Chapter Twenty-Three

“Y-you want to meet my parents,” repeats Taeyeon slightly confused.  Jessica nods her head, “Oh…well maybe next time? We already had dinner.”

“At four in the afternoon?” questions Jessica.

“Yeah…all of our schedules are really different so dinner comes when ever all of us have free time. So dinner has come and gone. Dad went back to work, mom is off with her friends, and Hyo’s in her room,” states Taeyeon while forcing a grin.

Her door opens and in peeks Mr. Kim, “Are you coming down for dinner?” Taeyeon flinches. She looks over her shoulder and nods her head. “Alright then get cleaned up and come down.”  He shuts the door leaving the two girls alone.

“I thought you already had dinner?” asks Jessica.

“Dinner? Did I say dinner…I meant to say lunch-“

Jessica sits up and approaches Taeyeon who was fidgeting. ”Why did you lie?” asks Jessica.

“B-because,” stammers Taeyeon.

“If you didn’t want me to meet your parents you could have said so, Taengoo,” states Jessica sounding a little hurt.

“It’s not that I don’t want you to. It’s just that things are sort of like a cold war around here right now. I didn’t want for you to end up in the middle of an argument between the family members,” responds Taeyeon. “Even if my father doesn’t show it he’s very disappointed in me. Hyo’s disappointed as well. And well my mom is the only one who is actually being understanding.”

“Oh.” Taeyeon shakes her head.

“Let’s go eat some dinner.” She grabs Jessica’s hand and leads her out into the hallway.

*****

Yuri fidgets while sitting in the living room of the Hwang and Jung house. Her foot taps against the carpet; her fingers drum along to her set beat. Krystal looks up from the television at her, “can you please stop that? It’s annoying.” Yuri abruptly stops and begins sliding her hands up and down her pants.  “What are you so nervous about anyways?”

“N-nothing,” responds Yuri as she shifts in her seat.

“Really? You’re just meeting Tiffany’s dad, it’s no big deal,” states Krystal. “Mr. Hwang is a cool guy. Though when it comes to Tiffany he can be a little intimidating.” Yuri fidgets a little more. A grin makes its way across Krystal’s face.  “There was this one time he threatened-“

“No one,” interrupts Tiffany as she enters the living room. “Quit scaring Yuri.”

“I wasn’t scaring Yuri, I was just telling her some stories.” Tiffany rolls her eyes and grabs Yuri’s shoulder.

“Let’s go wait in my room until my father gets home,” whispers Tiffany. Yuri nods her head and stands up following the older girl up the stairs to her room. “Ignore what Krystal said…you’ll be fine.”

“Okay,” states Yuri while standing at the door.

“Yuri, come inside and take a seat. Where did the confident Yuri go?” Tiffany walks back to Yuri and grabs her hand pulling her all the way inside before shoving her back onto the bed. “Just relax. My dad isn’t going to eat you alive or anything. He’ll probably interrogate you but that’s about it.”

Yuri nods her head. Her eyes watching as Tiffany walks around the room picking things up and putting them in place. She takes a peek at the clock. Twenty more minutes until Mr. Hwang comes home. Fear settles in again as Yuri returns to fidgeting.

Tiffany halts and looks at Yuri; a sigh leaves her mouth. “Yuri, calm down. Everything is going to be fine. Everything will be fine. My dad is likes you already.”

“Really?” asks Yuri.

“You help me with my homework assignments; you walk me home from work when it’s dark. Everything is going to be fine.”

“So why am I meeting your parents today?” asks Yuri.

“Because Jessi left for Taeyeon’s house and I’m bored. So I wanted for you to come and eat with my family.” Yuri nods her head, “and then afterwards you and I can spend some time together.”

*****

“Well Jessica, were you in any of Taeyeon’s classes?” asks Mr. Kim while eyeing her.

“Yes, “answers Jessica, “I was in Taeyeon’s math and history class before she decided on home-schooling.”

“Was Taeyeon very productive in those classes?” questions Mr. Kim.

“To an extent,” answers Jessica as honestly as she can.

“Elaborate.”

“Taeyeon did do her work and ace exams in an attempt to catch someone’s attention.” 

“Go figure,” mutters Hyoyeon while rolling her eyes.

