Yonghwa sat nervously as his sweat kept flowing down on his temples. Joohyun’s father was right in front of him, sat calmly as he was sipping the tea.

Yes, her father might look so calm, but his aura was intimidating him so much.

It was the first time he met Joohyun’s parents. And it was not just a merely visit or an ordinary greeting from a boyfriend to his girlfriend’s parents. He came to her house that day was to ask her parent’s consent and blessing for their marriage.

Their sudden marriage.

He actually still couldn’t believe that he finally would get married so soon like that. And he would marry her, Seo Joohyun, who until three months ago was just an acquaintance for him. He was so surprised by himself too because, until that time, he didn’t find any doubt in his decision to marry her. His confident was increasing day by day instead. And he was so sure that his decision was right.

“So…” her father suddenly said something but he held his own sentence until Yonghwa gulped in nervousness.

“…you intend to marry my daughter…” but what her father said was not a question. Yonghwa didn’t know how to respond it. It seemed like facing an annoying client was easier than asking Joohyun’s father to give them a blessing.

“Ne~ Abeonim. Mianhaeyo if I asked Joohyun to marry me first before I ask your consent.” Yonghwa finally found his words. “But our situation is…different. And she said yes. I hope you could understand it and give us a blessing…”

Joohyun’s father didn’t reply him right away and stared at him instead.

“I heard that your relationship with Joohyun is still in early stage, and yet you make her pregnant.”

Yonghwa was stunned by Joohyun’s father statement. But he couldn’t avoid this question. It was inevitable. He needed to explain it to him sooner or later.

“Ne~ Abeonim. I’m so sorry for disappointing you, and Eomonim. I know that I should behave more responsibly to Joohyun and myself. And then our baby is coming sooner than our expectation. But it means blessing for us. I don’t regret what have happened, Abeonim.” Yonghwa tried to tell him what he thought, but he was basically not a smooth talker. He really didn’t know what he should say. He just hoped Joohyun’s father could feel his sincerity.

Her father just kept looking at him and didn’t say anything. Yonghwa really didn’t know what to do if he couldn’t get her father’s consent.

“Stop it, Appa. You scare him.” but suddenly Joohyun shouted from the kitchen. Her mother was giggling beside her. They were preparing dinner together while Yonghwa and her father talked in the living room.

And what Yonghwa saw, when he looked at Joohyun’s father back, surprised him even more. Her father was giggling too.

“Mianhaeyo, Oppa. My Appa just tried acting like a scary father-in-law in front of you. He said that he really wanted to see your reaction if he was acting that way.” Joohyun explained it to him calmly as she was still busy in the kitchen. “You’re success, Appa.” She turned to her father too.

M – mwo? Yonghwa was surprised by Joohyun’s explanation.

“I’m so sorry if I scared you, Son. I was just joking.” Her father finally said as he stood up and asked Yonghwa to shake his hand.

“Ahh ne~???” Yonghwa still couldn’t absorb with what happened, and it made Joohyun’s father laughed louder.

But he really felt so relieved. He thought her father would against their marriage.

“Joohyun said that you’re an architect.” Joohyun’s father brought another topic after that. And different from before, he looked so warm.

Yonghwa didn’t know if her father was really acting or not. But if he was, then her father was really a good actor. He really felt so scared before.

“Ne~ Abeonim, my friend and I are just starting our own firm. Just a small architecture firm, Abeonim.” Yonghwa then explained about his current job to Joohyun’s father. He felt so unconfident to tell him that since he was really just starting it and couldn’t show the best of him yet.

“Hmmm geuraeyo? It’s a good start then. I hope your firm will do well after this.” But Joohyun’s father gave him a sincere prayer. And Yonghwa was stunned by that.

They talked further about Yonghwa’s firm after that. Yonghwa told him about how he started his firm after he worked for almost 7 years at Boram Architects & Partners, the best architecture firm in South Korea, where he learned so many things there. Joohyun’s father asked him about his family in the end. And he told Yonghwa about Seo family too in return.

