The spoiled rich , and a brat as what her father said, marched from my bedroom to the living room of where I was standing. Most importantly, she’s still half ing .

.

That was the only thing I could think of the moment I saw Byul walking towards me. Then a series of questions out of panic rushed into my mind, hitting without giving me time to think of an answer. What if her parents think we had ? What if they think I’m just like those girls their daughter has slept with? They knew about her list, right? What if they think that Byul only stays in my apartment so we could’ve ?

No…

“Babe…” the ing idiot said.

I raised my arms in front of me when she wrapped her arms around me, hugging me. “…” I whispered under my breath, conscious about the fact that her parents could see us right now.

I could feel my body, most especially, my face heating up. God… what would her parents think right now?

Byul snuggled her face on my neck, sighing in content. “You left me in bed. Why didn’t you come back?”

“Why are you still half ?”

Byul leaned back to look at me. Pouting, she asked, “Why are you already fully dressed?”

This brat… Really?

I glared at her while she only raised her eyebrows. “Your parents are here, you idiot” I whispered between clenched teeth.

She looked so calm when she turned her head towards the living room where her parents are. She raised her hand and waved at them. “Mom. Dad. Hey…” she said nonchalantly.

I flicked a finger on her forehead and smacked her arm, causing her to scream in protest.

“Hey!”

“Why didn’t you tell me you’re with your parents? And have some decency before marching half like this is your own house”

I sneered at her and continued to sloppily smack my hands all over her body. She raised her arms to cover herself from my smacks. She even had the guts to laugh at everything. It made me furious even more and I pushed her back to my bedroom.

“You think it’s funny?” I asked her as I slapped my hand on her and pushed and kicked her back to my bedroom.

“Jinnie… Why so feisty?” she asked with a loud laugh. She dropped her arm and grinned at me, mocking me even more.

I grabbed the umbrella just near my bedroom door and unsheathed it from its stand. I raised it and threatened to hit her with the umbrella. That instantly dropped the grin on her face while her eyes widened as she stared at the umbrella.

“Oi! Oi! Babe, I was just kidding. I’m sorry!” She raised her hands close to the umbrella, ready to stop me from hitting her. She turned to give me an awkward smile as she whispered, “It was just a joke, babe”

Who’s the one laughing now?

“Go get dressed. You’re still helping me cook”

She gave me a salute while smiling so wide, showing me her dimples. “Yes, mam!” Then she ran back into my bedroom, slamming the door shut.

I closed my eyes and sighed heavily, giving myself a few seconds to brace myself from her parents’ reactions. I sheathed the umbrella back to its holder then I turned to Byul’s parents, already bowing down in apology.

“I apologize for that, Mr. and Mrs. Moon. Byul and I did nothing except sleep last night. She tends to be very needy and clingy but she’s also sweet and affectionate. Really annoying most of the time but yeah…” I rubbed my palms on my face, groaning for the hundredth time today. “I’m sorry I ramble too much”

“It’s okay, Hyejin” Mrs. Moon said while her husband was laughing beside her, definitely entertained. “Do you need help with cooking?”

I immediately shook my head and stopped her from standing up from the couch. “Oh no.. It’s okay, mam. Byul will help me cook. I hope you’re fine with gyeran mari and kimchi jjigae” I said, tying my hair up in a messy bun as I headed to the kitchen.

“We already have breakfast but I don’t mind eating more,” Mr. Moon said with a soft chuckle.

“Do you mind if I watch you two?” Mrs. Moon asked, standing up before heading to the dining table.

“Oh no, mam. Not at all”

I invited her to sit by the dining table.

Having her close makes me even more nervous but Mrs. Moon has an inviting presence that makes me calm down. And so I’m both nervous and calm around her. Very conflicting.

Mr. Moon was right behind his wife and helped her sit down by the dining table, which was really sweet of him. I could see where Byul got her sweet and affectionate side from. Mr. Moon went back to the living room, asking if he could watch the TV. And guess what? He watched the news like Byul too.

“Byulyi told me that she stays here all the time she flies here for work. I can understand why. Your place looks nice and feels cozy” she said, making me smile.

