episode_0136

“Yoojung. Weren’t you guys going to your house?”

“When I told him that I was going with my boyfriend, he told me to come to the store instead of going home.”

“A store? Huh? Is this really my parents’ store?”

Three seats set at a table shaped like a memory.

There, Yu-jeong, Yu-ri, and I were sitting in a row.

“My parents told me to bring my brother and not tell him, so I kept it a secret. I’m sorry.”

On my right, Yoo-jung smiled faintly, and on my left, Yu-ri added.

“The basic price here is 200,000 won. If you order alcohol, you get an extra charge.”

“Ah… … Both of your parents are chefs?”

“Yes. Thanks to that, I grew up eating a lot of delicious food.”

“No… But you should have told me in advance. If you had, I would have dressed up neatly in a suit. I thought we were just going to eat, so I came dressed lightly… … ”

It was a really simple outfit: black slacks, a white T-shirt, and a black cardigan over it.

This is the first time that Yoo-jung is meeting Yu-ri’s parents, and it’s like this…

“I told you not to tell anyone.”

Just then a tall, muscular man walked towards us from the inner kitchen carrying three small bowls.

He was about the same height as me, but his body looked incomparably more toned than mine. Just looking at him, I could tell he had built up muscles over the course of decades.

“Ah…hello. I’m sorry. I didn’t know it was you, father, earlier… ”

First, I got up from my seat and bowed my head.

It was difficult to read his expression because his face was covered by a mask, but just by looking at his sharp, shining eyes, I could tell that he was a strong-willed and resilient person.

Above all, his neatly shaved hair and deep voice, combined with his large size, create a sense of intimidation that is no joke.

‘If I find out later that I took all my daughters away… … I might really break my back.’

I had a lot of worries leading up to Chuseok.

Should I follow Yuri’s suggestion… .

Should I accept Yujeong’s proposal…?

Or is there a third, better person out there…?

But here, facing my father, one thought became clear.

“My name is Han Garam and I am dating Yoo Jung with the intention of marriage. I am 29 years old and my occupation is a novelist… ”

“Okay. Since you’re my guest today, don’t act so stiff and take a seat.”

“Oh, yes.”

As soon as I sat down, Yu-jeong and Yu-ri laughed softly next to me.

“Sister. Have you ever seen oppa this nervous?”

“No. This is really the first time I’ve seen it.”

“It’s kind of cute.”

My father, not caring what his daughters said, placed the first dish on our table for each of us.

“It’s steamed eggs with potato puree and truffle oil.”

“Oh, it’s been a really long time. I didn’t like it when I was younger, but now that I’m older, I really like it.”

“You’re still young. You’re twenty years old now.”

“I’m talking about when I was younger. Hmm… … ♥”

I also picked up my spoon after seeing Yuri tasting the thick porridge-like steamed eggs.

My father didn’t even glance at me and started putting the cut fish flesh into a small plate.

And then my mother came out of the kitchen with the fish fillets and spoke to me kindly.

“Oh my… … … . He’s handsome. What’s his name?”

“This is Han Garam.”

“The name is pretty too. Wow… The kid who was so stubborn about being an idol is now bringing home a boyfriend. That’s fortunate. You’re going to get married before you turn 30, right?”

“Ahem. They’ll just take care of it themselves. Just prepare the food for them.”

Fortunately, my father interrupted me midway, so I didn’t have to ask him more questions.

“Tuna, mackerel, and sea bream sashimi. If you don’t have enough, just tell me. I’ll cut more for you.”

Of course, that doesn’t mean I can fully concentrate on eating.

As it is an expensive omakase restaurant, it was definitely going to be delicious, but it was to the point where I couldn’t tell if the food was going into my mouth or my nose.

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“That’s all for the course meal. Tell me how many more you can each eat.”

To her father’s question, Yu-jeong answered six and Yu-ri answered four.

“At the end, they make extra sushi for you. They ask you how many more pieces you think you can eat.”

“Then I’ll take 6 too… ”

“I feel like I could eat more, but is 6 really enough?”

“Yes, that’s enough.”

I ordered the same quantity as Yujeong because I thought I might end up having to buy digestive medicine if I made one mistake.

But my father added four more, giving me ten pieces of sushi on my plate.

“Did you say Han Garam?”

“Yes, Father.”

“Father?”

“Uh… Chef?”

“Ahem! Don’t misunderstand. I didn’t mean to dislike it. Well, I’m proud to say that I have a good eye for people. Even if we don’t talk much, I can get a general idea of someone just by looking at the way they’re eating.”

