Standing in the middle of his bedroom, looking at himself in the mirror, Arthur clicked his tongue out of annoyance, struggling to button his shirt. Nothing was going his way. Hair wouldn’t stay the way he wanted, irritating him further, and even the room was suffocating.

“I swear something’s wrong with this shirt. . .” Arthur scoffed, glancing at Irene’s reflection.

“Nothing’s wrong with it.” Irene giggled, zipping up her skirt and walking over, gently moving his hands to the side. “Here, let me.”

Irene was doing it effortlessly but took the time to get a good look at him, locking eyes as she reached the top.

“Thanks.” He sighed, feeling a bit flustered. “Maybe I’m just losing it.”

“Cute, but don’t forget to breathe.” Irene smiled coyly, knowing he was nervous.

“Yeah. . .” Arthur took a deep breath, exhaling quickly. “How do I look?”

“I’d date you,” she teased, tracing her finger across his neck before pulling on the shirt's collar, exposing his lower neck and part of his shoulder. “But it seems you’re already taken.”

“Funny– Will they see it?”

“Should’ve thought of sooner. You know– Before I made a hickey?” Irene refitted his shirt.

“How’s this my fault?” Arthur chuckled, shaking his head.

“You chose to date me.”

“Didn’t know you came with a warning,” Arthur teased back.

“Learn to read the fine print,” she joked, pushing his hair to the side with her fingers. “Don’t worry. Unless you plan to strip for my aunt and uncle, I doubt they’ll see it.”

“Who knows– Maybe I might.” Arthur grinned.

“Seriously?” She raised her eyebrow, sighing in disappointment. “I thought you were different.”

“W– wait. . . what?” Caught off guard by her response, Arthur tilted his head in confusion.

Irene’s expression changed in an instant as she couldn’t help but snicker, pushing herself up on her toes and kissing his lips while her arms rested on his shoulders.

“You’re adorable,” she whispered, looking at him lovingly.

“Tease. . .” Arthur smilingly sighed. “You–”

“You guys need to hurry up, or we’ll be late,” Sophie said, knocking on the door.

“In a minute,” Irene said, leaning against her boyfriend, who, in response, wrapped his arms around her.

“Okay. We’ll wait in the car,” Sophie said, taking her leave.

“She’s right. We should hurry up,” Irene said, glancing at her wristwatch.

Standing in front of their uncle’s apartment, Irene gave one last reassuring nod to Arthur and Sophie before their aunt opened the door.

“I was wondering when my girls would finally arrive,” said their aunt with a warm smile as she stepped out to greet them.

Not in a million years would Arthur ever suspect the elegantly dressed woman with dark hair pulled back in a simple bun and smooth, porcelain complexion with no signs of aging etched on her face to be any older than her mid-thirties.

“Hi, Auntie!” Amelia hugged her before handing over a bottle of red wine.

“Oh, Sweetie. . . You shouldn’t have.” She chuckled, taking it from her.

“And miss out on finally having a glass with you? No way.” Amelia stepped to the side, gesturing toward the others. “We brought company, as promised.”

“Arthur. Sophie. Meet our Auntie, Eun Ae,” Irene introduced her.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Arthur said as the siblings respectfully bowed their heads. “My name is Park Arthur, and this is my sister Sophie.”

“Hello,” Sophie said nervously.

“Oh my, such sweethearts. Please, call me Auntie,” Aunt Eun Ae said, placing a hand on her chest with a warm smile glued to her face. “Come in, come in!”

Amelia was quick to go inside, and the siblings followed right behind; Irene took the time to greet her aunt properly, embracing her in a tight hug.

Arthur couldn’t help but admire the warm and inviting atmosphere, noticing slippers laid out by the door. The smell of food tickled his nostrils from down the hallway that led directly to the cozy living room.

“You made it,” said Principal Chang Ji-Min as he came out of one of the side rooms, his voice stern as usual.

“Uncle!” Amelia leaped in for a hug, towered by his large frame.

She was so excited that it made Arthur think she hadn’t visited them once since returning to Seoul, but he knew that wasn’t true.

“It’s good to see you, dear,” he said before looking at Arthur. “Arthur.”

