A/N: Hi everyone! I know it was a bit of a wait for chapter 2, and I do apologize for the delay. I was pleasantly surprised that many of you were interested, because truly I think this will be a lot of fun to write, and I do enjoy trying new things. So with that being said I won’t delay any further please enjoy chapter 2 and thank you all very much!

Looking back, Bae Joohyun supposed her parents were always a bit protective over her. She figured that had a lot to do with the fact she was their only child. But growing up she had protective parents, not overbearingly protective. Just protective in the sense where if she had problems with other children in school both her mom and dad would know about it, or her father in particular would be sure to drive her to and from school even when Joohyun told him there wasn’t any need, and perhaps she was also a bit hopeless with directions, (even if Joohyun herself wouldn’t admit it, and that’s not only reason why her father came himself to pick her up). Or even why he still would come pick her up to this very day.

Joohyun didn’t really think those were the only reasons why her parents were protective over her. Sure, she was their only child, and daughter on top of it. Their only daughter might be a bit hopeless with finding her own way, but that wasn’t the only reason to be extra protective as Joohyun got older. Because on top of all of those things, Joohyun was an omega too. She knew the moment that she presented as an omega, it probably sent her parents feelings of protection into overdrive.

It might have been easier, had she not been an omega. Her parents might have worried a little less about their only daughter if she were an alpha or a beta. But life had other plans, and Joohyun wasn’t going to sit around wondering why things couldn’t be a certain way. However, Joohyun wasn’t the sort of person who spent her time thinking about what was easier or wondering about the what ifs. She was however the person who didn’t believe in accidents or coincidences. Everything happened for whatever reason they were supposed to. 

With that being said, Joohyun knew there was something going on with her parents. They were acting oddly and in a way that screamed suspicious to the young omega. If there was anything she learned fairly on, it was to always trust her own instincts. Trusting herself had not ever steered her wrong before. Whether that meant, keeping aware of potentially dangerous situations with alpha’s who might not take no for an answer. Or keeping her friend group to a small select few betas and one other omega she trusted because her instincts had never failed her so far. Which is why, she knew for certain her parents were hiding something, and she would figure out what it was.

Joohyun decided she’d start by doing the logical thing and ask the both of them about it. Naturally, her parents would have no problems being open and honest with her, if she asked? They never have in the past, so why should they start now? At least, that's what Joohyun Of course, when Joohyun asked, neither of her parents gave her the answer she wanted to hear. 

“Nothing’s wrong, sweetie.”

“There’s nothing to worry about, Princess, nothing at all. You’ll see.”

If they were trying to be reassuring. Joohyun had to say they had failed quite miserably. Their behavior might have surprised her, since for as long as she had known her parents. Joohyun had not known either of them to outright lie to her, but that didn’t mean she was going to give up, oh no. She had a bit of a plan, and fortunately, Joohyun liked to sit back and observe. She would take her time to gather her notes and come back to ask when she had all of the necessary information. Her parents made that part easy enough, at least they did when they were both around. These days if she was even a few moments late for meal times, she would miss either her mom or dad.

That in itself was unusual as the three of them pretty much always had their meals together. Except for certain circumstances that couldn’t be helped.

“Where’s mom?” Joohyun asked as soon as she made it to breakfast, barely five minutes after seven and there was no sign of her mother. She did notice an entire table full of food, including the side dishes she loved, two different teas, and coffee. Her father certainly could have done most of this by himself if he was up since five. But Joohyun had a feeling her mother probably helped make breakfast before disappearing to wherever it was she went.

“Your mother had to go into town, Hyun. She wanted to get an early start on some errands, and you know how long the drive is.”

True enough. They do live a good distance from town and it isn’t a short drive. Joohyun normally doesn’t even go into town because of how long the drive is, and if she does she’s usually with one or both of her parents.

“Right.” She grabs the red tea kettle. It’s not impossible that her mother could have left the house early to take care of some errands. Joohyun just has the feeling there’s much more to the story than that.

“Hyun.” Bae Minjoon looks worriedly at his daughter. He could see clearly in Joohyun’s actions that she didn’t fully believe him. There was nothing worse than a feeling of your own child doubting you, and yet he couldn’t fully blame her if she was currently feeling unsure of both himself and his wife. Ever since Joohyun asked them what was going on and they had chosen not to be fully honest with her. There had been a shift of sorts in their family dynamic. It wasn’t as if they were withholding information on purpose to be cruel either. But they had to be sure of things first before involving Joohyun in any way, and Minjoon could only hope that Joohyun would understand when they tell her the full truth. With that in mind, he sure doesn’t like the distance and awkwardness either.

