03/14
I knew I needed to make this trip home sooner or later. For two reasons; the first being for me to ask for Soo-Yin's father's permission for her hand in marriage--the second was, (if he approved) to have him help me get an idea of what kind of ring would best fit. That's why I didn't tell her what I was really coming here for.
As far as she knows, I'm here for business. I mean, technically this is business. It's just not the business I led on about. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to surprise her next month.
I remember on our little getaway trip with Namjoon and Lu-Shi she mentioned how much she loved her mother's ring. She said that was one thing that stuck out to her, in her memories. She said her mother's ring was simple; the band itself one diamond on it and the second band had small diamonds in it. I had a pretty good idea of what I'd be working with to start drawing up plans for it. I'm just going to put my own touch into it once I get it designed.
I knew I was getting close. A sense of nostalgia came over me and I smirked. It had been a good while since I had been back home--too long in fact. Once I arrived in town, I couldn't believe how much it hadn't changed. It still looked the exact same, as if it was frozen in time. I drove down the street, looking for her dad's noodle shop.
"What did she say the name of her dad's noodle shop was?" I asked myself. "Come on, Yoongi think..."
Kim's Noodle Company--nope that's not it. Noodles & Grub--nope. House of Noodles? Close...come on!
Just then, my eyes widened as my eyes landed on the building and immediately read the sign.
"Dynasty Noodle Shop! That's it!" I exclaimed as I parked my car.
I quickly unbuckled myself, grabbed my keys and got out of my car. I shut my car door and stared up at the sign, I swallowed hard. I knew for my own good, I needed to ask his permission. I wanted her father's approval. I took in a deep breath, and opened the door. The savory aroma of ramen filled the air. The decor was actually really nice, very traditional looking. The bell hanging on the door dinged and a teenager came up front. He looked to be about fifteen or sixteen, give or take.
"Hi, welcome to Dynasty Noodle Shop!" he said cheerily. I cleared my throat and sighed.
"I'm here to see the chef--the owner, Kim Dong-Lee. I'm Soo-Yin's--"
Before I could finish, the teenager bolted towards the back of the restaurant. Thankfully I was the only customer in here. After a few minutes, the teenager came out with an older man. He looked a lot like Soo-Yin...or rather Soo-Yin looked like him. I swallowed hard as he made eye contact with me.
Why am I feeling nervous now?!
"Alright, thanks Seok-Min." Soo-Yin's dad said to the teenager. "Head on home, I'm sure your mom's gonna kill me for working a double yesterday and then again today. I'll see you, mom and your brother when I get home."
"Thanks dad," the teenager said, he took off his hat and ran out the back door. Then I heard footsteps from upstairs, which I paid no mind to.
Dong-Lee's gazed fixated on me as he stepped behind the counter. He grabbed two bottles of soju and set them down on the counter.
"Come sit down." Dong-Lee said sternly. I walked over and sat down in front of him. His gaze was still locked on me as he opened the bottles of soju.
"My name is--"
"Min Yoongi, I know." Dong-Lee replied sternly. "My daughter has mentioned you to me through the occasional text messages she sends me. If you're her boyfriend and you drove all the way out here from Seoul, to talk to me...that can mean only one thing."
I looked away from him and took a quick swig of soju. He looked directly at me as he took a drink. Then, all of a sudden, Dong-Lee's whole demeanor changed.
"Are you going to ask my daughter to marry you?" Dong-Lee asked, his eyes softened and a wide smile coming across his face.
"Yes. I am." I replied. "But I'm seeking your approval first. I want your blessing to do so before I ask her."
"Of course--you have it." Dong-Lee said happily.
What happened to the eagle eyed dragon that looked like he was going to bite my head off a minute ago?
"But, Mr. Kim...I hate to ask but, what all exactly has Soo-Yin told you about me?" I asked. "I just didn't expect you to just--"
"Look at me, son--you make my daughter very happy from what little bit she has told me. As long as you make her happy and well taken care of by you, that's all that matters to me the most. Soo-Yin is my only daughter and I love her dearly." Dong-Lee replied with his hand on my shoulder.
"If you don't mind, Mr. Kim, could you help me with something?" I asked.
