Chapter Nineteen
Go Mi Nyu took in the amazing scenery around her as she and Tae Kyung stood together on the doorstep to his grandparent's house. The home was a beautiful traditional house nestled in the Korean countryside. It rested on a property so grand the couple had to travel an additional mile from the gate to get to it.
"Your grandparents seem very...well off."
"That's putting it lightly. They own a chain of bakeries. You've heard of them probably. Hwang's Bread."
Mi Nyu could have had a fit. "Are you serious? Hwang's Bread? You're related to the Hwang of Hwang's Bread?"
Tae Kyung couldn't help but laugh. "Oh. My grandfather has a passion for pastry and my grandmother is a killer businesswoman. They're quite a pair."
This made Mi Nyu even more excited about meeting Tae Kyung's grandparents. "Wow. This is amazing. I can't I believe I'm meeting them!"
"I'll take you to the original bakery, if time permits. Their bread is quite good."
"Really? That'd be wonderful..." She smiled, before looking down and fiddling with her fingers.
"Don't be so nervous." Tae Kyung said.
"It's just, now that I'm here I feel underdressed. This isn't appropriate is it? I shouldn't have let myself wear this today should I?"
Tae Kyung was dressed semi-casually with a blazer and white pants and shiny shoes, while his wife-to-be was dressed more casually, clad in a white sundress with a warm brown cardigan and sandals.
Mi Nyu continued on her worried rant. "I should have worn something more formal shouldn't I? What if I make a bad impression?"
"What you are wearing is fine, trust me. Stop thinking so much." Tae Kyung tried to qualm her worries as he rung the doorbell of his old home. The both heard running footsteps and an 'I'm coming!' from a voice inside. Tae Kyung instantly matched the voice to the housekeeper.
The door creaked open, revealing a older lady, her semi graying hair short and curly. "Hello!" She cheerily answered. The woman was wearing a floral knee-length dress and apron, Mi Nyu noticed, even though the door was only half way open.
"May I help you?" She asked, opening the door fully to examine the tall man closer. "Oh my! Is that you, Young Master Tae Kyung?"
"Hello. It's nice to see you again, Mrs. Jang."
"Young master?" Mi Nyu lipped. She mistakenly thought that lady was his grandmother.
"Mrs. Jang, please inform my grandparents that I have arrived with a very special person."
She smiled. "Oh yes! They just came back from a walk to long ago; they are about to sit down for their afternoon tea. I'll go inform your grandparents of your arrival!" She motioned them to come in and they did so. All it took was a step for Mi Nyu to be engulfed in the scent of tea and cedar smoke. The décor in the foyer alone made Mi Nyu's mouth drop. It was as grand as its outward appearance.
"Goodness." Mi Nyu knew she was in a home where just one item cost more than all of her possessions. They both took a couple of more steps inside away from the door.
"Do you like this house?"
"Oh, yes!"
"Would you like a house like this?"
"Well, it doesn't matter to me. Even if I live in a shack, if I'm with you, I'd still be happy."
Tae Kyung was touched beyond belief. "You really love me that much?"
She nodded. "Of course I do!"
"Mi Nyu, I'd sell everything I own to make sure you live comfortably. Don't worry." He affirmed.
Soon another woman appeared, swiftly coming towards them. The first thing Mi Nyu noticed about this lady was how much alike their facial features were. This must be his grandmother.
And in fact it was. Tae Kyung's grandmother was dressed in black pants and a white dress shirt, as if she had just come back from a business meeting.
"Do my old eyes deceive me?" A grin spread across her face. "It is truly my Tae Kyung?"
"It is grandmother." Tae Kyung replied with a smile.
"My sweet child." She sighed, touching his cheeks gently. "It's been too long." She then turned her gaze to Mi Nyu. "And I see you've finally decided to bring home a decent girl this time."
"Finally?" Mi Nyu questioned, glancing at Tae Kyung. He had a look on his face that pretty much said he didn't want to talk about it.
