‘Got it,’ Min Ho replied, his expre

‘Got it,’ Min Ho replied, his expression determined.

‘In any case, she’s not the problem. Our problem is appa,’ she put one hand on her forehead before continuing. ‘He’s very manly and reserved, so you will have to adjust to that. He loves me very much and he actually likes the fact that I haven’t had a boyfriend since birth. He also has a tendency to think all handsome men are dangerous. This means he probably won’t like you from the very start. Not to mention, he already dislikes Kim Tan,’ she told him dourly.

Min Ho nodded his head slowly, fear written all over his face. ‘Keunde… this isn’t really helping...’

She bit her lip. ‘Sorry, but you need to know. He likes sports – so you two will click in that department. Tell him that you used to be a soccer player.’

‘Okay, I think I can work with that.’

‘OH! And tell him about the movie you’re working on! He loves action films, and he especially likes the films Director Yoo Ha has made. YES, YES. Go with that!’

Min Ho’s eyes brightened. ‘Arasso!’

‘Oppa, we’ll be fine. I just hope appa doesn’t let you drink too much.’

‘Eh?’ His expression turned sour again. ‘But… I’m not a good drinker.’

‘It’s okay, I’ll save you,’ she leaned over the table and gave him a kiss on the cheek. ‘I’ll call them over.’

 

When Shin Hye left the room, Min Ho took a deep breath and closed his eyes. It was his idea to confess to Shin Hye’s parents first. It was only proper to ask for their blessing and guidance, and to tell them how serious he was about her. He knows that he’s the first boyfriend she’ll introduce to them, and the burden seemed huge. But there’s nothing he couldn’t handle, especially if it’s for Shin Hye.

When he heard the door open, he immediately stood up. He saw Shin Hye smile and give him a thumbs up before being followed by her parents. He bowed to them respectfully.

‘Omo! It’s Lee Min Ho,’ her Mother exclaimed. She put her hand on her mouth before smiling. ‘Shin Hye, why didn’t you tell us Lee Min Ho-ssi was coming?

‘Ahh… surprise?’ Shin Hye laughed weakly.

‘Annyeonghaseyo, Lee Min Ho imnida,’ he bowed again. He looked at Shin Hye’s Father who smiled and stretched out a hand. Min Ho took it right away.

‘Nice to meet you, young man’ her Father said firmly. ‘Sit, sit.’

‘Thank you,’ Min Ho pulled the chair beside him and looked at Shin Hye. She smiled at him before taking her seat. As soon as all three were sitting down, he sat down.

‘I’m so sorry, I didn’t know Shin Hye was going to bring you, Min Ho-ssi,’ her Mother told him warmly.

‘Anyo, not at all. I hope you don’t mind that I’m having dinner with you,’ he smiled awkwardly.

‘Of course not! It isn’t everyday top stars come to our humble restaurant,’ she said.

Her Mother was indeed very cheerful. She was very beautiful, too. She looked a lot like Shin Hye. Min Ho felt at ease with her right away.

Min Ho gave a slight bow again. ‘Please, speak comfortably.’ He glanced at Shin Hye’s Father who was looking straight at him and he tensed up. Shin Hye wasn't joking about him looking imposing. He tried to think of what to do next, then he suddenly remembered what he brought. He immediately took one bag from under the table. ‘I brought a little something, please accept my gratitude for your warm welcome.’ He handed the bag to Shin Hye's Mother.

‘You didn’t have to!’ Shin Hye’s Mother opened her bag and inside was colorful scarf. ‘Omo! This is beautiful,’ she said as she took it out and felt the fabric.

‘I was in China recently and I visited an old Chinese tailor shop. I was told they make the most beautiful silk scarves,’ he told her.

‘Aigoo. Such a precious gift. Thank you, Min Ho-yah,’ she reached out to touch his hand. His heart fluttered at the gesture. He looked at Shin Hye who was smiling approvingly.

He took out another bag and turned to her Father. ‘This is a bottle of Dongdongju from Gyeonggi-do,’ Min Ho told her Father. ‘Shin Hye told me you liked traditional Korean wines,’ he smiled. ‘My Abeoji does, too.’

‘Aigoo. Gumawo, young man,’ he took out the bottle and examined it. ‘Ya, this looks appetizing already! We’re drinking alcohol after dinner, then?’ Her Father laughed.

Feeling satisfied with himself, Min Ho laughed, too. He felt Shin Hye nudge him from the side. He turned to look at her and she gave him a meaningful stare.

‘Appa,’ she turned to her Father. ‘Min Ho oppa can’t drink too much so don’t force him. Arasso?’

‘When men get together, there must always be alcohol.'

‘Appa!’

‘Okay, okay. Just a little bit, then?’ He winked at Min Ho. He smiled widely and nodded his head. Why did Shin Hye say her appa was going to be a problem?

