Snow White & the 7 Idols

Chapter 37

I had a great time cooking with Namjoon's mom. We traded kitchen secrets while we cooked and held an easy conversation. When dinner was almost ready, Namjoon came into the kitchen to check on me. He smiled as he leaned against the opposite counter.

"Hey. Having fun?" He asked. I nodded before remembering that I'd just inadvertently left him alone with Hye Jin while I was cooking. Namjoon's mom gave me a knowing look before she went to the living room.

"Are you having fun?" I asked. He sighed happily.

"It's been a while since I've been home. It was nice to see Hye Jin too. I haven't seen her in a few years. She seems to have grown up a lot while I was away," he replied. I pushed down my jealousy again before I smiled at him.

"Go sit down. Dinner will be ready soon," I said before turning to the refrigerator to get the side dishes out. He pecked my cheek before he disappeared.

"Need a hand? I'm very familiar with the Kims' house," I heard from behind me. I set the side dishes on the counter to see Hye Jin standing at the opening. The offer felt anything but sincere.

"I'm okay. Everything is almost ready anyway," I declined. She sighed and walked further into the kitchen.

"You like my oppa because he's apart of BTS, don't you?" She asked nonchalantly. I paused what I was doing to look at her.

"No, actually. I didn't know much about them before meeting my honey," I answered specially to annoy her. She scoffed and rolled her eyes as her arms crossed over her chest.

"As if. You're not fooling anyone. And don't think this marriage will ever happen. In the end, he'll choose me," she said confidently. I leaned against the counter towards her with my hands bracing against the wood to keep from doing something stupid.

"And why would he do that?" I asked calmly.

"Because I've always been by his side. I've never dated anyone else because it can only be Namjoon Oppa. And I have the childhood advantage. You're an actress, so you must know what it feels like when you're playing the second lead," she smirked. I took a deep breath and counted backwards from ten in my head. I was irritated.

"I've also played the lead, so I know when I'm the main character... this is one of those times. The arrogant childhood friend who clings to something she never had... that's the second lead's role in this show," I said before I took the side dishes to the dining room to get out of there. Any longer and I would've magically transformed into the role of a gangster. Namjoon was sitting, talking with his family.

"Can I speak with you for a moment?" I asked him softly. He looked worried before he nodded and followed me out of the house. His hands went to my arms in a comforting motion. He could already tell something was up.

"What's wrong?" He asked. I sighed before I tried to smile despite my feelings.

"Nothing really. My self-esteem is just taking a hit right now. I don't know why it's so sensitive today," I admitted as I tried to laugh it off.

"You were alone with Hye Jin for a while. Does it have something to do with her?" He asked. I lowered my eyes and didn't answer the question. He sighed before pulling me into a hug.

"Don't pay any attention to her. I already know that she likes me, but I've never returned her feelings. I proposed to you, didn't I? I'm not going to let her bully you," He said. My arms wrapped around him as my head pressed against his chest. I could hear the warm thumping of his heartbeat. It calmed me. We stayed like that for a moment before he finally pulled back to look at me.

"Feeling better?" He asked.

"I like your family. They've been so nice to me," I smiled softly.

"I told you they would," he smiled back at me.

"Let's go in. It's time for dinner," he said as he draped an around me and walked me back inside. The food had already been set on the table and they were just waiting on us.

"Oh you're back," Namjoon's sister smiled at us. We sat and began eating. Hye Jin was quiet other than normal conversation and trying to flirt with Namjoon. Every time she talked to him, he would hold my hand under the table. After dinner, we relaxed in the living room with tea.

"Have you set a date for the wedding yet?" His dad asked.

"We wanted to see if her parents would be able to make it out first. Originally, we were going to keep it under wraps and just register with the office but... I don't want to miss out on seeing Laine in a wedding dress," Namjoon said sweetly. I smiled as I blushed.

"I'm sure Laine will be a beautiful bride," his mom said warmly as she reached over and held my hand in hers. I thanked her.

"Oppa, can I talk to you for a moment?" Hye Jin asked him quietly aside from the conversation. He nodded before he followed her out of the room. Namjoon's mom squeezed my hand in hers again, drawing my attention back to her.

"Help me prepare dessert?" She asked. I smiled before I nodded. I followed her to the kitchen as she began pulling ingredients.

"You're a surprisingly good cook, Laine. My son can cook some things but it'll be nice not to worry about his meals with you around," she smiled at me.

"I like to cook for him and the guys. I know their schedule is hectic sometimes, but I cook for them when I can," I replied.

"You're in the same industry right? I actually saw your show 'Nameless Heir'. I didn't know you were dating my son at the time, but even then, you made an impression on me. I can tell you work hard and do things with sincerity. I can't think of anyone better to stand at my son's side," she said to me. I never thought I would get emotional just from gaining someone's approval, but yet, I still had tears in my eyes. She chuckled as she wiped a tear away.

"Sorry, it's just... it means the world to me to hear you say that," I admitted. She pulled me into a hug and pat my back gently.

"Don't worry about anything else and just be happy with Namjoon, okay?" She said softly. I nodded against her shoulder. When she pulled away, she was still smiling.

"Let's get dessert out, hm?" She said as we turned back to the ingredients on the counter.