You two are in a same gender relationship?" Mr Cho asked both Kyuhyun and Sungmin, not in a raised voice, but an inquisitive voice. "When does this started?"

Kyuhyun answered calmly "Just recently, Appa. Initially Sungmin was just a housemate and we didn't even see each other face to face because he is on night shifts" and then he told his family briefly on what happened, from his call to the bank until when they finally knew who each other was before their meet up with Sungmin's family. 

"It just happened without me realising it actually, that I had fallen in love with him. Everything changed after that, I always look forward to see him, spend time with him, and always want him to be happy. And truthfully, I'm really happy now" Kyuhyun smile sincerely at Sungmin, and then look at his parents again. "I'm sorry that I choose this path, but if it's not too much to ask, I want to ask for your blessing. Sungmin is everything to me and I cannot live without him". 

Again, the silence which is killing Sungmin. He looked down nervously and was contemplating whether they should kneel down to get their blessings. He decided to speak up instead "Mr and and Mrs Cho, and noona, like what Kyu said, everything happened naturally. When I realised my feelings for Kyu, I was so afraid to say it and get rejected by him, until he confess it himself. It was the most beautiful feelings when we realised that we love each other. I felt so beautiful inside to have somebody who love me for what I am and loving him is the most wonderful feeling that I ever experience. I love Kyuhyun, with all my heart" and he felt that his fingers were squeeze by Kyuhyun. 

"So touching... and actually you two look like soulmates" Ahra noona said honestly. "Omma, Appa?" 

"I'm happy that Kyu is happy and I have no objection actually. Of course every mother would want their children to have normal marriage and have beautiful grandchildren, but whatever God's will, I will accept it" Mrs Cho said with happy tears. 

Taking a deep breath, Mr Cho said "I don't have anything against same gender relationship, but can you two keep a low profile? I mean, both of you have careers, and not many Koreans are open minded, so you need to be careful on how you behave in public". 

"Yes we are aware of that and we will, Appa, and thank you for your blessing. And thank you too, Omma and noona" Kyuhyun got up and pulled Sungmin up as well. They bowed respectfully to both Mr and Mrs Cho. 

"Oh my, sit down, sit down, both of you. And welcome to this family, Sungmin!" Mrs Cho smile warmly at Sungmin. He is really beautiful, inside and outside. Such a fine young man and very mature and independent, Mrs Cho was thinking to herself. 

"So, Sungmin, tell us how did you became so good in cooking and baking?" Ahra noona asked with interest. 

"Ohh that? Since young, I always help my mum in the kitchen, maybe because I was the eldest, and maybe because I am more feminine, I don't know" Sungmin laughed "but I loved to ask my mum the recipes and I started collecting them and try on my own, letting my mum to be the judge. I went for a baking class too, and I always get the most praises from the instructor and the other participants, which were mostly women" Sungmin laughed again. "Cooking my own food is a plus point especially since I'm working night shift, and also staying away from home, so it actually helps me to save some money". 

"And his food are very delicious and whatever he bakes are really addictive. Think I gain some weights already" Kyuhyun laughed. 

"Ohh, so, you are blaming it on me?" Sungmin . 

"No... but it's true, what you bake are addictive!" 

"Kyu! You are such a lucky brat! So Sungmin, can you bake that apple pie??" Ahra trying her luck, with Kyuhyun throwing death stares at her. 

"Ahra! Shame on you. How can you ask that? Sungmin just arrived and he must be tired" Mrs Cho laughed at her daughter. 

"I can bake it and I will! I just need apples, flour, and some other ingredients. But I can't do the pie tonight because I need to soak the apples first" Sungmin smile apologetically at Ahra. 

"Come with me to the kitchen, Sungmin dear, let's see if we have the ingredients here" Mrs Cho gestured for Sungmin to follow her. Ahra showed the "Yes!" fist towards Kyuhyun and Kyuhyun showed his tongue at her. 

Mr Cho turned to Kyuhyun "Kyu, do you have some time? I need your help with some curriculum planning on IT subject". 

"Sure appa" and Kyuhyun got up to follow his dad, turning to his sister and showed his tongue again. 

Ahra went to the kitchen to join her mum and Sungmin. They were comparing and checking some ingredients. Seemed like they found mostly all except the main things, which are apples and pastry for double-crust pie (9 inches, according to Sungmin). 

"How about we all lunch at Sokcho, and go to the supermart there? On the way back, we can show Sungmin Mt Seorak area" Ahra said, recalling that the supermart there has substantial baking ingredients, and lots of fruits too, depending on the seasons. 

"That's a great idea, I really want to see Mt Seorak closer. Kyu said he hike up there a few times" Sungmin said excitedly. 

"Yup, in those days before he started working! Now he is becoming a lazy bum!" Ahra made a face, making Sungmin giggled. 

"OK, let's inform Appa and Kyu" Mrs Cho agreed and grabbed her handbag. 

They had a wonderful lunch at Yegong-gan at Sokcho, and then they went to Seoraksan Coffee Roasted Hanok Snow Flavor (설악산커피볶는한옥설향), which is a pretty Hanok style cafe. Ahra said "it's a fantastic place to rest your legs and savour some outstanding coffee which is freshly roasted" . Beans come from all across the world including Ethiopia and Nicaragua. Fresh and delicious finger food. The ambience is top notch with direct views over the river and to the mountains. And, she added, "there is a nice toilet and wooden seating". The rest laughed at her expression. 

