XV

 

When Jiyong arrived at his parents’ place, he was glad to see that his sister was there as well. Since he was going to break the news about Chaerin, he thought it best that all his family members were present. The moment he walked through the door, his mum ushered him to the dining table and made him sit down. She then served him ginseng chicken soup which she managed to put together after getting his call.

 

“Omma, do you still have ingredients for another portion? Or can I just take half of this and bring the other half home?”

 

“Why? I have enough ingredients for another portion. But too much of it is not good for your body.”

 

“It’s not for me. It’s for Chaerin. She’s working late tonight so I thought I’d bring her some of this homemade soup.”

 

That got his family’s attention. His father and sister all walked towards the dining table upon hearing what he said and gave him questioning looks. Jiyong was amused by their reactions but he started eating the ginseng chicken instead of addressing the questions hanging in the air the moment he brought up Chaerin’s name.

 

“Oh for heaven’s sake, Kwon Jiyong, tell us already! Why did you suddenly bring up Chaerin’s name?”

 

“Suddenly bring up her name? But I do talk about her once in a while.”

 

“Yes you do, but it’s usually work-related. Bringing her homemade soup isn’t.”

 

“If you are thinking of playing around with her, I will lock you up in the basement.”

 

Jiyong’s father said, with a serious look on his face. He looked at his mum who also had a worried look on her face but there was also a tinge of sadness.

 

“Omma, why do you look sad?”

 

“Nothing… I’ve always thought that she would be perfect for you. Please don’t give me false hope.”

 

“Appa, omma, noona, I’m serious this time. I'm going after Chaerin in a serious relationship with marriage in mind. She knows about it, my boss knows about it, I’m going to tell my members soon but Youngbae is already aware of my intentions. At the moment, she’s still not sure about going into a relationship with me yet but it has only been 5 days since I told her about my feelings so she needs some time to get used to the idea.”

 

“Do you think she would agree to the relationship with you? You have hurt her quite a bit in the past. Though she doesn’t show it to you but we felt so sorry towards her.”

 

“She has to agree to the relationship with me. I don’t think I can live my life without having her in my future. I’m anxious as well but Teddy hyung told me that I have got to trust in her love for me, that she would walk to me when she’s ready. So I’m waiting.”

 

“No matter how long it takes?”

 

Jiyong looked at his father and nodded.

 

“No matter how long it takes. I have a whole lifetime to wait. If she needs time, then I’m going to give her time. She loves me a lot, that I do not doubt at all.”

 

“I’m proud of you, son. It seems like you have finally grown up.”

 

Jiyong’s mum dabbed at the tears that had gathered in her eyes then got up hurriedly to get started on the ginseng chicken soup for Chaerin. But when she walked past Jiyong, she gave him a squeeze on his shoulders and whispered, ‘thank you’. Jiyong looked up and his mum gave him a broad smile.

 

“Kwon Jiyong, I’m warning you. If you dare hurt her, you have to answer to me!”

 

“Take a number, noona. Chaerin has her oppa army which has been threatening me. If I ever make her cry, you guys might not be able to find my body.”

 

“Good, I hope they keep you on your toes!”

 

“I’m curious about your reactions if I told you guys that Chaerin is attached to someone else.”

 

“Don’t ever joke about something like that! Well, unless it’s Youngbae, then it’s all good. If she doesn’t end up with you, she would probably be with Youngbae. We would be upset if it was anyone else other than you but her happiness is more important. Right now, I’m not even sure if I’m happy that she is actually considering a relationship with you.”

 

“NOONA!! You are supposed to be on my side!”

 

“I am, but you have been so blind and if I have to choose someone to be her other half, it would be Youngbae. I think it helped a lot for her to have him around when you were being an .”

 

“I’m warning you too. As your father, I want the best for you. But if you hurt Chaerin, I’m going to kick you out of the house and tell her oppa army where to find you so they can dispose of you.”

 

“As expected, all of you are on Chaerin’s side even before she’s part of this family. I guess I should be happy about it, right? At least I don’t think there will be conflicts between you and her.”

