Operation: Win Nayeon's Heart - Day 6 of 7

Jeongyeon would be lying to herself if she said she wasn't nervous for this day. Nayeon had planned for their families to have dinner together and Jeongyeon was almost pissing herself out of worry for what she was going to do later. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves, her heart was pounding in her chest thinking of all the things that could go wrong. She wouldn't want to accidentally cut herself while chopping up some tomatoes.

She is currently in the kitchen with her father and mother while her sisters were roaming around the house, tidying up the whole house. She could have helped them but her father wanted her to accompany them in preparing for the food since she still wasn't allowed to do any heavy work.

"Jeongyeon-ah," her mother called her softly. "Why do you look so nervous?"

Jeongyeon glanced at her mother. She put down the knife on the counter and sighed. "You think?"

Her father, who was grabbing something from the fridge, replied, "Don't worry, I'm sure they'll hear you out. I can't say for sure that they'll approve but at least you came clean to them about your intentions. Whatever happens, we'll always be here to support you."

She nodded, feeling a little relaxed because of her father's encouragement. Even though they have been friends with the Im family for almost a decade now, Jeongyeon couldn't help but feel intimidated at the thought of asking permission from Nayeon's parents to date their daughter. Both were rather strict and conservative- understandable given their Christian background- and she was worried they will react negatively. She'd do her best to convince them, though, as she really wanted to be with Nayeon. She'd been a coward for far too long and now had the courage to fight for her feelings.

Ultimately, Nayeon would still have the final say. Whatever happens, at least she won't be living in regret, wondering what could have happened.

Seungyeon and Seoyeon came in the kitchen looking worse for wear and were panting a little.

"We're done cleaning, eomma," Seoyeon said, wiping her sweat off her forehead.

"You better get that approval from her parents or I'm going to kick your ass, Yoo Jeongyeon," Seungyeon groaned, a hand on her hip and leaning backwards to stretch.

Jeongyeon clicked her tongue in annoyance. "That's not exactly a guarantee, unnie."

"You better not take a no for an answer, Kyungwan," Seoyeon stepped forward and menacingly pointed a finger towards Jeongyeon. "I want Nayeon as my sister-in-law."

Their parents laughed as Jeongyeon choked on nothing. "We'd like that very much too, you know," her father chimed in. "Nayeon is the only one I will accept as Jeongyeon's spouse."

Her family continued to tease her about giving Nayeon their last name and Jeongyeon could only wish she can teleport out of there to escape from them.

...

Jeongyeon decided to take a bath before the Ims arrived. She wanted to look clean and presentable to them of course. She'd gotten the go signal from the doctor that she could remove her neck brace for a few hours and it was refreshing to be able to bathe without it. She certainly didn't want to ask for permission from Nayeon's parents looking very much like an invalid.

She let the warm water wash over her body as she brought a hand up to the nape of her neck. She felt around there and her fingers grazed over the scar from her surgery. She sighed and slowly moved her head from side to side to test her neck's mobility. She grimaced as she could still feel a little sting when she moved her head but not as much as before.

She had gained a significant amount of weight over the week and her body didn't look the same anymore. She was starting to look like the chubby girl from her youth and Jeongyeon couldn't help but feel frustrated everytime she saw herself in the mirror. It's why she refrained from taking pictures and posting them on social media, she didn't want her fans to witness her supposed less than ideal figure.

She thought about how if it wasn't for her neck, she'd still be with her group and performing with them without a care in the world. She could still feel confident about her body and not look and feel so bloated. There was a knot in her gut when she started to think about whether or not her neck could ever go back to normal. What if she lived the rest of her life with a damaged neck? What if she had to leave her group? What if this injury signified the end of her career?

Before she knew it, Jeongyeon held back a sob as those thoughts came to the forefront of her mind and she couldn't think of anything else but her injury and how it will affect her. Fear slowly started to overwhelm her and before she knew it, she sunk to the floor, pulled her knees up, and rested her arms on them before crying. She was terrified at what would happen and she didn't even know how to stop worries from taking over her being. She felt dizzy, her heart and lungs felt heavy, and breathing had never felt more difficult. With the feel of water on her skin, she almost feels like she's drowning underwater. She was sinking into the deep end, unable to swim up.

She held a hand up her chest, taking deep breaths and managed to control her breathing again but she still felt like everything is crashing down on her all at once. She wasn't aware of how long she sat there, quietly sobbing into the palm of her hand so as not to alert her family in case they passed by the bathroom. She knew she needed to get out of the shower at some point before they become suspicious but for now, she just wanted to cry and have the water wash away her tears. She cried harder as she suddenly thought of Mina and what she went through a year ago. Was this how it felt like for her? she thought, feeling a little guilty and empathetic towards their youngest Japanese member who had had anxiety a year ago. I should've been there for her more. This really sucks.

