✎ Issue 17: Marry Me
Scandalicious
✎ Lee Taemin ✎
"Lee Taemin?" a boy who looks somewhat younger than me walks to me with wide eyes. "Jinjja?"
I open my mouth and close it again. I have no idea what kind of excuse I can make now. Did he see me kissed Hayeon just now? How could I forget that someone could see us together?
The boy turns to Hayeon, who looks really calm and I find it's strange, and says with excitement, "Noona! You told us the truth! Daebak!"
Hayeon chuckles and messes his hair with a playful grin, "I never lie. What are you doing outside at this hour, Hajoong?"
"Waiting for you!" the boy answers with a wide smile. "You're late, Noona! Appa and Eomma are waiting for you two!"
Noona? Appa? Eomma?
"Taemin," Hayeon looks at me and winks. "This is my Dongsaeng, Seo Hajoong. He is two years younger than you so he is technically your dongsaeng as well."
Before I can ask whether she is just playing random jokes with me, Hajoong pulls both of us to the house where he came from, "Ppalli! I'm hungry!"
I take off my shoes and try to do eyes contact with Hayeon but it's useless. She is too busy talking with Hajoong and, the next second I know, a man and a woman walk out from another room.
"Isn't it my little Princess?" a man, who looks like a forty years old one, opens his arms wide, an invitation for a hug. "Jal osyeosseoyo, Hayeon."
Hayeon hugs the man and gives another hug to the woman who stands next to the man. She tells Hayeon that she has prepared special dinner for all of us so we can talk during dinner.
"Hwanyeonghamnida! Aigoo, you must be Lee Taemin!" the woman looks happy to see me. "Omona, you are really handsome! I should wear a better dress to welcome you!"
"Eomma," Hayeon chirps in with an awkward smile. "Gwaenchanayo. He won't mind at all, right, Taemin?"
I blink in confusion. She has a lot of explanation to do but my brain is working fast right now. Thankfully I'm not that insensitive to understand what is going on right now.
Hayeon surely knows how to give me a surprise on Valentine's Day by inviting me to her parents' house... without telling me!
"Jamsimanyo," I bow sligtly and take Hayeon's hand gently. "I need to talk with Hayeon for a moment."
"What a lovely couple we have here," her mother giggles and looks at her husband. "We used to be like that when we're young, weren't we?"
Hajoong gives an awkward look and walks pass through us, "I'm going to eat first then! Dinner, dinner!"
After three of them leave us, heading to the dinner room, I raise my eyebrow and question Hayeon right away, "Why didn't you tell me that we're going to meet your family?"
Hayeon sticks out her tongue, "Because I wanted to know what kind of reaction you would give. It's worth the wait."
"Jagiya...," I sigh and poke her nose. "I should have chose something more good looking if I knew it!"
"It's just a dinner," Hayeon laughs and gives me a sign to follow her. "Besides you're looking good already. How much more good looking you can be, Lee Taemin?"
Heat creeps to my cheeks and words are stuck in my throat. She can always make my heart beats in abnormal speed just by one simple and honest compliment.
Her parents and younger brother are waiting for us already, sitting behind the table. I am given a seat right next to Hayeon and her father opens up the dinner with a short speech.
"We have a really special guest tonight. Lee Taemin, mannaseo bangapsseumnida," Hayeon's father greets me with a warm smile. "Welcome to Seo family."
"Ah, ne," I bow politely and hesitate what I should call him. What should I call my girlfriend's father as?
As if she can read my mind, Hayeon's mother smiles to me and says, "Please, call me 'Eomma'. I believe my husband will be glad to hear you call him as 'Appa'. Hwanyeong, adeul."
My lips turn into a curve and I greet him with my best smile, "Kamsahamnida, Appa, Eomma."
✂ ✂ ✂
"Come in," Hayeon gestures me to enter her room. She turns on the light and I can see a really neat bedroom, completed with a single bed, a desk, and a wardrobe. "Everything is still in order."
The dinner is over and Hayeon's mother suggested that she should show me her bedroom in the house. She refused at first but she gave up in the end and told me to follow her.
It was awkward at first but since her parents were so welcoming, the awkward atmosphere disappeared. I found out many things that I never knew about Hayeon before.
