Day Fifteen. 7:01 AM.
Soo-Min opened the door to find her mother standing there.
Holding kimchi. Wearing her judgment glasses.
"Surprise."
Min-Jae walked out of the bathroom half-asleep in pajamas with pineapples on them.
"Is that your… mom?"
"Yes. And she's here to ruin our lives."
---
Scene 1: The Parents Arrive
By 8:15 AM, both their parents were in the apartment.
Her mom. His dad. Together. Drinking tea. Judging everything.
"So," Soo-Min's mom said, squinting. "You two live alone. Together."
"In separate rooms," Soo-Min clarified.
"But share food," Min-Jae's dad added. "And have matching toothbrush holders."
Soo-Min glared. "Why do you know about our toothbrush holders?"
"It's on your TikTok."
They both screamed.
---
Scene 2: The Accidental Proposal
To calm their parents, Soo-Min served lunch.
Min-Jae, trying to help, pulled out a ring box.
"Here! I found this in the junk drawer, remember? It's your fake ring for that prank you—"
He froze. Her mom gasped. His dad dropped a dumpling.
Soo-Min stared at the ring.
"Min. Jae."
"No. No. I didn't mean—this isn't—I swear, it's not what it looks like."
Her mom squealed. "OH MY GOD HE'S PROPOSING IN FRONT OF US."
His dad clapped. "My son is finally useful!"
"WE ARE NOT ENGAGED!" they both yelled.
Bokki meowed. Loudly. With authority.
---
Scene 3: Bokki the Brand Ambassador
While the parents buzzed about wedding dates, Soo-Min opened her phone.
DM from @WhiskerMunch:
> Hello! We'd like Bokki to represent our luxury pet treats. Can we send a PR box?
She showed it to Min-Jae.
"Bokki has a brand deal now."
"Our cat is more accomplished than us."
"He's not even our cat. He chose us."
Later, Bokki posed for his first sponsored post — wearing tiny sunglasses beside a bowl of caviar-flavored crunchies.
Caption: Love is fake. Treats are real.
---
Scene 4: Parental Confusion
That night, their parents sat them down.
Her mom: "So, when's the wedding?"
His dad: "Can I wear a hanbok or should I go Western-style?"
Soo-Min: "There's. No. Wedding."
Min-Jae: "We're not even officially dating."
Her mom blinked. "Not dating? But I saw the curtain silhouette!"
"That was Bokki!"
"...You kiss your cat?"
"WHAT—NO!"
They both stormed out onto the balcony.
---
Scene 5: Balcony Breathers
"Well, that escalated," Soo-Min muttered.
Min-Jae chuckled. "They're planning color palettes."
"My mom asked what flower matches my sarcasm."
He smiled at her.
"You know… the proposal thing wasn't that terrible."
"If you ever actually propose, don't do it while holding kimchi."
"Got it. No fermented vegetables during life milestones."
They looked at each other.
Something quiet passed between them.
"You think maybe… someday, when it's real… we'll look back and laugh?"
He nodded.
"Probably while Bokki signs autographs."
She smiled.
And for once, the chaos felt just right.
---
End of Chapter 16