Joohyun’s mother announced that the dinners were ready not long after that, and they had dinner together. Her father kept telling him about Joohyun’s childhood story.

“Appa, geumanhaeyo~ jebalyo~” Joohyun begged to her father in the end because she felt so ashamed, while Yonghwa just chuckled hearing that.

He was glad that her parents really could accept him warmly. He thought they would be so furious since he made their daughter pregnant. But her parents treated him like their son already. Yonghwa felt so relieved because of that.

And when they finally finished the dinner and sat together again in the living room, Joohyun’s father started to talk in a serious tone.

“I…trust my daughter, Yonghwa-yahh. Joohyun always tries to be a good daughter for us. She never disappoints us.” her father said. And it suddenly made his heart hurt. He felt like he was the one who made Joohyun like that. She was a good daughter. It was him who tainted her pureness and made her parents disappointed.

“Joohyun is very stubborn. If she thought about something, then she will keep that thought forever. And now she is pregnant. But we believe that it means she believes you too.” Yonghwa felt so sweaty after hearing that. He then looked at Joohyun who just sat calmly beside her mother. Sometimes, Yonghwa really couldn’t predict her thought.

“I was so worried when I heard she’ll marry you. I can’t help it, Son. It’s because I didn’t know you. But after spending time with you, I finally understand why she chooses you, Yonghwa-yahh…”

THUMP!!!

Yonghwa’s heart beat rapidly. He knew that Joohyun didn’t choose him. She just didn’t have a choice except choosing him. He felt so guilty again. 

“If she chooses you, then I trust you too, Son.” Her father added that made Yonghwa felt so weak out of sudden. He just realized that marriage was definitely not a joke.

“If she said yes, then you get our blessing, Son. Please don’t disappoint us.” Her father ended his explanation as he stood again. Yonghwa didn’t think twice and hugged him in the end.

“Ne, Abeonim. Thank you so much. I’ll try my best to make her and our baby happy.” Yonghwa whispered his promise to Joohyun’s father as he became teary too.

He then looked at Joohyun who finally looked teary and tried to wipe her tears in the corner of her eyes, before their eyes met and she gave him a relieved smile. Yonghwa then walked towards Joohyun’s mother to give her a hug too.

“Chukae.” Her mother whispered lightly.

“Ne~, kamsahamnida Eomonim.” Yonghwa whispered back.

Not long after that, they talked about their wedding preparation. Yonghwa said that his parents would come tomorrow morning and asked Joohyun’s parents to have dinner together tomorrow night. And they agreed.

Joohyun’s parents also respected Joohyun’s decision to just register their marriage.

“Don’t worry, Son. We know uri Ddal so well. She always thought something that’s so unpredictable and sometimes unusual. So when she said to us that you two will just register your marriage, we didn’t surprise at all. Joohyun is just being Joohyun until the end.” her father explained to him since Yonghwa couldn’t help to feel uneasy with Joohyun’s decision. And her mother was just giggling hearing that.

Once again, Yonghwa felt so relieved because of that. At least, her parents understood that it was not his plan since the beginning. He just wanted to take care Joohyun’s feeling since they were not lovers to start this marriage.

After they wrapped up their conversation about the wedding, her mother started playing piano for them. Joohyun told him that her mother had a music academy, and she always entertained their family by playing piano in the family event. Yonghwa felt so touched by it because it meant that he was considered as a family too.

They enjoyed it together. And not long after that, her father requested his favorite song to be played and they sang it together. It seemed like they tried giving them private time. And Yonghwa felt so thankful because of that. He actually was waiting for a right timing to do something.

He then asked Joohyun to talk in the veranda. She raised her brows at first, but she followed him in the end.

Yonghwa cleared his throat before he started saying, “I know you already said yes, but…” he then took something out of his blazer.

Actually, before he went to Joohyun’s house, he went to a jewelry store first. He thought that he still should propose her properly. That was why he decided to buy an engagement ring for Joohyun.

