Can i love you ?

30

We arrived at the house. The entrance. The elevator. The familiar and dear door. My hand froze. The worries and fears grew stronger. I realized there was no turning back now. Appreciating my hesitation, Minji placed her left hand on my shoulder to get my attention and whispered:

"Puppy, I'm with you. Everything will be fine." Seeing my response in my eyes, she pressed the doorbell. The chime echoed outside the door. There was definitely no going back now.

Dad opened the door. He stood there for a moment, unsure of what to say, but then he regained his composure and stepped back, extending his hand.

"Come in, here. You can hang your jackets here," he said, laughing. "Who am I to tell her where everything is, Yoohyeon?"

We entered the apartment, closing the door behind us. I was relieved to see my father; I had missed him, although I tried to suppress those thoughts. But everyone needs their parents at some point. At that moment, my mother emerged from the kitchen, saying:

"Come into the kitchen. I've already set the table. Rain, don't just stand there like an idol. Don't worry, go into the kitchen." She looked at us appraisingly. I could sense it, but I didn't say anything; I just looked at her and then at Minji. And Minji, taking off her jacket, confidently asked:

"Can you tell me where I can wash my hands?" Mom politely pointed her towards the bathroom, which was amusing because Minji knew exactly where to go.

Mom followed my dad into the kitchen, and I decided to wait for Minji before joining them. I felt more secure and calm when she was around. Minji returned to me the second I thought of her. She smiled, giving me the much-needed confidence, and took the cake and sweets into the room. I followed alongside. My parents abruptly halted their conversation; it was evident they had been talking about us. Minji handed the sweets to my mother, who said:

"Thank you, but it wasn't necessary," my mother replied, taking the opportunity to get a better look at my girlfriend. It felt like she was searching for reasons to invalidate everything good between us.

"Please have a seat," my father said.

"Yes, yes," my mother chimed in. "By the way, Yoohyeon, won't you properly introduce your lady to us?" she said, looking at me, then at Minji.

"Um," I hesitated, but Minji interrupted.

"Yooh, I'll do it myself. Everything is fine," she said calmly and confidently. It was clear she knew her worth.

"My name is Minji. And you can call me by my name. As you already know, I teach at Yoohyeon's university. It's hardly a secret," she said. Her voice soothed the room.

"You, too, immediately suggested to Yoohyeon to switch to 'Minji'," the mother responded, focusing on pronouns.

"Well, now, it has begun," flashed through my head. But Minji only smiled sweetly and calmly answered, sitting down on the sofa:

"No, not at all. Initially, our communication was purely business-like."

"And when did it turn into this?" Mom asked directly and somehow displeased, emphasizing "this" in her voice to show her attitude. My father watched, looking regretfully in my direction, and I remained silent. I had to defend myself, but I stayed quiet.

"Gradually, step by step. I suppose I could have stopped it initially, harshly interrupted, but at the moment when I realized what we were entangled in, there was no turning back," Minji spoke confidently, looking at me at the end of the phrase. I sat down next to her, placing my palm on her leg. It happened instinctively, and it didn't go unnoticed by my parents' gaze. My mom looked at us, pondering her words, while my father opened a bottle of wine, realizing that things could end up on a sober note. He knew my mother well, but he didn't know Minji. This woman wouldn't stoop to insults or allow herself to scream.