 

“Since I doubt she’s going to let you do anything stupid, we should get along fine. Oh I can’t wait! When are you going to bring her back for dinner?”

 

“After we come back from Singapore. I’m going to visit her parents first and let them know my intentions towards Chaerin. Then we would arrange a day to come over.”

 

“Good to know that you have the decency to go and talk to her parents first. And as much as I want a grandchild as soon as possible, please do not do anything out of sequence.”

 

Jiyong and his sister laughed at what their father just said but that also reminded Jiyong that being in a relationship with Chaerin was just the first step. There were a lot of issues that they have to talk about. Now, he could see why Chaerin said they have to think everything through before jumping into the relationship.

 

Jiyong’s mother came into the dining room then and urged Jiyong to finish his soup instead of letting it go cold.

 

“What time are you meeting Chaerin later?”

 

“I don’t know. I’m waiting for her to let me know too. They are in Ilsan for their MV filming and before you asked me why I’m not out there to fetch her, she didn’t allow me to go since she would rather I use the time to rest.”

 

“While I’m not surprised that she didn’t allow you to go out to Ilsan, I’m surprised that you actually listened to her. Where are you meeting her later then?”

 

“Probably her apartment.”

 

“And you are spending the night there?”

 

“Most probably.”

 

“What if someone spots you coming out of her apartment building?”

 

Jiyong outrightly grinned when he heard her sister’s question. His grin got his sister to hit him on the head.

 

“OUCH! Noona!”

 

“Do not put her in a position where her reputation would be jeopardized!”

 

“She stays in the same apartment block as me so what if we are seen coming out of the apartment building together? She’s a registered resident in that apartment building.”

 

“No matter what, be careful. You are a guy, such scandals won’t ruin you but it would be different for her. Already as it is, she is so misunderstood by the Korean public.”

 

“Well, if we are ever caught in a compromising way, I’m ready to come out and admit that we are in a relationship that’s heading for marriage. I would take responsibility for her.”

 

“You do know it’s not whether you take the responsibility or not. Chaerin is not your typical Korean girl who is content just to stay at home after marriage. She has her own dreams and she has barely started on her career as an artiste. Don’t ruin that for her.”

 

“I’m not going to stop her. In fact, it might even help if we announce our relationship so she won’t have any other scandals to tarnish her reputation. But talking about all these issues is still too early. We would be careful.”

 

Just then, his phone beeped and he fished it out of his pocket quickly. When he saw that it was a reminder message from Chaerin for him to eat something, he grinned and called her.

 

“Oppa, I don’t have time to talk to you on the phone. Have you eaten?”

 

“Yes, I have. I’m at my parents’.”

 

“Oh good, I’ve got to go. Say hi to them for me, please.”

 

“My mum is making you soup.”

 

“Oh she is? Could you pass the phone over to her then?”

 

“Ya, you have time to talk to my mum but no time to talk to me?”

 

“She’s making me soup. I should say thanks. Pass the phone over now, oppa. Thank you~”

 

Jiyong handed his phone over to his mum who had been waiting when she heard that Chaerin wanted to talk to her on the phone. The moment his mum took the phone and said hi, Chaerin must have said something to make her smile so widely. Seeing his mum’s smile, Jiyong was glad. He had never seen his parents being so happy over any of his past girlfriends. While they did not show hostility towards them, they weren’t friendly.

 

“...and you have to finish the soup later, you hear me? Don’t tire yourself out. If you need time for yourself, just kick Jiyong out of the apartment. Alright, I won’t take up any more of your time. You would come and visit soon?”

 

Hearing Chaerin’s response, Jiyong’s mum laughed and said she would see her soon then. She ended the called, then passed the phone back to Jiyong.

 

“Mum! Why did you end the call?! I wanted to talk to her!”

 

“She knew talking to you would take up another 5 minutes and she had to go. She said to tell you she would call you when she’s ready to leave the filming location. Just stay here till she calls you.”

 

Jiyong sent a quick message to Chaerin, ‘scolding’ her for ending the call but was quick to add that he’d be waiting patiently at his parents’ for her call. Though he didn’t receive a reply, it was all good. He turned to his family and started asking what they had been up to.

