49 | New Home

***

"Excuse me, what brings you here?" Mrs. Kim's astonishment was palpable as Tiffany greeted her instead of the villa's owner.

"I... I'm..." Tiffany faltered, initially assuming it was a random delivery, only to realize it was the person her son had mentioned earlier.

"Is my son here? He hasn't answered my calls," she inquired anxiously, brushing past Tiffany as she hurriedly made her way to the living room in search of her son. Despite her efforts, he was nowhere to be seen.

"He's on his way back, I believe, Mrs. Kim," Tiffany softly informed as she gently approached her.

"You, you're dating both my son and Yuri?" Mrs. Kim asked suspiciously.

"What?" She exclaimed. "It's not like that. Um, how do I explain this..." She trailed off, taking a moment to gather her thoughts. "Yuri is my friend, and he's dating my friend."

"And why are you here instead of your friend?" Mrs. Kim furrowed her eyebrows. Suddenly, a realization dawned on her. "That kid, he's Yuri's son, isn't he? And..."

"You're misunderstanding this, Mrs. Kim. Da-On is Taeyeon's son. The reason I am here is because we're staying in Yuri's Villa... at least for the meantime. It's not because he's Yuri's son," Tiffany explained calmly, trying to clarify the situation.

"I'm here for Yuri, so I'll confirm it with him," Mrs. Kim replied in a cold tone as she took her seat on the sofa. A maid approached her to place a cup of tea on the coffee table, but her focus remained on Tiffany. She didn't want to believe whatever Tiffany was saying unless Yuri confirmed it himself.

With a sigh, Tiffany turned to face the older woman again, but before she could speak, she sneezed so forcefully that it startled Mrs. Kim. Quickly regaining her composure, Tiffany bowed hastily several times in apology before excusing herself and heading upstairs.

"What the... did she intentionally do that?" Mrs. Kim muttered, wiping her arm with her handkerchief in disbelief. She reached for the cup but she suddenly thought the sneeze went to the tea which disgusted her and she changed her mind. "Ugh, what's taking Yuri so long?"

Meanwhile, inside the bedroom, Tiffany is wiping her nose and sneezing with the tissue when her phone rings once again. She picked it up and answered Yuri's call.

[Stay in your room, I'll handle this.]

"What? How'd you know-"

[Mr. Cha told me.] Yuri replied and hung it up right away. 

With a resigned sigh, Tiffany scrutinized her reflection in the mirror, immediately noticing the disarray of her hair, a stark departure from the polished appearance she had hoped to maintain in front of Taeyeon's mother. Hastening to the vanity, she snatched up her hairbrush with a sense of urgency, determined to rectify the situation before it could escalate further.

As she smoothed out the tangled strands, Tiffany couldn't ignore the unmistakable redness of her nose, a glaring symptom of the cold she had succumbed to. The memory of her sneeze escaping in front of Mrs. Kim flooded Tiffany's mind, intensifying her feelings of inadequacy.

"Damn," she muttered in frustration, her heart sinking at the thought of Taeyeon's mother witnessing her current state. "She'll have even more reasons to disapprove of our wedding now if she finds out."

With a heavy heart, Tiffany gazed at her reflection, a mixture of anxiety and sadness clouding her features as she pondered the implications of her less-than-ideal presentation. In that vulnerable moment, she couldn't help but wish for a chance to make a better impression and salvage their prospects for the future.

—

"Um, Hi, Mrs. Kim," Yuri finally entered the living room after a few minutes outside. "I apologize for the delay," he added quickly, settling into his seat on the sofa opposite the woman.

"I knew you knew I saw Taeyeon's girl here, right?" Mrs. Kim greeted him with a stern question.

"Ah, yes. She's upstairs, I believe," he replied with an awkward smile.

Mrs. Kim nodded gently. "So, she isn't your girlfriend? Then why is she living at your place?"

"Oh, no, she's just a friend," Yuri clarified, maintaining a composed demeanor. "In truth, she and her friends have been staying here for a while. I offered them the space because it's large enough to accommodate them, along with her son."

"So that means that kid is not yours?"

"Nope. It's Taeyeon's." He softly chuckles. "Please don't misunderstand it. He doesn't even look like me, he looks like more of Taeyeon when he was a child." 

Mrs. Kim sighed. "Yes, I can see a slight resemblance. He never mentioned this to me," she muttered, taking a sip of her tea. "I suppose I haven't been in touch with him as often lately."

