You were visiting the Boo household for Chuseok, and you really had no qualms about it--really, you didn't. His sisters were always so kind to you, and they take you shopping and hang-outs with them until they drive Seungkwan to jealousy. It has barely been a couple of days since you came and yet it felt like you were seamlessly integrated into the family's daily life. It's always a good time in the Boo house, even better than you were not only staying for dinner, but for an entire week.

Except when you feel like you're on your toes all the time because you feel like Madame Jwa is watching you--a.k.a. Mrs Boo.

She's super sweet, you knew that, but it always seemed to you like she had singled you out as Seungkwan's girlfriend and a mrs-Boo-in-training. Which isn't at all that bad, whenever you really thought about it, because it's really what you wanted to be someday. Although it still made your face tomato-red whenever that future crossed your mind. Still, it made you feel like you had to reach unattainably high expectations and you couldn't seem to relax when you're with the Madame of the household.

One evening, after an entire day of making kimchi and other side dishes for tomorrow's party, you came into the guest room that had been cleaned out for you, sat on your bed, then heaved a huge sigh. It just so happened that Seungkwan was passing by the room and when he heard it, he peeked in and said,

"That was some sigh. You alright?"

You looked at him and shook your head with a small smile. "I'm okay, thanks. Want to come in for a bit?"

He gladly went in and left the door open a crack, then sat with you on the bed. He gently took your face in between his warm palms and gazed at it intently, then tutted and said, "Aigoo, little mrs Boo must be tired."

You chuckled at his jest and playfully poked his sides. "Stop kidding around. I'm fine, really. Don't worry."

His hands slipped from your face and held your hands. "What is it? You can tell me."

You hesitated. He loved his mother more than anything in the world, and you didn't want to be that girl who gets in between mother and son, because he loves the Madame and you love him. And also, well, it never really goes well for girls like that in dramas. They just end up losing in the end. But e looked at you with such warm concern that you almost couldn't help it, and so you chose your words carefully.

You sighed deeply, then said, "There's really nothing, it's just..."

"Oh ho, that was irony right there," he said all of a sudden, pointing an accusatory finger at your nose. "You never begin a sentence with 'it's nothing' and follow it up with an 'it's just'."

"You want to hear it or not?"

He grinned. "Just saying. Go on."

You hesitated and sighed again, then said, "Well, you see... Your mom is kinda... Y'know, she's kinda strict and all..."

His eyebrows scrunched up in the middle of his forehead and the smile slip off his face. "Strict how?"

You shrugged. "Just like that. It's really no big deal, I guess I'm just a little pressured to perform. I have to look good to her, after all. But it's okay, I'll get used to it. I know she means well."

He paused, just staring at your face, and you worried that he might get angry. But after a moment, he smiled softly and patted your cheek gently. "Okay, I get it. Go on and rest, and I'll see you later."

As he stood to leave, you grabbed onto his arm. "Seungkwan. Please don't tell Madame Jwa what I said. I don't want this to get any bigger than it really is."

He smiled and placed a soft kiss on your forehead. "Okay. Rest well." Then he left and closed the door after him, and even with the look on his face and his words, you felt an ominous aura hanging in the air. But you ignored it, chose to trust Seungkwan, and then went to take a nap for a couple of hours.

When you woke up, the sky had gone dark, and the normally chatty house had gone quiet. You tiptoed lightly into the living room and saw one of Seungkwan's sisters, Sejong, on the couch watching TV.

"Sejong eonni, where's Seungkwan?"  you asked softly.

Sejong looked up from the TV and smiled at you. "Oh, you're awake? Seungkwan went with mom to the grocery store. Did you need anything? We can ask them to get it. Though they left a little while back, then might be on their way home."

"Oh, no, I'm okay," you said quickly. "Thank you, eonni."

You went to the kitchen then and poured yourself a glass of water. After a few minutes, you heard the front door open and voices flooded the house again. Madame Jwa came into the kitchen with a plastic bag in eithe rof her hands, and when she saw you, she said, "Oh? You're awake! Come on, then, let's start cooking."

