Note: Please review! If you can't, you can email me. I love reading
reviews. Your comments matter to me. Sorry this is so long but I'm trying
to get a lot in this chapter. Please review or email me with your answer to
this question "What do you think of the Lane story?" This story is
continued from chapter 10. More will come eventually, I just don't have a
ton of time right now.
Author's Note: Sorry this took so long. I haven't had a lot of time to
write recently and it's also so long. It only took me about a month to
write.
Disclaimer: Lane and Rory are not mine but Sook-Jun, Chin-Soo, Yae-Won, Ye-
Min and the personalities of Lane's parents are mine. In other words, you
can't have them! Hah,hah!
Lane sighed a sigh of relief as she escaped from her parents grasp. She had told her parents she was going to Rory's to watch a movie. She headed straight for Rory's, constantly glancing at her watch so she wouldn't be late. As she approached Rory's house, she saw Rory already waiting outside for her. "Hey, Rory. Thanks so much for letting me do this. It means a lot. I really like him but you know how parents are. I'll be back around 11 if my mom calls. Just say it's a really long movie. You have my voice recording and you have his cell phone number to call if my mom says she's coming over. Feel free to call it. We won't be too far away. We'll only be in the next town over. It's barely five minutes away," said Lane as she stood there with Rory, waiting. Finally she saw Sook-Jun's car approach. "Well, have fun on your date," said Rory as she watched Lane climb into the passenger seat of his Mitsubishi Eclipse.
"So where we going?" Lane asked as she buckled her seat belt. "Somewhere nice and close"," Sook-Jun answered. "You have your cell phone?" Lane asked. "Yup. It's in the glove compartment. Can you turn it on for me?" "Sure," Lane answered, opening the compartment. About five minutes later, Sook-Jun stopped the car. Lane quietly glanced around, noticing they were in a park. "Why are we here?" Lane asked. "Come on, get out," he answered opening his own door. He climbed out and got a picnic basket out of the back of the car. She followed him, still holding the cell phone in her hand. Still shocked, she helps him open a blanket and spread it on the ground. He opens the picnic basket and starts taking out silverware, plates and containers of food. "How did you sneak out of the house with this?" Lane asks, glancing around at the food spread around her. "Easy. I told my parents I was going to have a picnic with some of my Korean friends. I assured them no non-Korean girls were going to be there and that I needed to bring some food. They loved it! They are always pushing me to have more Korean friends and to do more with them. My mother happily made plenty of Korean food. How about you?" "Oh, I told my parents I was going to my friend, Rory's house to watch a movie with her and her mom. "Good one. I might have to remember that for next time," Sook-Jun said, blushing and staring at Lane. "There's going to be a next time?" Lane asked, also blushing. "Let's eat. The food is getting cold," Sook-Jun said as he again started to blush. Quietly they heaped the food onto their plates and began to eat, still not talking. "So, how are your parents?" Sook-Jun asked, trying to make conversation. "Good. Yours?" Lane replied. "Fine. When are you going to tell your parents?" "Soon. I know they'll let me date you but will probably make your brother accompany us and arrange it through your parents. That's what I'm worried about. I don't want to get you in trouble," Lane answered. "The only problem is that my parents won't let me date you even though you are Korean, beautiful and smart," Sook-Jun embarrassingly. "Why then?" Lane asked, blushing. "My parents just don't like you. That's all." "But they haven't met me?" "I know, I know. Let's just keep it a secret a bit longer than," Sook-Jun answered. Sook-Jun suddenly out of the corner of his eye saw his parent's best friends walking right towards them. So far it didn't look like they had noticed him yet but they were about to. "Lane, we've got to go. Those are my parent's best friends right over there and once they turn that corner, they're going to see us. Help me pack up quickly," Sook-Jun said already putting the almost empty containers of food into the picnic basket. Though they hurried as quickly as they could, Sook-Jun noticed that they had already seen them. They turned to approach him but Sook-Jun rushed off with Lane in tow before they could talk to him. He knew his parents would know by tomorrow night. They would call his parents right before dinnertime like they always did and of course, somehow casually mention it to his parents who would of course be outraged. A lecture would follow about how they didn't want him dating anyone but a doctor's daughter and how their reputation at church would be destroyed if someone ever got word that he was dating a storeowners daughter. He would once again here about how Chin- Soo knew this and was dating a doctor's daughter besides wanting to be a doctor. "Lane, I'm sorry our date had to be cut short. We'll have another date soon. How about next Saturday?" Sook-Jun said, trying to concentrate on the road but finding it very hard when all he wanted to do was kiss her.
