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Lieutenant General Yu Wonsik is an observer with keen eyes, distinguished in his field by his highly adaptable mindset, well known for finding solutions and keeping his cool in even the most strenuous situations. Pair that with his tall sturdy build, austere personality, and cold stare, it was no wonder why he is heavily sought after in the South Korean Marine corps. But his position hadn’t come easy, through long hours, hard work, and determination, he was able to eventually climb up the ranks. On most days he finds his work to be incredibly rewarding and fulfilling. He takes great pride in being able to shape young men into contributing and diligent members of society.
Today he can’t help but feel none of those things.
The clock on the dashboard screen of his youngest daughter’s newest gift, a Genesis GV80, reads 8:15 am as he coasts home following a stressful night at the Gimpo base. He considers himself incredibly lucky to have managed to get a few good hours of sleep in after all the havoc. It had been about an hour before a family dinner with his youngest daughter, Jimin, who had just arrived home for a brief break yesterday after months of international touring and nonstop schedules. His family had only been reunited for minutes when the urgent call had come in, the desperation in his subordinates tone was unmistakable. Heartfelt apologies tumbled out of his lips and with deep regret and irritation, he begrudgingly pulled himself away from his family and immediately headed towards the base. Annoyance kept flaring at the thought of his limited precious time with Jimin being cut short all because of his subordinates' negligence. In order to keep his annoyance from blowing up into full on rage, he decided to channel his new found energy into possible solutions to the very avoidable problem. And ever the levelheaded Lieutenant with unshakeable composure, he managed to handle the situation quickly and decisively, making it possible to spend Easter with his family.
The cool morning air that blows through the open window refreshes his skin and appeases his mind. Slow deep measured breaths escape his lungs, leaving through his slightly chapped lips. There’s a gentle melody floating out of the SUV’s speakers as he cruises down the freeway. His eyes carefully survey the road ahead of him looking for any abnormalities; they find none, instead something else draws his attention. A giant billboard with four notable faces greets him — one more familiar than the others. The captivating sharp eyes, lips most closely resembling his wife’s, Jiwoo, than his own, and the unmistakable trademark mole underneath them — all features he’s engraved in his heart from the moment she was born. Yu Jimin. Instantly his frustrations melt away at the sight of his youngest daughter, in its place pride begins to flood in. A smile finally cracks through his cold facade for the first time since he left home yesterday.
For some reason the drive back home doesn’t feel as tedious as it usually does. Before he fully realizes it he finds himself pulling up to a familiar set of white garage doors sliding open for him. Shifting the gear to park he takes a moment to inspect his appearance, checking from head to toe, making sure he had completely changed out of his military uniform. Since his enlistment, new recruits constantly cowarded at the sight of him in his uniform even complete strangers ducked away when they spotted him. To avoid ever getting the same reaction from his precious daughters, it had become a ritual — taking his uniform off — straight after work. If he had to, he could count on one maybe two hands the amount of times his daughters had seen him in uniform and he had no intention of changing that anytime soon.
There’s a brief silence as he takes in the chaos of the last twenty four hours, feeling incredibly blessed by the positive outcome despite all odds. Grateful, he clasps his hands together in prayer, he begins to thank God for allowing him to come home, for allowing his family to spend Easter time together, and for allowing him the strength and granting him the wisdom to face his obstacles in order to make it happen. A deep exhale leaves his lips, serenity begins to seep deep into his tired body, assuaging him. Feeling a bit more rejuvenated at the prospect of reuniting with his family, he takes a light step out of the vehicle.
“Good morning! I’m home!” His deep voice rings out as soon as he strolls through the heavy wooden entrance door. A chorus of affectionate voices answer as he shuts the door behind him and slips on his pale blue house slippers. Following the sound of joyful chatter, he begins to amble leisurely through the spacious home. His ears lead him to the kitchen where he finds most of his family hard at work prepping the meals for their Easter celebration later.
It’s an organized mess. There are trays of sliced vegetables, a big bowl of white rice, and by the smell of the delicious scent wafting around, pots filled with savory chicken, beef, and veggies. Seeing the mountain of work still to be done he strides to the sink to wash his hands. On his way there he can't help but drop a kiss on his wife’s and eldest daughter’s cheek, greet his mother-in-law with a brief side hug, and his future son-in-law with a warm handshake. Even with the amount of people in the kitchen it still feels a bit more tranquil than their usual gathering.
“Where’s Jimin?”
“She’s still sleeping appa.” Jihyun answers. A mischievous grin spreads across her face as she continues to roll a kimbap. “I can wake her up if you want.”
His mother-in-law raises the wooden ladle that she was using to stir the simmering udon broth and points it in her direction. “Yah, Jihyun, don’t stir up trouble for your sister.”
“I wasn’t halmeoni, you know how appa gets when he sees “the youth” sleeping in.”
Regardless of the truth behind the statement he couldn’t help but feel that his daughter deserved to rest. All the comeback preparations recently must have taken a toll on her.
“It’s fine, let her sleep. She's been really busy lately.” He takes the dish towel hanging off the stove handle and dries off his weathered hands.
“Can I go to sleep then? I’ve been busy too.” Jihyun asks cheekily.
“Ask your mother.”
“Eomm —”
“No.” His wife nonchalantly states as she continues to make baos. “Less talking, more working. You can sleep after the noon service.”