All of a sudden the old woman's demeanor changed and she grabbed him by the ear. "YOU! I don't care if you are an idol or not!" Tae Kyung was taken by surprise as he was yanked down to his grandmother's level "You can't call? You can't visit? You're just as bad as your father! You haven't visited in almost a year! A YEAR! The only way I hear about you is the internet or magazines! Why are you only good at making your grandfather and I worry half to death, huh?"
"Grandma…ah, I'm sorry! I've been really busy!" He burned with embarrassment. "Could you please let go-?" Tae Kyung swore on his life that his grandmother was the strongest woman in the world.
Mi Nyu stood with her hand to her mouth, poorly trying to suppress laughter.
"Honey!" A strong male voice called from behind her. "Why are you rough handling him so soon? He's only been here for five minutes!"
The man, which Mi Nyu assumed was grandfather stepped up behind grandmother. There was one feature that stood out about his grandfather and that was his eyes- they were just like Tae Kyung's. And at the moment expressed great happiness at seeing his grandson.
"You must be the fiancée I've been hearing about. It's Go Mi Nyu isn't it?"
Mi Nyu bowed. Grandfather hummed, putting his hands on her shoulders as she rose back up. "She's adorable, Tae Kyung." He smiled, letting go of her.
"Fiancée?" Grandmother let go of Tae Kyung now reddened ear. Slightly flustered, he put his hand over his ear to try to calm the pain. "Oh, oh my! I'm sorry you had to see that."
"It's okay, grandmother. And thank you, it's nice to meet you both." She bowed again. "I've been looking forward to this day."
"Oh, she's so polite!" He "Come in, come in."
Even though he was embarrassed beyond belief, Mi Nyu could tell from Tae Kyung's mien that he was really glad to be back, expressing the same genuine happiness that his grandfather showed.
"Well, we're certainly glad you finally came to visit. It's about that time." Grandfather began to lead them through the house. "Now your grandmother will stop blabbing me about how you need a proper girlfriend, wife… etc. etc."
"Honey!" Grandmother protested.
"I know dear, I love you too."
Mi Nyu checked on Tae Kyung's ear behind his grandparent's back. "Oh, that's so red!" She stopped them momentarily, instinctively blowing on his ear to help ease his pain. "Are you okay?"
Tae Kyung jumped from the sudden cool air exposure while simultaneously letting a small and brief chuckle escape his lips from the feeling. "What was that? Don't do that!"
"Would you like me to get something cold? I think I have a mini-ice pack."
"It's fine. I had to deal with that grip for over ten years. Once today won't kill me."
They kept on walking until they reached a sitting room where there was hot tea awaiting them. "It's very fortunate that we just were about to sit down for tea. Now we have something exciting to talk about today."
Tae Kyung and Mi Nyu waited for the elders to sit before doing so themselves.
"Yes, and I quite like this one. Better than the others he had. Very pretty. Our great grandchildren are going to be gorgeous." Grandmother said. The grandparents were in there own little world for a couple of minutes, as Mi Nyu and Tae Kyung watched them eye the both of them.
"Let's drink, shall we?" Grandfather suggested.
"You really did come at a great time, your grandmother and I have almost finished lunch. Oh, you should have seen her Tae Kyung. She just got soaked into this TV drama and almost burned a side dish." His hearty chuckle filled the room with smiles; minus grandmother.
She hit him on the shoulder. "What are you trying to do, embarrass me?"
Grandfather straightened up his act, getting serious. "Well, Ms. Go Mi Nyu. Tell me about yourself. What is it that you do?"
"Yes? I teach."
"You're a teacher, huh?"
"Yes. I teach at an orphanage three days a week."
"How nice." Grandmother picked up her tea cup, taking a sip. "Then, how is it you two met?"
She laughed nervously. "That…? Um..."
Tae Kyung pushed her tea cup in her hand, motioning her to drink. She did so, to refrain from rambling. "Grandmother, that's a very long story." Tae Kyung replied in her stead.
"Tae Kyung, you know your grandmother and I love a good story." The old man genuinely wanted to know.
"Yes, tell us. We certainly want to know." Grandmother urged on.
Mi Nyu looked over at Tae Kyung anxiously. 'What are we going to tell them? The truth?' She whispered under her breath.
Tae Kyung debated. 'I don't know.' He lipped back. 'They are rather open people…free spirited if you will.'