"I'll check. You have Rory's number. Just leave a message with her and she'll get word to me." "Sure, not a problem. I had a great time. Talk to you soon," Sook-Jun pulling up to Rory's house. When Sook-Jun got home, he found his father sitting in the living room reading the newspaper. "Why are you back so early?" Sook-Jun's father asked. "Some of the boys had to be home early so the rest of us decided to go home too," Sook-Jun replied, already walking up the stairs. "Good night, Jun," his father called out. "Good night, Father," Sook-Jun said from the top of the stairs. He knew he would a lot of explaining to do tomorrow night. Unfortunely, that night he could not sleep so of course he spent the night thinking of how to make it so that the consequences were less for him or would even get him out of trouble though he doubted that could happen. It was nearly impossible though. His parents trusted their best friends more than anybody in the world and knew they wouldn't lie. He did have two allies in their son, David who was his age and a great friend of his and their younger daughter who was two years his junior. He knew though that they were defenseless against their parents who already didn't like him that much because he had refused their daughter's advances. It all happened about a year ago when their two families were having dinner together like they always did once a month. Sook-Jun had gone to his room when all the adults started talking and she had followed him. He had noticed her staring at him and following him around for a bit but to him, she was just David's younger sister and nothing more. She had come up and when his back was turned, had sat on the bed next to him. She casually flirted with him and then as she turned to leave, she tried to kiss him but he turned away. The parents of course heard about this and were outraged. They always had wanted their families to be joined in marriage. Sook-Jun had stopped all possibilities of that. Though Sook-Jun and his brother knew that that family had always tried to stop Sook-Jun and Chin-Soo from dating anyone but their daughter and hated all possible candidates, their parents were oblivious to that fact. Even when it stared them in the face, they chose to ignore it completely. Most recently, when Chin-Soo had liked a girl that his parents had set him up with, they had started a rumor that the girl had a non- Korean boyfriend and had lost her virginity to him, it ruined her reputation and immediately his parents banned Chin-Soo from ever seeing this girl again. Throughout the night, Sook-Jun thought of his fate that next night. He also thought of Lane and how great their date had been going until they had to rush off. He planned and planned all that night and yet by the next day, Sook-Jun had come up with nothing that could save him from his imminent fate. All day while working at the almost always empty bookstore, he could think of nothing. He knew that even if Lane met his parents, it would do no good. They would still just think of her as a storeowner's daughter who did not deserve their son. The fact that she was a straight-A student and was headed for a top college did not seem to matter to them. The fact that she knew how to cook and clean, loved kids and spoke Korean fluently also did not matter. The fact that she was a good Christian and read the Bible in Korean did not matter. The fact that she wanted to raise her children to be good Koreans and Christians and wanted to make sure they had a strong pride in the fact that they were Korean did not matter. None of it would to them. The fact that she was a storeowner's daughter would overshadow it all. The possibilities that he would ever date Lane with his parent's knowledge seemed very dim, almost impossible. At least he had met her, even if he never saw her again. That night he got home just before dinner. His mother was still on the phone and looked happy. He thought for a second that maybe, just maybe they wouldn't tell his parents and he would be safe. He called his father and brother to dinner and they all sat down and started serving themselves while they watched her talk and talk. Finally when she saw that they were all served, she said goodbye and was just about to hang up when she was told what they had seen the night before. Sook-Jun saw his mother's face get bright red and hang up. She immediately called Sook-Jun's father into the kitchen for a "private" conversation. Five minutes later, they both emerged outraged. While settling down for dinner they remained quiet but as soon as they all started eating, Sook-Jun's father started the lecture. "Son, we told you that you were never allowed to date her again. She is nothing more than a storeowner's daughter. She doesn't deserve you. You know we only want you to have the best and that is a doctor's daughter. I don't want you to ruin our reputation at church. The Korean community is very small and you know that even though we have two churches, everyone knows everyone from the other one. It is bad enough that our best friend's have to know. It's lucky that they won't tell anyone but if it was anyone else, they whole community would know by Sunday night. Now, there are plenty of other girls for you to date. Most of them are acceptable but I forbid you to see this girl, Lang or what ever her name is again," his father said very angrily. "Her name is Lane, Father. She is a straight-A student, she speaks Korean fluently, she is a good Christian, she goes to Church every week and is proud of the fact that she is Korean, unlike so many of the other girls who just want to have blond hair and blue eyes and be rich. I like her and she likes me and I want to see her again. It doesn't matter to me that she is a store owner's daughter. Why should it matter to you?" Sook-Jun replied. "It should matter to you. From now on, you are grounded for the next month. You may go only to church and to the bookstore to work. That is it. You are forbidden to see her or call her or talk to her in any way. Now, go to your room," said Sook-Jun's father. Sook-Jun dashed up the stairs to his room, still thinking of Lane. While he listened to his family eat and talk downstairs, he tried to think of a way to get word to Lane about what had happened. He didn't want her to think that she had done something to make him not like her anymore. He never wanted that to happen. He drifted off to sleep, still thinking of her. Meanwhile, Lane was thinking of him also. She wondered what had happened on their date. Why was he so worried if his parent's best friends saw them? Why had he rushed them off so quickly? Would he call? Had she done anything wrong? All sorts of questions and theories rushed through her head, each one more crazy than the last. Finally, she quieted her head down and tried to sleep, thinking only of Sook-Jun. Two weeks later, Lane still had not heard from him. She began to worry more and more. She worried that maybe one of her crazy theories was right and that she had done something wrong. He had said there would be another date so why can't he called. Every time she saw Rory, she asked her if she had heard from Sook-Jun but every time it was no. Meanwhile, her parents kept asking if she had heard from Sook-Jun. Even though