Eun Tak and Kim Shin entered the private dinning room where Eun Tak's parents were already seated. "Please take a seat." Eun Tak's mother said, gesturing at the chair. Both Eun Tak and Kim Shin took a seat and Eun Tak swallowed hard and looked at her parents.
They ordered their food and Yeon Hee informed them that Eun Tak's brother, Ji Seo Jun won't be able to make it and that he told them to eat without him. As they waited for their food to arrive, Sung Woong started asking Kim Shin questions.
"So Kim Shin-shii, how do you know my daughter?" Eun Tak's father, Sung Woong asked.
"We met a long time ago sir. But we rekindled our relationship when we met in Quebec recently." Kim Shin responded, nervously shifting in his seat.
"Your relationship? What kind of relationship are you talking about?" Sung Woong frowned.
"I'm dating Eun Tak sir." Kim Shin proudly announced. "I'm aware of how much Eun Tak loves you and respects you and I'm also aware of how much your approval and blessing for our relationship would mean to her." Kim Shin confidently added as he looked at his bride's parents.
"Omo omo. I knew something was up with Eun Tak, iani/i she completely changed after the visit to Quebec. I have never seen her so happy and serene." Yeon Hee stated, turning to her husband.
"Omma, Appa. I'm sorry I wanted to tell you sooner but I was afraid of your reactions, I also wanted Kim Shin-shii to come to Korea before I told you. But I got so busy with my SATs and the university interviews, we decided to wait." Eun Tak said, her voice trembled slightly.
Sung Woong continued to glare at Kim Shin, while Yeon Hee could see Kim Shin genuinely had feelings for her daughter and so did Eun Tak. She turned to her husband who was still glaring at Kim Shin.
Yeon Hee smacked Sung Woong who turned to look at her, "Don't you trust your daughter? Do you think she will just pick up a random guy who is older than her and date him cause she has nothing else to do? She's an adult for God's sake." Yeon Hee glared at her husband, Eun Tak and Kim Shin nervously looked at them.
"I trust my daughter, it's him I don't trust." Sung Woong states before turning his attention to Kim Shin. "You seem a lot older than my daughter and you're decent looking. From your clothes I can tell you're wealthy but why my daughter? Are you planning to do anything cause if you are don't even bother. I'm a prosecutor, I can make life difficult for you and I know how to use guns." Sung Woong stated.
"I do not want to harm Eun Tak in anyway sir. I love Eun Tak, nothing else and no one else matters to me. I would do anything to keep her safe. Be anything she needs me to be." Kim Shin said as he gazed at Eun Tak.
Before Sung Woong could respond, their food arrives. As they start eating, Sung Woong continues interrogating Kim Shin."What kind of job do you do? How long have you been working there? How many hours per week? What other jobs have you done?"
"I'm the CEO of ILOOM sir, it's a family business so I have been working at ILOOM for almost my whole life. Hours, it depends on the day and I have done several other jobs related to retail sales." Kim Shin said as he thought about the retail sales positions he'd held, i'It may not be immortal, but it lasts a very long time.'/i
"CEO… Hmmm." Sung Woong narrowed his eyes and looked at Kim Shin. "So who who is in your family and where are they? Did you go to college? Where and what did you study? What future goals do you have for life? Where do you live? Do you have an apartment, condo or house? How long have you lived there? Where did you grow up?" Eun Tak's father bombarded Kim Shin with questions.
"Just my Grandfather, my nephew & me sir. My Grandfather is retired and my nephew works at ILOOM. I went to University of Pennsylvania & majored in business. I have a house and I live at Seongbuk-dong. I've lived there for as long as I can remember. Future goals…I would like to get married and settle down." Kim Shin tried to stay calm and respond accordingly.
Sung Woong leaned forward and continued asking Kim Shin questions, "What do you like about my daughter? What are your intentions with my daughter?"
"What's there not to like sir? She kind, cheerful, lovable and she has a beautiful heart. I would love to date her sir and when she's ready I want to get married. Of course not this instant, I would like her to complete her studies and fulfill her dreams and when and if she wants to marry me, I'll be the luckiest man in the world." Kim Shin responded.
