Stolen Moments | Yang Jeongin

Thirty-Six

The next morning, Jeongin and I woke up to the sound of his phone buzzing with a message from his grandma. She had one request: bring rice and potatoes. We had already planned to visit her that day, but of course, in true grandma fashion, she wanted to make sure we came bearing food.

As we got ready to head to the local market, I couldn't help but feel a sense of calm. Being in Busan, away from all the chaos of Seoul, felt like a reset I desperately needed. And it didn't hurt that Jeongin was so relaxed and happy here, teasing me every few minutes with some playful comment or another.

The market wasn't far from Jeongin's family home, just a few blocks of vibrant stalls and bustling vendors selling everything from fresh produce to seafood and snacks. As we walked through the narrow lanes, I noticed Jeongin slipping his hand into mine, pulling me closer. He had been extra touchy since this morning, which I didn't mind at all.

"Don't you think we should take this more seriously?" I teased, leaning into him as we browsed a stall selling bags of rice.

Jeongin raised an eyebrow, pretending to be offended. "Oh, come on, I'm taking this very seriously. Rice and potatoes are a big deal."

I laughed, shaking my head. "You're ridiculous."

We finally picked out a bag of rice, but as we turned to find the potatoes, Jeongin pulled me in for a quick kiss on the cheek. "You're so kissable today," he said with a grin, obviously enjoying how flustered I was.

"You're so cheesy," I mumbled, trying not to smile as I pushed him away lightly. But, of course, I couldn't help it. He was infectious when he was like this—goofy, carefree, and completely smitten.

As we made our way through the market, we couldn't stop joking around. Jeongin would grab random vegetables and make ridiculous faces, pretending he was a cooking show host. I couldn't stop laughing, especially when he dramatically announced that he had "found the world's most perfect potato" as he held it up like it was a prized possession.

"Your grandma is going to scold you for being this ridiculous," I warned him, shaking my head in amusement.

"She's going to scold me no matter what," he said with a wink. "Might as well have some fun before it happens."

After grabbing the rest of the things we needed, we headed toward his grandma's house. The whole way there, Jeongin kept finding excuses to kiss me—on my forehead, my nose, my cheek, and sometimes just full-on stopping in the street for a quick peck. It was sweet, and honestly, I didn't mind being the focus of his affection. It felt good to just... be with him, without any stress looming over us.

When we finally arrived at his grandma's house, she was waiting for us on the front porch, hands on her hips. I immediately knew Jeongin was right—he was going to get scolded no matter what.

"Jeongin-ah!" his grandma called, squinting as we approached. "Took you long enough! And look at you, barely carrying anything! Shouldn't you be a stronger boyfriend?"

I snorted, trying to hold back my laughter as Jeongin looked at me with a mixture of guilt and amusement. He had the bag of potatoes slung over his shoulder while I carried the small bag of rice.

"Grandma, I'm carrying the heavier stuff!" Jeongin protested, clearly trying to win her approval.

She waved him off with a scowl. "Don't you try to defend yourself. Look at Minji, carrying the rice
all by herself. You should be helping her more!"

I bit my lip to stop from laughing, but the way Jeongin pouted in response made it even harder. "Grandma, I'm doing my best!"

"Your best, huh? Then why aren't you treating her better?" She crossed her arms, giving him a stern look. "You need to be a good boyfriend! Help her, spoil her! What have you been doing all this time?"

At that point, I couldn't hold back anymore. I burst out laughing, covering my mouth as Jeongin gave me a mock-offended look. "Don't laugh! She's serious!" he whispered.

"Listen to your grandma," I teased, nudging him. "Maybe you could learn something."

Jeongin's grandma walked over and took the bag of rice from my hand, giving me a warm smile. "Minji, dear, you must be exhausted, carrying this lazy boy around."

I just shook my head, still laughing. "Oh, no, he's been great, really."

She raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. "We'll see about that." Then she motioned us inside. "Come on in. Let's get you two fed before this one gets in more trouble."

Jeongin leaned over as we walked inside, whispering in my ear. "See? I told you. I'm always in trouble when it comes to her."

I smirked, squeezing his hand. "Well, maybe you deserve it."

We spent the rest of the afternoon sitting around his grandma's cozy house, eating the food she had prepared and listening to her stories about Jeongin's childhood—most of which involved him getting into some kind of mischief and most of the time I was involved. Even though she loved scolding him, it was clear how much she adored him, and I could see where Jeongin got his sense of humor and warmth from.

Throughout the visit, Jeongin would occasionally catch my eye and smile, his hand never straying far from mine. Despite the scolding, despite the teasing, it felt like the perfect day—just the two of us, surrounded by family, love, and a little bit of chaos.

And as we left his grandma's house, with the sun starting to set over the quiet Busan streets, I realized that I wouldn't trade this for anything. Whether it was hectic or peaceful, with Jeongin, it always felt like home.