"What are you two whispering about?" Grandfather asked. "Ah! Something embarrassing happened between you two that caused you to meet, right?" This of course only made them want to know even more. "Don't be afraid to share. Everyone has their own unique story. Your grandmother, for instance, ran me over. I still have the scar."
"Honey!"
"I know, dear. But I knew from that moment you were a special lady."
Tae Kyung, knowing his grandparents curiosity, began to tell them their story. "I was on my way to Japan with my band when I ran into her. She was going to Rome. I ended up with her ticket and she my MP3 player. I tried to find her but she was very...elusive."
Now, she thought about it even more, she happier that she didn't take that flight. "So then…" Mi Nyu started, slowly recollecting her memory. "I returned it to him, but when I did, well, we were in a bit of a situation because he didn't like me very much. So he ended up threatening me and my brother's career-" Mi Nyu frankly stated.
"What?" Both the grandparents questioned, cutting her off.
Tae Kyung groaned. Why did she have to bring that up? She should have skipped that part. "She conveniently forgot to mention that she stole that MP3 from me first."
"I returned it first. Only after you had it did I take it back again."
"Why are you saying it like that makes it justifiable?"
"I think you've finally met your match, Tae Kyung." Grandfather laughed, taking a sip of tea. "But continue on." He even found their bickering interesting.
"I suppose your going to blame me for getting stuck on top of that truck too?"
"You told me to go get the MP3 player."
"You should have gotten off of the truck faster." Tae Kyung retorted.
"How could you ask a lady to do such a thing? If you wanted that MP3 you should have gotten yourself! We raised you better than to snap your attitude when people make honest mistakes!" His grandmother raged. "It isn't like you wouldn't have the funds to buy another either!"
"You call dropping an MP3 player on the top of a truck an honest mistake? That's not even an average everyday mistake. It was a freak-accident mistake!"
"You did tell me let go of it." Mi Nyu innocently added. "And I did."
"Grandmother, if you'd seen her at the time I'd think you'd know how I was feeling. It was only climbing on top of a truck. She's the one who did let it get there in the first place so she should have taken responsibility. Since she was a slow poke, she got stuck. The driver didn't hear her or me so I had to follow that truck for nearly three blocks. It was at that moment, I realized how prone to accidents she was."
"He called me a 'walking accident zone'." Mi Nyu went on. "And when the truck stopped Tae Kyung caught me. He's really strong."
"Ah, so this is the moment you fell in love?"Grandfather asked, satisfied with his pun.
"No. For me, it was the first time-" Mi Nyu was cut off as the phone rang. Grandfather instantly got up to answer it.
"When?" Grandmother pressed on; both her and Tae Kyung to hear her answer.
"Ssh." Mi Nyu went, putting her finger to her mouth. "Grandfather is on the phone."
There was silence as a pleasant face swept across his strong features, putting the phone off the hook. He looked at his wife then his grandson. "Tae Kyung, can you come with me?"
Mi Nyu looked to Tae Kyung who was just as confused as her until he saw the expression on his grandfather's face.
"Excuse me." Tae Kyung and his grandfather left the room in a hurry while his grandmother put the phone back onto the hook. Her expression turned back to normal as she suggested, "Ah, Mi Nyu dear why don't you come and help me finish lunch?"
"Dear, do you mind adding this to the soup?" Mi Nyu took the scallions, adding it the soup as Grandmother requested.
"Oh, this smells wonderful. I don't think I've ever had this before." Mi Nyu commented as she slowly mixed it into the soup.
"It's Tae Kyung's favorite soup. Mi Nyu dear, this is a secret you can't tell anyone. I made this soup from scratch from leftovers I found near the back of the refrigerator. They were almost spoiled but I saved them from being thrown away. It's good to be resourceful and not waste even a grain of rice, don't you agree?"
"Yes!" Mi Nyu was completely amazed at the woman who claimed to be Tae Kyung's grandmother.
"Mi Nyu, how do you put up with my grandson? You have no idea how hard it was making meals for that boy. Not only does he have multiple allergies but he's such a picky eater. I'm curious."
