It took a while for the room to calm down. Mrs. Min cried until she had to be handed a napkin, then cried again when she looked at Seo-yeon's stomach. Mr. Min blew his nose twice and announced that he was "fine." Min Yoongi had sat down at last, though he hadn't taken his eyes off Seo-yeon since she said the word twins.
"A boy and a girl," Mrs. Min said for the fifth time, dabbing her eyes. "One of each. We'll have to buy two of everything. Two cribs, two strollers, two..."
"Mom's already done it," Seo-yeon said.
Mrs. Min stopped. "Done what?"
"My mom went shopping last week. She bought two cribs, a rocking chair, a changing table, and an entire store of clothes. She said she wouldn't stop until the babies had enough."
"Oh, I like her already," Mrs. Min said.
"And my dad prepared everything," Seo-yeon went on, smiling. "He pretended he didn't want to come, but he stood at the door with his eyes begging us to take him. He bought two teddy bears the size of a toddler. He's had the nursery painted yellow."
Mr. Min raised an eyebrow. "Yellow?"
"He says yellow is gentle. It works for boys and girls."
"A wise man," Mr. Min said. "I like him too."
"Wait." Mrs. Min leaned forward. "They've bought everything? Then what is left for me to buy?"
"Auntie..."
"No, no. There must be something. Shoes! Hats! Little socks!" She turned to her husband. "We'll go this weekend. We'll buy so many socks."
"Honey, they have two feet each. Four feet in total."
"Then we'll buy a hundred pairs."
"That's more than four feet need."
"They'll grow!"
Min Yoongi finally spoke. "Mom. Let her breathe."
"I'm only planning."
"She's had a long day."
"That's true." Mrs. Min looked at Seo-yeon and her face softened. "Oh, you look tired. Did I tire you out? I'm sorry, dear."
"It's okay, Auntie. I'm happy." Seo-yeon glanced at the clock in the hallway and gasped. "Oh, it's so late! I have to go home. My mom must be worried sick."
"Of course, of course," Mrs. Min said. "Yoongi, take the driver and see her home."
"I'll drive her myself, Mom. Give me the keys."
"Wear a mask."
"I know."
"And a cap."
"I know, Mom."
"And drive carefully. She's carrying two babies."
"Mom!" He pressed a hand to his forehead. "I know."
Seo-yeon bowed to both of them. Mrs. Min pulled her into a long hug at the door, and Mr. Min patted her shoulder awkwardly and told her to come again soon. "Any time," he said. "You don't need an invitation."
"Thank you, Uncle," she said, and his ears turned pink.
---
The car was a plain gray sedan, nothing like what she'd expect a star to drive. Min Yoongi pulled a mask over his face and put on his cap before he started the engine. Seo-yeon sat in the passenger seat with her bag on her lap and watched the persimmon trees disappear behind them.
For a while, neither of them said anything. The streets were quiet and the streetlights drew long gold lines on the road.
"I'm sorry," Min Yoongi said at last.
"For what?"
"For shouting."
"You already said that."
"I'm saying it again." He kept his eyes on the road. "I was angry and scared, and I took it out on you."
"I lied to you," she said. "You had a right to be angry."
"You were protecting me."
"Badly."
He laughed softly. "Yes. Badly."
They stopped at a red light. He glanced at her, then at her stomach, then back at the light.
"Twins," he said under his breath. "I still can't believe it."
"Me neither."
"A boy and a girl."
"Yes."
"Do they..." He stopped. "Never mind. It's a silly question."
"Ask."
"Do they move a lot?"
She smiled. "They flutter. Mostly when I'm eating or when I hear loud music."
"Loud music?"
"I played one of your songs yesterday. They went crazy."
He turned his head slowly. "They did?"
"Both of them."
The light turned green. He didn't notice until the car behind them honked. He drove forward with a stunned look on his face, and for the rest of the ride he was smiling under his mask.
---
When they reached her parents' street, she pointed out the house at the end, the white mansion with the tall gate. Min Yoongi slowed the car and stopped a short distance away, under a tree where the streetlight didn't reach.
He looked at the house for a long time.
"This is where you live?"
"My parents' house. I live here now."
"It's beautiful."
"It's big." She looked at it too. "They're very protective."
"I'd expect so." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I should come in. I should meet them. I should say something to them, apologize..."
"Not yet."
"I don't have to face them yet?"
"Not tonight," she said. "I haven't told them everything. And you just found out about the twins. You need time too."
"I don't want to hide."
"You're not hiding. You're just not ready, and neither am I." She turned to him. "When it's time, I'll tell you. And then you can walk through that gate."
He was quiet. Then he nodded. "When you're ready, I'll come in. I promise. I'll bring flowers and a speech and I'll probably say something stupid."
"Probably."
"But I'll come."
"I know."
She unbuckled her seatbelt and picked up her bag. Her hand was on the door when he said, "Seo-yeon."
"Yes?"
"Goodnight."
"Goodnight."
