“Hello” I stopped the car beside the road to take the call.

I & Ryujin were heading home as Noona went to drop Minah home & I was taking Ryujin home.

The caller ID showed Ryujin’s dad & I was not sure what could be the reason for him calling me at this time?

“Jonghyun-ah!” “Am I disturbing you?” he asked from the other side.

“Oh! No!” “We can talk” I answered quickly, looking at Ryujin next to me who was as curious as I was.

“Great!” he exclaimed,  “But not on call”  what is it? It looked like he was waiting for a yes from me.

“Can you come home for a beer if you are free right now?” he definitely had something important to talk after a long while since he offered a beer-talk today.

“Yeah sure” I agreed without thinking much “I’m with Ryujin actually” “Should I bring her too?” I asked looking at his daughter biting her nails in restlessness. I smiled at her cute face as I waited for his response.

After a pause & a short sigh, he continued to speak, “No!" "We need to talk to you” he sounded like the worried parent he was when he talked to me a day before Ryujin went into medical school.

“Okay!” “It’ll take me half an hour to reach there” “Is it okay?” I asked, staying calm & composed sensing the importance of the call.

“Of course” “See you soon” he said & I hummed before hanging up.

“He asked you to come home?” she said jumping on her seat to face me as soon as the call ended.

“What?” “Do you know anything?” I wasn’t expecting such reaction from her.

She looked at me nervously “Mom called in the afternoon,”

“And I told her about us moving in together” she continued.

“So?” “I don’t think they have problem with it” It’s not like Ryujin was moving in with someone they didn’t knew, knowing how both of them were always so supportive of our relation, even before it started. They were not even surprised to know about us dating each other, like all others in the scenario.

“Do you know what this is about?” I asked in confusion

“No!” she tried to remember,  “Even I didn’t saw a problem, because she was more than happy to know that we were moving in.” she looked at me in confusion.

“I bet that’s why she told dad because she was overwhelmed” She continued as I ignited the engine of car again.

Maybe I would just know after meeting him because seems like we both were similarly clueless about their intentions right now.

“So why are you nervous then?” I looked at her to know before stepping on the accelerator.

“I don’t know” “I just feel like maybe it’s a big step for them too as it’s for us” I was listening as I got the car back on road. Her words made sense to me too now.

“Hmm” “Even eomma was like, ‘Fine! Move in & get married quickly so that I can focus on your sister’” I said mimicking eomma’s voice.

“What?” Ryujin snapped at me with open in shock as she watched me when i took a casual glance at her.

Probably marriage was not the topic she was expecting here.

I left a chuckle watching her, “Yeah!” “I swear she said this words” I blinked flashing innocent eyes to convince her.

“I wonder what Appa has to say now” she said staring at my phone on the desk.

I observed her face to confim the nervousness, “I’ll talk to him” I added, “I think I know what to say” I wanted to let her know that I'll always be on her side & she smiled at me silently hearing those words.

--------------------

“Honey! Jonghyunie is here” eomma called dad as she opened the door to get me inside.

“Coming!” I heard dad’s voice from the room beside Ryujin’s room which dad had turned into library--bar.

I saw him coming out in pajamas with a thick book in his hand as eomma placed the tray with beer and a bowl of seasoned nuts on the coffee table.

“Are you reading it already?” I asked seeing the book in his hand which I gave him last month on his birthday.

“Hmm” “It calms my mind & gets me off thoughts quite well these days” he said walking towards the couch as I reached near him there. “That was the whole purpose” I said as I smiled at him.

“Come” he patted my back as we moved to the couch.

“Except for I have to listen the daily summary everyday” I heard eomma sighing as she reached to sit on the chair across me.

“Ryujin is totally like him” the words came out of my mouth instantly as I laughed reminded of how Ryujin does the same when she reads a new book.

They both looked at me smiling. “Ryujin told me you both are moving in together” eomma said handing me the beer-can.

“Hmm” “I thought it will be better to live with each other when we spend half of the time visiting each other anyway” They both hummed agreeing in response.

I looked between both of them sitting on my either side as they were lost thinking for some time as I waited, “I just want to know one thing from you before saying anything else?” I heard dad’s voice as I turned to him eagerly.

“I could have asked Ryujin but seems like your answer is more important to us?” he watched me for a while with a pause before looking at eomma for approval. I was really curious now.

“Do both of you think of getting married in future?” he looked at me for the answer as I was still contemplating the question, “I’m not asking after how long or trying to add pressure to this topic” I was listening to him carefully, waiting for him to finish.

“We do” I answered as soon as he finished his words.

“I’m sure of myself” I straightened my back putting the beer-can on table again, “But I know even Ryujin is there now & it’s just that we still need time to sort our minds, before taking a final decision” I looked at both of them as they relieved a sigh of relief.

“I’m sure you both know more than well, but both of us would want Ryujin to be with you for life as the ones who know her so well” he said as he looked back at me, "And ofcourse loves her a lot too"

I was too overwhelmed right now to hear these words from him.

“As her parents, we won’t be able to find a better match for her than you” he continued to make me lose all my words formed in my mouth. I was dumbfounded, and didn’t expected him to say it in these words.

“Even if your work-life is making it harder just be with each other till the end” eomma added taking my hand in hers as I blinked at her in assurance, “Don’t worry” “We’re taking care of each other” I responded instantly barely words coming out of my mouth after that.