“Principal Chang.” Arthur bowed his head again.

“No, no. That won’t do. While we’re here, I insist you call me uncle.” He chuckled.

Despite being taken by surprise, Arthur welcomed their casual approach.

“I’ll keep that in mind, Uncle.” Arthur smiled.

“Amelia, honey. Could you run into the kitchen real quick and check on the pot?” Auntie asked, stuck in the far back.

“Sure thing, Auntie,” she said, walking past her uncle.

“You’ve already met my uncle, right?” Irene grabbed Sophie’s arm, pulling her closer.

“Yes– I did. . .” Sophie mumbled before bowing her head.

“Hope you’re not feeling uncomfortable?” Auntie asked.

“No, no! It’s nothing like that.” Sophie got flustered, making everyone chuckle.

“Good,” Auntie said, placing a hand on Sophie’s shoulder. “Just make yourself at home, and if you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Thank you, I will.” Sophie returned the smile.

Soon everyone but their aunt was seated at the dining table as Arthur’s eyes wandered the apartment. The plates were already set, but the food took a bit longer to cook than anticipated.

“Would you like anything to drink?” Auntie asked, bringing in the bottle of wine and handing it to her husband. “Be a dear and pour Amelia a glass as well.”

“Amelia?” Her Uncle furrowed his brows.

“I’m leaving tomorrow.” She giggled. “Might as well pour all of us a glass.”

“Absolutely no–”

“If everyone wants to, I don’t see why not,” Auntie cut off her husband. “What do you say?”

“We’d love to,” Irene answered for them before turning to her sister and giving her a wink. “Right, guys?”

“I wouldn’t mind,” Arthur added, but Sophie was being oddly quiet.

“Soph?” Amelia called out to her.

“Would it be alright?” Sophie said quietly, looking at their uncle.

“Of course, it would!” Auntie said, gently slapping her husband’s shoulder. “Don’t you make such faces. One glass never hurt anyone.”

“Fine, fine.” Uncle sighed, standing up to pour the wine.

Amelia and Irene secretly high-fived each other as it was all part of their plan. The deal was for Amelia to suggest it so Irene could avoid getting scolded by their uncle, who was still strict about things like alcohol.

Conversation flowed well, but Arthur’s nerves weren’t easing up despite taking a few sips of wine. As far as he remembered, meeting kings wasn’t as stressful as it was sitting at a table with nothing to do. It made him wonder what meeting her parents would look like if he was already shitting himself.

“You okay?” Irene asked, gently nudging his shoulder.

Her uncle went to the bathroom, and Amelia was busy helping in the kitchen.

“Huh? Yeah. I’ll be fine,” Arthur reassured her but didn’t know if he even trusted himself.

“You sure?” Irene raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t know. . . I’ve never seen Oppa so tense,” Sophie teased.

“As if you’re the one to talk,” Arthur snickered.

“I’m sat with our principal, who just so happened to be your GF’s uncle. I don’t wanna be the one to mess things up,” Sophie explained, keeping her voice down. “I don’t want you two getting mad at me.”

“Sophie. . .” Irene sighed, pulling her chair closer to her. “I keep telling you it’s not that serious. Look–”

“Food’s here,” Amelia said, bringing in a steaming pot.

“Need help?” Arthur asked, standing up to help put the large pot on the table.

“We got it!” Auntie came back as well, carrying a large platter that got stolen away by her husband, who was on his way back from the bathroom. “Thank you, dear.”

Soon everyone was back in their seats with a steaming pot of soup simmering in the center, surrounded by an array of side dishes: kimchi, pickled vegetables, and even seasoned tofu. Grilled meats sizzled on a separate platter, served with a bowl of fragmented rice and crisp, steamed greens for everyone.

“Woah. . . You really went all out on this one, Auntie,” Irene commented.

“This looks delicious,” Sophie complimented, feeling embarrassed that she was practically drooling at the feast.

“Well. . . our sweet Amelia is going back to England tomorrow, and the last thing I want is for her to leave hungry,” Auntie explained, leaning forward while looking directly at Irene. “Besides, it’s not every day my niece brings home her boyfriend.”

Arthur almost choked on wine, barely holding it in.

