Author's Note:
Dear readers, I can't thank you enough for the encouraging comments and the votes.
Much apologies as this chapter is a bit long, but I hope you like it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
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They arrived at their hotel suite by mid-morning of Saturday, having started the 3-hour drive from his Gangnam apartment after an early breakfast. The Daegu Colorful Dalgubul Lantern Festival already started and the city was adorned with decorations everywhere. Lanterns in a variety of colours and sizes were proudly displayed in shop windows as shoppers scurried about to get their own lanterns that would carry their hopes and wishes for peace and happiness up to the skies.
Son Ye Jin had been mostly quiet during the trip as a million thoughts crossed her mind, coupled with a ton of worry. Hyun Bin sensed the tense atmosphere in the SUV and tried his best to appease her, but nothing seemed to have worked. The downcast weather didn't help either. All he could do was to hold her hand, well aware of her idiosyncrasies, that in such situations it was best to give her some quiet time to space out to relax or to mull things over by herself.
Both stars had just completed a hectic two weeks of filming some of the South Korea scenes, part of the revised filming schedule's 4-week timeframe to prioritize Son Ye Jin's scenes where she was to dress in tighter clothing, including designer business wear, while the baby bulge was not yet too noticeable.
Most of the scenes were relatively short ones, including filming locations at the Subway branch in Gangdong-du, where Yoon Se-ri had lunch with her team in Episode 12, some of the Seri's Choice office and showroom scenes in the DDMC building near Dongnimmum station, and the Binhaewon Chinese Restaurant in Jangmi-dong where Yoon Se-ri met up with the gangsters in Episode 12.
The remaining two weeks were devoted to filming Episode 11's first time meet-up between Captain Ri and Yoon Se-ri in Seoul, their subsequent scene in an Angels R Us Coffee shop, at the Suwon branch along Gwongwang-ru, and the remaining scenes in Yoon Se-ri's Seoul apartment.
Beyond this 4-week period, the next two months were earmarked for out-of-city location filming, including those in Jungangtap Park in Chungju (about a 1.5 hour drive from Seoul) where Captain Ri and Yoon Se-ri were to meet up with Company 5 for the first time in the south, at the Commodore Hotel in Busan (a 4-hour drive) for the passport photo scenes and the chicken and beer scene, on the Pocheon Hantan Riven Sky Bridge in Busan (a 40-minute drive) for Episode 13, and at the Byeolmaro Observatory in Yeongwol, Gangwon-do (a 2-hour drive) where Yoon Se-ri was to take off on her paraglider in Episode 1.
Typically, before an engagement is announced the two families are expected to meet each other, and prior to that the couple usually met each set of parents separately. As this wasn't the case in their situation, she thought that the approach should be planned and implemented with care. She concluded that the best time to meet with his and her parents was as early as possible within the 4-week period when they were filming in Seoul, because the out-of-city filming schedule would be brutally hectic and she also didn't want to meet up with both sets of parents when her baby bump was already noticeable. They had to adeptly "divide and conquer", she thought.
It was the easiest option from a logistics perspective as well, especially since Hyun Bin's parents live in Seoul and they could squeeze in a visit easily. However, her parents lived in Daegu and making the long drive might be a huge challenge once the out-of-town location filming schedule kicked in and both would be very busy.
As soon as they arrived at the hotel, Hyun Bin called the reception desk to get confirmation for the restaurant private dining room reservation his manager had arranged for dinner that evening.
"Everything is in order, babe" he said to her as she stood in front of the mirror in the suite. "Thanks Binnie" She then lifted her blouse to inspect her tummy. "Binnie, I'm on my sixth week, and the baby bump shouldn't appear until a few more weeks, but can you tell me honestly if the baby bump is showing?" He could sense a hint of distress in her words. She was concerned that her parents might notice a hint of a bump before they tell them.
In seconds she felt a couple of powerful arms reaching out from behind her to gently cup her tummy. "No, they are not noticeable at all, babe." He said as he kissed her nape and neck. "Don't worry. Everything will be all right." That was the nth time he told her that. The beautiful eye smiles appeared for the first time that morning, although he could sense her deep anxiety.