"Sure, whatever you need, don't hesitate to ask."
"I was planning on designing Soo-Yin's ring. I remember she had mentioned her mother's ring--"
A grin came across Dong-Lee's face and then his eyes started to tear up. I knew mentioning her late mother might've been a bit of a risk. He cleared his throat and coughed a bit.
"Hold that thought son. Let me run upstairs, I'll be right back." He said as he walked out from behind the counter. He then went through the back and I heard his feet as he walked upstairs. A few minutes later he came back down and walked back downstairs, holding a little black box in his hand. He then extended his hand out to me and placed the box in my hand. I carefully opened it and immediately knew that it her mother's ring. I carefully pulled it out and looked at it. It was just as Soo-Yin described it, but the wedding band that she mentioned wasn't with it. It was just the band with the singular diamond in the middle.
"I held onto my late wife's wedding ring. I couldn't bare to part with it, not just for my sake, but for Soo-Yin. I bought this for her mother after we turned eighteen and I asked her father for his blessing. It's one of the only trinkets of my late wife's I have left. After her death, Soo-Yin had a very hard time with it and when I remarried, she had a very hard time with that--I can't say I blame her. I've never wanted my daughter to feel unloved or unwanted by me or her stepmother. I understand her reasoning though, she felt like I was replacing her mother." He then paused for a brief moment and took in a deep breath. He sighed heavily.
"Soo-Yin deserves to have this piece of her mother with her. If this ring could talk, it would tell a beautiful story." Dong-Lee said sweetly, holding back his tears. "Now it's time for this ring to experience a new love story--yours and my daughter's. It may need a good cleaning and what have you. But...you can still design the actual wedding band however you want."
I was left practically speechless.
"Okay," I replied as I carefully put the ring back in it's box. I held the box firmly in my hand.
I had soaked in everything Dong-Lee had said like a sponge. It explained why Soo-Yin's relationship with her father was a bit strained. Just as I took another swig of soju, it started pouring rain outside.
It would be just my luck for it to start pouring. I thought to myself.
"Come on, son. You can't drive back to Seoul with it pouring rain. You had quite a drive out here and it's supposed to rain all night. Just come upstairs with me, my wife makes delicious stew, it'll stick to your bones. Oh and you can sleep in Soo-Yin's old bedroom upstairs." Dong-Lee stated. My eyes widened and I looked at him like he was crazy.
"Wait, what?" I asked, feeling flustered. Dong-Lee laughed at my expression and headed towards the back of the shop. He stopped, turned to me and then motioned my hand for me to follow him.
"Come on, I know I didn't stutter." Dong-Lee laughed.
You crazy bastard. I thought to myself as I chuckled. I got up and followed Soo-Yin's father through the back halfway, and then up a small flight of stairs.
"Honey!" Dong-Lee shouted as he opened the door in front of hin. "We're going to be having a guest tonight."
"Kim Dong-Lee! After working a double last night and then a full shift today, you're going to work yourself to death." a short woman yelled as she made her way towards the door.
"We have a guest staying with us tonight." Dong-Lee said firmly as he pointed at me with his thumb. "He's Soo-Yin's fiancé."
She then peered around Dong-Lee to look at me. She looked like a kind, sweet woman.
"Hi, my my name is Min Yoongi. I'm sorry for the intrusion," I apologized as I bowed my head. "I'll be out first thing in the morning."
"No need to apologize dear. I'm Kyung-Lee, Soo-Yin's stepmother." She said sweetly. "Wait...Dong-Lee, do you have any idea how long we've waited for Soo-Yin to bring home a boyfriend?! Now she's not even here and she has a fiancé! Oh. My. God!"
"I know, it's exciting isn't it?" Dong-Lee added.
"You two are just way too much for me right now." A teenager groaned as he scrolled through his phone. It wasn't the same fifteen year old I had met earlier. This kid looked to be maybe 18.
"Kim Soo-Min!" Dong-Lee's wife snapped. "You know its rude to be on your phone when we have company."
"I know. I'd rather see Sok-Min oppa or Soo-Yin noona anyway." He then glanced up at them and sighed. "I'm going to bed, goodnight everyone!"
