A/N: Thank you for the awesome reviews and support! I hope my story continues to please you! This chapter is about Young-ja and her parents' reluctant acceptance of Miles! And Engimatic-Elysmium showed me what Miles' voice actor sounded like! Quite the pleasant surprise! And, to return the favor, I've put a link on my profile of what I imagined Young-ja to look and sound like. The model is Kim Seuk Hye and the band is J. Rabbit. The first singer is how I imagine her voice to be like. And "WriteandDrawthis" is my tumblr blog for this story. It includes both the pictures my sister and I have drawn, and Outlast fanart I like!
Welcome any new readers! Enjoy!
-Nuremberg, Germany-
These past two years have been like a dream. Initially, I was nervous because of the language barrier and culture shock. However, with the assistance of my mentor and the other interns, my stay here has been wonderful!
My lodging is in a pension on the edge of town. It is a cute, old-fashion building with an adorable elderly couple running it. It is also on the same block as the music hall, so my commute to and from classes is painless. And, as an additional perk, I have the honor of having Doctor Lydia Egich as my mentor. She is a master pianist and cellist and just being in her presence makes my eyes sparkle. Dr. Egich is a tough lady, never letting up until I fix my mistake, but her praise makes up for it and encourages me strive for greatness.
Though, I have to admit that every time I practice in the main hall, I expect to hear Miles cheer me on from the audience.
I miss him so much.
But I have to study hard so when I come home I can show him these three years were worth the wait.
On one of my rare days off, I decided to be lazy and lay in bed all day.
The chatter and energy from the street below gave my chilly room some warmth in the November weather. However, it wasn't warm enough for me to leave my blanket cocoon.
I considered Skyping Miles until I peeked over at the clock and realized it was midnight where he was at. Miles is one of those people who REALLY cherish sleep, and if he doesn't have anything to do, he dozes off. Heck, the twit fell asleep in the shower once back in college, and I had to go drag him out when I heard a crash in the bathroom. It is no easy feat trying to drag your naked beanpole boyfriend out of the shower while covering your eyes and avoiding obstacles.
I chuckled to myself and thought of what would my parents say if they saw that spectacle.
They would probably forget accepting Miles entirely.
Despite everything I went through to get them to see my way.
January 2005
It was a week before the start of Spring semester, and I was in my room packing my bags.
Since the fight almost two years prior, my parents have avoided talking to me unless it's absolutely necessary.
Despite my new 'not-going-to-give-a-shit' attitude, it still hurt to have my own parents ignore me, regardless of the reasons.
"I guess I'll go ahead and leave." I mumbled to myself, making sure everything was in order before my five month departure. "It would suck to leave one of my textbooks in another country."
Once I deemed everything in order, I grabbed my bags and opened the door, only to find my father standing there.
"Come to the kitchen, Young-ja. We need to talk." He stated with a stern expression.
Confused and tad anxious, I placed by things on the ground and followed him down the hall to the kitchen.
Mother was already at the table with a pot of coffee and three cups ready.
'Oh crap. This isn't going to be a short talk, is it?'
Father took the seat next to her, while I sat across from them, feeling like I was in an interrogation room.
"Is there something you want to say, appa? Umma? If it is nothing important, I have to g-."
"Young-ja," Mother cut me off. "Are you still seeing that Upshur boy?"
I clenched my fists, not wanting another squabble about Miles.
"Yes," I replied with an even tone, staring her dead in the eye. "I am still seeing Miles."
"So you truly are serious about him." Father butted in.
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.
"Obviously, appa. I wouldn't have entered this relationship without complete commitment."
He slammed his cup on the table, but I didn't flinch at all.
"Don't talk to me in that tone, Park Young-ja! This is exactly why we forbid you from seeing that boy in the first place!"
"Okay," I placed my palms flat on the table and stood up. "If you are going to insult him, at least call him by his name. It is Miles Upshur, not 'boy'. Second, don't blame everything on Miles. Even without his influence, I would've learned to stand up for myself anyways."
"Stand up for yourself?" Mother scoffed, "You make it sound like we are dictators."