they didn't know about their second date, they had heard about their first date and wondered why he hadn't called. They both had begun to give up hope that they would ever see him again. About a week later, her parents were already pressuring her to date someone else. They had already tried to get her to go out with another boy but she had refused and told them that he was ugly and mean. They didn't force her since he didn't want to be a doctor and wasn't a doctor's son. He wanted to be a mechanic, a profession her parents looked down on. That Sunday at church, her parents dragged her over to meet a new family in their church. They soon discovered that they had a sixteen-year- old son. He wasn't with them at the moment because he was at a math competition, they explained. She saw her mother's face widen and start to glow. Immediately, her mother and father warmed up to them and invited them over to dinner the next night, making sure they bring their son too. The next night, her parents made sure Lane made the best impression she could. They got her to bake a pie for dessert and lined up her trophies and medals in the front hall where they would be seen. At exactly 7 o'clock, the doorbell rang. Lane rushed to answer it, pulling off her apron as she walked to the door. Normally she wouldn't wear an apron but her parents wanted to emphasize her household talents and skills. She opened it to find boy and girl who looked almost exactly alike flanked by their parents. "Ms. Kim, may I introduce Ye-Min and Yae-Won. I think they are both just your age," said the man standing behind Ye-Min who seemed to be their father. "Mr. Lee, come in. We are pleased to have you," Lane said closing the door behind them. Just then her parents came rushing out of the kitchen. "Mr. and Mrs. Lee, Yae-Won and Ye-Min come into the living room please. Dinner is almost ready," said her mother, bowing gently at the waist in the proper Korean greeting. She too bowed and out of the corner of her eye saw them bow in response. As they stood up, she saw Ye-Min smile at her quickly before he turned away. "Lane, why don't you show Yae-Won and Ye-Min your room. It would give you some time to get to know one another," her mother said, sweeping them in the direction of her room. "Lane, I am pleased to meet you. My parents have told me so much about you. This is my twin sister, Yae-Won. She also goes to Dublin Lake Academy," said Ye-Min as he entered her room. "Nice to meet you too. So um, how did the math competition go?" Lane replied. "I placed second. I would have placed first if I hadn't gotten number five wrong. My parents are quite upset about that," Ye-Min said as he lowered his head to the ground. "He did very well. There were over five hundred participants. Mother and Father are just teasing," Yae-Won said, gently lifting her brother's head off his chest. "Lane, what do you like to do?" Ye-Min asked quietly staring at her. "Well, I like to play drums, listen to music, hang out with my friends and talk on the phone," Lane replied. "Oh, wow! Your parents didn't mention you play an instrument," Ye-Min replied. "Oh, well they don't know I do. I play at a store downtown. I help clean up and the owner lets me play for a bit." "Oh, don't worry about it. All Korean-American kids hide stuff from their parents. It's normal. We both have plenty that our parents don't know about. We won't tell anyone. You know when I was younger, I really wanted to play the drums but my parents wouldn't let. I'd love for you to teach me sometime. I have a mini drum set at home," Ye-Min said with a big smile on his face. Lane smiled back before she replied "Sure. I'd love to. Do you need to get your parent's permission?" "No. I'm sure they'd let us as long as someone was around." "So Yae-Won, what do you like to do," Lane asked. "I listen to music, read, hang out with friends and swim. I'm on the diving and swimming teams at my school. Ye-Min is an expert diver. He's been to the state championships for the past two years and never placed below third. He won it last year," Yae-Won replied. "Lane, Yae-Won, Ye-Min time for dinner," Lane's mother said, yelling up the stairs. Silently, they walked down the stairs, Yae-Won in the front and Ye- Min and Lane walking side by side in the back. She saw her mother smile at the walking arrangement. Silently, they were seated. Of course, her parents had sat her right in between Yae-Won and Ye-Min as she had suspected. SEATING CHART Ye-Min=000=Yae-Won w/ Lane in the middle Lane's mother=0 0=Lane's father Lee father=00=Lee mother
All through dinner, she and Ye-Min chatted easily with Yae-Won occasionally adding something. Still, Lane could not stop thinking about Sook-Jun. She knew though that she had done something to make him think badly of her. She didn't know what but this time with Ye-Min she decided to not screw things up like she had last time. This time was going to be different. This time, she wouldn't hide anything from her parents and she wouldn't let him hide anything from his. They could even double date with Yae-Won and her date. She began dreaming about her and Ye-Min but each time, Sook-Jun would sneak into her thoughts and dreams. As the night ended, everyone seemed happy and friendly. She saw her mother and father whispering to each other and then to Ye-Min's parents. Finally, Lee's father got up and whispered something to Ye-Min. All Lane heard was her name. As his father walked back to his seat, Ye-Min said, "I heard you are single. Do you want to go out this Saturday? I'm sure I can get my parents to allow us to go by ourselves. They usually do let me if they know the girl." Lane saw the table go quiet as she whispered a quick "Sure, I'd love to" into his ear. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her mother and father glance at each other, smiling. "I guess I will have to forget about Sook-Jun," Lane thought to herself. The next Saturday, Lane busied herself getting ready for her date. Sure enough not only had he convinced his parents to let them go by themselves but her parents as well. She was glad to finally have a date that did not involve her whole family and his coming along. At exactly seven o'clock like he had said, she heard the doorbell ring. She opened it to find him dressed in a suit and tie holding flowers in his hand. Smiling, he handed them to her. Her mother appeared out of nowhere and took them for her and rushed off to the kitchen. "Have fun. Be home before eleven," her mother called out as she cut off the stems of the flowers and arranged them in a vase. "You look beautiful," Ye-Min said, holding open the door of his car for her. She quietly said "Thank you" as she began to blush. Neither of them talked the whole way to the restaurant. Once inside, she discovered it was a fancy Korean restaurant. She glanced around and saw no one she knew thankfully. She had learned to do that from Sook-Jun. Ye-Min appeared behind her and pulled out her chair for her. She sat down and watched him sit down across from her. She quickly glanced at the menu. Everything seemed so expensive. Quietly, they both looked through the menu and only talked when the waiter came to take their order. Lane tried to make conversation but Ye-Min seemed lost in his own thoughts.