Shocked at Kim Shin's sudden declaration and sensing how serious and genuine he was about their daughter, Sung Woong and Yeon Hee looked at each other, speechless.
Sung Woong cleared his throat and lowered his voice, "Eun Tak is an adult and I trust her but when you do go on dates, I prefer you bring her home early but I want you guys to have a good time. Remember whatever you do with her while you're out, I'm going to do with you when you get her home."
Kim Shin laughed nervously but seeing how serious Sung Woong was, he bowed, "Thank you sir. I will bring her home on time and take care of her."
"Appa…. so you're giving us permission to date! You can't take what you said back. Appa thank you!" Eun Tak leapt up and hugged her father.
"Don't get too excited, it depends on how he treats you. I'll be watching you young man." Sung Woong said.
"Now now, let's continue eating, Kim Shin-shii must be hungry too." Yeon Hee glared at her husband who just shrugged and started eating.
"Please talk to me casually Eun Tak's Eomeonim." Kim Shin smiled at Yeon Hee. As they continued eating, Eun Tak talked about her future plans and which universities she applied to.
Even in the middle of their conversations, Sung Woong continued interrogating Kim Shin, "What kind of sports are you into? Who is your favorite team? Are you good at home improvement? Plumbing? Are you musically inclined? What do you do when you are not working? What is your favorite movie? Do you cook often? Where are some of your favorite places you like to eat?"
Kim Shin tried to answer all his questions to the best of his abilities, after dinner just as they were about to leave, Yeon Hee invited Kim Shin over for dinner on the following Sunday which he accepted. As they drove off, Eun Tak smiled and waved frantically until he was out of sight. Eun Tak could not stop smiling, her parents gave her permission to date Kim Shin and she did not have to hide their relationship anymore.
"Omma…Appa…. gomapseumnida for accepting our relationship and blessing us." Eun Tak shyly said.
Her parents smiled at her and they looked at each other, glad their daughter did not keep her relationship a secret. Yeon Hee patted her husband's free hand, proud of him for not loosing his cool and biting Kim Shin's head off. She was aware of how protective both her husband and son was when it comes to Eun Tak. She dreaded the day Eun Tak would introduce her boyfriend to them, but surprisingly her husband handled it very maturely.
During the graduation greeting and during dinner, she watched Eun Tak and Kim Shin. She just knew that they were meant to be. She could not describe nor explain what she felt or why she was feeling this way but she felt like she has met him before. He felt familiar but in a nice way. She could see the love, devotion and respect he had for Eun Tak.
Strangely she just knew that Kim Shin was meant for Eun Tak just as Eun Tak was meant for him. She gazed at Eun Tak who was smiling at Kim Shin, the love, devotion and respected reflecting in her eyes. Without warning, she felt that their love was beyond this lifetime. As she continued watching them, it brought tears to her eyes.
iEun Tak/i
While gazing out of the window, Eun Tak thought about the day she almost told her father and brother about Kim Shin, glad she waited for them to meet Kim Shin instead of telling them about him.
center*Flashback*/center
A few weeks ago, on New Year's Eve as the Ji family were preparing to watch a movie. Eun Tak who was dressed and ready to go out, rushed out of her room and told everyone to stop doing what they were doing and to listen closely as the the clock chimes midnight.
"Omma, Appa it just passed midnight. It's the New Year. I just became an adult. Kay~~" Eun Tak cheered and danced.
"Happy New Year!" "Let's have a meaningful year." Eun Tak's family started wishing each other.
"Ahh but why are you wearing a coat? Where are you going this late at night?" Sung Woong asked.
"Appa, alcohol. Alcohol. Buy me alcohol. A tent bar. Soju. Chicken gizzard." Eun Tak excitedly requests.
"This rascal! What's the rush! You're still 5 years old in my eyes. I'm not ready for this." Eun Tak's father said in a dramatic tone.
"Aigoo when did she grow up. It feels like yesterday we brought her home from the hospital." Yeon Hee chocked back her tears.
"Ahhh Appa let's go! They say drinking habits last for a long time so isn't it better I learn it well from you?" Eun Tak pleaded.
"Arrasoh arrasoh let's go! Bring your Oppa we will use him as a bad example." Sung Woong exclaimed.
