•        j e o n   j u n g k o o k     •

"did she like the portrait i drew?" hyung asked.

"she loved it, hyung," i replied and helped eomma cook in the kitchen. since we really have no schedules in the coming weeks, i've decided to spend my free time in my hometown.

"is she coming over for dinner?" my mother asked.

"she said she would," i replied. lisa promised to drop by at our house after their rehearsals since eomma and appa were dying to meet her already. she already went here once, meeting my older brother. but unfortunately, my parents were out of the town by that time.

and besides, i already met with her parents. i remembered how nervous i was when we arrived at their doorstep. her mom was bright and cheerful like her — it's probably where lisa got those traits from. her step-dad was very welcoming. he even cooked me thai specialties that night and joked about getting married with her daughter.

if only he knew how badly i wanted to proposed to lisa. but of course, we still have several goals to achieve.

the funniest thing about my trip to thailand was meeting her aunt, who's probably one of the most avid fans of us. she confessed how she has a secret instagram account and followed numerous liskook accounts. she originally dropped hints regarding us on her main profile, but the shippers were like detectives. they easily figured out the hidden meaning in her captions. so she decided to stay lowkey about it so as not to attract much hate to her niece.

in return, i just offered her a complimentary ticket for our upcoming concert in thailand. she declined at first, but i insisted because it's the least thing i could do. luckily she accepted it in the end.

"so what's going on?" hyung suddenly asked, causing me to drift away from my thoughts.

"nothing much."

"i mean with lisa. you guys look like married couples. especially that picture of you two holding a baby."

"yeah, with jisoo noona's niece."

"oh, jisoo . . ." he paused briefly, "her older sister looks like a girl version of you."

he laughed. eomma laughed. even appa grinned as he walked walked around burping seo joon — my nephew from my cousin. surprisingly, a lot of people were actually claiming that we do look a like.

"tell us, kookie, do you think i can rest now?" eomma asked. "not having to look for a busan girl to marry you. i'm getting tired of fighting off all these women asking about you for their daughters."

"i'm sure with her. maybe not engagement anytime soon, but—"

"that's enough for me." she touched my arm. "do you understand what a headache it is to find the right girl for you? too short, too quiet, too far, too traditional, too much trouble . . ." she sighed. "i hope this works out and that you keep her happy."

"you like her?"

"of course i like her! do you think i would've kept my mouth close if i didn't? or that i would prepare her meals and deliver it to her?"

appa cackled from across the room. "your mother would've asked her to break up with you!"

eomma added, "her parents and i are actually talking already. they asked us if we could dine with them anytime soon. you know, to sit down as a family and discuss if you two are interested in moving ahead with dating. although her mother must not have said anything to lisa."

"eomma, we're still young! we're just enjoying everything, but we're very sure of each other. we'll see when we get there."

"that sounds very romantic," appa said and opened the door when the bell rang.

lisa's energetic voice carried through the hallway. eomma hurried around the counter to greet and hug her. hyung and i watched, sort of dumbfounded. he grinned and pushed me toward her.

"oh, annyeong," lisa said when i was suddenly forced in front of her.

"glad you could make it," i said, moving my hands behind me because suddenly i didn't know how to greet her in front of my family. you know, i might accidentally blurt out some perverted comment again because i can't control myself when i'm around her.

"i wouldn't miss it for the world."

"jinjja?" i asked, smiling.

"yes. i must see this handsome, little man named seo joon. gimme, gimme." she went straight for the baby, and my family laughed at my expense.

lisa held him with natural affection, at ease, and smothered him with kisses, alternately saying, "so cute!" over and over. seo joon's parents are actually fans of my girl, and they were happy to know that lisa visited our house when they left their son at my brother's care due to a business trip.

she then broke down into a baby talk with her aegyo voice, and eomma looked at me with arched eyebrows and cocked her head, as if she was telling me to go get her pregnant right now!

hyung cracked up and whispered, "marry her first."

lisa held seo joon for most of the evening, even while eating. how could she not read the looks my family gave her?

"you're attached to him, aren't you?" i asked, sitting beside her at the table.

she ate while seo joon slept peacefully in the crook of her arm. "aren't you? he's freaking adorable!"

"my family is looking at us like we should go back to my place and do something about this baby business," i muttered in her ear.

she paused, her cheeks turning pink. "oh, no."

"oh, yes."

"not every woman wants to be a mother," she said even as her skin flushed.

appa took seo joon to feed him when he squirmed and cried. hyung helped eomma clear the table. i placed an arm on the back of lisa's chair and whispered, "you look good with a baby."

