(Tiffany’s POV)

“When do you think we should tell them?” I asked Taeyeonie in a hushed tone, not wanting to give anything away to her parents just yet.

“They seem to be in a better mood than usual today. Should we just go ahead?” she whispered back coyly.

Taeyeonie’s parents had always liked me since we first became friends. They knew Taeyeonie and I were inseparable and that we had been best friends for the longest time. In fact, they had always called me their daughter even before we told them we were dating, and so they were beyond pleased that I had accompanied Taeyeonie to visit them.

“Well, their lovely daughter has returned home to see them. Of course they are thrilled,” I chuckled as I playfully nudged her.

“Oh please, they were fussing over you more than they did me. You’ve always been like their honorary daughter,” she said with a mocking voice as she jokingly rolled her eyes at me.

I giggled. “Of course. You Kims love me,” I flipped my hair back, giving her a smirk.

All she could do was laugh at me.

“Here, kids. Have some fruits, it’s good for you,” Taeyeonie’s mother smiled as she placed a large plate of assorted fruits on the table. “What are you two laughing about?”

“Thanks, eomeoni,” I beamed as I grabbed a piece for myself and then fed one to Taeyeonie.

“Miyoung-ah, don’t spoil Taeyeon so much,” she chuckled.

Taeyeonie and I turned towards each other and gave each other looks to signal that perhaps this was the perfect time to make the announcement. I was still really nervous of course, considering that our relationship wasn’t exactly conventional. When we first broke the news that we were dating, I was utterly shocked that they were as accepting as they were, although that prank that they pulled on my had my heart in a mess for a while.

“Eomma… Appa…” Taeyeonie called for her parent’s attention.

Taeyeonie’s father who was watching the news slowly shifted his attention to us. “Yes, what is it?”

“Uhm, we have something to tell you both,” Taeyeonie continued.

“It’s… quite important,” I added.

“Come over here, honey. The kids have something to tell us,” Taeyeonie’s mother gestured for her father to gather with us.

He quietly made his way closer to us to hear the announcement.

“What’s the secret, you two?” he asked.

“Eomeoni, abeoji… As you both know, Taeyeonie and I have been friends for a long time. Best friends. And she means a lot to me…” I started as I slowly formed a speech in my head. I paused for a little bit just to gauge their reaction.

They were both listening intently, nodding along. So far nothing had triggered any sort of reaction from them.

I continued. “Well…” I felt so nervous, I could feel my palms starting to sweat. But then I felt a warmth in my hand. Taeyeonie had slipped hers into mine, giving me some strength and comfort.

I wasn’t even sure why I was so nervous when they were already partly expecting us to commit to each other. I took a deep breath. “I adore and love your daughter very much and I hope you can approve of the both of us.” I quickly got on my knees and gave them a respectful bow, letting go of Taeyeonie’s hand and keeping my head lowered.

I didn’t need to look up to know that Taeyeonie had gotten on her knees as well, beside me.

“What do you mean by “approve of us”? Haven’t we already given you our consent?” Taeyeonie’s father asked in an amused tone.

“We… actually, I wanted to ask for your permission for Taeyeonie’s hand. I know we can’t make it official but it means something to us and I will spend the rest of my life making her happy,” I promised them.

“Miyoung-ah, you know we love you like a daughter,” Taeyeonie’s father started. It sounded so hopeful that my worries started to lift a little. “But…” he continued. “This is a big deal, do you understand? You have to realize that you will be putting yourselves in a very bad position. It won’t be an easy life and people will give you both a hard time. Some people may even cause you harm and wish you ill. Are you sure you are ready for that?” he asked.

I hadn’t planned for this to happen so I was a little dumbfounded but I knew that they were just worried about us.

“I definitely understand it won’t be easy but taking the easy route has never been my prefered choice. I’ve always followed my heart and now it has led me here. I don’t think life is easy for anyone but I feel that that if we have each other, we can do almost anything,” I answered honestly and sincerely.

“I feel the same way. There’s never been anyone who has given me as much strength, confidence and courage as Fany has. I’d rather go through whatever we have to to be together than settle for living a comfortable life with someone else. I’m definitely willing to take the risk,” Taeyeonie added.

Taeyeonie’s father contemplated what we had said for a short while and then started nodding his head. “I just wanted to be sure. I have nothing but the utmost love and respect for you Miyoung. You’ve been there for Taeyeon through the years and I actually don’t think that there is anyone better or more suited for her than you. So please take good care of our beloved daughter and welcome to the family,” he smiled widely.