I shook my head and couldn't help but laugh. He actually reminded me a lot of myself, even now.
"Kim Soo-Min!" Dong-Lee's wife said sternly. She then sighed heavily as Soo-Min went and shut his bedroom door.
"Sorry about that." Dong-Lee whispered to me. "At least Seok-Min isn't that much of a hard ass. Sok-Min wasn't even that difficult at that age either."
"Oh it's nothing, I was like that at one point too." I chuckled.
"Dong-Lee, you go shower and wash up. I'll show go and show Yoongi Soo-Yin's old room where he'll be sleeping." Dong-Lee's wife said sweetly just before she kissed him on the cheek.
"You're making your stew right?" Dong-Lee asked.
"Yes, it's been on the stove all day, no go wash up my love." She replied. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and headed towards bedroom in the back.
Then, Soo-Yin's stepmom smiled and me and motioned for me to follow her.
"Soo-Yin's old room is this way." She said excitedly.
She opened the door and led me into Soo-Yin's old room and I couldn't believe my eyes. The walls were a light pink color and were pictures of Super Junior and SHINee all over her walls. The decor was quintessentially Soo-Yin.
"I know it's probably more girlie than you expected; but believe it or not, Soo-Yin used to be a huge K-Pop fan. Her favorite from Super Junior was Heechul and her favorite from SHINee was Taemin." Kyung-Lee said as she glanced around Soo-Yin's room.
"I can see that," I laughed. Thank God, I've got her and not Jimin-ssi. I thought to myself.
I turned to the right, I noticed a small chest of drawers by the window. There were multiple pictures of her as a child with her brother. I smiled at that. She was so cute, even back then. I turned around walked over towards her bed. My eyes landed on a picture of a young Soo-Yin with her mother on the nightstand next to her bed. I picked up the picture and stared at it.
Soo-Yin definitely looked more like her dad. Her mother was beautiful, I could easily see where she got her beautiful eyes from. I smiled at the picture as I set it back down.
"Her mother was my best friend, Kim Min-Na." Kyung-Soo said softly. "She was a lot like Soo-Yin, or rather...Soo-Yin is a lot like her mother. Her mother and I were really close. It was hard for all of us when she passed and I know the kids took it the hardest. I tried my best to be a mother-like figure for her afterwards, but she was resistant. When her father and I married a year later, Soo-Yin didn't take it well. She did gradually soften her heart towards me, but...she's still guarded sometimes. Which I understand..."
"Mmm," I mumbled as I looked at her. Kyung-Lee shook her head and smiled.
"I'm sorry--"
"Oh no, it's alright." I sighed. "I think I'm just going to sit in here and marvel at all of her Super Junior and SHINee posters." I chuckled as I sat down on her bed.
"Okay, come sit with us for dinner. It should be done here soon. I'll have Dong-Lee or one of the boys get you once it's done." Kyung-Lee said as she walked towards the door.
"Sure," I replied. Kyung-Lee then exited Soo-Yin's old room and I laid back on the pillow with my hands behind my head. I sighed heavily, gazing over her ceiling, which also had posters on it. Except these were posters exclusively of Heechul and Taemin. I smiled and started laughing.
Jeez Soo-Yin, you were obsessed with Heechul and Taemin both weren't you? I asked myself as I kept laughing. I sighed and shook my head.
..........
I
rolled over in Soo-Yin's old bed and grabbed my phone, it was about 8:00PM. I would've been getting home right about now if it wouldn't have been pouring it's ass off outside. I quickly opened it and began texting her.
Me: Hey baby. I'm stuck out here until tomorrow morning. It started pouring rain right after the meeting was over with. I'll be home to you soon, I promise.
My Snow Lily: Awww :( I wish I was there with you...I miss you.
Me: I miss you too. The faster you fall asleep, the time will go by faster.
My Snow Lily: I know, I know.
Me: I love you my snow lily. I will see you tomorrow. Goodnight and sweet dreams. Oh, and be sure to dream of me and ONLY me ;)
My Snow Lily: Hahaha. You know I will be ;)
Me: Goodnight my snow lily.
My Snow Lily: Goodnight my Yoongi