 

“Jiyong, Singapore is your last stop for this tour right? We want to be there.”

 

“Sure, Dad, should I arrange the air tickets and accommodation for you and Mum?”

 

“I’m coming too! I’d do the arrangement. You have too much to handle. When are you leaving for Singapore?”

 

“I’m leaving on Thursday with Chaerin, Seungho and Soo Hyuk.”

 

“Oh, that’s a strange combination. Why are you going so early when your concert is during the weekend?”

 

“I’m supposed to be at Ambush’s launch party in Singapore and was going to bring Chaerin as my plus one but Seungho beat me to it and I got to know that they were going to bring her to Singapore earlier. So I decided to tag along.”

 

“Why? Chaerin should be free to go out with whoever she wants. What’s more, both of them are your friends.”

 

“Noona, how can I let her go with the two of them alone? What if a scandal breaks out?”

 

“And you tagging along is going to make them less noticeable?”

 

“But at least with me tagging along, it would feel it’s more of a business trip than leisure. And I won’t be able to concentrate on anything if I stayed in Korea anyway.”

 

“Fool in love is a fool indeed~ Just be careful.”

 

“I will.”

 

The Kwon family settled down to watch TV together but halfway through the programme, Jiyong lifted his wrist to check the time and frowned when he saw that it was close to 10pm. He pulled out his phone and was about to dial Chaerin’s number when the doorbell rang.

 

“Jiyong ah, go and answer the door.”

 

“But omma, I want to call Chaerin and ask where she is.”

 

“Just go and open the door. How long would that take anyway?”

 

Jiyong got up from his seat on the couch and walked towards the door. He typed out a quick message and sent it to Chaerin. When he opened the door, he was staring at his phone, hoping for a reply.

 

“Looking for me, oppa?”

 

Jiyong’s head shot up upon hearing Chaerin’s voice. He saw the teasing smile on her face and was about to pull her into his embrace when his mum came to the door and snatched Chaerin away from right under his nose. He closed the door, turned and stamped his feet childishly.

 

“OMMA!!”

 

“YA! At least have the decency to wait till she’s inside. If you were to hug her when the door is still open, what happens if someone walked past? And she’s here to see me and your appa, so what’s wrong with pulling her away from you?”

 

She turned to Chaerin and gave her a doting smile before hugging her. She released her so that she could go to Papa Kwon for a hug as well. Jiyong’s sister was also overjoyed to see Chaerin.

 

“Chaerin ah, it’s been a while~! So glad to see you again!”

 

“Dami unnie~ You look prettier and prettier every time I see you~ Just like Appa and Omma looking better and better~”

 

“Aigooo~ You sweet-talker!”

 

“Omma~ I’m only speaking the truth~”

 

“Alright, let’s get some food into your stomach first. You must be hungry! Has the filming ended?”

 

Jiyong’s mum whisked Chaerin away once again and motioned for her to sit down at the dining table. But Chaerin refused and walked with her to the kitchen instead, saying that it would be rude for her to wait and be served. There was a lot of talking and lots of laughter coming from the kitchen. Hearing that, Jiyong also smiled and made his way to the kitchen. He walked up to Chaerin and hugged her from the back. This caused Chaerin to stop her mid-way through her conversation and turned to look at him.

 

“Omma, can I have a second with Chaerin?”

 

Jiyong’s mum glared at him but she couldn’t hide the beginning of a smile.

 

“Don’t take too long. The soup should be eaten while it’s hot.”

 

With that, she left the kitchen with the soup and gave the two of them some alone time. Once his mum was gone, he released Chaerin from the back-hug but turned her around so he could give her a proper hug. Chaerin hugged him round the waist and rested her head on his chest.

 

“I missed you today. Did the filming end well? Why didn’t you tell me you were coming over?”

 

“That’s what a surprise is for. I wasn’t planning on coming over until you told me your mum was making me soup. I missed you too, oppa. Did your work go smoothly today?”