For sure their place in New York is much larger than our house in Jeonju, so it’s definitely more spacious than my apartment. I don’t know if it’s a euphemism or maybe she’s telling the truth. Mrs. Moon doesn’t give off an arrogant vibe like how I met her daughter the first time, so maybe, she’s really telling me the truth.

“Thank you, mam,” I said sincerely.

I went to the sink to wash and then dry my hands. I shuffled from taking out ingredients from the fridge and talking to Mrs. Moon. I asked her if that’s okay and she said she didn’t mind. She even wanted to help but I politely declined, saying that she’s a guest.

“Does Byulyi always help you cook?” Mrs. Moon asked.

I smiled at her as I nodded in response. “She does. After she made me an all-American breakfast one time, she kept boasting that she could cook so I let her help. She mostly cooks the rice and heats up the side dishes. Now, she’s mastering gyeran” I said, unable to stop myself from laughing from a memory of Byul cooking. “There was a time when she was supposed to cook rolled omelette but she forgot to grease the pan. She couldn’t roll the omelette so we just went with scrambled egg”

Mrs. Moon laughed with me, finding it funny too. “By the way, Hyejin-ah, we received the eggs and chicken your family sent for Christmas. We all loved it. Thank you so much. Please do send our thanks to your family”

“Thank you too and no problem, mam”

“Mom… Jin…”

Mrs. Moon and I turned towards the bedroom where Byul was already out, thankfully all dressed now, with a camera raised to her face. I could see the huge smile she had on her lips.

“Smile”

I placed the knife down on the table before I turned to Byul. I could see Mrs. Moon leaning towards me as she smiled at the camera. I leaned closer to her as well right before I heard a click from Byul’s camera.

“Nice…” she whispered, reviewing the photo on the preview panel. “One more?” she asked, already raising the camera back to her face.

“Byulyi-ah… Put your camera down and help Hyejin already” Mrs. Moon reprimanded while I smiled so wide and winked at Byul. “Don’t embarrass Hyejin next time”

Byul pouted at her Mom but still followed her orders, nonetheless. She placed her camera on a nearby table and walked to her Mom. “I wasn’t embarrassing her” she whined before leaning down to kiss her Mom’s cheek. “Morning” she whispered then headed to her father next. She kissed Mr. Moon’s cheek as well and greeted him good morning.

“You were,” Mrs. Moon said, her voice getting deeper. She turned to me and whispered, “Please be patient with her. She’s not half bad. I raised that child with manners. I don’t know where it all went all of a sudden”

“She’s really not half bad, mam” I whispered, agreeing and laughing along with Mrs. Moon.

“Hey… What are you talking about?” Byul asked as she walked back to the kitchen, narrowing her eyes at me and her mother.

“Nothing,” Mrs. Moon and I answered at the same time.

Byul rolled her eyes and said, “You’re getting along. I see…” She stood behind the chair I was sitting on and placed her arms around my waist. She bent down to press kisses on my cheek before she said, “Good morning. Where’s my morning kiss?”

I could feel Mrs. Moon’s gaze right at us while I carried on with my task, making me gulp hard. I think Byul noticed it because I could hear her laughing softly as she snuggled her face to my neck.

“Mom, turn around. Hyejin’s shy. I need my kisses” Byul complained, propping her chin on my shoulder.

“You really have to say that out loud?” I whispered, which Byul only laughed at.

“Oh, there’s nothing to be shy about it but I’ll close my eyes if you want me to”

I stopped chopping ingredients and groaned softly, hearing Byul and Mrs. Moon laughing at me. “Please don’t, Mrs. Moon. I’m embarrassed enough already. It’ll be more embarrassing” I said as I placed down the knife on the chopping board, hearing Mrs. Moon laugh again. “Why are you always so needy?” I whispered to Byul as I cupped her cheek with my clean hand and kissed her on the lips.

“Morning, babe” she whispered, leaning forward for another kiss on my lips before she planted a kiss on my forehead.

“Morning. Start with rice. Add more cups since your parents are eating with us. I already chopped your ingredients for your omelette. Also, coffee” I instructed, going back to my task as if there’s no obvious blush all over my face.

“On it” she whispered, hugging me tightly and pressing a kiss on my temple before she moved away to do her tasks.