Not needing to be told twice, he gets to work helping his wife and daughter finish preparing the baos and kimbap. The conversations pick up again as if they hadn’t ever stopped, they are so engrossed that the sound of footsteps coming down the hardwood stairs don’t register for any of them.
“Good morning.” A raspy tone startles them.
Wonsik’s head turns to the sound of his youngest daughter’s sleep laden voice. His heart can’t help but swell at the sight before him. Jimin’s black hair is thrown up in a messy bun, thick framed glasses sit crookedly on the bridge of her nose, her navy blue silk pajamas are slightly askew. Sleepily, she shuffles to hug him before going to do the same with the rest of the family.
“Good morning! Thank you for finally showing up!” Jihyun teases.
“Yah!” Jimin smacks her sister’s shoulder. Jihyun smacks her back.
“Girls! Don’t start!” Their grandmother stops them before it escalates. “Jihyun keep working! And Jimin hurry up and eat so you can start getting ready for church.”
“I want to start getting ready too.”
“I can make the kimbap if you want.” The youngest kindly offers as she pushes her slipping glasses up her nose bridge.
“Nah, I was just kidding. Besides, it looks like your face is going to take a bit more time today.”
Jimin smacks her sister again this time she braces for her sister’s retaliatory attack and evades it. “Ha! You’re too slow!”
“Yu Jimin! Stop fighting with your sister and eat your breakfast.” Their mother interjects.
Jimin sticks her tongue out at her sister before snatching up the kimbap Jihyun had just set down.
“Hey! I just finished that!”
“Thank you for your hard work. I’ll eat it well~~.” The youngest brazenly retorts as she pulls out one of the chairs from underneath the wooden dining table.
Jihyun smacks her first this time, Jimin grimaces at the loud sound and rubs her arm in mock pain then hits her in return.
“Hey Minjae! Your fiancée is so violent! I hope she doesn’t hit you like this.”
“She doesn’t. I listen well. ~~” The older guy teases.
“Tsk, it’s okay. You can tell me the truth. This is a safe space.” Jimin gets smacked again. “Wah, you’re going to leave a bruise.” She checks her bare arm for any marks. “I can practically see it forming.”
Wonsik quietly chuckles at the antics, a hint of a smile remains on his face. He had really missed this. He watches his youngest eat the roll she had nabbed with gusto but there’s a faint far off look in her eyes that’s accompanied by a jittery hand. She is so out of it she doesn’t notice her halmeoni starting to slyly push mouthwatering dishes near her; a thinly veiled attempt to entice her to eat more.
“Are you guys not going to eat with me?” Jimin asks with plump cheeks.
“You go ahead, we already had breakfast.” He answers.
She nods and goes back to her munching, eating away in an almost trance-like state. From his place at the island counter, he has a clear view of her left hand fiddling with the hem of her pajama shirt and the incessant bouncing of her leg. Concern begins to slip in when she also starts unconsciously picking at her bottom lip between bites.
“Everything okay, Jimin?” He asks tentatively, trying not to spook her.
The youngest still jolts at the question and shakes herself out of the daze. “Ah, yeah everything’s fine appa.” She attempts to flash him a reassuring smile but it only comes out stiff.
“That’s good.” Not wanting to push, his hands continued to work, scooping a spoonful of beef filling for the bao skin in his wife’s hand.
“A-actually, — I … have a question.” It’s unlike his daughter to sound and look so skittish around them. He shares a quick glance with his wife, a hint of worry also colors her brown eyes. Everyone in the kitchen seems to grow apprehensive, but they try not to show it. Despite their best efforts, the growing tension is still palpable.
With a soothing tone his wife answers this time. “What is it honey?”
“Is it– um, can I – would it be okay,” Jimin takes a deep breath seemingly working up the courage to ask her question. She finally looks up from her fidgeting hands resting on the table and stares straight at them, there’s a determined look shining in her eyes. “Would it be okay if I invited someone to stay over for Easter?”
Instantly, cold dread ices his veins and freezes his heart, he wasn’t aware his chest could feel so hollow. A look of shock passes through everyone’s faces but Jimin’s. Wonsik had mentally prepared himself for this since the day his daughters were of dating age but, preparation has nothing on the real thing. A slightly open mouth, frozen limbs, and a blank stare is what Jimin sees, not the warm, kindhearted agreement he had rehearsed so many times in his head. And who could blame him, he’s seen what guys her age are like and if he could keep her away from them forever, he would. But alas life wasn’t about what he wanted.
There’s a confused look that crosses Jimin’s face after noting their stunned reactions, then comes a look of realization followed instantly by wild panic. She begins to shake her hands vigorously. “Wait – NO — Hold on! It’s not like that!” She trips over her own legs as she gets up from her chair clearly panicked. “It’s Minjeong! I’m inviting Minjeong! She’s the one coming over! It's not whatever you guys are thinking!” Ragged breaths wrack her frame as she hurries to continue explaining. “She wanted to see what Easter was like so I offered to show her!”
A collective sigh of relief fills the room. The blood drumming in Wonsik’s ears mellows down, his tense shoulders visibly relax, thanking the heavens that he doesn’t have to meet any guys just yet.
It’s just Minjeong, he knows Minjeong, he already likes Minjeong. Everything is fine.
“Ah Minjeong! Of course you can bring her over.” Is his enthusiastic reply as he tries to play off the small heart attack he just had.
Jimin visibly untenses at this, her previous nervousness disappears and her radiant smile shines even in her glimmering eyes.
“We’ll prepare the guest room for her.”
