Business owner Kim Ji-won and lawyer Kim Soo-hyun are under intense family pressure to marry. Ji-won's parents want her to wed her ex, photographer Ji Chang-wook, while Soo-hyun is bombarded with blind dates, including persistent heiress Seo Ye-ji...
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I sat at my desk the next morning, staring at the open calendar on my computer screen.
My conversation with Ji-won last night had given me clarity and a renewed sense of purpose.
We had made our decision about our future—no rushing, no pressure.
Now, it was time to move forward, both in our personal lives and careers.
He glanced at the upcoming deadlines for a new project his team was working on. This particular project had been occupying his thoughts for weeks. It was a major collaboration with an international client, and Soo-hyun had been tasked with overseeing the operations.
The only problem?
It would require a lot more time and attention than I had initially anticipated.
I had been balancing my relationship with Ji-won, my family’s expectations, and my career, and things were getting increasingly hectic.
As if on cue, my phone buzzed with a message from Ji-won.
Ji-won: Morning! Don’t forget we’re meeting your parents tonight for dinner. I hope you're ready!
I smiled, typing back quickly.
Soo-hyun: Wouldn’t miss it for the world. But… speaking of that, I think we should talk about how to handle the conversation with them.
Ji-won: Agreed. We should be on the same page. Want to meet before dinner?
Soo-hyun: Let’s meet after work, at the café near my office. We’ll strategize.
Ji-won: Sounds like a plan. See you later!
The thought of dinner with my parents didn’t exactly fill me with excitement, but now that me and Ji-won were aligned on how to move forward, I felt more prepared.
Later that evening, Ji-won and I sat together in our favorite café, sipping our drinks as we rehearsed how the dinner conversation might go.
Ji-won leaned forward, her elbows resting on the table. "Okay, let’s say your mom brings up marriage. What’s the first thing we do?"
I grinned. "We stay calm, and I’ll let her know we’ve talked about it and made a decision together. I’ll reassure her that we’re committed, but that we’re also taking things at our own pace."
Ji-won nodded approvingly. "Good. And if your dad starts getting more direct about it?"
I leaned back in my chair, thinking.
My father could be persistent when he wanted to be, and I had no doubt he would push for a more immediate timeline.
"I’ll be firm," I said after a moment. "I’ll tell him that while I respect his opinion, this is our life, and we’ll take the next step when we’re both ready."
