Temporary Study Group Formation (9)
“Kyaa! It's been forever, my sweet home!”
A middle-aged woman burst through the front door, throwing her arms up in triumph.
The middle-aged man trailing behind shoved her forward with a weary sigh.
“Enough already, get inside. I did all the driving and I'm beat. I just wanna crash.”
“Aww, you worked hard too, honey.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Yu Hana and Shin Young-hoon.
They were Tae-il's parents, fresh off a long business trip.
No sooner had Yu Hana stepped inside than she kicked off her shoes haphazardly in the entryway and dashed to the living room.
“Yah-hoo!”
She flopped straight onto the sofa, sprawling out.
Lying there, she stretched luxuriously, loosening her taut muscles.
“Ooooh! Nothing beats home....”
“Well, aren't you lucky. I did all the driving.”
Shin Young-hoon followed her into the living room a bit later, clucking his tongue as he loosened his tie and shrugged off his suit jacket.
“Tch.”
Yu Hana, who'd been blissfully lounging, shot upright at her husband's nagging, bristling.
She fired back at him accusingly.
“What? Got a problem with me?”
“None at all, ma'am. Why would this lowly servant dare complain? Heh heh.”
She pursed her lips at his sarcastic retort.
She knew it too—he was just grumpy from exhaustion.
So she decided to give him a taste of his own medicine.
People don't snap at kindness shown right in their face.
Just like now.
“Jeez. Fine, tonight I'll whip up a huge spread of all your favorites. Happy now?”
“Whoa, no need to go that far....”
“Then say it.”
“If you're offering, I'll take it—why play hard to get?”
“Sigh. Can't even be honest.”
Shin Young-hoon scratched the back of his head and backed off with a sheepish grin at Yu Hana's scolding.
Yu Hana sighed at her husband's meek display.
He used to drag her to bed at the drop of a hat to 'discipline' her back in the day, but now that they were getting on, even that had fizzled out.
“Maybe I should cut back on work....”
Her fingers, cracked and dry despite her efforts to care for them, mocked her bitterly.
The relative lack of wrinkles was a small mercy, but even that was just a brief reprieve from running around outside instead of housework.
She missed the days when she could pull all-nighters for work without batting an eye.
Back then, I really thought we'd work ourselves to death forever....
Of all the workaholics at the office, she had to pair up with one just like her.
Yu Hana gave a wry smile, pressing the back of her hand to her forehead.
She could feel their time to prioritize health slipping away.
Business trips meant scarfing down convenience store bentos or whatever, patching nutritional gaps with supplements.
She squeezed in home workouts now and then, but she couldn't outrun the decline in stamina.
Day by day, she felt herself aging.
“We're getting old. Can't wait to see some grandkids.”
Her thoughts leaped ahead.
It was an oddly elderly remark from a woman still in her early forties.
“Hana, I'm hitting the shower first?”
“Sure thing.”
Yu Hana flapped her arm lazily from the sofa.
Like a true couple, the little spat from moments ago was already forgotten.
A rock-solid relationship—that was the phrase that defined Yu Hana and Shin Young-hoon.
“By the way, has Tae-il gotten home yet? I wanna see how our boy's doing.”
“Two weeks away and you're already being dramatic.”
Shin Young-hoon headed to the bathroom first, saying he'd wash up.
Despite being home after so long, he showed a strangely detached reaction compared to the sentimental Yu Hana. It stemmed from his rocky relationship with their son, who dreamed of music.
“Who knows how long he'll keep sulking like that. Men and their pettiness....”
Yu Hana planned to support Tae-il if he stuck with music.
Her neighbor Yuuna had advised it too, and with the kid so obsessed he couldn't live without it, what choice did they have? Parents had to bear it.
Though our stubborn one doesn't see it that way.
Still, it was a stubbornness that would bend eventually.
There was a reason they said parents always win against their kids.
“Plus, we've got a secret weapon for Tae-il.”
Katsuragi Ayane.
The ultimate weapon capable of melting Shin Young-hoon's icy facade in an instant.
“Should I invite Ayane-chan over? It's been ages.”
Last year, she hadn't loved how Ayane might derail their son's future, but the girl was so sweet and endearing that any petty gripes washed away just looking at her.
The kid was sharp enough to read the room and apologize when needed, and she doted on Tae-il endlessly.
As parents, how could they not adore a girl so devoted to their son, who was still adjusting to life in Japan?
Even Shin Young-hoon, pretending otherwise, secretly saw her as daughter-in-law material.
No wonder his frosty mask turned to mush around her.
Tae-il always gagged at the sight, sticking out his tongue in disgust.
“Hmm. She does straighten him out a bit....”
A man pushing forty grinning like an idiot at a high school girl was pretty gross.
Anyone would think they were already engaged.
Of course, Yu Hana was just as guilty of drinking the kimchi soup early.
“Kids these days mature so fast. Hope they didn't get into any trouble while we were gone.”
Yu Hana chuckled, peeling off her stockings and jacket haphazardly.
Her husband would chew her out when he got out of the shower, but shedding each layer felt like a reward for her hard work.
Slipping off her skirt like a snake shedding skin, she pulled out her smartphone.
“First, a message to my boy....”
A reply pinged back almost instantly.
Probably 5 mins out
It had been a whole two weeks since they'd last seen each other.
No cuteness overload or anything, but he was their one and only son—how could she not miss him?
The kid might find his mom's love overwhelming, but that was just how it went.
Parental love was meant to be given freely, without holding back.
Yu Hana steadied her pounding heart and waited for Tae-il. Her top priority? Checking the latest on her son's love life.
“He's coming with Ayane, right?”
He always did, so surely today too.