She sighed. "Oh, I don't know really. I just try to aim for things he does like and avoid things he doesn't."
"If he ever snaps a temper with you don't be afraid to hit him."
"Grandmother, I don't believe in being violent."
Tae Kyung walked into the room. "Oh, that smell…" He was immediately attracted to Mi Nyu's side.
He motioned for Mi Nyu to move the ladle up so he could have a taste while his grandmother's back was turned. Slowly she lifted the ladle and he took a sip. "That's so good. Take a sip too."
Mi Nyu quickly took a sip. It had a refreshing yet saucy taste. "That is good."
He took another sip. "It's almost been eleven years and I still have no idea what she puts in this. Did she show you by any chance?"
"No, the soup was already on the stove when I got in here. But I did add in something."
"What?"
Before Mi Nyu could tell him the ingredients, Grandmother turned around. "Tae Kyung what are you doing? Put that ladle down!" She shouted.
With that being said took another sip and plastered a huge smile on his face.
"Get out!" She yelled, popping him with a wooden spoon on the back of the head. "Get out now!"
He rubbed his head. "Why do you hit me so much? Do you find joy in it, grandmother?"
"No, but it's clear now I didn't hit you enough when you were younger." Grandmother chided, straightening her apron. With a smile she continued, "Now, will you two go set the table now? I'll finish this up. Thank you for the help, Mi Nyu dear."
Go Mi Nyu couldn't help but wonder how Tae Kyung actually was like as a child. Did he cause mischief like that? He looked so happy; so at peace.
As Tae Kyung and Mi Nyu carried the finished side dishes to the table she couldn't help but wonder. "How was it like growing up here?"
"Most of my happiest memories were made in this house with them."
"How could you lie to me and say they were unexciting people?"
"Once you get to know them my grandparents become are really just ordinary. But it's nice considering the life I live where most things are unordinary."
"Am I unordinary?"
"Yes, you are. At first, I thought you were an ordinary girl with odd circumstances. But now I realize you're just weird. But that's just why I like you so much."
"AH! Doesn't it feel nice out here, Tae Kyung?"
They hadn't even been on the road for twenty minutes before he and Mi Nyu passed a park with a lake. She squealed when she saw rowing boats and coaxed them stop. Even though he wanted to be early for their press conference, the look on her face made him completely defeated. "Just for thirty minutes? Please? We'll be back on the road and make it in time I promise!" She smiled.
"Hmm." He hated being out in the bright sun, but if it made her happy, he'd deal. He rowed them on, in a pleasant silence.
Mi Nyu dipped her hand in the water. "Whoa. I can see fish!" Tae Kyung couldn't believe how much a simple boat ride thrilled her. Then again, Mi Nyu was a girl with simple pleasures. She happily played in the water, splashing her hand around.
"Those fish bite."
"What?" She immediately took her hand out the water. "How fish bite?"
"Anything with teeth can bite. Common knowledge. How long were you in school again?"
"Long enough to know fish don't bite! Except sharks and piranhas. But they're in the Amazon! So…hah!"
"Oh, so you think you're so smart? I'm only going to laugh when something decides to pull you in."
Her mouth dropped. "Lake monsters aren't even real!"
"That's what they all say. It's always the pretty girl that gets eaten first."
"No, it's not! It's the guy that gets eaten first!"
"You want to bet, pretty lady?" He continued to row. "Girls are more likely to get eaten by monsters and possessed by ghosts. Horror movies have statistically proven this."
"Aren't you supposed to protect me then? Since the man always tries protecting the woman?"
"Supposed to. But many run away because they don't want to die. It's flight or fight. But the result is usually the same. You fight; you're probably going to lose. You run you are probably going to get caught. There's just no way to win."
"Well, maybe the monster is one of those that is really nice but is misunderstood. Like, it has a thorn in its foot that has been there for a thousand years."
"You're so naïve sometimes." Tae Kyung laughed.
The boat suddenly rocked, Mi Nyu instantaneously grabbing on the side of the boat to steady herself and the boat.
"What was that?" Mi Nyu questioned, looking around. "Hey! Don't rock the boat to try to scare me!"
