Keep it in the Family (208) - Family Dinner (Patreon)

Eun Ha's POV:

Her world tilted.

Her ears rang.

He was teasing her. He had to be. That smirk wasn't real.

Yet, hearing it come from his own lips, even as a hypothetical, was a knife twisting in her gut.

"Why? What would you do if I said yes? Would you be happy for me? Would you approve? Or would you...?" He looked at her, and she still couldn't tell whether he was being serious or not. "Would you be upset, Mom?"

Eun Ha's mind went blank. What would she do? What could she say? 'No, you can't date her, I forbid it'? 'You can't be with anyone because I want you for myself'?

The truth was an ugly creature rattling the bars of an even uglier cage. 

Her throat closed. Words were stones. She could neither swallow them or spit them out.

She could only manage a weak, trembling smile. "I'd... I'd be... I'd be happy for you, of course. I'd want you to be happy, Jae-il." She managed to choke out the words, somehow.

Jae-il's reaction was inscrutable, and the longer it stretched, the harder Eun Ha found it to breathe, the faster her heart beat and her hands trembled and her head spun.

"Just... well... I was just curious, forget about me asking!" Eun Ha laughed again. A little too loud, a little too artificial-sounding, her discomfort clear to hear.

Then Jae-il smiled, huffed, and burst out laughing. "You should have seen your face, hahah! You look terrified at the idea! I was just kidding, Mom~ I don't really see Dae Hee as anything more than a friend."

Relief flooded through her, draining the tension and panic. "Wh—what—why would you say something like that!?" Her knees went watery and she nearly slumped onto the floor, her emotions swinging like a pendulum, from fear and worry and longing to confused frustration. She hated this kind of mind games. "Why would you mess with your poor, unsuspecting mother like this!?"

Her own face went crimson red from both anger and embarrassment.

"Sorry, sorry. Couldn't resist." Jae-il grinned sheepishly, offering her an apology by offering Eun Ha the remote control to the television. She huffed, arms crossed, and his smile faltered. "In any case, I was being truthful. Dae Hee is a nice girl and I enjoy spending time with her, but our relationship goes nowhere beyond friendship."

She sighed, feeling a whole weight lift off her shoulders. "That's good. I know it must seem silly coming from me, but I just want the best for you." Still, she took the remote and sat down next to him.

He flashed her another grin, his eyes now back on the TV. "I'll keep your blessing in mind next time I'm wooing someone, then."

"Young man!"

Eun Ha tossed a pillow in his direction, and when Jae-il didn't even deem the attack worthy to evade it, she'd faked another offended sigh and scooched over on the sofa until her and Jae-il's legs were rubbing against one another.

This was as close as she dared.

"Umh..." Eun Ha's throat bobbed as she swallowed thickly. "If Dae Hee is not who you like, is there someone else you like? Perhaps a pretty classmate from your school...? Or, umh, someone more mature?"

She was playing a dangerous game again, but she could not resist.

Jae-il's head tilted, and he gave her a long, steady look. "Perhaps."

Her breath hitched. "Perhaps?"

"Maybe." He repeated, enjoying her reaction far too much for her liking. Then, he smirked. "Or maybe there's no one at all. Maybe I'm too busy for romance right now, too focused on my career to get tangled up in something so... distracting."

"......" She couldn't argue with that, but a tiny sliver of hope kept urging her to push. And what was her desired outcome, exactly? For him to say he was in love with her? That was insane. "And you don't... find it lonely? Sometimes, it's nice to have someone you can rely on."

"I have you, Mom." He turned his head and looked at her. "And my sisters."

He then turned back to the television as if nothing had happened.

He always had a comeback, an answer that was both innocent and yet completely wrong.

That was the worst thing he could’ve said, because it planted seeds in her mind.

Seeds she didn’t want. 

What if scenarios that were unlikely to ever come true.

But she also thought, treacherously, grimly—’if he’s doing it with Mia and Su Ah, then… do I have a chance too?’

It was such a ridiculous and disgusting thought she banished it the moment it took shape. 

Eun Ha stared at his profile, at the strong line of his jaw and the way the light from the screen flashed in his purple eyes.

"Yes, but it's different, dear... it's a different kind of companionship." She tried to explain, digging her own hole further. She loved hurting herself, it seemed. 

Jae-il hummed, a noncommittal sound, and the conversation died.

Eun Ha's heart continued pounding with no sign of stopping.

She had failed to extract the information she wanted, and now she was left with more questions than answers.

What did 'I have you' mean? Did he know or was that just him being considerate and protective? Did he just mean 'mother's presence' or did it also have a deeper meaning to it?

Eun Ha swallowed, wetted her lower lips and pushed.

"So there is no one... no one in particular..."

