I think I've seen something similar to this somewhere. Like asking to shake a carrot if you're receiving unfair demands.

"Hurry and tell us. Before Rina comes out. Quickly!"

"Please tell us, Seojin."

"Don't worry about Rina. I'll scold her. Did Rina really do something bad?"

A sudden question. I almost answered "Yes" to that. That their daughter acted like a sex maniac for four days and nights. I have no idea how she could be so explicit when she's never even dated a man!

"Well, Father. Mother. I understand why you're asking like this... but nothing like that happened."

Irina. You should really be grateful to me. You should even bow. I won't tell the facts because your parents might worry.

Your daughter's eyes glinted like a leopard stalking a deer every night! I'm saying I'll just forget and let it pass for now!

"R, really? Really?"

"Yes. Threats or bad things. Irina never did anything like that, so please be at ease."

Then Irina's mother lets out a "whew!" sigh of relief. Plus the father patting his wife's shoulder as if saying good job. You two have really suffered a lot thanks to your fire-attribute filial daughter...

"Well, then. Rina has been saying strange things since earlier."

Of course it's strange talk. She was spouting nonsense about family and such. It's fortunate that you two are very good, rational people. If it were a family that treasures their daughter, they might have grabbed my collar immediately.

Think about it. A daughter you've raised preciously suddenly introduces a man you've never seen. Then says she has to marry him, that they've become that kind of relationship - what reaction would come? Nine out of ten would misunderstand 'Did this guy touch our daughter?!'

But the two people sitting in front were different. Very calm. It was very impressive that they tried to determine the facts first.

'Thank you, Mother. Father. And it's a mystery of the ages. How did a weirdo like Irina pop out from between you two?'

It's not like they didn't do family education well, they seem to have done very well. At this level, weight has to be given to the Irina brain damage theory.

"That is... first, before explaining in detail. I want to say in advance that I have never had strange thoughts or feelings toward your daughter. I am truly innocent."

"That would be fine though..."

"Pardon?"

"Ah! No. Continue what you were saying."

What? Just now, Irina's mother seemed to say something strange. I tilted my head briefly but decided to quickly spill the facts first. Since Irina who went to the bathroom might come back anytime and interfere.

"First, what happened was..."

After the fierce battle with the Elder ended, we were both seriously injured. Especially Irina's condition wasn't very good with a terrible penetrating wound in her stomach. In the midst of that, when collapsed Irina asked for a kiss, I unconsciously did it. I did it thinking maybe this would make her cling to life a little more.

"...So that's what happened."

After my explanation ended, Father lets out a contemplative sound and nods.

It's not the look of someone looking at a thief who stole his only daughter's lips. It was just a gaze full of pitiful emotions.

And Irina's mother sitting next to him...

"That child really! She's determined to block a decent man's marriage path!"

"Honey. Let's calm down for now..."

"That's not right! He's a benefactor who even saved her life. Instead of repaying that favor, she forced a kiss and then almost forcibly asked him to date her!"

"That's right. Rina did wrong. But let's stop here for now. We have to eat soon and Seojin in front would be uncomfortable, so could he even take a proper spoonful?"

At Father's passionate words, Mother takes a deep breath with "whew!" Then she tries to say something with a finally calmed expression—

"I'm back! How did the future son-in-law and conversation go well?"

At Irina's appearance, Father goes "whoosh whoosh!" with eye signals. It seems to mean don't do it, stop it... hmm, seems too late.

"Irina! You come here!"

"Hieek!? Why, why again! Ueeek!"

In the end, Mother grabbed Irina's hair. As expected, being a parent is definitely humanity's worst job.

"...If we kissed, isn't everything done now? Mom is too much."

Irina grumbles while tidily fixing her disheveled hair. She seems to think it's unfair, but you're going to...

"Mouth!"

At Mother's warning, Irina immediately shuts her mouth with "keeng!" I knew it would be like that. Why do you keep provoking Mother?

"Stay quiet and just eat. When we get home, just wait and see."

"Hying."

"Oh really! That child."

Mother, who shook her head, glances at me.

"It's embarrassing. And I'm sorry. For Rina being so rude."

"Mom! Rude! Oppa did it right away too! That means he liked it enough to..."

Slide—

When Mother picks up her spoon, Irina immediately shrinks back. Really, she showed no cowering in front of Elders. She can become this small in front of her mom.

Some guys are small in front of other people but talk back to their parents. Looking at this, Irina seems normal again, which is scary.

"Well, Seojin? I could do it myself."

