I flipped through pictures of BAP milling through the Incheon International Airport as I nursed some saltine crackers. Though nervous, Yongguk was willing to meet with my parents the following night for dinner. He had set time aside and did everything he could to ensure that those looking after him--such as Manager-oppa and his CEO--were aware of his plan and approved. Of course it was a bit of a hassle since they were knee deep in promotions, events and special appearances that packed their schedules to the brim, but he was adamant about formally introducing himself. I honestly wasn't expecting him to be so gung-ho about the entire ordeal since he was busy. Leave it to Bang Yongguk to surprise me.

  I collected my things from the table. glancing around the populated library with a smile. It always made me laugh when I saw people flocking to the library during exam season. My bag swung onto my back, I made my way toward the staircase with my laptop cradled against my chest. Seeing as I had a class that required the notebook up next, I thought convenient to keep it in my hands, however as I stood at the top stair and my eyes met those of that witch Aram, I was beginning to wish I hadn't. The temptation to hit her with it was too strong.

   "....and it doesn't even make sense," she said to her clique of three self centered looking girls, not sparing me another glance.

  I had no issues with that, doing the same as I passed by the clump of bodies. They pressed themselves together, moving against me, almost making me lose my balance until in some exaggerated expression, Aram flung her arm in my direction, shoving my arms hard and at the sudden force my fingers flexed and my laptop slipped from my grip. I shuffled back to a higher stair with a surprised cry so it wouldn't drop onto my feet, but that just left me as a helpless bystander to watch in horror as my baby tumbled down the hard steps and snapped to lay flat, screen to the tile and small bits scattering across the floor. My hand covered my mouth and I fought the prickling in the back of my eyes. At that point the entire library was silent, people coming to the balcony to see what had happened.

   "Yah, you better be more careful next time, Choi Minhee," Aram sneered from behind me. "You're so pushy."

  From that second, I was seeing red. My hand shot out like a snake and ripped her behind her neck; I dragged her like dog, mowing past her cronies who shrieked in surprise. I couldn't hear all the commotion from around me, not to mention the noise the girl was making from my side, nor did I care. I took her to the remains of my laptop, pushing her head down toward it as I did Macho when we first were training him not to pee in the house.

   "You ing ," I hissed. "Do you know how much that cost? Not even your meager organs could afford it."

  I shoved her toward it, her heels screeching across the tile and making her teeter, almost face planting if it weren't for her hands slamming on the ground in time. My chest was heaving. My fists were clenched and ready to bury themselves in her face. But just then, she spun around and glared at me; her scowl was so nasty that I raised a brow.

  She rose to her full height, eyes blazing as she stood toe to toe with me. "You listen, ing , you better hope that that rumor about you still seeing oppa is fake, Choi Minhee, or so help me, you'll end up worse than your little laptop."

 Aram stormed past me, her shoulder roughly ramming mine as she went by as I stood frozen still trying to process what she had just said. That person had already begun to spread rumors? I felt the blood draining from my face, the cool sweat it left behind making me shiver.

  I was running out of time....

  My dad wasn't anything less than livid, looking into my face. "See? This is why I wanted you to go to school in the States. Even Nassau would've been better than this."

 I frowned my eyes on his face. "Daddy, can you not please? I came to you because I knew you'd get a handle on this."

  He sighed, scratching his short head and leaning heavily on the table. His frustration was rolling of him in waves and my mother touched his arm in an attempt to calm him. Heejin was in her room and out of the way of this so I was grateful, but that also meant my dad wasn't about to pull any punches. I really didn't want to talk to him about this before Yongguk came over, but the situation had changed and if rumors were already being spread, it was only a matter of time before the real repercussions reared their ugly heads. We needed to nip this in the bud.

 "Does he know?"

  I lowered my eyes, knowing exactly who 'he' was. "No."

 "Good. You're not going to tell him either." My eyes rose immediately at that, but my dad had gone into business mode, his eyes more shallow and dark. 

   But still, that wasn't the advice I was expecting from him. "Why not?"

