Date Me! - Chapter 69

On Monday morning, Ina, who arrived early at work, was busy all day long.

This week, each department had to schedule meetings to plan next year’s recruitment through discussions.

Today, meetings were held for Sales Teams 1 through 3, and after organizing the meeting contents, she had to report to the manager.

Ina was able to leave work only after fighting with the computer all day and becoming completely exhausted.

“Ah. I need to meet Juwon quickly and recharge.”

Ina, with dark circles reaching her knees, grabbed her handbag and crawled out of the office.

After exiting the company’s main gate, Ina spotted her vitamin-like boyfriend leaning against the car in the distance and walked over with a bright smile.

“Juwon.”

At the sound of Ina’s voice, Juwon greeted her with a gentle smile.

After touching Ina’s cheek once, Juwon opened the passenger door, and Ina slowly got in.

“Looks like you were very busy today? You seem very tired?”

Juwon looked at Ina with a concerned face as he spoke.

“Yeah. There was a lot of work today. I almost couldn’t leave on time, but I barely finished everything.”

“I see. You worked hard today, so I’ll treat you to something delicious. Is there anything you want to eat?”

“Hmm… I’m thinking of cold beer. Should we have chicken and beer?”

“Chicken and beer? Shouldn’t we eat a proper meal though?”

“No. I want to eat delicious chicken with cold beer.”

“Alright then. Shall we order chicken at your place?”

“My place?”

“Yeah. The chicken we ordered last week was delicious.”

“Let’s do that then.”

Juwon started the car, and on the way home, Ina ordered chicken on her phone.

The two stopped by a nearby mart to buy beer and some light snacks before heading home.

Just as they got off the elevator and were heading to Ina’s apartment, Ina’s phone rang.

“Oh? It’s mom?”

Ina answered the phone while opening the front door and entering.

“Oh. Mom. What’s the occasion for calling in the evening?”

−Just wanted to hear my daughter’s voice, so I called.

“I see. That’s nice. I just got off work.”

−Is work very hard these days?

“Huh? No. It’s not hard at all.”

As Ina took off her shoes and stepped into the living room, Juwon helpfully took off her coat like a kind butler.

−When are you coming down? It’s been over two months since you last visited, right?

“Oh. I should come down soon. How about next week?”

−Do you have plans this week?

“No. I don’t have any plans?”

−Then come down this week. I’ll prepare lots of side dishes you like.

“Hmm, shall I do that then? How about coming down on Saturday?”

−Yes. That would be good.

“Alright then. I’ll come down on Saturday, mom.”

−And also.

“Yes?”

Mom hesitated for a moment before speaking.

−When you come, why don’t you bring your boyfriend along?

“…Huh?”

Ina asked again, thinking she might have misheard.

−Didn’t you say you have a boyfriend? Young Min talked about your boyfriend all day yesterday, your aunt and I almost got calluses on our ears.

“……”

Kim Young Min! This guy, really!

Ina felt the urge to summon Young Min right away, grab him by the collar, and take away his allowance.

“No, mom, that’s… I…”

Ina glanced at Juwon standing next to her and quickly went into the bathroom, closing the door.

In the bathroom, Ina pressed the phone close to her ear and spoke in a whisper.

“Mom, we haven’t been dating for long. If you ask him to come home for introductions already, won’t my boyfriend feel burdened? I’ll bring him later.”

−Seo Ina, you’ll be turning thirty next year.

Hah… I wondered when the thirty-year-old repertoire would come out, really.

−It’s about time you start thinking about marriage too.

“Mom. These days, everyone gets married late.”

−That’s for those who marry late. I don’t want you to marry late. And from what Young Min said, it seems like that guy’s eyes are full of hearts when he looks at you?

Ina’s face turned bright red.

Kim Young Min, this guy really…

−Mom is just really curious, so bring him once. Okay?

“No, mom. I’ll bring him later. We haven’t been dating long, how can I ask him to come home? If I were in his position, I’d feel really burdened too.”

−If he’s serious about you, why would he feel burdened? Make sure to bring him this week. Understand?

“Oh, really, mom!”

−I’ll be expecting you to bring him. You must be tired, so have dinner and rest. Daughter.

Before Ina could say anything more, mom hung up the phone.

Ina let out a short sigh as she looked at the disconnected phone, washed her hands, and opened the bathroom door to come out.

Meanwhile, Juwon had changed into comfortable clothes and was looking at Ina intently.

“What did your mother say?”

“Huh? Oh, it’s nothing.”

Ina subtly avoided eye contact and went to her room to change into comfortable clothes before coming out.

Just as Ina came out to the living room, Juwon was about to ask something more when the intercom rang.

Juwon checked the intercom, opened the front door, and brought in the chicken.

“Wow! Chicken’s here.”

Ina spoke in an exaggeratedly excited voice, trying to change the subject, and sat at the dining table.

Juwon opened a cold can of beer and handed it to Ina as he asked.

“What did your mother say?”

Ina awkwardly smiled and put a can of beer in Juwon’s hand as well.

“Oh, nothing much. Let’s cheers, cheers!”

Ina clinked cans and was about to bring the beer to her mouth when Juwon stared at her intently.

“It seems like she said something?”

“Huh? Wh-what do you mean?”