"I didn't rock the boat, genius. I'm rowing it remember?" Tae Kyung lifted the ors on both side of him. He didn't know quite what it was either. There were only two other people rowing boats and they both were good distance away. "I think we might have hit something." Tae Kyung did a check over of the boat. There didn't appear to be any damage so he shook it off.
Soon the male's arms began to tire and he stopped rowing. They began to float around slowly, aimlessly on the lake, taking in the scenery.
"If it wasn't so unseasonably hot it'd be really nice." He had taken off his jacket and unbuttoned the first couple of buttons to his shirt.
"Why do you wear so many layers? It's almost spring."
He shrugged, pulling up his sleeves. "Almost. It's still cold at night and in the morning."
At the end of his sentence, the boat rocked again. It was rocked with so much force both Tae Kyung and Mi Nyu had to hold onto the side.
"What was that?" Mi Nyu gazed at her boyfriend in fear. She shot up like a rocket. "Did I really make a lake monster mad by putting my hand in the water? What do we do?" Mi Nyu bent over to the water. "Lake monster, I'm so sorry. Please don't hurt us."
"Mi Nyu! Stop apologizing to the lake! I'm sure we just…hit a branch-" Honestly he didn't know what it could've been. Either way it couldn't have been good. If they hit a rock or branch it could have damage the small boat they were in-
Tae Kyung then felt something funny. He looked down. The boat now had a hole about the size of a fist in the side where water was beginning to rush in.
"Something is not right..." Mi Nyu timely said, turning around. Her eyes almost popped out their sockets when she noticed the hole. "Oh! Oh no! The boat! It's leaking!"
Tae Kyung almost wanted to contemplate if he made the something mad but grabbed the ors and began to row instead. He had to get them to shore before the boat sunk.
"I'll save us!" Mi Nyu heroically claimed, beginning to bail the water out with her hands.
"Stop that! Get over here and row!" Tae Kyung yelled, Mi Nyu immediately grabbing an or and rowing in sync with her partner.
The couple rowed desperately to get back to either the dock or shore before the boat sunk. Unfortunately, the lake was huge and they were so far from both. The rate the water was coming in was alarming and water was already up to their ankles.
"Oh look, we're almost there. Just a bit more!" Mi Nyu claimed, this however was her own delusion. "We can make it!"
But the boat wouldn't go an inch further. Within seconds the boat was filled with water, and the couple was pulled into the lake.
Mi Nyu and Tae Kyung emerged from the lake, completely soaked. She couldn't help but laugh when she caught the expression of her boyfriend.
"What are you laughing at?" He inquired fiercely, shoes squeaking with every step.
"You look like a drowned rat."
"What's funny about this? I don't see anything funny!"
"Now you look like an angry drowned rat." She kept giggling. "We have to find out who stole your cheese!"
"Do you want me to throw you back into that lake?" He fumed.
"No. I'll shut up."
"What was I thinking? Taking you out on a boat ride? Boats sink! Into water! Now, we're both soaked to the bone. And to top it all off we have to make it back to Seoul in two hours."
"I'm sorry. If I didn't want to go take a boat ride we could've been back by now."
"It might be your fault for wanting to take this boat ride but…" He sighed. "It's not completely your fault. Blame the rock or branch or whatever that decided to sink us."
"But now what are we going to do? We don't have any spare clothes to change into."
He looked at his girlfriend, noticing something alarming. "Mi Nyu."
"What?"
The white dress Mi Nyu was wearing had become completely see through. Ironically enough, she was wearing black undergarments.
"You should have worn white. Not black."
"But I'm not wearing anything black...oh!" She stopped in her place, her face becoming red as a tomato. "Can you really see?"
"Here." He hurriedly took off his jacket, wringing it and put it around Mi Nyu. They continued to move down the path back to his car. Maybe I have some towels in there?
"What can we do now?" He finally replied to her first question. "We have no choice other than to be late. But that's not what matters right now; I need to get dry so you don't catch a cold."
"OH! I got an idea!"
"What?"
"We can dry our hair and clothes in the park's bathroom!"
"No way. There are not enough dryers. We'd have to get naked and even though this place isn't exactly swarming with people, we're still in public. And if you think that I'm even considering doing anything that tacky, you're crazy."