“You knew?” Irene didn’t bother denying it.

“I do now,” she giggled, leaning back in her chair with a smile. “But even if you hadn’t admitted it, we could tell.”

While listening to Auntie talk, Arthur’s gaze slowly turned toward her uncle, who simply glanced back at Arthur, giving him the look.

“Were we that obvious?” Irene asked, confusing Arthur, who didn’t know how to react.

“Was it me who gave them away?” Sophie spoke up.

“You weren’t, dear,” Auntie reassured her, allowing Sophie to sigh in relief.

“We had our suspicions for a while now,” Uncle said, looking back at Irene. “How could we not when you asked to be put in his class and then kept coming to me whenever he was in any type of trouble?”

Arthur suspected he probably didn’t want to mention overhearing any rumors at school as well.

“But I’d do that for all my friends,” Irene argued.

“We thought that too,” Auntie said. “But the moment I saw the way you two look at each other– I just knew. You two are adorable together.”

“Thanks.” Irene smiled, placing her arm on Arthur’s shoulder. “See? No big deal.”

“Yeah. . . you’re right,” Arthur hesitantly agreed.

“Do my parents know?” Irene asked, looking back at her uncle.

“Why would I tell them?” Uncle said, looking at the food. “But you should know they’ll pry your sister until they learn everything.”

“I’ll handle it–” Amelia said.

“It’s fine. You can tell them I’m dating,” Irene cut her off. “It’s not really a secret, now is it? I just didn’t tell them yet because I was secretly hoping I could introduce him in person.”

“Who knows, maybe you do,” Auntie said.

“Do you know something I don’t?” Irene furrowed her brows, knowing her parents weren’t coming to Korea.

“No, but you never know what might happen.” Auntie giggled again, looking back at her husband. “I’m starting to think you’re hungry, dear. The kids will think I starve you day to day.”

“Seems there’s more than one,” Amelia teased, looking at Sophie, whose eyes kept wandering every few seconds.

“Then how about we dive on in?” Auntie suggested before everyone dove in.

The atmosphere improved significantly once the cat was out the bag as everyone relished the feast Auntie cooked. It was so grand that by the time everyone was done eating, there was more than enough to pack up for tomorrow and carry back home.

Irene was more than happy to talk about how they met and got together, and her sister expressed how much fun she had staying in Korea again. Amelia went as far as to say that she came thinking she’d get to spend some time with Irene, never expecting to end up with another cute sister that she considered kidnapping on her way back.

“Would you mind handing me that plate, Arthur?” Uncle asked as the two were alone in the kitchen, packing up the leftovers while the girls said their goodbyes.

“Need help?” Arthur asked, handing the plate.

“No, I got it,” he reassured him, packing the meat.

“Isn’t this a bit much?” Arthur awkwardly chuckled, feeling as if they packed a full lunch for four.

“Did you not like it?”

“No, no. I did. I just–”

“Relax.” He turned around, placing a hand on Arthur’s shoulder before his typically stern expression softened. “Arthur. . . I know you’re a good kid, but I want you to look me in the eyes and promise you’ll take good care of my precious niece.”

Arthur took a moment to think before looking him in the eyes.

“I know it might sound childish when I say this, but there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to keep her safe and smiling.” Arthur innocently smiled, fearing he couldn’t express how much he cared without it sounding tear-jerking. “I promise you, Uncle. I’ll take good care of her.”

“It doesn’t sound childish at all. Maybe not using the same words, but I said the same thing about my wife when I was your age.” He looked out the door, peeking into the living room, where the girls were just barely in sight. “Two years later, we got married, and look at us now.” He looked back at Arthur. “I believe you.”

“Thanks.” Arthur averted his gaze, still having a shy smile stuck to his face.

“If you ever need my help, you know where to find me,” he said, tapping Arthur’s shoulder. “But don’t think about marrying her in two years, okay? I knew my wife for nine years before that.”

Arthur chuckled, shaking his head. “I’ll consider it.”

“Good. Now let’s go back before someone accuses me of threatening a young man in love.”

Arthur nodded, looking back and locking eyes with Irene, whose smile left a warm feeling in his heart.

Chapter End.

Thank you for reading.