Traditions were essential for a family. A tradition didn't have to be grand. One of the ones that you and your parents still kept alive was your weekly dinners. Typically, it would occur on a Sunday, the day that marked the end of the previous week and the beginning of the next. The three of you would meet up, have a nice meal together, usually home-cooked, and talk about your weeks as well as what was to come. It was your way of checking in with each other, to make sure that everything was okay. Your lives didn't cross paths like it used to, and this was an excellent way of staying in touch.

This week, the dinner took place much earlier, on a Thursday evening. Your parents were expected at a prearranged dinner that Sunday. They were to be surrounded by the wealthy handful that made up their inner circle. So, tonight, you arrived at your parents' home, at six like you usually did on dinner nights. You parked your car outside of the large gate that guarded their home, and entered your pin, letting you through. You continued your journey up the many steps that led to the front door, which weaved through the beautiful garden they had completed last year, landing you in front of your old home. You let yourself in as you always did, taking the familiar route back towards the dining room. Your parents were seated, and with a smile, you took your usual seat across from them, ready for the feast before you.

As per usual, the dinner started off with your parents giving you an update on their company. They raved about the line that was slated for the spring and summer season. Apparently, the new designer that they had managed to lure over from one of the other fashion houses was doing a fantastic job at incorporating their own personal style with the core ideas of your family's brand. They always spoke fondly of their business, and honestly, it made sense to you.

Your parents' business was one that your father had built from the ground up. Back in the day, it started at a tiny studio far from the heart of the city, with very little equipment and very few employees. Back then, he was young and extremely inexperienced, but he had drive. He wanted to make a name for himself in the fashion industry, and he did just that. With his charisma and eye for talent, he was able to hire some talented designers, one of which was your mother. The start was rough, but with time, the brand grew rapidly, gaining notoriety for its trendy designs that referenced traditional patterns and practices. They soon outgrew their little studio, and that was the birth of your parents' fashion house. Time made them one of the top brands in the country and ultimately allowed them to mingle with the upper class.

When compared to your parents, your news was not nearly as exciting. It was still something you were proud of, however. Whereas they were busy running a big brand, you worked for a much smaller fashion house. You started there about a year ago, your work focused on style research and marketing studies and tactics. It wasn't a glamorous job by any means. It was not nearly as exciting as a designer's job, making the new line, or even a job making the final outfits. If anything, most would have hated it, and even your parents seemed to find it rather drab. However, this was the path that you had chosen for yourself, the path you decided to walk, and you were going to make the most of it. You were going to reach your goals on your own.

Three years ago, after graduating from college, your parents decided that they wanted to bring you into the company immediately. With your background in marketing and design, they had already made plans for you to be the apprentice for one of the company's designers. Working with them was their way of ensuring that you would learn the necessary skills. In doing so, by learning from experience, they hoped it would set you up to run the company in the future. They had all of this planned out, but not once did they mention this plan to you.

Once they did, you had to find it in yourself to decline their gracious offer. You had never been good at speaking up against your parents. They had raised you to be agreeable, and you were also naturally like that by nature. You never made a fuss, but even you knew that this was the right time to stand up for yourself. Much like your father who earned his merit by doing something many had thought was impossible, you also wanted to work your way up. You were a hard worker, and you were no stranger to putting in extra time to do well. You wanted to do this for your career so that you wouldn't take anything that your parents built for granted.

Unsurprisingly, your parents didn't understand your initial hesitance. To them, they were providing an opportunity of a lifetime. Still, you refused to earn your position through nepotism. And though it scared you to finally take a stand for yourself, you did. You explained to them what you wanted, what you had planned. Though they weren't particularly thrilled as this set them back on some of their plans, your father understood why you wanted to do it. They couldn't fault you for wanting to work hard... even if it meant they had to listen to these dry stories in the meantime.

When the standard line of topics ran their course, you expected that the three of you would continue to eat in silence as you always did. Once you finished, you would thank them and leave for the evening. Yet, what your mother asked you after the topic of current trends came to an end, was unexpected. "So dear, when do we get to meet him?"

Though you tried not to be wholly overrun with shock, you knew that surprise colored your features, far more than you wanted it to. "Meet whom, mother?" you inquired, sending the question right back at your mother. This line of questioning made you uneasy, and instead of taking a defensive ground from the start, you decided to feign innocence. With your luck, this question wouldn't lead anywhere. But if you were unlucky... you had to leave yourself some room.

Though you had worked hard to conceal your relationship with Sehun from your parents, it wasn't out of shame for him. You wanted him to meet your parents. You desired to show them how proud you were of him, to let them know how well the two of you matched as a couple. Yet, you also needed to do it when your parents had enough respect for you to be okay with your decisions. At this point in time, they still treated you like a child, one that didn't know any better. If you brought Sehun around now, it would have been like throwing him into the lion's den with no means of defending himself. You knew that you were an adult, that Sehun was an adult, but even so, he would have a hard time with your parents. Particularly, with his background.