"I just said the first thing that came to mind."
"I can tell."
"Maybe we can buy some clothes in town?"
"Good idea. Let's go."
He pulled her closer to him as they began to walk through the small town, looking for any place that would sell clothes. "We've been walking for over twenty minutes. There seem to be no places that sell clothes."
"Right here." Mi Nyu said, stopping them in front of a thrift store. "They probably won't have the clothes you prefer but we're on a time constraint, so it'll have to do!" She grinned, pulling them inside. Instantly they were met with a smell of cinnamon and cigars and the voice of a little old lady.
"Hello." She greeted. "Just holler if you need anything." The couple acknowledged her quickly before Mi Nyu stopped them in front of a rack. There were clothes hanging from off the walls and on racks and a small dressing room with a outside mirror nestled on the right wall of the store.
"Oh no way." Tae Kyung shook his head, gazing at racks upon racks of clothes. "There's no way! This is a thrift store with clothes from the before we were both born. There is nothing here that's acceptable."
"It's not that bad! See, isn't this dress cute!" She picked up the first outfit that caught her eye. In her hand was a dark floral printed summer dress with an attached white shirt underneath. "Better yet it's only $15 and... it comes with a pair of boots!" She emphasized the boots attached to them.
"Am I the only one that realizes the important thing we have to do today? You can wear practically anything and still look cute- but I'm not like that."
Mi Nyu blushed. "Oh, you really think that?"
"Yeah, well…I mean. Anyways I'll pay for it. Go change quickly." He pushed her along, mumbling as he made his way to the counter. She looked a lot like his grandparent's housekeeper.
"I suppose your paying for that young lady's outfit?" The old shop keeper spoke in the dialect of the area and Tae Kyung almost couldn't tell what she said at first.
"Yes." He shuffled around in his pockets, taking out his wallet. Water came gushing out when he opened it. I hope my credit card is still usable. He exhaled, drying it off before handing it to the lady.
"Oh, sorry, we don't except credit cards. Our machine has been broken for awhile now."
"Ye?" Tae Kyung rolled his eyes to the side. It makes sense doesn't it? "Well, I guess I pay in cash then…Ah, here." He handed her the money.
"You said it started at 4:00, right? It's almost 2:00." Mi Nyu's voice creeped up beside him.
"Huh?" He turned.
She smiled. "If we're hasty we can make it in time."
Tae Kyung looked down at her. She looked cute in the outfit she picked, just like he knew she would. "Alright then, let's go."
"But you still have on wet clothes. Plus." She held up a pair of blue jeans and a large black and white striped sweater in her hands. "When I left the dressing room, I found a good pair of clothes for you. They're modern-ish so I think you can were them." She pushed the clothes into Tae Kyung's hand.
He took the sweater him her, holding to his chest to compare the size. "This is too big."
"It might hang off you a bit, but…it should keep you warm!"
"There's no need. I'll be fine."
"It's not good to stay in wet clothes. Like you said, you might get sick."
"It's too causal- not to mention my style. Do you always just buy the first thing you see without looking?"
"My method worked pretty well didn't it? Picking the first thing is always safe on a time constraint."
He promptly he paid for the clothes, not fighting with her choice of clothes. He had no time to think of that now. "Now, let's put them on!" It was now Mi Nyu's turn to push him into the dressing room with the clothes.
She leaned on the door outside as Tae Kyung immediately begin to take off his wet clothing. "Now that I think about it, I don't think I've ever seen you in blue jeans."
"It's because I don't like them." Tae Kyung shouted from inside the dressing room, sliding on the pants. "Mi Nyu, what size are these pants?" He had a feeling they were not going to fit over his thighs.
Mi Nyu shrugged. "I don't know. Are they too tight?"
The pants were deceptive however and glided over his thighs, fitting quite nicely on his legs. Pulling the sweater over his head with an "Arngh." Tae Kyung adjusted his clothing and came out of the dressing room.
"Oh, you look really good." Mi Nyu held her thumbs up. "So handsome!"
They were extremely comfortable but he still felt a bit awkward in them. "Be honest."