My heart leapt with joy. Their approval meant a lot to us; it would have been heartbreaking if they had opposed, although I really don’t know why they would if they didn’t oppose to us dating in the first place but one should never make assumptions.

“Really? Thank you abeoji, emeoni. Thank you. I promise I will love and respect your daughter and take care of her,” I bowed, almost getting on my knees again because I was so grateful and elated.

“We will take care of each other. Don’t worry,” Taeyeonie corrected me and grinned cheekily.

“We will always worry about you two. Parents can’t help but worry about their kids. But we will also be here if you ever need us and we will always support your decisions,” Taeyeonie’s mother told us and then gave us both a hug.

“Love and support each other. If you fall, help each other up. Lean on each other through the tough times. Never give up. Share your happiness but also your sadness. Knowing the two of you, I doubt there are any secrets between you two but never be afraid to tell each other anything. Arguing is okay, but try to forgive each other by the end of the day. Try to never carry your anger over to the next day because it’s not good to harbor negative energy. Storms will always pass and the sun will always rise again,” Taeyeonie’s father gave us some really important words of advice.

“We will remember your words, abeoji,” I promised him. The I turned to Taeyeonie, “Your family is too cool. I definitely picked a good one.”

“Yah! Are you only marrying me for my family?” she pretended to be angry. She puffed her cheeks which made her nose crinkle. It was utterly adorable.

“Mmm… well they do help your case so you should be happy about that,” I giggled as I .

“You should be grateful that you’ll be part of our Kim family. It’s very exclusive,” she chuckled and flipped her hair back which only made her laugh harder.

“I know, I’m really thankful, especially because I’ll have you with me. You give me so much strength, you don’t even realize,” I declared, suddenly overwhelmed with emotions.

It had just dawned on me that this was really happening. It was going to be us, her and me, for the rest of our lives. I was lucky. This is not only the girl who knows me the best, who has been there for me since, who never judges me, who always listens and tries to understand. I was beyond lucky. She chose me. Even when I was blind to her feelings for me and was infatuated by someone else, she continued to love me quietly, patiently, selflessly. I was indebted to her. She gave without asking and it’s just something that I myself can’t even really do.

I think she knew I was getting emotional because she gave me a tight hug but then playfully slapped my arm and asked, “You’re not getting sentimental on me are you?” Then she proceeded to poke my cheek, making me break into a smile.

“TaeTae, you know I love you, right? I mean you know I really, really love you, right? Sometimes I wonder if I express it enough, that you truly know how much you mean to me because you give me so much and I don’t know if I give back as much as I want to,” I explained to her. I realized that my voice had gotten smaller but it was difficult to keep myself from breaking down in front of her parents.

“Babe, stop. You’re going to make me cry. Of course I know. Of course I know… It’s why I’m so happy and why I love you that much more. You don’t have to worry about how much you are giving me. All I really ask is for you to always be honest and open with me, and  to keep me close to your heart. You don’t have to shower me lavishly or try to hard. It’s not what I need,” she replied, pulling me closer.

“But I think you should be a little more selfish. I feel bad,” I pouted playfully even though I did mean it.

“Hmmm… Well then, I want you with me all the time,” she smirked devilishly.

“All the time?” I double checked.

“Yes. All. The. Time,” she emphasized every word.

“At work?”

“Yes.”

“Even in the bathroom?” I cocked an eyebrow.

“Yes.”

“Well then…” I grinned and wrapped my arms around her waist.

“Yah! Not now!” she wriggled a little in my arms.

“B-but… you said, all. The. Time,” I mimicked her.

“Not so much in front of my parents,” she whispered shyly.

I turned my head to get a glimpse of what her parents were doing. They had resumed what they had been doing previously but I could see they were amused by us.

“It’s okay, they don’t seem to mind,” I continued teasing her.

“You’re so evil. I hate you,” she whined.

I kissed her gently on the cheek since we were in front of her parents and told her, “I love you.”

She paused for a second as I saw her slight annoyance melt away and she replied, “I love you more.”

---

(Jessica’s POV)

Mom and dad seem happy to be back and they seem healthy which is always good. I’ve honestly missed them a lot but I’ve gotten so used to it being just the two of us. It was definitely awkward because I really wanted to be able to interact with Kryssie freely but at this point in time I didn’t think we were ready to deal with the consequences. Besides I didn’t want to burst my parents’ bubble the moment they were back and also, Kryssie was literally having panic attacks every time I said something or did something that might raise some eyebrows. It already feels really difficult.