Just then, the servers put food on their table. Min Ho’s eyes widened at the feast that was being prepared in front of them.

‘You must eat a lot, Min Ho-yah,’ her Mother said. ‘Shin Hye asked us to prepare our restaurant’s best dishes. Of course had I known our guest was going to be you, I would have prepared some more.’

‘Anyo, this is more than enough. Wuh,’ he said, still wide-eyed at the food. He was glad he didn’t have a big meal for lunch.

‘Eat a lot, oppa. This is my parents’ treat,’ Shin Hye grinned.

‘Kamsamhamnida,’ he bowed. He picked up his chopsticks and dug in.

The dinner went by smoothly. They talked a lot about Heirs filming and what they had to go through. Shin Hye’s parents looked glum when Min Ho talked about not having enough rest and sleep. But he assured them that they were well taken care of and that the response to the drama was so great that it made up for the long days. Shin Hye mostly made Min Ho do the talking, and Min Ho occasionally looked at her for support. At one point, Shin Hye squeezed his hand from under the table. There were a few embarrassing moments when Shin Hye's Mother asked Min Ho about his beauty regimen and his abs, but Shin Hye tempered it down by making some jokes. Not long after, Min Ho talked about soccer with her Father, and it turns out, they were both fans of Manchester United. He excitedly shared stories of memorable games with him.

‘So Min Ho-yah, Shin Hye just told me you’re filming a new movie?’ Her Mother asked.

‘Ah, yes. It’s by Director Yoo Ha. It’s an action film set in the 1970’s and I’m going to play a gangster,’ he chuckled. ‘It’s very exciting.’

‘Yoo Ha directed A Dirty Carnival,’ Shin Hye’s Father told him. ‘I really like that film. Also the one with Kwon Sang Woo,’ he continued.

‘Yes, they're Director Yoo Ha’s most famous works. That's why I'm really motivated to do a good job. I’m excited to be working with him. As a matter of fact, I’m going to start martial arts training next week,’ Min Ho replied.

‘Martial arts? That’s good. I get to watch you beat up some guys again,’ his Father laughed.

‘City Hunter was one of the only dramas he would watch with me,’ Shin Hye’s Mother confessed. ‘He thought it was thrilling.’

Min Ho was surprised and touched. ‘Wow, that means a lot,’ he bowed again. He was more at ease now than when he first arrived. ‘I hope you also enjoy the upcoming film.’

When they finished eating, Min Ho prepared himself for the inevitable. He glanced at Shin Hye beside him who was also looking nervous. When their eyes met, they silently communicated again.

Min Ho: This is it. Are you ready?

Shin Hye: It’s now or never, oppa. Let's do this.

Min Ho cleared his throat and sat up straight. He looked at Shin Hye’s parents who were both looking at him warmly. He took a deep breath before he started.

‘I actually came here for a specific reason,’ he started to say. His heart was beating very fast. Speak from the heart, he told himself. 

‘I met Shin Hye four years ago, and we became friends after that. We lost touch, but through this production, we met each other again. We worked very well together, and we’ve learned so much from each other in the months that we spent filming,’ he continued. He studied her parents’ faces and they looked at him expectantly. Her Mother was already slightly smiling, and he wondered if she knew where he was going with this.

‘But beyond work, we also got to know each other personally. As I spent every day with her, I found out that Shin Hye is not only beautiful on the outside, but even more beautiful inside. She took care of the cast and crew so well that even on cold days, she made us feel warm. She lights up every room she enters… so whenever she’s around, we forget how tired we were from working long hours. Her spirit is so infectious that she makes me smile and laugh even when I’m in the worst shape,’ he looked at Shin Hye, whose eyes were watery at this point. ‘Shin Hye is passionate, and generous, and kind,’ he smiled. ‘She’s very kind. I’ve never met anyone more genuine than her; I’ve never met any one more lovely either.’

He looked at her parents again. ‘I guess what I’m trying to say is, Shin Hye is precious in every conceivable way. And I know that you already know this because you raised her. The reason why her heart is so beautiful is because of you.’

Shin Hye’s Mom started crying, and grabbed some napkins from the table to wipe her tears.

‘Which is why we came to you first. I know how much you love your daughter for all the reasons that I have come to love her, too.’

Shin Hye who was looking down, now looked at him.

‘When I asked her to date me, I know I was being selfish. I was thinking that I couldn’t possibly let someone like her slip away. I know that I’m not worthy of her, but I’m going to spend every single day proving that I can be worthy of her,’ his expression became more determined. ‘Considering who we both are, it’s difficult to be in a relationship, but I’m going to protect her in every way I can. I will not make her regret that she chose me. So I want to humbly ask for your blessing to be with her, to protect her, t