As they drank Eun Tak could feel herself getting drunk, just as she was about to tell her father about Kim Shin, she lost her balance and fell onto the ground. Her father and brother immediately stopped drinking and brought her home.
iKim Shin/i
Kim Shin was glad Eun Tak's parents gave them permission to date. Even though he was nervous to meet them and go through their interrogation, he knew they were just looking out for Eun Tak.
He had personally experienced what Eun Tak's father was experiencing with his own daughter so he understand a father's heart and concern. He missed his daughter, Soo Hyun.
In Eun Tak's second lifetime after 3 years of marriage, they had a healthy baby girl whom they named, Kim Soo Hyun. Eun Tak had a risky pregnancy and Kim Shin almost lost her during the delivery. Even though they wanted to have more kids, due to medical complications they decided to just have one child.
Their daughter was a miracle, Kim Shin felt so many things and experienced so many things he never experienced despite being alive for so long. Their little family was everything he needed and wanted. They spend their days laughing, loving and living. She was 15 years old when she found out that her father was a 도깨비. She also came to know about her parent's love story. Instead of being embarrassed or irked, she declared how proud she was of who her parents were.
At 24, Soo Hyun introduced her boyfriend, Park Rae Won to them and after 2 years of dating they got married. Just when they thought their daughter was settling well, 2 years into their marriage Rae Won was diagnosed with brain tumor. Despite undergoing several surgeries and therapies, 4 years later he passed away.
Soo Hyun did not have any children nor did she remarry anyone. She dedicated her life to doing research on STDs and UNICEF. Despite everything, her relationship with her parents never changed. They remained closer than ever. After Eun Tak passed away, Soo Hyun and Kim Shin would spend most of their days reminiscing about Eun Tak. At 78, his baby, his daughter went to heaven.
In Eun Tak's third lifetime, they did not have any children, instead they celebrated Soo Hyun's life. So Kim Shin knew better than anyone else what Eun Tak's father was going through.
center*** /center
bEun Tak/b
Surprisingly, even her brother handled Eun Tak's relationship news well. Over the next few weeks, her family got to know Kim Shin a little more. She could see that her mother liked Kim Shin and her father was starting to warm up to him.
Now that that aspect of her life was slowly settling down, she had to worry about her university applications.
"Omma, Otokae Otokae. I'm so nervous, what if they don't accept me?" Eun Tak worriedly asked.
"Don't be silly! You worked so hard for the past few years, you will get accepted. Don't worry." Yeon Hee tried to console Eun Tak.
Eun Tak looks at the clock, 5 more minutes before the universities posted students application status to their universities. Eun Tak was on edge for the past few days, she applied to Seoul National University despite being aware of how tough the admission process was. Her best friends Park Kyung Hye and Kim Yoo Na applied to SNU. She hoped both of them got accepted into their choice of university too. The clock chimes to indicate that it was 12pm. Eun Tak runs to her room and opens up her laptop.
"The announcement must be out. What should I do?" Eun Tak nervously said as she paced up and down while hugging Mr. Buckwheat. "Gosh" She took a deep breath and opened the application status email.
"My goodness!" Eun Tak cries out as she reads the email.
centerbForensic Science Studies Major, Ji Eun Tak. Seoul National University/b/center
"Otokae! Daebak! Ah daebak" Eun Tak grabs Mr. Buckwheat and rolls around her bed in happiness while screaming.
Eun Tak's mother, Yeon Hee rushes into her room, "Why why? What happened?"
Seeing Eun Tak crying with a smile on her face, Yeon Hee gasped, "Omo you got accepted!"
Unable to contain their excitement, Eun Tak's mother and Eun Tak started jumping up and down while hugging each other and squealing.
"What did I tell you? You'll get accepted. I'm so proud of you my pumpkin. You're going to college, when did you grow up?" Yeon Hee cupped Eun Tak's face as tears sprang to her tears. She was elated that Eun Tak was not only going to university but also majoring in a course of her choice.
"Omma, I'm so happy. I'll become a forensic scientist soon so you and Dad can just travel and enjoy life." Eun Tak excitedly said.