“Is that why you are lacking motivation?” The question this time directed towards Taeyeon. A sheepish grin makes its way across Taeyeon’s face; she begins to pick at the food on her plate. “Taeyeon, I’m asking a question.”

“No,” answers Taeyeon, “That’s not why I lack motivation.” Mr. Kim sits back in his chair, “you make everything connect back to the business. That’s why I lack motivation. I’m a teenager. I want to have fun and go on dates and hang with friends. I want to blow money on unnecessary belongings. Do normal stuff. I want to stress over finals and getting into college. Not have you scare people or use your connections to get me into the best schools.” She stops and takes a look at Jessica out of the corner of her eyes, “I’m sorry…I didn’t mean…we have a guest can we not talk about this right now?”

“I agree,” states Mrs. Kim, “So Jessica, do you have any siblings?”

“Um, yes…I have a younger sister and a step-sister,” answers Jessica while shifting her focus from Mr. Kim to Mrs.

“Are you the oldest?”

“Yes but only by a few months.”

“Just like Taeyeon and Hyoyeon.” Both of the Kim girls nod their heads. “What type of jobs do your parents hold?”

“My mom works as a secretary for the same company that my step dad works at.”

“What kind of company?” questions Mr. Kim. His eyes scan Jessica.

“A technology corporation,” answers Jessica.

“So what do you plan to do after you graduate Jessica? Taeyeon says she wants to travel. Hyoyeon says she wants to take a year off figure things out.” Jessica shrugs her shoulders. “Well there must be something you wish to do?”

“I’d like to return to America for a while before enrolling in a university,” answers Jessica.

“What do you wish to major in?” continues Mrs. Kim very interested in this friend of her daughters.

“I was going to take those first few months to figure things out. I don’t want to rush into something and become bored within a few months. That’s money wasted…and with me and Tiffany graduating at the same time, well our parents wouldn’t be able to afford in a change of majors. Taengoo,” Taeyeon jumps at the name, “what do you want to major in?”

“Me?” asks Taeyeon while pointing at herself. Jessica nods her head as Mr. Kim leans in to listen, “Oh…I don’t know. Whatever I’m good at I guess.” She turns and gives Jessica a smile, “or whatever you’re majoring in…so we can have the same classes.”

“Have you two kissed?” asks Mr. Kim after examining them. Taeyeon and Jessica freeze both dropping their eating utensils.

“K-kiss?” asks Taeyeon, “what makes you think we would kiss?”

“You are dating aren’t you?” asks Mr. Kim. “You did tell me that she was your girlfriend. I’m just curious as to how far your relationship has developed.”

“Oh…right,” states Taeyeon while looking at Jessica, “um…no we haven’t exactly kissed.”

“Hm,” Mr. Kim sets his eating utensils down on the table and stands up. “It was nice meeting you Jessica.”

“Leaving already?” asks Hyoyeon.

“I have work.” He turns and exits out of the dining room leaving the females behind.

“Please ignore my husband. Work is very important to him.”

*****

Yuri looks at Tiffany then at Krystal before turning to Mr. Hwang. The table was quiet and it was making her nervous. She turns back to Tiffany who was eating her food silently.

“Is something wrong?” She looks up at Mr. Hwang blinking her eyes.

“She’s just nervous,” states Tiffany, “Krystal kind of scared her.”

“Did not. I was just letting her know that Daddy Hwang doesn’t play when it comes to his daughter,” responds Krystal while poking at her food. “Its not like Jessica’s not going through an interrogation right now.”

“Interrogation?” questions Mr. Hwang while looking at his wife.

“Jessica went to have dinner at her girlfriend’s house,” states Jessica mother.

“Girlfriend?”

“Yup, Jessica’s dating a midget,” states Krystal while smiling.

“A midget?”

“Taeyeon’s a little on the short side,” remarks Yuri joining the conversation. Mr. Hwang turns and looks at her, “But Taeyeon makes up for it with her personality.”

“How come I’ve never met this Taeyeon?” asks Mr. Hwang.

“Because Jessica isn’t ready for us to meet Taeyeon. You should be happy that Tiffany is introducing your to Yuri,” comments Jessica’s mother. Mr. Hwang nods his head.

“Yuri, do you have any siblings?” questions Krystal.

