Today is the day. The biggest challenge I will ever face in my life. My one and only BOSS BATTLE.
Today is the day I meet Shownu's parents.
I knew I had to look flawless, and somewhat conservative. So I dressed in head-to-toe Alexander Wang. I put on a black sweater dress that was layered over a pair of shorts. The dress had edgy zipper details and was super comfortable.
But I didn't look chic enough, so I finished it off with a layer of belts.
"Perfect," I said, turning around in the mirror.
Time to put on some makeup.
I decided to keep the makeup simple and light. So I put on a cushion foundation, light blush, mascara, and a lip gloss.
Now that I was dressed and ready, I just had to wait for Shownu to come pick me up. In this moment of pause, I began doubting my confidence.
"What if they don't like me?" I muttered.
It wouldn't matter, right? Shownu still loves me no matter what. If his parents don't like me, that doesn't necessarily mean we have to break up.
But I needed Shownu's parents to like me. That would be the ultimate validation for me, validation that I needed so desperately. And if Shownu and I get married, I wouldn't want them to be against us.
It would be for the best if Mr. and Mrs. Sohn didn't hate me. At the very least, I wanted them to tolerate me.
I'm outside. Shownu texted me.
My heart started to race again once I read the message. I clambered out of my desk, grabbing my purse.
'I've got this,' I thought.
The town car was waiting outside for me, Shownu's same chauffeur stood at the door. He bowed to me before opening the door for me.
"Thank you," I muttered as I stepped into the car.
Shownu sat inside, a smile on his face.
"Hi babe," he held my hand immediately, "Ready for today?"
I nodded enthusiastically. Although on the inside I'm dying. I'm so stressed out, terrified that his parents will spit at me on-sight.
I can already see it now: Shownu's parents will stand there, nose upturned at me, "This wench doesn't even have airpods and she wants to marry my son?" Then Mr. Sohn will cut in, "Guards! Come remove this peasant trash."
'No, anything but that.'
Shownu could sense that I was worried. He squeezed my hand to comfort me.
"It's okay, this is going to be great," Shownu said.
'Hopefully...'
The drive to his house was silent, and I stared out the window to kill time. The closer we got to Shownu's house, the bigger the real estate became. I started to wonder what his house even looks like. He's never really talked about it, or even showed me pictures.
If his house is anything like his beach house, then it's going to be wonderful.
Eventually, we pulled up to towering metal gate. Large dragon statues stood on either side of the gate. A looming hedge obscured the view of the house.
The chauffeur pressed a button next the steering wheel and the gates began to open slowly.
I could practically hear angels singing as the car pulled into the Sohn Family property. The town car drove through perfectly manicured foliage before pulling into a massive driveway.
My jaw fell open when the I saw Shownu's house.
I had never seen a house so large and beautiful before.
Shownu looked over at me, a curious expression on her face.
"What?" Shownu asked, "Surprised?"
"W-well..." I stuttered, "Of course! I mean, have you seen this place?"
Shownu glanced over at his house before shrugging.
"Compared to your house, I live in a tent." I muttered.
The chauffeur came around to open our doors. A fleet of butlers were waiting for us. They bowed once Shownu and I approached.
"Welcome back Master Shownu." They said in unison. I felt a shiver run down my spine.
"Your mother and father are waiting for you in the dining room," Another butler added, "Shall I lead you there?"
"I know where it is," Shownu replied.
The fleet of butlers followed closely behind Shownu and I as we entered the mansion.
The inside of the mansion was just as stunning as the outside. The marble floors were waxed to perfection, they glimmered underneath the reflective light of the many chandeliers. A mini water fountain was set before the large staircase that split in two directions.
'Wow... people really live like this.'
Shownu watched my reaction, chuckling for a moment.
"Come on, my parents are waiting," He said, grabbing my hand.
We walked together down a labyrinth of hallways. He stopped just outside of a relatively small door, turning to me.
"My parents are going to love you," he smiled at me, "But sometimes they can be... a bit straightforward. Don't let it get to you, okay?"
I nodded.
With that, Shownu turned and opened the door.
My eyes were met with a breathtaking dining room. A huge table with a multitude of chairs was sat in a the middle of a pristine white room.
Gold accents highlighted the wealth of the two people that owned this empire.
Mr. and Mrs. Sohn.
Mr. Sohn looked almost exactly like Shownu. He had the high cheekbones and thick eyebrows that Shownu boasted. Mr. Sohn gave off the same elite aura that Shownu had. He sat in his chair at the head of the table, back straight and head held high.
Mrs. Sohn sat next to her husband. She was stunningly beautiful. Her skin was smooth and bright. Her plump lips were accentuated by a blood red lipstick. Mrs. Sohn had big eyes, perfectly accented by a sleek cat eye.
"My son!" Mrs. Sohn gushed, standing up from her seat.
Mr. Sohn remained seated, sipping on an expensive cup of tea.
Shownu hurried over to his mom, giving her a hug. I followed awkwardly after him, unsure what to say or do.
"It's so good to see you," Mrs. Sohn murmured, "We rarely get to spend time together."
"I know, mom," Shownu smiled.