"Aigoo my pumpkin." Yeon Hee patted Eun Tak's butt. "Ah what about Yoo Na and Kyung Hye?" She asked.
"I almost forgot. Kyung Hye applied for Forensics science too and Yoo Na applied for Law. I hope they get accepted too. They worked so hard."
"I'm sure they will. You girls studied so much, even during sleepovers you revised. Go on call them, Omma will go cook your favorite dishes. Tonight we are going to celebrate!" Yeon Hee reassured Eun Tak.
After Eun Tak's mother left, she called Yoo Na and Kyung Hye. They immediately received her facetime call. "So did you guys open your emails? I did."
"Yeah I did," "Of course." They responded. "Okay let's say it at the same time…1…2…. 3"
"I got in!" "SNU LAW!" "OMG they accepted me." All three of them yelled. Realizing what each of them said, they started screaming in excitement. "OMO!" "WE ALL GOT IN?" "KYA~~~"
"Otokae! We have been dreaming of going to SNU for so long and it happened. I'm so proud of you girls!" Yoo Na said as tears rolled down her cheeks.
"And we will be majoring in what we chose! Eun Tak-ah I'll be your classmate for another 4 years." Kyung Hye wiggled her eyebrows.
"We worked together! Otokae, we'll be going to the same university. I'm so excited. Yoo Na you better not ditch us for college guys you meet." Eun Tak narrowed her eyes at Yoo Na.
"Let's celebrate tomorrow. I bet our parents want us all to themselves today. Eun Tak, you should tell Kim Shin- shii too. I'm sure he's waiting for your call." Kyung Hye winked at Eun Tak.
"Ah hang up hang up. See you tomorrow. I'm so proud of you. They grow up so fast." Eun Tak wiped the tears falling.
Eun Tak informs her mother regarding her best friends acceptance and it was Yeon Hee's turn to call Yoo Na and Kyung Hye's mothers and chat. Eun Tak went to her room and called Kim Shin.
"Where are you? Let's meet now!" Eun Tak demanded.
"What? Now? Arrasoh. You want me to come to your house? I'm ready, where are you?" Kim Shin immediately grabbed the handle of a door.
"No no not my house, let's meet at the park in front of my house." Eun responded as she put on her coat.
It took Kim Shin merely 5 minutes to arrive. Eun Tak waved her arms and screamed excitedly, "Ajusshi!" She runs over and hugs him. Kim Shin laughs and wraps his arms around her tightly.
"Ajusshi…. I'm a university student! Kyaaaa." Eun Tak squealed.
"I know. Congratulations" Kim Shin said, a smile in his voice.
"Oh what is this? How did you know?" Eun Tak curiously asked.
"I knew you would get accepted. You studied and revised so much. You did not even bother about me until after your SATs." Kim Shin whined.
"I'm sorry. But since all my interviews are finished and I got accepted into SNU, I'm free now. I'll take better care of you from now on." Eun Tak declared cheerfully.
"What do you mean?" Kim Shin raised his eyebrow out of curiosity.
Eun Tak rose to her tiptoes and kissed him on the lips, a warm and sweet kiss, causing Kim Shin to get flustered and bashful.
"I have a gift for you." Kim Shin says.
"I have plenty. Everything is more than perfect already." Eun Tak says as she closes her eyes and puckers up her lips.
Kim Shin laughs at her adorable antics and places a necklace that he had ordered in her first lifetime from Quebec. Eun Tak opens her eyes and brushes her fingers over the i'Destin' /i necklace.
"Kim Shin-shii…. you kept this the whole time?" Eun Tak asked, her eyes welling up.
Kim Shin took her into his arms and kissed her forehead, "Of course I did."
After meeting Kim Shin, Eun Tak headed back home to have dinner with her family. Both her father and brother were overjoyed upon hearing the news of her acceptance.
"It's going to be such a headache. There's going to be a prosecutor, lawyer and a Forensic scientist living in this house." Yeon Hee sighed dramatically, which made everyone laugh.
Eun Tak was already looking forward to being a university student. Not only will she be attending SNU and majoring in forensic science but both of her best friends were going to the same university as well. On top of that, her family loves and approves of her relationship with Kim Shin. Life was really starting to look up for her.
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