Boy Next Door

Chapter 9 - First Impressions

We took a Taxi to the train station and boarded for Ilsan. Along the journey, Namjoon gave me tips and hints on how to impress his parents, along with things to not do in front of them. I was surprised to see him so nervous. I had never seen him panic quite like this.

"It's going to be okay, Charming..."

"I just really want them to like you."

Leaning up, I gave him a kiss on his forehead, "Everything will be fine. We love each other and I'm sure they will see it."

"Mom is going to ask you how long before we get married... just warning you."

I patted his hand and reassured him.

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When we got to their door, I had never seen his beautiful tan skin look so pale. He really was scared that they wouldn't approve. Ringing the doorbell, he waited, standing as stiff as could be. 

The door opened and he tensed. "Namjoon-ah!", his mother looked so happy to see him.

"Eomma!", his face softened, and he pulled her into a gentle hug.

Namjoon spoke to his mother and motioned to me. I folded my hands down in front of me and offered a bow.

"Pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Kim. Namjoon-ssi has spoken highly of you."

When I looked up, she was smiling at me. "How polite and pretty you are, my dear.", her English wasn't quite as clear as Namjoon's, but her understanding of the language was clear.

Joon's face was in shock at his mother's reaction.

"Come Namjoon-ah, we will find Appa and have nice talk."

"Eomma...?", he looked confused.

"Come, speak English so Jina-ya understand. Namjoon-appa!!", she called for his father.

"Eomma... 'Jina-ya'??", Joon questioned her statement.

"You come home with girl, you getting married, yes? She's my daughter now!"

"I'm so confused... what is going on?", I whispered to him while his mother left to find his father.

"In Korea, normally, when you bring a woman to meet your parents, it is because you plan to get married... Calling you Jina 'ya' is like her calling you her daughter..."

"Oh dear...", I had gotten myself into a cultural mess. "Is your father also named Namjoon?"

He laughed, "No, that is how the older more traditional parents refer to one another. It's like calling each other Namjoon-Mom and Namjoon-Dad. We have a much different culture than America."

"I can see that. We probably should have prepared more. Maybe I should have stayed with the guys while you visited."

"Are you kidding? I'd come back to one or more of them all over you!"

"You need to be less insec-", I was cut off by his father entering the room.

"Namjoon-ah!", his father came to hug him with a pat on the back.

"Speak English Namjoon-Appa, we have American daughter now!", she seemed so excited.

I offered his father a bow. "Honor to meet you, sir."

"Oh!! Such manners! You marry good Namjoon-ah! Call me Appa now!", he seemed just as excited.

"Come, I will make lunch, we talk about when date is set.", his mother beckoned us to the dining room.