Dara already felt her headache even before she woke up and she groaned loudly, threading her fingers through her hair. She slowly opened her eyes, her brows furrowed at the throbbing pain in her temples. Ow. What happened? She lifted herself up in sitting position, eyes bleary as she looked around her room while massaging her head. I need a pain killer, she groaned to herself. She lifted the blanket off her and got off the bed then paused as she saw what she is wearing. It’s not her pajamas….

She cocked her head in confusion before it came to her. She closed her eyes in consternation as she  finally remembered that she was with Donghae last night meeting his family.

And she got drunk.

Oh god. She could remember bits and pieces but she’s very definite that she made a fool of herself in front of Donghae’s father while they were in the balcony having a drink. Her knees gave out as she plopped on her bed whimpering loudly and brushing her face with her hands. Oh god! Why?!! I’m so stupid! What does his father think of her now? It’s bad enough that Donghae’s mother doesn’t like her because she’s short, now his father would think she’s a stubborn midget. She have to accept the fact that she really doesn’t have any alcohol tolerance. She really did thought that maybe it was because those wines are just too strong. Turns out she just turned weak as she aged.

She grudgingly stood up after bearting herself for her idiocy and practically staggered out of her bedroom and down the stairs to go to the kitchen. She needs to get some coffee to calm her headache and then maybe she could figure out an excuse or something. Oh good, she could hear her mom talking in there. Probably reprimanding her brother about something again.

“Mom,” she groaned. “I need some coff—” Dara froze as her bleary eyes turned wide when she saw Donghae sitting on the chair by their dining table, a steaming cup of coffee in front of him. He was neatly dressed with his polo shirt and looking very comfortable in his seat. He smiled when he saw her. “Good morning.”

She blinked then grimaced at the pounding of her headache.

“You’re finally awake,” her mother said before pouring a coffee in a cup and placing it on the table. Dara massaged her head before striding over to the table and taking the seat Donghae had pulled for her.

“What’re you doing here?” Dara asked Donghae as she reached for a creamer and sugar.

“He brought you home last night,” her mother answered for him sounding a little stern probably thinking she was being rude for her question. “It is only right that I invite him for breakfast.”

“Okaaay,” Dara just said as she stirred  her coffee.

“How are you feeling?” Donghae asked as he watched her.

“Ugh, I feel like ,” Dara answered.

“Words, Dara,” her mom reprimanded her. “Try to be refined in your choice of words especially with a guest present.”

Dara just scowled at the way her mom is speaking. Her headache is so bad she really doesn’t care much about anything except making it go away.

“It’s ok, Mrs. P,” Donghae said which made Dara lifted an eyebrow at.

“Mrs. P?” She repeated as her mom turned her attention back to what she is cookng. Where did that come from?

Donghae smiled then leaned forward to tell her in a whisper. “That’s much better than calling her Mother. She had been insisting it last night.”

“Oh my god,” Dara said in resignation as she closed her eyes. She vaguely heard Donghae softly chuckling beside her. She already embarassed herself last night with his family, now her mom is embarassing her.

“Here,” she heard her mom say and she opened her eyes to see a plate of bacon and sandwich and an aspirin. “Eat first before drinkng it.”

“Thanks, mom,” she said then groaned loudly. “I’m never gonna drink again.” How many times did she swore this? She had no idea but she felt like she needed to say it again. Ugh. I need to tell Donghae to knock me out me if  he saw me even attempting to drink. Maybe I need to go to an AA meeting. Maybe I’m already an alcoholic. No.  Last night was just an exception since she just quit her job. She deserve it. It’s not like she’s going to do it again

“Is there something you want to tell your mom?” Donghae said looking at her expectantly.

Dara looked at him then sighed as she knows exactly what Donghae is talking about. “Now?” She isn’t up to  making a sound argument with her mom when she feels like something is drilling a hole in her head.

“I think this is the best time to tell her,” Donghae said with a nod.

Dara just huffed. Well, her mother needed to know anyway because she would bound to notice she is bumming around the house. “Mom,” she called her mom then continued. “I quit my job yesterday.”

Donghae’s smile dropped.

That is not what he was referring to.

Dara’s mom didn’t turn from what she is cooking. “Yes, I heard about it.”

“You did?” Dara’s forehead creased. How fast is the news to spread on here? Oh. It must’ve been CL. She already called CL yesterday and assured her she is fine but she must’ve called her mom and spilled her resignation.