“Yes, daddy?” In some ways, Joohyun is still his baby girl, even if she is not a little girl anymore and is twenty-three years old. She will always be his baby girl, whom he has loved from the moment she came screaming into the world. The same adorable child who was so very clumsy that he would tend to her skinned knees and bandage her cuts anytime she appeared with a new scrape. Though she is a young woman now with her own thoughts, opinions, and personality. He can’t help that he often sees his little girl still and wants what’s best for her. 

“It’ll all make sense soon, I promise.”
 

Joohyun simply smiled in a distant sort of way as she poured herself a cup of tea. “Alright, daddy. Whatever you say. Everything looks good, we might as well eat.”

“Yeah, of course. Your mom will have a fit if we don’t eat breakfast.”

“Hmm…” Joohyun nodded and said no more. Minjoon hated to withhold information from Joohyun, he really did. He knew the moment his wife came home they’d have to talk. At least, he needed to have an idea on where things stood, and if there was any progress with the Kangs. Because if there wasn’t any actual progress, this whole thing was for nothing and either way they still needed to sit down and tell Joohyun everything and hope she would understand why they were doing the things they were doing. 

For now, breakfast went by in a relatively quiet manner. Joohyun would only give short one-worded answers to her father’s questions, and she knew that if her mother were here the conversation would probably go a lot better. As much as she does love her father, and she does love him. The two of them are similar, personality wise, and they aren’t the best when it comes to having and maintaining a conversation. Her mom is much more sociable than either of them combined. Joohyun hopes she will be home by dinner time so dinner won’t be as awkward. That and the omega really needs to keep on observing both of her parents together to continue gathering more information. Her father might have said things will make sense soon, but she isn’t sure when that could be. And her parents are very clearly holding something back and acting odd.

“I’ll clear and wash the dishes. I’m going out to lunch with Jennie. Her girlfriend Chaeyoung might join us. But that shouldn’t be a problem for you, right?”

“What, oh yes. That’s fine, Hyun.” He doesn’t have any problem with Joohyun spending time with her best friend Jennie, who is also an omega too. Jennie is a very nice young woman who has spent time at their house and Minjoon trusts his daughter’s judgment. 

“Okay, I’ll go take care of the dishes.”
 

“Say, princess. Might I ask you a question?”

Joohyun looks curiously at her father. She wonders briefly what he is going to ask her. It could be anything at all, like did she enjoy breakfast because she barely ate anything? What did she want for dinner in case the two of them were on their own once again? Or something more serious, like how she was doing in her new part-time job? A job she personally knows she was able to get easily because of her parents connections, but at this point a job is a job, and Joohyun liked making her own money. She hopes he doesn’t ask about the job since honestly she doesn’t want to talk about it with him, even if it will ultimately help her if she wants to pursue a career in journalism one day.

“Sure.”

“You’re not interested in anyone lately, right?”

Of all the questions her father could have asked her. Joohyun didn’t exactly see that one coming. What an odd question? Especially when he should know that she herself has no interest in anyone these days. When she’s not at her part-time job at the newspaper publication, or spending whatever time with Jennie and her small circle of friends. She is pretty much home, even if she didn’t prefer to be home on most days. Joohyun isn’t looking at any alpha’s with interest, even if sometimes she might get a look or two. 

“N-No.” She laughs as if the question is completely ridiculous. “I thought you said you didn’t intend to let me date until I was forty.” Joohyun then reminds him of his comments from when she was younger, and how he would so boldly claim he’d not let her date anyone until she was forty. Though, Joohyun was sure he was mostly kidding, even if he did become more protective over her once it was revealed she was an omega.

Minjoon smiled softly. “You are my beautiful and intelligent daughter. I’d have to make sure the alpha was good for you.”

“There’s nothing to worry about there. I don’t have interest in anyone at this time.”
 

“Okay, good…” He seemed relieved and Joohyun did wonder if there was more to that as well, and if that had anything at all to do with her parent’s strange behavior. Joohyun made a mental note to keep that information in mind for later. She is sure it’ll come up again. 

“Yeah, don’t worry, daddy. I’m going to do the dishes and I’ll be up in my room. If you’re not home by the time I leave, I’ll see you later on?”

“Yes, I’ll see you later, Hyun. Have a good time today.”

She didn’t speak to her father after that. Not after taking care of the breakfast dishes, and clearing the table. Joohyun did exactly as she said she would and spent the time in her room, catching a bit of a nap first before the next thing she knew Jennie had come to pick her up. Her father had been nowhere to be found either, so Joohyun assumed he probably had business of his own to take care of. It was just as well, Joohyun figured she needed the distraction that being out with her best friend could provide.

