Dinner With the In-Laws
Wait... me?
I got home, showered, and flopped onto my bed.
Hmm... nothing to do. I'm bored!
It's a comedy, really — after carrying on like that from the weekend right up until now, the moment I'm given a chance to rest, I start getting antsy.
Maybe I'm a bit of a workaholic myself.
You know the type — the people who get anxious whenever they're not doing something.
I stretched the Wonderland tickets Manager had given me up toward the ceiling and unfolded them. The VIP section gleamed in the light of my lamp.
"The deadline's next month. Last week of this month through mid-April, Hana will be swamped with exam prep."
So I should probably suggest this weekend or next weekend. Or maybe just wait until after her exams?
The tickets were for an overnight stay — two days, one night, lodging included — which meant the days we could go were limited. And wasting them on a day trip on some random weekday felt like sacrilege.
"Oh, wait. This weekend won't work. The grade representative election is this Friday."
Which means Jemin will probably drag all the campaign workers out for a group dinner that weekend, won't he?
My schedule's tighter than I expected.
Wait a second — am I secretly living the life of a social butterfly?
Ever since I moved up to second year, it's felt like event after event keeps piling on.
Anyway, let me just sort out my remaining schedule...
One: campaign work, plus that meal with the grade rep group chat crowd.
Two: if I fail to find a suitable soul during that, fall back on whatever Hana's been preparing.
Three: use the Wonderland tickets before next month's out.
Four: don't skip academy, prep for midterms — ugh.
So that's about four big ones. Every last one of them a heavyweight event. And if I factor in the afternoons I want to spend with Hana, days like today where I can actually rest are going to be rare.
"This is the moment for gaming, obviously. Knock out my dailies, queue up some ranked for the first time in a while... huh?"
My phone rang.
I keep it on silent, so unless it's a number I've whitelisted, it shouldn't ring at all.
Hana, maybe? She said today was family-only, so I didn't expect to hear from her again.
But the name on the screen wasn't Hana's. It was her mother — prefixed with 'Hana's.'
"Oh my, you picked up quickly~ Is this Seha, my daughter's man?"
A warm voice drifted through the receiver. It was hard to believe this was the same demon who'd promised to turn the trade center into a sea of fire not long ago.
"Please skip the blush-inducing titles, ma'am... Did something happen to Hana? For you to call me directly like this."
"You worry about my daughter first thing — how could I possibly settle for a plain form of address?~ Or shall I just keep it simple and call you 'son-in-law'?"
"Please don't, ma'am. I'd rather stick with how we started."
"So cold~ Oh, right. What were you planning to do for dinner tonight?"
"I was going to stay in and order delivery, actually."
"Then why don't you join us for dinner at our place? My husband and I have to return to the Demon Realm tomorrow, so tonight's the only chance we'll have."
"I'd be honored, of course! But... are you sure? Won't it be uncomfortable for you-know-who, having me at the table?"
"Oh my, are you kidding? My husband actually thinks quite well of you, you know. He just loves our only daughter so much that he's clumsy about showing it. In fact, he told me just this morning that Seha has decent eyes for a human."
Really? In front of me he looks like he can barely restrain himself from devouring me, and behind my back he says that?
Hard to believe.
Well, an invitation's an invitation. Might as well go. It's the house next door anyway — I could fall out my window and land there.
"Yes, ma'am. What time should I come by?"
"Hmm~ How about thirty minutes from now? Everything's already prepared~"
"Understood. See you in thirty. Please go easy on the spice."
"I already have our son-in-law's palate memorized. Then, see you soon~"
The call ended.
Still, I can't get used to that 'son-in-law' business.
What would Hana do if my mom started calling her 'daughter-in-law'? Maybe I should call my parents later, after dinner, and ask Mom to try it out. Yeah. I'll do that.
"Okay then~ clothes first. Something comfortable but still presentable..."
I set my phone game to auto-run, got off the bed, and walked over to the closet.
Ding-dong~
I rang Hana's doorbell right on schedule.
Last week it was just Hana, but knowing her parents were here this time made me nervous.
"Good. You know how to be punctual. If you'd been late, I was planning to find fault with you. Come in."
The one greeting me was Hana's father. Good thing I came a little early. Had I been late, I'd have been welcomed with an axe.
"Lovely evening, sir! Hahaha..."
"Someone ruined it. *Sigh*..."
Ma'am, is it really true that he thinks well of me? Because from where I'm standing, he clearly hates me?
"Are you coming in or not? I'll just close the door."