"He's a grown man now, Mrs. Kim. You don't need to worry about him," Yuri reassured with a smile. "Trust me, the woman he's in love with is one of the kindest people I've ever met."

"Ha! You can say that because you are loyal to your friend. But do you know about the wedding he's planning?"

"No, I'm telling the truth. And yes, I know about their wedding plans."

"Since when did he plan this?"

"You didn't discuss this with him?" Yuri raised an eyebrow, puzzled by Mrs. Kim's decision to inquire about it with him rather than her own son.

"I don't know, I just want to make sure he's being honest with me. I only heard about it over the phone, and he may be just saying that to deter me from calling him," Mrs. Kim explained, her brow furrowing with concern. "And when I tried to speak with him face-to-face, a child became part of the conversation. That child is the reason he's marrying Tiffany, isn't it?" she asked, narrowing her eyes in suspicion.

"I... can't honestly divulge the details about this. I mean, I don't have the authority to speak on behalf of your son," Yuri responded, his chuckle tinged with discomfort. "It would be best if you discuss this with him directly, Mrs. Kim." Clearing his throat, he continued, "Um, is this the sole reason for your visit tonight?"

Mrs. Kim sighed once again. "You're quite loyal to my son, aren't you?" she remarked with a hint of amusement. "But anyway, that's not the only reason I'm here. I also came to recommend my friend's daughter to you." With that, she reached into her shoulder bag, retrieving a photo to pass to him. "Isn't she lovely?"

"Yeah, she is. How can I assist you with her?" Yuri replied, his curiosity piqued despite feeling somewhat clueless.

"I understand you're currently single, Kwon Yuri. My friend has asked me to set up her daughter with someone, and I thought of you. Would you be interested in going on a blind date with her?" Mrs. Kim's smile widened, hoping the young gentleman would consider her proposal.

Yuri was about to decline the offer when Jessica suddenly barged into the living room.

"Go for it," she declared, her gaze fixed on him with determination.

"What? You want me to go on this date?" Yuri exclaimed, his disbelief evident in his tone.

"Excuse me, who are you?" Mrs. Kim questioned Jessica, her curiosity piqued by the sudden intrusion.

Jessica bowed politely to the older woman. "I'm Jessica Jung, Ma'am. May I borrow this young man here?" she asked, but without waiting for a response, she grabbed Yuri's left arm and swiftly dragged him outside. 

"What are you doing?" Yuri half-whispered as Jessica pulled him along.

"I'm thinking of letting you go on the date to appease this woman. That way, she'll see that Taeyeon's friends, who are also friends with his fiancée, are kind to her. Hopefully, she won't be too worried about the wedding knowing he's surrounded by good people. It's just one date, after that, it's over," Jessica explained in a hushed tone, her eyes determined.

"Seriously?" Yuri scoffed.

"Yeah, don't worry about me, I won't be jealous," Jessica grinned mischievously.

Yuri chuckled softly, unable to resist ruffling her hair. "I doubt you won't be. But with your reasoning, I could... agree with this. Let's just hope the girl I'm going on a date with doesn't get my number."

"If she does, then dump her right away," Jessica advised, giggling.

"I can't believe you," Yuri muttered, shaking his head. "You better not regret this," he warned her before re-entering the house and returning to the living room. Resuming his seat across from Mrs. Kim, he glanced once more at the picture. "So, when am I going on this date?"

"Tomorrow, would that be fine?" Mrs. Kim asked eagerly, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Dinner?"

"Yes, Yuri. I'll text you the address of the restaurant and come around 7 in the evening."

"What's the name of this girl?"

"Lee SoonKyu. She's the daughter of an entertainment Agency, so you won't regret dating her if you end up liking her."

'Damn, she's persistent,' he mused, masking his inner turmoil with a forced smile. "I suppose so,'" he replied, his gaze drifting towards Jessica, who continued to flash him an enthusiastic thumbs up.

As Yuri entertained a mischievous notion, a smirk played across his lips. 'What if I toyed with my girlfriend's jealousy?' The idea took shape in his mind, igniting a playful spark within him."

"Yuri?" Mrs. Kim noticed and waved at him. "Is she your girlfriend or something?"

"Oh, uh, don't mind my friend outside. She's just proud of me," he hastily smiled in assurance. "Tell her mother that I will be coming tomorrow then."

"Great! I'll call her right away," Mrs. Kim exclaimed, getting up and giving Yuri a pat on the arm. "Good luck tomorrow night."

"Thanks," Yuri replied, walking Mrs. Kim to the door. "Um, Mrs. Kim, before you leave, can you promise me something." He suddenly thought of something to make the things fair on his side.