“Hey, Jen.” Joohyun smiled warmly and noticed that there wasn’t any sign of Jennie’s girlfriend Chaeyoung yet. Though that didn’t mean the alpha wasn’t going to be meeting them for lunch or already waiting for them. “Is the wife not with you?”

Her friend laughs and shakes her head in the negative. “Not married yet, Hyun.” Jennie gestures to the fact the passenger seat is open, and Joohyun can get inside the car so they can get going.

“Ah, but soon, right? It’s been about a year and I know you’d marry Chaeng.”

“You do know it’s the people who are single forever and claim they won’t ever get married to be the first ones to do so.” 

Joohyun is momentarily stunned by her fellow omega’s comment, and it takes her a moment to fully process as she wants to be able to respond in the best way possible. Honestly, that was a clear comment toward her, despite Jennie’s teasing smile and tone in her voice.

“I think the person in the relationship has a much better chance of getting married than the single-not looking friend, just saying.”

“Ah, touché. But really, I still think you will have a wife before I’m married. I can see someone finally breaking your walls down and getting you to open up, Bae Joohyun.”

Jennie is only coming from a place of concern. Joohyun does understand and appreciate that. As her best friend told her before, she only wished for Joohyun to be happy with someone she loved very much, just like she felt fortunate for her own relationship with Chaeyoung. Not all alphas, but many both herself and Joohyun had encountered were very traditional in their thinking. Especially in the belief that omegas were inferior to alphas, and they should be subservient to their alpha partners. Jennie appreciated very much that Chaeyoung was not that sort of alpha, and valued her like a true equal. It wasn’t too much to ask if she wanted the same for her best friend.

“Okay, I promise you’ll be the first to know if there’s any special alpha in my life, Jen. But I’m sure that won’t be for a long while.”

“You never know, Hyun. I’ll stop bothering you about it for now, because we have something more important to do.”

For a split second Joohyun thinks Jennie is about to make a profound comment. Only she ends up laughing in agreement when her friend announces loudly that they need to hurry and get to lunch, so that they might stuff their faces with delicious food.

“Now that’s the kind of important thing I’m talking about.” 

After all, who had time to think of anything silly like getting married at this point in time. Joohyun surely wasn’t.

Bae Hyunsook did indeed have errands to run in town, so Joohyun hadn’t been lied to when her father told her that’s where her mother went earlier in the day. Joohyun just didn’t know about her mother’s meeting with an old friend by the time she finished her errands and sat down to lunch. 

“I’m glad you had the time to meet today, Misook.” 

“Of course, we’ve only been trying to meet for months it seems. But each time I try to contact you, you always seem busy with some new event or function with your husband.”

It has been hard to stay in touch over the years, from getting married to their respective spouses, to of course living in the same area but not close by, and starting their own families. There hasn’t been much time to catch up, but both women have never lost too much contact. They at least know what has been going on in others lives, which has brought them to why they are here today.

“He’s pretty much retired now though. So that’s no excuse.” Hyunsook lightly reprimanded her friend. “Anyway, please order something else from the menu. I know we have business to discuss but there’s no reason we can’t enjoy a nice meal as well.”

“Sounds good, let’s at least enjoy lunch before we have a serious conversation.”

It was the easier part of the meeting, looking through the menus for meals, appetizers, and drink options of their choice. The two women even had a casual conversation as they waited for the first appetizers to come out. It did feel nice to meet up with Misook again after such a long time. But if things do go well according to the plans they have in mind, there is no reason why they won’t be seeing more of each other in general.

“Joohyun is about Seulgi’s age, right?” Misook asks, though she knows how old her friend’s daughter is compared to her own daughter. 

“Yes, I believe they are only a year apart, so it’s my hope that will help smooth things over as well.”

Truthfully, they aren’t trying to force any sort of connection between their children or arrange a marriage per say. Just as they found their own prospective partners and chose to get married on their own terms, they’d like the same for both Seulgi and Joohyun. But neither herself or her friend would be opposed to it if their kids do end up liking each other enough to the point of eventual marriage.

“Her father and I worry about her. Joohyun is our only daughter and we don’t want her to be alone when neither of us are around one day. So maybe nothing comes from having her meet Seulgi but it’s worth a try.”

Misook agreed. As her wife and herself certainly were trying to look out for Seulgi too and her own potential future. They aren’t going to force matters either, but it is certainly worth a try. 

