This was Mrs. Yoon first visit to Jihyun’s house since her daughter had decided to live independently a few months ago. It was too late to suggest that her daughter should move in and live in the house where she grew up because her eldest, Jisung had relayed the news a week after Jihyun had moved into the new apartment. Part of her felt overwhelmed that her youngest child was living alone without anyone to care for her, but the other part felt proud that Jihyun had grown to be an independent and strong woman. Thirty minutes before heading to Jihyun’s apartment, Mrs. Yoon had strolled around the neighbourhood to do a quick inspection of the area. She had been rather skeptical of the neighbourhood when she saw the address given by Jisung, but the hospitable security guard greeting her warmly at the entrance and the constant smiles she had exchanged with a few of the tenants there helped to ease some of her worries.

She had also made an acquaintance with Mrs. Jung who is also living on the same floor as they shared a short but engaging conversation during the elevator ride to the 10th floor. The mother was pleased to find that Jihyun had been acquainted with all of the tenants when Mrs. Jung had complimented how thoughtful and well-mannered the girl was for individually distributing rice cakes to all her neighbours on her first day. Mrs. Yoon was blushing by the time she arrived at Jihyun’s front door from all the praises and flattering remarks showered by the elderly who seemed to have treated her girl as her own granddaughter.

However, she experienced a non-conventional meeting once a figure fell out of her daughter’s closet in a heaping mess, startling the elder lady who was looking for a spare face towel. Who would’ve thought that Mrs. Yoon’s first visit to Jihyun’s house would be to meet with someone as attractive as the young man currently lying down on the floor of her daughter’s bedroom? She was even more surprised when the boy had stood up and bowed to her while repeatedly apologizing instead of fleeing from the scene (confirming that he did not have any ulterior moves), “Good morning?” he offered with a sheepish smile.

The familiar handsome face sparked her interest. She had a feeling this was not their first meeting, but before she could proceed with a question, Jihyun had come bursting into the room while yelling out frantically, “Mom, wait! Wait! I can explain,” she gasped breathlessly, standing in between the young man and her mother.

“Please, do enlighten me,” The older female folded her arms in front of her, making her daughter gulped nervously at the gesture that meant her mother wouldn’t move from the topic until she gets a satisfying answer. The neighbour duo were currently seated on the same sofa in the living room facing Mrs. Yoon in what Jihyun would describe as her mother’s inescapable interrogation session. The last time she’d been through the same experience was when her mother had caught her skipping school with Jisung to attend her favourite Kpop group’s concert back in high school. The siblings went through a nerve-wrecking one hour interrogation session before they were grounded for two weeks.

Jihyun shifted her eyes back and forth between her mother and Daniel. She was no longer in high school and the current situation was different, how was she to explain a man (who she was not romantically involved in any way) hiding in her closet when she was supposed to be living on her own? It seemed that Jihyun was the only one in cold sweats while Daniel had a small smirk, surprisingly quite amused about the whole situation, “He’s just… m-my…”

“Boyfriend?”

“Yes.”

“NO!”

The pair answered at the same time before exchanging eye contact with each other. Mrs. Yoon raised a skeptical eyebrow at the contradicting statements, “Yes or no? Which one of you should I believe?”

Jihyun was turning red at the confused mix of emotions between anger and embarrassment. She gave a warning nudge to Daniel’s arm with her elbow as the boy was trying to suppress his giggles until his eyes turned to crescents. He gave her a playful wink before wrapping one arm around her shoulder and pulling her closer, “I’m Daniel, your daughter’s boyfriend,” he introduced himself. The name rang a bell as Mrs. Yoon recalled Jisung mentioning the new substitute best man during the evening of Seongwoo and Sunmi’s wedding. What has happened since then? It was no surprise if the two got closer since the wedding day because the pair had caught the attention of the wedding guests with comments mentioning how they perfectly suited to each other when they had walked down the aisle.

“I knew it! Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” Mrs. Yoon exclaimed in delight, leaving Jihyun tongue-tied at her mother’s positive reaction. Before she could disagree with the statement earlier, her mother continued, “Sweetie, you should’ve told me that your boyfriend is staying overnight before letting me over. Now, I feel like I’m interrupting you two lovebirds,” the elder lady continued while laughing sheepishly, giving her daughter a meaningful wink.

“Mom, it’s not–”

“It’s fine Mrs. Yoon. It’s really nice to meet you,” Daniel interjected, smiling cheekily in Jihyun’s direction while giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze.

Mrs. Yoon couldn’t help but to clap silently with a wide grin now plastered on her face, “Good job dear, this one is more handsome and polite than the last one,” she complimented loudly. The boy seemed like a social butterfly, with good manners and an angel-like smile. The mother noticed how Daniel was looking at her daughter as if she’s the most precious thing in the world. Jihyun’s red cheeks were no longer due to anger, but she was painfully shy and lost for words at the whole situation.

For a moment there, Jihyun’s thoughts ran wild as she imagined the possible reality of Daniel becoming her boyfriend. For a moment there, the warmth radiating from being in his arm made her feel like home as her heart started to race. For a moment there, she wanted to savour the feeling. Over these past few days she had seen glimpses of Daniel’s caring and gentle side, ones that he’d probably show only to his lover. However, the truth that he was just teasing and being mischievous abruptly shook the thoughts off her mind, “Daniel, you have to leave now,” Jihyun peeled his arm off her shoulder and shoved him off the sofa.

“Jihyun there’s no need to kick out your boyfriend,” Mrs. Yoon panicked as she tried to stop her daughter from forcing Daniel out the door.

“Don’t worry mom, he lives just next door,” Jihyun mumbled, urging the boy out the door with all her might. Mrs. Yoon gasped scandalously with that remark and Daniel could no longer restrain himself as he burst out into a fit of giggles while allowing himself to be pushed towards the exit. Realizing the easily misunderstood fact she had just relayed, Jihyun quickly tried to mend the situation, “I mean, he’s just my neighbour and not my boyfriend! This guy likes to play jokes on people, don’t take it seriously mom,” she waved both hands in denial, giving the chuckling boy another jab on his arm.

“It is a joke, I’m sorry Ma’am,” Daniel finally confirmed the truth, after being thoroughly satisfied with both the mother and daughter’s reaction with his prank. He bowed in apology while still smiling brightly, his cheeks were starting to hurt from the nonstop laughter, “I’m not Jihyun’s boyfriend. Just a neighbour,” he properly introduced himself.

“Oh well, how… disappointing. It’s still lovely meeting you Daniel,” Mrs. Yoon replied in dismay, having to cancel her plans to inform her husband of their only daughter’s new relationship, “But Jihyun is still single. If you change your mind,” she added while chuckling lightly.

“Mom!”

For the past fifteen minutes, Jihyun had constantly failed to kick her neighbour out of the apartment as the young man had captured the full attention from her mother (she had been constantly trying to sweet-talk Daniel into dating her only daughter). Mrs. Yoon volunteered to leave instead, after reminding her daughter to cook something delicious for the smiling angel and serve him some of the homemade kimchi and side dishes she had brought with her. She would’ve stayed longer to get to know the boy better if it wasn’t for an urgent meeting for her charity organization later that day.

“My boyfriend? What were you thinking?!” Jihyun barked as she gave him a particularly hard slap on the upper arm. If she hadn’t clarified the truth, she’d be in a disastrous situation of having to explain to the rest of her family members about the newfound relationship once her m