Remedy

Chapter 1

When it gets too noisy, Seokjin sometimes just tunes everything out.

He knows that the loud voices belong to his parents, arguing in the background, their tone getting more and more aggravated with time as their exasperation grows.

It's not going to turn into anything too ugly. He's seen enough of their fights to know the worst that will happen is that his dad gets too angry and just walks away.

He really finds it silly. They get frustrated and curse at each other and everyone else has to listen in to their petty arguments. He doesn't understand how some adults can be so childish.

Seokjin isn't catching a single word that they're saying. He's checking his phone instead, answering the incoming texts from his roommates asking when he's moving in. He has about a week before he has to be back at the dorms by the time classes start. Only five more days if he leaves early. Which he's honestly really considering at this point.

"Seokjin." His name is called out and now he looks up, feeling the annoyance infect him too. "Come with me to buy groceries." His dad talks like he's throwing his words at him.

Seokjin resents the way his dad makes the drive between them feel so heavy. He doesn't play music or make any small talk. The contrast between the earlier yelling and this silence is disturbing. He distracts himself by looking at the street signs, the clouds, other cars. Anything that isn't the overwhelming quiet.

He's usually good with quiet. Likes it even. But he feels tense now.

When they arrive and find a parking spot, his dad gives Seokjin a wildly enthusiastic smile out of nowhere. "Let's go." He turns off the car and gets off cheerily.

Seokjin stares ahead, puzzled and after a second follows. He sighs as quietly as he can while he closes the door and then walks a little faster to catch up to his dad.

"I have a list." His dad hands him a wrinkled white paper and Seokjin recognizes his mother's handwriting.

"Can you start? I'm going to go look at some things I need." His dad is still smiling. It catches him off guard and takes him a second to process what he'd said.

"Huh? Oh, okay sure." He takes the list from him and smooths it over before his eyes scan the items before looking back up to ask him what he's getting. But his dad is already walking away.

That isn't uncommon. Ever since he was old enough to shop on his own, his dad has been going off to do his own thing as soon as they reach the store.

Seokjin's irritation starts wearing off as he walks through the aisles, putting things in his cart and crossing off each word. It's calming to shop on his own with no one rushing him or getting on his nerves nagging him about something.

People like to complain to Seokjin. He's always had plenty of quiet moments, especially around people he's not too close with. They've often taken his silence as an opportunity to talk about themselves. Seokjin can be a good listener, but he doesn't always particularly care about what they have to say. Sometimes he just wants peace and silence and a moment to just think.

Seokjin is finishing up getting everything on the list when his dad comes back. He's amused by how predictable his timing is.

His dad approaches him with a phone to his ear. Laughing, in a good mood. "Hey, you got everything?" he asks Seokjin.

Seokjin nods silently as his dad goes back to his call.

"I'm here with my son running an errand. Oh yes," he's laughing now. Seokjin keeps walking and he knows his dad is following him by the sounds of him having an obnoxiously loud conversation. He walks a little faster to put some space between them.