His youngest’s smile dims at that. “Ah — okay.” There's a second of hesitation, a sense that she wanted to say something more but decided not to at the last minute. “I’ll tell her then, let me go get ready. Thank you for the food, it was delicious.” It's clear she’s happy but he can’t figure out why there’s a hint of dejection in her steps as she treads to her room. Huh, did I do something wrong? Who knows.
It’s been months since Jimin had last gone to church with them, so seeing his beautiful daughter in some of her Sunday best fills his heart with an indescribable warmth, he’s sure his dark brown eyes reflect the overwhelming adoration he is feeling. She’s all grace as she glides down the stairs in a cream colored floral dress with a thin white knit cardigan layered on top. There’s no glasses in sight and some light make up softens up her sharp features.
He grins at her when she reaches the foot of the stairs. “All ready?”
“Yes appa, let’s go.”
They spend their drive there chitchatting away, catching up with each other. The rest of the family had left a bit earlier to chat with other church members before service started. Understandably, Jimin wanted to avoid drawing too much attention to herself and preferred to go closer to the starting time. And being her self designated chauffeur, he decided to stay behind to accompany her.
The service is lovely, a bit longer than usual but it’s normal for these types of celebrations. What comes after might be a bit more unpleasant for Jimin now that she’s gotten so famous. Mingling after mass had always been something his family had done. Jimin had even loved it once upon a time, but seeing her get ambushed by eager church members and their twenty-something year-old opportunist sons made something deep in his soul glow with a quiet fury.
The urge to step in was strong but he didn’t want to be overbearing. What if Jimin actually wanted to talk to one of these young men? As long as she’s happy he reminds himself. She had a right to explore possible dating options even if he didn’t think any of them were quite right for her. Especially not for the altar. A shiver runs down his spine at the thought of walking his beloved daughter down the aisle where some pompous guy is waiting for her. Even the thought of it makes him feel a bit queasy. So instead he decides to keep an eye on her from a reasonable distance while Jiwoo and himself converse with some friends. From his peripheral he tracks his mother-in-law as she approaches Jimin. Upon reaching her, she places a quiet supportive hand on her granddaughter’s lower back. At the touch, his youngest's stiff posture eases. It's comforting to know that there’s someone with Jimin, especially someone that’s as protective of her as he is.
Honestly, he kind of expected Jimin to show some interest in at least one of the guys, but so far, she seemed to be treating it as if it was another meet-and-greet. Polite bows, polite smiles, she’s engaged, but he can tell that she isn’t looking for any deeper conversation and then his mother-in-law courteously moves them along before another suitor accompanied by his parents materialises out of nowhere. And then the same thing starts over again.
Wonsik is starting to get tired of all of this and if he’s getting tired he can’t imagine what Jimin must be feeling. With his mind made up, he graciously excuses himself from the ongoing conversation and heads toward his youngest daughter. Straightening out his back and putting on his most intimidating face, he lets his muscular arm rest over his daughter’s shoulders bringing her in for a side hug.
“Hi, I’m sorry to interrupt but we have to get going.” There’s a deep sense of satisfaction when he sees the guy flinch at the sight of him.
“Oh that’s okay, we were about to leave too.” The guy’s mother answers for him with a sickeningly sweet smile. “It was nice meeting you all. God be with you.”
“And with you.” They chorus back.
Wonsik sees the guy fidget with his phone for a bit, clearly hesitating. A quick glance at his daughter lets him know that she’s dreading what might happen next.
“Um, can I—” the guy starts to nervously rub at his neck.
The Lieutenant clears his throat, catching the guy's attention once again.
The guy visibly gulps. “Right, well it was nice meeting you and you too sir.” He gives a deep bow before running off after his mother.
They walk to where Jiwoo is standing waiting for them. His mother-in-law begins to gossip away about the new information she had just gotten from her church friends. Wonsik’s face remains stoic until he feels a smaller hand slip into his. He feels the cool metal of the rosary ring they had gifted Jimin for her first communion. There’s a brief but tight squeeze on his hand. He can’t help the small tug on his lips; he had done the right thing.
It’s getting close to the set time and despite their earlier preparations it still feels like they might be cutting it close. Everyone had come back home and immediately changed into more comfortable casual clothes. Well everyone but Jimin. The last time he saw her, she was still asking Jihyun for outfit advice. Wracking his brain, he tries to remember the last time she had stressed so much about an Easter dinner outfit and comes up blank. He decided not to dwell, it wouldn’t do any good anyway, not when there was still a lot to set up in the backyard before the guests arrived. Minjae had offered to help fix up the outdoor dining areas. So now with an extra set of hands everything seemed more manageable. God bless his eldest daughter’s taste, he can only pray Jimin chooses a guy with a good and sensible personality too.
The roaring charcoal grill flame had finally started to settle when the first group of guests arrived. There were several greetings exchanged before he noticed there was still someone missing. Looking around the newly furnished backyard he spots his eldest daughter playing fetch with her dog, Bomi.
“Jihyun-ah! Where’s Jimin?”
“She was trying outfits on last time I saw her.”
“Still?”
“Yeah that’s what I said. I don’t even put that much effort for my dates.” The brown toy poodle skids to a stop in front of her then drops the ball at her feet. “Do you want me to call her?”
“It’s fine, let's give her a bit more time, if not I’ll get her.”
“Alright appa.”
