My Girlfriend Is Very Good to Me

The man who entered through the recently opened door had a face strikingly similar to Heena's, accompanied by an elegant elderly lady whose casual attire contrasted with the serious demeanor of the gentleman.

They must be Heena's parents.

I quickly got up, giving myself a mental pat on the back for my swift reflexes. I even turned off the TV at lightning speed.

I let out a quiet sigh of relief. It wasn’t my place to speak before Heena, so I shifted my gaze to the side.

Someone was glancing towards the entrance with a slightly plump face.

"You said you'd be here around 3?"

"Ugh, your father was so eager to come home early. Are you with your boyfriend?"

"Yes."

The sudden appearance of the two left me bewildered.

Yet, as soon as they mentioned my presence, I reacted reflexively.

"Ah, hello! My name is Han Yeonho!"

I straightened up from my awkward position in front of the sofa and bowed 90 degrees in greeting.

My back was already drenched in cold sweat.

Strange? If it's 3 o'clock, that's only about an hour from now. Did Heena not plan for her parents to come home while I was here?

My head spun from all the swirling thoughts.

"Oh, hello! I've heard so much about you from Heena."

Before I realized it, the mother, who was smiling and lightly patting my arm as if she were a chatty lady from a hair salon, had taken off her shoes and come in.

"Hmm..."

There was a stark contrast between her cheerful demeanor and the very displeased-looking father.

The tension was almost blinding. The mother continuously giggled, observing me with curious eyes.

Being the boyfriend of their precious daughter seemed to intrigue her. They felt so different from my own parents, leaving me unsure of how to react.

"Have you eaten?"

"Oh, no... but I had a late breakfast, so I'm fine."

I was actually a bit hungry, but if she were to offer a meal, I might have jumped out of the window.

"Heena's dad! Come and greet him! Heena brought her boyfriend for the first time."

Please, don’t call over the stern-faced father who's been staring from the back.

"...So, Yeonho, is it?"

"Yes! It's Han Yeonho!"

"Behave appropriately with Heena... You understand what I mean, right?"

Wow.

The way he spoke through gritted teeth but still sounded so polite was impressive.

"Yes..."

It was difficult to maintain eye contact, so I quickly looked down.

Should we leave? Let's go out and date, Heena!

But today, of all days, my girlfriend, not sensing my mood, confidently crossed her arms in front of them.

What...?

"So, he's officially part of the family now?"

"...Haha, seems like it."

"My daughter is boasting about you right in front of me! Oh, where are my manners? Sit and wait a moment? I'll change clothes and prepare some fruit for you."

"...Thank you."

Oh, dear God.

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Raei  Translations

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However, contrary to my worries,

The apples and grapes, prepared by her mother, sat in the center as the conversation flourished.

I've always been sociable, and without bragging, I often make a good first impression on adults, thanks to my genuinely friendly demeanor and smile.

I've also always been courteous when dealing with others. My parents sending my siblings and me to Cheonghakdong played a significant role in teaching us manners.

Although the only things I remember from there, after some harsh lessons, are some ancient teachings and etiquette, these lessons are ingrained in me, even if I can't recall them exactly.

I think these qualities worked in my favor with Heena's mother. I could tell by her gestures that she took a liking to me.

Thankfully, the initial tension eased, and we managed to engage in a sincere conversation.

"Three brothers? Your mother must have had her hands full."

"People often say that."

"Of course, they do! We were busy enough with just Heesung. Right, dear?"

"Yes... he was quite the troublemaker."

"It's a relief that Heena is well-behaved."

Heena's brother is in the military, right? From the sounds of it, he's about the same age as my younger brother. He recently had his last leave, implying he'll be discharged soon.

Coincidentally, my youngest brother is also nearing his discharge. They aren't in the same unit, though.

"Are your brothers still in college?"

"Yes. My eldest brother returned to school, and my younger one will likely enroll once he's discharged."

Thankfully, her father, unlike at first, now participated in the conversation with a kinder gaze.

I believe it's because I've been on my best behavior from the start.

