The car was filled with awkward silence from the first five minutes since they had left the residence. Daniel regretted ever clarifying about the kiss if he had known Jihyun was determined to accept his mother’s invitation to meet his grandparents in Busan, how was he going to survive four hours with her alone? After the sudden kiss, he had been brooding over his impulsive action for days and even wondered if he should end their fake engagement, knowing that things would become awkward and uncomfortable with Jihyun because he had really messed things up. Strangely, the girl had been consistent in how she interacted with him. Aside from the fewer smiles she’d show to him every day, she had treated him the same even after his foolish apology as he felt guilt multiplying with each passing day.

“Do you think Max will be okay?” Jihyun asked as she buckled herself into the passenger’s seat, staring worriedly at the tall building of their apartment. She had quickly fallen in love with the white furry kitten after rescuing it from the drain and Daniel had suggested that they share the responsibility of caring for the feline since she did not know the first thing about having pets and he was, fortunately, a proud owner of four cats since his schooling days. Consequently, the couple ended up becoming ‘parents’ for Max (named after one of Daniel’s favourite movie, Mad Max), as they nursed the stray kitten back to health. He was happy to have an excuse to meet Jihyun as they frequently visited each other’s apartments to take turns caring for Max. It was a cowardly move on his part, fearing that the girl would distance herself from him after his regretful apology for the kiss. Yet, he was satisfied even with a short few minutes interaction with his neighbour as he tried to find a way to fix the mess he had gotten himself in.

Since they were spending the weekends at his grandmother’s beachside house, it was not possible for them to bring the small kitten who had recently recovered from his fever. Jihyun opted to leave Max with the elderly couple, Mr and Mrs Jungs, but they couldn’t afford to expose their fake engagement to other neighbours on the 10th floor mostly because her mother had formed a close friendship with the elderly where they even shared their secret kimchi recipes with one another. Their only option was Hwang Minhyun, one of Daniel’s acquaintances and neighbour living on the 11th floor. She was skeptical at first, refusing to leave her ‘baby’ with a man she only met once and demanded to interview the neighbour first before deciding whether she wants to let Minhyun babysit Max for the weekends or spend some money for a cat hotel near the area. Jihyun only relaxed after seeing how gentle he had handled the kitten and how Max had slept soundly on Minhyun’s sofa merely five minutes after entering his apartment, “I mean, he’s just a baby,” she added worriedly, recalling whether she had written the correct list of food for each of the mealtimes before being dragged out of the apartment by Daniel. 

“Our baby will be fine,” Daniel reassured her for the umpteenth time as he drove into the expressway heading straight to Busan. He realized his slip of the tongue a few seconds too late when Jihyun repeated the term ‘our baby’ with a faint blush on her cheeks, “I m-mean, Max is a good kitten. I’m more worried about leaving Minhyun alone with Max,” he urgently tried to correct himself, thankful that he was driving because he needed an excuse to avoid looking at Jihyun in the eyes.

The girl gasped, feeling deceived. She wanted to yell at him to turn the car around and bring Max along for the trip, but Daniel interrupted her just in time, “Let’s focus on the bigger problem. Meeting my family,” from the corner of his eyes, he could see her playing nervously with the straps of the seatbelt and it prompted him to continue, “They need to think that we’re in love,” there was a meaningful pause after that sentence slipped passed his lips, prompting both of them to revisit the specific moment they had shared a few days ago. While Jihyun wondered if she’d ever heard the four-letter word from him, Daniel was stunned at the courage he’d summoned to use that fateful word again.

That’s easy, I don’t need to pretend, she whispered softly under her breath. Were they really putting on an act to keep the secret from others or was it just an elaborate excuse to keep their feelings at bay and avoid admitting the truth? 

Daniel had quickly redirected his thoughts back on the road and continued, “Can I hold your hand?” he said, sounding like he was offering one of his business deals.

Jihyun quickly snapped her head in his direction and fell into a daze with a faint blush forming on her cheeks, “W-why do you suddenly ask?” 

He reached for her left hand that was resting on the armrest without a word and gently wrapped his fingers around hers before she could think about his unexpected offer, “Is this okay?” he asked, his careful tone was a contrast to his bold move, turning her hands numb at the intimate gesture. She didn’t know why he had suddenly displayed affection on her, but she wasn’t willing to let go of the rare opportunity and surrendered herself to the romantic moment, “I don’t want you to think that I’m taking advantage of you if we have to show some kind of physical intimacy in front of my family,” he rambled, hoping that his hasty reply would make sense. The first rocky wave they had sailed during a short dinner with his parents would look like a walk in the park once the couple faces the second wave of obstacles during their meeting with his grandmother and the rest of his close family members. He worried that Jihyun could not survive the weekends when she barely made it out alive the first time she’d met his parents. Therefore in his defense, a practice was necessary to make sure they appear believable enough so that no one could question their fake relationship.

“I’m okay with holding hands and hugs,” Jihyun spoke a few moments later, unable to hide the wide giddy smile on her face.

