One day in Seoul 🇰🇷

🇰🇷: 61

The next day arrived faster than I expected. As the sun climbed higher into the sky, Katarina, Sarang, and I waited in our living room for my parents to arrive. After everything that had happened last night- the proposal, the celebration with friends- it felt like the culmination of something bigger was finally here. But now, as we sat waiting for my parents, the weight of everything that was happening settled onto my shoulders.

"Are you okay?" I asked Katarina, who was sitting beside me, her hands nervously clasped together. She offered me a small smile, but I could tell she was uneasy.

"I'm fine," she said, but her eyes betrayed her. I knew she was anxious, especially about seeing my father again. The last time they met, back in Seoul, he had been distant and quiet, which had left her feeling uncertain.

My father was a man of few words-stoic, disciplined, and always measured. He rarely shared his thoughts, and I understood how that could make people uneasy, especially someone like Katarina, who was still trying to find her footing in all of this.

But I knew better. My father might be reserved, but he had a heart- a quiet but strong one. He just needed time to show it.

"They're here," I said as I heard the sound of the car pulling up outside. Katarina visibly tensed, but she nodded, steeling herself for what was about to come. Sarang, on the other hand, bounced in excitement at the thought of seeing her "Halmeoni" again.

A few moments later, my parents stepped inside. My mother, as always, greeted us with a warm smile, immediately bending down to scoop Sarang into her arms. Sarang giggled, clearly happy to see her.

"Halmeoni!" Sarang exclaimed, her little arms wrapping around my mother's neck. They had grown close during our time in Seoul, and I was grateful that Sarang had someone like my mother to bond with.

But it was my father, Mr. Kim, who commanded the room's attention. He stood by the door, quietly observing, his expression as unreadable as ever. He offered a polite nod to Katarina, and though it was subtle, I could see the tension in her shoulders as she tried to decipher his silence.

We all settled into the dining room, the air thick with an awkward silence that hung between us. My mother tried her best to make small talk, asking Katarina about her work and how she'd been adjusting since coming back from Seoul. Katarina responded politely, but I could see her eyes flickering nervously toward my father, who hadn't said a word yet.

It wasn't until the food was served that the silence became suffocating. My father, who had been mostly quiet throughout the meal, suddenly glanced over at Katarina's hand-the one where the engagement ring now rested. His eyes lingered there for a moment, causing Katarina to shift uncomfortably in her seat.

My father's silence was unnerving, but I had a feeling he was waiting for the right moment to speak. And then, as if on cue, he finally broke the silence.

"What is Sarang's surname?" he asked, his voice calm but direct.

Katarina stiffened beside me, her fork pausing mid-air as she swallowed nervously. I could feel the anxiety radiating from her, the weight of the question catching her off guard.

"S-Sarang's surname is Ross," she said quietly, her voice faltering. "It's because... Francis wasn't around before-"

Before she could finish, my father cut her off.

"She should have the Kim surname," he said firmly, his gaze unwavering. "It is time we change it to Kim. Not just because Francis is her father, but because she is truly part of this family. We should also register her in our family register in Korea, to make it official."