Chapter 9. The Unexpected Family Meeting

DARA

A couple of days have passed since that dinner we had with friends and that kissing incident. We didn’t talk about it when we got home. What was there to talk about anyway? He kissed me in front of my closest friends. In front of the girl he supposedly liked. I did give him a piece of my mind but that lingering smirk on his face just proved to me he was unfazed. That kissing incident defied common sense to me but I can’t help but revel at the feeling of his lips on mine. I suddenly hit my lips in disbelief. Why was I daydreaming of his kiss?  I was arranging his clothes for today’s schedule. He just told me that he has a shoot in the afternoon and we’ll have dinner together after. He told me that I don’t have to tag along for the shoot and that I can have the afternoon to myself and I can do whatever I want but I have to make sure I will be ready for dinner at six. I wonder if he’s going to apologize for what he did the last time but for now I am going to give my aunt a surprise visit.

I was already about to leave when I heard the doorbell ring. I went ahead and opened the door and to my surprise I was standing face to face with the legendary actress Kim Mi Sook. She’s the epitome of simplicity and elegance.

She went inside the suite as if she has done so many times before. She sat down on the leather couch looking all regal while I stood there feeling like a hotel staff ready to do whatever request she may have. Why I am in her presence at this very moment I have no clue.

“You must be surprised to see me here?”  The award winning actress spoke. Err I guess she can also read minds.

I just nodded knowing that anything that would come out of my mouth would sound absolutely stupid.

“I’m Choi Seung Hyun’s mother. It’s not really a secret in the industry but from the startled look on your face I can see that my dear son have not spoken about our family to you.”

Oh my gahd!!! What!!! Seung Hyun’s mom is the queen of Korean soap operas. I was literally having a menbung moment in silence. My halmeoni will flip tables if she finds out. I covered my mouth for obvious reasons that it has been hanging open longer than usual.

“So, how long have you been dating my son?”

Her question caught me off guard. What was I supposed to tell her? Should I tell her the truth or should I make some random story like Tabi did?

“Not long,” I replied. It was brief and border line stupid. I know. I want to start hitting my head on the wall next to me. “Would you like something to drink?” I stammered miserably.

“Maybe next time when we can sit down and talk but right now I’d like to invite you and my son for dinner tonight,” the elegant woman said as she stood up from her seat.

I followed her as she started walking towards the door.

“Kindly tell him that I’m not amused by his lack of courtesy. He finally came back to Korea after years of staying abroad and he has not called or paid a visit to us, his family, not to mention the fact that he has not introduced you to us yet,” she said as she made her way out the door. “I look forward to seeing you tonight. I’m sure the whole family is.”

I could only nod and bow as she walked out of the suite. My heart was still racing as if I ran down the stairs to the ground floor than back to our room.

I called Seung Ri right away. I didn’t want to disturb Seung Hyun just in case he was still in a middle of a shoot.

Seung Ri didn’t answer his phone so I just left a message about Seung Hyun’s mom coming over and inviting us for dinner.

Alas my plans have been screwed. I cancelled my visit to my aunt’s home instead I’m going to research about Choi Seung Hyun’s family background. I can’t have a repeat disaster first meeting just like what I had a while ago. I know it’s a little dumb I kind of want to look good in front of Seung Hyun’s family. I know we’re just pretending to be dating but I figured I still need to have my best foot forward. I don’t want to be remembered as the lousy pretend girlfriend.

So I looked up Choi Seung Hyun’s name and low and behold he’s from a family of well-known actors. His parents are both legendary TV drama actors. Choi Jong Hwan, is a brilliant character actor, and of course Kim Mi Sook is an acclaimed actress. Since both parents are actors of course all their children are into acting as well. Choi Philip and Choi Jung Yoon are Seung Hyun’s older siblings and he also has one younger brother who’s an idol actor, Choi Min Hwan.

That’s just too many celebrities to meet in one day. I realized that I may have got myself in a really big mess and that if we get found out it may result into a crazy scandal. I have no choice but to play the part of Choi Seung Hyun’s girl friend to the T. I don’t know how I’m going to do it but for now I have to work on making sure that I would look the part.

SEUNG HYUN

I still can’t believe I kissed her. The thought just keeps repeating in my mind. I’m not really sure if I should apologize but then again I probably made her feel uncomfortable after all the teasing I did. Not that I wanted to upset her. I just thought she really looked cute when she was all upset. And the way she pouted those pink lips just made me want to kiss her again.

“That smile is perfect Seung Hyun,” I heard the photographer compliment me. I can’t believe thinking about Dara would even help me in my shoot. I guess I should really apologize. I did tell her to make sure she’s free for dinner tonight. I’ll buy her flowers as peace offering.

“And that’s a wrap everybody!” The photographer said and it’s finally the end of the shoot.

“It’s always a pleasure working with you,” Kim Jae Joong the world class photographer and an old friend of mine held out his hand to shake mine.  “I was hoping I was going to meet her today. I heard your girlfriend/stylist is a beauty.”

“News do travel fast in the industry but I’d rather if you guys keep it quiet. You know, she’s not a celebrity like the rest of us,” I reasoned.

 “But I will introduce her to you and the guys one of these days,” I lied just to not push the conversation any further.

“I will tell Yoochun and the crew and we’ll schedule a date,” Jae Joong said.

“Hyung!” Seung Ri came running towards me. “We have a big problem!” When he reached me he whispered about the voicemail Dara left on his phone.

I knew it was bound to happen I just didn’t expect that my mom would go there personally to terrorize her. Well my mom is not exactly evil but she can definitely scare the bejeebers out of you when she wants too.

But when I arrived in my hotel suite nothing prepared me from what welcomed me. I have seen Dara all dressed up in our last photoshoot together but the sight of her in a simple white dress with her hair in a neat bun dawning a simple pearl necklace and barely any make up was just an immaculate vision. She was dressed like any chaebol family’s dream daughter-in-law to be.

“Don’t just stand there. You have to get ready, your mom said dinner is at 7pm and for both our sake you have to hurry,” she scolded me and pulled me right inside the suite.

“I have your clothes ready, go to your room and change,” she sa