"I brought some gifts for them" he said as he walked over to his bag to retrieve a couple of small boxes.
"For your appa, I got him a watch." He opened the small red box to reveal a stylish men's designer watch. "I had thought of getting your appa some golf gear, but it might be too bulking for the occasion."
"I agree. The watch is perfect Binnie."
"And for your eomma, I got her a cellphone", opening the other box to show her the item. "I remember you telling me once that her phone is almost five years old."
"That's very nice of you Binnie. They'll love these."
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She continued to pace the private dining room, seemingly checking that the table napkins were in the right places, that the cutlery and utensils were properly lined up, and a bunch of other details that didn't really matter, trying desperately to veer her mind away from worrying about the event that was to transpire in the next few hours. It didn't work.
Hyun Bin sat quietly. He had already hugged her twice as soon as they got to the room, trying desperately to reassure her that everything would be fine, but not really convinced himself. He was a bit jittery himself, but he had to look calm in front of her as best he could.
Her eomma had confirmed moments before that she and her appa had just left home and were to arrive in a few minutes.
She then sat beside him and he reached out to hold her hand. They were ice cold. "I love you babe. Everything will be okay" he whispered again. All she could do was to give him a faint smile. Her heart felt like it had been beating faster as each minute passed.
Her parents knew who Hyun Bin was but she had never mentioned or introduced him to them, even as a close friend or colleague. In fact, she had never formally introduced anyone to her parents, although her mom had known of her dating someone when she was new in the industry. She thought that it was easy enough to introduce him as her fiancé, but how should she tell them about the baby? How would they take the news? Will they be angry? Disappointed? What would she do if that happened?
They heard a soft knock. She froze. Hyun Bin walked over to open the door and a couple of waitresses came in carrying platters of food. Both breathed a sigh of relief and ended up laughing at themselves.
He was about to head back to his seat when eomma and appa suddenly walked in. The laughter stopped abruptly. He froze where he stood behind the door, and all he could do was to bow reverently to them. Son Ye Jin immediately ran to greet her parents.
"Appa! Eomma!" She hugged and kissed both of them. "How have you been Eon Jin-ah?" "I'm fine. And you?" Eomma Son was about to respond when she noticed Hyun Bin standing beside her, holding the door, partially blocked by it. She looked back at her daughter with a questioning look on her face. "Appa, eomma, this is Kim Tae-pyung-ssi."
Hyun Bin bowed again. "How are you Mr. and Mrs. Son?" "We are well. Thank you." They bowed back. Son Ye Jin then quickly guided them to their seats, with Hyun Bin facing appa Son and she faced her eomma. Once seated, Hyun Bin reached out to hold Son Ye Jin's hand under the table. Her hand was ice cold. A brief silence hovered over the room as both parents got comfortable while the second batch of platters of food were delivered. Son Ye Jin's mind quickly raced to think of the best icebreaker to start the conversation.
Eomma beat her to it. "Eon Jin, it's good that you found some time to visit us" she said as the dinner commenced.
"I'm sorry that I hadn't had much time to visit lately" she said. "We are filming a new k-drama entitled Crash Landing on You."
As the last waitress closed the door, she started to clumsily re-introduce Hyun Bin, her heart pounding, totally forgetting that her parents already knew who he was just as everyone else in the nation did.
"Appa, eomma, Kim Tae-pyung-ssi also works in the industry as an actor....err.... he is known as Hyun Bin." Both parents looked at him and nodded. Hyun Bin bowed reverently.
"Eon Jin-ah, we know who he is.", eomma said, smiling. Eomma Son was the more vivacious and inquisitive of the couple; a warm, graceful and endearing lady in her early sixties who owned a sweet smile from which her Ye Jin got her eye smile, Hyun Bin noted.