 

“It didn’t start well but Teddy hyung helped so I did manage to get quite a bit done. At least I won’t worry much when I leave with you on Thursday. Your schedule tomorrow starts at almost the same time as mine. I’m going in to go through the dance sequence before the run-through starts.”

 

“Alright, I’d go to the office with you. Maybe I’d pop by Tablo oppa’s studio and finish up Bae oppa’s song. Then I’d meet the girls for our own practice before the run-through. What time do we have to be ready? 10am?”

 

“No! I wasn’t thinking of going in till after lunch.”

 

“Oppa, with so much…”

 

“Jiyong ah, you can talk to Chaerin while she’s eating. She must be famished by now.”

 

Jiyong wanted to argue but he knew that feeding Chaerin was more important at this point. So releasing her from his embrace, he took hold of her hand. Using his other hand to bring her chin up, he gave her a quick kiss on the lips then led her into the dining room.

 

“We’ll talk later about what time we will leave for work. Let’s eat and then we can go back to our apartment. I’m going to stay in yours again tonight.”

 

Chaerin nodded and once they reached the dining table, Jiyong pulled out the chair for her. She looked at him teasingly and was rewarded with wide grin from him. Chaerin couldn’t help laughing but she sat down quickly at the table.

 

“Omma~ I will eat well!!”

 

“Finish everything, Chaerin ah~ You need the strength for your upcoming busy schedule.”

 

“Thank you, omma~”

 

Chaerin started eating and Jiyong just sat there watching her eat. At some point in time, Chaerin started feeding him. He really liked the simple joy of watching her eat and being fed by her, or simply being with her.

 

“Oppa, do I have something on my face? Why are you staring at me like I’m some kind of alien?”

 

Chaerin was going to feed him some more chicken when he shook his head in refusal. She shrugged and then ate it herself instead. Seeing that she was about to finish the soup, Jiyong got up and started getting ready to leave. Seeing what he’s doing, Chaerin stopped him.

 

“Oppa, what are you doing?”

 

“You are almost done. We are leaving after this.”

 

“Oppa, that’s not nice. I can’t just leave after eating.”

 

“Chaerin ah…”

 

“No, oppa, it’s rude and very impolite. What would your family think of me if I were to do that?”

 

Jiyong pouted, knowing that she spoke the truth.

 

“I don’t like this surprise of yours. Now we have to stay a little longer before we can leave.”

 

“Aigooo~ Oppa, it’s not like you get to see your family members a lot with your crazy schedule. Go and talk to your parents and sister while I clean up.”

 

“But…”

 

“Go. I’d be done faster without you getting in the way.”

 

“You are so bossy!”

 

“Get used to it.”

 

Chaerin stuck out her tongue at him and he glared at her. He leaned in and whispered.

 

“Go, before I do something silly like kiss you senseless in front of my family.”

 

He got up and walked to the living room where his family was and sat down on the couch, sulking. His sister turned to look at him and laughed.

 

“So, you have been chased out of the kitchen huh? I’m not surprised Chaerin chased you away, I’m surprised that you actually listened to her.”

 

“Noona, stop rubbing it in. Appa, omma, can you guys tell her that it’s ok for us to leave? She said it was impolite for us to leave immediately after she had eaten, but it’s getting late and it’s been a long day.”

 

“Are you sure that’s the reason? Or you just can’t wait to have her alone, all to yourself?”

 

Jiyong’s parents laughed at Dami’s questions.

 

“Well, all of the above but yes, I do want her alone, all to myself.”

 

“It is getting late and the two of you should be on your way. I’d go and tell her.”

 

“Omma, you are the best! I love you!”

 

“Provided you bring her back home whenever the two of you have the time.”

 

“Ok~!”

 

Jiyong’s mum walked to the kitchen to talk to Chaerin. Within minutes, laughter could be heard coming from the kitchen. Jiyong got up from the couch and walked to the kitchen, wondering what made the two of them laugh.

 

“...but on a serious note, you do not know how happy we all are when we heard Jiyong telling us that he was going after you with the intention of marrying you. Chaerin ah, thank you. I really thought I’d never see the day when he’s ready to settle down.”