"In a way you guys are." I confessed, sitting back down. "You request performance reports from the college, call every week to ask if I'm studying, and butt yours heads into my personal life. I never had any permanent friends in high school because they were afraid of you two and your judgement."
"We did that because those punks weren't worth your time!" Mother spoke up. "They were always out past curfew and going clubbing into the late hours of the night."
"They were teenagers, umma." I stressed. "You are supposed to go out and do stupid shit at that age! It is part of growing up!" My parents winced at my language, but I kept going. "I never got to actually experience being a teenager until I went to college and met Miles. And guess what, I still kept my grades up with high honors."
That last statement silenced my parents.
They couldn't use terrible grades to justify their argument, so what could they throw at me now?
I stared at them, hoping they weren't going to keep fighting this losing battle.
Eventually, father cleared his throat, breaking the awkward silence.
"That b-….Mr. Upshur has nothing to offer you. I can tell from a single look that he is nothing but a reckless punk with a foul mouth. You're too good for that sort of pers-."
"Appa, why did you marry umma?"
My words stunned him, and he flinched back in his chair while mother covered her mouth, shock plastered on her face.
"W-what do you mean?"
"I think you know what I mean, appa." I didn't look at him with any hostility, just a blank expression. "Why did you marry umma? Out of all people in the world, why her?"
"Because," He took mother's hand in his. "well, I married her because I love her."
"But umma was a simple waitress, and you were a successful defense attorney when the two of you met. It was obvious to anyone that you deserved a woman of equal caliber, so why her?"
"It was because-," Then it dawned on him what I was trying to say. "…because I loved her, regardless of her social status and wealth. I loved her because of who she was."
"And you, umma?" I turned to her. "Why did you pick appa?"
"It didn't matter to me if he was rich or not," She rubbed Father's knuckles with her thumb. "He was the only man to make my heart flutter-still is."
I smiled as my parents looked at each other, love apparent in the other's gaze.
"That is how I feel about Miles. I love him for all he is," I leaned across the table and took their hands in mine. "And that should be enough for you too."
And from the expressions on their faces, I knew they finally got it through their thick skulls.
"So," I stood up, taking notice that my flight would depart soon, "Do we have your blessing?"
They glanced at each other before looking up at me.
"Though I still can't say I'm a fan of Mr. Upshur's attitude and career choices, if he truly makes you happy, then…yes, you have our blessing." My father sighed reluctantly.
He didn't have to make it sound like a death sentence, but hey, I'll take it.
"Thank you." I moved around the table and pulled them into a hug, the first hug we had in a long time.
"You're a smart girl, Young-ja," Mother said, returning the embrace lightly. "I trust you can take care of yourself."
"Besides," Father added, patting my back. "it's only dating. It is not like you've slept with him."
I just smiled and tightened my hold on them, hoping they didn't notice my sweaty palms.
'That'll stay my little secret.'
I laughed at the memory, remember how terribly red Miles' face got when I told him about my father's remark.
Still, it meant the world to me when I received my parents' (reluctant) consent, and I know Miles feels the same, despite his rude remarks.
Cuddling with a fluffy body pillow, I sighed and closed my eyes.
"I wish you were here with me, you big dork. You would probably start a pillow fight or tell me dirty jokes to get a rouse out of me." I buried my face in the pillow. "Gosh, I miss you so freaking much, Miles. Your dumb stunts and all."
Reaching towards the nightstand, I snatched my phone up and turned it on to CNN.
"And this has to be your dumbest stunt ever." I laughed, reading the headline: U.S. General caught selling weapons to Taliban-work of an anonymous reporter. "Oh, Miles, didn't I tell you to behave?"
I pushed the Home button and smiled at the picture I took of him during one of our dates. He was stuffing a handful of cheese fries into his mouth, making his cheeks puff out like a chipmunk's.
"Throwing the entire U.S. military for a loop without catching fire," I kissed the screen. "That's my man right there."
A/N: See. Young-ja's parents have hearts deep down. Okay, I need your help! Please send me names you like. I have a new character coming in, and I don't know what to name her. Just message me what names you like, and I'll choose the one that I felt suits her. Oh, and there will be a chapter where Miles and Young-ja dance together. If you have any songs that you feel suit them, please message me! I'd love to hear your suggestions!