Chapter 48: Meet The Kims

Saturday | March 2nd, 2024 | 5:22 PM

"I'm a little nervous, you know?" I murmured as my fingers tapped against the armrest of the passenger seat. Chaewon was behind the wheel, her fingers tightly gripping the steering wheel. She looked focused and her eyebrows were furrowed.

"Yeah, me too," She said, the words coming out soft. "But we can't both be nervous," She chuckled, the sound airy.

Today was Chaewon's family gathering, apparently her aunt and uncle were visiting as well as some other relatives. I mean, I've already met Chaewon's parents and her sister before our breakup. But then again, it's been about three years since I've last seen them. Things have changed since then, plus Chaewon and I were back together again.

I wasn’t scared because they hate me. In fact, they actually really liked me. They thought we made a great couple. The thing that's different now is that time has passed, thoughts can change and I was meeting a new branch of her family who has no former opinion of me. I was just really desperate to make a new, good first impression.

"Don't think about it, Minjae, don't worry," She reassured, her voice comforting. "My family is really nice, just, just, you know, they can be a bit overbearing. Especially Uncle Sungho, maybe he can ask a lot of questions and be kind of annoying, but, uhh, you get used to it," She giggled.

I nodded and let the car fall silent. Her words didn't reassure me entirely, but they helped calm my nerves for what it’s worth. I could feel the sweat building up and see the condensation of my palms. I was wearing a blue and black plaid shirt with a pair of grey jeans and a pair of white sneakers. It was simple and basic, but it was also classy.

Chaewon's outfit was simple as well, and it showed off her style. She had on a skirt that cut off at the knees, a plain t-shirt, and a knit sweater that hung past her waist. Her makeup was natural and she wore a modest amount of jewelry. Her hair was tied into a ponytail and the locks were wavy.

I had to admit, she looked absolutely stunning. She always did.

"Ah," She exclaimed, turning her wheel into a neighborhood. The car drove along the curb and passed the row of houses.

"Here we are," Chaewon hummed, pulling into the driveway. Her house was very simple-looking for lack of better words. The paint job was a soft white, the roof was a dark brown, the lawn was a healthy and vibrant green and the grass was freshly mowed. There were a few flowers planted and a couple of bushes trimmed and neatly aligned.

It was a one story home and the exterior was quaint and cute. This was my first time seeing their new house since they moved, and off the record, I kind of missed the old one. The old house was a two story house, with a lot more space. Hmm, I wonder how her family would host a family gathering here.

I stepped out of the vehicle and slammed the door shut. It felt like my heart was in my stomach and it was weighing me down. Taking a deep breath, I exhaled and walked around the car to Chaewon's side. "It's okay," She reassured, placing her hand on mine. "Everything will be fine, you don't have anything to worry about, I'm sure."

"Right," I agreed, the words sounding more like a question than a response. She handed off her car keys to me to hold onto since I was the one with pockets.

"Come on," Chaewon chuckled. I followed the girl, and we made our way to the doorstep. "Ah," She sighed, taking another deep breath. Her hand reached out and opened the unlocked front door. I was introduced to a noisy household and the sound of many voices all at once.

"Hello, I'm home," The brunette announced, her voice carrying throughout the house. I shut the door behind me and took my shoes off.

"Hey," A familiar voice sounded. My head shot up and my eyes widened. Coming from the living room was her older sister, Chaeyoung. She pretty much looked the just about the same, she still had long dark brown hair, she had a slim and tall figure, and her skin was pale. Her face was the same as well, but her hair was styled differently and she looked a bit taller than the last time I saw her.

The two sisters embraced each other and held each other tightly.

"Chaewonnie, hey," Chaeyoung smiled, her eyes twinkling.

"Hey, Chae," The younger responded. Chaeyoung looked over her younger sister's shoulder and looked right at me. Before I could process what type of look she was giving me, she pushed her sister off of her and came towards me.

"Woah! Hwang Minjae!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms around me.

"Whoa, hey, Chaeyoung, hi," I laughed. Her hug was tight and strong, and her arms were wrapped around me.

