Chapter 30 : Do you want to go wash up first?
– “She’s beautiful.”
– “She’s really thoughtful.”
– “To me, she’s perfect in every way.”
‘W-What is happening!?’
Bada’s mind was spinning from the unexpected compliments. Her face felt so hot she could almost feel it.
She understood, of course.
That these were lines that had been prepared in advance.
‘But was Ha-neul really this good at acting?’
That wasn’t quite right.
Ha-neul was known for being pretty transparent when he was lying. No matter how she thought about it, his comments now seemed genuinely sincere.
What bothered her was,
Whenever Ha-neul made a bet or played a trick, his acting seemed to go through the roof. So she couldn’t make a quick judgment.
‘I started this, but…’
She had started with a mix of jokes and seriousness, but she hadn’t expected such a strong reaction. It was totally unexpected.
Sometimes people could be so indifferent, almost like they did it on purpose, which made her heart race uncontrollably.
“Well… We used to be like that too.”
At that moment, Ha-neul’s father, Kim Yosep, eased the tension. He kept nodding as if to reassure everyone and continued.
“In the old days, both my wife and I were quite fresh. Seeing you two brings back old memories.”
“Why bring up old stories? They’re nostalgic for us, but just old tales for the kids…”
“I want to hear it!”
Bada blurted out before she realized it.
She needed time to calm her racing heart, but more than that, she genuinely wanted to hear their story.
But her mind was still overloaded, and she couldn’t figure out what to say next.
Seeing Bada hesitate, Ha-neul’s mother, Jeong Maria, smiled gently.
“Now that I think about it, we’ve never shared this with our kids.”
“You never told us even when we asked?”
“Well…”
Jeong Maria turned her head to Kim Gureum’s question. Kim Yosep, who was at the end of the turn, looked flustered and turned his gaze away.
“Your father insisted I should never tell.”
“W-When did I ever say that!?”
“Oh, so it’s okay to tell everything then?”
“…Ahem!”
Kim Yosep’s attempt to avoid the topic didn’t fool Jeong Maria. With a smile still on her face, she began to speak slowly.
“We first met at a temple.”
“At a temple?”
“Yes, it’s been 30 years. When I first saw him, he didn’t have a single strand of hair.”
“You’re going to make the kids misunderstand if you put it that way!”
“Why don’t you just go to your room?”
“…”
Kim Yosep didn’t reply, just turning his head and keeping quiet, and Jeong Maria, with a smile, continued.
“At that time, your father was a monk. He left because he couldn’t stand the strict demands from his family.”
“Monk Yosep, really…”
“His Dharma name was different.”
Kim Yosep interjected, but everyone was more interested in what would come next.
“The rest is the usual story. He saw me at the temple, fell in love at first sight, and left the monkhood.”
“You were the one who pursued him first!”
“Who knew he’d be so easily won over?”
Jeong Maria didn’t deny the “pursued” remark at all. As the two of them bickered, everyone else couldn’t help but smile gently.
“So, why did you end up at the temple, Mom?”
“Your mom and I were in the same boat.”
“Huh?”
“We both left our families because we couldn’t stand them, so we had that in common.”
When Kim Gureum looked like she was questioning the truth of that, Jeong Maria just nodded quietly.
“‘Yosep’ and ‘Maria’ meeting at a temple? Their names alone are so religious. It’s like a faith merger.”
“I always say this, but you don’t have to follow the path your parents set for you.”
“Right, we’ll support you, but we don’t want to be a cage.”
In sync, both their gazes shifted to Bada at once.
“It’s the same for you, dear.”(1)
“Y-Yes!?”
“If you’re having a hard time, just talk to us. You’re part of the family now.”
Bada was momentarily speechless from the sincere offer. Unsure how to respond, she hesitated, and Ha-neul quickly intervened.
“We haven’t even had the wedding yet. If you keep this up, Bada-ssi will feel overwhelmed.”
“Look at that, taking care of our son and now his girlfriend too.”
“That’s different.”
“It’s a compliment. It should be this way moving forward.”
“Huh?”
Seeing Ha-neul’s puzzled expression, Kim Yosep spoke seriously, catching everyone’s attention with the weight of his words.
“No matter what anyone else says, you two need to trust each other. That way, you won’t falter.”
“……”
Although usually playful, Kim Yosep was serious when needed, and everyone could feel the sincerity behind his words.
After a brief, awkward silence,
Jeong Maria stepped in to change the subject before the mood became too heavy.
“How long have you two been together?”
“About a year since we officially started dating,” Ha-neul answered quickly.
This was a detail Bada and Ha-neul had discussed beforehand to avoid any issues with family or friends.
“Well, that’s longer than I thought.”
“I had no idea.”
“Yeah, I thought it had only been about two months.”
Noticing Jeong Maria’s keen observation about the length of their relationship, Bada swallowed nervously.
“Dear, you have to understand. We only heard about the sudden marriage and don’t know anything about how long you’ve been together.”
“It’s okay! Ask me anything you’re curious about.”
Bada responded confidently, and Jeong Maria’s smile widened. Seeing that smile, Bada felt a weird sense of déjà vu.
‘…That’s the same look Ha-neul makes when he’s teasing.’
Having spent a lot of time with Ha-neul recently, Bada had learned to recognize some of his expressions. He often used that same look when he was playfully teasing her.
