Waking up from sleep, Kwon Taejung was surprised to find the adjacent seat empty and quickly got up. Wondering if someone had gone to the living room, as he was about to leave the room, he heard a sound from the bathroom. Quietly approaching, Kwon Taejung peered into the corridor.
“Hello, hello? I’m Yeon Yigyeom. Yeon Yigyeom… I’m Yeon Yigyeom. I’m twenty years old. Twenty years old. Twenties… What sounds good….”
Looking in the mirror, Yigyeom sat down, quietly continuing to greet and jotting down something in a notebook. Curious about what he was doing, Kwon Taejung quietly observed Yigyeom without being noticed.
“Hello, thank you for inviting me….”
Smiling at the mirror, Yigyeom seemed to be practicing greetings. Wait… practice?
“Thank you for inviting me home. I’m Yeon Yigyeom…. It sounds too stiff…. Hello, I’m Yeon Yigyeom. Thank you so much for inviting me….”
Repeatedly saying it several times and slightly changing the words, Kwon Taejung realized that Yigyeom was practicing greetings for the meeting with his parents.
“….”
Admiring Yigyeom’s determination to improve, Kwon Taejung felt a mix of love and sympathy. He leaned against the doorway to the corridor, quietly absorbing the voice that continued.
“The food is all so delicious. Thank you for inviting me….”
Not sure what Yigyeom was doing, but not wanting to be caught pretending to know, Kwon Taejung quietly observed Yigyeom without being noticed.
“If he knew I heard and saw this, Yigyeom might be embarrassed,” Kwon Taejung thought. He then went back to bed, covering himself with the blanket. Although the distance made it hard to hear clearly, Yigyeom’s soft voice kept shaking Kwon Taejung’s emotions.
‘I really need to do better. I must make our Yigyeom very happy,’ Kwon Taejung thought, wiping away tears from his eyelashes.
* * *
Unlike before, Yigyeom, who kept looking in the mirror before leaving the house, pressed his hands firmly on his rapidly beating heart. Despite preparing to look good, he couldn’t eliminate the nervousness.
“….”
Sitting on the sofa, Kwon Taejung, dressed neatly, quickly approached Yigyeom, who was feeling his heart pound in his palms.
“Are you nervous?”
“Yes…. I shouldn’t make mistakes….”
“What if you make a mistake? And what could be a mistake? Just don’t forget to greet my dad and our baby’s grandpa without saying hello.”
Yigyeom laughed at Kwon Taejung’s extreme example and turned to face him. Taking Kwon Taejung’s hand, Yigyeom placed it on his chest.
“What do I do, Chief….”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Po beg Tlusfbw lr cfgnber ilxf atlr, ktja vb P vb? P rtbeiv teu sbe yfobgf sbe ub.”
Ca atf wfcalbc bo j teu, Bkbc Kjfpecu ragfamtfv bea tlr jgwr jcv qeiifv Tlusfbw, ktb kjr jqqgbjmtlcu, lcab j aluta fwygjmf. Lf xlrrfv Tlusfbw’r mtffx, fjg, jcv cfmx lc remmfrrlbc.
“Snfc lo P rjs la’r bxjs, P xcbk atlr lr j tfjns rlaejalbc obg sbe, Tlusfbw. Ojra alwf, P kjr abb fzmlafv jcv atbeuta fnfgsatlcu kbeiv yf olcf, yea cbk P gfjilhf tbk lwqbgajca atlr lr, jcv tbk cfgnber beg Tlusfbw lr. Gbc’a kbggs abb wemt. Rb wjaafg ktja tjqqfcr, gfwfwyfg atja P’w gluta tfgf yfrlvf sbe.”
“Yes, I will.”
Kwon Taejung carefully smoothed out the pretty shirt Yigyeom was wearing to prevent it from wrinkling. He leaned in and lightly kissed Yigyeom’s lips several times. Then, he chuckled while playfully poking Yigyeom’s belly with his hand over the shirt.
“Piyak, let’s go see Grandpa and Grandma.”
Seeing Kwon Taejung naturally using the nickname and smiling, Yigyeom also laughed and stood up from the seat together. Hoping that there would be no lingering regrets in their hearts when they returned home later in the dark night.
* * *
Upon arriving at the front of the house and pressing the button, the garage door opened. Yigyeom watched with fascination as the sturdy-looking door lifted upward.
Kwon Taejung, who had parked inside, went in with a familiar stride, still laughing at Yigyeom, who had both hands placed on his heart. Cute and awkward, yet so lovable that it sent shivers down his spine.
“When you’re mentally prepared, let’s go down.”
“Yes….”
Yigyeom, who had taken three deep breaths, nodded as if signaling that he was ready. Kwon Taejung got out of the car, approached the passenger side, opened the door, and took Yigyeom’s arm as he got out. From the back seat, Yigyeom personally selected a bouquet of flowers and a cake.
“I’ll carry the flowers.”
“Then just take the bouquet. I’ll carry the cake. It’s too heavy for you.”
Yigyeom, holding the bouquet tightly, nestled it in his arms as Kwon Taejung insisted on carrying the cake. Kwon Taejung had chosen various beautiful items at a famous florist because Yigyeom’s mother liked flowers, but he worried whether they would look good only to his eyes.
