wished he would have bothered to suggest a makeover. She would have loved to receive one. A change in appearance wouldn’t hurt, but whatever.

Jongin stepped into the elevator and pressed for the 12^th floor. A sly smile crawled over her face from being too giddy that he was trapped under her spell, and in due time she would become his madam. Namjoo shut her eyes when the lift opened on her floor and he started toward her door. This time she smugly smiled when he hesitated in front of her room. The room key was in her back pocket.

Shifting his weight onto one leg, Jongin’s hand felt for her pockets hesitatingly causing her to smile at the tease even more. Namjoo bit her tongue to prevent herself from laughing out loud when his hand slid over her jeans pocket and groaned to himself. A silent moment passed before he turned his head to make sure she was still out. Namjoo acted well to look asleep. In the next second she felt his hand hover over her behind, lightly feeling for the keys and almost burst out laughing when his finger skimmed across her . Working carefully by touch he pushed his fingers inside fumbling around her pocket, grappling for the keys before successfully pulling them out.

“Finally! Yes!” he whooped loudly in victory. Namjoo burst out into a laugh before managing to transform it into a cough.

Unlocking her door he walked in toward her bedroom. Namjoo turned herself into deadweight as he set her down carefully and felt him slide his hand behind her head to gently lay her down and tuck her in. With eyes clamped shut she felt him sit on the edge of the bed, remaining there for some time. Almost urged to open her eyes in order to find out for herself what he was doing she curled her fingers up into a fist underneath the blanket.   

In the next second he skimmed his fingers across her face to push her hair behind her ear. What the heck was with him? Should she pretend to suddenly wake up and ask for a cup of water?

Then leaning inward he kissed her forehead. “Good night, Namjoo.”

Standing up to his feet he turned the lights off and closed the door after him. Once the door outside closed she sat up in bed and raised a hand to her forehead, as if to catch the leftover kiss.

~~~~~

When Jongin came for her the next afternoon she noted how casually dressed he was in jeans and just a tee. Usually when bringing a potential to meet his parents, wardrobe was the factor that mattered most. In today’s case it didn’t seem like it.

“You’re not dressed up?” she wondered when he held her hand.

“I wanted to match you,” he proclaimed with a smile. “Did you sleep well?”

“Of course.”

“You were drunk last night. Do you have a hangover? I thought we could have soup if you have one.” They turned to walk toward his car.

“I slept it off,” she assured. “But…when are we meeting your parents?”

“Dinner.”

“Then…what are we doing now?” she asked still with high hopes for a makeover.

He turned back to look at her, “We’re going on a date.”

“And where are we going?”

“Just come with me,” he said and opened the passenger door for her. Namjoo glanced at him and slipped into the chair.

A few minutes later they were in a cinema seated together, sharing popcorn while watching a romantic comedy. Once the movie ended she expected to walk back out into daylight but holding her hand tightly, Jongin led her toward the rooftop to the romantic Sky Rose Garden. Namjoo gasped in awe at the majestic roses decorating the rooftop restaurant, her eyes soaking in the beautiful flowers as Jongin led her toward their table.

“Like it?” he asked sitting into his seat across from her.

Namjoo quickly nodded appeased, forgetting all about the upcoming dinner date with his parents. “It’s beautiful! I’ve never been anywhere like this!”

“Yea?” he asked. “We can do this again however many times you want.”

Namjoo turned to him with a snort. “That would bore you.”

“It wouldn’t,” he claimed. “I’d go anywhere with you. Since I chose this place, the next date you can pick wherever you want, even if it’s back here again.”

“You sure love to splurge,” she grinned.

“I can do more,” he said, “but you might get bored of me easily.”

Namjoo smiled at him as the waiter approached them to ask for their orders. After a good lunch they rode the elevator back down. At the sixth floor when a business worker left and the elevator doors closed again Jongin kissed her until they reached the lobby. At the opening of the lift he excitedly pulled her out toward his car where he drove them to the park where they walked off their lunch. Then in due time they were off toward the restaurant he was appointed to meet with his parents.

“My father’s a gruff person,” Jongin explained along the way. “I hope you won’t mind if he talks rough with you. He’s a really strict person.”

Namjoo listened carefully, nodding at every explanation. If she was to join his family she would have to be on her best behavior too, in order to make this work for her.

“Will it just be your parents?”

“My nephew is at home,” he explained.

Namjoo glanced at him then asked, “You don’t look happy.”

He turned to look at her and managed a small smile.

“Why?”

Often in rich families Namjoo always heard there was something amiss. Between family members there could be conflicts over money and over how much share of this or that each person would receive. Or daughter-in-laws were disliked and feuds would start, but Jongin was the only son. Namjoo didn’t think there would be any trouble but she couldn’t dismiss the uneasiness on his face, as if there was something he hadn’t yet shared with her.

The thought was hard to comprehend because Jongin had been so honest and innocent.

“I’ll tell you later,” Jongin assured pulling the car to a stop. “I promise.”

Holding hands he walked her up the steps to the fancy restaurant that made them look out of place in their casual clothes. Once he explained they had a reservation the waitress led them into a private room with a table set for them. She sat down at the table with four chairs with vintage tapestry decorating the walls. Jongin gripped her hand under the table and they turned to look at each other, sharing a smile before the door opened. As they rose to their feet Jongin released her hand.

Namjoo listened to a machine vibrate noisily – an automatic powered wheelchair. His father handsome in stature with a weighty face, eyed her as he entered. The man appeared grumpy, unhappy. The waitress who’d opened the door for them hurried over to remove one of the chairs from the table. Jongin’s father huffed an insincere thanks. Then her eyes roved over to the tiny woman, Jongin’s mom, following him in with a black purse clutched in front of her. Namjoo's heart leapt up , her eyes slowly widening. 

***/intense drum rolls/ Uh-oh! Namjoo meets her mom!