“If it works out for them, we will all actually be family. I haven’t really told Seulgi anything yet either. I thought it best if we all work some details out first before just having the girls meet.”

And that’s why they were having this first meeting now. There were details to work out and more discussions to be had, before even thinking about having their daughters meet. Especially considering neither of them had informed either daughter of what the plan currently was.

“I know, I think you should come to the house for dinner. We can talk things over with my husband, it’ll be a little less suspicious if it’s just you and not Haeyeon too. Not that I’m not looking forward to seeing her again too.” She mentions Misook’s wife. 

“And I’m looking forward to seeing Minjoon as well,” she knows there will be time to see her friend’s husband, whom she herself hasn’t seen in a while. “But I agree, we will work all the details out, and when the time is right we can introduce Seulgi and Joohyun.”

“Sounds good to me, now when can you come over for our first dinner. We’d be glad to have you.”

With a new plan set for Misook to join them for dinner tomorrow evening, for however many dinners it took to have the necessary conversations needed before they felt comfortable finally introducing their girls. Both women felt better than they had before sitting down to lunch and when it was time to leave, there was a bit of optimism.

“I have a good feeling about this. Our kids are really going to be good for one another. I know my Joohyun and she does need someone patient since she can take a while to open up.”

“Seul is very friendly, and gets along well with anyone. And from the way you talk about Joohyun she might also be a good influence on my Seul too, so I have a good feeling about their meeting as well. I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

“See you tomorrow, Misook.”

Now all she needed to do was get home and tell her husband about the plan moving forward. Hyunsook also knew that Joohyun had her own suspicions about why herself and her father were behaving oddly. She knew they’d tell Joohyun everything soon, but all she could hope for at this point was to not get her daughter more suspicious.

This might have been her hope, but things don’t always go according to plan when she made it home later on, and before she could even find her husband to fill in him with everything that happened. Joohyun had been sitting in their dining area, looking as if she'd been waiting for either herself or dad for some time.

“Hyun? Hi, sweetie. Have you been sitting there long? Do you want me to make you a snack or something to eat before dinner?”

“No, that's okay, mom. I had a big lunch earlier with Jennie. I’m glad you’re here, it seems like if dad isn’t around then you’re not these days.”

“I’m sorry, Hyun. Things have been a bit hectic but they’ll slow down soon.”

Joohyun gave a nod and a small smile but didn’t say anything further. There was still some awkwardness in the air and Hyunsook tried to figure a good way to ease some of the tension. 

“I know you said you had a big lunch earlier but there’s no reason we can’t have some of those chocolate chip cookies I made yesterday. What do you say?”

Joohyun sees the warm smile on her mom’s face and as easy as it would be to say no because she’s a little disappointed in her parents for withholding information for whatever reason they’re choosing too. At the end of the day these are both her parents who have done nothing other than love and care for her this entire time. Neither of them would try and actively hurt her.

“Okay, mom. Only if we can have strawberry ice cream too.”

Hyunsook nodded, both in gratefulness and relief. Spending any quality time with her daughter felt great, and maybe more so now with the current tension between them all. Tension that should hopefully get better when Joohyun found out what was going on. Or worse case scenario, her daughter might be very upset because of the interference in her love life, though it was coming from a good place. Hyunsook only hoped for the best, even if Joohyun didn’t get along with Misook’s daughter, though she hoped she would be able to get along well with Seulgi.

“Of course we can have strawberry ice cream, now you know we can’t tell your father about this, he will probably be devastated that we ate dessert without him. So it’ll be our little secret.”

This time Joohyun does have a more genuine smile on her face. As she thinks back to being a kid and having secret desserts with her mom without telling her father many times. It takes her back to more carefree and easygoing times.

“Okay, mom. I haven’t seen dad for hours though, I figured he might have some last minute business come up.”
 

“I see, well it will be our little secret. But we will be nice and leave him some ice cream for after dinner.”

She didn’t tell Joohyun about the fact they will have a guest joining them for dinner, not because she didn’t want to. She wanted to talk to her husband first, and together they’d let Joohyun know that they’d have a dinner guest. That’s the least she could do without giving away too much information yet.

However long Hyunsook needed until they were ready to discuss everything with Joohyun. There was already a plan in motion and truthfully, her daughter wouldn’t have to wait much longer to find out. Not with Misook coming over for what could end up being several dinners.

“Hey, mom.”

“Yes, Hyun?”

This is where Joohyun could have ditched her plan of quietly observing her parents and then striking when she had more information. Ultimately she chose not to, since eventually the reasons for their suspicious behavior would come to light.