I remembered my eomma saying the same to me few days back, after watching us match our timings, again & again.

They were definitely worried now that we would fight about that sometime or other in future as it was anyway unavoidable in our case.

It was natural of them to think of all these matters at their age & phase of life. Their experience of life was another reason for all these worries too. 

As the people who gave birth to us & raised us so well, it was more generous than interfering of them to ask us to be by each other’s side always.

“Thank you for hearing us out” dad said making my heart heavy now to let tears fall down my eyes. I cupped my face in my palms as I looked down sobbing,

“Why did you make him cry?” eomma snapped at dad observing me.

“What did I say?” dad’s voice was closer now as he shifted near me on the couch wrapping his arms around my shoulder.

“Ryujin is gonna roast us for doing this” eomma said making me laugh now as tears kept rolling down my cheeks as she rubbed my back to comfort.

“Like he’s gonna tell her all this” dad chuckled. Only if his daughter won’t ask me! I will be too embarrassed to tell her everything myself.

“You’re gonna spread it to her” dad whispered, I’m sure he was pointing out eomma for this.

I wasn’t sure if I was still crying or laughing now inside by this flip-turned mood of conversation.

--------------------

“Hello” Ryujin’s voice ringed through the phone.

“Yah! Did I left my notepad charger at your house?” Probably it had to be at her place if not here!

I looked around the room to check once more.

My suitcase & backpack was on the bed, all clothes spread on the bed, three perfume bottles, two candles, my regular skincare kit & two watches were on the dressing table waiting in the list to be packed.

“I don’t think so” she answered on the other end as I walked to the desk to check there once again if I missed any drawer.

“I’ll have to check again after going home” she continued.

“Hmm” I hummed, opening the drawers to check.

“Are you packing?”  

“Yes” “There’s lot to be packed for a month” “And it’s irritating as usual” I said looking at the mess in my room.

“Need help?” she chuckled.

“I won’t deny ever” I smirked on getting a laugh from her side.

-------------------

Why was folding clothes so necessary for packing?

There was no space left for my books in the bag now?

Will I need a separate bag for the casuals?

How did I left them to be packed last?

The doorbell startled me from my monologues!

I ran to the door almost tripping on the slipper twice.

“Did you had dinner?” I asked as she walked inside.

She halted waiting for me to close the door. “No” “It’s too early to have dinner” she looked at her phone screen to check the clock.

“It’s 5.30?” I noticed time on her phone as she nodded in agreement.

It’s only 1 hr since I started packing? Why I am feeling like I was doing it since hours now?

“Why?” she asked watching at my widened eyes after knowing the time.

“Packing is tiring” “I’m hungry now” I wrapped my arm around her to lean my head on hers as we walked inside.

She giggled looking up at me, “Should I make you something?” 

“Uhhuh!” I can’t let her waste time in kitchen “Let’s order our favourite dim sums today” I said taking out my phone from the pocket to order them.

“Where’s eomma & unnie?” she asked looking around after a while.

“Eomma is coming back from the trip tomorrow” “And noona is out with Minah” I informed scrolling the menu to add chicken too.

“Oh! I forgot” she exclaimed, before pulling out a lunchbox from the mini back-pack hanging on her shoulder till now.

“Chestnut cookies!” I exclaimed in joy as I could notice them through the transparent lid already.

“I didn’t even had a bite yet” she lifted the box to shake it in front of me, “And the jar had this much left”

Oh! The chestnut cookies of Ryujin’s were magically, very delicious!

Finally after lots of crying & giving up & kitchen malfunctions, we had managed to learn baking one day!

'We' means!

I was watching, but that was more than enough!

I did helped finish them in weeks so I think that matters too.

“So I thought it should be finished by the one who left them” she glanced at me narrowing her eyes before extending the box to me.

It wasn’t my fault that she didn’t ate a single piece even when the jar was in her own house

I grabbed the lunch-box in excitement, “I can spare you one!” I forced a grin & she rolled her eyes at me.

“I made them” she said pointing at herself in pride she owned most of the times about her cooking as she rarely did it.

“Hmm” “for me” I giggled as I already took a bite of one.

“Wanna have one?” I said thinking of something fun as I walked to sit on the couch, to turn at her.

She had followed me to sit in front of me on the couch, “What are you thinking?” she asked furrowing her eyebrows at me, being suspicious but still had no clue yet.

“What will I think?” I continued to feign innocence then. This dumb-head!

“Just asking you as you didn’t taste them” I was just trying to pull the strings together now.

“They are getting better with days” I hummed as I gulped the bite before picking another cookie.

She extended her hand to grab the box from my hand, but before she could reach it I managed to take it back behind me, making sure her hand wasn’t reaching there.

“Just this one” I showed her the one in my hand.

“I told you I can spare only one” I pouted as her lips parted observing my eyes & then the cookie & again my face then.

“Oppa do you know you sound like a kid right now?” she left out a chuckle watching me.

“I can break that belief immediately for you” I glanced at her as she listened to me, a frown forming on her forehead now.

“Here” I raised the cookie to put it in my mouth, not pushing it entirely inside, “We can have it adult style” I moved forward raising my eyebrow at her.

“I