The family house is cozy. His mother’s personal touch with the furnitures made the whole house warm-looking. Pictures of the family were neatly placed on a wooden stand. Minjung could tell that some of the furnitures are already a decade or two outdated but they added to the sentiment in that space.

Jongin has a tight family. He is close to all his distant relatives. It was actually a surprise to her when she saw more than a dozen pair of eyes looking at them when they entered the gate. His three uncles, Jongin’s father’s brothers, were present together with their wives and some of their children. Jongin’s uncle, who she saw at the hospital in the past, recognized her and he greeted her warmly.

It’s weird but Jongin’s family made her feel comfortable like she perfectly fit as one of their own.

“You must be tired from the long drive,” Jongin’s mother commented as she handed Minjung a glass of cold mango shake that the kids in the kitchen made. She reached it with a smile.

“Thank you.” Her eyes widened in surprise when she took a sip from her drink. It tasted better than most mango shakes in the city. “I’m actually not feeling tired at all. If anyone’s supposed to be tired, it would be Jongin. He drove us from Seoul to here.” She turned to where Jongin was. He’s the middle of having a chat with his uncles. Mr. Kim, Jongin’s father, looked healthier than before.

“So,” Kim Heeyeon, Jongin’s mother, started. Minjung turned to her. “Are you really dating Jongin?”

Minjung slowly nodded her head. “Yes,” she replied meekly.

“I see.” A motherly smile appeared on her face. “The first time we met at the hospital, were you already dating?”

“No. We just started dating not too long ago.”

Heeyeon nodded, processing the information in her mind. “I’m sorry if I might come off nosy. It’s been such a long time since Jongin brought a girl here. It’s not a secret from us, his family, that his last relationship ended up badly. And after that, he spent all his time working to help us. I and my husband were actually praying for someone to show up and be our son’s perfect pair. Having you here right now makes me really happy.”

Minjung couldn’t explain what she was feeling at the moment. The fact that Jongin’s mother feels happy because she’s there makes her feel like she’s in cloud nine.

“By the way, where’s your hometown?”

“Umm, I’m from Seoul.”

“You were born and raised there?”

“Yes.”

“So are your parents still living in Seoul?”

She blinked and looked at her mango shake. They’re going to a topic that’s still a bit touchy for her.

“No,” she answered softly. “I actually don’t know. I grew up in an orphanage.” That was hard to say but she managed to do it. She had said it to Jongin before so she thought it would be not that much of a deal if she opens up that much to his mother. “But my adoptive mother was also from Seoul. I stayed with her for 5 years until she passed away. Then, I was brought back to the orphanage.”

A sigh left her lips before turning to the older woman. Heeyeon was staring at her with beady eyes as if they’re moist with tears. It was not pity written on her face. Her expression actually reminded her of Jongin’s when she told him about her tragic life.

Heeyeon carefully tucked a stray strand of hair behind Minjung’s ear. “Oh you pretty child, I’m so proud of you.”

Her words made Minjung’s heart swell in unexplainable emotions that she found herself in the brink of tearing up.

“You grew up into a fine lady despite all of that. You’ve been so strong and I just feel so proud of you. Your situation did not drag you down and I’m sure it took a lot of courage to overcome all of that. I’m sure your mother is very proud of you.” Heeyeon said with a motherly tone as she slowly ran her hand over Minjung’s arm.

Now, she knows where Jongin got his ability to comfort her in ways that she’s not expecting. Heeyeon’s touch reminded her of her own mother’s warmth. It took her a second or two to realize that tears were trickling down her cheeks. She brushed them away quickly, surprised by her own reaction.

“Sorry,” she uttered, chuckling to hide the tears. “What’s wrong with me?” She cleared and looked back at Heeyeon who still had this kind expression on her face. “Um, it’s just that I kind of got reminded of her.”

“I understand,” she nodded. “There’s no need to apologize.”

“Is everything alright here?” Jongin asked, peeking from the window. His eyes landed on Minjung and she quickly smiled at him.

“Yeah, we were just talking.” She looked at the glass of mango shake on the table. “And having some delicious mango shake.”

His gaze went past her and she knew that he was asking his mother if everything’s fine. When his eyes went back to Minjung, the latter gave him another smile. She’s sure that Jongin noticed the slight redness of her eyes. Fortunately, Jongin stepped back and returned to where he was before.

“You two must’ve been close.”

“We were,” Minjung stated, nodding. “She used to braid my hair every morning before I go to school. She always cooked good food whenever I’m feeling down.” A smile appeared on her face, reminiscing all those years that she spent with her adoptive mother.

“Well, I don’t think you would like your hair get braided now,” Heeyeon started and Minjung looked at her. “But I can cook good food for you whenever you’re feeling down. I’m confident with my cooking skills. This humble abode is always open to welcome you.”

“Thank you,” Minjung muttered with a grateful heart.

“No,” Heeyeon said, shaking her head. She patted Minjung’s hand. “Thank you for entering my son’s life.”

Those words made her feel like she really belonged somewhere. She belongs there – with them, with Jongin and his family. And she could not wish for anything else.

Dinner was a feast. There were like 30 people in the house that some of them stayed outside in a separate group while eating. The men talked about their small businesses, their farms and politics. The women chatted about their jobs, child-caring and plans in the future. The kids ran around the house, playing tag. It was chaotic but Minjung actually liked it.

The noise reminded her of the orphanage. When she was a kid, she used to play tag with the other orphans and she always had a blast. She enjoyed the title of being the fastest runner amongst her fellow orphans. Thinking about it now, she couldn’t help but wonder how the other kids are doing now.

Her eyes spotted Jongin who was holding a baby in his arms. He was lovingly staring at it. The whole scene looked picturesque so she fished her phone from her pocket and took a picture of him. She pocketed her phone and continued wiping the table. She looked over her shoulder, checking if Jina, Jongin’s cousin, needed help with the dishes.

A loud thud made her look down. She quickly crouched to help a little girl who just fell on the floor. “Are you okay?” she asked, holding the kid’s arms. The little girl was biting her lower lip to stop herself from crying. Minjung noticed the kid’s scraped knees. The floor’s not really the smoothes