"So unlike Sook-Jun," Lane thought to herself. Again she tried to ease the tension that was building in the air but to no avail. It just seemed like he didn't really like her at all but was just doing this to please his parents. Finally he spoke up. "Lane," he said in Korean "how do you like living in a small town?" "I like it. It's nice knowing everyone though my school is very small," she answered also in Korean. They talked in Korean about basic simple stuff like school, music, friends and how much their parents didn't understand them. Unlike her date with Sook-Jun, they didn't talk about their dreams or anything personal. They didn't talk about having a second date or anything. Lane felt a little disappointed, especially since she had lost Sook-Jun. Finally their dinner arrived. Lane quietly chewed, glancing around. Suddenly she came upon a familiar face. She couldn't exactly pinpoint who it was but she knew that she had seen him recently. Finally she figured out who it was. It was Chin- Soo, Sook-Jun's older brother. She saw him glance back at her and then at her date. He smiled and turned back to his date. "Uh-oh. Should I go talk to him? What if he comes over here?" she thought to herself. "So um, Lane how do you like your dinner?" Ye-Min asked, noticing Lane's glances at a Korean boy. "Huh? Oh, it's good. Thank you. How about yours?" Lane replied. Next thing Lane knew, she saw Chin-Soo start to approach her. "Lane, how nice to see you! You should drop by sometime. Sook-Jun would love to see you. Just make sure to drop by during the day. Bye. I have to take my date home now. See you later," Chin-Soo. Lane watched him walk away as she felt Ye-Min's eyes coldly stare at her. For the rest of the night, they quietly sat eating their dinner only making conversation when they had to. That was fine with Lane. She needed time to think. As Ye-Min drove her home, she tried to apologize and make conversation but he never responded. He stopped the car, said goodbye and left as soon as she was on the sidewalk. Surprisingly, she didn't see her mother's face in the window. She yelled goodnight and walked up to bed. Meanwhile at Sook-Jun's house, Chin-Soo was arriving home. He had plenty to tell his brother and fast. It was gnawing at him and he needed to get it off his chest. He rushed up to his brother's room and found his brother sitting on his bed reading a book. Sook-Jun glanced up as his brother walked in. "Jun, we need to talk. Look, I saw Lane today," Chin-Soo said as he watched his brother's ears peek up at the mention of Lane. "What did she say?" Sook-Jun asked, still staring at this brother. "She was a date with some Korean boy. She seemed to be having a good time. I'm sorry that I have to tell you that it seems as if she has forgotten you. I'm so sorry," Chin-Soo said, watching a tear drop out of his brother's eye. "Look, it's okay. I was hoping she wouldn't but I guess I kind of figured she would. I'm just really pissed that it's so soon after. I think I should call her and tell her I've been grounded and that's why I haven't called. When are mom and dad leaving for dinner tomorrow night?" "At 7. Call her at about 7:30 or 8. I'll be around if you need my help," Chin-Soo. "Thanks, bro," Sook-Jun said as he watched his brother walk out. The next night, exactly as planned their parents left at 7 for dinner with their minister and his wife. Just after they left, Sook-Jun dashed for the phone. Closing the door to the kitchen quietly behind him, he pulled a sheet of paper out of his pocket and began dialing. "Hello, is Lane there?" "Hello, who are you and why do you want to speak to my daughter?" he heard someone say on the other side of the line who he assumed was her mother. "My name is Sook-Jun. Lane and I went out on a date a while ago with your permission of course and now I am calling to see if she would like to go out again with your permission of course." "Ah, I remember you. Let me ask her." "Please may I talk to her myself?" Sook-Jun hopefully. "I guess. One minute," Mrs. Kim said as she yelled up the stairs 'Lane, phone for you'. He heard the phone pick up and then her mother say "Lane, five minute". The phone hung up and Lane said "hello". He felt his cheeks start to blush and felt himself start to sweat. "Lane, this is Sook-Jun." "Ah, you. I remember you. The boy who said he would call and never did. What do you want?" Lane said upsettingly. "Look, I'm awfully sorry I haven't called. I've been grounded and am only able to call because my parents aren't home. Truth is, they don't want me to date you but I do. I've been thinking about you and when I heard from Chin-Soo that he saw you out with someone else, it hurt," Sook-Jun listening to her heavy breathing on the other side of the line. "Oh. You never called so I assumed that I had done something wrong," Lane replied. "Never. I care too much about you for that to happen. I'm going to figure out a way for you to meet my parents. Of course, you will completely impress them and they will then give me permission to date you. Don't worry. I have to go now but I will get word to you about how I am going to do this. Bye," Sook-Jun said before quietly hanging up the phone. Lane breathed a sigh of relief as she too hanged up the phone. 'Everything will work out,' she thought to herself as she began to sort through her collection of clothes for something to wear on her next date with Sook-Jun.