Too busy with flipping the sizzling bulgogi with the tongs, he misses Jimin’s entrance. It's not until a chorus of “pretty,” “beautiful,” and “gorgeous” resounds that he looks up from the hot grill and spots his youngest daughter. The sudden urge to rub his eyes to make sure he was seeing her correctly is strong but he manages to tamper it down. There’s been very few instances where she dresses up like this for family gatherings and Easter was usually not one of them. His trained eyes track Jimin as she starts to greet the guests. She’s all bright smiles and enthusiastic replies as she jumps from person to person. Even her younger cousins, who are notorious for being indifferent during these gatherings are left in awe when she greets them.
She’s so immersed in chatting with the younger kids that she doesn’t notice Jihyun tip-toeing behind her. A terrified scream screeches out of her lips as she clutches at her heart before forcibly smacking her older sister on the arm. But Jihyun, of course, returns the hit with the same fervor. Shaking his head he goes back to flipping the bulgogi. When he glances up again, his girls appear to be in deep conversation. From the looks of it, it seems like Jihyun had complimented her younger sister if the shy smile on the younger’s face is any indication. Jimin smooths her gray pleated skirt, then adjusts the v neck of her oversized navy blue knit sweater; tucking a wavy strand of silky jet black hair behind her ear. A tender smile spreads over his lips. Sometimes, it's still hard for him to fully grasp the fact that he took a part in raising two gorgeously amazing ladies.
Jimin, being the social butterfly she is, continues to float around engaging in different conversations. Though her hands can’t seem to stop checking her phone every few minutes. As the party starts getting more lively, hints of restlessness begin to show, wriggling hands, squirming in her seat, a bouncing leg, she even seems to be having a hard time focusing on her current exchange. I wonder why?
Not being able to keep up with the conversations any longer, Jimin politely excuses herself and sets to pacing a few steps away from the dining area. Her hand goes to pick at her lips but stops just in time, remembering that she had lipstick on. Wonsik searches for his wife only to find that she is already walking his way.
“Should we see if she’s okay?” She asks with a trace of concern.
“Let’s give her a minute.”
Jiwoo nods quietly as she keeps her gaze on their youngest daughter while Wonsik’s eyes are trained on his wife. Suddenly a look of understanding washes over her features. He raises an eyebrow at her questioningly, only for her to raise a placating hand.
“Jimin!” Their daughter looks up from her phone at the sound of her name. “Come here please!”
Their youngest walks over. “Yes, eomma?”
“What time did you say Minjeong was coming over?”
They watch their daughter's face completely light up at the mention of her bandmate.
“She should be here soon. She texted me awhile back saying she was already on her way.” As if on cue Jimin’s blue phone buzzes with a new message. A giant grin splits her face when she reads the text on her screen.
“She’s here!” Giddy excitement courses through her limbs; it's as if she’d been fully recharged. “I’ll go get her! Excuse me eomma, appa, I’ll be right back!” and then she bounced off before either of them could get a word in.
All they can do is share a glance, not knowing exactly what just happened, only that their daughter was really, really happy. They shrug their shoulders; what more could they ask for.
There’s no sign of Jimin and her guest for half an hour, it’s strange, Jimin had invited friends over before but would introduce them right away before running off to do their own thing. Has something happened? It wasn’t like Jimin to hold her guest hostage.
It’s several minutes before Wonsik catches sight of them through kitchen patio glass doors. From what he can see, Minjeong is also dressed prettily in a light pink cardigan and dark brown skirt. Much like Jimin’s hair, hers also falls in soft waves. As they stand side by side, he begins to see why they were chosen to be in the same group, their visuals complement each other well. Where Minjeong’s features are softer and poses a cold delicate type of beauty, Jimin’s are more sharp and strikingly beautiful.
They talk in very close proximity, their shoulders touching as they speak despite the ample amount of space in the large kitchen. He watches as Jimin leans in close, the huge grin still plastered on her face as she says something into Minjeong’s ear. The younger girl smiles timidly, shyly tucking a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. Jimin’s grin seems to grow impossibly wider at her reaction.
Suddenly, both their heads whip to look behind them as they take a step away from each other as the reason why steps into his view. All smiles, his mother-in-law starts chatting with them as she guides them towards the patio doors with a gentle hand on each of their backs. Springing into action, Jimin hurries on ahead of them and slides the glass door open, bowing slightly as she gestures to them to walk through first. His mother-in-law and Minjeong snicker at her antics as they make their way through. The three of them talk for a bit before his mother-in-law motions to him and his wife.
With a parting wave, and Jimin’s guiding hand on Minjeong’s lower back, the girls head in their direction. The sight of the two of them together is conspicuous as several of their guests, close family and friends alike, keep glancing at them as they make their way around. They stop here and there as Jimin introduces Minjeong to them with a beaming smile. To her credit, Minjeong takes all of this like a champ. He was aware that the younger girl was a homebody. Jimin had mentioned it several times before, so to see her smile brightly as she talked to all these strangers simply because they were an important part of Jimin’s life meant a lot to him.
By the time the two bandmates reach Jimin’s parents, their energy has simmered down a smidge but their smiles still hold the same joy. Wonsik can’t help but notice how Minjeong’s hands start to fidget with one of the unbuttoned buttons low on her cardigan. Jimin also starts tugging on her knit sweater, pulling and pushing the sleeves up her elbows despite them already resting comfortably.
“Eomma, appa this is Minjeong, my —friend.” It’s strange, Jimin isn’t the type to get nervous when introducing her friends, even less so if she is reintroducing them.