“Oh, I wanted to mention Jennie is planning a small overnight trip, maybe a day or two. It’ll be us, and a few close friends. Her girlfriend Chaeyoung will come too, but that won’t be a problem.” 

Now Hyunsook had no choice. Typically she doesn’t have a problem with Joohyun going out and doing things with her friends. After all, Joohyun is an adult, and they’ve always had a trusting relationship with their daughter. 

“Oh, sweetie. Is there no way you can postpone your trip for a few days or so? We’re going to have a special guest over for dinner and your dad and I would love to introduce you.”

Joohyun blinked curiously. Now what was all this about a special guest? What else could  she have done but to stay behind. Especially if it helped her find out what was going on.

“Y-Yeah, sure mom. I’ll call Jennie later and reschedule with them, it’s fine.”

At the end of this, Joohyun hoped she would have more answers than the questions she currently had.

Those answers did come

For several days her family kept having a particular guest over. It was a person she herself hadn’t recognized before and Joohyun knew everyone who came over to their house. Because her parents only hosted the same people and barely anyone new. Joohyun would certainly recognize someone that she’d never met before, even if her parents claimed this woman was an old friend of theirs. Kang Misook was her name and though she did seem friendly enough. Joohyun had the feeling she was there for more than just dinners with her mom and dad.

She came often to their house and would speak to her parents alone, long after they ate, waiting until Joohyun left the room. In short it was suspicious indeed. Naturally whenever she asked her parents neither of them would say much about it. At least not at first, but Joohyun had a way with her parents, especially her dad. She was daddy’s little girl after all, and he could not truly say no to her. It wasn’t long until he told her the truth of Kang Misook’s visits.

“She has a daughter about your age, Hyun. Any daughter of Misook is bound to be a nice girl. Your mom and I are not going to try and force anything between you both, but we’d like to introduce you.”

Joohyun looked unamused. She should have anticipated something like this happening and yet she didn’t think it was the case. Because really, why would her parents care so much about her love life when she herself wasn’t looking or interested for that matter. 

“What are you hoping for, daddy? I marry someone I don’t know?”

“No, no… I mean if you two end up really liking one another of course we all wouldn’t be opposed to joining our families together, one day. But Hyun, sweetheart, you should know I’m not going to force you to like anyone. I just want you to give her a chance and see. Mom and I only want to make sure you’re happy and not lonely one day.”

And he sounds sincere. Joohyun’s stern expression softens because her father is coming from a place of concern. He is looking at it from the fact he doesn’t want his only daughter alone without a spouse one day and on the one hand, Joohyun does understand. She doesn’t think she needs to be set up by her parents. Who’s to say she’ll like this alpha? She is perfectly capable of finding someone on her own, if she even felt like doing so. Joohyun is not looking for anyone at this point in time, because she is only twenty-three. Who has time to settle down now just because her own parents did when they were about this age?

“I understand, daddy. I’m sure your friend’s daughter is probably decent. But…”

“Just give her a proper chance. If you don’t enjoy her company then you won’t have to see her again. No one’s saying get married tomorrow, Hyun. It won’t hurt to spend time getting to know someone new, at the least you might make a new friend.”

Joohyun knows her father and while she doesn’t doubt he means what he's saying. She’s also sure that he would probably like for her to enjoy this alpha so much she would agree to getting married.

“Alright, if you want me to marry her then I want to talk to her mother.”

“But, Hyun…”

“I’d like to talk to her mother.” Joohyun repeats. “It is your hope we get married at some point, no? Or am I making that part up?”

Joohyun was a lot of things, but stupid she was not. Her mother and father were not meeting with Kang Misook almost every day this week just for her to be friends only with their daughter. Of course they were hoping for an eventual marriage, even if they were saying they wouldn’t force the issue. 

“Okay, Hyun. You can sit down and talk to Misook. She’ll come over tomorrow night for dinner.”

There had not been a denial about her question, which told Joohyun everything she needed to know. Clearly her parents wanted to set her up with their friend’s daughter. Joohyun wanted to hear what Kang Misook had to say about it. Since her dad and mom so far didn’t seem to be willing to share. Knowing that she would get her chance to sit down with the woman and talk. Joohyun prepared with a list of questions. She wanted to know as much about this daughter as possible. Joohyun also wanted to know why all the older adults seemed to think this was the best idea to try and set the two of them up?

This was all new to Joohyun. She remembers a dad who mostly joked he wouldn’t even let her date until she was forty. Why now did he seem fine with her being set up? Was it really all because this was a daughter of a friend of theirs? Joohyun had many questions and she was ready for Kang Misook.

