Shin Hye was too anxious to do nothing so she decided to help out at the cashier’s table. There were some people who recognized her and asked to take her picture. She gladly obliged, but it only meant they had to be extra cautious about people seeing him there. It was a good thing they had a backdoor that goes straight to the private room – designed especially for this type of thing.
She looked at her watch. It’s almost time. Her heart started beating fast, and as if on cue, her phone rang. She looked at the caller ID and walked to the corner.
‘Oppa! Odiya?’ She whispered.
‘I’m in the car in front of the restaurant. Where do I go?’
‘Anya, don’t come in from the front. Circle the block and park at the back. I’ll wait for you outside,’ she replied.
When she hung up, she removed her apron and made a quick trip to the comfort room to examine herself. She looked into the mirror and breathed in slowly. Relax. She fixed her hair slightly and headed out. As soon as she saw Min Ho’s car, a feeling of relief washed over her. She was nervous to face her parents alone, but it was different with him there. She has introduced a lot of guys to her parents, but this was the first time she’s introducing someone as her boyfriend. Her heart fluttered at the thought. Omma’s going to be ecstatic.
She saw Min Ho come out in a cap and scarf, but he was wearing one of Kim Tan’s coats from the show. She laughed. Anybody who sees him will know it’s Lee Min Ho. When he saw her, she looked around for people before waving. Min Ho walked to her hurriedly, bringing several bags.
‘Oppa, what’s with the outfit?’ She asked him, putting her hands on his arms.
‘You told me your Mother loves Kim Tan,’ he replied. ‘I will have to make a good impression first before she starts loving Lee Min Ho.’
‘But my appa hates Kim Tan,’ she looked up at him. ‘Ottokaji?’
He frowned. ‘Aish! I didn’t think about that.’
Shin Hye giggled. ‘Come on, let’s go inside.’ She led him to the private room. It was big enough for a group, but tonight, only four people were dining. There were family photos on the wall, including some memorabilia of Shin Hye’s career. Min Ho put the bags down and looked around before sitting down.
‘Wow, this place is great,’ he said. ‘I probably have to look closely later. I can't wait to see your childhood photos.’
Shin Hye sat in front of him and put her hands on the table. ‘Oppa, I need your attention first.’
Min Ho stopped studying the walls and turned to her, curious.
‘My Mom is very cheerful and sweet. But she’ll be asking you a lot of questions, and some of them will be uncomfortable. So I apologize for that in advance. But she means well. She is fascinated by celebrities, movies, dramas, everything in the entertainment world. She already loves you so no need to worry about her,’ Shin Hye told him mechanically. She wasn’t able to give him a briefing prior to that night.
‘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.