“It’s nice to see you again, abeoji and eomeoni.” With hands politely folded over her stomach, the younger girl bows deeply in greeting.
“Ah Minjeong-ah!” His wife forgoes a bow and instead brings the younger girl in for a hug, catching her off guard. “Its good to see you again!” Jiwoo rubs the younger girl’s arms gently as she backs away. “And no need to be so formal, you can call me eomma.”
Timidly Minjeong nods her head.
“Minjeong-ah, it's nice to see you doing well.” Adorning a welcoming smile, Wonsik extends his arm to offer her a handshake which the younger girl amiably returns with a soft yet firm grip. “And like my wife said, no need to be formal, you can call me appa.”
“Thank you eomma and appa.” She says experimentally, the words sounding a little foreign yet welcome on her tongue. “And thank you for having me over even if it was so last minute.”
“It's nothing, you are always welcome here.” He softens up his voice when he replies. “It's nice to see Jimin actually have friends and spend time with the family.” There's a teasing lilt that slips into his tone.
“Ey, I have friends over and spend time with the family!” She petulantly objects.
It's good to see his teasing have its desired effect, as chuckles break out at the sight of Jimin’s reaction. Jimin tries to look offended for several seconds only for her lips to start twitching upon seeing some of the tension ease out of Minjeong’s body. Her hand instinctively goes to touch the younger girl’s arm only to pull back at the last second. There’s a brief moment where Wonsik thinks he sees Jimin looking at Minjeong with a tender gaze but it's gone in a flash so he can’t be sure if he read it correctly. Even if he was right, he’s sure it's normal for good friends to look at each other like that.
“Jimin, you should show Minjeong, Bomi. I’m sure she’d be excited to meet her.”
Ecstatic, Minjeong turns towards Jimin smacking her on the shoulder, he prepares for the inevitable retaliation. It never comes. If anything, it looks like Jimin wouldn’t mind getting smacked again.“Bomi?! Your sister’s dog is here and you didn’t tell me!”
“Well we were a little preoccupied but we can go look for her now.” With a dopey grin in place, she unconsciously holds Minjeong’s wrist and begins to tug her away. “She’s around here somewhere. Aha! There she is!” she points in the direction of where the younger kids are playing with a small brown blur. “We’ll talk to you later eomma, appa.”
“Okay, and Jimin. The galbi and samgyeopsal are almost ready so be on the look out for it.”
“We will.”
The married couple watches and the two girls walk away with their hands naturally intertwining, as if it was second nature. Something in him — call it gut instinct — told him that it probably was. But again, girl friends do that type of thing all the time. It shouldn't come as a surprise that Jimin would do the same with her friend of 9 years.
He looks to his wife to see if they were on the same boat only to catch her staring at them with a contemplative look on her face, playing with the cross medallion on her silver necklace.
“They look cute don’t they?”
Wonsik is thrown off by the question. They could be considered cute in the same way two toddlers playing together would be cute, though that example doesn’t feel quite right in this situation. Not really fully grasping what his wife means, he answers. “I guess they are.”
Jiwoo shakes her head softly at his reply and pats his shoulder, her hand lingering. “Make sure you don’t burn the pork belly.” She throws over her shoulder as she walks away.
Why would he burn the pork belly? It wasn’t even on the grill yet. The last time he burned pork belly was when he was learning how to grill in his late teens and that was ages ago. There was no chance he was going to burn it now. Perplexed by his wife’s statement he’s even more diligent cooking the wide array of meats, glancing up occasionally to keep track of his adult babies.
The two idols are surrounded by a handful of kids whose height barely grazes their waist while some of the older kids give them a bit more space. They looked up at them in wonder, especially at Minjeong and it makes sense. Most of these kids had seen Jimin since they were babies, so the novelty had somewhat worn off, but Minjeong wasn’t so lucky. The high pitched yells of hachuping could be heard even from afar. The vocalist laughed at their reactions before greeting them animatedly. Jimin had yet to leave her side, though they were no longer holding hands, Jimin’s palm couldn’t help but hover over the younger woman’s waist.
The sound of crackling meat draws him back, reminding him of his current task. Hurriedly checking the galbi on the grill, he is thankful that they are still presentable, only a bit more crispy than his usual standard. He pulls them out and places them on the trays his wife had brought over before urgently throwing on the pork belly.
He looks back to where the two idols had once been standing only to find them playing tag with the kids, even the older ones had joined in. Bomi, of course, had been chasing Jimin around, barking in excitement. The boisterous sound of laughter travels through the open yard as the sun begins to set. Even from a distance Wonsik can tell that neither of the young women were running at full speed, giving the kids an opportunity to catch up to them. Feigning tiredness, Jimin exaggeratedly bends over, resting her hands on her knees as she heaves big breaths, taking the attention away from a running Minjeong. The kids surround her instead and pat her excitedly while Minjeong stops and watches them with an adoring smile.
“Ooof I’m sorry guys, I’m tired.” Jimin's voice carries over to him as she huff-and-puffs to really sell it.
“Is it because you are old?” One of Jimin’s younger cousins asks matter of factly.
Wonsik guffaws upon overhearing the question, and it looks like Minjeong isn’t faring much better, but at least she tries to dampen her laughter with a hovering hand. He sees Jimin playfully glare over at her when a cackle still manages to escape through her palm.
“Yah! I’m not old! I just turned 25 this year!”
“Wow! You are old!” Another of her younger cousins chimes in in amazement.