Lane sighed a sigh of relief as she escaped from her parents grasp. She had told her parents she was going to Rory's to watch a movie. She headed straight for Rory's, constantly glancing at her watch so she wouldn't be late. As she approached Rory's house, she saw Rory already waiting outside for her. "Hey, Rory. Thanks so much for letting me do this. It means a lot. I really like him but you know how parents are. I'll be back around 11 if my mom calls. Just say it's a really long movie. You have my voice recording and you have his cell phone number to call if my mom says she's coming over. Feel free to call it. We won't be too far away. We'll only be in the next town over. It's barely five minutes away," said Lane as she stood there with Rory, waiting. Finally she saw Sook-Jun's car approach. "Well, have fun on your date," said Rory as she watched Lane climb into the passenger seat of his Mitsubishi Eclipse.
"So where we going?" Lane asked as she buckled her seat belt. "Somewhere nice and close"," Sook-Jun answered. "You have your cell phone?" Lane asked. "Yup. It's in the glove compartment. Can you turn it on for me?" "Sure," Lane answered, opening the compartment. About five minutes later, Sook-Jun stopped the car. Lane quietly glanced around, noticing they were in a park. "Why are we here?" Lane asked. "Come on, get out," he answered opening his own door. He climbed out and got a picnic basket out of the back of the car. She followed him, still holding the cell phone in her hand. Still shocked, she helps him open a blanket and spread it on the ground. He opens the picnic basket and starts taking out silverware, plates and containers of food. "How did you sneak out of the house with this?" Lane asks, glancing around at the food spread around her. "Easy. I told my parents I was going to have a picnic with some of my Korean friends. I assured them no non-Korean girls were going to be there and that I needed to bring some food. They loved it! They are always pushing me to have more Korean friends and to do more with them. My mother happily made plenty of Korean food. How about you?" "Oh, I told my parents I was going to my friend, Rory's house to watch a movie with her and her mom. "Good one. I might have to remember that for next time," Sook-Jun said, blushing and staring at Lane. "There's going to be a next time?" Lane asked, also blushing. "Let's eat. The food is getting cold," Sook-Jun said as he again started to blush. Quietly they heaped the food onto their plates and began to eat, still not talking. "So, how are your parents?" Sook-Jun asked, trying to make conversation. "Good. Yours?" Lane replied. "Fine. When are you going to tell your parents?" "Soon. I know they'll let me date you but will probably make your brother accompany us and arrange it through your parents. That's what I'm worried about. I don't want to get you in trouble," Lane answered. "The only problem is that my parents won't let me date you even though you are Korean, beautiful and smart," Sook-Jun embarrassingly. "Why then?" Lane asked, blushing. "My parents just don't like you. That's all." "But they haven't met me?" "I know, I know. Let's just keep it a secret a bit longer than," Sook-Jun answered. Sook-Jun suddenly out of the corner of his eye saw his parent's best friends walking right towards them. So far it didn't look like they had noticed him yet but they were about to. "Lane, we've got to go. Those are my parent's best friends right over there and once they turn that corner, they're going to see us. Help me pack up quickly," Sook-Jun said already putting the almost empty containers of food into the picnic basket. Though they hurried as quickly as they could, Sook-Jun noticed that they had already seen them. They turned to approach him but Sook-Jun rushed off with Lane in tow before they could talk to him. He knew his parents would know by tomorrow night. They would call his parents right before dinnertime like they always did and of course, somehow casually mention it to his parents who would of course be outraged. A lecture would follow about how they didn't want him dating anyone but a doctor's daughter and how their reputation at church would be destroyed if someone ever got word that he was dating a storeowners daughter. He would once again here about how Chin- Soo knew this and was dating a doctor's daughter besides wanting to be a doctor. "Lane, I'm sorry our date had to be cut short. We'll have another date soon. How about next Saturday?" Sook-Jun said, trying to concentrate on the road but finding it very hard when all he wanted to do was kiss her.
