A/N: Hi guys! Sorry I didn't finish this yesterday as planned. :) Happy birthday, Yejin!!!!
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"Jagi?"
Yoon Seri looked up from the book she was reading on her couch, to see her boyfriend pacing in front of her with a troubled expression on his face. "Hmm? What's up, my Love?"
As expected, Ri Jeong Hyeok smiled at being called Seri's love, stopped walking, sat beside her and kissed her nose. "I'm worried about our dinner with your family."
Seri hugged him tightly. "I know it's a big step but we're serious about each other, right?"
"Yes," he affirmed. "But you also said that your family is not nice and your parents might not like me. I'm just worried that confirming that impression might affect us."
Kissing his forehead, she further tightened their embrace and whispered, "I'm never going to stop loving you."
Ri Jeong Hyeok wouldn't know how important those words would mean to him.
When they arrived at the palatial family home, Jeong Hyeok had to stop by the front door and took a few deep breaths to calm down. Seri held his hand and immediately noticed how clammy it was. "Thank you for accepting the invitation to have dinner with my family, Hyeoky," she said, sincerely.
Gazing into her eyes, he smiled, "Anything for you."
The moment they shared would be the one bright spot of the evening that would carry them to survive the hellish next few hours.
Yoon Jeung-pyeong, Seri's father, and Han Eun-jin, Seri's mother were seated at the couches in the massive living room when the couple entered the home. Calling out to her parents, Seri said, "This is my boyfriend, Ri Jeong Hyeok."
Han Eun-jin glanced at them before turning back to the magazine she was reading. Yoon Jeung-pyeong stared longer, assessing Jeong Hyeok from the style of his hair to the worn treads of his shoes.
Seri's father offered them a seat before he started asking questions. "What are the jobs of your parents?" was the first question.
"They both work at a Bank, Sir," Jeong Hyeok replied, supplying the name of the bank when Yoon Jeung-pyeong pressed.
"They're part of my competitor's business," Yoon Jeung-pyeong said.
"They have worked there since I was a little boy," Jeong Hyeok returned. He was greeted by a snort.
Seri's father continued, "And do you want to work in a bank, as well?"
Jeong Hyeok shook his head and politely replied, "No, Sir. I wish to become a professor."
"Abeoji, remember I told you that Jeong Hyeok is at the top of our class in Economics subjects? He wants to pursue a PhD and then become a full time professor at the University," Seri shared.
This time, it was her mother who snorted. "A professor. He won't have money to feed you."
"Eomeoni!" Seri gasped. Squaring her shoulders, she shot back, "I don't need him to feed me. I'm putting up my own business and I can support myself."
Jeong Hyeok smiled at her. "Yes. She's already drawn up her business plans and I have faith that she will do well with it."
"She will," her father confirmed. "So, that's your plan? To rely on her for a comfortable life?"
"No, Sir. A professor's job may not make me rich but I know how to spend my money correctly. I will not starve and have to depend on Seri to fill my belly," Jeong Hyeok replied.
"We're partners," Seri added. "We'll take care of each other."
"Seri-ah," Han Eun-jin interrupted. "You're not thinking of marrying this man, are you?" Seri's mother asked, the disdain in her tone not even disguised for the benefit of the young couple.
Moving closer to Jeong Hyeok, Seri smiled, "Yes I am. I'm going to marry Ri Jeong Hyeok."
All conversation shut down after that and, as soon as they were done with dessert, Seri and Jeong Hyeok bid her parents farewell and ran out as fast as they could.
"Let's walk by the river? I don't want to go home yet," Seri asked.
Jeong Hyeok agreed. They didn't need to talk about where they wanted to go. They just went directly to their bench. "I can't believe you told your parents about our plans," Jeong Hyeok started, chuckling at the events of earlier that evening.
"Whyyyyy? Are you ashamed of our plan to marry?!" she frowned.
"No," he said, cupping her face. "I was just surprised that you were already prepared to declare that to your parents."
Seri rolled her eyes. "I'll declare it to anyone!" Standing up, she cleared her throat and in a loud voice said, "I, Yoon Seri, want the world to know that I love this man. My heart will never love anyone as much as I love you, Ri Jeong Hyeok. As long as there are stars in the sky and as the moon is my witness, I will love only you. I can't wait to be your wife, Mr. Ri!"
Ri Jeong Hyeok remained seated but was grinning from ear-to-ear, his dimples deep, listening to the proclamation of his most favorite human on Earth.
"Are you now convinced of how much I love you?" Seri asked.
Jeong Hyeok chuckled. "Almost."
"What else do I need to do?!"
Jeong Hyeok puckered his lips and pointed to them. "Kiss."
Giggling, Seri ran back to the bench and planted a loud smack on his soft lips. "You're such a cute man, Mr. Ri."
"You think you could put up with me forever?" he asked, tucking her hair behind her ear.
"Definitely," Seri replied, kissing him again.
"Then, let's head home and kiss some more."
*
Han Eun-jin squinted at the man across the street. "So, he's a professor at your University now," she said.
Jisoo nodded. "One of the best. I can't believe I'd even care about the country's Gross Domestic Product and yet here I am reading up on the news so that I have something to recite in class about it."
Jisoo noticed that Mr. Ri took a different route to cross the street and was soon out of their sight. At the restaurant, she finally asked her mother, "I'm guessing you did not like Mr. Ri for Seri."
Han Eun-jin stared at her youngest daughter. "How could you say that?"
"Oh, you mean aside from the ice tone in your voice and the venom in your eyes?" Jisoo asked, sarcastically, earning a playful pinch from her mother. "Eomeoni, why do you dislike Mr. Ri?" she asked again, now more serious.
Han Eun-jin sighed and lowered her head. "He comes for a family that is not rich."
"OH. MY. GOD. Is that the truth?" Jisoo was thankful that Lisa, her best friend, suddenly had to rush to the library and could not join them for dinner.
"Jisoo-ah, you know how important marrying well is to our family," Han Eun-jin tried to rationalise.
"Why? Because we need even more money than we know what to do with?" Jisoo asked quietly, but her biting tone was not missed by her mother.
"I know you and your sister would not believe it but your father and I want what is best for both of you," Han Eun-jin said.
Jisoo sighed. Taking her mother's hand, she said, "I do believe that. You have to admit that your methods were strange, especially with Seri, but I believe that it came from a place of love. Misguided but based on love."
"I need a favor, Mother."
Han Eun-jin stared at her daughter.
"I need you to tell me what you guys did to break Seri and Jeong Hyeok apart."
Han Eun-jin frowned. "Why? What's the point? It's all in the past now. Seri and I are doing okay."
Jisoo gave her mother a determined look. "Because Seri deserves to be happy... so... I'm going to get them back together."
A/N: I will try to post another one later :-) i'm just too sleepy right now. Sorry guys!