Jae-il hummed.

"You wouldn't consider—"

"Don't think I need that." The response was quick, but not curt. "Maybe in the future... and, you're really that upset about the idea of me dating Dae Hee, huh?"

"Ah..." Eun Ha briefly panicked, waving her hand. "T-That's not it, just curious! Just curious! Haha…"

She decided that going with that was her safest option.

"......"

They sat in silence for a while, watching some drama unfold on the screen.

She didn't see any of it.

xXx

The week leading up to the dinner party felt like a countdown to doomsday. Every day, Eun Ha felt the growing pressure tightening around her chest. She'd wake up in the morning with the sense of impending doom, and go to sleep with the same feeling.

There was a time where she'd always gladly welcomed guests into her home, but now the thought of strangers invading her personal space filled her with dread. The more she thought about it, the more agitated she became.

She was not this person before. She wasn't always so... territorial.

Why did she feel like she had to defend her territory?

It made no sense.

It wasn't even the mess or the effort of hosting that bothered her, but rather the idea of sharing her space with people who didn't belong there—people she didn't even like or know. 

Hell, she was barely putting up with Yeong Gu's presence nowadays, and it was only the knowledge that he rarely stayed for more than a few days that kept her from snapping.

Mia and Su Ah were also quite irritated with the upcoming party. Su Ah spent most of the time in her room, and Mia, in an attempt to appear less bothered, was stomping around the house like a caged tiger. Her mood was as dark as the thunder clouds that rolled in that very afternoon.

Eun Ha, in an attempt to distract herself, focused on the menu, the shopping list, and the cleaning schedule.

Yong Gu made a list of calls, and that grin of his made Eun Ha want to snap her husband's phone in half.

'As long as it's not too many...' Eun Ha reminded herself, looking at the list on her phone. There were... about twenty names on the list.

Too many.

Far too many.

But Jae-il had managed to convince Yeong Gu to scale it down to ten, at least.

And so the day, much to the dread of everyone except Yeong Gu, finally arrived.

Eun Ha stared at herself in the mirror. A beauty that defied age. One would wonder if she'd ever given birth, yet she was a mother of three, and looking beautiful as ever.

Her hair was pulled back into a simple, elegant low bun, a few strands artfully framing her face. Her makeup was minimal, just enough to enhance her features without looking like she was trying too hard.

The dress she wore was a deep, jewel-toned blue, hugging her curves without being too revealing.

As humble as she was, Eun Ha knew she looked good. She was a beautiful woman, and she had always known that.

But knowing that did not make her feel any less nervous tonight.

Every pair of eyes, whether on a stranger, friend, family member, or complete stranger, held the same danger: the possibility of accidentally looking too deep, too long, and finding out something they shouldn't.

So much scrutiny in one place made Eun Ha's palms sweat.

Well, there was no use fretting about it.

The best thing Eun Ha could do was get through this evening by doing as much as humanly possible not to draw any attention to herself.

Of course, once she opened that door, every guest would likely flock to Jae-il. Who would have enough time and attention left to spare her a second look?

Eun Ha slowly stood up, checked herself one last time, and exhaled slowly.

Her nerves were already fraying despite it having not started yet.

She made her way downstairs, and by the looks of it, everyone was waiting for her to finally show up. She smoothed a hand down her dress, her eyes falling on Jae-il, Mia and Su Ah standing together with Yeong Gu who were animatedly conversing about something.

Her eyes took in her two daughters and lingered.

Dresses hugging their curves in the right places, enhancing their feminine charms and making the young adults look simply mouthwatering. They each wore lipstick that complemented their complexions. Their color schemes were an ironic reflection of their personalities—bold for Mia, and subtle for Su Ah.

Red and black. Both had their shoulders exposed, but just like Eun Ha, theirs weren't revealing or enticing. They were perfectly tasteful and classy.

Any father could brag with a straight spine and wide, proud shoulders that his daughters’ beauty were unrivaled. 

Yeong Gu was sharply dressed, bringing back some of that charm that his young self possessed so long ago. Of course, Eun Ha couldn't care less; he could've worn a trash bag and she wouldn't have even noticed.

And the reason for that was a shameful one, the very same reason why she didn't want any strangers intruding into the intimacy and domesticity of her home and her little world—she couldn't get enough of her own son, who had replaced every fiber of his father in her mind.

Her beautiful son stood there with them, dapper in his black button-down, his purple gaze now settling on her. He looked so sharp and so handsome she could have stared all night wondering how it was that such a perfect human existed on this earth.

How did she manage to give birth to this beautiful creature? 

They say when an unmarried, rich son is getting successful, beautiful women of all ages start seeking his fortune, as well.

But what about the mothers... would they seek fortune or their sons' youth...?