Chapter 46. Forever

You're every line, you're every word, you're everything.

~ Everything (Michael Buble)

Part 1

“I can't believe you...” Minho said trying hard to stop his laughter, “You take in random strangers and you go around kissing strangers? You're the most amusing woman I have ever met!”

“What?” That wasn't really nice to hear. She felt blood rushed through her head. How dare him! “Well, excuse me, for your information you are the first random stranger I took in and I don't go around kissing strangers!” With that, she turned and stomped ahead.

She was so angry. After all she did for him, he would accuse her of going around and kissing strangers?! Suddenly, her quickened steps turned in a slower pace when she realized that it was her fault after all. Why on earth did she kiss Ajussi?! “Paboo-ya, Bae Suzy!” She hit her head repeatedly.

But then again she stopped, stomped and declared out loud, “I hate that person!”

Her day would have been lovely for it had been a few weeks ago since she had seen her parents so she was really looking forward to that meeting. Going back to the restroom, she washed her face and stared at herself on the mirror, “Okay, forget it happened, Suzy. Besides, it's not as if you would see him again.” Suzy scolded herself but her mind wouldn't rest from reminding her of the crazy act that she pulled.

She must focus on the reason why her parents suddenly popped out in Seoul and told her to meet them in this luxurious hotel-restaurant. It was actually their parents' thing— the whole luxury and all, but only if there are any special occasions. But she could not really remember any of them celebrating birthday that day, a few days before or a few days from the present. Unconsciously, scratching her head, she just decided to walk faster with the fear of meeting her annoying stalker, much less, that more annoying Ajussi. No matter how handsome he is. “Pssh! Bae Suzy, he is not handsome. At. All.”

Minho chuckled to himself.

That was so cute— the girl was too cute for words. She must have been scared to death by that stalker that she had that courage to kiss him. He touched his lips as he continued walking. What an eventful day two for him. Just the other day, he had an argument with his father because he suddenly told— informed him that he was to be engaged to a certain Bae Sue Ji. It was something expected of his father but he was pissed still since it made his mother aggravated and upset again. Besides, he was led to believe that it was nothing but an ordinary blind date.

Because he could not divert his annoyance to something else, he found himself consuming too much alcohol in the ajumma tent he had been frequenting when Seo Hyun officially turned him down. He did not expect that he would find comfort on alcohol and consumed more than how much he intended that he could no longer bring himself home. That was when he collided with that miss. Minho chuckled remembering how Miss dragged him away from her old-man stalker after declaring that he was her boyfriend.

What a brave thing to do for a shy looking girl.

Fixing his tie and exhaling loudly, he knocked on the private dining room assigned to them. He decided to be there just to quench his curiosity. Just to know what made his father decide that this woman is for him to marry.

Bae Sue Ji.

He could not understand but the name gave him a different feel.

The door was opened by a waiter as another one was serving the food. The laughter and on-going conversation in the room was quieted when he was ushered inside. His parents was sitting by the left side of the table as another couple around the same age as them occupied the other side. Bae Sue Ji, apparently, was yet to make her arrival.

“Choi Minho, you are late.”

His father said in a stern tone that he had to bow down to both couples, “I'm so sorry. There was an emergency at the office that I could not come earlier.”

“It's okay, my dear. Go ahead and take your seat. We just arrived too.”

The woman, with the same gentle smile as his mother, spoke. He carefully dragged the chair beside his mother, “Thank you so much and sorry to keep you waiting.”

“Aigooo, Gyeong Won, you never told me how handsome your Minho is!”

“If I did, it would be bragging too much, but I bet Sue Ji is equally stunning.”

“Of course! Took after her mother!”

Bae Sue Ji Appa said and the room bustled with laughter again. The parents looked okay, hopefully, she would look okay too. It's not that looks mattered to him. The older population continued bragging about their children but he remained quiet, it was weird that the Miss occupied his thoughts more than the Bae Sue Ji he was to meet. When the waiters left, they decided to start eating as the mom was trying to contact her daughter again.

A few minutes later, a soft knock came and his father ordered him to open it. After one long blow of air, Minho twisted the knob open only to come face-to-face, again, with someone he did not expect at all.

“YOU?!” They said together with fingers pointing and eyes widened in disbelief. Minho's surprise suddenly melted into a soft chuckle as he placed a hand by his nape and craned his neck.

“You know each other?”

It was his mother who suddenly asked that he finally opened the door wider to let her in. Closing it gently, he shook his head secretly as he felt the tug somewhere in his chest.

“Annyeong haseyo...” Suzy bowed despite feeling awfully strange of the situation. And most importantly, annoyed of his obvious amusement.

“Well, this is our daughter, Bae Sue Ji,” her father introduced her to everybody then turned to Minho who was still standing by the door, “Minho, why don't you come and sit beside our Suzy?”

She unconsciously moved gently on her seat and was still unable to take a glance at him as he took the seat beside hers. Her mind was making crazy assumptions already especially when she remembered what he blurted out on his drunken state. No wonder she was feeling weird about the meeting. No wonder she was feeling weird when he pronounced her real name. All along, she was the Bae Sue Ji he was mentioning. It felt terribly odd.

