~The Night Owl Café~

“Ah….Aheuheu…”

Dohyun blinked with a raise brow, ‘What in the…’

“…….AHHH….Ahhhh?”

This was seriously so amusing to watch. Dohyun had no idea that such an expression was possible to pull off.

“..I…I think I lost it..”

“No…No, I don’t think you did.” Dohyun muttered and shook her head.

“It’s…IT’S COMING! IT’S-AHCHOO!!” Yixing sneezed with a yelp, he must have sneezed so hard because he practically flew over the couch with his legs suspended in the air.

“Bless you,” she added and a strained ‘thank you’ was heard from the sprawled out Yixing as his legs limply fell to the side. Yixing rolled over and crawled back up on the couch with a groan and a sniffle.

“I feel like if I sneeze hard enough, I’ll fart.” He mused to himself and pulled a face. “I don’t feel so awesome.”

It’s been a week since Jongin and Dohyun reconciled. Minseok was still as supporting as ever about her decision whereas Kibum and Myungsoo were a bit harder to convince but they eventually gave in and made sure to warn Jongin never to pull another stunt like that again.

She wondered if she should even be doing this right now, was it too fast?

“Maybe you should stay home today, Yixing.” She suggested.

“That’s the plan. Don’t you have a boyfriend to get back to? I’ll be fine, I have Boys Over Flowers and ice-cream. Now shoo, go to your Gu Junpyo, Geum Jandi. I shall play Ga Eul in thid context, I have some me-time and a drama to watch.” He waved her off, motioning her to politely go away with his hand.

Dohyun smiled and made a mental note to go to the pharmacy on her way home later.

She was going to go with Jongin today, to meet his parents. She could remember the arrangement like yesterday.

“You could say that you love me but those could just be words.” She firmly told him as his determined expression didn’t falter.

“What do you want me to do, then?” He desperately asked, eager to win her approval. He never thought he’d actually be the one up to a girl in the end for affection since it was usually the other way around. He silently apologized and slightly admired all the girls he’s dated before, now that he was in their position for a change it felt really slightly humiliating. But he was willing to do this, for her, for Dohyun.

“Prove it,” she told him, “Prove to me that you really do love me and that they aren’t just words. I need proof, Jongin.” She said while crossing her arms to emphasize a point.

Jongin slowly nodded his head and knew exactly what he was going to do. “Dohyun, I don’t know if you’re aware but..Mr Kim, he’s-“

“Your dad? Yeah, I know.”

Jongin awkwardly cleared his throat, “Ahem, yeah. Anyway, you see, my parents, well, they found out that I was seeing a girl and I told my dad I was serious about you.”

Dohyun widened her eyes as her arms dropped to her side. What did he mean? “You..Jongin, no offense but your dad and I…aren’t really on solid ground terms if you catch my drift.”

“I know but, he isn’t always like that, okay? It’s just, he’s a passionate business man and he’s kinda stubborn at times, sort of? Anyway, my dad and mom want to formally meet you, so….I was going to tell you and that day when I called and wanted you to know if you were free before you-know-what happened, I was actually going to let you meet my parents.” Jongin fully explained, watching her face carefully for any trace of reactions.

“Wow,” she started, “Now I kinda feel awful. I mean…I didn’t even give you the time of day when I found out.”

Jongin shook his head and reached out to envelope her in his embrace to ensure her she did nothing wrong but stopped himself from doing so. He was hesitant, nervous, and uneasy of how she would take any physical contact from him right now. “No, it’s sort of my fault, don’t feel bad. You have every reason to be mad at me for what I did, no, for what I originally was going to do.”

She didn’t disagree with him on that one, that’s for sure.

“I screwed up the first time and I’ll try my best not to screw up the second time.” He told her in attempt of reassuring her as well as himself.

She shook her head, “No Jongin, don’t try, do.”

“So…” Jongin awkwardly shuffled, “Does this mean that we’re okay? That, you’ll…You’ll be mine again?”

She narrowed her eyes which felt itchy from her previous crying, “Am I?”

“Are you?” Jongin persisted.

“So, am I?” She asked again, being completely serious.”

“….Yes?” Jongin answered, although it came out more like a question.

“Then I guess..I’m yours again.” She responded, caving in and wondering if what she just did was the right decision.

A relieved smile made itself present on Jongin’s face as he enveloped her in a hug and she couldn’t help but wrap her own arms around his frame, it just felt so right.