“I know you’re a smart woman and you wouldn’t quit your job without a reason.”

Dara felt touched over her mom’s words. She did thought her mom would give her hell for quitting without a back-up plan.

“That is not what I meant,” Donghae told her in a whisper.

Dara turned to him looking dismayed. “Huh?”

“Is there something else you wanted to tell your mom?” Donghae tried again but he’s beginning to realize that subtlety is not a very effective way to urge your girlfriend to tell her mother she’s dating the man who brought her home.

“Um….” She tried to think of something else  that she needed to tell her mom and came up with nothing but the look on Donghae’s face is telling her that there is something else. “Like what?”

Donghae scowled looking really disappointed now as he leaned back on his chair.

“What?” Dara said scowling back. If there is something he should know that she ought to tell her mom, then he should tell her. Her brain isn’t functioning yet.

Her mom placed a plate of sunny side up eggs on the table before smiling at Donghae. “Is there anything you want? I mean, Dara can cook that for you… but probably not today or you could have dinner with us tonight.”

“Thank you,” Donghae said smiling at Dara’s mother. “I’d love to.”

His response made Dara’s mom look really ecstatic—which she unsuccessfully tried to hide. “That’s great! My Dara here, if you do not know, is really domesticated. It just doesn’t show because she’s too busy with her work but she is very excellent in cooking. What is your favorite food?” By god, she would do anything in her power for her daughter to be married and Mr. Lee Donghae looked like a very suitable candidate.

Dara gave her mom a wry look. “Mom, what are you talking about?” She is anything but domesticated.

Her mom gave her a warning glare before turning back to Donghae with that wide smile and Dara rolled her eyes, not wanting to know what her mom is doing.

Donghae smiled with raised brows at her looking rather amused. “I would… love to eat anything Dara cooks.”

Dara scoffed as she turned to Donghae. “No, you wouldn’t.”

But her mom just shushed her by exclaiming, “Fantastic. I’ll be expecting you tonight then.” Then her mom turned to her with subtle warning in her eyes. “Dara, since you are currently unemployed, it would be best to hone your cooking abilities and impress Mr. Donghae here with your talent.”

Dara rolled her eyes at how exaggerated her mom is with her formal dialogue. “Mom, stop it. Please.” She jabbed a finger in Donghae’s direction as she looked at her mom. “He studied culinary arts. Anything you can cook, he can do a thousand times better.”

Donghae put Dara’s jabbing finger down and smiled at Mrs. Park. “Yes, I have studied Culinary Arts but that was a long time ago. I’m already rusty.”

But Mrs. Park doesn’t seem to be listening and when Donghae followed her gaze, it was fixed on his hand wrapped around Dara’s. He immediately let go and placed his hand on his lap like a schoolboy caught doing something wrong. Dara seemingly oblivious was blowing steam off her coffee.

Mrs. Park was gaping at them for a minute before she was able to collect herself and decided to just pretend she didn’t noticed how comfortable this Mr. Donghae is to suddenly grab her daughter’s hand and her daughter not even minding it a bit. She even looked like Donghae had already held her hand numerous times to mind it. She smiled at them. “Well… that’s good then.” She will interrogate her daughter later. If her gut feeling is right, and her gut feeling is rarely wrong, she would have a very handsome son-in-law!

She was about to turn to the refrigerator for some vegetables when Donghae suddenly stood up from his chair. “Mrs. Park,” he started sounding formal and Dara looked up at him looking surprised. “I apologize if I failed to inform you last night but I would like to take this opportunity to ask for your permission to date your daughter.”

“Could you be any more old-fashioned?” Dara grumbled as she walked Donghae out the door of their house. She almost fell off her chair when Donghae suddenly blurted that unexpected… announcement. And her mom…. Sheesh. Only thing left missing is her dancing on a tutu as she looked too excited to even pretend to be mad that Donghae didn’t tell her about them last night while Dara was knocked out. And then she had to call Donghae Son-In-Law. Good god. It’s like her mother is already expecting Donghae to marry her and she is letting him know that.

They are just dating! No need to scare the one man who had actually professed his undying love for her—or something like that—with tallks of being tied down for the rest of his life.

She had to give it to Donghae, though. His complexion didn’t pale right after her mom called him son-in-law. He was acting all gentlemanly and so courteous that it seemed to further feed her mother’s fantasy.