Appa Son remained quiet, observing the couple in front of him. A tall, handsome gentleman also in his early sixties, he was a man of a few words and often came across as having a bit of a shy personality, a quality that Son Ye Jin also saw in her Binnie. However, that seemingly quiet countenance hid a fierce protective streak for her two daughters, especially for his youngest daughter, Eon Jin.
"We have seen some of your movies, Kim Tae-pyung-ssi", eomma said. "It is a pleasure to meet you in person."
"Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Son. The pleasure is mine" he said, smiling as he spoke, displaying his deep dimples. He bowed again respectfully. Oddly he felt at ease in front of her parents, given the circumstances.
"So, Eon Jin-ah, how long have been seeing each other?" her smiling eomma asked. The directness of the question stunned her and she felt his hand squeeze hers to say "It's okay babe."
"Ahhh.... about two years now, eomma" was her reply, trying to sound confident in her response but what came out was a feeble, tense voice.
"And how old are you Kim Tae-pyung-ssi?"
"Mrs. Son, Eon Jin-ah and I were born in the same year. She is just a few months older than I."
Eomma nodded, then noticing the engagement ring on Son Ye Jin's finger as Eon Jin grabbed her glass of water, added "That's good. So when are you planning to get married?"
Eomma Son was on a roll!
Son Ye Jin put the glass down on the table. She wasn't really thirsty. "We haven't planned an exact date yet, eomma, but sometime this year" she replied. Hyun Bin nodded.
Taking the question as his cue to jump a bit more proactively into the conversation, Hyun Bin calmly spoke, "Mr. and Mrs. Son, I love your daughter very much and the last two years have been the happiest for both of us. I can't imagine spending my life with anyone else, and she feels the same." Pausing momentarily to look at Son Ye Jin, he continued, "I have asked her to marry me and she has accepted. I am here today to respectfully ask for your permission and blessing."
Appa's and eomma's eyes darted from Hyun Bin to Son Ye Jin and back, and the few seconds of silence that it took felt like an eternity to the younger couple. Son Ye Jin's heart was about to explode as her hand escaped his and gripped his hand. Hyun Bin sat motionless, stuck in his seat, his eyes glued onto the senior couple, desperately looking for any indication of even an iota of acceptance.
Finally the parents looked at each other, then both smiled.
Looking back to the hopeful couple in front of him, appa Son started, "Both of you are of the right age to marry. We are very happy that our Eon Jin found someone to love and to walk through life with."
Pausing momentarily, his gaze moved to Hyun Bin. "Kim Tae-pyung-ssi, we follow Eon Jin-ah's career closely, and I think we have a good grasp of goings-on in the industry. We are aware of your prior relationships, as they were quite public." He saw Hyun Bin gulp. "It's crunch time" he thought. Son Ye Jin's hand gripped Hyun Bin's hand tighter.
"We love our Eon Jin very much and would like the best for her. She deserves all the love from her partner in life, and we cannot expect anything less. Let me ask you.....what do you find special in our Eon Jin that made you conclude that she is the one for you and that your relationship would not end up like your other relationships?" It was as direct a question as could possibly come out and a very valid one, and Hyun Bin immediately appreciated the honesty.
Son Ye Jin's eyes started to cloud up.
Hyun Bin took a deep breath and then gave his most honest reply, drawing from within the deepest recesses of his heart. "Mr. Son, it's the little things really.... the way I love her and the way she loves me back; the way I act when I'm with her; the way she makes me laugh and feel; the way I'm relaxed and become my true self when I'm with her; the way she views the world and the fact that we have similar views in life and the same core values. She is different. She is special. She is home to me. I love her dearly for who she is, not for how the world sees her. I don't think I will ever find these gems in any other person."
His response made both parents smile. Tears started dripping from Son Ye Jin's eyes as her heart fluttered.
Appa appeared satisfied with the response, and looking quickly to eomma beside him, he finally said solemnly "Well, we see that both of you seem to be truly in love......."
Son Ye Jin and Hyun Bin held their breath.
"We give you our blessing and permission."