Given the success of your family's business, it was expected that they ran in rather elite social circles. As you grew up with an above-average life, one that you were well aware skewed your perception of things at an early age, it also meant that your parents had certain... expectations for any man who you would date and possibly marry. Your parents required that he be from a renowned family. They preferred that this person have a business that they were set to inherit. If he didn't have that, he should at least have the know-how to start his own company. Yet, if none of these were possible, they expected, at a bare minimum, that he be working at a firm that allowed him to climb the ladder. They wanted to see drive and determination at work, the urge to make something out of their life.

In all honesty, in almost every way, Sehun was the complete opposite of what your parents wanted. His family wasn't well off. They were an average household trying to make enough to stay afloat. He wasn't set to inherit anything. His band was attempting to make their big break, hoping that a record label would sign them. And lastly, his job at the record store wasn't exactly earning him the big bucks, nor could he really climb the ladder there.

Still, even if he failed in almost every requirement that your parents had, he cared for you immensely. All throughout college, you had been worried about dating. You knew precisely how your parents would react to each guy you found attractive or had a connection with, and you couldn't bring yourself to put either of you through that emotional experience. Even so, Sehun managed to dive right past those worries. Sehun, just by being himself, by showing you great kindness, care, and love, allowed you to open up. He was special to you. This was exactly why the timing of revealing your relationship was so important.

"Sweetie, we are well aware that you're seeing someone. We've caught you glimpsing at your phone with the fondest look on your face. It's not Baekhyun that you're fawning over. He comes over frequently, and we've never seen you make those expressions towards him," your mother pointed out, her keen eyes noticing how your posture seemed to stiffen in response.

Truthfully, you were surprised that your mother even picked up on how different your interactions were with Baekhyun in comparison to the mystery person on your phone. You and Baekhyun were close, and you had hoped that your closeness would mask any telltale signs that you were dating someone. Apparently, you had let it slip.

"It's not a special someone," you replied, reassuringly. "It's a new friend from work. We have a group chat, and they sometimes say silly things." You had always been a terrible liar, but you were inwardly hoping that it was passable this time.

"Dear, what have we told you about lying. You've never been very good at it," your father said flatly. Well, there went all of your hopes that this was going to stop. "It seems like you're hiding this boyfriend of yours. Is there a particular reason you feel the need for us not to meet? You're not dating some hooligan, right?"

'No matter what I say, you would think he was a hooligan. Sehun's the sweetest man I've ever met though,' you thought to yourself. "I wouldn't say that I'm hiding him. I'm cautious. Our relationship is still in the early stages, and I want to make sure that we're more committed before the three of you meet," you explained. You knew that you couldn't hide your relationship anymore, but you were going to try and postpone this meeting for as long as you could. Nine months wasn't a short amount of time to be together, but it still wasn't enough time to prepare your boyfriend for your parents.

"Just because the relationship is in its early stages, it doesn't mean that we shouldn't meet. How do you know that we won't like your boyfriend?" your father pointed out before continuing. "Unless you already know that we wouldn't approve of him. And if that's the case, if you can't seem to pick a quality significant other, maybe we should look into arranging your marriage again."

You did your best to control your displeasure at the mention of an arranged marriage. As of your third year of college, they decided that it was time you got serious about your future. Without really asking you, they put together dates with the sons of their business partners. You willingly went on these dates, but you never felt a spark for any of these men. They had interests that didn't overlap with yours, and some were just uninterested in you as a whole. When you started dating Sehun, you had made the excuse that you wanted to focus on your career for the time being, that handling a relationship and work from the beginning was going to be difficult. Your parents agreed as none of the boys were a match at the time. But the fact that they wanted to meet Sehun now, and the fact that your father brought up an arranged marriage, it meant that they had started looking for someone behind your back. That bothered you greatly.

"We've talked to some very nice young men about you recently. They feel like they would suit you. Perhaps one of them would be a better fit for you and for the family if you are unsure about the one that you are currently seeing," your mother pointed out, confirming your suspicions. You knew that being the daughter of a wealthy family meant that you had few freedoms, but this felt like it was too much. 

Your mind raced to find some sort of excuse. You honestly thought that your parents would love Sehun if they could get over the fact that he didn't meet any of their criteria. But to soften them up, you needed time. You thought about asking for it, but you could already see it in your parents' eyes. They weren't going to take another excuse from you. Fate was telling you it was now or never, and you had never hated fate so much before.

"If you think this boy is the one, then we should meet him. Why don't you bring him by next week, for our usual dinner? It will be an excellent way for us to get to know him. I expect no other excuses. That's that," your mother said, putting an end to the topic.

The remaining dinner chatter had been sparse, and you found yourself leaving not long after. Your steps out to your car were slow, your mind still racing at how the topic of your love life got so out of control. On the entire way back, even after you were already in bed for the evening, all you could think about was Sehun. How were you supposed to prepare him for the worst and most challenging moment of his life?

A/N: thank you for your support! it took me a little longer than expected to finish up the editing for this first chapter, but it is now complete! I hope that you all enjoy this. The drama is about to start, is anyone ready for it? I’m not even ready for it >_>