Our Story

Chapter 10

Jinyoung had guessed Mark's family must be a well-off one and yet the sight of their house, beautiful and sophisticated, still shocked him. He tried to imagine what the owners of the house looked like and the confidence slipped from him.

Mark seemed to have noticed his nervousness as he squeezed Jinyoung's hand comfortingly once they had got out of Mark's car.

"My parents are friendly and like fun. It'll be okay," Mark said.

"I'm afraid I might make mistakes. What if I ruin this whole dinner?"

"You're overthinking. Let's go. They might already be waiting for us."

As they approached the house that was lit as the night was falling, Mark let go of Jinyoung's hand. Although it gave Jinyoung an unsettled feeling, he could not complain as he had agreed to meet Mark's parents as his friend.

Inside the house, all the furniture looked as if every single piece was brand-new and the interior decoration and neatness could compete with that of a hotel. All of these were not making Jinyoung feel any better; he hoped Mark's parents were not so proud and distant like typical wealthy families.

He did not have to continue his imaginations as Mark's parents were just in the living-room and came to them. Although their first glance at Jinyoung was judgemental, they had smiles on their lips and welcomed him warmly.

"Jinyoung, right?" Mrs. Tuan said, "Come and have a seat first."

Mark sat close to him on one of the sofas as Mark's parents were opposite them. He felt safe to have Mark by his side but his nervousness had not receded.

"Mark always brings his friends here and we know all of them," Mrs. Tuan said, with a laugh, "But I heard you're from a different department?"

"Yes, ma'am, I'm from Psychology," Jinyoung said, managing to hold her gaze as she did his. Mr. Tuan was quiet but his eyes did not leave Jinyoung, who started to sweat under their eyes.

"Call us, aunty and uncle. All of Mark's friends call us so," Mrs. Tuan said.

What came afterwards were a set of questions. Where did he live? Why did he not just live with his parents when they were in the same city? What was he planning to do after graduation? Did he often hang out with Mark and his other friends? Why was his friend not here if he was Mark's friend as well?

He was somehow thankful that he did not need to start any conversation but just had to answer their questions but at the same time, he was frustrated at how he felt like a child reporting back to his parents on what he had done at school.

Mark, at last, suggested that they had dinner as Jinyoung might be hungry. At the dinner table, as expected, all the dishes looked appealing and Jinyoung thanked Mark's parents before occupying a chair next to Mark's.

There was more silence than words there, to Jinyoung's relief. Mark cut a piece of beef and put it on Jinyoung's plate.

"Have that. My mom is great at roasting beef. And that crab stew too."

It seemed Mrs. Tuan had prepared the dinner herself and the fact that she had put effort into this, made him feel grateful to her. But the words she said afterwards hit him hard.

"We've maids. But I always cook for Mark's friends. Sometimes, Haewon does though. Her dishes always amaze me," she laughed, "And Mark likes hers better than mine. That girl really knows what he likes."

"Your mom won't stop praising her future daughter-in-law. But I admit she's the right one for Mark," Mr. Tuan said.

Mark took a quick, worried glance at Jinyoung, who was listening to his parents with a faltering smile. Jinyoung tried to focus on his food back but had already lost his appetite. Suddenly, he felt like he was an unnecessary person in Mark's certain future with Haewon.

"Do you have any girlfriend, Jinyoung? I'm sure someone like you must have," Mrs. Tuan said.

Was he even supposed to correct them that he was gay? Would they kick him out when they knew their son was being friends with a gay man?

"I don't have anyone," Jinyoung said, not meeting their eyes.

"That's a pity. Young people often have complicated relationships. We're glad that Mark and Haewon have found each other and been by each other's side for a long time. Otherwise, Mark might have brought a lot of his girlfriends here and we won't be able to handle," Mrs. Tuan said, with a chuckle. "Don't you think your friend would've done that, Jinyoung?"

Jinyoung turned to look at Mark, whose grim eyes were set on him. He felt Mark's hand searching for his under the table and holding it tight.

"Yes, he would've," Jinyoung said, tearing his gaze away.

"I still remember the first time Mark introduced us to Haewon. We were worried because they were too young. But who would've known they were having a real, serious relationship? She's like a part of our family now. I'd never find a better girl for Mark than her even if I tried," Mrs. Tuan said, with a proud smile.

Jinyoung wished he had never come here and heard those words. It was as if the bubble burst and he was being forced out of the fantasy world of him and Mark. For the rest of the dinner, he tried to put on a smile as they continued to talk about Haewon, while he felt nothing could be worse than this situation.