My father’s eyes flashed as if they were piercing through me.

“You can tell at a glance that he’s not a bad person. I can also tell how much he loves his daughter. I can trust him with my daughter.”

“Honey, how can you know just by watching me eat? I have to ask you about this and that.”

“I can tell.”

“Then go in and do the dishes. I’ll take care of this.”

My mother pushed my father aside and took the seat in front of me.

“Tell me honestly. What is your relationship with our daughters?”

“yes yes?”

“Even if that’s the case, Yoojung seems really close with Yuri too… ”

My mother took off her mask and smiled mischievously.

It’s a very cliché expression, but I could tell right away that Yoojung and Yuri resembled each other and were so pretty.

“You’re saying weird things again. Thanks to you, I was able to reconcile with my sister, so we’re only close.”

“Um… … That wasn’t the kind of feeling I got?”

“Mom, don’t be like that. You’ll make me sick.”

“So you said you wanted to date with the intention of marriage, but when do you plan on getting married?”

“mom!”

My mother completely ignored Yujeong and looked only at me, urging me to answer.

“I’m thinking of getting married next year.”

“Oh my. Then I guess I’ll have to meet my in-laws soon. I’m so excited.”

“Ah… … Both my parents are not here.”

“So…so?”

The mother glanced at Yujeong in embarrassment.

I think he meant, why didn’t you tell me in advance?

“You must have had a hard time. Now think of me as your mother. They say that a son-in-law is also a child.”

Her playful attitude suddenly changed and my mother got up from her seat and brought out a sake.

“Do you like alcohol?”

“Uh… … I don’t hate it.”

“Then try some. It’s the most expensive liquor in the store.”

Pour the liquor into a glass contained in a square wooden box.

It was quite amazing how they poured the wine into a glass overflowing with alcohol.

“Oh, oppa, it’s really dangerous when you get drunk… ”

When Yuri muttered quietly as she saw me picking up my glass, my mother tilted her head.

“It’s dangerous? How is it dangerous?”

“Ah… Uh… Uh. I’m weak to alcohol. I get drunk even if I drink just a little.”

At that moment, Yuri’s face turned red and she started to panic.

I think it was because I was reminded of that time when I was called by Gaon and got drunk on alcohol and medicine.

“You’re saying he’s going to turn violent? That would be a bit of a problem.”

“No, not to that extent. I would say my emotions are more intense… ”

“Hmm? Why is Yuri blushing when her emotions are getting intense?”

“Actually, I got so drunk once that I confused Yoo-jung and Yu-ri and said I liked them. I think that’s why I’m flustered.”

It was a pretty neat excuse for something I had just come up with.

“That’s right! That’s it! Oh, I was really embarrassed back then. Hmm.”

“Suspicious… … ”

At that moment, Yujeong, who had been quietly listening to the story from the side, calmly opened her mouth.

“Should I sleep over at your house today?”

“Huh? You really want to do that? Okay, then.”

“Why are you coming home and trying to sleep so uncomfortably?”

Unlike her mother who readily accepted Yu-jeong’s story, her father, who appeared from behind, shook his head.

“You’re not even married yet, so there’s no need to do that. Just have fun together.”

“Why? I decided to adopt a son from today.”

“That’s all our greed. Let’s just hang out by ourselves. If you’re going to come to my house, come by yourself. You come next year.”

As I nodded along with the flow, before I knew it, the wedding had become a done deal, and this year’s Chuseok was something we spent on our own.

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“In the end, I couldn’t tell her that I was pregnant.”

“That’s right… … There wasn’t any time to talk about something.”

On the way home.

I let out a faint sigh inside Yujeong’s car.

“Do you know why I told you not to do that? When Dad gets angry, he’s really scary.”

“I’ll definitely take both of your daughters. I can’t say that.”

“Just in case, do you want to build some muscle too? Like a full body?”

Yoo-jung, who was driving, took a short breath at Yuri’s words.

“Then wouldn’t it be even more extreme than it is now? It would be hard to handle.”

“You’re not saying that because you’re jealous of your sister who can’t do it fiercely?”

“What? You don’t think you can build muscle in a month or two? To be like your dad, you have to work out for years. You’ll probably be pregnant by then, right?”

“I see. Then I guess it would be better not to exercise.”

I looked out the window and sighed faintly.

“I feel tipsy even after eating a little bit of that.”

It seemed like Yu-jeong would have to hug Yu-ri instead today.

I don’t want my reserved personality to show up and have a negative influence on my child.