I had really hoped that she wouldn’t notice but she knew me too well. She called me out but I just pretended that nothing was wrong. But she still saw through me. This was one of those times when I wished she was just slightly naive and oblivious. I just wanted her to be happy and carefree again. I didn’t want her to have to bear any of the burden of the situation. But of course she wouldn’t let me bear it on my own. How could I not love someone who would do that for me? Or perhaps I am just a fool a in love and everything about her was one more reason to love her.

“Sweetie, don’t just watch your sister eat. You should eat too,” mom suddenly said out of the blue.

I was taken aback. I hadn’t realized that I was staring at her so intently but she was always the cutest when she was eating or sleeping.

“I wasn’t watching… I was just amazed at how hungry she is…” I lied.

Mom laughed. “Either way, you should eat too. I think you’ve gotten thinner,” she commented as she fussed over me a little. Mom was always worried about us being too thin, more so me than Kryssie who had a stronger build than I did.

“Mom, if anything I gained weight,” I chuckled although it came out rather awkwardly.

I turned back to Kryssie only to see that she was holding out her spoon at me.

Why is she trying to feed me?

I shook my head.

She frowned and insisted, pushing her spoon closer.

I didn’t want to cause a scene so I let her feed me.

It was then that I realized that Kryssie hadn’t said much since we sat down for lunch.

“Sweetie, have you been taking care of your sister like I asked you to?” mom asked Kryssie.

“Of course, mom. Look she’s taking care of me right now,” I praised her.

“Actually, it’s Jessie who has been taking care of me,” Kryssie said in a soft tone but not making any eye contact. She scooped up more food and fed it to me.

I accepted it, still feeling slightly embarrassed that she was feeding me like I was a little kid but at the same time, I was actually a little pleased at the attention she was paying me. If we were alone, it would have felt more intimate.

“That’s good to hear that you girls have been taking care of each other well.” Dad sounded really pleased. “We were quite worried when we left but we figured it was time you two learned to be a little more independent. But I’m really happy and proud to see how well you both are doing.”

“I can be responsible you know,” I joked.

“I never doubted either of you but a parent always worries. It’s difficult to let go sometimes,” he replied.

“Did anything interesting happen while we were gone?” mom asked.

“Tiff and I won a really big account so we’ve pretty much been busy this entire time first with the bid and now for the actual project. Aside from that, Kryssie and I have just been bonding,” I answered without a care.

“School’s been good. I really enjoyed this one art course I took and it wasn’t too difficult since I had help from Tiffany unnie’s girlfriend,” Kryssie added.

My eyes widened in shock that Kryssie had just outed Tiff without a second thought. I wasn’t quite sure if that was her decision to make but at the same time I was curious as to how my parents would react because at least that would give me an answer to if they were accepting of this issue. I shifted my gaze from Kryssie over to mom and dad, observing them carefully.

“Oh, she’s finally dating? I don’t think I’ve seen her date anyone since we’ve known her,” mom commented showing no signs that anything was out of the norm.

“That’s because she was in love with Jessie,” Kryssie replied. I wasn’t quite sure but I swore I detected some jealousy in her tone.

Mom laughed. “You didn’t feel the same way? Tiffany is a nice girl and a good catch.”

I honestly did not expect mom to say something like that. But then again, the entire situation was unexpected.

“Uhm… yeah she is but not for me,” I answered admittedly.

“Is there someone who is?” mom pried and I could understand her eagerness completely.

I hardly ever brought anyone home let alone a date, so I was sure mom and probably even dad was getting a little curious about that.

I thought about how to answer that question and also what Kryssie would expect me to say. If I said yes, mom and dad would probably have some questions to ask. If I said no, I might risk hurting Kryssie. I didn’t want her to feel like she meant so little to me because that was the furthest from the truth. But would she be ready to face mom and dad? Because I wasn’t quite ready myself.

“There is,” I simply replied.

Mom’s expression turned more eager. “Are you going to tell us about her?”

“Well sh-... Wait, what?! How do you...” I was almost about to answer when I realized that she had specifically mentioned “she”.

“We’re your parents,” dad answered instead.

“But… how?” I was still a little surprised since they had never commented on it nor asked me anything.