"I'll check. You have Rory's number. Just leave a message with her and she'll get word to me." "Sure, not a problem. I had a great time. Talk to you soon," Sook-Jun pulling up to Rory's house. When Sook-Jun got home, he found his father sitting in the living room reading the newspaper. "Why are you back so early?" Sook-Jun's father asked. "Some of the boys had to be home early so the rest of us decided to go home too," Sook-Jun replied, already walking up the stairs. "Good night, Jun," his father called out. "Good night, Father," Sook-Jun said from the top of the stairs. He knew he would a lot of explaining to do tomorrow night. Unfortunely, that night he could not sleep so of course he spent the night thinking of how to make it so that the consequences were less for him or would even get him out of trouble though he doubted that could happen. It was nearly impossible though. His parents trusted their best friends more than anybody in the world and knew they wouldn't lie. He did have two allies in their son, David who was his age and a great friend of his and their younger daughter who was two years his junior. He knew though that they were defenseless against their parents who already didn't like him that much because he had refused their daughter's advances. It all happened about a year ago when their two families were having dinner together like they always did once a month. Sook-Jun had gone to his room when all the adults started talking and she had followed him. He had noticed her staring at him and following him around for a bit but to him, she was just David's younger sister and nothing more. She had come up and when his back was turned, had sat on the bed next to him. She casually flirted with him and then as she turned to leave, she tried to kiss him but he turned away. The parents of course heard about this and were outraged. They always had wanted their families to be joined in marriage. Sook-Jun had stopped all possibilities of that. Though Sook-Jun and his brother knew that that family had always tried to stop Sook-Jun and Chin-Soo from dating anyone but their daughter and hated all possible candidates, their parents were oblivious to that fact. Even when it stared them in the face, they chose to ignore it completely. Most recently, when Chin-Soo had liked a girl that his parents had set him up with, they had started a rumor that the girl had a non- Korean boyfriend and had lost her virginity to him, it ruined her reputation and immediately his parents banned Chin-Soo from ever seeing this girl again. Throughout the night, Sook-Jun thought of his fate that next night. He also thought of Lane and how great their date had been going until they had to rush off. He planned and planned all that night and yet by the next day, Sook-Jun had come up with nothing that could save him from his imminent fate. All day while working at the almost always empty bookstore, he could think of nothing. He knew that even if Lane met his parents, it would do no good. They would still just think of her as a storeowner's daughter who did not deserve their son. The fact that she was a straight-A student and was headed for a top college did not seem to matter to them. The fact that she knew how to cook and clean, loved kids and spoke Korean fluently also did not matter. The fact that she was a good Christian and read the Bible in Korean did not matter. The fact that she wanted to raise her children to be good Koreans and Christians and wanted to make sure they had a strong pride in the fact that they were Korean did not matter. None of it would to them. The fact that she was a storeowner's daughter would overshadow it all. The possibilities that he would ever date Lane with his parent's knowledge seemed very dim, almost impossible. At least he had met her, even if he never saw her again. That night he got home just before dinner. His mother was still on the phone and looked happy. He thought for a second that maybe, just maybe they wouldn't tell his parents and he would be safe. He called his father and brother to dinner and they all sat down and started serving themselves while they watched her talk and talk. Finally when she saw that they were all served, she said goodbye and was just about to hang up when she was told what they had seen the night before. Sook-Jun saw his mother's face get bright red and hang up. She immediately called Sook-Jun's father into the kitchen for a "private" conversation. Five minutes later, they both emerged outraged. While settling down for dinner they remained quiet but as soon as they all started eating, Sook-Jun's father started the lecture. "Son, we told you that you were never allowed to date her again. She is nothing more than a storeowner's daughter. She doesn't deserve you. You know we only want you to have the best and that is a doctor's daughter. I don't want you to ruin our reputation at church. The Korean community is very small and you know that even though we have two churches, everyone knows everyone from the other one. It is bad enough that our best friend's have to know. It's lucky that they won't tell anyone but if it was anyone else, they whole community would know by Sunday night. Now, there are plenty of other girls for you to date. Most of them are acceptable but I forbid you to see this girl, Lang or what ever her name is again," his father said very angrily. "Her name is Lane, Father. She is a straight-A student, she speaks Korean fluently, she is a good Christian, she goes to Church every week and is proud of the fact that she is Korean, unlike so many of the other girls who just want to have blond hair and blue eyes and be rich. I like her and she likes me and I want to see her again. It doesn't matter to me that she is a store owner's daughter. Why should it matter to you?" Sook-Jun replied. "It should matter to you. From now on, you are grounded for the next month. You may go only to church and to the bookstore to work. That is it. You are forbidden to see her or call her or talk to her in any way. Now, go to your room," said Sook-Jun's father. Sook-Jun dashed up the stairs to his room, still thinking of Lane. While he listened to his family eat and talk downstairs, he tried to think of a way to get word to Lane about what had happened. He didn't want her to think that she had done something to make him not like her anymore. He never wanted that to happen. He drifted off to sleep, still thinking of her. Meanwhile, Lane was thinking of him also. She wondered what had happened on their date. Why was he so worried if his parent's best friends saw them? Why had he rushed them off so quickly? Would he call? Had she done anything wrong? All sorts of questions and theories rushed through her head, each one more crazy than the last. Finally, she quieted her head down and tried to sleep, thinking only of Sook-Jun. Two weeks later, Lane still had not heard from him. She began to worry more and more. She worried that maybe one of her crazy theories was right and that she had done something wrong. He had said there would be another date so why can't he called. Every time she saw Rory, she asked her if she had heard from Sook-Jun but every time it was no. Meanwhile, her parents kept asking if she had heard from Sook-Jun. Even though