"No, sir! Coming right in!"
A lavish dinner spread covered the table. Pork kimchi stew with tofu, seafood scallion pancake and meat-stuffed egg rolls, perilla leaves dressed in chili flakes and a whole lineup of side dishes. On top of that, a big bowl of rice crowned with a fried egg.
He even gave me seaweed? Holy...
"It's not much, but eat up, my future son-in-law♡"
"She opened a portal to the mart the second she heard you were coming, I'm telling you~"
"If I complained about a meal this beautiful, I'd deserve to be diced with the Flame Sword, wouldn't I, ma'am? How is it even possible to make food this perfectly suited to a Korean palate... Thank you for the meal!"
The moment Hana's father picked up his spoon, I ladled out some stew and took a bite. The broth hit my tongue — spicy, sharp, and rich with depth — and then I bit into the tofu. That flavor, where the stew-soaked tofu and the springy chew of enoki mushrooms melded together with every bite...
No. Not the time for savoring. I had to try the other dishes too. Never let the tempo of flavor break.
I picked up a piece of the pancake — someone had thoughtfully pre-cut it — paired it with rice, and ate. The chewy bounce of squid and clams was impossible to stop.
"This is bliss..."
Forgive me, Mom, but I think Hana's mother is the better Korean cook... Sorry, Mom!
"Pfft. Is it really that good, Seha? Here, try this too. Say ahh~"
Hana, while I was still lost in the taste, wrapped rice in a perilla leaf and fed it to me.
"Mmph... did you put pork in this too? So good..."
"Hehe~ That's what happens when I wrap it for you~"
"Flaunting it right in front of me too, I see. Yoon Seha."
"Aww, is my darling jealous? Don't worry, I'll feed you too~♡"
"Honey, I just had an egg roll. I don't need another bite right n—"
"Hey."
"Yes, dear..."
Hana's father shot her a look that clearly said do something about your wife, but I decided to just keep my focus on Hana. Sir, your wife is not an opponent I can handle. Someone has to carry that burden...
"Oh, right, Hana. About what you asked — I'll ship it as a package within the week."
"Really? You said it might slip past the weekend, but it's locked in for this week? Thank you, Mom!"
"What did Hana ask you for, ma'am?"
I asked, mixing the rest of my rice into the kimchi stew broth.
"Remember what Ara unnie told you a while back?"
"From the counseling session? Hmm... 'If it's hard to change someone else, change yourself.' That one?"
"Correct answer! See, this is why they call her Ara unnie. Her insight is incredible."
"There's something I can change? You told me yourself that a soul can't be altered. And it's not like you can challenge Harin to a one-on-one duel either."
"Hehe~ I was planning to drag this out until tomorrow, but... fine, I'll just tell you now! You challenge Harin to the duel, not me. And then you beat her."
Hana had just said something absolutely unhinged. Me — a human — dueling a demon?
"Hana, I get that Harin's a succubus, but our species are literally human and demon. Even veterans with special training get toyed with by low-rank demons. And I'm supposed to fight Harin?"
"Don't give me that suspicious look, Seha. That's exactly why I asked my whole family for help!"
"Do you honestly believe someone under the Balrog's Blessing could lose to a cheap succubus? You should be ashamed of yourself, boy."
"But darling, three days ago when I put on that succubus outfit, you couldn't even keep your head straight~"
"Pfft... honey, why would you say that in front of the kids..."
Something tells me a late-bloomer little sibling might be joining Hana's family next year.
Anyway — her father, Hana, all of them. How on earth am I supposed to win a one-on-one duel against Harin?
"Hana, explain a little more. Are you going to pour mana into me or something? I'm still human, you know. I can't use magic."
"You don't need magic, Seha. What matters is your mental fortitude. I'll provide the weapon."
"What weapon? It's a fantasy world and all, but I'm fundamentally a civilian. Could I even swing one?"
"You dodged me just fine when I was swinging an axe, didn't you? And you put up decent resistance even while chained up. A body like that is more than enough."
"Dad's right. Blessings and mana can boost physical ability. With your physicality, you should be able to wield my Flame Sword, Seha."
"You want me to wield... your Flame Sword?"
Hana had just said something even harder to understand.
"Hehe, you've got a thoroughly confused face there, Seha. How about we finish dinner, then study up on Balrogs? I'll show you exactly how our kind rose all the way to the Demon King's personal honor guard."
Even her mother wasn't trying to talk her down — she was actively egging her on.
What exactly are you people planning to make me do?