Mrs. Moon and I resumed talking in between me preparing ingredients. When I was ready to cook, I excused myself first before I stood up and turned to the stove. Byul was heating up the side dishes while I was cooking the stock. When she was done, she started beating the eggs while I was preparing to cook the stew this time.

“Don’t forget to grease the pan” I reminded her when she was already standing beside me, bringing a pan with her.

“Yup.” She lightly poured vegetable oil on the pan then lifted the pan to spread the oil around. “Are you mad at me for not telling you that my parents are coming?” she asked, her voice in a soft whisper.

I added seasoning on my stew, mixed it, and covered it before I turned to Byul, who’s focused on rolling her omelette. “Did you intentionally not tell me or did you just forget?” I asked her, smiling at the pout and how her eyebrows scrunched up in concentration.

“I honestly forgot” she said, briefly glancing at me before she turned her attention to the pan. “I didn’t want to tell you ahead of time because you’re already stressed with the situation here. I did want to tell you before they’ll show up but things were… you know…” She sighed heavily before she looked at me. “You know what happened last night, right?”

“Yeah… you barged into the Kims and shouted at Yong”

“I was very worried about you. I don’t just get mad for no reason” she whined, pouting harder at me.

I chuckled at her pout as I placed my arm around her waist to kiss the pout. I nuzzled my nose on the side of her face and made sure that my lips were close to her ear. Then I whispered, “Don’t burn your omelette, Mansaeng”

“Oh ” she hissed, taking the pan off the stove to hastily roll the omelette.

I turned to my stew as I laughed at Byul, whining beside me on how I distracted her yet again. I laid the tofu above the stew and covered it again, letting it cook first. “I wasn’t distracting you” I argued, giggling at her struggling to roll the rest of her omelette. “It doesn’t look burnt” I offered while she glared at me, making me laugh even more.

“You’re lucky I mastered this already or else, it would be your fault I’m serving burnt omelettes” she grumbled beside me.

“Arrogant…” I teased.

“Who serves burnt omelettes?” she continued to whine.

“You” I supplied for her.

“No one!” she answered herself.

“Did you season it?” I asked, turning to my stew when it’s almost done.

“Of course! Babe, I’ve mastered this. Have a little trust” she said, looking so smug with that smirk on her face.

I raised an eyebrow at her and said, “You forgot the most basic thing the last time you cooked omelettes”

Her smirk faltered a little bit before she insisted, “I learned from my past mistakes. Wait… Why are you being so mean to me right now?” Her confident smirk was back again before she asked, “Did you miss me that much?”

I playfully scoffed and rolled my eyes at her before turning to my stew. “Just cut your omelette, Mansaeng” I said but if I have to admit, I did miss our senseless bantering.

I missed her a lot. The longing is quite strong this time because we spent almost a month not communicating with each other when she flew back to New York. Added to that the fact that we didn’t even say goodbye before she left for New York the last time she was here. Our parting was a little bitter last time.

“Aww… I missed you too, babe.” She sneaked a kiss on where my tattoo is and on my shoulder. “I missed you a lot. I told you this last night”

“I know…”

There was a soft chuckle from her behind me, making me frown for a second before a smile tore my lips.

I lifted the cover on my pan and grabbed a spoon to taste it. I blew on it first before I swallowed the stew, humming on its taste. I grabbed another spoon and scooped a spoonful of stew. I placed my hand below the spoon, careful not to spill, as I turned to face Byul while blowing on the stew to cool it down.

“Byul…” I said, grabbing her attention away from slicing her rolled omelette. “Taste this for me”

She opened obediently before I fed her the stew. She hummed and nodded in approval before she asked, “One more?”

I fed her another spoonful of stew with a little kimchi and tofu this time. I stared at her expectantly as I asked, “How was it?”

“The kimchi’s good. Is this your mother’s kimchi?”

“Yes. It’s good, right?”

“It is,” she agreed right away. “Your Mom always makes the best kimchi”

“And the stew?”

“Well, you cook the best food, babe. No questions”

I rolled my eyes at her while she laughed teasingly as she turned to her rolled omelette. “I’m asking for feedback. More salt. Lacks seasoning. Anything along that line. I don’t want your compliments” I complained as she turned around and grabbed a sliced omelette in her chopsticks.