"It's good to see you, Minjae, how've you been?" She asked, her eyes bright and her smile wide.

"Good, good, you?" I asked.

"Same, same, it's been a while," She hummed. "Ah, so, you two, hmm, how are you, hmm, hm?"

"I guess I never told you, we got back together," Chaewon giggled. Chaeyoung's eyes widened and she looked stunned.

"What? When did that happen? How come no one told me," Chaeyoung whined, her eyes narrowing.

"For a few months now," The brunette shrugged. "I was going to, it just never happened. We don't catch up much anymore," Chaewon explained.

"Ah, you have a point," Chaeyoung reluctantly agreed before looking back at me, "Wow, Minjae, you definitely got, I can't really find the right words for it, but you got good-looking. You've bulked up, huh, how'd that happen, you were super skinny back in the day," The older female praised.

Even after three years, the bluntness from Chaeyoung never went away. She was a no-holds-barred type of girl, and she wasn't afraid to say whatever was on her mind.

"Ah, haha, well, I guess I did get more active," I laughed, my cheeks warming.

"Yeah, well, it suits you," Chaeyoung stated. "Anyways, Mom and Dad are in the kitchen entertaining Auntie and Uncle, they're probably cooking as we speak," The eldest informed. "I don't really know when the cousins are going to arrive but be ready for a packed house."

"Ah, alright," Chaewon acknowledged, her footsteps taking her in the direction of the kitchen. I followed behind her and her sister tagged along.

"Uncle, Aunt, Chaewonnie's here," Chaeyoung announced, stepping into the kitchen. There were four adults inside the small room. I spotted Chaewon's mother and another woman next to her who was similar in looks. Both had similar features and similar eyes. It wasn't hard to assume that this was Chaewon's aunt. At the dining table were two men in conversation, the one on the left I knew as Chaewon's dad.

"Oh, honey, you're finally here," Chaewon's mother gasped, her eyes widening. She rushed towards her youngest daughter and pulled her in for a hug.

"Is that Hwang Minjae?" Chaewon's dad stood up from the dining table. He had a wide smile on his face and a welcoming look. "Wow, it's been a long time," Mr. Kim exclaimed, his arms opening for a hug and throwing them around my body. Well, I'm off to a good start so far.

"It has, Mr. Kim, it's nice to see you," I replied with a nervous chuckle, pulling away from the hug and giving him a firm handshake.

"How've you been?" He asked, clapping my shoulder.

"Good, sir," I nodded. Chaewon's mom noticed and let go of her daughter, jumping to me next.

"Hwang Minjae," The motherly woman cooed, pulling me into a warm embrace. "Welcome, you look well," Mrs. Kim complimented.

"Thank you, Mrs. Kim," I thanked, my hands behind my back.

"Wait, are you and Chaewon, you know," Chaewon's mom questioned with a mouth covering her shocked expression.

"Ah, yes, we're back together," I clarified, looking to Chaewon who gave me a nod and a smile.

"Ah, I knew it, you two were always meant for each other, how exciting, welcome back," Mrs. Kim exclaimed, pulling her daughter in for a group hug. "How have you never mentioned this before?" The mother asked.

"Well, you know," Chaewon chuckled, though it didn’t sound entirely amused. "We never get to it."

"Yes, that's true, you never have enough time. I'm just glad that you've found each other again," The mother cooed. Chaewon's aunt and uncle, who were outside the conversation, eventually joined in.

"Aunt Yubin, Uncle Sungho, this is Hwang Minjae. Minjae, these are my aunt and uncle," Chaewon introduced.

"Nice to meet you," I smiled, bowing to the two.

"You too, sweetheart," Mrs. Kim greeted. She was a bit older, her hair was starting to grey and she had a couple of wrinkles on her face. However, she was still pretty and her appearance was nice. Chaewon's uncle looked like a nice man, he was tall, thin and had a warm smile. He simply bounced his head at me and went back to sitting down at the table with Mr. Kim.

"Minjae," I turned to look at Chaeyoung, who had called my name.