“Tsk, aish! I’m not that old.” His youngest attempts to defend. “Besides, shouldn't you guys be having dinner already? Go before you all get into trouble.” She shoos them away a bit grumpily with a playful pout on her lips.
The group begrudgingly disperses, leaving the two idols with Bomi. Minjeong finally bursts into laughter. Jimin’s grumpiness completely disappears at the sound, a huge radiant smile overtakes her features. His daughter bends down and picks up Bomi who is patiently sitting by their feet. The distance between them disappears again, as they stand flush shoulder to shoulder. With a delicate hand Minjeong goes to tuck a stray strand behind Jimin’s ear. Unable to hold their eye contact, Jimin shrugs her shoulders and looks down, smiling bashfully. She raises Bomi to distract Minjeong from the fact that she is blushing.
Wonsik gets confused when Jimin pushes Bomi even closer to Minjeong’s face but it doesn’t seem to phase the younger woman at all. Bending forward, the younger girl places a quick kiss on the dog’s forehead, leaving Jimin nodding happily, with a satisfied grin. Friends do this? The more he tries to make sense of it, the less his mind is making sense; he’s sure it's nothing. It’s probably something girl friends do.
Minjeong’s palm begins to gently card through Bomi’s soft fur, her tone automatically raises a pitch as she coos at her fondly. When he catches sight of Jimin, he’s left bewildered. A fond smile rests on his younger daughter’s face; her eyes are dripping with honey — overly affectionate — as she stares at her bandmate. His gut instinct is telling him to look away but for some reason he can’t quite place, he is having a hard time listening. Could it be that —? He cuts that train of thought immediately. No, no, no. They're just close friends.
They have to be.
The distinct smell of burnt pork is what finally forces him to tear his gaze away. Panic starts rapidly pumping through his heart as he realizes he had not heeded his wife’s warning. With a speed never seen before, he removes the charred samgyeopsal slices from the searing flames. He looks at the ruined pieces as a heavy sigh leaves his lips. Maybe this is what his gut instinct was telling him. As if sensing his predicament Jiwoo appears next to him. She doesn’t say a word at first letting him marinate in his grief. She rubs his back placatingly.
“It’s fine, things happen.”
Her soothing tone does wonders to calm him.
It's another 15 minutes before he is done grilling the rest of the pork belly, this time he makes sure to keep his concentration set on the task, ensuring that the food is cooked to perfection. With a tray full of succulent meat hot off the grill, he carefully walks towards the table where his family and Minjeong are seated. With steady hands he places the tray next to the other delectable looking dishes and side dishes at the table. Steaming bowls of udon noodle soup, piles of freshly made kimbap, savory baos, mouth watering japchae, and the customary side dishes; it was all almost overwhelming.
Famished, he pulls out the only empty chair left at the round table between his wife and eldest daughter. From his seat, he has a clear view of Jimin and Minjeong who are directly across from him. It comes to no surprise to him when the pair are glued to each other yet again despite the extra amounts of space the table offers.
With a rumble in his stomach, he closes his eyes in a brief prayer. He thanks God for the bountiful meal, for allowing his family to be together, and for bringing Minjeong to them. Raising his right hand, he does the sign of the cross and finally digs in.
Conversation flows freely, he’s happy to see that Minjeong is completely relaxed in their presence now. She had been loosening up and getting more comfortable as the evening progressed, and his daughter had been doing such a good job keeping her in high spirits. She has been relentless; it's as if it was her sole mission to make Minjeong laugh. His brain can’t help but point out that Jimin had never put in such an effort with her other friends. But it was fine, he reasons, it was probably just his daughter being more mindful of Minjeong’s personality. Content with his reasoning, he continues eating.
It’s amazing how something can just draw people’s attention without even trying, how they can just captivate everyone’s eyes without meaning to. That’s what Wonsik feels when he finds himself yet again, unable to look away from his younger daughter and her “friend.” The pull is too strong, he has no choice but to disguise his glances between bites. From his peripheral vision, he can tell everybody at the table is doing the same thing.
Jimin and Minjeong are in their own bubble, even if everyone blatantly stared he highly doubts they would catch on. He notices, between furtive glances, how Minjeong picks out the mushrooms in her udon noodle soup and puts them in the older girl’s bowl. How Jimin, wordlessly, places her roasted egg plants on her friend’s plate. He notices how Minjeong picks out the crispier parts of her serving of samgyeopsal and instinctively feeds them to Jimin before even taking a bite of it herself. How she keeps checking Jimin’s plate making sure that she’s eating every single morsel of food she’s placed on it. How she reaches over with a napkin in her hand and gently cups his daughter’s face as she cleans the gochujang sauce off the edge of her lips.
Understanding begins to sink in.
Friends don’t do this.
His instinct tells him they don’t, but he can’t help the visceral reaction that threatens to overtake him at the thought of his good Christian daughter possibly dating a woman. No, it isn’t right, there’s no way his daughter is gay, they didn’t raise her that way. It is more likely that he has it all wrong. He isn’t sure how friendship among girls works after all. This could all be perfectly normal.
Denial is a scary thing, now he wishes Jimin had taken interest in at least one of the church boys. He didn’t care if they weren’t a good match for her. He no longer cared if they were lacking because at least, that way, she would be normal and he wouldn’t have to deal with the despair that came with having a gay daughter.