He was so nervous because it was the first time he would do something romantic for her. But he still should do that in the end. So, he encouraged himself as he was opening the blue velvet box in front of her.

“…I think I still should propose you properly, Joohyun-ahh. Mian~ if this is not so romantic. And you should know that I’m not a smooth talker. But, I really – really want to be a good father for our baby. And I’ll try my best to be a good husband for you too. But I can’t do this alone. I need you, Joohyun-ahh. I need your help to make this happen…”

Joohyun was really unique. She really didn’t give him any expression. She just silenced. But when Yonghwa looked at her carefully, he could see it. She was teary. Yonghwa felt so relieved to see her looked so touched by his words. It would be so creepy if she didn’t feel anything at that time.

“So, Seo Joohyun, will you…marry…me? Will you help me to build a happy family for our child…or children…?” he ended his explanation by asking her properly.

He never thought that he would say all of this to someone else…not to Shinhye. But strangely, he didn’t feel so sad by this fact.

Joohyun’s tears were flowing down in the end. She looked at a rose gold ring with white diamonds and round pink diamond on it then looked straight into Yonghwa’s eyes.

THUMP!!!

Yonghwa was so surprised by this sudden attack. He didn’t know what happen with his heart. And he didn’t know exactly why his heart felt that way.

Her eyes…yes, it’s her eyes…he then concluded inwardly as he kept drowning in her sparkling eyes.

He always thought that Shinhye’s big eyes were the prettiest eyes that he had ever seen. But he was wrong. Joohyun’s eyes were more than pretty. Her eyes were so magical. He even couldn’t describe it until he just froze there.

If Joohyun didn’t blink, Yonghwa wouldn’t back to his sense too. She then took a very deep breath, before whispered, “Yes...”

It was not her first time said yes, but still, Yonghwa felt his heart skipped a beat for seconds after hearing that.

“…yes…I will…” she repeated as she wiped her tears.

Yonghwa then couldn’t help to smile warmly. He then took out the ring of the box and put it on her finger. Deep inside his heart, he kept repeating his promise to make Joohyun and their baby happy.

***

Joohyun was surprised when she saw Yonghwa’s car in front of the school gate. That day, she still should come to school even though it was semester break. But she didn’t expect Yonghwa would come to pick her like that.

“I just think we have a lot of things to be discussed before we meet our parents tonight,” Yonghwa said nervously, tried explaining the reason why he was there.

But Joohyun understood his concerns and didn’t ask any further in the end.

They decided to have lunch together in a café not far from the school. Joohyun suggested that place because she was craving for one of the dishes there. And Yonghwa didn’t mind at all since he was not a picky eater.

“Where do you want to live after we married?” he asked carefully. “I don’t mind if you feel more comfortable to live in your apartment. I can move there. But after our baby born, I think my apartment would be a better place for us. We need more space for our baby right?”

Joohyun was so speechless by this topic. He said it smoothly as if it was a simple sentence. But she tried to respond it calmly.

“Is it okay if I live in your apartment?” Joohyun asked back carefully. She knew that Yonghwa wanted them to live in his apartment. He just couldn’t state it directly and really wanted to make her comfortable by choosing it herself. But then she was so surprised when she saw Yonghwa smiled brightly after she said that.

“Of course it’ll be so great, Joohyun-ahh. I’ll start tidying up my apartment after this.” He said excitedly, before he suddenly said, “but I just have one bedroom…”

Joohyun was surprised by that information. She suddenly felt her cheeks becoming hot, but Yonghwa’s worried expression made her want to laugh.

“…I can sleep on the couch or in the living room…” he added nervously. “…is it okay?”

Joohyun giggled in the end. She thought he was so cute if he looked panic like that. “It’s okay, Oppa. Don’t worry…” she said calmly.

“I’ll try my best to earn more money and buy a big house from now on.” He still looked so sad.

“Don’t worry about that, Oppa…” Joohyun tried