At least, the younger omega told herself she was ready. That is until she sat in front of the woman herself after they had just finished dinner, and for a second she lost her nerve. Joohyun wasn’t sure if it was because Misook smiled kindly at her, or if she herself had trouble speaking when it came to people she didn’t know that well. Either way, it was the older omega who spoke first.

“I know you have questions, Joohyun. I’ll try and answer them as best as I can. I’m sure it’s probably very uncomfortable for you having me show up out of the clear blue like this.”

Joohyun had to give it to Kang Misook. She said all the right things so far and had this gentle tone in her voice that did sound genuine. Still, with that being said, Joohyun didn’t know this woman. Even if the plan was to possibly have her be her mother-in-law.

“My parents never mentioned you. But if they say you’re friends. I don’t think they’d lie about it.”

“We are friends, we just haven’t been able to keep in touch as often as we’d like. I am sorry we haven’t been able to meet sooner, this might have made our first few meetings a little less awkward.”

No, in Joohyun’s opinion it would have been less awkward if she knew exactly what was going on from the start. However, she can’t bring herself to be angry at her parents as she knows them. She doesn’t even feel angry at this Misook woman, not really, as she doesn’t know her very well. Joohyun simply has questions.

“That’s alright, Mrs. Kang. I can’t expect to know all of my parents' friends, but I am curious about you, and this daughter of yours. Why are you so alright with us getting married when we’ve never met?”

“You want to know more about Seul? That’s more than fair since you do know everything now.”

That told Joohyun that Misook’s daughter probably didn’t know. That was interesting information to find out, even though she didn’t ask for Misook to elaborate. At this moment, she wanted to know more about this girl herself.

“We’re not going to force you both into an arranged marriage if that’s what you’re worried about, Joohyun. Let me get that clear first.”

“My parents said the same thing. Alright, so you guys won’t force this marriage, but you do hope we do get married? If that’s the case then yes, tell me about Seulgi.”

Joohyun listened as Misook spoke about her daughter Seulgi. She sounded like any proud mother, mentioning how kind, gentle, and considerate her daughter is. Her nature is that she’d never hurt a fly, and even as a kid she’d avoid stepping onto her flower garden to not harm the flowers. It sounds all well and good, but how does Joohyun know she’s not lying or just a mother biased to her daughter.

“How old did you say she was?”

“Twenty-two, just a year younger than you are.”

That wasn’t so bad then if they were close in age. She might even be curious to find out if this alpha was as genuine as her mother described.

“This could be a weird question for you, Mrs. Kang but does she have a lot of omega’s around her? I don’t think I would want my wife hanging around with a lot of other omegas. Especially ones I don’t know.”

“Ah…” Misook nods in understanding. “You wouldn’t have to worry about Seul having a wandering eye or anything. I know she’d be completely committed to her partner.”

“Just the same, if she does have a lot of omegas around her, that’s not acceptable for me. I don’t have a bunch of alpha’s around me all the time, and this is something I guess I can discuss with her when we do meet. You spoke highly of her, but you’re her mother so I’d like to form my own opinion.”

“That’s understandable, I’d expect nothing less than for you to make your own opinion about Seulgi. Still, she is a great girl and I don’t doubt she’d like someone as lovely, bold, and beautiful as you are, Joohyun. So are you saying you’d be willing to meet Seulgi?”

“Thank you?” Joohyun says slightly awkwardly. She thinks she likes Kang Misook so far, because the older woman hasn’t backed down from her questions and still managed to make her feel comfortable.

“So you do have a shy side?” Misook smiled. “Oh, yes Seulgi is going to fall head over heels.”

Now, Joohyun clears . She isn’t sure how she feels about someone she doesn’t know falling head over heels for her, but she is willing to at least meet Seulgi. It’s all she can promise at this time.

“A-Anyway. Yes, I think that will be fine. My parents seem to already be working out the details with you. I guess I’ll meet Seulgi whenever you all decide.”

“If all goes well after my conversation with your mom and dad too. There’s no reason we can’t come over for dinner. You can meet her sire as well.”

“Might as well meet both in-laws.” The younger woman says it in a way that could honestly be a joke. Misook isn’t sure if Joohyun is kidding or not, though she feels the girl has a bit of a sarcastic edge to her, again she sees no real reason why Seulgi wouldn’t like Joohyun. 

“Exactly, that’s the spirit!” She tries to joke along with Joohyun and it works as much as Misook would have liked, and Joohyun does chuckle a bit. 

“If Seulgi has a sense of humor like you do, Mrs. Kang. I guess she will probably be alright.”