Despite his dreadful realization, much like watching the aftermath of a car crash, he just can’t stop looking at them. He watches Jimin fight Jihyun for the best slice of cake and win, only to gingerly place it in front of Minjeong. How she brings Minjeong some freshly steeped plum tea she had painstakingly prepared moments before. How she can’t seem to keep her hands to herself, how they constantly gravitate to her friend before catching herself and redirecting them to a different task. There’s a subtle discernable tension, it is almost painful to witness how both itch to touch but refrain from doing so.
He needs a drink.
The sun had set almost an hour ago bringing the temperature down with it. Most of the guests had cleared out already, the last group had just been accompanied to the entrance door by the married couple. The only one left now was Minjeong. Minjeong; he didn’t know how to feel about her anymore. Conflicting emotions kept swirling, fluctuating since his big realization, it was hard to pinpoint which was most prominent.
Hand in hand with his wife, they take slow strides as they pass by the living room and make their way to the bonfire he had lit up in the outdoor firepit once the temperatures began to dip. Everyone is paired off; Jimin and Minjeong, Jihyun and Minjae, he and Jiwoo. His mother-in-law had already retired for the night after everyone had pitched in for the clean up.
The older couple takes a seat on cushioned wooden rocker chairs a bit further away from the other four, deciding to give them a bit of space so they can have more private conversations. There's a cold breeze blowing through that causes him to clutch his jacket a bit tighter. Shivering, his wife stands up.
“I’ll be right back, I’m going to get something warm to drink. Do you want anything?”
“Yes, can you bring me some chamomile tea, please.”
His wife nods before heading inside.
“Eomma!” Their eldest daughter shouts. “Are you going for drinks?”
“Yes!”
“I’ll come with you, hold on.”
Jihyun makes a move to get up only for Minjae to softly push her back in her seat. Lifting his arm he points at himself and then at the house. Jihyun nods, watching as Minjae gets up and follows after her mom. It takes only seconds for Jimin to tread behind them.
He braced himself for the awkwardness that was going to follow their departure. Only it never came. The younger idol had no problem chatting with Jihyun, if anything they were getting on rather well. Peels of laughter burst through the serene night air as Jihyun retells the story of a younger Jimin crying because their parents wouldn’t let her elope with a pretty girl in her first grade class. He grimaces at the memory.
In hindsight maybe all of this shouldn’t have come as a shock. Thinking back, the signs had been there, but he had been willfully ignorant, brushing it all off thinking it was just child’s play. That Jimin would surely grow out of it. Now he can’t help but wonder; would it have been different if he would’ve caught on on time? If he would have listened? Would a young man be sitting across from him instead of Jimin’s friend?
A gentle nudge on his shoulder breaks him out of his spiraling mind.
His wife smiles down at him as she hands him his hot tea.
“Thank you.”
She gives him a brief nod before retaking the seat next to him.
“Is everything okay?”
“I’m just thinking.”
She hums in acknowledgment, before taking a sip of her own hot drink. He blows on his mug before taking a swig. The fragrant scent wafts around him. The slightly bitter floral flavor and sweet taste of honey soothes him, it blankets him in much needed warmth. There’s a comfortable silence between them as they stare at the open flames in a deep meditative state.
The sound of Minjae's deep voice followed by Jimin’s own low tone announced their incoming presence. There’s a shuffling of footsteps as they go take their designated seats. Minjae hands a mug to Jihyun and goes to take his seat while Jimin hands Minjeong both of hers. A squeal escapes the younger girl’s lips as Jimin carefully pulls Minjeong’s wooden rocker chair impossibly close to her own. There’s a smug grin on her face as she plops down unceremoniously, sticking as close to Minjeong as possible despite the chairs’ arms in her way. She clumsily throws the thick wool blanket she had brought over their exposed legs. His daughter stretches her arms, not so subtly inching closer to her “friend’s” shoulders only to back out and keep pretending to stretch. Playfully shaking her head, Minjeong hands her one of the mugs, willingly scooching closer.
They begin to whisper amongst themselves, it’s as if there’s no one else around them. Giggles ring out of the pair without restraint. It had been awhile since he had seen his youngest daughter laugh so freely. With her free hand, Minjeong tugs Jimin down by her sweater sleeve. Jimin doesn’t fight it as she leans down close to Minjeong's lips. Soft whispers tickle Jimin’s reddening ears, a delighted grin brightens her face. Even in the dark, the rosy hue tinting his daughter’s cheeks is glaring.
The pair of “friends” finally decide to expand their bubble, they start conversing with the soon to be wedded pair situated a few paces away next to them. Jihyun loudly calls Bomi over. The pup immediately perks up and begins running full speed towards her. Jihyun points at Minjeong to redirect the fluffy brown missile to where she’s supposed to head. With her quickened pace she gets to her target in no time, the pup jumps into the younger girl's lap with a wagging tail and excited barks.
“Bomi-yah! Be careful! She’s frail!” Jimin’s faux panicked voice rings out.
Miffed, the younger girl smacks Jimin’s shoulder. Then quickly goes back to petting the excited toy poodle as if nothing had happened. Wonsik glowers at Jimin, praying for some kind of retaliation; be it a smack in return or teasing, or anything that will reassure him that it's all platonic banter.
None of that happens. It’s as if God heard his pleas but decided to ignore them and instead is forcibly pried his eyes open to the truth. His eyes bore into Jimin almost pleadingly, hoping to somehow telepathically let her know how he expects her to behave.