they didn't know about their second date, they had heard about their first date and wondered why he hadn't called. They both had begun to give up hope that they would ever see him again. About a week later, her parents were already pressuring her to date someone else. They had already tried to get her to go out with another boy but she had refused and told them that he was ugly and mean. They didn't force her since he didn't want to be a doctor and wasn't a doctor's son. He wanted to be a mechanic, a profession her parents looked down on. That Sunday at church, her parents dragged her over to meet a new family in their church. They soon discovered that they had a sixteen-year- old son. He wasn't with them at the moment because he was at a math competition, they explained. She saw her mother's face widen and start to glow. Immediately, her mother and father warmed up to them and invited them over to dinner the next night, making sure they bring their son too. The next night, her parents made sure Lane made the best impression she could. They got her to bake a pie for dessert and lined up her trophies and medals in the front hall where they would be seen. At exactly 7 o'clock, the doorbell rang. Lane rushed to answer it, pulling off her apron as she walked to the door. Normally she wouldn't wear an apron but her parents wanted to emphasize her household talents and skills. She opened it to find boy and girl who looked almost exactly alike flanked by their parents. "Ms. Kim, may I introduce Ye-Min and Yae-Won. I think they are both just your age," said the man standing behind Ye-Min who seemed to be their father. "Mr. Lee, come in. We are pleased to have you," Lane said closing the door behind them. Just then her parents came rushing out of the kitchen. "Mr. and Mrs. Lee, Yae-Won and Ye-Min come into the living room please. Dinner is almost ready," said her mother, bowing gently at the waist in the proper Korean greeting. She too bowed and out of the corner of her eye saw them bow in response. As they stood up, she saw Ye-Min smile at her quickly before he turned away. "Lane, why don't you show Yae-Won and Ye-Min your room. It would give you some time to get to know one another," her mother said, sweeping them in the direction of her room. "Lane, I am pleased to meet you. My parents have told me so much about you. This is my twin sister, Yae-Won. She also goes to Dublin Lake Academy," said Ye-Min as he entered her room. "Nice to meet you too. So um, how did the math competition go?" Lane replied. "I placed second. I would have placed first if I hadn't gotten number five wrong. My parents are quite upset about that," Ye-Min said as he lowered his head to the ground. "He did very well. There were over five hundred participants. Mother and Father are just teasing," Yae-Won said, gently lifting her brother's head off his chest. "Lane, what do you like to do?" Ye-Min asked quietly staring at her. "Well, I like to play drums, listen to music, hang out with my friends and talk on the phone," Lane replied. "Oh, wow! Your parents didn't mention you play an instrument," Ye-Min replied. "Oh, well they don't know I do. I play at a store downtown. I help clean up and the owner lets me play for a bit." "Oh, don't worry about it. All Korean-American kids hide stuff from their parents. It's normal. We both have plenty that our parents don't know about. We won't tell anyone. You know when I was younger, I really wanted to play the drums but my parents wouldn't let. I'd love for you to teach me sometime. I have a mini drum set at home," Ye-Min said with a big smile on his face. Lane smiled back before she replied "Sure. I'd love to. Do you need to get your parent's permission?" "No. I'm sure they'd let us as long as someone was around." "So Yae-Won, what do you like to do," Lane asked. "I listen to music, read, hang out with friends and swim. I'm on the diving and swimming teams at my school. Ye-Min is an expert diver. He's been to the state championships for the past two years and never placed below third. He won it last year," Yae-Won replied. "Lane, Yae-Won, Ye-Min time for dinner," Lane's mother said, yelling up the stairs. Silently, they walked down the stairs, Yae-Won in the front and Ye- Min and Lane walking side by side in the back. She saw her mother smile at the walking arrangement. Silently, they were seated. Of course, her parents had sat her right in between Yae-Won and Ye-Min as she had suspected. SEATING CHART Ye-Min=000=Yae-Won w/ Lane in the middle Lane's mother=0 0=Lane's father Lee father=00=Lee mother
All through dinner, she and Ye-Min chatted easily with Yae-Won occasionally adding something. Still, Lane could not stop thinking about Sook-Jun. She knew though that she had done something to make him think badly of her. She didn't know what but this time with Ye-Min she decided to not screw things up like she had last time. This time was going to be different. This time, she wouldn't hide anything from her parents and she wouldn't let him hide anything from his. They could even double date with Yae-Won and her date. She began dreaming about her and Ye-Min but each time, Sook-Jun would sneak into her thoughts and dreams. As the night ended, everyone seemed happy and friendly. She saw her mother and father whispering to each other and then to Ye-Min's parents. Finally, Lee's father got up and whispered something to Ye-Min. All Lane heard was her name. As his father walked back to his seat, Ye-Min said, "I heard you are single. Do you want to go out this Saturday? I'm sure I can get my parents to allow us to go by ourselves. They usually do let me if they know the girl." Lane saw the table go quiet as she whispered a quick "Sure, I'd love to" into his ear. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her mother and father glance at each other, smiling. "I guess I will have to forget about Sook-Jun," Lane thought to herself. The next Saturday, Lane busied herself getting ready for her date. Sure enough not only had he convinced his parents to let them go by themselves but her parents as well. She was glad to finally have a date that did not involve her whole family and his coming along. At exactly seven o'clock like he had said, she heard the doorbell ring. She opened it to find him dressed in a suit and tie holding flowers in his hand. Smiling, he handed them to her. Her mother appeared out of nowhere and took them for her and rushed off to the kitchen. "Have fun. Be home before eleven," her mother called out as she cut off the stems of the flowers and arranged them in a vase. "You look beautiful," Ye-Min said, holding open the door of his car for her. She quietly said "Thank you" as she began to blush. Neither of them talked the whole way to the restaurant. Once inside, she discovered it was a fancy Korean restaurant. She glanced around and saw no one she knew thankfully. She had learned to do that from Sook-Jun. Ye-Min appeared behind her and pulled out her chair for her. She sat down and watched him sit down across from her. She quickly glanced at the menu. Everything seemed so expensive. Quietly, they both looked through the menu and only talked when the waiter came to take their order. Lane tried to make conversation but Ye-Min seemed lost in his own thoughts.