"Mom, it's okay, I'll do it," said Seungkwan as he came in and placed three more plastic bags on the kitchen counter. With a glance at you, he said, "Go on and rest."

"I just got up, though..." you said, then you opened up one plastic bag and added, "Eomoni, what should I start with?"

Mrs Boo placed a motherly pat on your cheek and said, "You're so sweet. See, Seungkwan? She can do it." Then as she joined you in taking out ingredients out of the bags, she started her instructions. "First we want to wash the vegetables--"

"Mom, my girlfriend isn't Cinderella," said Seungkwan all of a sudden, in a rather loud voice. You turned to him sharply and gave him a look, but it was too late: his mother had caught the comment. She frowned at her son.

"Cinderella?" she said, then she suddenly turned to you. "Do I treat you like Cinderella?"

"N-no, eomoni!" you said, suddenly flustered. "Seungkwan, what are you talking about, hm? Come talk with me for a moment. Eomoni, please give us a second. I'll be back in a bit, I promise."

Without waiting for a reply from either person, you pulled Seungkwan out of the kitchen and into you room. When you were sure that you would not be overheard, you said through your teeth, "What on earth do you think you're doing?"

Seungkwan frowned like he was genuinely confused. "What did I do?"

"I told you I'm fine! Why are you saying funny things, and to eomoni too!"

Seungkwan fell silent for a moment, then he said evenly, "You're tired, aren't you? You've been tired all this time, and it's because of my mother."

"No, darn it, I said I'm okay!" you interjected. "Goodness gracious, I shouldn't have said anything!" You paced across your room, lowkey panicking. What if Madame Jwa gets angry at this? What if she says you're a bad influence to Seungkwan? What if you've lost the chance to even be a mrs-Boo-in-training. No, this won't do. You turned away from him and were about to head out to apologize to his mother when he sprinted to block the door.

Seungkwan had his lips pursed and his forehead was crumpled in frustration. "What," he said in halting breaths, "on earth is going on with you? You're obviously tired and you told me that you feel pressure around my mother, and when I try to do something about it, you stop me. What on earth do you want me to do?"

You avoided his gaze, all the while thinking of terrible possibilities. You were currently on whether or not his mother will kick you out of the house within the hour. "Never mind, I'll solve it on my own. Please move."

"No."

You glared at him exasperatedly, and in one breath you said, "I don't want to lose you because I complain about the meager work your mother gives me because I love her and I love you. You get me?"

He looked a little taken aback, and you were surprised as well at how loud you said those words. Just as you were about to curl up into a ball of embarassment, Seungkwan stepped toward you and wrapped you in a big bear hug, laughing softly as he did. Blinking, you stammered,

"S-Seungkwan, what are you--"

"I'm really lucky that you're my girl."

"Eh?"

He unwrapped his arms from you and held you by your forearms, gazing lovingly on your face. He reached up and tucked a loose lock of your hair and said, "You worry like this because you want to impress my mom, because in the end, you want to be with me with her blessing."

You felt your face burn. There goes that thought of marriage again. "W-well, yeah, I mean..."

"Doesn't that make me the luckiest guy in the world?"

"Other girls would do it too."

"But you're doing it for me."

You rolled your eyes, but found yourself smiling. "Stop messing with me."

"I understand your worry, but may I lift it for a bit?" he said, then whispered, "My mom is already planning our wedding."

"Yah!" you exclaimed and hit his shoulder in a knee-jerk reaction, only because it was making you more embarassed. "I said stop messing with me!"

Seungkwan laughed out loud. "Just kidding. But seriously, if you would only hear what she says about you. You'd think she was about to adopt a new daughter. What I'm saying is, you don't have to worry. At all. Just be yourself, because just as I fell for you for being yourself, she was sold by your charms too."

"Well you watch it, because next year it's your turn to sell yourself to my dad."

Seungkwan wiggled his eyebrows. "I'd be scared, if I didn't know how awesome I am."

You ended up laughing as well. "Yeah, you are awesome, Boo Seungkwan."

"And you're awesome. Doesn't that make us a perfect fit?"