We all stood there silently before Shownu said, "Mom, dad, this is my girlfriend. Her name is Yuri."
Mr. and Mrs. Sohns' eyes were now on me. I could practically feel the weight of their empire through their strong gaze.
My face flushed as I bowed to them, "H-hello. N-nice to meet you all."
Shownu pat my back as I stood up.
"Nice to meet you," Mrs. Sohn smiled to me. She turned to her husband, "Isn't she cute honey?"
Mr. Sohn looked me up and down before nodding a bit.
"You're so cute!" Mrs. Sohn gushed, "Please, sit down. The butlers should be bringing our food soon. Are you hungry?"
Shownu nodded quickly, "Very."
I nodded too.
"So, how did you two meet?" Mrs. Sohn asked, "In school?"
Shownu shook his head, "No, I met her at a cafe, actually."
"Cafe?" Mr. Sohn asked, "A cafe that uses our brand of coffee bean?"
Shownu chuckled, shaking his head.
"I hate out coffee bean producers, Dad," Shownu replied, "We don't roast ours long enough. Her cafe makes the perfect coffee."
I smiled at Shownu, glad he liked my family's work so much.
"Her cafe?" Mr. Sohn asked, looking up from his cup of tea for a moment.
"Yeah, her family owns a coffee shop," Shownu smiled.
"Just a coffee shop?" Mr. Sohn pressed.
"Two coffee shops," I added, holding up two fingers for emphasis.
The looks on his parents' faces told a story. A girl whose family only owned two coffee shops was too beneath their son...
"That's great!" Mrs. Sohn beamed, "We aught to consult their family about their coffee bean preferences."
"Yes, I supposed," Mr. Sohn nodded, "If Shownu likes the coffee, then the coffee beans must be good. Perhaps we should change our roasting techniques."
"We definitely should!" Shownu laughed.
The subject strayed too far from our relationship, and too close to work. It didn't matter to me what we were talking about, because I felt like I was leaving a good impression anyway.
Soon, the butlers came out with four plates of steak and vegetables. They brought Shownu and I glasses of tea, and we started to eat.
As I raised the fork to my mouth, I started to become hyper aware of myself. I have to eat neatly, and I have to look cute while I do this. It might seem extreme, but I must leave the best impression possible. The piece of steak on my fork started to seem too big, so I cut it to be smaller.
"How is Shinwa Academy lately?" Mrs. Sohn asked.
Shownu shrugged, "Just... the same. Nothing new."
I wondered if his parents knew that he was demoted as Prince. But that wasn't a subject I wanted to bring up.
"Things are great," I smiled, "We've got some great friends there..." I trailed off.
Well, that wasn't exactly true, was it? All of my friends turned against me, and he's been ostracized as well. But his parents didn't need to know that.
"Yeah, Yuri and I are rather popular," Shownu chuckled.
"That's good!" Mrs. Sohn smiled, "It's important to be known well by those other kids. You're all going to run Korea soon."
Shownu chuckled, and I continued to eat.
After I finished my plate, I felt that I should go to the bathroom. I wanted to make sure my makeup still looked good. I leaned into Shownu, asking him where the bathroom is.
"Just down the hall," he said, pointing towards the door, "to the right."
I nodded, getting up quickly.
I hurried to the bathroom, not wanting to miss anything important in the conversation. Once I was in the hallway, I took a right, like Shownu said.
The huge house was mostly empty, save for a couple of maids and butlers that were scurrying around here and there.
I stopped at the first door, pulling it open.
"What in god's name..." I muttered.
I wasn't certain that this was a bathroom. It looked like a luxurious waiting room, with a couch to sit on and multiple rooms. I walked around until I found a room at the back that was the toilet.
"This thing is almost the size of my room." I muttered.
Rich people really have it all.
I stopped at the convenient large mirror, setting my stuff on the counter. I pulled my makeup out of my bag, fixing up my foundation and faded blush. The mascara had rubbed off under my eyes, so I cleaned that up too.
"There, perfect," I muttered, looking at my face one last time to make sure.
My hair was fine, but one stray hair stuck up now. I smoothed it down before packing everything up.
'Things are going well,' I thought, smiling to myself.
Shownu's family really seemed to like me. My fears from early melted away.
I worried for nothing!
I guess not everything is about money.
I walked back to the dining room. The door was left ajar, and I could hear the faint sounds of a conversation.
"Yuri is so nice, and very cute," Mrs. Sohn said. I smiled, pleased that she liked me, "You guys can date for as long as you like."
'Yes!' I thought, internally celebrating. I had to hold back the urge to fist-pump.
This was a total win!
"But I will never support you two getting married," Mr. Sohn's deep voice cut through my celebration.
...
What?
B-but I thought.
"Of course, you'll have to marry a rich girl," Mrs. Sohn said in a sweet tone.
"But, Mom. It's just business-"
"Just business?" Mr. Sohn repeated, scoffing, "You are the heir to the Sohn Family Conglomerate. It's not 'just business' for people like us. If you wanted to marry for love, you should have been born into a different family."
The dining room fell silent.
"Eat up, son," Mrs. Sohn said, trying to lighten the mood.