Feeling nervous from being caught off guard so many times before, Bada took a sip of her tea to calm herself.
“Are you expecting a baby by any chance?”
“Cough-! Oh, sorry… Cough! Cough!”
“Oh my, are you okay!?”
“I’m fine… Cough!”
Surprised by the sudden question, Bada choked. Ha-neul quickly got up to help her.
As Bada started feeling a bit better, Ha-neul turned to his mother, Jeong Maria.
“Mom.”
“I’m sorry for making you jump. It’s just that when someone who’s never had a girlfriend suddenly talks about marriage, it’s natural for a parent to worry.”
“Still…”
“It’s okay, Ha-neul-ssi.”
Bada, having calmed down, cut in. She straightened her clothes and gathered her thoughts.
‘I let my guard down.’
She knew she had to be careful with Ha-neul’s parents, considering his own strong personality. This was like a battleground.
The people she was dealing with could either become her worst enemies or her best allies, depending on her actions. She had to remember that.
‘Pull yourself together, Bada.’
She couldn’t just rely on Ha-neul to get what she wanted. That would mean failing as a member of Daehan Group.
“There’s nothing to worry about. We’re not rushing into anything like that. We’re both still being very careful.”
Of course, she had thought about wanting a child when she saw Yena, but it was still too early.
Jeong Maria, understanding what Bada meant, nodded. With a kind smile, she continued.
“Don’t take it the wrong way. I was just concerned. Like I said, we don’t plan to interfere in your relationship.”
“…Mother.”
“I’d love to have a grandchild who looks like Bada, but I don’t want to put any pressure on you. You two should make your own decisions.”
At that moment, Bada felt a warmth she couldn’t quite describe. She could tell that Jeong Maria was genuine.
“I feel the same way.”
“Father?”
“It’s not really my place to say, especially since you haven’t even had the wedding yet. But enjoy your time together while you can. The time to create memories just for the two of you doesn’t last forever.”
“……”
Bada was a bit confused.
Before coming here, she had looked up countless examples online—dramas, novels, forums—anything about dealing with in-laws.
Naturally, most of it was negative, and pregnancy issues often led to conflicts with parents.
‘…I didn’t expect this kind of response.’
She wasn’t looking for a fight, but she thought there would be some disagreement on this topic.
Given the unexpectedly warm response, Bada wasn’t sure how to react.
“Dad, do you regret having me?”
Seeing Bada’s distress, Ha-neul stepped in with a playful tone to lighten the mood.
“There were times when I did.”
“Really?”
“Before I met Bada.”
“But I’m your own flesh and blood!”
“I’ll ask your in-laws at the wedding. Maybe they’d want to reconsider. Though I’m sure they’d say no.”
“Wow, that’s a bit much.”
The father-son joke lightened the mood. The rest of the family joined in, and the table became lively.
“Giving it to oppa and getting it from Bada unnie is a real win.”
“You’re not getting any more pocket money.”
“I’m sorry!”
Ha-neul’s family laughed and joked around. Bada realized that this easygoing atmosphere was meant to help her unwind.
…They’re really nice people.
A smile appeared on Bada’s face.
* * *
“Thanks for all your help, Bada-ssi.”
“You’ve had a tough time too, Ha-neul-ssi.”
“Well… Do you want to wash up first?”
“Oh, no! You go ahead. I’ll just take a break here for a bit.”
“If you’re uncomfortable, you can…”
“I’m fine!”
Bada quickly nudged Ha-neul out. He seemed to have more to say but eventually left the room.
*Bang—*
With the door closed, Bada was alone, covering her face with her hands. What was happening?
‘…How did I end up sleeping in Ha-neul’s room!?’
It all started with Jeong Maria.
When Ha-neul had briefly stepped out, she’d asked in a subtle tone.
-Dear, are you staying over tonight?
– Huh!? That’s…
– I don’t get to see my son often, and I don’t know when I’ll have another chance. It’s stormy outside, so why don’t you stay?
How could any daughter-in-law say no when her mother-in-law asked so sadly? Bada had nodded without thinking.
But Jeong Maria’s request had a hidden motive, which Bada only realized later.
– Unnie, don’t stress about what Mom said. It’s true he doesn’t come home often, but Mom misses the food more than anything.
– Huh?
Bada tilted her head in confusion. Kim Gureum shrugged and continued.
– You tasted the food earlier, right?
– You don’t mean…
– Our parents want to taste ‘breakfast made by Kim Ha-neul.’ Probably.
She’d been tricked.
There was no going back now. Bada sighed, trying to push her frustration aside.
What mattered now wasn’t the intention behind the mother-in-law’s request. She needed to focus on the situation at hand.
A man and woman alone in a room.
Just the two of them.
‘I wasn’t ready for this today!’
Sure, with the family in the next room, nothing would likely happen. But still, you never know.
Bada barely managed to stifle a scream. She tried to view the situation as objectively as she could.
‘Pull yourself together, Bada!’
She had been led around by Ha-neul’s family all day. For someone in Daehan Group, this was unacceptable.
She couldn’t change what had already happened, so she needed to make the best of the situation. Bada’s eyes sparkled with resolve.
[Note(1): 새아가- means new child or usually to address daughter in law, so, i felt that ‘dear’ fits the context here]