“Well… I’m not sure, but it feels like she said something important?”

Wow, Lee Juwon, really… At this rate, shouldn’t we lay out a mat?

Ina glanced at Juwon while holding her beer, and finally confessed.

“Actually, my mom asked me to come down to Yeosu this weekend.”

Juwon tilted his head.

“Really? Then you should go down. Why have you been eyeing me nervously since earlier?”

Ina moistened her throat with a sip of beer and carefully opened her mouth.

“Well, my mom… said something a bit strange.”

“Something strange?”

“…She asked you to come down with me.”

Juwon looked at Ina without saying anything.

Interpreting the silence as ‘burden’, Ina quickly added.

“It sounds absurd to you too, right? That’s why I told my mom what nonsense…”

“Why is that absurd?”

“Huh?”

Juwon rested his chin on his hand and looked at Ina.

“She might be curious about her daughter’s boyfriend.”

“Well… She might be curious, but asking to come down together is a bit much, isn’t it?”

“Why is it too much? I’m okay with it?”

“Huh?”

Ina looked at Juwon with surprised eyes.

“You’re okay with it?”

“Yeah. I’m fine with going down together.”

Ina slightly opened her mouth and put down her beer can.

“…Aren’t you feeling burdened?”

“No? I don’t feel burdened at all. It’s your mother, why would I feel burdened?”

“Uh…”

Surprised by the unexpected answer, Ina blinked her eyes while looking at Juwon and then spoke.

“We haven’t been dating for long. So… I thought you’d naturally feel burdened.”

Juwon looked at Ina with a serious face.

“What does the length of time we’ve been dating matter? Whether it’s a month or a year, we’d have to meet eventually anyway. Just think of it as moving the timing up a bit, that’s all.”

Ina was rather flustered by Juwon’s unexpectedly cool attitude.

As Ina was holding her beer can in a daze, Juwon asked.

“Are we going down this weekend? Saturday?”

“Huh? Uh…”

“Okay then. Let’s go down together on Saturday. But what should we buy to bring?”

Unlike the dazed Ina, Juwon started thinking about what to buy.

“Aren’t you nervous?”

“Huh? Of course I’m nervous. I’m human too.”

“But… you look so calm?”

Then Juwon held Ina’s hand with a gentle smile.

“Ina.”

“Yes?”

“I’m nervous, but I’m so curious to see what kind of person gave birth to our beautiful Ina. Even though we haven’t been dating long, she’s asking us to come, so doesn’t it feel like we’ve already been acknowledged somehow?”

Ina’s heart melted as she looked at Juwon speaking so beautifully.

“When you put it so nicely… I feel so thankful and happy.”

“No need to thank me.”

Juwon smiled and touched Ina’s cheek.

“Now, let’s eat the chicken first. It’s going to get cold.”

Juwon placed a large chicken leg in Ina’s hand like a trophy.

“You eat too.”

Ina also placed a trophy in Juwon’s hand.

Juwon chuckled and brought the chicken to his mouth.

* * *

The long-awaited Saturday arrived.

Ina woke up early and finished preparing to go down, waiting for Juwon with a pounding heart.

It was her first time showing a boyfriend to her mom, and thinking that it was Juwon made her heart flutter even more.

A moment later, Juwon called to say he had arrived, and Ina went down to the first floor of the villa.

As Ina appeared, Juwon got out of the driver’s seat.

“…Wow.”

Ina looked at Juwon, who had gotten out of the driver’s seat, with a stunned expression.

With a pomade hairstyle that highlighted his handsome forehead, dressed in a suit complete with a vest, Juwon looked like a model who had just stepped out of a fashion magazine.

Wow, really… Is it okay to be this handsome? You’re too handsome.

Once again marveling at Juwon’s looks, Ina’s heart began to race wildly.

“You’re here? You look pretty.”

Unaware of Ina’s feelings, Juwon opened the passenger door with a sweet smile.

“You look too stylish… Won’t my mom think you’re too good for me?”

“Haha. How could that be?”

Juwon laughed and gave Ina a quick kiss on the cheek before closing the door.

“I bought the gifts on my own.”

“I feel bad… You didn’t have to buy gifts.”

“We’re going to meet elders, of course I should buy something.”

“Thank you.”

Ina shyly held Juwon’s hand.

“Juwon. It’s quite a drive to Yeosu, if you get tired on the way, should I take over?”

“Huh?”

Juwon tilted his head and looked at Ina.

“You know how to drive?”

“Well… I got my license, but I haven’t driven much.”

“When was the last time you drove?”

“Hmm… 4 years ago?”

Juwon looked at Ina silently.

“Why? I heard driving on the highway is actually easier because you just have to look straight ahead?”

Juwon’s eyes remained the same, but his mouth broke into a smile as he firmly held Ina’s hand.

“Who… gave our Ina such ridiculous and dangerous advice?”

“Hyunju said so?”

“Hmm… Ina. We’re going to Yeosu, not crossing the Jordan River. So I’ll just gratefully accept your thought. Okay?”

“I’m just worried you might get tired.”

“It’s okay. You know I’m good at driving. You trust me, right? I’ll get us there safely and quickly.”

“Okay. Well. If you say so… Alright.”

Juwon wiped the light sweat that had formed on his forehead and smiled.