Mrs. Kim stopped by the door and looked at him attentively.

"Can you promise me you won't get in the way of Taeyeon and Tiffany's wedding once I go on this date? I know you're still processing this but it is important for me and my friends, especially the couple that you give them the blessings they needed from you and your husband. Otherwise, this would greatly affect me and Yoona. We are like brothers so I hope you understand that if Taeyeon gets hurt, we would feel more of his pain. So please, give it a sincere thought. And hopefully, it won't take for you to accept this."

"You're a good man, Yuri. I understand your concern." Mrs. Kim softly replied before she finally left the house.

Yuri doesn't know how to interpret it so he just decided to brush it off and return to the living room. 

Jessica who was outside, hastily returned inside and checked the photo.

"She's pretty. But I'm prettier, right?" Jessica grinned mischievously as she held the photo next to her face.

Yuri softly chuckled. "Silly." He snatched the photo and took a seat next to her. "You better not regret this, Jessica Jung."

Leaning in close, Jessica planted a tender kiss on her boyfriend's cheek. "As long as you stay faithful to me, I trust you, my love," she whispered softly, earning a sweet smile from him. In return, he leaned in to give her a full kiss on her lips. 

"Thanks for always trusting me, babe," Yuri whispered after pulling back. They shared another teasing peck on their lips and giggled afterward. 

"What happened, guys?" Tiffany asked as she made her way downstairs, noticing Mrs. Kim was no longer there.

"Whoa, did you just put on makeup?" Jessica noticed Tiffany's makeup right away as she met her halfway. "But your red nose is still visible," she pointed out, earning a playful hit on her arm.

"I was hoping I could talk to her presentably. But she left already?" A sad pout adorned Tiffany's face. She had even changed into a dress, but it seemed it was all for naught. 

"She left after requesting Yuri to go on a blind date with this woman," Jessica explained, showing the photo.

"What? And you just allowed it?" Tiffany exclaimed.

"It was her idea," Yuri softly chuckled as he approached them. "Don't worry, it's just to please Mrs. Kim. I'll leave the date once I'm full," he promised with a charming smile, earning a playful hit from his girlfriend. "Don't you ever regret this, babo. I'm telling you for the third time, don't ever regret this, babo."

"What? Babo?"

"Yeah, you're dumb." He stuck his tongue out playfully.

"Aish." Jessica tried to hit her boyfriend again but Yuri quickly dodged it and as she attempted to do it again, he ran which prompted her to chase him around the living room.

Sighing heavily, Tiffany settled onto the sofa where Mrs. Kim had been seated moments ago. 'Should I make an appointment with her? I think it's better to do that than to wait for her to return. Yeah, I should ask for her number from Taeyeon,' she thought, her hand clenching into a fist.

***

After ensuring Da-On had fallen asleep, Taeyeon carefully headed to the balcony where Tiffany was enjoying her warm tea. He pulled the chair next to her and took his seat. 

"Are you feeling better now?" he asked softly, his touch gentle as he squeezed her hand.

"Yeah, much better than earlier. Incredibly, you had to consult a doctor personally just for the right medicine," Tiffany said with a soft giggle.

"It's better to be cautious than to randomly pick medicines that might not work. I'm relieved I made the right call," he remarked, with no regrets about driving to the hospital with his son for Tiffany's sake.

"Tsk, No wonder you guys returned a bit late." 

"We didn't miss anything, right?"

"Why? Did Yuri say something to you?" She furrows her eyebrows, curious.

Taeyeon shakes his head slightly. "He simply said goodnight."

"By the way, did you ever mention our wedding to your parents already?" 

"Uh... I told my mother over the phone. Why? Did Da-On mentioned anything?"

Tiffany let out a soft chuckle. "Why beat around the bush? I'm asking because your son mentioned meeting his grandma. So, yeah, I'm curious."

"Yeah, he did meet my mother. It wasn't quite what I expected," Taeyeon sighed softly.

"He did share the details with me," she replied, reciprocating Taeyeon's handhold and placing her other hand atop theirs. "I understand she's changed over the five years we were gone..." She looked into his eyes tenderly. "Don't stress about it. I'll try to talk to her."

"What? No, I've got it, Fany," Taeyeon declined immediately. "I'm her son, and I'll make sure she won't be a trouble to us."

"No, I thought of it, I have to gain back her trust in me, now that we're back and with her grandson."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, so leave it to me, okay? You've already done a lot for me and your son, it's time for me to