 "Because if you tell him, imagine how he'll feel knowing he can't do a thing. He's always travelling as well, isn't he? It's not necessary for him to know. At least not while we have such little information." My dad took out his Blackberry, furiously typing away. "You say this started 3 months ago?"

 "Yeah, about that," I said as my mother left for whatever reason. "After Yongguk and the boys came to see me at the dance studio."

He nodded. "Then someone must have seen them. Don't these guys always have people following them?"

   I nodded. "Yeah. Sometimes. If it helps, he and his manager came to the show too, but they left early."

  His brows furrowed. "So they could have started following him from there. One would automatically assume that you two were back together after seeing him in the crowd." He typed something else, sighing softly. "Obviously this person goes to your school as well. They know your schedule as well seeing that they know when to leave you notes and knew to put your phone in the shelf. Its possible that they are in your class." Finally he looked up at me. "Is there anyone you suspect? Anyone you think may have it our for you?"

   I thought briefly but the only name that came to mind was Aram's. But she was directly threatening me. She would have approached me herself, not use notes or rumors. And she definitely wasn't going to do what this person did and wait another 4 days before doing something with what she found on my phone. One of her cronies? I sighed as my mother returned with some water and slices of the chocolate cake she had made in honor of my dad flying over.

   "No. Only that girl, but she's the obvious type."

  My dad nodded, pursing his lip. "Well, I'll look into it. You keep your eyes open for anything suspicious."

 I nodded, taking a big chunk of my cake into my mouth. The chocolate did what I hoped; I felt my panic and worry begin to subside to a levelled sense of awareness. This is why I called my father: he always made me feel as if he were still as big as he was when I was five, ever capable and the strongest in the world. I smiled at the thought and though he blinked at me in confusion, he returned my smile. His eyes had thawed and he was holding my mom around her waist, her face leaned into his chest. I wanted that for Yongguk and I; that calm love that could withstand the test of time. My parents had been through a lot in their time. Even when my father was on the wrong side of the law, she had his back and waited patiently on him. Although my situation wasn't as dramatic as all that, I still could see us being like that in the future.....well, that was in the future after we solved this issue.

  When the night of the dinner finally rolled around, I was floating on a high that only came from those rare days when I spent the day texting Bang. He was so excited and it was almost palpable through his words on my phone's screen. After a shower, I bounced out to the strains of a Girls' Day song blasting from my stereo. I paused to sing the lyrics into my brush, grinning into my mirror and doing another spin in my underwear and camisole completely feeling the lyrics. I shook my and whipped my partially damp wavy hair about the place, my giddiness absolutely unstoppable.

  I haven't heard from that psycho in days. My idol boyfriend wants to meet my parents. And my dad agreed not to shoot him. 

 Life is good.

  My eyes met my reflection and I stared back at the sassy girl I saw there. Sure, her belly was a kind of pudgy under her shirt and her cheeks were round like marshmallows on her face but she was glowing with joy and looked so plump and healthy that the unhappiness that had recently taken up residence seemed to be a letter in the sand washed away by the tide.

  Still, I pulled on a nice lacy shirt that wasn't very fitted and my favourite pair of soft, skinny jeans. A simple pair of earrings and a few comb runs through my hair later, I was downstairs where I had spent most of the day helping my mom cook the feast she been planning from the moment Yongguk said 'yes'. There was an assortment of meat and veggies and other little sides all over the table. Bang had already texted to say he was five minutes away and I was getting jumpy. Heejin was damn near bouncing off the walls and Mom had to remind her that she couldn't tweet or text or call her friends to brag or spazz about what was about to happen. Her confidentiality was only sworn when the threat of being locked in her room all night was issued in that no-nonsense tone my dad had perfected over the years.

  When the doorbell rang at last, it was as if everyone in the room had collectively inhaled. I held up my hands in an everybody calm down gesture and went to answer the door myself. And standing there in a thick brown overcoat smiling a smile that melted my heart down to nothing but a serving of pudding was my boyfriend. I quickly showed him in and no sooner was Heejin at my elbow offering to take his coat from him.