It’s all for naught, because Jimin is staring at Minjeong with an intense expression; one he had never seen grace Jimin’s face. That same expression is mirrored on Minjeong’s own. There’s longing in her eyes, a quiet yearning to hold her friend closer. An enamoured gaze, one that’s fighting to burst through her carefully crafted restraints. He can almost feel the magnetic current pulsing as it draws the two young women together. Watching his skinship-loving daughter keep holding herself back — in what’s supposed to be her safe place — from openly showing the affection she so clearly craves, snaps something in him. As much as he could try, he wouldn't be able to stop their magnetic pull. Like the act of trying to stop a raging storm; it was beyond his control.
For the first time in years, Jimin had been exuberant. The whole day she had spent it joyfully uninhibited and he couldn't deny that a large part of the reason why was Minjeong. Their love isn’t hurting anyone, so how could he ever hate something that brings his daughter so much joy.
His vision begins to blur, he curses his tear ducts for their betrayal. It’s evidently clear that his Jiminie is happy, cared for, and most importantly so deeply loved. Shame completely consumes him, he can’t believe he had ever thought his beloved daughter didn’t deserve that level of fervent affection and devotion, all because it was coming from a woman. Disgust with himself digs deep into his soul, it hooks its claws into his heart tearing it open slowly. How could he have wished for a “traditional” life for her just for the sake of being normal. For the sake of making his life easy. His earlier wishes rub salt in his bleeding wound. How could he have so blatantly disregarded her feelings in favor of his own? With what audacity did he hope that Jimin would settle for a random guy when she had already found someone who suited her.
When he dreamed of walking Jimin down the aisle he had always pictured a faceless man waiting at the altar. Now there was a very real possibility that it wasn’t going to be a man at all or if there was going to even be an altar to legally walk her down to. But none of that mattered now, as long as his daughter’s radiant smile continued to shine so brightly with Minjeong in her life, he would be willing to change his whole world. A smile cracks through his stoic face as he stares at them. He swallows thickly. A familiar warmth closes around his hand as his wife squeezes it tenderly. It grabs his attention. As he stares at loving brown eyes, a look of understanding and acceptance is shared between them.
It has been an eventful day; he is drained beyond belief. Raising his left arm, he takes a look at his watch and decides to call it a night. There’s a feeling of contentment warming him now that his racing mind has finally calmed to a more manageable pace. Finally deciding it's time to call it a night, he stands up from his cushioned chair. As if everyone had just been waiting for his cue, they also start grabbing their blankets and mugs, double checking to make sure nothing had been left behind. There’s rustling as they begin to tread towards the patio door..
A warm blast of air blows at their faces when they step through the patio doors. Their frosty limbs slowly start to thaw out. Jihyun and Minjae are the first ones to bid them good night before heading to their respective room. Wonsik thinks for a minute before calling Jimin and Minjeong over.
“Jimin-ah, Minjeong-ah can you come here for a second.” He calls them over from the living room where the pair had opted to stay up a bit longer to watch a movie together.
With light footsteps both girls walk into the kitchen. His sharp eyes just barely catch their joined hands loosening grip before completely slipping from each other.
It’s Jimin who answers. “Did you call for us, appa?”
“Yes.” He swallows thickly. “I wanted to ask the both of you if it was okay if you shared your room, Jimin. Your cousins left the guest bedroom in a bit of a mess.”
“Yes! Of course!” Jimin’s excited yell bounces off the kitchen walls before schooling her face into something more aloof; collected. “Yeah, that’s fine.”
Turning his head towards Minjeong, he waits for her answer.
A timid “Yes, that’s fine with me.” Flows out of her mouth.
With this new development, the girls decide that maybe it is time for bed after all. They appear indifferent when they hurriedly wish them good night and sweet dreams. The mask of nonchalance disappears the second Jimin thinks they are out of sight. She’s positively vibrating with excitement as she goes to hold Minjeong's hand, pulling her along in a rush up the stairs. The sound of their giggles quietens as their brisk pace carries them further away.
There’s a familiar warmth that wraps around his waist as his wife embraces him. His own arms naturally rest on his wife’s shoulders as he pulls her closer. There’s peaceful smiles on both their faces.
“Cute.”
This time he wholeheartedly agrees.
“When do you think she’s going to tell us?”
It takes him a moment to answer. “Hopefully soon.”
Usually one to be level-headed, he can’t help but be optimistically hopeful this time. It must mean something that Jimin had decided to bring Minjeong to a family gathering, a religious one at that. Maybe Minjeong’s reintroduction is closer than they think. He can’t help but look forward to the day Jimin feels comfortable enough to share everything with them again. Given his knee-jerk reaction, he understands why she is keeping it hidden. He understands Jimin’s hesitation when their religion isn’t known for being the most tolerant. He knows it won’t be easy, but he prays that Jimin and Minjeong will always live their life happily protected and safe.
It’s going to be tough; there’s a lot he has to unlearn, a lot to relearn, and he can admit he is ignorant in anything to do with the lgbt but he wants to change that. There has to be other parents that have gone through this and can help him get a better understanding. There's a lot of research ahead of him but he is nothing if not determined.
In the meantime he will do everything in his power to make sure that Jimin feels unending love, care, and support from them. He wants to make sure that his daughter continues to feel welcome, cherished, and accepted in their household, and he won’t rest until there’s no doubt in her mind that it is offered unconditionally. He wants her to feel that their home is a safe place again and until then he will patiently wait for the day his beloved daughter will finally introduce Minjeong to them as her girlfriend.