"you better shut up with that baby talk," she warned, her mouth stern but her eyes playful.

i stroked her thigh under the table. "i mean if you want, i could take you home and put a baby in you."

she laughed. "hell, no."

"you don't want my baby?" i teased.

"you want me to have your baby?"

"who else would i want to then?" i asked in shock. "of course, only you, manoban." i licked my lips and her gaze dropped to my mouth.

"how did we go from dating and meeting your parents to baby-making?" she asked, tilting her head in amusement.

"you didn't answer my question. you don't want my baby?" i asked, acting hurt.

"are we really discussing this right now?"

"that's not a yes or no," i teased.

"i . . ."

i touched her cheek.

"your mom is watching."

"she'd love a grandchild."

"maybe. one day. not this year, obviously. nor in the coming years. we're young. we even haven't done . . ." she whispered.

"then let's practice." i grinned.

"you are so much trouble. i'm telling your mom."

"telling me what?" eomma asked, and we both shut up quickly.

i moved away from lisa and cleared my throat. eomma smiled and sat down in front of us. "i'd like to speak with you two."

lisa sighed as she fidgets her thumb. eomma gently placed her hand on hers to wave off whatever lisa what thinking.

"i'm not asking you to break up with my son," she laughed. "all i need to know is that you're dedicated to jungkook as much as he is dedicated to you and that you won't hurt him. it's obvious to all of us that you're good for him and that he's crazy about you."

she blushed. "thank you, mrs. jeon."

"please, call me mom. you're already welcome to our family, lisa. besides, you remind me of myself when i was much younger."

"really?" we both asked in unison.

"yes. i had such a smart mouth on me. sarcastic and witty. no one messed with me, and it took a brave man to marry me. i actually hated their dad when i first met him. we bickered all throughout the day because i despised him. but hey, he's good looking. i ended up having a crush on him and when the feelings were mutual and we're in the right age, i proposed to him. kook's father and i snuck out a time or three before the wedding."

"oh, lord," i muttered, not wanting to know this side of my mother.

"we were full of passion and fire, and yes, we argued sometimes, but we never stopped loving one another."

"eomma . . ." i mumbled.

"oh, hush. you're an adult now. you know what we did to make you."

"lord," i muttered under my breath and offered lisa an apologetic glance. she laughed. "i love your mother."

eomma went on. "it's a parent's duty to make sure their children are loved, fed, taken care of. that they build a career and marry the right person to spend their lives with, someone who will make them happy. i've always kept an eye out for special women for my sons, but it's always up to them. i'm glad he found the one, finally.

and don't you think i know how hardheaded, competitive, and assertive kook can be? he wouldn't want a quiet girl, either, but a special woman who can put up with him, put him in his place if need be. but more than ever, build one another up. love is love. if you're committed to my son, and only my son, i'm happy. what else is there? you're everything to him. on top of that, you come from a good family, have a career, good friends, and is a hard worker. it's not like you have relations with other men at the same time, or are you?"

lisa shook her head vigorously. "heol, no."

"good. i approve, in case either of you were concerned."

"that means so much to me," lisa replied, her eyes glistening. i took her hand beneath the table and squeezed.

"i enjoyed dinner. i'll leave you two now," eomma said and went upstairs.

"i didn't mean for us to get ambushed like that," i said after eomma left. now, we're alone downstairs.

lisa shrugged. "that's not an ambush."

"look, we're still young and i know where you stand on marriage and kids and all that, and you know where i stand and what i'm willing to compromise on if ever that time comes. there's no pressure here."

"there was no pressure from her, either."

"good. as long as we're honest with one another, we'll be good."

she squeezed my hand a bit more. "kook," she whispered, "i'll have your kids in the future." a smile etched on her face.

i leaned down to kiss her. i couldn't help it. i pulled her closer as our kiss deepened. my hand dropped to her bare knee and skated up an inch. maybe two.

i brushed featherlight kisses across her jaw because of the intoxicating allure of lisa. plus, her words made my heart beat like never before. they made my skin tingle. they made my gentle kisses turn passionate and consuming.

she gasped as she gripped my shoulder. "you should stop," she said and pulled away.

"wae?" i moaned.

"because anyone can come down and walk in. what do you think would your parents think?"

"right . . ."

she planted a soft kiss on my cheek and offered her hand. "come on, is your bedroom soundproof? or do we do it inside your car?"

"you're dirty like me," i jokingly said.

"well, let's just say you turned me on big time with those touches of yours." she winked at me and rose up from the seat.

i had every intention of having her stay here enjoyable. what i hadn't planned on? making it pleasurable.