After fifteen long, excruciating minutes later, Jeongyeon has managed to calm herself down. She had been in here for quite a while and she didn't want her family to worry. She wiped at her eyes even though her tears are probably mixed in with the water. She took a deep breath and slowly rose from the floor. She felt a little better now, crying felt strangely therapeutic but the bad thoughts were still in her mind. She tries to surpress them for a moment and, instead, focus on the dinner with Nayeon's family.

She wiped her face with a towel and checked her appearance in the mirror. Her eyes were a little bloodshot but other than that, she still looked presentable. It is an hour before Nayeon and her family will arrive and she could only hope the red in her eyes will fade by then. She scowled at the mirror as she took notice of her puffed up cheeks, her arms that are starting to thicken, her expanded waist; the physical evidence of her weight gain was becoming visible.

Not wanting to see herself in the mirror a second longer, she quickly made her way back to her room with a towel around her to cover her body and she was fortunate no one was around to see her saddened state.

...

It didn't take long for Jeongyeon to pull herself together before the Ims arrived. She was brushing her now dry hair when there was a doorbell that signified an arrival. She took deep breaths then stepped out of her room with a smile plastered on her face. She flattened the invisible creases on her shirt as she made her way to the living room.

There she saw two familiar women with Kookeu. With the lack of one male presence, Jeongyeon assumes Nayeon's father couldn't come as he was quite a busy man. He was a lawyer and runs a co-owned firm in Seoul so it was understandable. It'll be harder though because Jeongyeon hoped both parents were around so she could only face them once.

Nayeon's mother, Se-ah, was a beautiful woman in her prime and you can immediately see where Nayeon and her sister inherited their good looks from. "Jeongyeon-ah, how are you, dear?" Se-ah said as she saw Jeongyeon approach.

The latter bowed in respect before answering, "I'm doing good, eomonim. How is abeonim?"

"He's been very busy lately, I'm sorry he can't come tonight."

"Oh, there is no need to worry, Se-ah," Jeongyeon's mother reassured her. "We can catch up with him next time."

Jeongyeon turned to Nayeon's sister, Seoyeon, who was crouched on the floor with her arms sticking out, trying to get Bomb to approach her. She giggled as the cat walked away without glancing at her and Seoyeon pouted at being ignored. Seeing her like that, you wouldn't doubt she and Nayeon are sisters. "You'll have to excuse him, Seoyeon-ah," Jeongyeon said, patting her back. "He's like that to most of us, don't take it personally."

For a moment, Jeongyeon had the idea to have fun while Nayeon's sister was around given that she and Nayeon had sisters who shared the same name. She shook that thought off her head though since she had to be on her best behavior today.

"I'll just be in the kitchen, yeorobun, they might need my help," Jeongyeon said with a smile but before she could move from her spot, two arms encircled around her waist from behind.

"It's fine, I just came from there and everything's already set up," Nayeon said from behind her. "It's about time we gathered into the dining room, though."

"We'll go ahead while you both catch up," Se-ah said, dragging Seoyeon along with her. The youngest Im could be heard asking in a confused voice, "They've been together for practically the whole week, why do they still need to catch up?"

Nayeon pulled away and turned Jeongyeon's body to face hers before hugging her once again, burying her face into the latter's shoulder. "I missed hugging you like this. Your doctor finally allowed you to remove it?" she mumbled into Jeongyeon's shirt.

Jeongyeon wrapped her arms around Nayeon's shoulders, inhaling the scent of her hair before replying, "It's just for tonight but I feel better now. I might be able to completely remove it by next week."

"That's good news," Nayeon said, sighing. She stepped back after a few seconds and took Jeongyeon's hand in hers. "Come on, let's not keep them waiting." Jeongyeon couldn't contain her smile of pure happiness at her and Nayeon's newfound dynamic. They've been fighting a lot less and have been really sweet with each other the whole week. She really enjoyed being with Nayeon like this.

They made their way to the dining room where most of their family members are seated except for Jeongyeon's parents and Seungyeon who were bringing their food to the table. It was fortunate their round dinner table was big enough for at least twelve of them despite there only being five members in Jeongyeon's family. Her father bought the table in hopes that one day, all of TWICE would be able to eat with them in the Yoo household. With how many years it has been since they debuted, it was a wonder how they've never gone around to eating at Jeongyeon's house as a whole but it was mostly due to their hectic schedules that they were unable to do so.

Nayeon was about to drag Jeongyeon to a seat beside her when the latter called from the doorframe connecting the kitchen and dining room, "Eomma, you guys need help?"

"No need, Jeongyeon-ah. Three people is enough to bring the food, you can just take a seat. This'll be quick, don't worry."

She nodded before sitting on an empty chair beside Nayeon. Her family followed not long after, bringing plates, bowls, and whatnot to the table as they settled in. Se-ah took charge in praying for the meal before they started digging into their food.