“God… Why are you so feisty, Jin?” she commented lightheartedly. She cupped my chin and raised the slice of omelette she cooked close to my lips. “Taste test!” she said rather too eagerly, feeding me what she cooked too.

My eyes were still staring at her intently, glaring at her, as I chewed on the omelette she cooked. She blatantly ignored the glare and smiled at me.

I swallowed my food first before I hummed in approval. “You seasoned it well this time. Tastes good”

She pumped a fist up in the air and in an overzealous tone, shouted, “Yes! I told you, I’ve mastered this already!”

I couldn’t help but giggle at her enthusiasm. “You should master something else now” I suggested but she immediately rejected the idea with a shake of her head.

“I’m sticking with this, for now. You might not want to cook for me anymore if I master a lot of recipes” she grumbled, her cheeks bouncing to every word she’s saying.

I reached to pinch her cheek before I turned to my stew. I momentarily forgot that her parents were with us and almost leaned forward to kiss her. I turned the stove off and garnished my stew with green onions.

Byul and I transferred what we cooked on the dining table. She filled four bowls of rice for all of us while I set the table with the side dishes she heated up earlier. I grabbed a pitcher of water because it’s all I have and placed it on the table before grabbing glasses next. Byul placed mugs of coffee next to our plates, offering some to her parents but they declined. Mr. Moon sat beside her wife once told that the food was ready.

I shyly smiled at them while Byul wiped my forehead and neck with the back of her hand. “I hope this is fine. Byul has been nagging about eating kimchi jjigae every time she’s here. I couldn’t think of anything else to cook for all of us”

“This is more than fine,” Mrs. Moon said with a soft smile while Mr. Moon was already tasting the stew.

“Hmm…” he hummed, which I think meant something positive because he served a bowl for himself right after. He smiled at me as he said, “You have nothing to worry about. This is really good.” Then he turned to Byul and winked at her, making me blush while Byul laughed at his father.

“Should we eat now?” Byul asked, her hand landing on my knee under the table. She leaned down to kiss my shoulder before she said, “Thanks, babe”

“Of course. Thanks for the food, Hyejin” Mrs. Moon said, making me smile at her and feel a little proud of myself.

“Mom, me too! I cooked too!” Byul whined and coincidentally, Mrs. Moon and I scoffed at her at the same time. “Oh, come on… You’re really getting along but I still cooked too”

“Thanks, Byulyi-ah” Mrs. Moon said reluctantly but Byul never had problems about it and smiled so wide at her mother. “Now, eat already. Hana never even whines anymore and she’s way less than half of your age”

“But Hana hasn’t cooked for you yet” Byul pointed out, never wanting to lose while Mrs. Moon just chuckled and shook her head at her. She turned to me next and grinned proudly. “Did I do a good job, Jin?”

I smiled at her before I nodded and teasingly said, “We always eat what you cooked even if it’s burnt”

“You could’ve just said yes, babe” she mumbled, pressing her spoon too harshly on her bowl of rice while I giggled at her.

I placed my hand on top of hers that was still on my knee and squeezed it to stop her from whining. “You did a good job today” I said sincerely while she smiled proudly at me. “Now, eat and stop whining already”

She chuckled softly as she leaned down and kissed my shoulder while interlacing our hands together. “Okay… Thanks, Jin” she whispered.

Byul never let go of my hand as she started eating. She was holding my right hand with her left one so she was still able to use her dominant hand while eating. I’m a leftie so it wasn’t a bother to me. We’ve done this multiple times already. Even in front of Wheein and Yong. It’s always her who would initiate. She always seeks physical contact and like always, I welcome all of it.

I watched them enjoy the food first as I took a sip of my coffee. Mr. Moon was chatting with Byul while eating like he hadn’t had breakfast yet. Mrs. Moon, on the other hand, kept on complimenting me and even Byul in every bite she took. She eats at a slower pace than her husband. When it really seemed that everyone was enjoying the food, that’s when I finally started eating breakfast.

Byul’s parents stayed with us for the whole day.