Her little brother, Seo Hajoong, is actually a fan of me. He said that he wants to be a good dancer like me. Hayeon's parents also support SHINee. Her father's favorite is Jonghyun and her mother's favorite member is Onew.
Hayeon usually visits them once in three months but tonight is a special event. She told them we would come on Valentine's Day around a week ago and she finally spoke about my relationship.
I am happy but, at the same time, I feel ashamed of myself. Come to think of it, I never really asked her about her family.
"Gomawo," Hayeon takes a seat on her bed, looking at me with a small smile. "I know my family is too excited. Just ignore them. They love SHINee too much."
I sit next to her and study her expression, "I should be the one who thanks you. It feels like I have a new family here."
Hayeon shows me her sweet smile before looking straight, staring at the empty wall, "Good to hear that. I also felt the same when I met them for the first time."
My smile fades as I can see sadness in her smile. She drops her gaze, still keeping a weak smile, "They really think of me as their family even when I'm not one."
"I'm adopted," she finally tells me a shocking truth. She doesn't look at me as she continues, "They took care of me since thirteen years ago and I am really grateful for it."
Hayeon bites her bottom lip and I feel the urge to hug her, to tell her that it's alright if she doesn't want to continue. However she lifts up her chin and sighs, "Mianhae, Taemin. I should have told you earlier. Blame me for being all secretive."
"But you told me just now," I reach out my hand to caress her cheek. I smile, assuring her that it's alright. "I should thank them for taking care of such a beautiful lady like you."
She laughs nervously and stands up immediately, trying to avoid looking at my eyes, "M-Mwoya? You ar-"
I take her wrist and pull her until she looks at me. I look up so our eyes can meet because I still sit down on her bed, "Gwaenchanayo, Hayeon."
With that one word, she stops holding back the tears. She starts to sob quietly, embracing my hand tightly, "I didn't have anyone... Until they came into my life... I-I didn't know why... I just... I just..."
I choose to stay silence and pull her closer so she can sit on my lap. She hugs me and wraps her arms around my neck. I her hair gently, letting her to cry for the first time in front of me.
I never saw her cried before but now she cries her heart out, telling me one of the most important things in her life. I can't help but to think how lucky I am to be trusted by her.
"I just...," she clears and pulls away, resting her forehead against mine. "I just wanted them to meet you... So they would know... The most precious person in my life..."
My heart skips a beat when she tells me why she invited me to come tonight. It's not just a simple surprise or else.
"Jagiya," I wipe her tears with my thumb. I become nervous all of a sudden as I smile to her, "This... I will say this again one day but..."
I take one of her hands in mine while my other hand cups her face, "Marry me."
Hayeon flinches slightly but I hold her hand tighter and whisper, "Narang gyeolhon haejullae?"
I know it sounds crazy. I'm not even twenty years old yet but the words just came out. I want her to know that I will be more than happy to be a part of her family.
To be in a new family with her. Our own family.
Seconds of silence make me think that maybe it actually surprises her too much. She even draws distance slightly from me.
"Ah, j-just ignore it," I laugh nervously and try to shrug it off. "I should have picked a better time to say it, right?"
For my surprise, Hayeon circles her arms around my neck again and locks her lips with mine. We kiss for a while before she parts the kiss and smiles shyly, "Gidaryeo."
Happiness is overflowing in my heart when she gives me her answer.
It's the best Valentine's Day ever in my life and I promise to myself that I will create a more beautiful moment next year.
Since I know that I can't meet her tomorrow because I have a schedule for filming, I choose to whisper something to her in English before giving her another kiss.
"Happy Valentine's Day, my love."
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Glossary #17
- Daebak (대박) : big win/awesome/very good.
- Jal osyeosseoyo (잘 오셨어요) : welcome back.
- Hwanyeonghamnida (환영합니다) : welcome. It's a greeting given upon someone's arrival.
- Omona (어머니) : oh my gosh. It's used as a surprise expression.
- Adeul (아들) : son.
- Narang gyeolhon haejullae (나랑 결혼 해줄래) : will you marry me?
- Gidaryeo (기다려) : (I will) wait. The formal word is 'Gidarimnida' (기다립니다).
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