First Love

Chapter 45

Armed with a basket of strawberry and a case of red ginseng extract in a paper bag, Jae exited the taxi. She made a trip to the town and get some gifts for Yoongi's parents before she made the journey to their house. You don't simply turn up at someone else's place empty handed. It doesn't work that way there. Bringing gifts is another sign of respect to the host.

She remembered the boxes of cake she bought for Yoongi's mom. That was simply done to butter up his mom for tolerating her presence there. She didn't care that much for being such a pest at that age. She wished she could turn back time and at least acted respectable.

Jae called his mom up and told her she was coming. She couldn't tell much about what to expect from that call. His mom was nice and cordial.

Jae looked around the housing area. Nothing much has changed, other than the paint of the houses around the areas and the trees that grew. She remembered a big persimmon tree in the Min's yard. It was gone now. She remembered hanging around shamelessly at the gate as she greeted Yoongi's mom. He was at school at that time and she was killing time until he would come home. She had nothing to do during the summer holiday anyway and was counting her blessing that the US summer holiday is much earlier than Korean summer holiday. She could see him in his school uniform.

He usually returned home at night after his part time job at her brother's company. Jae would sometime wait outside the building but most of the time she would wait as he was halfway home. She didn't want to risk Chin Hwa catching her ogling his part timer.

Then Jae gathered her wits and rang the doorbell.

"The door is unlocked. Come on in," said a female voice through the intercom.

Jae took a deep breath and opened the gate. A pleasant woman who looks uncannily like Yoongi greeted Jae at the door of the house. Jae smiled despite her quaking heart, "Good afternoon Madam Min. Sorry for barging to your house at a time like this," Jae bowed.

"Oh no, it's fine. We don't have much guest around and it's nice to have you here. Just like the old days," she said. "It's quite weird hearing you call me Madam Min. You called me eomoni years ago. Come on in, its cold outside."

Jae felt like she swallowed a whole persimmon, feeling embarrassed. She was too forward and shameless at that time to be calling his mom using the formal term for 'mother'.

Why did she do that? She knocked her head mentally.

Regrets?

She was years too late.

"Here's something for you. I hope you like it," said Jae, handing over the fruit basket and the paper bag.

"Thank you so much. You shouldn't have," said Yoongi's mom as she took the gifts. "Have a seat. Lunch will be ready in a while," she said again.

"Let me help you. It's the least I can do," offered Jae.

"No, you're our guest," she objected. "Honey, Jae Hwa is here," she called Yoongi's dad.

Is this what guys usually feel when they went to their girlfriend's parents' house? It was never the traditional way for Jae since she pursued Yoongi first instead the other way around. Jae was quite stricken. She was quite friendly with Yoongi's mom but she didn't encounter his dad that much since he was busy working. He came to the living area and Jae stood up self-consciously. "Good afternoon Mr Min," greeted Jae.

"Jae Hwa, no need to be so formal with me," said Yoongi's dad good-naturedly. "Sit down," he said as he sat across Jae. "Yoongi has been telling us about you. I'm sorry about your brother."

"Thank you, Mr Min," said Jae.

"We just found out about your brother interment yesterday evening. If you need any help at all, just tell us," he offered.