While the three members of the family were locked in a noisy tug-of-war in the middle of the house, the front door suddenly swung open. In trotted the family dog—followed by a tall, broad-shouldered man.
He was immaculately dressed, handsome with a noble air about him. With a polite bow of his head and palms pressed together, he greeted the elders respectfully.
"Hello, Father, Mother. My name is Kind… I'm Dream boyfriend."
The unexpected guest's self-introduction silenced the entire household. The word boyfriend echoed in their minds, freezing them in place. Their dozy son had a lover?
Booboo, the shaggy dog, wound around their legs before barking loudly, jolting the stunned family out of their trance.
"Woof! Woof-woof-woof!"
Fun Dee blinked, bleary-eyed.
"B-Booboo? You're back?"
Father squinted. "You went out with—"
Mother gasped. "—your boyfriend, Dream?"
"Woof~"
"Whaaat?!"
…
Moments later, the little white house was enveloped in an awkward silence, as though the raucous scuffle had never happened.
On the sofa sat the father and mother, backs straight, necks stiff, glancing down at their son. Fun Dee, hair a mess and eyes half-shut, sat cross-legged on the floor looking more like a delinquent monk than anyone's beloved child.
In the middle, Booboo happily gnawed on the snack Mana had brought. And there—seated perfectly poised in a crisp white shirt and neatly pressed slacks—was Mana, the man who claimed to be their son's boyfriend. His posture was straight, his shoulders broad, his presence refined, as if he had stepped right out of a royal household.
The parents exchanged uneasy looks, lips pressed tight.
Finally, Fun Dee snapped, unable to bear the tension.
"Dad, Mom—are you gonna keep staring at me and this guy forever? If you've got something to say, just say it already. I've got a night shift, you know."
The father cleared his throat.
"Ehm… so, you two… since when have you been… seeing each other?"
Fun Dee scowled.
"How should I know? Ask him. He's the one who showed up saying he's my boyfriend."
The father turned to Kind tone suddenly respectful in the face of the young man's aura.
"Ehm… and you are? Where are you from? How exactly did you end up with my son?"
Kind bowed his head politely.
"Please allow me to give a proper explanation. My name is Kind. I'm twenty-five, the owner of a startup producing organic household goods, food, and herbs. I met Dream through the dating app Tinner. We matched, we've been messaging for about three months now."
He handed over his phone. The parents leaned in—only to frown. The chat log was nothing but blurry photos and short clips, not a single line of text.
"Wait, did he use the app drunk or something? Why didn't you two ever actually type or call each other?" Mother muttered suspiciously, scrolling back.
The parents whispered between themselves.
"Still… it's like winning the lottery. A polite, handsome young man, and even a company founder at his age… compared to our son, he's on a whole different level."
Kind smiled gently, continuing,
"Last month I asked for Dream's location. My grandmother wanted to meet my partner, so I gathered up the courage to visit his house. That's when I met Booboo and Dream. Most of the time he was asleep, so I… cleaned up the place, cooked meals, took Booboo out for walks. We've been living like this—well, more or less—for almost five months since we first matched."
The father's eyes widened.
"Aha! No wonder the whole house looks brand new—fence and all. That was your doing?"
"Yes, sir. Booboo and I had free time, so we kept busy. Today I even brought him along to visit my grandmother in the hospital. She's gravely ill, but she loves Siberians… I left a post-it note on the TV in case Dream woke up."
All three turned to the TV screen. Sure enough, a yellow sticky note was plastered right in the center.
"Oh! He's right."
"See? And you were scolding me, Dad."
"As if anyone expected you to have a boyfriend, Dream! You should be grateful—he's been cooking, cleaning, walking your dog while you snore the day away. Honestly, it makes me want to kick your lazy butt."
"I'm your son! How come you're so biased?"
"Doesn't matter. What's good, is good."
"Agreed." Mother nodded firmly.
"Wha—seriously? Booboo, back me up here—"
"Woof!"
The fluffy dog promptly shoved a paw in Dream's face, rejecting his attempt at an ally.
"You traitor!" Dream wailed, flailing to hug Booboo, but the dog dodged him with ease.
Father coughed solemnly.
"From now on, you'll wake up properly to greet your guests. Don't you dare fall asleep on your boyfriend again."
"Why should I wake up for him? We don't even talk…" Dream muttered, scratching his head, still baffled at how he apparently had a boyfriend.
"Because couples must spend time together," his father declared, eyes intense. "If you don't nurture this relationship, it won't last. Think carefully—no one else will ever come along and willingly be your partner again. Look at this house, the yard, everything—it's a world apart from how you kept it. What other lover would do all this for you, Dream? Think about it. Think."
The father gripped his son's face, staring straight into his eyes like a man casting a spell.