Lalisa has never seen Jeongguk look this nervous before. Her boyfriend (yes, they're using the B word already), as confident and cocky as he may seem, looks like he's about to pass out at any moment now. His lips were white as fuck, and Lalisa can see his hands visibly shaking. One punch and he'd probably faint.
"Why are you nervous?" She asks, frowning. They're currently in an authentic Thai restaurant just nearby SNU, and while the airconditioning was busting out cold air, Jeongguk was having a cold sweat that's literally dripping on his temples. "It's not like you haven't met my parents before."
"But that's different!" Jeongguk shrieks--shrieks, oh my god--in a very un-Jeongguk manner. This causes some of the staff to look at them with worry, to which Lisa dismisses with a tight smile. "They know me as Jeongguk, your friend--"
"Correction: they know you as Jeongguk, the guy who peed in the school bus back in freshmen year because--"
"No, see, you're making me even more nervous!" He whines as his head falls between his hands. Lisa tries not to giggle at the sight. "The point is, they're now meeting me as your boyfriend, which is a hundred times scarier."
"Why so? I mean, nothing's changed except the fact that we're together-together."
"And married," he reminds with a pointed glare.
"Shit, don't mention that one bit. They'll kill me." Lisa bites her lower lip in worry. The marriage was an impulsive decision, therefore their parents had no idea about it. But whatever, Jeongguk's good at keeping secrets. She has nothing to be nervous about. "Anyway, they said they'll be here in like, ten minutes, so you have more time to make yourself look good."
"What?" Her boyfriend suddenly jerks away from the table. "Look good... don't I look good already? What do I need to do? Is my hair okay?" He moves to style his hair for the millionth time today, putting it on the side and then flattening it after.
Lisa sighs, exhaustion creeping up to her as his hair becomes a big, nesty mess. "I'll fix it, c'mere. You look like that bird from Sesame Street."
"Bold of you to say that when you look like Elmo," Jeongguk snorts, and Lisa makes sure to tug a section of his hair so hard that he grunts in pain. "Okay, fine, you look like Prairie Dawn."
"Thank you!" She points out. He only groans while she fixes his mess of a hair, her hands gradually becoming sticky because of the hair gel. "What else do you need me to check? Your boxers? Your teeth? Your shirt?"
"Nothing, I think I'm good. Mint?" He offers his almost empty double mint pack but Lisa declines. "Suit yourself."
"Gguk, that's the thirteenth time you've eaten mint since we got here. Are you okay?"
"I can't feel the inside of my mouth," he admits regretfully.
"You are so..." Lisa slumps back in her seat. He is hopeless. Suddenly, her phone vibrates on her lap. She raises the device up to her face to see a message from her parents. "Wait, they're entering the restaurant now."
"What?! You said they'd be here in ten minutes!"
As if on cue, she stands up to find them amongst the small crowd while she hears Jeongguk mutter a low shit from beside her. It isn't that hard to find her parents--her step-dad was a sore eye when it comes to crowded places, especially because of his ridiculously tall height. "Daddy!" She squeals when she spots them both.
Her mom's eyes light up as soon as her gaze lands on Lisa, and soon enough they're rushing towards their table, hand in hand.
Jeongguk breathes heavily as if he just finished a triathlon. "Shit, Lis, I need a Mary Jane."
"Jeongguk, now is not the time to have marijuana. My parents are here," she says through a fake smile, nudging at her boyfriend who's now standing next to her. "Remember, don't tell them we're married. Tell them you're my boyf--"
"Lali!" Her mom greets, opening her arms for a hug. Lisa immediately complies, wrapping her long limbs around her mother. "How are you? How's university?"
"I'm doing really well, mom. Tiring, but meh," she responds, unable to stop the ear-splitting grin that's spreading in her face. She turns to her dad after, "Daddy! I missed you!"
As they both fall into a short conversation, Lisa hears her mom talking to Jeongguk. From the corner of her eye, she sees him standing stiffly, both of his hands behind his back like he was in an army training or something. God, he looks so stupid, she wants to laugh.
"Okay, mom, dad," she says as she goes back to his side, holding his other hand discreetly. "You already know Jeongguk, he's a friend from high school and college."
At the mention of his name, her boyfriend lets out a shy smile that Lisa has the urge to squish his cheeks. Her parents seems to feel the same way as her, because then they start to coo and compliment him on how he's grown up so well, how he looks so healthy that he fucking blushes. Gosh.
"Thank you so much," Jeongguk mutters with a bow that had her mom aww-ing yet again. "It's nice to see you both again."
"And you too," her dad says with a nod. "So, why did you bring him here, sweetheart?"
She gulps audibly, but manages to keep her cool. "We're actually here because we have an important announcement."
Her mom raises a curious brow, gaze going back and forth between them. "And that is?"
Okay. It's now or never, she thinks. Do it, Lisa.
"Mom, dad, Jeongguk is my boyfriend," Lalisa says the same time Jeongguk utters, "Lisa and I are married."
A beat of silence passes, and only then did Lisa realize what Jeongguk had said.
What. The. Fuck.
Slowly, she turns to meet his eyes, finding that he's already staring at her with the same horrified expression. They are fucked, for real.
"Shit," they both mutter, and all hell breaks loose.
Maybe they both needed a Mary Jane after all.
THE END.
