Set Aflame

35

You chew the bite of cookie slower, so you don't have to talk yet. Seohee sounds really mad. Her eye twitches as she watches you chew, waiting for you to answer.

You finish chewing, swallow painstakingly slow, bring the cookie back up to your lips, and say, "go on," before taking yet another slow, taunting bite.

Seohee closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, jaw clenched, a reaction that makes it all the more difficult for you to fight down a petty smile. When she opens her eyes again, she narrows them at you, and she looks like she is trying her hardest not to glare.

"I don't want you anywhere near him when this is over," Seohee says. "I told you before, I don't want you to hang out. Clearly, you are putting him and all of his friends in danger. Do you not understand? I don't even want you talking to him, and now this? You're together?"

You swallow your cookie and shrug. "Sounds about right."

Seohee scoffs. "You don't get it. Life was perfectly fine and he was safe, but then you came along and got our houses blown up and we can't go out in public without the risk of being killed. Do you not understand why you have to leave him?"

Hot liquid-anger begins to simmer in your stomach. Leave Jungkook? Who the hell does Seohee think she is?

"You know what I understand?" You ask. "I understand that Jungkook doesn't need his mommy to pick and choose his friends for him. He's a grown up, for gods sake, and he likes me. Can't you just leave it at that? Besides, it's not like I wanted this whole dumb situation to happen. Your labs are after me anyway, so who's really at fault here?"

"For the last goddam time, I swear to god that my husband and I aren't after you, and the labs have nothing to do with this. I can't just watch you put my son in danger like this. What if he gets killed?"

"I know you think I'm a cold-hearted brat, but I'm not going to let him die. I need him just as much as- you know what? Never mind. You don't understand."

You don't want to seem obsessive, and Seohee doesn't know about the burns. She doesn't understand that that's whats keeping you alive, and since that's the case, you're sure as hell not letting him get killed. Kissing him and spending your time with him is just an added bonus.

"Fine," Seohee says. Her tone is low, quiet, foreboding. Threatening. Dangerous. Kind of funny for some reason.

"If you can't learn to back off, I will get involved. I'm the founder of a whole company. I have money and resources and can make your life a living hell- worse than it is now."

You roll your eyes. "If all you're gonna do is threaten me, I'm just gonna-"

"No- this is where you shut up."

You shut up.

Seohee is very pissed.

She walks around the counter and stands in front of you, her anger and determination heightening her posture, making her figure tower over you. She's so terrifying that for a moment, you almost forget that you have dangerous fire powers. But then you remember and suddenly she becomes a lot less threatening.

"If, by the time we are done with all of this, you have not broken ties with my son and fucked off to somewhere else far away, I can- and I will- make you regret it. He doesn't realize it now, but he will be much better off without you. So back. The hell. Off."

You glare at Seohee, staring right into her eyes with all of the hatred you can muster inside of you. You really hate this woman. And that makes you sad, because you really like her son, and he loves her a lot. You don't want to hate someone he loves.