After breakfast, Byul and her father went out to buy groceries while Mrs. Moon and I stayed in my apartment. I toured her around my apartment and even though there’s nothing much in it, she still wanted to check my place. It was a little bit awkward being around her by myself but Byul’s mother is both sweet and comforting to be around. I just had to slowly warm up to her.

It also seemed that Byul has talked a lot about me and my family to her family, especially to her parents. When I showed Mrs. Moon around, I never held back in telling her stories. I told her about the treadmill, the coffee maker, and the flask that Byul gave to me on my birthday. She shared to me how Byul showed off that she has a new multi-stove. The one I gave to her on her birthday.

When we reached the bedroom, Mrs. Moon caught sight of Lion and Bear sitting on the side of my room. She told me they were cute and I told her that those were the first gifts I got from Byul. We went back to the living room and I pointed at the pots of cactus lining by the kitchen window. I told Mrs. Moon that Byul’s giving me a collection of cacti because flowers wouldn’t be fresh once she landed here from New York.

We went to sit again on the living room couch. Mrs. Moon asked me why I called Byul Mansaeng and I explained to her how I discovered her Hong Kong name. I also showed her the necklace Byul gave me for Christmas. Then in return, I told her that I gave Byul an orgel to help her sleep. Mrs. Moon said she hadn’t seen it and shall invade Byul’s condo to look for that orgel.

Our chat was halted when Byul and Mr. Moon came back from the groceries. Then Mrs. Moon offered to cook lunch for us. I wanted to tell her no but she insisted. Pretty stubborn even, which is probably where Byul got her stubbornness. I just offered to help her slice ingredients and thankfully, she agreed.

Mrs. Moon’s cooking reminded me of Mom’s cooking. Her food made me feel nostalgic and miss my Mom back in Jeonju. It really tasted like Mom’s cooking.

After lunch, Mr. and Mrs. Moon bid farewell but promised to come back for dinner. Byul and I, once left alone, stayed in the living room to watch TV. I wanted to take a nap and Byul offered her lap for me to sleep in. The afternoon was uneventful.

By dinner, Byul and I showered and dressed up out of our sweats and shirts. We dressed up a little bit as Mrs. Moon suggested before they left earlier. Mr. Moon also said that they’ll bring takeouts so we wouldn’t be tired from cooking. Then I suggested to Byul if her Mom wanted to drink wine with me while they share soju with her father. Byul said it was fine so we bought that before we changed clothes.

Naturally, Byul wore her three-piece suit. I wore a black strap dress that Byul approved based on how she smirked at me when she saw me with the dress.

She handed me her tie before she stood in front me and held my waist. I raised her shirt’s collar first before laying the tie around her neck and then started tying it.

I normally don’t wear ties and so I had no idea how to deal with them. Byul forced me to learn. At first, I thought she was just being her spoiled self but I understood why after I perfected it. She wanted me to do it for her every single time she’s here. I like doing it for her too. It meant more than just helping her. It felt like a privilege.

“You look beautiful tonight, Jin” she whispered.

I glanced up and saw her eyes wandering down to my lips before she met my gaze. “Thank you” I said while folding her shirt’s collar. I pushed her tie behind the vest before buttoning it. “You too, Byul” I said while straightening her vest.

Since she had her arms around my waist, I placed mine around her neck and stepped closer to her. “You resemble your Mom so much” I whispered while Byul nodded in agreement and gave me a soft smile. “You both have deep voices too”

“A lot of people, mostly our relatives, told me that I reminded them of Mom so much.” She made me lean my head on her shoulder while she rested her head on mine. She held me tightly as she whispered, “They would often tease me as Mom’s mini version”

“I like your Mom” I admitted, feeling her gently swaying us.

“Does that mean you like me too?” she asked, hearing the smile on her voice.

“What are you talking about?” I asked, feigning irritation while she chuckled softly. “Of course not”

That made her laugh even louder, making me smile on her shoulder.

'I love you', I said in my head as I closed my eyes and sighed in content. Being in her arms always makes me content. It’s the safest place on earth.

“You and Mom get along,” she whispered softly.

“Yeah… Surprisingly, we do”

“I can tell that she likes you”

“I’m glad the feeling’s mutual” I whispered, sighing in relief.