"So unlike Sook-Jun," Lane thought to herself. Again she tried to ease the tension that was building in the air but to no avail. It just seemed like he didn't really like her at all but was just doing this to please his parents. Finally he spoke up. "Lane," he said in Korean "how do you like living in a small town?" "I like it. It's nice knowing everyone though my school is very small," she answered also in Korean. They talked in Korean about basic simple stuff like school, music, friends and how much their parents didn't understand them. Unlike her date with Sook-Jun, they didn't talk about their dreams or anything personal. They didn't talk about having a second date or anything. Lane felt a little disappointed, especially since she had lost Sook-Jun. Finally their dinner arrived. Lane quietly chewed, glancing around. Suddenly she came upon a familiar face. She couldn't exactly pinpoint who it was but she knew that she had seen him recently. Finally she figured out who it was. It was Chin- Soo, Sook-Jun's older brother. She saw him glance back at her and then at her date. He smiled and turned back to his date. "Uh-oh. Should I go talk to him? What if he comes over here?" she thought to herself. "So um, Lane how do you like your dinner?" Ye-Min asked, noticing Lane's glances at a Korean boy. "Huh? Oh, it's good. Thank you. How about yours?" Lane replied. Next thing Lane knew, she saw Chin-Soo start to approach her. "Lane, how nice to see you! You should drop by sometime. Sook-Jun would love to see you. Just make sure to drop by during the day. Bye. I have to take my date home now. See you later," Chin-Soo. Lane watched him walk away as she felt Ye-Min's eyes coldly stare at her. For the rest of the night, they quietly sat eating their dinner only making conversation when they had to. That was fine with Lane. She needed time to think. As Ye-Min drove her home, she tried to apologize and make conversation but he never responded. He stopped the car, said goodbye and left as soon as she was on the sidewalk. Surprisingly, she didn't see her mother's face in the window. She yelled goodnight and walked up to bed. Meanwhile at Sook-Jun's house, Chin-Soo was arriving home. He had plenty to tell his brother and fast. It was gnawing at him and he needed to get it off his chest. He rushed up to his brother's room and found his brother sitting on his bed reading a book. Sook-Jun glanced up as his brother walked in. "Jun, we need to talk. Look, I saw Lane today," Chin-Soo said as he watched his brother's ears peek up at the mention of Lane. "What did she say?" Sook-Jun asked, still staring at this brother. "She was a date with some Korean boy. She seemed to be having a good time. I'm sorry that I have to tell you that it seems as if she has forgotten you. I'm so sorry," Chin-Soo said, watching a tear drop out of his brother's eye. "Look, it's okay. I was hoping she wouldn't but I guess I kind of figured she would. I'm just really pissed that it's so soon after. I think I should call her and tell her I've been grounded and that's why I haven't called. When are mom and dad leaving for dinner tomorrow night?" "At 7. Call her at about 7:30 or 8. I'll be around if you need my help," Chin-Soo. "Thanks, bro," Sook-Jun said as he watched his brother walk out. The next night, exactly as planned their parents left at 7 for dinner with their minister and his wife. Just after they left, Sook-Jun dashed for the phone. Closing the door to the kitchen quietly behind him, he pulled a sheet of paper out of his pocket and began dialing. "Hello, is Lane there?" "Hello, who are you and why do you want to speak to my daughter?" he heard someone say on the other side of the line who he assumed was her mother. "My name is Sook-Jun. Lane and I went out on a date a while ago with your permission of course and now I am calling to see if she would like to go out again with your permission of course." "Ah, I remember you. Let me ask her." "Please may I talk to her myself?" Sook-Jun hopefully. "I guess. One minute," Mrs. Kim said as she yelled up the stairs 'Lane, phone for you'. He heard the phone pick up and then her mother say "Lane, five minute". The phone hung up and Lane said "hello". He felt his cheeks start to blush and felt himself start to sweat. "Lane, this is Sook-Jun." "Ah, you. I remember you. The boy who said he would call and never did. What do you want?" Lane said upsettingly. "Look, I'm awfully sorry I haven't called. I've been grounded and am only able to call because my parents aren't home. Truth is, they don't want me to date you but I do. I've been thinking about you and when I heard from Chin-Soo that he saw you out with someone else, it hurt," Sook-Jun listening to her heavy breathing on the other side of the line. "Oh. You never called so I assumed that I had done something wrong," Lane replied. "Never. I care too much about you for that to happen. I'm going to figure out a way for you to meet my parents. Of course, you will completely impress them and they will then give me permission to date you. Don't worry. I have to go now but I will get word to you about how I am going to do this. Bye," Sook-Jun said before quietly hanging up the phone. Lane breathed a sigh of relief as she too hanged up the phone. 'Everything will work out,' she thought to herself as she began to sort through her collection of clothes for something to wear on her next date with Sook-Jun.