The younger Seoyeon stared at the food on the table, almost salivating. "Wow, it's been a long time since I've seen or even tasted your food, abeonim. I'm getting really excited!" she turned to her unnie before saying, "You're a lucky girl if you marry Jeongyeon-unnie, you get to eat like this every day."

Jeongyeon and Nayeon flushed at the statement while the others laughed at their expense. "I-I wouldn't be so sure about that. She doesn't even know how to cook," Nayeon retorted though stuttering a little.

"Hey," Jeongyeon protested. "Just so you know, I can cook a little and I'm really good when it comes to barbecue. Besides, if I do get married, I'll have my appa to teach me how to cook. It's not that hard."

"Wait, you know how to do barbecue, Jeongyeon-unnie?" Seoyeon gasped. "That's great! Nayeon-unnie and I have been craving for samgyeopsal lately but we've never gone out since we're all busy. Maybe you can grill for us next time."

"Sure! Why not?" Jeongyeon's father said in agreement. "It'll be great if we can get together like this every once in a while. We can invite the other members and their families too if they are available. It's always fun spending time with the girls but they have always been so busy."

Nayeon smiled at him. "Don't worry, abeonim. We'll try to make time for a get together."

Jeongyeon piped in, "Appa, we can still do it before our comeback preparations. Our managers and PD-nim haven't called us for a meeting yet. When our foreign members come back after the week off, we can all do a barbecue here." She paused and turned to Se-ah. "Would you like to join us on that day, eomonim? We can have it around five in the late afternoon so you guys can come after work or when Seoyeon's classes end."

"That's very kind of you, Jeongyeon-ah. We'll definitely try to go. I can't make any promises, though."

Jeongyeon grinned happily at that. So far, buttering up Nayeon's family had been a huge success. Don't get her wrong, she isn't just saying those things to paint herself in a good light. She genuinely wanted to spend time with Nayeon's family.

The rest of dinner went without a hitch. The dining room was quite lively and Jeongyeon loved this atmosphere. She wished she could still have this after she asks for Se-ah's consent or after she finally confesses to Nayeon. This is one thing she was afraid to lose when things go south between them. However, she had faith that the Ims wouldn't push her away if it happens since their families have been friends for years.

She felt a hand on hers under the table and looked to her side to see a smiling Nayeon but her eyes held curiosity in them. She leaned forward to whisper lowly, "You look pretty deep in thought. Is everything okay?"

Jeongyeon smiled at her in reassurance and shook her head. "Everything's wonderful, unnie. It's just been a while since our families have been together like this, I kind of missed it."

"Yeah, I know the feeling," Nayeon smiled and squeezed her hand. They both subtly looked around as their families continued to converse with each other, content on just looking on at the scene with their hands intertwined.

...

It was a little after dinner and Nayeon volunteered to do the dishes with Seungyeon while the older Seoyeon and her parents fixed the table. They explained that Jeongyeon has been banned from participating in hard labor until the week ends so she is sent to entertain Nayeon's mother and sister in the living room. She wanted to help them clean up but she knew it was part of their plan to get her alone with Nayeon's family without the latter getting suspicious.

She closed the door connecting the living room and dining room before turning to Se-ah and the younger Seoyeon. "Um... I was wondering if I could talk to you guys about something."

Se-ah and Seoyeon exchanged a look. "I have a feeling of what this can be about," Se-ah disclosed. "Let's sit down for this first."

Jeongyeon made her way to her father's recliner facing the couch and sat on it while the two Ims sat on the wide couch. She fiddled with her fingers nervously and looked down at her hands. She cleared her throat then looked up towards them before saying with conviction, "Eomonim, Seoyeon-ah, I would like to formally ask your permission for me to date Nayeon."

She was met with silence but she decided to push on before they interrupt her.

"I love Nayeon with all my heart. You might not give me your blessing now but I will not give up until you allow me. I am planning to confess to her tomorrow and it would mean a lot to me if I am able to confess to her without feeling guilty about disappointing you. Nayeon and I have been best friends for so long and our families have gotten close over the years that I can say you guys are family to me as well. I wouldn't want to do anything to damage that bond between us but lately, I've been willing to take risks as long as it's for Nayeon."

She smiled a little, feeling a little confident now when she could see they were actually listening to her. "Please let me date her. I would do my very best to make her happy. I can't promise that I won't make her cry because it might happen, even on accident. But if there is one thing I can be sure about, it's that I will never leave her.

"I want to be the constant in her life she can always count on, I will try to protect her from anything that could cause her to lose her smile. If her life is in danger, I would be ready to sacrifice mine if it will guarantee that she lives for another day. I want to be there to dry her tears or be her shoulder to cry on when she is sad, celebrate with her when she is happy, hear her out when she is feeling down, be there for her when she is facing problems or difficulties, and support her in anything that she will do. I want to give her everything that she deserves because that is how much she means to me and all I want is for her to be happy. She will be happy with me if you'll let me date her."