"No. I'll do it, so please just stay still."

Sizzle!—

Even when the two parents said they'd do it, even when the employee came and said he'd do it. I refused everything and personally stir-fried the chicken galbi on the iron plate. The reason being that when others do it, somehow it doesn't taste like I'm used to.

"It's done. Please eat! Thank you for the meal."

...Yeah, damn it. This is food. Spicy, sweet, and salty food! Being sick in body is less scary than having to eat hospital food. I still wonder how you're supposed to get better eating that. No matter how bad stimulating food is for your body... still, this is right.

"Please eat quickly. It'll all burn at this rate."

"Ah, yes. I understand. I'll eat well."

Eat well? I'm not the one buying this.

"This benefactor who tried to help Rina, we should do everything for him..."

Both parents think I went to that dangerous place to save Irina. Well, if you really consider it, it's not entirely wrong. Actually, I went there because I was worried about Irina facing three Elders.

But the one who actually received help there could be said to be me. Looking at it, Hyeon Sujin's physical condition wasn't normal, so a decisive battle was impossible. And Kwak Hyuk and Alexei were also being pushed by Irina.

They used tricks to take out one of Irina's arms, but that was the end. If they had continued fighting in that state, the winner would very likely have been Irina. Instead, she wouldn't have been able to kill Kwak Hyuk and Irina herself would have been more wounded.

"Will this really be enough? I'd like to do something more grand..."

"I'll just accept the sentiment. This is really enough for me. So please don't worry unnecessarily and eat quickly."

You all need to eat heartily so I can eat heartily too. This is also quite awkward to watch, it's a bit awkward to eat alone when others aren't eating. You have to eat at the same pace together to not feel self-conscious.

"Seojin seems like a really good person."

While removing cabbage, removing sweet potato, removing rice cake. Targeting only chicken galbi, Father says that. Thanks to that, I felt a bit guilty. Did he notice I'm only eating chicken?

"Other people usually try to get away in fear when they see our Rina."

Then Irina sitting next to me smiles as if agreeing. Geez, you're not eating the chicken galbi and why are you gulping down dongchimi? I understand why your mother says her heart bursts just looking at you.

More than that, Father. I'm actually not much different. I'd also like to keep some distance from this woman if I could. But when I'm actually like that, I keep getting anxious. Losing the Superman who protects this world would be a major accident.

"Please take good care of Rina from now on."

"Honey. If you say it like that, Seojin will feel burdened."

"Oh my. I didn't mean it that way. Just in case..."

At their words, I smiled and slowly shook my head. Meaning it's not burdensome at all. Meaning I understand what you mean.

At the same time, just a little bit, I also wanted to take care of this chatterbox who could bounce anywhere. ...Am I crazy for thinking this? Yeah. I'm definitely crazy. I've been sharing a hospital room with Irina and the madness rubbed off. Damn it.

"Thank you for the delicious lunch. Please get home safely."

*

Unfortunately, I lives in a different apartment from Seojin oppa. I thought about moving there, but of course it failed because of mom.

"He's a good person. You, if you keep bothering him, you'll get in trouble."

"Ah, mom. I'm wronged, I tell you? Bothering him. Mom, when your daughter got kissed, don't you think like making him take responsibility, or now he has no choice but to become a son-in-law!"

"As if I would. You go in and see. Haven't you been acting up again because you haven't been scolded for a few days?"

Mom is really too much. If I had pressured Seojin oppa just a little bit. With oppa's personality, he would have said "Ugh!" and then positively considered it. If only that had happened, I could have pushed away Kim Suhyeon, that woman in one go...

'Ah, right. Come to think of it, I forgot about that.'

I immediately touched my phone screen to check Kim Suhyeon's messenger.

I should brag. I want to brag. About who Seojin oppa had lunch with today. The most official event you do first when thinking about each other's future. Meeting parents and having conversations - I did that today!

[ Hey, Kim Suhyeon. I had lunch with Seojin oppa? And our parents were there too. Mom and dad said they really like Seojin oppa... ]

...Ah. Damn. No matter how I think about it, this doesn't seem right. I sighed and completely deleted the message I had been writing enthusiastically.

No matter how I think about it. Even if I'm a crazy girl, this seems to cross the line.

I also roughly know about Kim Suhyeon, that woman's family situation. She lost her mother early and her father is so busy with various things that it's hard to even see him. In such a situation, bringing up parents was really not right, no matter how I thought about it.

Sigh. Kim Suhyeon, you. Be thankful you were born in Confucian Korea!