“So where did you two meet?”

Her mom asked again that she has to force as smile when she noticed that all eyes and ears were on her, especially him, “Uh, not really that we know each other, I just bumped into him by the hallway.”

“Bump into me alright,” Minho said under gritted teeth.

“Shut up...” she mumbled back never dropping her pretend smile.

“Kids, kids, before you start whispering sweet nothings there why don't we all enjoy lunch first?”

“Appa!”

“Ya, yeobo, your making our darling blush!”

“Suzy is very pretty indeed!”

Minho chuckled to himself, obviously amused by the conversation on the table. It seemed that this family is a total opposite to his. They are lively and the parents talk a lot to their daughter. He wondered how her father became a close childhood friend of his. His indifference to this blind date suddenly shifted to curiosity among other things. When desserts were served, the elders murmured among themselves that both of them noticed until her father cleared his throat and spoke.

“You are both old enough to realize what this meeting is all about.” Mr. Bae said in a serious tone then turned to his daughter and Minho with a smile, “I am doing this, as well as your father, to make sure both of you will have a good future together. But we are not forcing you to each other. Most of all, we don't want to rush you both. We want you to make the decision since marriage is a lifetime commitment. Right now, get to know each other and be friends. Remember, we are not forcing you.”

Suzy felt like crying as her head suddenly hang low, she felt that her father, her favorite male specie was giving her away. Her mom held her hand and made her look at her that she has to shake her head as an assurance that she was fine.

Minho watched the tender exchange that he instinctively looked at his own mother then shifted his gaze to his father. For a moment, he thought his austere demeanor softened. He peeled his gaze off his parents and looked at Miss' dew-laden eyes. Silly mice played tug-of-war in his chest.

Almost thirty minutes have passed since their parents left them to 'get acquainted' but both of them remained passive and unconsciously played with their foods.

“They are not forcing us,” Minho started without taking his eyes off his plate.

“I don't want to marry you as much as you don't want to marry me...” she scoffed throwing him a second darting glance before her eyes landed on her lap.

He snickered silently, “I did not say that.”

“So you mean you want to marry me?” Suzy throw another glance at him.

“I did not say that either,” Minho chuckled softly now, “But do you want to marry me?”

“Me? Marry you?” She pointed at herself and continued jeering, “Psh! In your dreams, Ajussi.”

Minho laughed, he wanted to pinch her cheeks, “Okay, I'm sorry... by the way, I have a name and it's Choi Minho.”

“Yeah, you should be sorry. You're conceited, Minho-ssi!” she snapped.

Minho laughed louder now, her angry expression is cuter than the rest of her facial expressions but he mellowed down and continued, “No, I'm sorry for saying what I said after the uh... after that, you know.”

“Me too, I'm sorry for uh, ki—“ thankfully, she bit her lower lip before she could make a fool of herself again, “For doing that, you know... what I did...”

“Yeah, that one,” he chuckled watching her blush again. “You really think I'm conceited?”

“Like it's not very obvious...” she rolled her eyes.

“Really? Well, really I am not.”

“Huh? Like duh?”

“Ya, Bae Sue Ji, it's for me to know and for you to find out.”

“Pshhhh...”

“But can you at least make me prove it to you?”

“How?”

“Saturday. Dinner.”

“I'm not going on a date with you...”

“Like duh?” He imitated her tone, “Who said it's a date? I'm just buying you dinner to prove to you I am not conceited.”

“Huh? Where? In this chic restaurant that your parents chose? No, really thank you.”

“Hahahaha, are you trying to be funny? Well, for your information, there is this ajumma tent I really love to go to. It's not classy alright but it's friendlier and the food is to die for.”

suddenly started to water as she remembered steaming hot kimchi chigae and spicy dokkbokki, “Saturday you say?”

“Yes, Saturday. I know where to pick you up.”

~~~

He stirred. The biting cold he felt on his calf finally made him command his eyes to open and yanked the sheets to hide his exposed skin. His eyes lingered on the sudden brightness of the room until it wandered around. Everything looked new despite not leaving the room at all. The chairs moved back on both corners, the lamp, still lit, hung above their heads and the piles of clothing carelessly shoved on one side. Those traces of what happened the night before probably made the difference. Adjusting himself to lie on his side, Yong Hwa's gaze fell into the body sleeping beside him.

The sight made him smile.

There she was lying on her stomach but her face was turned towards him. Some strands of hair fell on her face that he could not help himself from slowly pushing them away. Seo Hyun jerked a little as her lips twitched but it did not make him take his hand back, instead he traced her jawlines softly.

“Hmmm...” she tossed and shifted her head to the other side.

Yong Hwa chuckled and moved closer that his head rested on her bare shoulder, “Good morning...” He laughed again when he heard another soft 'hmmm'. “Still sleepy?”

“And... tired...” She mumbled. Seo Hyun was feeling odd given their current position. She was also terribly nervous that every time her body touched even a bit of his skin under the covers was giving her chills. She breathed in and out, trying to relax, remembering the calmness and m