"I am! It looks nice! Especially with your hair down!"
"I haven't dressed like this since I was a teenager. God, I feel like I'm in Jeremy's clothes." He fiddled with his hair while looking in the body mirror. As much as he wanted to do otherwise, he was going to let it hang naturally. "I look like a teenager."
"It's nice to see you dressed so differently." She stood beside him in the mirror.
It probably wasn't going to be taken well for him and his girlfriend to be dressed like they were to a press conference, but he shrugged it off. "Come on, let's go."
Mi Nam stood apprehensively in front of the door to Ye Eun's apartment. He wanted to knock, but his hand couldn't seem to move. Today, he thought, today is the day I meet her. My daughter.
He was melting pot of different emotions, but the one that was the strongest was that of apprehension. This is what it must feel like…for a lot of new fathers right?
The door in front of Mi Nam finally opened. "Mi Nam!" Ye Eun's smile brightened the whole hallway, he could have sworn. "I had a feeling to come and check the door!"
"Yeah. I'm here."
"Well, I'm glad you made it here safely. Oh! Min Jee has been so excited! She insisted on making you a huge lunch. Of course I said that's-"
"Are you sure it was Min Jee?" A devilish smile spread across his lips.
"Come in, come in." She avoided the question assisting him in. Mi Nam had a cane today, wanting a bit more mobility.
Upon entering the apartment, Mi Nam was shocked. It was so small. Too small in his opinion. There wasn't much to her apartment, but it was still cozy and clean. He walked into an open area where the living space and kitchen were one, and divided by half wall in between. There were photos of herself, Min Jee, Jeremy and a few other photos of other friends. He noticed an old picture of himself and Ye Eun together they took in high school. He couldn't believe she still kept that picture. That must be one of the pictures she'd shown Min Jee of me…how will this kid really think of me, suddenly showing up?
"Come in the kitchen." He followed suit.
There was an array of food set out at the table. "You know the way to a man's heart, Ye Eun." Mi Nam's stomach rumbled. "You have no idea how happy I was to come home to you and your food."
"My meals were that good to you?" She laughed, remembering how Mi Nam would practically inhale dinner after work. "Wow. That means so much coming from my toughest critic."
"But I made you into a good cook, didn't? Ironically, I can't cook worth a damn..." Mi Nam trailed off. "So." He restarted, putting his hands in his pockets. "Min Jee..."
Ye Eun pointed to the door furthest left from the kitchen. "She's taking a nap. She'll wake up in a couple of minutes. Actually, I'm surprise she managed to even nap considering how excited she was."
"So, she'll come out soon." Mi Nam shuffled around. "That's good. The food won't get cold. Kids shouldn't eat cold food. It'll get them sick...and stuff." He mumbled.
"Mi Nam," She quickly grabbed onto his arm. "Don't be nervous."
"There's so much I could do wrong."
"Aww." Ye Eun let out a chuckle. She found this side of her ex terribly cute. "What is there wrong to do?" She let go of his arm. "She's a four year old. You're not going to do anything wrong, Mi Nam."
"All she's had are pictures of me and the stories you've told her. I know she's only four, but she hasn't seen me a day in her life since she was born. Although you've managed to include me in her life, I'm not sure if she'll like or accept me."
She sighed. She couldn't really qualm his concerns- they were all really legitimate. "In time, Min Jee will probably come to realize the true circumstances and be angrier at me than you. So for now, let's focus on building a relationship between you too. You have no idea how badly she wants to see you."
"Really? You sold me well."
Thump. Ye Eun resisted the urge to bite her fist.
"What was that?"
"Excuse me." Ye Eun ran out the kitchen and into the room she previously pointed at. Mi Nam watched curiously as she soon returned with a little girl in a tiger pajama suit, who was holding her hand.
The second Min Jee's eyes finally set on Mi Nam, her little eyes expanded. How did Ye Eun and I produce a child so pretty? Oh, I think my heart stopped for a moment. She let go of her mother's hand and ran over to Mi Nam.
All of the problems, nagging doubts, and worries he had melted away just looking at the smiling little girl running towards him- with the widest smile on her face.
