ღ Chapter Sixteen ღ

The glare that my grandmother gave Kris on first sight was enough to make me shudder, and I was just standing next to him experiencing the side effects. Kris took the full brunt of it, and countered with a rare, if somewhat forced, smile.

“Well, aren’t you a tall one,” she said, looking him over. “

“Yes, ma’am, 187 cm.” Kris clasped his hands in front of him, and slid a sideways glance at me. I could practically read his mind. Jae-in, your grandmother is checking me out! What the hell?

“How old are you, dear boy?” she asked.

“I’m a month older than Jae-in,” Kris replied.

Because she definitely was checking him out. Grandmother was circling him now, an impassive look on her face. “And very looking, too,” she continued, turning her icy gaze on to me. “You sure know how to pick them, Lee Jae-in.”

I only bowed and suppressed my y remark, not daring to talk back to her.

“Come sit down in the living room. My daughter-in-law is just finishing preparing our meal,” she gestured for Kris to follow her, and then waved me away. “You, go help her set up the table”

Pshhh yeah, right. As if I was ever going to leave her alone with poor Kris. She’d probably eat him alive. Dad must have felt the same way, because he hurried out with utensils. 

“It’s alright; I’ve got it,” he said. “We’re almost done anyway, mother. Jae-ah, you stay with your boyfriend, okay?”

I gave him a silent nod of thanks. It looks like there won’t be blood shed in this house today. Taking Kris’ hand, I pulled him into the living room, following behind my grandmother.

"Why are your hands so goddamn cold?" he hissed at me in Chinese, as he trailed behind me.

I turned to glare at him. "They're always this temperature."

We took seats next to each other on the loveseat, and grandmother sat down across from us. She folded her hands neatly on her laps, and launched another attack on Kris. “So, your Korean seems really good for a foreigner. Jae-in mentioned that you are Chinese-Canadian?”

“Yes, I’ve been living here full time for several years,” Kris answered politely. “And I’ve been learning and studying very hard since.”

“Do you have any family here in Korea?”

“No, only in Guangzhou, China and in Canada.”

“You must get lonely here then, don’t you?” she asked.

Kris turned to me, and let a small smile play over his face. “I do, but then I have Jae-in ah to make it all better.”

Seriously, someone get this boy an acting gig. He really could be the next idol actor.

“Well isn’t that sweet,” Grandmother looked genuinely impressed. “And do you have any siblings, Kris?”

“No ma’am, I do not.”

So far so good, I thought, and took a breath of relief. Maybe I had successfully escaped the arranged dates for now.

“You do seem like a nice boy,” grandmother continued. “What do you do?”

This is the part that I had been afraid of. I knew that she wanted me marry a future CEO, doctor or laywer, and she was probably going to throw a fit if I don’t.

“I’m…a singer, a rapper, and a dancer,” Kris replied.

“An entertainer you say?” Grandmother’s brows wrinkled. “Well I guess for a pret