“You’ll just have to wait and find out when we all come over to dinner, dear.”

She supposed she would have to wait until Misook and her family came over to dinner to see what Seulgi was like for herself. In the meantime, Joohyun said goodbye to her, and thanked Misook for her time and answering her questions. After she was alone with her parents, Joohyun could tell that they wanted to talk to her, and who could blame them. She got out of having a talk, by claiming she was too tired and overwhelmed. As usual neither her mom or dad pushed her to talk.

“Alright, Princess. We can talk tomorrow, get some rest. We love you.”

“Yes, we love you, Hyun. Thank you for your understanding.”

Joohyun went to sleep that night with practically all of her questions answered and a few new ones too.

What was Kang Seulgi truly like? 

Would they actually get along, and if so would it be to the point of an eventual marriage?

These were questions Joohyun knew she’d have to wait to find the answers to. With everything happening as fast as it had. Joohyun barely had time to talk to Jennie, since she usually will talk to her best friend when anything new happens, and vice versa. All Joohyun told her was she couldn’t go on their planned trip because of an unexpected family matter, to which Jennie didn’t pry. Though she knew she’d tell her friend everything soon, especially on the chance she does end up married after all. Jennie will surely find that an interesting turn of events, after all Joohyun not too long ago said she doubted she’d be getting married and now look at how things were changing for her.

Joohyun didn’t dare think about things like marriage when she hadn’t even met Seulgi yet.

But the Kangs were coming to dinner soon, so she had to get herself prepared to meet this alpha who she didn’t know.

“I wonder what her parents will tell her about me?”

This was a question Joohyun kept in the back of her mind from the time Misook first left their home, right up until she was helping her parents prepare dinner for the Kang’s arrival. They didn’t ask Joohyun to help, but Joohyun wasn’t going to leave her parents to do everything. If that meant making some of the dishes so her dad could do something else, or her mom could take the time to make sure the fancy decorations she ordered for the dinner table were going to arrive on time. Joohyun didn’t mind to assist, and it gave her something else to think about other than the Kang family coming over soon. Though it was hard to completely ignore.

“I ended up buying two different types of wine. I just wasn’t sure.” Hyunsook mentioned and placed both a Merlot and Chardonnay bottle on the table.

“It’s okay, honey.” Minjoon placed a gentle hand on his wife’s shoulder. “The more options the better in this case, since we will have three guests. Possibly future family who knows.”

“Yes, Joohyun didn’t seem too upset with us which I’m grateful for. Who knows, we might be having our first dinner with our future daughter-in-law. I do have a good feeling it’ll work out.”

Minjoon nodded as truly he hoped for the best too, even if it didn’t work out romantically, for Joohyun and Seulgi. 

“What time are they getting here again?” They hear Joohyun ask as she’s heading back towards the kitchen. 

“They should be here around 5: 30, perhaps six depending on the drive. Everything’s ready thanks to your help, princess.” Her father told her sincerely, as Joohyun did help them out tremendously. The house is spotless, all the dishes are prepared, and even a few desserts he picked up early in the day. There’s nothing to do other than change into more appropriate clothes for dinner with guests, and wait for the Kang’s to come, which should be in an hour or less.

“Alright, I’m going to get ready then.” The only thing Joohyun didn’t stress too much about was her outfit for the evening. She usually likes to prepare a week’s worth of clothes, all ironed, no matter if she has somewhere to go or not. In this case, Joohyun felt glad she had the habit of ironing and being ready in advance.

“We will too. Don’t be nervous, Hyun. Of course, Seulgi is going to like you, you’re our amazing and wonderful daughter. ” Her mother spoke in that loving mom way. She did appreciate her mother probably trying to be comforting, and help with any last minute nerves. However, with all this talk about how Seulgi is going to like her, shouldn’t they be equally concerned that she might not like Seulgi?

“I’m not nervous.” Joohyun said quickly. “Well, maybe a little. This is almost like a strange blind date, but with parents tagging along.” Now that she’s said it out loud it actually is accurate. 

“It won’t be that bad, Hyun. Think of it as a friendly first dinner meeting, your mom and I aren’t going to make things awkward for you.” Her father does his best to calm her down.

With that in mind, Joohyun felt better, and thanked her parents before heading back up to her room to change into her outfit for dinner. Nothing overly fancy, but she did want to look decent for meeting someone for the first time. This is why she chose one of her nice cream colored blouses and black skirt, almost like she was heading off to work. Either way, it felt decent enough for a sit down dinner. 

