Are You Cass' Girlfriend?

     Hae-Won re-entered the room. "Does it hurt?" she asked looking at Hae Mina's bandaged back.

     "I'll be okay. Do you want to help me find a good dress to wear?"

     "Okay." The girl smiled and hurried to the pile of dresses. She began to throw them about before she found a green dress and pulled it from the pile then handed it to Hae Mina. "I like this one. Try it."

     Hae-Won darted from the room. Hae Mina closed her eyes in relief. The girl moved like a buzzing bee. While she changed, she could hear Hae-Won talking to Cass. "Unni's nice, Uncle Cass, and she pretty," Hae-Won laughed.

     "Just watch the movie, Hae-Won," he chuckled.

     "Are you going to keep her?" She asked honestly.

     "Hae-Won," he began to scold.

     "Okay, okay, no need to get sewious," she giggled.

     Hae Mina slid the dress on and was amazed that the fabric didn't hurt her back. She looked in the mirror to see it concealed her back up to her shoulder blades and none of the cuts were visible. She smiled again, pleased, but couldn't think about taking the dress; however, to please Hae-Won, she stepped from the room, crept down the hall, and entered the living room.

     "How's it look?" Hae Mina questioned.

     Cass turned around and his words froze on his lips. He was going to say you look great, but not because he meant it. Now, however, he was shocked to see the beautiful green long-sleeved dress that hovered around her knees on her. At the waist a thousand-dollar diamond belt wrapped around her.

     "Beautiful!" Hwan Hae-Won chimed. Cass nodded.

     "Looks good," he confirmed.

     "Honey, could you grab the bag from the car," a new voice chimed. Hae Mina looked to the front door to see a tall dark-haired girl with Cass's brown eyes, only hers weren't filled with his alluring attitude. "Hello, who are you?"

     "This is Hae Mina, she's Cass's friend, Umma," Hwan Hae-Won informed.

     Cass stood up and walked to the girl and hugged her. She returned the hug then moved from the door as her husband slipped through with bags in his hands. She grabbed the top bag. "We'll be right back." She stated before disappearing down the hall with her husband.

     "That was my sister, but I'll let her introduce herself. The man with her is her husband, Hwan Chi-Ho." The woman bustled back into the room. Cass backed up.

     "Hello, Hae Mina, I'm Hwan Chi-Sun, but you can call me Unni. You look a lot like Jae-Woo. Would you be his twin sister he spoke of?"

     "Yes," Hae Mina nodded.

     "Wow, he wasn't kidding, you do look nearly identical. By the way, did you get that dress from back there?"

     "I'm not sure where Hwan Hae-Won got it from, but it's beautiful."

     "Thank you. I liked that one but was about to send it away since no one seemed interested in purchasing it. Would you take it instead?"

     "Uh, I couldn't possibly take something so beautiful," Hae Mina muttered.

     "Oh, so you don't like it. I understand."

     "No, that's not it," Hae Mina countered. "I do like it, but I can't afford to purchase it."

     "Purchase? Hae Mina, I'm giving it to you. As I said, no one is buying it so, it's going to be sent away otherwise. If you take it, then there is no loss. I will get to see someone enjoy the dress I made."

     "Are you sure?"

     "Of course."

     "Thank you," Hae Mina looked down at the dress. She was amazed at how the diamonds looked so real.

     Cass's phone rang and the room grew quiet except for him. "Hello? No, Appa. I'm busy. I'm with a friend of mine. Appa, I can't go on a date with another girl! Yes, I have a girlfriend. I'll prove it." Cass handed the phone to Hae Mina. "Please," he mouthed, "I beg of you."

     Hae Mina hesitated as she lifted the touch phone to her face, "Hello?" she questioned.

     "Who is this?" a grumpy voice barked.

     "My name's Hae Mina. Cass said you wanted to talk to me."

     "Are you Cass's girlfriend?" Hae Mina looked at Cass who had his hands together mouthing, please.

     "Yes, I am," she lied with a frown.

     "Well, give the phone back to Cass." She passed the phone back. Cass took it with a grin.

     "See, I told you. No, we have plans, Appa. Fine. Hopefully, she understands. Bye." He jammed his phone in his pocket.

     "Hae Mina, will you do me one more favor?"

     "What?" she questioned trying to ignore the devilish grin he was fighting.

     "Appa wants to meet you."

     "Yeah, Uncle Cass never had a girlfriend before. 'Course Gramps would want to meet the first."

     Hae Mina raised a questioning eyebrow, but Cass chose to ignore it and spoke to Hwan Chin-Sun instead. "Noona, do you think you could help me out?"

     "I'll manage. Come on Hae Mina. Let me prepare you for meeting my father." The women disappeared behind the corner, Hae-Won followed shortly after.

     "She's a pretty one, Cass," Hwan Chi-Ho said from the side.

     "I know, but she's not my girlfriend and her brother is going to kill me for saying she is."

     "Why is she with you right now anyway?" Hwan Chi-Ho wondered.

     "Babysitting," Cass muttered; "her brother and the others are busy discussing issues for our next concert, so I get stuck watching the girl. Not that I mind," he added in his usual sly tone. "Babysitting beautiful girls is what I tend to do best."

     Fifteen minutes later, Hwan Chin-Sun came around the corner. "Boys," she called. The two men looked behind them and came from the couch. "This is the Hae Mina we will be presenting to my parents."

     Hae Mina stepped inside the room. It took all Cass had to not drop his jaw or lose his balance. Hae Mina wore diamond-studded high heeled sandals, the green dress with the diamond belt, and a diamond necklace that rested on top of her dress. Her hair was waterfall braided and lay over her shoulder and rested on her back. Her golden-brown eyes held nervousness, yet excitement.

     "Magnificent, my dear, Chin-Sun. You've made her even more beautiful. Never tell Hae Jae-Woo what you look like when you're all dolled up, Hae Mina, or he'll grow immensely jealous," Hwan Chi-Ho teased.

     Hae Mina blushed. She had never adjusted to being complimented. "Come on Hae Mina, my dad doesn't like to wait," Cass stated as he guided her to the door. Hwan Chin-Sun placed a hand on his shoulder, bringing him to a halt. "I'll catch up in a minute, Hae Mina," Cass gave her a nudge forward. When she sat in the car he faced Hwan Chin-Sun. "What is it, Noona?"

     "Listen to me Cass, do not hurt her. She's not like your other girls. She'll break easily."

     "She's just a friend, Noona. I can't hurt her because she doesn't belong to me. You know I was just lying to Appa. You were standing there."

     "Yes, but still. She's nice, Cass. Don't get hurt," Hwan Chin-Sun warned. He looked at her confused but left the house. He slid in the car and drove in silence for a moment. Then at last he spoke, "We are getting near. We should probably work out a story."

     "Ah, that's true. Well, we can tell them we met because of my brother Jae-Woo."

     He laughed, "And that's the honest truth, so that should be easy to remember, but we can't really tell them we met because you are disguised as Jae-Woo."

     "No, we cannot. So how did we meet?"

     "How about he brought you to listen to one of our practices and we just got along well?"

     "It's not romantic enough," she admitted.

     "Well, I guess we will figure it out as we go. We are here," he informed.

     "It's huge, Cass," she stated wide eyes taking in the luxurious hotel.

     "Yeah, my family tends to eat in extravagant places. Come on, let's go. " He guided her into the building and their eyes found his parents with quick precision. "Ready?"

      "Ready," she confirmed.

     "Don't forget to call me Oppa," He gave a crooked grin.

     "Don't enjoy this more than necessary," she replied before they walked inside.