I turned to Kryssie to see if she was just as surprised as I was. My eyes traced down to her hands. She was fidgeting with them nervously. So I discretely reached over and placed my hand on hers in hopes of comforting her. She retreated her hands a little and I thought that perhaps she was uncomfortable so I decided to pull back as well. But then she caught my hand and held onto it tightly. It felt so reassuring yet worrisome at the same time. Actually, I wasn’t quite sure where my head was. I wasn’t quite sure how I felt. I wasn’t quite sure what to do. I was scared, maybe even terrified but I wasn’t about to let it show. I just hope I can hold up long enough until I can figure things out. Perhaps I should have thought about this more while I had the chance but I was trying to just enjoy my time with Kryssie and prayed for a miracle to happen. Or at least a moment of clarity and insight.

“Well we were never 100 percent sure but we had a feeling and your mother and I talked about it. We weren’t going to push you unless you were ready. But really, you’re our daughter and it really didn’t matter to us anyway. The only thing we were worried about is how others would react if it came down to it but even so we were here to protect you,” dad elaborated.

“I… I don’t really know what to say…” I really, honestly did not know what to say. I mind was completely blank.

“Just know that we love you both no matter what,” dad reassured us.

“Dad… mom… You guys are just… amazing. I love you both so much and I’m so grateful for everything you’ve given me and Kryssie as well,” I told them.

Kryssie nodded her head vigorously, still holding onto my hand in which she was now gently caressing with her thumb. She was making it really difficult for me not to want to embrace her more closely right there and then.

“We must have been away for far too long. We all seem to be more sentimental than usual,” dad joked. “Anyway, I don’t know about you two but your mother and I are just about ready to head home and probably catch up on some sleep.”

“Actually I was thinking of walking around. Kryssie would you like to join me?” I casually created an opportunity for us to be alone.

“Sounds good. Do you guys need us to pick up anything?” Kryssie asked our parents.

“No, don’t worry about anything. We’re fine,” mom answered.

“What about dinner? Should we cook?” Kryssie double checked.

“You don’t have to, we can go out again for dinner.” Either mom was worried about our cooking abilities or she just didn’t want to trouble us.

“Actually, we’ll make dinner. Afterall it’s New Years and you guys just got home,” I insisted.

“Alright, girls. But you don’t have to make anything too elaborate, okay? We’ll head off now. See you two back home. Be careful,” dad told us before him and mom paid for lunch and left for home.

Kryssie and I left a little shortly after our parents left.

“So, where are we headed?” Kryssie asked, sounding a little livelier than before.

“I’m not quite sure to be honest. I just wanted to be alone with you,” I answered openly not bothering to hide my true intentions.

“I know, I’m not stupid you know?” she gave me a death glare but soften her gaze almost immediately when I pouted. I could tell she completely melted when she hugged my arm tightly and leaned her head on my shoulder.

“Yah! You rascal. I know you’re taller than me now but my shoulder is not your headrest,” I scolded her playfully and pretended to shrug her off but really I wouldn’t mind if she didn’t let go for the rest of our lives.

Kryssie clung onto me harder like I was going to leave her. It tugged at my heartstrings. The thought of ever having to leave her was just impossible. Never. I didn’t even want to think about it.

“No but you’re my pillar of strength and I need you. I know I’m selfish but I can’t help it,” Kryssie buried her face into my shoulder as she confessed, probably to hide her embarrassment.

I couldn’t help but grin. She had always been shy and quiet for the most part but to me that was part of her charms. Also it teasing her all the more fun. But at this moment, I was just happy that she wasn’t mad at me for my weird behavior. I really thought she wouldn’t want to talk since she had been rather quiet the entire lunch.

I pulled her so that we were facing each other and wrapped my arms around her. I couldn’t be bothered that we were in public. They could judge all the wanted but I wanted to hold her so badly.

“I don’t care. You can be selfish all you want with me,” I told her whilst gently her hair.

“Stop. Jessie, why do you always feel like you have to put me before yourself?” Kryssie suddenly got serious again.

“I… Well… Kryssie, it’s not fair to ask such a question. Just… How can I not? Afterall, I’m only happy when you are,” I answered as best as I could but the only real way she could know is if she could feel what I felt for her. It was bigger than anything, bigger than myself.

She sighed softly. “You’re too selfless. It makes me mad sometimes.”

“I’m sorry.” It was all I could say.

She pulled back so she could look me in the eye, her expression serious yet tender. “You’re an idiot.”

“I know.”

Slowly we both broke into smiles which quickly turned into laughter.

“Should we take a short walk and then on the way home we can pick up the stuff we need for dinner?” I suggested.

“Perfect,” she beamed. Then she took my hand and started dragging me along.

I just followed, no questions asked.