Maya stood around the kitchen helplessly as Jiyong s mom and the cook scurried around to get things ready for dinner.

"Yong ah..." Jiyong mom shouted for her son. 

When Jiyong strolled into the kitchen, already munching on some snack he had found , his mom gave him a playful punch on his arm.

"Show Maya around the house.. it's her first time here. Your sister will be here soon with her family. Till then, keep her engaged," said the elderly lady in a authoritarian voice.

"It's ok, omonim. Let me help you. I don't really know much about cooking so maybe you can teach me something?" Maya tried.

"Aigoo.. you are still young. You have a long time to learn all this. No hurry. Go.. go.." the old woman was adamant about sending her off with her son.

Reluctantly, Maya turned towards the entrance of the kitchen and looked at Jiyong. 

Figuring out the fear in Maya, Jiyong pouted his mouth and turned to his mother, "Omma.. how about we go to the store nearby and get some ice cream for the kids?"

He thought maybe Maya would feel better to be alone with him in public.

"Oh.. good idea.. go.." his mom agreed and she went about in the kitchen.

It was a pleasant evening for a walk. Jiyong hardly found time to do simple things like a wall around the corner. As he saw Maya along the edge of the pavement, he felt the need to put her on the inner side of the pavement but he didn't want her to feel caged. She still did not feel so safe with him and he knew that.

"How s work?" Jiyong started the conversation as he kicked a random stone on the floor.

"Good. But since I am the junior most, I have a lot of work and catching up to do. Thanks a lot, by the way. My parents hated the concept of me working. They thought it was below their status or something," Maya gave a small smile as she looked at him briefly before she turned her eyes to look at the beautiful surrounding.

Jiyong examined his wife s face for the first time. She didn't seem to have much make on which gave her a very young and innocent look. He felt the urgent need to want to run his hand through her medium length wavy hair. 

He was someone who was so used to skinship that he really had to restrain himself from moving closer to her. 

By the time they got the ice creams from  the shop around the corner of the street, a couple of school girls in the shop had recognized their favorite idol and started following him with their phone cameras on.

"Oppa... oppa.. is that your wife?"

"Oppa.. why didn't you marry a Korean??"

"Oppa.. saranghe.." 

Maya was first taken aback by all the attention the couple were getting and decided to avoid being in the limelight by moving away from her husband. 

But that only got Jiyong more worried about her getting hit by any vehicle that happened to come then. Without giving it much thought, he quickly grabbed Maya s wrist and stared walking faster towards his house. He only let go of her once he had firmly locked the door to his house! 

Before the couple to react to their skinship, they were greeted by sounds of laughter coming from the living room. 

Beaming from ear to ear, Jiyong rushed into the living room, to be greeted by his sister s family. He loved his niece and nephew to bits and it showed in the way the two kids, though now teenagers, rushed to his side to give him a hug.

Maya stood hesitantly looking at the scene with a smile on her lips. 

Being born in a very posh society, she had only formal hugs and fake kisses in her cheeks even from her cousins. Her parents also being single children, she didn't have cousins to play with,growing up. All this felt like she was in an alternate universe or something. 

Wasn't Jiyong supposed to be a famous idol? All swag and style? But here he was hugging his niece and twirling around with her showing his gummy smile. 

As she was staring at amazement at all the action, she felt someone s hand on her shoulder only to turn around and be hugged by a woman. She had seen Jiyong s sister during the wedding and she seemed like a warm person. 

"Hi. We never got a chance to know each other! What have you been up to? Oh.. you look more beautiful than the time I saw you at the wedding!!" his sister gushed out without giving Maya any chance.

Pushing her hair behind her ear, Maya bowed politely before answering, "Thanks a lot unnie. You are being too polite. You are surely the most beautiful woman here today."

"Ah.. you are kidding. Nagging these two kids are making me age faster than I want to," complained the older woman.

"By nobody can say you are a mother of two kids!! I only wish I would look like you after I have kids!" Maya reassured her sister in law as she dragged Maya to sit with her on the sofa.

"Oh..oh.. so you guys have a good news for us??? " 

Jiyong spluttered on the water he was drinking. Maya looked thunderstruck as she shook her head violently.

"Dinner time.. " Jiyong s mother s voice came as a rescue for the couple.