“Alright.” Joohyun nods when she looks herself over in the mirror. She looked suitable enough in her opinion, though she did go through several different hair changes before finally deciding that a ponytail seemed to be the way to go. 

All they had to do now was wait for the Kang family to show up. Joohyun herself sat in the living room and stared at the old grandfather clock waiting for it to be 5: 30 pm. Her mom busied herself by making sure everything was set (though it was) and her father looked out of the windows from time to time. When it was just 5: 45, and hardly late at all. Joohyun sat up from her favorite recliner and let out an exaggerated yawn.

“Oh well, I don’t think they’re coming after all. We should eat now before…”

“There’s a car turning down the road now and heading this way. You said Haeyeon had a black car, right?”

“Anyone can have a black car.” Joohyun mutters.

“That’s definitely the car Misook described to me. We should go outside and greet them.”

Of course it was the exact car. 

Well, here goes nothing.

Joohyun wasn’t in the same hurry as her parents to go outside and greet the Kang’s. She might have dragged her feet a bit, and maybe she felt those nerves in full force again now that the Kang’s were probably coming down their driveway. Her parents were already outside, and she stood a few feet behind them. Thankful that her father’s tall stature could hide her pretty well.

“Misook, Haeyeon.” They spoke together, and Joohyun could see Misook dressed very well in a black turtleneck and dress pants. The woman named Haeyeon must be Seulgi’s sire. 

“Hello, Hyunsook, Minjoon. It’s good to see you both.”

Joohyun stands there listening as her mom and dad have a brief conversation with Seulgi’s parents. This does feel a bit awkward though and she wonders if she should run back in the house now before anyone notices. She hasn’t seen any sign of their daughter though, that is until her father spoke.

“This must be Seulgi.”

So, Seulgi was around after all. There goes the plan of running back into the house since in a moment, Joohyun knows she’s about to meet this alpha for the first time.

“Yes, this is our daughter, Seulgi. Seulgi come say hi. There’s someone we’d like you to meet.”

Oh, crap, Seulgi was coming this way. Joohyun felt extremely anxious now as she heard the footsteps of boots first before anything else. However, when Seulgi’s parents moved slightly out of the way she did see the girl herself. Seulgi stood taller than her, from what Joohyun could see. Her attire left much to be desired as her red and black plaid shirt looked as if it needed ironing desperately. It was a shame too, as her mothers clearly came dressed for dinner. Seulgi looked like she was probably hanging out skateboarding or whatever possible deliquents do. Joohyun couldn't be sure as she had to talk to the girl first. She did have very pretty eyes though, bright and warm. 

Joohyun herself hadn’t had much personal experience with alpha’s. Sure people might try to hit on her from time to time, but she makes sure to keep her distance, and shut that down immediately. There’s also Jennie’s girlfriend Chaeyoung, though that doesn’t count fully since Chaeyoung is completely head over heels for Jennie. What does she do? What does she say to this girl?

“I….” Seulgi opened to speak, and then it dawned on Joohyun. She should test this alpha and see what she’d do or say. You can tell a lot from a person based on their emotional response. That, and she needed to see if Seulgi would be able to keep up with her. Before even Joohyun herself realized it there was a snarl from her, perhaps her inner omega screaming at her this was the best way to test a potential alpha who might be her future mate. Then she slapped Seulgi upside the head in a way that certainly wouldn’t cause pain, just enough to get some sort of response.

“Okay, now what will you do, Kang Seulgi?”

All the older adults looked at the scene before them in varying degrees of worry and concern. That wasn’t the exact way they wanted the first meeting between their children to go, not at all.

“What the hell is your problem!” Seulgi snarled right back at her, though she wasn’t raising a hand to hit her back. She looked stunned more than anything, and then Joohyun smiled very softly to herself.

Ooh, this was going to be fun.

A/N: Alright many of you wondered and had lots of good reasons as to why Joohyun did what she did. And yeah it would have probably been crack/hilarious if Joohyun truly was upset because of her unironed shirt lol. But as I typed this out, I thought about it and it dawned on me that as an omega, Joohyun could have been issuing Seulgi a challenge of sorts to see her reaction/and seeing ultimately if this was the alpha who’d be able to challenge her/keep up with her/be a worthy partner that sort of thing and it made sense to me. Also, no worries in chapter three we will move right on, but I thought it was good to see a chapter dedicated fully to Joohyun’s thoughts like chapter one was, this was actually a lot harder than I thought writing and making it all add up to fit the end of chapter 1, so if you liked this at all thank you! They will be on a journey of figuring out their feelings for one another, so sound should be fun! Reviews are appreciated. 

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