In Your Dreams (A DahMo Fanfic)

31: Wake up

"Sorry, I'm late. My boss called a meeting at 5 p.m. would you believe?"

"Still a nightmare, huh?" Mrs. Kim jests as she flips the meat on the pan. Oh, that smoky scent is divine. I'm glad she's still cooking. She wipes the oil on her apron as she faces me. Looks like she's doing good—her eyes still have that youthful glimmer when we first met, despite some strands of graying hair that's more apparent under direct light.

"Huh...I see you made some renovations," I note, seeing that the living room is now more spacious as artifacts of Dahyun are now gone.

"Ah, yes. I changed Dahyun's room," Mrs. Kim states, wiping the beads of sweat with her sleeve. "I'll show you later—you must be hungry."

I'd want to say I can wait, but my stomach's grumbling can already be heard by anyone a few feet away from me. "Let me set the table."

***

"You look good," Mrs. Kim remarks, circling her finger around her head, pertaining to my new hairdo—from a shoulder length with fringes, I grew it a few inches more and parted my bangs to the side. "Come to think of it, maybe this is the first time I actually saw that," she says, tapping her own forehead.

"Why? Is it that bad?" Feeling a little on the spot, I attempt to cover it up.

"No, not at all—in fact, it makes you look mature."

By mature, does she mean I look old? That settles it—I'm reverting back to my old hairstyle now. In response, I just thank her.

Mrs. Kim cuts the meat and places it on top of my rice bowl. "So, how've you been? It's been, what? A year?"

I nod, a bit guilty that it took me this long to finally visit her. "I'm fine. I got promoted two months ago, I also traveled with my friends to Hawaii."

"Ah, that's good! But," she pauses and stirs her bowl of chapchae slowly, as if my response has left a lot to be desired.

"But what?" I immediately press; suspense has never been my thing.

Mrs. Kim sighs. "Alright, I'll cut to the chase—are you dating again?" Her question catches me off-guard that I literally choke on the spot. What is it with boomers and the need to know if you're dating someone?

I shake my head with such vigor. "No! I...haven't, even if my friends keep setting me up." She pulls back, leaning on her chair. Even if I am dating, would I have the audacity to tell Dahyun's...mom? That'd be crass at the very least.

Mrs. Kim releases the tension from her shoulders, sighing, and cracks her neck. So...is she relieved or disappointed? "Aigoo, you're in your prime, Momo-ssi," she exclaims. Okay, so it must be disappointment, then.

"But, umma—" I protest, the metallic chopsticks hit the ceramic bowl. "Sorry."

She stares at me, raising her eyebrow as small creases form above it. "Umma...?"

I take a deep breath before recounting the time where Dahyun visited me in my sleep, saying that she took the ring. Mrs. Kim puts a hand over her chest, chuckling as her tears trickle down the rice bowl.

"You, know," Mrs. Kim starts as she wipes her tears. "She visited me, too—along with her dad."

My hand instinctively grabs Mrs. Kim's. "Omo, umma! That's great! What did you guys talk about?"

She shakes her and stares to the left. "Nothing, really. Dahyun just smacked her father's head for me. That's enough...to know that they're good together." Mrs. Kim looks up, trying to hold herself from crying further. "Looks like my Dahyunie got her happy ending after all."