Now, I'm grateful for those lessons. Thank you, Cheonghakdong.

Furthermore, I've come to have a good impression of Heena's parents.

Sometimes, when speaking with older folks, they can be intrusive, asking about one's profession, income, and which universities the family attended.

While it's acceptable to ask, it can be a bit off-putting.

However, Heena's parents didn't delve too deep. Instead, they focused on casual chatter.

"So, how are things with Heena? I heard you two went on a date last week?"

"Yes... Heena has been incredibly kind to me. I'm always grateful and cherish our relationship."

They only brought up my relationship with Heena.

Honestly, that's even more nerve-wracking.

"I never thought she'd be interested in relationships, but she suddenly mentioned having a boyfriend. It was quite a surprise."

"I see..."

"Whenever I ask about her day, she's always full of stories about you."

Oh, Heena...

However, I'm a bit unusual, by my family's standards. My brothers are also similar to my parents.

While chatting, instead of heading to the bus stop, I followed Heena's guidance towards the back of the apartment.

It was to visit a photo studio, which was really close, attached next to the apartment complex.

I looked around the unexpectedly cozy and cute studio and printed one photo we took earlier and one of me wearing fashion glasses.

They also sold small frames, so I checked them out and ended up buying two.

The process was quick, as they just transferred the data from my phone and did a bit of editing before printing.

Nowadays, phone photo quality is so good that unless it's printed in a significantly large size, it comes out looking nice.

When we left the photo studio holding our pictures, Heena kept looking at the photo we had taken while hugging, laughing brightly.

"Do you like it that much?"

"Yes! I'm even considering getting it printed bigger."

"Let's, let's not."

Thankfully, Heena's parents seemed to like me quite a bit, but being that overt about it was a bit...

Anyway, today I left home earlier than I thought, but I had some intimate moments with Heena and left a good impression on her family, so I was satisfied.

Of course, we almost had a perfect kissing moment and missing out on that was regrettable.

Maybe it's better to try again when the mood is right next time?

To be honest, earlier it felt a bit contrived, perhaps influenced by Heena's lead.

Feeling a bit embarrassed but also pleased, I treasured the photo that was too special to simply set as a Kakao profile picture, holding it close as I walked.

And since it was quite close, we quickly reached the bus stop. While waiting for the bus, Heena spoke.

"By the way, Yeonho."

"Hm?"

"Would you like to study together starting next week?"

"Study? When?"

"On weekdays and Saturdays? We can rest on Sunday."

Hmm, from Monday to Saturday.

I had decided to study, but I wasn't quite sure how to start. If Heena helps, it would certainly be welcome.

I could get out of evening self-study or private lessons if I wanted.

But the question was whether we would truly just study when meeting like that.

And, well, anyway...

"I'd be happy and grateful to study together, but can we skip about three days a week?"

Upon hearing this, Heena momentarily stopped.

She probably expected to see me every day.

However, I had planned to address this matter with Heena regardless of our study plans.

"...Why?"

"My friends, you know. We used to hang out every day, but recently I haven't been able to, so..."

I had work this week, but even the week before, I had neglected them because I got a girlfriend.

Spending time with Heena was undoubtedly fun, but I also genuinely wanted to hang out and play games with my friends.

If I had to choose between spending time with Heena or my friends right now, I'd pick Heena. However, I didn't want to exclude my friends from my life completely.

And instead of studying together every day, maybe it's better for me to also spend some time studying alone. I do want to see her every day, but if we see each other five days a week, it might be challenging to concentrate on our studies.

I'd like to meet with Heena, get some help, and then study on my own based on what I've learned. Well, that seems like a practical plan.

Heena, who had stopped and looked a bit gloomy, soon smiled again and said, "Alright, friends are important too. Let's do it your way."

"I'm sorry, I do want to see you every day... but I also want to try studying on my own."

After evening self-study, I want to play some games with friends too.

"Mhm, you're working hard because of me, right?"

"Thanks for understanding~ So, which days should we meet?"

We discussed our schedule for the next week until my bus arrived.

With a slightly disappointed and deflated Heena behind me, I left.