“Noted,” he nodded thoughtfully, pulling his hand away and back to the steering wheel as quickly as he had reached for her hand.

She bit her lower lip as the warmth from his hand still lingered between her fingers, “But kisses are not necessary because… we’re not really engaged or dating,” Jihyun’s chest ached a little as she glanced his way covertly, waiting for even the slightest reaction from him only to be left disappointed when he remained silent. She wanted so much to scold him for being such a jerk. She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him since the kiss and felt like she might burst if she didn’t see him again. The man sitting next to her had sent her head spinning with a kiss and made her feel so frustrated when he apologized that she couldn’t even think straight. He was the culprit, the reason she made a drastic decision to demand a clear boundary in their relationship if they were to remain as nothing more than neighbours, “We’re not in love, so it’s not okay to do something like that unless we both like each other,” she stated firmly, taking a slow shaky breath as she waited for his reply. Though that feeling of love, now recognized, burned like a flame inside her, she decided to keep it to herself for now. Her mind knows that she can’t fall for him, tell him how she felt or even date him because this fake engagement will end one day, but her heart still likes him. Yet, the harsh truth that love isn’t something you can choose to feel or not feel dwell upon her.

Daniel nodded thoughtfully, reflecting on what she had conveyed, “What about your forehead?” he asked curiously, sounding as if he was bargaining for more ways to show affection towards the girl.

Jihyun was caught off guard for the second time as her heart skipped a beat at the unwavering confidence in his voice. Why did he hide this assertive side of him and turn all timid and apologetic when they talked about that kiss? Why couldn’t he confidently express his feelings about that kiss just like what he was showing her now? “Kang Daniel, I said no kissing of any kind,” she replied firmly, unwilling to negotiate with him.

“Fine. What’s your ideal type like?” his next question sounded more serious than the next, she couldn’t detect any playfulness in his voice and wondered what had made him so determined to find the answers.

Like you silly, Her brain quickly answered the question without a doubt. However, she knew she should also take it slow and learn more about him before admitting her feelings because she didn’t want to be disappointed for the second time, “My ideal type is someone who is taller than me because I like my boyfriend to hug me from behind,” Jihyun answered honestly. It took her a while to realize that the man sitting next to her fits the description as she always ignored the considerable height difference between them.

“Then, was your ex good at backhugs?” he asked. The question was meant to lighten their conversation that had suddenly turned serious, but deep down he knew jealousy was brewing inside of him.

“I hate to admit it but… yes, he knows how to embrace me with his broad shoulders and long arms,” Jihyun chuckled darkly at her own statement, being forced to reminisce the bitter memories with her ex-boyfriend. Daniel restrained the urge to ask, ‘what about me?’ when he realized that their physical intimacy never went beyond lending his shoulder for her to lean on. He realized that what he did was not enough to be compared to her previous boyfriend.

*******************************

The couple took a deep breath before exchanging quick nods, signaling each other that they were ready to face whoever and whatever waiting for them at the other side of the door and start the most nerve-wracking weekends of their lives, “Alright, here we go,” Taking a deep breath, Daniel pressed on the doorbell once and waited nervously for the door to open.

A stout chirpy lady in her seventies opened the double doors of the large two-storey beachside bungalow and immediately squealed in delight once she saw her beloved grandson at the entrance, “Daniel, it’s so good to see you! Let grandma look at you,” she gave the taller boy a quick squeeze and placed one warm hand on his cheek while her other hand adoringly gave his hair a few soft pats. The elderly took a minute to comment on her grandson’s weight loss and reminded herself to feed him an abundance of his favourite food during his weekend stay before realizing the main reason’s of Daniel’s visit; to introduce his new fiancée to his family, “Where’s your girl?” Grandma Kang made a vain attempt at peeking over the shoulders of the taller boy, earning a soft chuckle from him.

“Grandma this is my fiancée, Yoon Jihyun,” Daniel took one step to the side and gestured to the girl who was waiting nervously behind him. Grandma Kang caught the proud twinkle in his eyes and the blissful smile she had missed in a long time as he gave Jihyun’s shoulder an encouraging squeeze and pulled her closer to him. At one glance, the couple looked like a match made in heaven as she could sense the chemistry between them. She wondered why was her daughter so worried about Jihyun having ulterior motives in her relationship with Daniel because she could clearly see the genuine excitement and nervousness the girl had to meet with her fiancé’s family for the first time.

“Hello dear! I’m glad you could join us this weekend!” The elderly embrace Jihyun tightly before cupping both palms to her cheeks to admire the girl who managed to capture her grandson’s heart, “You’re a beauty! No wonder my grandson got engaged so quickly,” she flattered, not forgetting to tease the young couple. The young girl looked of the same age as Daniel and had dressed modestly in a yellow short-sleeved summer dress paired with a thin white cardigan, emphasizing her delicate and natural good looks. She was everything her daughter Young Ae had described; charming, polite and soft-spoken, the traits that would make any future in-laws immediately approve of her as a new member of the family.

Jihyun’s small frown