 

“Omma, you should know better than anyone that Jiyong oppa is not like how everyone thinks of him. He’s really serious when he’s in a relationship.”

 

“Yes, but none of his previous relationships ever made him feel like settling down. So, what exactly is holding you back?”

 

“One, it’s really too fast. Secondly, I don’t think oppa actually see the implications when he said that he wants to go into this relationship and wanting it to lead to marriage. We have issues to iron out before we step into it. And lastly, why should I make it easy for him?”

 

“That’s true! Let him wait! Let him knows how it feels not to get everything he wants when he wants it.”

 

“Omma, you are supposed to be on my side!!”

 

“In this matter, I’m on Chaerin’s side. Going into a relationship with you would probably be difficult on her. She needs all the support from family and friends. And I think she’s doing the right thing by letting you wait. You get everything too easily.”

 

Then she turned to Chaerin and then held her hands.

 

“But don’t let us wait too long. I can’t wait to see you coming to our house as a real family member. And if Jiyong is ever mean to you or upset you, tell us. We will chase him out of the house and set your oppa army on him.”

 

“Oh goodness!! Omma, you know about the oppa army?”

 

“Jiyong mentioned it. We find it amusing but reassured at the same time. You deserve the best and even I would admit my son is lacking.”

 

Chaerin looked at Jiyong and when their eyes met, she smiled at him.

 

“But he’s the best for me. Omma, don’t worry. I’m not the type to suffer in silence and now he knows that he can’t treat me badly, and I also believe that he would only want the best for me, for us.”

 

“See, Jiyong, this is why we love her so much. Alright, you two had better go back and rest. Tomorrow is another long day. We will contact you when we arrive in Singapore.”

 

“Omma, thank you for the soup, I have eaten well. Don’t worry too much about us.”

 

“Take care of yourself. We will see you in Singapore then since you will be there too.”

 

“Ok, you have a safe trip to Singapore too. I’d go say goodbye to appa and noona first.”

 

Chaerin hugged Jiyong’s mum then walked out of the kitchen to the living room to say goodbye to Jiyong’s father and elder sister. Laughter was heard coming from the living room as well. Hearing that, Jiyong looked at his mum and she smiled.

 

“She makes us very happy. Hold on to her tight, but not too tight.”

 

“I know, mum. She makes me very happy too and I’m so glad all of you are taking this news well.”

 

“If it were any other girl, we would have been more wary but would have still wished you all the best. But you with Chaerin is like perfect. I think in our hearts, we were all wishing for you to end up with her. At least I know Youngbae’s parents too want her for Youngbae.”

 

“Yeah, he mentioned he doesn’t know how to break the news to his family about me and Chaerin yet.”

 

“Oh well, it’s not a sure thing yet. Who knows, you might do something wrong and she would walk away from you for good.”

 

“Omma!”

 

“Ok, ok, I would cheer for you. Now, get going. She must be tired.”

 

Jiyong nodded and didn’t need to be told twice. He could see Chaerin’s lethargy even though she was keeping up the high spirits. He went out to the living room, walked up beside her and hugged her to his side. He looked down at her and smiled when he felt her returning the hug.

 

“Baby, let’s go. It’s getting late. Appa, noona, we will see you in Singapore.”

 

“Drive safely, rest well and remember what I said just now. Chaerin ah, see you soon.”

 

“Neh~ Appa, you take care of yourself and I’d see all of you in Singapore. We’ll make a move now. Next time, it’s my turn to cook a meal for all of you.”

 

“We’ll look forward to it.”

 

By this time, they had already reached the door. With a hug to each of the family members, and promises to visit again, Jiyong and Chaerin finally left the house. The Kwon family looked at the two of them walking towards the car park.

 

“I hope everything goes well. Jiyong had better not mess up.”

 

“Even if he does, Chaerin loves him too much. She would keep him on his toes and at his best. That’s what people in love do, bring out the best in each other.”

 

The parents nodded at what Dami said and then closed the door. They were glad that the girl that Jiyong brought home this time was Chaerin. More than that, they were also happy to see that he was finally ready to settle down but they knew it would be some time yet.