Appa Son then extended a hand towards Hyun Bin, who stood up, accepted it with both his hands and bowed respectfully. "Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Son". He wrestled to control the exploding happiness in his heart.
"Please do call us appa and eomma. Welcome to the family."
With that the thick tension in the room dissipated instantly as smiles appeared everywhere. Eomma Son stood to hug Son Ye Jin, mother and daughter both crying with joy. Son Ye Jin then walked over to hug her appa, then whispered "thank you appa" to which he replied, "I'm happy for the both of you, dear Eon Jin-ah." Hyun Bin then presented the gifts to appa and eomma who gratefully accepted them.
A tidal wave of relief hit the younger couple, though both knew that it wasn't over yet.
As everyone settled back to their seats, they finally got to enjoy the feast spread out in front of them. Son Ye Jin made sure that she ordered some of his appa's favourites.
As everyone dug into the food, eomma Son said fondly, grinning as she spoke "We're sorry that we missed attending the premiere of your last movie The Negotiation as your appa wasn't feeling well, but your appa and I caught the press conference online." She had sent them VIP tickets for the event.
"When we saw how the both of you acted and reacted to each other, frankly we thought that there might be something going on between the two of you."
Son Ye Jin sighed. "Omo, eomma, actually you're not the first one to tell us that", remembering that all the Cinderella sisters also had the same observation. "Aigoo... not again" she told herself.
Eomma Son then confessed "I actually hoped that you two were in love.... that it was with Kim Tae-pyung-ssi.... judging by how happy you looked", adding proudly "and I know my own daughter." The comment elicited a dimpled smile from Hyun Bin. Son Ye Jin looked at her eomma lovingly.
"Ahh... we were already together by then, eomma", she shared cheerfully, feeling self-conscious but more relaxed as the first bomb had been detonated and both she and Hyun Bin seemed to have survived it unscathed.
The next question came out of the blue. "So when are you planning to have children? Your appa and I are not getting any younger, you know."
Hyun Bin cleared his throat. "Here we go..." Son Ye Jin thought.
Starting to speak in a whisper, she said "ahhh....appa, eomma, we are actually expecting...."
The silence in the room came back as quickly as it left as both parents were stunned, eyes fixed on her. Appa Son stopped eating. Eomma Son, who was about to take a sip of her drink, froze as she held her glass mid-way to her lips.
Finally, eomma Son spoke, "How... how far along are you Eon Jin-ah?"
"A little over six weeks now eomma." Son Ye Jin's anxiety came back with a vengeance. The silence was uncomfortable and unbearable. Both waited patiently for the reaction, fearing the worst but desperately praying for the best outcome.
Appa Son shifted in his seat. The world stood still around them.
He bowed his head, then said solemnly, as if talking to himself "I'm going to be a hal-abeoji again." Suddenly a smile developed on his face as he looked back to them.
"This is the best news!"
Son Ye Jin couldn't believe what she just saw and heard. She knew that her father loved doting on her niece Sophia in Los Angeles, but wasn't expecting his reaction. Eomma Son was elated as well, standing quickly to give her a hug and gently touched her tummy. Hyun Bin let out a huge sigh of relief.
Both parents understood that their Eon Jin was getting along in years, and if she planned to have children, it was the time to do so. They realized how strongly career oriented she was, and so the development, while not the norm, was nevertheless a blessing at the right time. Besides, appa Son had been longing for another grandchild to dote on, and Son Ye Jin was well aware of this. For the last two year, her parents had been tactfully but persistently insinuating their hopes for her to one day give them their next grandchild.
More hugs and handshakes resulted and it quickly became the happiest room in the entire hotel. The conversation quickly moved to details of the pregnancy as kisses, well wishes and warm congratulations were exchanged, both to the would-be parents and to the would-be grandparents. And most excited in the lot was a beaming appa Son.
As the dinner progressed, she leaned to him to whisper "I love you Binnie." He whispered back "I love you babe." Both hearts fluttered as the Lantern Festival outside picked up steam.