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“Ji and Fig were a hit with all the women at the market. They kept coming up to me, asking if they were my grandsons, because they want to set them up with their daughters and granddaughters.” Then she elbows me and chuckles. “There were even a few young ladies who were interested and approached the boys, giving them pieces of paper with their phone numbers on them.”

“Really?” I say, laughing as I take groceries out of the bag.

“What has you laughing?” Rafe walks into the kitchen and goes straight to my grandmother and hugs her. “Go map seum nida, Halmeoni.”

My grandmother’s eyes widen before a grin splits her face and she waves him off. “Anieyo.”

“What did she say?”

“Don’t worry about.” I eyeball him, folding my arms across my chest as I ask, “Now why are you saying thank you to my grandmother?”

Rafe chuckles. “Because of her hospitality. Now, what happened at the market that has her laughing?” He’s trying to avoid my question. I won’t push, but I will get the reason eventually. Tonight.

“Apparently, there were women at the market asking her if Ji and Fig are her grandsons because they want to set them up with their daughters and granddaughters. Some were even approaching them and giving them their numbers.”

“Fig and Ji.” Rafe looks at me skeptically.

“I had so much fun,” she titters before taking the things she bought and putting the items away.

“Now what did she say?”

“She had fun,” I snicker.

Fig and Ji walk in then, but unlike Halmeoni, their faces are masks of indifference. Rafe pops their bubble. “Had fun?”

“Halmeoni needed to go shopping, and needed both of us,” Fig glances at Lyric’s grandmother with a slight scowl before his gaze narrows on Rafe. “That won’t happen again.”

“Why? Is it because you’re both now on the most eligible bachelors list? Did the ladies at the market want your numbers?” Rafe teases.

Fig’s annoyance flashes across his face. I quickly cover my mouth, trying hard not to laugh at his expense.

“Only one handed me a number,” Ji says, “but there were three that actually approached Fig⁠—”

“Shut the hell up, Ji,” Fig growls, before he spins around and stalks off outside.

Ji looks around, feigns surprise and says, “What did I say?” Then he walks out of the kitchen, a smile on his face.

“I won’t be surprised if one day I see the two of them brawling,” I admit.

“Not fighting. But definitely fucking, maybe.”

“Rafe,” I begin, but I’m cut off when a clip from “Mother” by Pink Floyd starts playing on my cell phone. I know that ring tone well. I purposely used it for her.

“From the stunned look on your face, you know who’s calling,” Rafe says, his eyes on me.

“Yes. My mother.” I groan with frustration. “My dad is pulling out the big guns.”

Chapter Fifteen

Rafe

His mother? And what does he mean by “the big guns?” I don’t get a chance to ask, because my cell peals out a tune of its own. I smile, pull out my phone and step outside the house to answer the call. “Hey. What’s up?”

“Are you sitting down?” Danny asks with exuberance in his voice.

I quickly look around and see a wooden bench on the side of the house, by the garden entrance. “I am now. What’s going on?”

“We got an invite from KJP Entertainment to come to Korea and perform at a place called Club FF in the Hongdae District—if I’m saying that correctly—in Seoul.” The eagerness in my friend’s voice punches up my excitement. But my enthusiasm quickly deflates at the realization that this invitation arrived while I’m here. Why did we get this invite? Could it really be just a coincidence?