[No title provided]
"...Am I really marrying this guy?"
"...I like that part too."
Yoo Seol-ah, finally calming down a bit, clutched her spoon as if her head was throbbing, then set it down and lightly kicked my thigh under the table.
But honestly, we all knew it anyway. Even though neither of us was great at expressing affection verbally, we got along so well because we understood each other's feelings without needing words. We both had a blast acting childish together. Yoo Seol-ah's parents chuckled softly, then her dad spoke up.
"Take good care of my daughter."
"Dad, seriously..."
In just one minute, he'd gone from "over my dead body" to "take good care of her." He smirked at Yoo Seol-ah biting her lip, then added,
"Hey, Seol-ah, guys like this—tall, handsome, just like your old man in his prime—aren't a dime a dozen."
"...Bragging about yourself again."
She grumbled, but objectively speaking, her dad's looks were no joke even now. If you rewound twenty years... he'd probably get cast just for walking down the street. Her mom was the same, of course. Seeing Yoo Seol-ah, I'd half-expected it, so I wasn't too shocked after our first meeting.
"Have you ever done any modeling or anything like that?"
"I did a bit when I was young, as a favor... but it didn't suit my temperament. I can't stand staying still."
He was tall with great proportions, so I'd guessed right on the money.
"'Didn't suit your temperament'? You had your photoshoot pics and magazines plastered all over the living room after every drinking binge."
"I was super popular back in my youth, but your mom was my one and only."
"Ugh, you're such a sap."
Her mom said that, but she was smiling. They flirted even with company around—reminded me a lot of my own parents. Once our folks met, they'd probably hit it off great.
Maybe because she was home, Yoo Seol-ah started drinking without a second thought, and true to form for someone who got tipsy off beer easily, she was soon wobbling. The tasty wine hit her faster than expected.
"When Seol-ah was little, she always said she'd marry me. Now she's in college, bringing home a boyfriend already."
"That's ancient history... I'm marrying him, okay...?"
I'd suspected from the moment her face flushed, but this bombshell came out of nowhere. Her slurred voice gave away how drunk she was—no change in expression after dropping it. Still, her parents didn't freak out much, so they'd probably gotten a heads-up from our last call.
Her mom spoke gently. "I figured since you never brought guys home, it'd be like this with the first one."
"Yeah, nothing lasts like first love. We've been together thirty years now, and it took that long for the butterflies to fade just a—"
"Honey, one more word and you're skipping dinner."
"First love's the best—thirty years easy, and another thirty won't dull it. That's how rare it is when first love works out."
Her mom kept smiling, but there was a flash of killing intent. Was this the infamous murder smile? They say the always-cheerful types are scariest when mad.
"Nursing department, right? Jia mentioned it."
"Yes, that's right."
We chatted about school life and all sorts of things, covering a lot of ground.
"Whoa, so you took the CSAT as a hobby?"
"Yeah, I'd done mocks anyway, so I took it—missed four. Plus, there were discounts for test-takers."
My school exams were way tougher, so even without prepping specifically for the CSAT, most questions were straightforward. No real stakes made it stress-free. I deliberately bubbled wrong on the right answers, of course.
Yoo Seol-ah, who'd heard it before, looked exasperated, and her parents eyed me with mild amazement.
"Missing four on the CSAT but dodging the perfect score... you must've always been a top student."
"...He says he just wasn't interested in med school from the start."
"Man, our kids are smart, but this guy's on another level..."
Like she said, med school never appealed. I didn't want to pour all my time into studying in college, and I wasn't chasing money by becoming a doctor when it wasn't my dream. Nursing appealed more for school nurse roles than hospital work—I'd even weighed education majors.
My parents always said: Earn enough not to starve, don't force it. They both did jobs they loved, so they passed that wisdom to me.
After dinner wrapped up, I got stories about little Seol-ah she rarely shared.
"We tried all sorts of things when she was a baby, but she loved drawing. Weird part? Neither of us draws well."
"You guys draw great."
"We got her a drawing pad for her birthday, and she was thrilled. Feels like yesterday."
Parental support really helps talent bloom. Chatting with them showed me why she had such a kind heart.
Talking childhood naturally led to old photos.
"Here's elementary school. She's always loved sports. Even as a baby, she'd run everywhere—we were exhausted."
"Oh god, don't tell me you're pulling out the doljabi pics..."
"Good call. We have those too."
"...Sigh."
She seemed embarrassed, but her striking features shone even then—fascinating. In the doljabi shot, she grabbed a pen. Usually a "studious" sign, but now as a famous illustrator, it hit different.
"Coffee?"
"Yes, thank you."
Her mom prepped some from the machine behind the table. Yoo Seol-ah chugged cold water to sober up, then dragged me to the living room couch.
"...So, what'd you think?"
"Of what?"
"My mom and dad. If we really marry, we'll see them a lot..."
Conversation had been fun—I'd forgotten the point: marriage and cohabitation approval.
"I like them a ton."
"...Good."
She seemed more worried about me liking them than vice versa. Marriage stakes are high.
"Sit comfy and drink up."
As if there was some rule, her dad plopped on the floor instead of the couch. Coffee hit the low table; Yoo Seol-ah sipped quietly, then dropped,
"...Am I really marrying this guy?"
Out of nowhere, the coffee lost its flavor. But her parents took it in stride.
"Do what you want, dear. We'll cheer from behind. A picky girl like you chose well."
"...Thanks."
Not dismissive, though—felt like when she met my folks.
With a faint smile, she added, "So... we wanna live together."
"No issue, but got a place?"
"I'll explain later—found one."
"...For real?"
"Real."
Her mom pondered briefly, then nodded slowly.
"Fine. Just be safe about birth control."
"Eek!"
Yoo Seol-ah slammed her cup down, wincing. Still hot—burned her mouth? I grabbed her cold water from the table; she calmed.
But her mind raced. "...D-don't worry about that! I got it covered..."
"Who's worrying? Just saying."
Good thing we had 100% contraception magic. No kids before graduation anyway.
Her dad rummaged a drawer under the big TV on the living room wall.
"Sion, you into games?"
"Not hardcore, but I like 'em."
He hauled over a box crammed with controllers.
"We played tons when the kids lived here, but just us two... not so much. More fun with a crowd."
Tons of saved games, multiplayer galore. Source of her killer competitive streak?
"Dad, how many games did you buy while we were gone?"
She griped but grabbed a controller—family bond was tight.
With big issues settled, I could relax and join the fun.