She wrapped herself around his leg hugging him, excitedly screaming. "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy! It's really daddy!"
"Yes, it's me." This whole father thing was going to take some getting used to. He gently separated himself from the child, noticing she had gotten so worked up the hood to her pjs fell down. "Daddy's so happy to finally get to see you. All he's had were pictures." He stroked her hair, resisting the urge to breakdown into tears.
She grinned before suddenly wrapping herself around him again. This time the hug that reached around his lef was so tightly he felt like he was going to lose circulation. Does it make sense a four year old has a grip this killer? "I'm so happy!" She practically screamed.
"Min Jee….ah…you're hugging Daddy too tightly." He struggled to get out of her grip. "Min Jee, let go please."
He was going to shower all the love he had in his body onto his smiling child. Min Jee is gently pulled away by her mother, who has a cheerful expression on her face.
"Daddy, are you going to stay with us from now on?"
"We're going to be together every chance I get." He smiled, patting her head.
"It's wonderful." Ye Eun exclaimed, putting a banana milkshake in front of her cousin. "You should have seen her! She was so happy."
"Oh I bet…" Jeremy mutters, messing with the straw in his milkshake.
"It's true Mi Nam was a bit awkward with her but I think he'll warm up to it quickly. I have faith he'll do well with her."
Jeremy knew both Ye Eun and Min Jee were excited about Mi Nam becoming a part of their lives, but he felt extremely wary for some reason. There was something that was bothering him. He shook his head attempting not to think of it, but the words still escaped, "You're not…"
"What?"
Jeremy decided it would be best just to go head and ask, so he continued on without hesitation. "Are you thinking of getting romantically involved with him again?" He knew that Ye Eun didn't always have sense about her and he worried. Sure, she could take care of herself and her child, but she often made devastatingly bad decisions. Jeremy felt a relationship between the two at the moment couldn't be good for either one of them. He honestly just didn't want to see it happen.
"My main concern is my daughter and her wellbeing." Ye Eun stopped, putting her serving tray to her side. "But I have thought about it once or twice. I've still held on to the wish of us becoming a family, but that's probably not going to happen. Mi Nam still has to get used to being with Min Jee and learn about being a parent."
"Ye Eun."
"Yes?"
"If you get serious with Mi Nam again, you better not even think about doing the same thing you did to him last time. If you hurt him like that again, I won't forgive you."
Ye Eun was taken aback by Jeremy's reaction regarding Mi Nam, but knew what was fueling it. Still, she hadn't expected words quite like that.
"There's no way I'd make the same mistake again, Jeremy. I'm trying to salvage my relationship with him for the sake of our daughter. I wouldn't forgive myself again if I did." Ye Eun stated before questioning her cousin's harsh reaction. "Why are you talking to me this way ?" Ye Eun's eyes were fierce in defense as they meet her cousin's.
Jeremy bit his lip. "I care abut Mi Nam too much to watch him get hurt." He exhaled. "Especially by you."
"How can you even talk to me this way?" Ye Eun scoffs. "Do you think I don't care about him?"
This conversation got prickly and quick. The two cousins stared at each other in, the younger in aggravation.
"You are significant reason why." He didn't mean to purposefully make his cousin feel bad- but a lot of his issues stemmed from their relationship. "Why he hides. Why he holds back. Why he can't express himself." He was afraid of what would happen to Mi Nam if he and Ye Eun got involved again and she left. As much as he didn't want to think of that as a possibility, it was. She ran when she was scared and even though she seemed solid in her conviction of not leaving again he couldn't put it past her. If something like that happened again, Mi Nam would be wrecked. Jeremy knew that Mi Nam was completely over her.
"He's trained himself to hide his feelings and has been putting on facades for people since we first met. The mask he wears isn't because of me, but I acknowledge that I helped it become more concrete." Ye Eun knew what Jeremy was getting at and didn't blame him. But he was just condemning her for even thinking about it, which wasn't fair. Not only that, he was using the fact that they ended badly against her as justifications they couldn't get back together was so out of line of him to say. "But Jeremy I only have one more thing to say to you. You can't have Mi Nam all to yourself. He is not your lover."