“Screw up again and you’ll end up a missing person.”

“What?” Jongin pulled away.

“What?” She repeated after him.

She smiled at him and brought him back in for a hug and said nothing, then, the door opened and they both knew that Yixing was most likely home.

Yixing awkwardly shuffled on the spot and cleared his throat, catching the attention of the reconciled couple.

“I’m going to take two guesses here, either you two made up or you two just watched Miracle In Cell No. 7.” Yixing said, “So which was it?”

As Dohyun recalled the past events, she realized that whenever Yixing was around, it was like all the seriousness of a situation disappeared. She didn’t know if that was good or bad considering his mere presence lessens a tense situation.

But back to pressing and current matters.

Dinner with the Kims? Wow, she actually didn’t want to go but she was willing to do this, for him, and for her.

With an intake of a deep breath she took a step forward as she made her way out the apartment to wait in the lobby for Jongin.

~The Night Owl Café~

“You…”

“I know, I should have told you..”

“This is no joke…”

“I’m not laughing though, Dohyun.”

Jongin had arrived and picked her up as scheduled and drove her over to his place for the first time since they’ve known each other. Jongin was definitely full of surprises because she wasn’t prepared for the sight that greeted her when she stepped out of his car.

“I thought…that you..” She stumbled over her words as her brows furrowed in slight confusion.

“You thought?” Jongin pressed/

“That…You might have lived in a mansion or something.” She finished as she took the view in before her. It was a normal sized house, with a decent plot and it had a peaceful sort of outlook to it.

“What is this, some sort of k-drama?” Jongin snickered and led her towards the door and when he opened it, the savory smell of food greeted her nose.

“Mom, I’m home!” Jongin called out, a woman poked her head out the doorway and smiled at her son and when her eyes laded on Dohyun, they widened. She immediately stormed out the kitchen towards Dohyun and placed her hands on her shoulders.

“Is it you? It must be you, I can tell you know.” She told Dohyun as she patted her stomach, “Right here, I can tell.”

Dohyun nervously laughed as Jongin watched the scene with amused eyes, not bothering to interfere.

“You must be Dohyun. I’m Jongin’s mom, call me Mrs Kim, or aunty!” she chirped and tugged Dohyun to the kitchen, “Come on let me show you how to make my special Jongin, Jongin just loves chicken, you know? I’ll teach it to you so that you can make it for him one day.”

Here she was, meeting Jongin’s mother for the first time and she never even told her parents that she was in a relationship. She felt like face palming right now, her father would probably be happy and her mother would most likely start wanting to know everything about Jongin and possibly even his number to interrogate get to know him. It was as if Dohyun’s parents’ roles were switched.

She’d save that for another time, she was probably going to call her parents to catch up with them later.

“Mom, please…” Jongin sighed, “She just got here.”

“Listen, if you’re going to marry her she might as well get a head start by knowing what you like to eat. Sweetie, Jongin eats like it’s a hobby, I tell you.” Mrs Kim laughed and pinched Jongin’s cheek.

“Marry!?” Dohyun squeaked.

“Mom, I see you at night when you think no one’s awake, don’t think I don’t know what happens to the cake in the fridge every night at 11 pm.” Jongin retaliated, not responding to Dohyun.

Mrs Kim narrowed her eyes and placed her hands on her hips, “Oh, you. Not like anyone was eating it! We didn’t buy that cake to look at it or have it stand it the fridge cause it can, besides, a friend gave it to me when she dropped in by that café this sweetheart works in.”

Dohyun’s eyes widened, Mrs Kim eats cake from The Night Owl Café? As in, Kibum’s cakes? Well, well, did that mean Mr Kim ate from it as well?

“Ahem.”

Speaking of Mr Kim.

All three of them turned around to see Mr Kim in the kitchen doorway analyzing everyone and stopping on Dohyun. It was like the mood immediately turned sour and the tension came back with a vengeance.

“Miss Song.”

“Mr Kim.”

“Featuring Mrs K-okay and her son, King-Kong-Kai!” Mrs Kim laughed and just like that, the serious atmosphere was broken after her bizarre statement.

“Why King-Kong-Kai!?” Jongin protested.

“Because alliteration is fun. Well, Jongin, help me with the dishes, please. Honey, I believe you owe this young lady an apology and you two can go into the lounge and go ‘make nice’, okay? Good, off you go.” S