“Thank you for your approval, like what the hell was that?” Dara continued as she repeated what Donghae had responded with when her mom had tried to play it cool by saying, If that is what Dara wants, then I would, of course, approve. She’ll have a very long talk with her mom later. With her mostly whining about being embarassed way too many times for her mom to make another addition.

Donghae turned to her with a smirk then playfully frowned as he booped her nose with his finger. “Words.”

Dara’s scowl deepened as she belatedly avoided Donghae’s booping finger. “Why would I have to ask my mom’s approval? What am I, sixteen?” She continued as they reached Donghae’s car.

Donghae opened the car door but didn’t get inside yet as he faced Dara looking a little amused at her reaction. “Hey, I did advised you it was time to tell her we’re going out but you spouted about quitting your job. I was left with no choice.”

Dara gaped at him as she remembered him telling her that. “Is that what you are referring to?”

“What else should I be referring to?” Donghae asked back then shook his head. “Clearly, your understanding for subtlety is so weak that I decided to be direct with you moving forward.”

“Are you for real?” Dara said wryly. “You have got to give me something more than—” she lifted her fingers for quotation marks. “—something I need to tell my mom. And that’s not even the point. Why would I need my mother’s permission to date?”

“The point is why are you keeping me a secret to your family? I felt it rather unfair that I was proud to show you off to my family so I’m not sure if I need to be offended over the fact that neither your mother and your brother knows about me,” Donghae said thoughtfully.

“Wha….” That is the most completely rdiculous notion that Donghae had ever come up with. “Why would I keep you a secret? You’re perfect.” She blurted it out.

Donghae’s mouth turned up in an amused smile at Dara’s hurried explanation. Dara turned red when she realized what she said but then continued as if she didn’t say something embarassing again. God, she really need to put brakes on . “Did you noticed how my mom looked when you told her you wanted to date me? I would bet my life she’s on her knees right now to thank the gods for hearing her prayer and you know what she’s going to do next? She’s going to call every member of our extended family to tell them the news that her daughter finally found a man who can bear her attitude and next thing I know, every one of them would be pestering me to bring you so they could see if it’s true or not and if they do see that you are real, then they’ll be all over you.  So do I really wanted to be subjected to that and scare you away? Uh, no, so forgive me if I hadn’t found the time to make time to tell her about you.” She finished off her tirade with a huff then added, “I am going to tell her but I was looking at a more… calm atmosphere. Like when she’s sedated.”

He studied her thoughtfully before asking,“You think that will scare me away?”

“What?”

“Your family. You think they will scare me away?”

Okay, she was on a roll earlier and didn’t realize she blurted out yet another truth. A truth she was a little scared of and one which obviously Donghae had latched onto. Geez. Mouth, just stop it! “Wouldn’t you?”

“It will take a lot to scare me and I don’t think that will be one of them,” Donghae said with a smile.

Dara’s heart swelled at the soft smile on Donghae’s face. Yes, she doesn’t think that Donghae was the type to get scared easily over crazy family members who will already plan your wedding at first meeting but she really doesn’t want to risk it.

“I think your family and mine is no different,” Donghae said. “Mine is just… less obvious about it.” He was referring to his family’s reaction of him dating a real live girl and not just a figment of his imagination.

Dara snorted. “I would prefer my family being less obvious about it too because it’s also less embarassing.”

Donghae chuckled then glanced at his watch. “I’ll be going now. Are you going back to 21 TV for your things?”

“Yeah, I have a week to train the one who’ll take over my tasks.”

“What time will you be off?”

“I think I can leave at five.”

“Hmm. I think I can finish my meetings at eight… but I’ll see you tonight.”

“Why? Are we going out to dinner?”

“No. Your mother invited me to dinner so you could show your talent in cooking to impress me, remember?”

Dara’s smile turned into a frown. Donghae seemed to be enjoying this far more than she realized. “You know damn well that my mom will be cooking instead of me but she will still pass it off as my work. Don’t encourage my mom’s lies!”

“Then don’t make her lie about you cooking.”

It took a minute before Dara understood what Donghae was implying. “I really don’t know how to cook!”

Donghae grinned adorably as he slipped inside his car. “Humor me.”

“You’re going to regret it,” Dara warned as she watched him start the car and rolled the windows down to look at her.

“I’ll make that decision myself,” he told her. “See you tonight.”

Dara exhaled heavily as she watched the car backed out. She could still see Donghae grinning widely as he drove off, the smoke billowing in the wind.

“Aish,” Dara said then turned back toward the house. Al