She started to open the door.
"Seo-yeon."
"Yes?"
"Can I have a goodbye kiss?"
She froze. Her face went hot. "What? Why?"
"Because I'd like one."
"How..." She stammered. "I mean, you can't just... We haven't even..."
"You kissed me back at the table."
"That was different!"
"How?"
"I was crying!"
"You're not crying now."
She opened her mouth, and closed it. Her cheeks were burning. "No. I'm not giving you one."
"Okay."
"I mean it."
"Okay," he said, and before she could move, he leaned across the seat, pulled down his mask, took her chin in one hand and kissed her.
It was short and soft. When he drew back, he was grinning.
"Goodnight," he said.
Seo-yeon stared at him. Her lips were parted and her face was crimson. She reached for the door handle without looking, missed it twice, and finally got it open.
"Goodnight," she squeaked, and practically fell out of the car.
He watched her walk up the driveway, one hand pressed against her cheek, until the gate closed behind her. Then he put his mask back on, started the engine, and drove away with a grin he couldn't stop.
---
The front door opened before she could reach for the handle.
Her mom was standing in the hallway with her arms crossed. Her dad stood behind her, and both of them were wearing the same expression.
"Mom. Daddy. I'm home."
"We know," her mom said.
"We saw," her dad said.
Seo-yeon's stomach dropped. "You saw what?"
"Everything," her mom said. "From the window. Your father has been standing there for ten minutes."
"I was not standing. I was observing."
"He was standing."
"A car stopped under the tree," her dad said. "It was dark. We couldn't see the driver. But we saw you, and we saw someone lean over and..." He cleared his throat loudly. "Who is that boy?"
"He's not a boy, Daddy. He's thirty-two."
"Thirty-two!" Her dad turned to her mom. "He's old!"
"He's not old."
"He kissed my daughter in a car!"
"Honey," her mom said. "Let her speak." She turned back to Seo-yeon. "Well? Who is it?"
Seo-yeon's face went red all over again. She twisted the strap of her bag.
"It's... he's..." She took a breath. "It's the baby's father."
Neither of them said anything.
"Min Yoongi," she said. "It was Min Yoongi."
Her dad's mouth opened. Her mom grabbed his arm.
"Wait," her mom said slowly. "You said you were at a friend's house. A friend you met at the bookstore."
"That was a lie." Seo-yeon sat down on the stairs. "I'm sorry. I'll explain."
They sat on either side of her. She told them everything. She told them about the bookstore, and the three books she bought, and how she had stepped off the curb without looking.
"A car almost hit me," she said.
"What?" Her mom's voice rose. "A car? Seo-yeon!"
"I'm fine. I'm fine." Seo-yeon held up a hand. "A woman grabbed my arm and pulled me back. She saved me. And when I turned around, I knew her face right away."
"Who was it?"
"It was Min Yoongi's mother."
Both of them stared at her.
"I didn't plan it," she said. "I swear. It was an accident. She took me to a café and gave me tea. She was so kind, and she didn't know who I was. She invited me to dinner. I asked if her son was home. She said he wasn't."
"So you went," her dad said.
"I went. And then he walked in."
"He walked in?"
"He came home to surprise them. I was sitting at the table eating his mother's soup." She laughed weakly. "We both nearly fainted."
Her mom pressed a hand to her chest. "What happened then?"
"We argued. I told him the truth. His parents came back and found out everything." She smiled, and her eyes were wet. "They were so happy, Mom. They cried. His mother has been waiting for a grandchild for years. When I told them it was twins, she screamed."
"They're not angry?" her dad asked.
"No. They welcomed me. They said I could come anytime."
Her mom let out a long breath and sat back. "Well."
"Well," her dad said, looking at the ceiling. "That is a lot for one evening."
"And he drove you home," her mom said.
"Yes."
"And he kissed you."
"Mom..."
"I'm only asking."
Seo-yeon buried her face in her hands. "Yes."
Her dad cleared his throat. "So what's going to happen between you two?"
She lowered her hands. "I don't know. We haven't talked about it yet."
"Not at all?"
"We only just found each other, Daddy. Min Yoongi found out about the twins tonight. Everything happened so fast. We'll talk, but not yet."
Her dad opened his mouth, and her mom put a hand on his knee.
"That's enough," she said. "Don't stress her. She's had a long day."
"I'm not stressing her."
"You are." Her mom stood and pulled Seo-yeon gently to her feet. "Go upstairs, baby. Wash up and get some sleep. We'll think about all of it another time."
"Okay, Mom."
"Take your vitamins."
"I will."
"And drink some milk."
"Mom."
"Warm milk. I'll bring it."
Seo-yeon laughed and kissed her mom's cheek, then her dad's. He grumbled something about thirty-two being too old, but he held her hand a moment longer than necessary.
She climbed the stairs slowly, one hand on the railing. At the top, she looked back. Her parents were still in the hallway, whispering to each other with their heads close together.
She smiled and went to bed.