Interestingly, the next three days went by quickly. Jihyo and Jongkook found themselves swept away for multiple spontaneous errands. Jongkook found himself surprised by Jihyo; she gave off a much more domestic vibe here in Pohang, often accompanying her mother to the market and helping out (or sometimes even leading) the efforts in the kitchen. He had known that Jihyo cooked well, but he honestly didn’t expect her level of involvement in housework. He had also known that Jihyo was caring towards her siblings, considering how many times Seungmoon agreed to appear on Runningman and how she took care of Kwangsoo, their adopted little brother, and, in the last few days, that became more apparent. 

The day before Christmas Eve, Jihyo’s dongsaengs brought them out to Pohang to visit some places and eat at their favorite restaurants, filling in Jongkook with some of Jihyo’s most embarrassing stories. Jihyo would jokingly threaten to hit them, which would prompt the two to act scared, but they clearly knew that the threat was empty. When he got home, Seungmoon invited Jongkook to join him for a late night gym session, one that he wasn’t able to turn down after days of sticking to at-home workouts in the Songs’ backyard. When they came back, he knocked on Jihyo’s door to bid her good night before going to sleep, only to find that her younger sister had stayed over. Jihyo was still brushing her sister’s hair, as she softly bid him good night.

On the morning of Christmas Eve, Jongkook woke up to an empty house. He knew Seungmoon met a friend the previous night and didn’t come home, but Jihyo’s room was surprisingly empty and the silence of a house that was not his made him a bit uncomfortable. He reached the living room to find Jihyo’s father packing a cooler and what looked to be his fishing equipment.

“Ah Jongkook-ah, Jihyo was right. You do wake up early. I thought she’d be back home in time to wake you up,” Jihyo’s father said, as he continued to fuss over his things. Jongkook ran up to Jihyo’s father to be of assistance, as he continued, “So, care to join me for fishing? The women need something to cook for dinner.”

“Of course sir,” he abruptly answered. Jihyo’s father looked at him, prompting him to change the way he addressed the elder, “I mean, abeonim.”

The duo drove off to Guryongpo. Jongkook insisted that he should drive, and Jihyo’s father relented, opting instead to give instructions on how to get to their destination. Jongkook thought they were headed to a pond or a small fishing village, but they reached a nearby beach to go ocean fishing. Upon arrival, it was obvious Jihyo’s father knew his way around, walking up to one of the boats and talking to the boat’s caretakers. They soon boarded the boat, the caretakers obviously recognizing who Jongkook was after an introduction from Jihyo’s father and greeting him shyly, and they set out to a fishing spot.

“Gwamegi’s in season now. We should be able to get some,” Jihyo’s father broke the silence, although, technically, the loud roar of the boat’s engine continued to provide noise in the background. Jongkook merely nodded, not really knowing what to say back. His own hometown of Anyang was landlocked, with the river being the main water source, so he wasn’t entirely familiar with fishing as a topic. Beyond the lack of knowledge though, a part of him was admittedly still on edge because he was with his girlfriend’s father, and he wanted to make a good impression.

Jihyo’s father seemed to read Jongkook’s mind, so the older man clasped the younger’s shoulder and said, “Relax, Jongkook-ah. There won’t be any penalties here, unlike that running show you do with uri ttal.” Then he laughed, and it was contagious. Jongkook found himself letting out the breath he didn’t know he’d been holding in and doubling over in laughter.

“Joesonghabnida, abeonim,” Jongkook said once he was able to collect himself. Jihyo’s father waved off the apology, and set out to bring out their fishing equipment. The boat already reached its destination, and the engines have been cooled down. After a few minutes of fussing around, they already had their fishing rods in hand, their sinkers successfully submerging themselves in the water. 

From a distance, Jongkook could see the sun begin to take its place a bit further up in the sky from its initial place beyond the horizon. He felt like he was in a trance, hypnotized by the beauty of nature.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Jihyo’s father asked. 

Jongkook felt embarrassed that he’d been caught staring into nothingness, but he did feel the need to say, “