Thinking of her prospective daughter-in-law, Yu Hana sprang up from the sofa.
Couldn't have the mother-in-law looking sloppy for that.
They'd known each other nearly a decade and she'd shown plenty of unflattering sides, but women always wanted to look pretty—no matter the age.
Especially for a potential daughter-in-law she'd be seeing for years to come.
Yu Hana hurriedly scooped up the clothes she'd shed like a second skin and bolted to the master bedroom.
If she were a super ageless beauty like Yuuna, maybe she could slack off. But Yu Hana was your average mom aging gracefully with time.
“Gotta dress right to look a tad less old.”
She put in so much effort—Shin Young-hoon would probably tease her like royalty was visiting—prepped souvenirs from the trip (some snacks), then leisurely brewed coffee from the machine.
She looked every bit the successful career woman.
As she finished setting up, Tae-il's voice echoed from the entryway.
“I'm home.”
“Welcome back! Is that my Tae-il?”
Before greeting him, Yu Hana gave her outfit one last mirror check.
Then she headed to the door with a beaming smile.
There stood her usual listless, dark-circled son, and...
“Welcome home, sweetie~ And... huh?”
“H-Hi.”
“...Who might you be?”
A disgustingly handsome, pretty beanpole of a stranger.
Out of sight from across the table, she nudged Tae-il's foot under it.
“Hey.”
Rude in front of a guest, but Yu Hana had no choice but to whisper in Korean.
She had so many questions for her son.
Tae-il radiated annoyance but played along obediently.
“What.”
“Who's that.”
“Classmate.”
“Friend?”
Yu Hana sipped her coffee, scanning Sakuya up and down rapidly.
First off, those silver-white locks and purple eyes were mesmerizing in person—total first encounter.
At first, she thought her son had brought a foreigner, not Japanese.
And with those long limbs like a model and striking beauty, she didn't match her average son at all. Yeah, a total beauty.
When their eyes met, Sakuya flashed a bright smile, making Yu Hana feel like she'd bumped into an idol back in Korea.
One hand covering her mouth, the other smacked Tae-il's back.
“Ow! That hurts!”
“Oh my, oh my. Ayane-chan was cute, but this one's next level.”
“She's famous at school already.”
“She's not a celebrity?”
“Fashion mag reader model—does that count?”
“Kinda iffy?”
“Guess not.”
Yu Hana let out endless gasps of admiration, gazing dreamily at Sakuya as Tae-il shut it down.
Like she'd been enchanted by a marble statue of perfect beauty.
“Um, done chatting?”
“Oh dear! Sorry, my manners. So, miss, what's your name...?”
“Sakuya. Sakuraba Sakuya. Um...”
“Call me Hana casually, dear.”
“Yes, Aunt Hana.”
Even her voice was lovely.
Yu Hana shot her son a side-eye.
Tae-il, catching it like a sixth sense, grumbled mid-bite of snack.
“What now...”
“Nothing. So, Sakuraba, what brings you to our home?”
“Study group. Exams next week, and Taichi and I are in the same class.”
“Oh, I see!”
Yu Hana nudged Tae-il's leg again.
“Hey. What about Ayane?”
“She's in the college prep class. Different exam scope.”
“Midterms? You studied with her then.”
“This one's trickier. She's a good student too.”
Yu Hana was in bliss.
Great figure, pretty face, voice that hit her tastes perfectly.
And now top student too?
By Yu Hana's standards, she aced everything.
And such a girl hanging with her son.
What was there to complain about?
Yu Hana eyed Tae-il dubiously.
“Are you really my son?”
“What?”
Tae-il stared back like she'd spouted nonsense.
That insolent look tempted her to smack him, but not in front of company.
Instead, she coldly assessed the creature born of her and Shin Young-hoon.
As objectively as possible.
Not ugly... looks just like his dad in his prime.
Even the perpetual dark circles matched his father's eerily.
Businessman Shin Young-hoon turned his into rugged charm, world-weary allure, and suited sexiness from years of grinding.
Like father, like son. Signs were there in Tae-il.
Of course, the kid was still baby-faced, no match for peak Young-hoon.
But that prickly chill, occasional thoughtfulness, pure compliments—they were dead ringers.
Hadn't she fallen for it and married the man?
But still...
Yu Hana stared at Sakuya in wonder.
Those sly purple eyes held a subtle yearning only another woman would spot.
Sakuraba Sakuya clearly fancied her son, Shin Tae-il.
A bit green compared to Ayane's decade of marination, but no ordinary crush.
Is our boy secretly Casanova reincarnated? His game ain't that smooth though...
While Yu Hana pondered, Tae-il kept the convo going.
“So, what now? Dad's around too.”
“Shouldn't we at least say hi?”
“Do we have to...”
Tae-il rubbed his neck awkwardly.
Just as Shin Young-hoon found his son awkward, Tae-il felt the same about his dad.
After so long apart, he'd avoid facing him if possible.
Thankfully, Yu Hana came to the rescue.
“Just head up. I'll tell your dad. You gotta study, right?”
“She says so.”
“If Aunt Hana says...”
“Settled?”
Tae-il grabbed the tray of snacks and drinks, snatching Sakuya's wrist.
He'd clocked the shower water tapering off.
“Let's go. We'll eat out for dinner, so no need to prep anything.”
“Alright, have fun.”
“W-Wait, Taichi...!”
Protesting as he dragged her, Sakuya still bowed awkwardly to Yu Hana.
She's got no clue, huh?
Yu Hana covered her mouth, chuckling at her son channeling a youthful drama lead.
Suddenly, a magic word popped into her head: love triangle.
Yu Hana suddenly craved some trashy drama.