[✔] lightbulb » lee taeyong & na jaemin

ch. 27

wanderlust: a strong desire to travel and explore the world

» author's pov // present »

ara knocked on her mom's door. in under five seconds, her mom had the door opened and her arms wrapped around ara. she noticed that her mom was shorter than her now, but she still smelled of bread, one of her favorite safe foods.

"ara," her mom said, muffled by pushing her face into the crook of ara's neck. "i missed you, baby."

ara couldn't help but tear up. "i missed you, too, mom."

her mom turned to jaemin—who was standing behind ara politely—and hugged him while squeezing his cheeks.

"oh, look at you two!" she exclaimed. "come on in!"

the pair came inside, and set down their bags. ara inhaled deeply. she had missed her mom's cooking. she sat down on the kitchen table, which stood in the center of her mom's dining room. jaemin sat beside her, and there was a seat from across the table for two more. although it may have been considered disrespectful for sitting first, they had came over enough to know that ara's mom didn't care.

"thank you, mom," she said.

her mom just waved her hand in the air. "you're my daughter! of course, darling! i would cook for you everyday!" she looked at jaemin. "nana, can you please help me set the table and with the rest of the food?"

"yes, mom!" he quickly got up and ara followed suit, not wanting to be useless.

"i'll set the table, you bring the food, okay?" ara said. jaemin agreed, and they ran off to get the stuff. she grabbed bowls, plates, chopsticks, forks, and spoons. following the proper korean etiquette, she placed the items down in the right places.

behind her, jaemin came forward with hot soup. "move, ara!" he yelped as the pot burned him. she quickly moved, and he set the pot down clumsily, making some soup spill on the side. she rolled her eyes playfully and got a napkin, wiping it for him.

he smiled. "see, i'm fine! i have you to take care of me."

ara smiled, but she had stiffed. in reality, it's you who's taking care of me. she pulled herself out of her thoughts and continued to move.

she went over to help with the food, grabbing whatever was finished and placing it on the table. her mom would send her a soft smile each time.

today was a good day. ara wasn't feeling her anorexia too much, and even wanted to eat the food her mom had made.

jaemin and ara looked at the table. it was filled with food, but strangely, she wasn't overwhelmed. today, food would be a comfort. her childhood favorites and her safe foods. she inhaled again, holding onto the memories. one by one, they came.

 jaemin noticed her wistful expression and grabbed her hand, squeezing it. ara squeezed back, just as tightly. they stood together, waiting for ara's mom to come to the table after washing her hands.

her mom sat down from the chair across from them. like usual, she was the oldest, so she got her food and ate first. after she was satisfied with what she had tasted, she signaled with a small smile to begin eating. jaemin and ara quickly got food and piled it into their bowl.

now, the food was overwhelming. it wasn't the bad type, though. it was the kind that made her remember that her mom was amazing, and that her mom would always be there.

"the food is delicious," jaemin said kindly. ara nodded eagerly in agreement, and her stomach growled right along.

her mom laughed. "oh, you kids flatter me. i'm glad though; i never get to cook for you two, anymore. and you're my favorite people."

ara's stomach growled again, even louder this time. she was embarrassed, and jaemin obviously wanted to make fun of her. he winked at her when her mom wasn't looking, and patted her belly twice. she frowned at him, but he simply laughed.

"you can eat, you know," he teased. "take your time."

he sounded as if he was making fun of her, but in reality, it was what she needed to hear. her body associated jaemin with kindness and being able to eat without worry. she only wished he would sing, then it would be perfect.

"good job, ara," jaemin would whisper. 

occasionally, he would squeeze her hand from under the table. at times, the food got stuck in her mouth, suddenly tasting like dirt. jaemin was observant: he would start to casually rub her back, and she would be okay again. ara's mom wasn't stupid, she noticed these interactions. but she didn't say anything about it, worrying about offending the two. she was still confused about taeyong, whoever he was.

in a comfortable, warm silence, the family finished the food. ara was proud to say that she had two helpings. it was a strange feeling for her to be somewhat full again. but she was happy.

"thank you, again, for the food, mom," ara said.

jaemin echoed what she said. "it was delicious."

everybody stood up, getting ready to clean up. each person grabbed their own eating utensils and bowls, heading for the kitchen.

suddenly, a knock on the door startled them. everybody paused.

who could it possibly be?