They went to the supermart next which surprisingly have whatever they need, and Sungmin was very impressed that such a resort town area has an outlet which have almost everything. 

Mr Lee drove around the base of Mount Seorak, and told them that they should stop over at the park entrance to visit the temple area to show Sungmin the view.  Kyuhyun told Sungmin that tourist often drop by here to enjoy the scenery of Seoraksan but aren’t fit or inclined to hike, so Sinheungsa temple is a good place which is only about 15 minutes by foot from the park entrance.The path is completely flat, and they can stop at a bronze Buddha statue to admire the view,  before they reach the main hall of the temple, which was built in the 7th century. 

Sungmin took a few photos but since it was cold, they all run back to the car. 

That night, Sungmin helped Mrs Cho to prepare dinner and then he prepared the apples for the apple pie. 

They sat around the fireplace and drank wine, and talked and laughed about everything, especially Sungmin telling them some funny calls from their customers. There were some calls which were strange and scary too. 

"There was one night before Halloween, I picked up a call at around 11.59pm and said out our usual greetings. The caller was whispering something so I asked him politely to speak louder. He whispered again that he was involved in a car accident and he wanted to cancel all his credit cards because he's going to die soon. I thought it was a crank call so I was about to hang up when he whispered again. He said his body has been taken into the ambulance over there"

"What? So who were you talking to then? So scary!" Ahra noona sat closer to her mum. 

"Precisely! I heard the ambulance and the police siren, and when he said his body has been taken into the ambulance over there, I was questioning myself the same question! Then I asked him 'oh you are in the ambulance now?' and he whispered back, 'no, my body is in there. I'm at the roadside talking to you to cancel my cards because I died'. Wahh suddenly I was shivering all over! Haha"

"You can still laugh! Then what happened?" Kyuhyun gave his full attention to his boyfriend. 

"I was actually amazed that I was still calm. I asked for his ID and told him that he don't have to worry, I would cancel all his cards. And I did. He whispered that he has to go because he saw some lights, and said his thanks and bid his goodbye" Sungmin said, and continued "And guess what? The next day's news showed this exact car accident and the same exact hour, and the dead guy's phone was found across the road, on the paveman!" 

"Oh my God!!" Ahra was closing . 

"I told my Manager about it, and we replayed the recorder, because we recorded all incoming calls, and it was really a guy whispering, so I wasn't dreaming. It was his spirit who called me!! Everybody was terrified but praised me for still remain calm all through the call!. And after that incident, we all avoid calls between 11.55pm till 12.05am. So between these timing, customer would just be in queue!!"

"Wow, you are so brave, Min!" Kyuhyun praised him and patted his back.

"Oh my god! I would have fainted after reading the morning papers! Imagine that dead guy said that he wanted to cancel all his cards because he died!!!" Ahra still couldn't get over it.

"Frankly speaking, it didn't really affect me, noona, maybe because I felt that I was helping him to go to the other world with a carefree feeling, no financial burden or maybe no worries that someone might misuse his cards or  something. But anyway, no more scary calls after that. Only weirdos, like there was one guy who requested to increase his credit limit to 50% more because he wanted to buy a baby! I was like 'huhh, what the heck?' and told him nicely that based on regulations, we can only grant him 20% increase from his current credit limit. Then he was angry and he cut off the line!" Sungmin said while shaking his head.

"Wow, Sungmin, I didn't know being a customer service officer have to go through all those kinds of calls, especially at night!!" Mrs Cho was equally at awe at what Sungmin went through.

"But we do receive nice calls from customers too, especially Kyuhyun, who was annoyed when he first called, but he was still nice and wasn't angry at me" Sungmin smile at Kyuhyun.

"Oh, that was the first time you called him, isn't it, Kyu?" Mr Cho asked, while sipping his wine.

"Hmm.. yes, it was my card, it suddenly couldn't go through, but I did paid in full, so I called the bank and Sungmin picked up... "

"Ahhh Sungmin, you should just blocked his card..." Ahra said, showing her tongue at Kyuhyun, and quickly dodge because Kyuhyun threw the sofa pillow at her.

Sungmin laughed. "His voice sounded so nice over the phone and I was actually quite mesmerised" he said shyly.

"You did??" Kyuhyun was surprised. "You see noona, I told you I have a nice voice!!" Kyuhyun's turn to show his tongue at Ahra.

"Ok ok, let's wash the glasses and we go up and sleep. Sungmin has to get up early tomorrow to bake the apple pie!!" Mrs Cho said, csmiling at Sungmin. 

"Yeah that's right, ok, let me help you wash all the glasses" Sungmin got up and took Kyuhyun's empty wine glass. 

"Noona, you should help to wash the glasses, don't be lazy" Kyuhyun made a face at his sister. 

"I'm too scared now, I want to sleep" she got up and ran upstairs, leaving Kyuhyun alone in their living room, as their dad had gone to his study room. 

Kyuhyun got scared too and went to their villa's kitchen to find Sungmin and his mum...