“Chief, is my hair okay? I leaned against you on the way here, so…”
“Let me see.”
Kwon Taejung carefully inspected Yigyeom holding the bouquet. There was no disarray, and every aspect of him looked adorable and beautiful, causing Kwon Taejung’s heart to flutter even more.
“Oh, I should have called Hyunjoon.”
“… Why the doctor?”
“Because our baby is so beautiful that Mom and Dad might faint as soon as they see him.”
To ease the tension a bit, Kwon Taejung lightly kissed Yigyeom’s lips.
“Let’s go inside.”
With his arm around Yigyeom’s waist, Kwon Taejung approached the door leading to the house and the foyer. As soon as they entered, Kwon Taejung laughed upon seeing the entire family standing there.
“Mom, Dad. Noona, Hyung. I’m here.”
Yigyeom, holding the tightly embraced bouquet due to nervousness, followed Kwon Taejung, took off his shoes, and entered the house. He stood in front of Kwon Taejung’s impressive parents, politely bowing his head and waist to greet them.
“Hello, thank you for inviting me to your home…. It’s my first time greeting you. I’m Yeon Yigyeom….”
Although nervous, Yigyeom greeted without a trace of the practiced tone. He then lifted his head and made eye contact with Kwon Taejung’s parents. Kwon Taejung’s mother, with a smile full of affection, approached and took Yigyeom’s hand.
“I’m so glad to meet you. Taejung has told us a lot about you.”
“Thank you for welcoming me…. It might be small, but Chief Kwon mentioned that you like flowers, so I prepared these…. I hope you like them.”
Yigyeom, holding the cheerful and large bouquet, raised his lips in a not awkward smile. Kwon Taejung’s mother, appreciating the bouquet, spoke warmly.
“Oh, it’s beautiful. You didn’t have to bring anything. Thank you. I really like it.”
Smelling the flowers and smiling gratefully at Kwon Taejung’s mother, Yigyeom turned to Kwon Taejung’s father, who was approaching. Once again bowing his head in a polite greeting, Yigyeom expressed his gratitude.
“Nice to meet you. I’m really thankful that you invited me to your home….”
Suppressing his nervousness, Yigyeom greeted Kwon Taejung’s father, and then bowed again as he saw Kwon Yoojung waving at him and Kwon Kijung nodding his head in greeting.
“Nice to see you again, Yigyeom. Have you been well during this time?”
“Yes… Thanks to you, I’ve been really well.”
Seeing Yigyeom handle the greetings so well even without his assistance, Kwon Taejung smiled and handed the cake box to Kwon Kijung. Then, as if signaling it’s time to go inside, he waved his hand inwards.
“Let’s go inside now and talk. Oh, I can smell something delicious.”
“Should we eat dinner right away?”
“Yes, we’ll wash our hands and come. Yigyeom, let’s go.”
Kwon Taejung, affectionately wrapping his arm around Yigyeom, went to the bathroom, making sure to lift the sleeves slightly so they wouldn’t get wet. He then turned on warm water and washed Yigyeom’s hands.
“I’ll do it.”
“You’re so pretty; let me do it. How can you greet so well? Mom and Dad were melting just now.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really. Let’s talk after dinner. If any situation arises during the meal, I’ll handle it. Our baby, don’t worry about anything. Got it?”
Nodding, Yigyeom looked at Kwon Taejung and laughed, seeing him using a towel to dry his hands.
“Shall we go now?”
“Yes.”
Taking a deep breath, Yigyeom, following Kwon Taejung, left the bathroom and entered the dining room with a large dining table. Various delicious dishes filled the white table. Yigyeom sat side by side with Kwon Taejung in the two empty seats.
“There’s a lot. I hope it suits your taste.”
“I think everything will be delicious. Thank you….”
“If you need anything while eating, feel free to tell us. Honey, please use your chopsticks.”
After Kwon Taejung’s father used his chopsticks, everyone started moving their hands. Yigyeom looked at the galbijjim, colorful jeon, and grilled abalone on the table. Each one looked so delicious that he struggled to decide where to start.
After taking a spoonful of clear soup, Yigyeom thankfully found it soothing and took another spoonful. Then, he picked up a crispy dongtaejeon and took a bite.
“All the food is so delicious….”
“I was worried it might not suit your taste, but I’m relieved.”
“Ah…. Please feel free to speak.”
Looking at Yigyeom, Kwon Taejung’s mother glanced at Kwon Taejung. He nodded lightly, indicating that it was okay.
“Shall we then? I’ll call you by your name. Take your time eating, Yigyeom.”
“Yes….”
Looking at Yigyeom, who was smiling at him, Kwon Taejung’s mother smiled back and scooped some galbijjim onto a small plate. Soft and sweet, it was incredibly delicious.
“So, how old are you this year?”
“Uh… I’m twenty years old.”
A fact known to everyone, but Kwon Taejung’s father, verifying it again, made a faint sound of disbelief. Surprised that Yigyeom looked much younger than expected, it was genuinely worrisome now that his age was confirmed. He couldn’t help but wonder if Yigyeom, who still looked like a boy, could handle it.