“Dad, too. They both like you, Jin”

“I’m glad they do”

The melodramatic tone in her voice never went unnoticed. Maybe it’s the mood tonight that affected her tone. Or maybe not. I just stayed cautious so I wouldn’t overstep. After all, Byul and I aren’t together despite all of our actions.

“I should let you finish up.” She pressed a long kiss on the side of my head before she let go of me. “You still have to brush your hair, right?”

I pressed a light kiss on her cheek before heading to my vanity table. “Yes. This won’t take long”

“I’ll wait outside. I’ll set the camera before Mom and Dad arrives”

I parted my hair in half before letting them fall on one shoulder. I brushed my hair several times and kept it in its natural waves. By the time I was done, I heard the doorbell ring and so I quickly finished up and went out of the bedroom to greet Byul’s parents.

Byul helped his father place all the food they brought on the table. I bowed to Mr. Moon the moment I saw him while he leaned down to give me a kiss on the cheek and a quick hug. I went to Mrs. Moon next. Just like Mr. Moon, she went to hug me and give me a kiss on my cheek.

“You look lovely tonight, Hyejin” Mrs. Moon complimented while I shyly smiled as I bowed to her.

“Thank you. Nothing can beat how you look tonight, mam” I complimented back.

She lightly slapped her hand on my arm while we both laughed at each other. She slid her fingers over my hair as she said, “I didn’t notice you have such long hair earlier because of the bun. It suits you so much but doesn’t it bother you when it’s hot?”

“It does, Mrs. Moon. I usually cut my hair short by that time but I’m on contract right now. They wanted my hair long. If I cut it, then they would require me to wear extensions. Some of my projects also require me to have long hair” I explained to her as we headed to the dining table.

Mrs. Moon linked her arm around mine while resting her hand on my arm. “Oh… Byul told me that you’re a model”

“I… Ah…” I lightly scratched my neck, feeling weird being called a model. “I actually work as Yong’s EA, mam. Kim Group Inc.’s Kim Yongsun. The projects I have are just something I work on the side to help pay my family’s debt”

“Yes. She told me about that too.” She patted her hand on my arm and smiled at me as she said, “That’s so nice of you to help your family. Don’t work too hard. You’re doing really well, sweetie”

I smiled wider when I remembered her saying it to Byul too. “Thank you, mam. I have to thank Byul for helping me. It was actually her idea for me to try modeling. Because of that, I’m almost done paying off our debt”

She leaned forward with a cheeky grin and whispered, “That was actually my idea”

My eyebrows raised up while my lips parted, surprised to hear about this.

“That brat told me that you got mad at her for offering to pay your debt.” She clicked her tongue while shaking her head disapprovingly. “That brat… Really… I scolded her about it because she was asking for my help when she told me about it. I hope you didn’t mind me knowing”

“Oh no… I don’t, Mrs. Moon. I should thank you for it also.” I stepped back and pulled my arm from hers before I bowed deeply. “Thank you, mam”

She squeezed my shoulder and beamed at me. “You’re welcome. Just don’t work hard too much, okay?”

“I’ll try not to, mam”

When the table was all set, we took pictures together like what we did during Christmas with my family. Byul’s parents were sitting down while Byul and I stood up behind them. Byul kept on running from the camera to then stand beside me. In one of the pictures, she kissed my cheek right when I heard the click from the camera. She laughed at me when I glared at her after that.

Byul took pictures of me with her parents. Another round of pictures with me and her mother, and then her father next. I also took pictures of her with her parents. She set the angle for me already so all I have to do is press the shutter button. She still doesn’t trust me with taking pictures.

Dinner was a lot lighter than the first two meals we had earlier. Mr. Moon would often laugh now. He laughs so loud, which his wife loves because every time he laughs, Mrs. Moon couldn’t help but laugh along too. I was also able to talk more to Mr. Moon during dinner.

Then Byul and her father shared a bottle of soju. Mr. Moon was tempted to drink more but one look from Mrs. Moon stopped him from craving for more. Mrs. Moon and I shared a glass of wine at the dining table while Byul and her father were in the living room with the TV on