There was a silence after she was done with her speech and during that time, Jeongyeon could wait anxiously for any reaction coming from them. Seoyeon and Se-ah glanced at each other, seemingly communicating through their eyes while Jeongyeon looked back and forth between them to gauge their expressions but both kept quite neutral throughout the ordeal that it left the latter more anxious than ever at what they could say in response to her earlier declarations.

Finally, Se-ah looked at her with a gentle smile. "I'm not going to lie, Jeongyeon-ah. I've usually been against relationships between people of the same gender. It's not only because of our religion either, I just generally dislike the idea of anything that seems unnatural."

Jeongyeon nodded in understanding. Of course, she didn't expect them to accept it so easily. Even she went through a period of self loathing, wondering if she was abnormal for having feelings for a girl but in the end, she learned to accept it with the help of her family.

"But..." Seoyeon continued for her, glancing at her mother for a little bit as if checking to see if they were still on the same page. "If there is anyone that we can entrust my unnie to, it would be you, Jeongyeon-unnie."

Jeongyeon felt a wave of relief wash over her and she gave a little smile, trying to rein in her happiness at Seoyeon's words. She decided to stay silent as she could see they still had more to say.

Se-ah leaned forward to her. "To be honest, I'm still unsure about this, Jeongyeon-ah. I haven't quite wrapped my head around it and I'll be questioning whether or not my own daughter could like girls. I am at a loss on how to react to this without offending anyone because I wouldn't want to damage our relationship with you and your family as well. You have been a big part of our lives for a long time and I'd hate to have to let that go.

"My husband and I have talked about this before when we brought up this 'what if' conversation and I will tell you what we agreed on." She paused here, looking at Jeongyeon with gentle eyes. "We can't guarantee that we will give full support from the start if you ever get into a relationship with Nayeon. But we can learn to accept it with time, just like how we learned to trust that Nayeon can debut as an idol or that she can be successful in her chosen career. Our religion and beliefs are important to us but there is nothing more important than our daughters' happiness."

Se-ah smiled genuinely at Jeongyeon, reaching forward to grab the latter's hand, patting it. "Jeongyeon-ah, we wouldn't dream of stopping you from dating Nayeon if it will make my daughter happy. As long as you keep true to your words, we will have no problem with that."

The only other time Jeongyeon felt happiness like this was when she finally debuted. She got the parent's approval! She wanted to jump up and down in excitement, Jeongyeon could almost feel her face split into two at how big her smile is. She was also getting kind of choked up at the thought of Nayeon's mother trusting her so much she'd allow Jeongyeon to date her daughter even though it goes against her beliefs.

With tears pooling into her eyes, she stood in front of them and gave them a low bow, ignoring the sharp jolt of pain on her neck. "Thank you, eomonim! I will not to let you down. I will take care of Nayeon and make her happy to the best of my abilities."

Seoyeon sighed. "Ya, unnie, there is no need for that." She stood up along with her mother and had Jeongyeon stand upright. She pulled Jeongyeon into a quick hug. "Annoy her every day for me, arasseo?"

Jeongyeon and Se-ah chuckled as she let go of the embrace and stepped back to give space to her mother. Se-ah wrapped her arms around Jeongyeon, patting the latter's head and combing her fingers through her hair. "I wish the best for you, Jeongyeon-ah. After everything you all have been through, you deserve the world as well. Remember that," she said then pulled away, her hands resting on Jeongyeon's shoulders.

"What is going on here?" a voice came from the door to the dining room and they all turned to see Nayeon wiping her hands with a white hand towel. She was looking worriedly at Jeongyeon who was trying to wipe her eyes secretly as a few tears had dropped from Se-ah's last words.

"Why is Jeongyeon crying?" she asked, dropping the towel on the floor and quickly walking towards the latter. She pushed Jeongyeon's hands off her face and cupped her cheeks with her own. She turned to her mother and sister, her eyes curious and a little stony. "What happened?"

"Nayeon, gwaenchanha," Jeongyeon said, trying to take Nayeon's attention away from her them. She grabbed Nayeon's hands and rubbed the back of her hand to calm her down. "I had something in my eye and your mother was trying to get rid of it," she assured, her eyes looking apologetically towards Se-ah and Seoyeon.

"Are you sure?" Nayeon asked, her thumbs caressing Jeongyeon's cheeks.

"Yeah, of course. Everything's fine. Trust me."

Pacified, Nayeon nodded. She turned back to her mother and sister and mumbled an apology to which both women brushed off, understanding she was only worried about Jeongyeon. She missed the knowing and teasing looks they gave to Jeongyeon who had a slight blush on her cheeks when she pulled the latter in her embrace.