The Light of Dead Stars | KSJ

61

The drive to Jin's parents' house is a long one, as they live a little farther out from downtown.

Jin wanted to drive you there, but you insisted that you could do it on your own. He might be tempted to walk in and you know he's not ready for that. If he'll speak to them, it would be at his time, and not because he feels he needs to protect or defend you.

You should've done this earlier, you think, as Jin's other half. His siblings have been trying but they could only do or say so much. You're the one who knows just how much their strained relationship is hurting him and you hope because of that, you can say the right words.

You pull in the driveway and see Jin's message of I love you, as if he hadn't been saying it all morning. You advised him to go golfing in the meantime to get his mind off things, but he said he'd be waiting for you back home with a nice lunch spread; that would be more helpful in keeping his mind preoccupied since he'll be making something for you.

The door opens after you ring the bell, and you're greeted by one of the caretakers who says she'll call Mr. and Mrs. Kim after you ask for them. She leads you to one of the living rooms, and your heart starts to beat rapidly as you wait for them.

You're not sure how they'll take you showing up here unannounced; you don't know how they'll take even seeing you.

You hear their footsteps and you stand up, turning to them who slow their walking at the sight of you.

"Mr. and Mrs. Kim," you greet them, bowing 90 degrees to show your respect and deep apology that you hope they see. "I was hoping to speak with both of you, if that's okay. Perhaps I should have done this earlier but it's been quite a difficult time."

"Are you with our son?" Mr. Kim eyes you curiously, looking around. But they walk towards the couch and take a seat, and that's a good sign.

"No, Sir," you say, the honorifics back to being a reflex for you. "He's at home, but he knows I'm here."

"And why are you here?" His mother asks, her tone too formal.

"I would like to sincerely apologize - for me, for us, on Jin's behalf," you start, the speech you'd practiced in your mind suddenly drifting away from you. "For letting him continue his relationship with Seri and keeping that from you, for how that tainted his reputation and your name, and for how it affected the company. We know how much it impacted a lot of people, and he'll never be able to take any of that back, but he is very sorry."

Their faces remain indifferent, but his mother keeps her eyes on you while his father looks elsewhere.

"He's been working so hard all his life because he wants to do well," you continue. "He loves food. He talks so fondly of it and how he grew up in your home and in his grandparents' home, as well as traveling, and eating the most amazing dishes made by you, by people he cares about. It's always brought him so much joy, so does working in the company. He welcomes the stress, the pressure, the challenges... because at the end of the day, he wants to make you proud. He wants to make you happy. He wants you to know that you did well in raising him to be an excellent individual who's competent and passionate and kind."

"Is that why he lied about the two of you, then? Because he wants to make us proud and happy?" His mother quips. "We know we arranged this but... to lie to our faces about your relationship? To spend all those weeks pretending? Making us fools who were so genuinely happy over a love that was fake? We've been hoping that he'd open his heart to another relationship after that woman left him hurt and we didn't think it would come so soon with you, only to find out it was insincere," she adds. "We wouldn't have punished either of you if it wasn't real. What was so hard about being honest from the beginning?"