Keeping Up With The Kims

EP 13 - Who wouldn't?

"Woah! They look really good together," Jin heard Nayeon say as she stared at the couple who were currently thanking the guests for coming. Jin didn't answer, but he agreed. They did look like a perfect match.

They were just by the open bar earlier, champagne flutes in hand, when his father came onto the stage to announce Tzuyu and Taehyung's engagement.

"So, how'd the two of them meet?" Nayeon asks him, still looking at the pair onstage. The question caught Jin off guard. How could he answer that when he didn't know whatever backstory Taehyung came up with? If he said something inconsistent with what they were telling people, he might be the one responsible for blowing their cover of being a 'family friendly' company.

He stares at Taehyung for a moment, watching him give the crowd a tight lipped smile with his arm around Tzuyu's waist, perfectly playing the part of someone smitten by his beautiful fiancée.

"I don't really know the whole story," Jin says instead as he adjusts his cuff links, still trying to think of a good reason as to why he was clueless. But right as he was about to answer, a familiar sharp voice cuts through.

"Seokjin," he hears, and him and Nayeon both turn towards the caller.

"Eomma," Jin replies, while Nayeon bows. Still, her attention is only on Jin and she doesn't give Nayeon a second glance.

It's been a few weeks since he's seen her in person, but she looks as cold and regal as ever.

"Where's your sister? I was thinking it would be nice if she could play a piece on the piano tonight," she says. Jin looks around the event hall for Dahyun, but he can't see her.

"You haven't seen her yet? She should be around here somewhere," he just replies. His mother just sighs.

"Never mind. Tell her she did a good job helping plan all this, but that doesn't excuse her from entertaining the guests," she says. Of course, their mother wouldn't hand out a compliment without having to scrutinize a flaw.

"Anyway," she continues, "You better head near the stage. You'll be called for your speech in a while."

"Okay. I'll just lead Nayeon to her table," Jin replies. It was only then that his mother looked at Nayeon.

"Oh, who's this? Why didn't you tell me you have a date?" Nayeon tries her best not to gulp and hide as Jin's mother scrutinizes her from head to toe. She won't let herself be intimidated by her, she's dealt with scarier high society people.

"She's just a friend, eomma. We're co-interns at BigHit," Jin explains as he starts to steer Nayeon away, probably towards where she should be seated.

"All the more that she's welcome to sit with us," his mother cuts him off. She puts a hand on Nayeon's shoulder and says, "You better head to the stage now. I'll take care of your friend."

This was the first time his mother was acting like this and he knew it was a bad decision to leave his new friend alone with his hostile mother, but the little nod of reassurance Nayeon gave him made him give in, and he leaves them to head toward the stage.

As he was standing beside his father, waiting for the host to call on him to make his speech, Jin eyed their table. They were the only ones seated at the table, with no sign of his grandparents anywhere. Nayeon and his mother were talking, when suddenly... did his mother just laugh?