“No,” answers Yuri.

“I heard you have a job,” Yuri begins to fidget again. Tiffany reaches over and places her hand on Yuri’s knee trying to calm the girl down.

She leans over and whispers in Yuri’s ear, “the mall one, not the bad one.”

“Oh,” responds Yuri, “um…yeah I work at a shoe store in the mall.”

“You sale shoes?” asks Mr. Hwang curiously.

“Yeah. I do it because I need money in my pocket and I can’t touch-I mean my dad won’t give me any so…yeah,” states Yuri while beginning to eat.

“See other parents agree with me…the girls need to make money on their own and quit spending ours,” states Mr. Hwang. Jessica’s mother rolls her eyes and turns to Krystal. Tiffany gives Yuri‘s leg a squeeze before giving her a smile.

“See you’re doing fine,” she whispers.

*****

“This probably wasn’t how you expected family dinner to be,” comments Taeyeon while walking with Jessica in her yard.

“No…I expected a family interrogation. Most people do when meeting their girlfriend’s parents,” remarks Jessica, “Yuri’s probably going through it now.” Taeyeon stops walking with a confused expression on her face, “Tiffany invited Yuri over to have dinner with our family.”

“Oh.” Taeyeon drops to the grass patting the area beside her. Jessica takes it as a signal for her to sit and so she does. “Why’d you want to meet my parents?”

“Because we’re going out,” answers Jessica.

“What? No other special reason?”

“I have no other special agenda like you,” retorts Jessica as she begins picking at the blades of grass. “I just wanted to meet your family. You can meet mines next week. Though mind you Krystal’s a little weird and so is Tiffany at family dinners.”

They sit in silence enjoying each other’s company. Taeyeon looks over at Jessica. Her eyes fall onto the younger girls lips for a quick second; they then shift to look up at the stars that were coming out. Should she make the first move?  Jessica already made the first move with her new name. But last time she did so Jessica pushed her away and walked off fast.

Well they are in her back yard. She can always have the family guards lock the gates. She’ll be stuck here. Taeyeon shakes her head. She shouldn’t do that. Jessica was finally warming up to her. She now initiated skin ship and wasn’t as wary of being in around her alone anymore. Can’t screw that up now can she?

They’re dating but they have yet to seal the deal with a kiss. Making the first move means scaring Jessica off. A groan escapes her lips and Jessica notices.

“Something wrong Taengoo?” asks Jessica slightly worried. Maybe she shouldn’t have asked to see Taeyeon’s parents. Dinner seemed very awkward amongst the Kims. It must have been too early in the relationship for her to visit them.

“Yeah,” whispers Taeyeon.

“Is it the dinner? If it is I’m sorry. I should have waited a while to see your parents-“

“I want to kiss you,” interrupts Taeyeon in a whisper. Jessica’s mouth abruptly closes; her eyes widen slightly and her face heats up. She quickly looks away trying to hide the pink tinge that was forming on her face.

Taeyeon watches as Jessica ducks her head and begins playing with the blades of grass again. Okay maybe playing was an understatement. More like pulling up handfuls of grass along with roots and mud. “Oh…I didn’t mean…” Taeyeon stands and dusts her pants off. “I’ll go get the family driver and have him drop you off.” She turns around and prepares to leave when Jessica reaches out and grabs hold of her wrist.

“You’re not suppose to say I want to kiss you, you idiot. Nor do you talk about why we haven’t kiss,” states Jessica as she stands up and gives Taeyeon a small smile.

“Oh well what do I do then?”

“You lean in and kiss me…talking about it before hand scares people.”

“Well I just thought since you and Tiffany you know…that maybe it wouldn’t be awkward and stuff.” Jessica shakes her head; her smile grows a little. “So all I do is lean in?” Jessica nods her head. “Okay.” Taeyeon leans in. “Like this right?” she asks while stopping with their lips centimeters apart.

“Yes…just do it already,” whispers Jessica. Taeyeon nods her head and resumes closing the space.

“Tae!” She jumps and pulls away before finishing her mission. Looking over her shoulder, she sees Hyoyeon looking for her from the back door. “Sooyoung and Yoona are here!"

“Here I come,” she turns back to Jessica who was already making her way into the house. “Failed once again,” she mutters.