  "Can you please?" I hinted from behind clenched teeth.

  But, of course she took it to mean 'please take his coat' and proceeded to do just that despite his slight blush and murmurings explaining how he could do it himself. Only after I mentally told her I was going to bite her face off if she didn't give the man some space did she retreat into the house.

 When I met his eyes again, he was looking at me and only me. The feeling was incomparable.

   "Hey."

    Another heart melting smile. "Hey."

   And I could feel it--the tug that drew me toward him. I only obeyed and took a single step forward the same time he did. His eyes were boring into me as if I was the only thing in his universe and for the time being he was the only thing in mine.

   My hands rose to rest on his knitted cream sweater. "I missed you."

   After a soft exhale, the back of his fingers brushed over my plump cheek. "I missed you too. I'm glad to see you looking so good."

  Smugly, I did a jig on the inside. Take that, Moon Nana, I though with a grin.

    "Come on." I took his hand gently. "My parents are waiting for you."

   I felt him tense a little but he still offered me assuring nod before I led him into the lion's den.

  To my surprise, my father was very well behaved. No snide comments, no concealed threats--he was oddly indulgent that night. Not that I was complaining. Yongguk flourished under the good treatment, showing everyone exactly why I had fallen in love with him. I was so proud to sit beside him and listen to him talk politics with my dad, watching him lead the conversation when allowed and making my old man nod thoughtfully at his opinions. He shot me an impressed look and I got another dose of smugness injected into my veins, tiling my head to the side slightly and wagging my eyebrows at him.

   When desert came around--my mom's signature gotgamssam (persimmons with walnuts in the middle) with ginger tea-- we were all in the living room, seated comfortably and chatting like a long-time family. Macho, who had been barking all night sounded so dejected outside, but we didn't want to risk him doing something unforgivable so he was securely tied near his house on the patio. Thankfully, he had calmed down, bringing up my mother's mood.

    "It was just a joy to meet you again, Yongguk-ah," my mother chimed, curled into her husband's side.

    "Yes," my dad concurred "You're quite a bright young man and I feel that you will look after my daughter well."

  At the praise Bang lowered his head a bit and did his usual, "Ah, ne. Gamsahamnida. I'll do my best," while blushing slightly. 

   "Perhaps the next time she's shuffling around here all nervous will be when she's going to meet your parents."

    "Mom!" It was my turn to be embarrassed. 

  We hadn't exactly talked about that visit and I wasn't trying to rush him into anything. He did have a hectic schedule after all. But all in all the night was a success. I leisurely sipped my tea and chanced a peek up at Bang, who chose that very moment to look down at me. We shared a sweet smile between lovers with a secret and my skin prickled when he lowered his hands from their place clasped in his lap to let his arm brush against mine. I hid my pleased sigh in my cup but Heejin saw what was going on and rolled her eyes, dredging up a topic from earlier that centered around her under the guise of asking his advice. Still warming up with content I settled in my seat.

  Then my phone rang from in the kitchen, where I had left it when Yongguk arrived. I excused myself to answer the call but the ringing stopped as soon as I got my finger around the device. Just when I thought the person could just call me later, a text came through.

Looks like you take me lightly.

And you have the nerve to bring him here?

I guess I'll have to show you how serious I am after all.

                                            Signed,

                                           Someone with more sense than you.

P.S. Macho can't sleep without this doll, right?

  My brows furrowed as I read the message, a sense of dread slowly sliding down my back like a cube of ice. I shuffled to the glass door to the backyard as quietly as I could, my breath fogging the barrier from how lose my face was to the cool surface.

  "Minhee-ah?"

   I turned quickly and plastered a smile on my face to dispel my boyfriend's tone of worry. "Ne?"

    His brow raised anyway. "Are you OK? What are you looking for?"

    I shook my head innocently. "Oh, it nothing. Should we go back?"

   Thankfully, he let me be with a  hand outstretched to lead me back to the gathering in the living room and I went obediently. I had already seen enough.

   Macho wasn't on his leash. He wasn't in his house. 

  He was gone.