Harbinger | NCT Doyoung

fourteen

"I'm sorry." Jaehyun said as him and Chaewon were finishing up a silent dinner at Moon Burgers with Jaehyun paying the bill. "I should've looked into how you feel more than pleasing dad and 'Mrs. Shim'."

"You've been doing that since our mother died. I don't know if I could forgive you for the years I've pent up Jae. Dad and I don't even get along anymore." Chaewon looked away.

"But it's my responsibility as a brother to keep my sister happy." Jaehyun slumped down on his chair as a tear rolled down his face. "Sometimes I feel like I'm a failure to keep you happy."

Chaewon choked on her spit as tears started falling down on her face. "No, Jaehyun.... you've always been a very good brother to me." Tears were streaming down her face. "You never failed me even when I was at my worst. Jae... you know I love you."

Chaewon wiped her tears with a napkin while Jaehyun wiped his single tear with his hand. "I promise when they come visit this week, I'll make sure that I'll show them I'm on your side. If I had listened to you earlier, you would have not ran away from me."

"Jaehyun. It's okay. I forgive you." Chaewon reached over and patted his head. "You're my brother. I can't stay mad at you forever."

"I'm glad you're able to forgive me." Jaehyun smiled.  "Do you want to go visit Mrs. Shim in a bit since you refuse to call her mother?"

"Potentially." Chaewon slurped on her milkshake. "They're still open at this hour?"

"It's only 7pm Chaewon, they close at 10pm from what I recall on weekends." Jaehyun checked the time on his watch. "She's not a mean lady, I've talked to her a few times over the 4 years that dad got remarried. If you give her a visit, I think she would be more than happy to talk to you sis. You just didn't give her a chance on the multiple times she tried to talk to you."

Jaehyun was right. Chaewon was definitely in the wrong, but since this was the first time Jaehyun had genuinely encourage her to go without yelling at her, she would give Mrs. Shim a chance.

"Sure, I would like to go see her." Chaewon looked up at Jaehyun as he was slurping on his milkshake too. "But only because this time you asked me nicely."

Jaehyun started looking at Doyoung and Hanseol talking and giving them a thumbs up as he got along with his sister again. Before they left Moon Burgers, Jaehyun decided to tease his sister a bit. "So tell me, how was your weekend with Doyoung?"

"Are you seriously asking me this now Jaehyun?"

-

FLASHBACK

A few years ago

Hanseol was wiping down the tables from the last customers now seeing the business had slowed down since lunch time hours on the weekend was over.

He then saw Chaewon walked into the shop, immediately finding a table next to Hanseol where he was sorting utensils.

"Why are you here today?" Hanseol asked Chaewon who looked like she was in a bad mood.

"Jaehyun has basketball practice and my dad dropped me off at Sweet Won's Cafe to see my step mom but I didn't want to go." Chaewon sighed.

"Why don't you want to see your step mom? Is she typically the mean step mom that Cinderella has?" Hanseol joked a bit to push her buttons.

Chaewon rolled her eyes. "I can't never see Mrs. Shim the same way as I see my mother. Why did my dad have to get married again anyways?" She slumped on her chair, fiddling with her fingers.

"You should still visit her regardless. I know Mrs. Shim since she works right next to my business. She gives me free bread and coffee sometimes." Hanseol chuckled.

"That's not the point, Hanseol oppa. I just can't do it ever since my mother died. My life has been a living hell." Chaewon stood up ruffling her skirt as she prepared to leave Moon Burgers. "I'm going back to the coffee shop so that my dad doesn't find me suspicious. See ya."

"See ya kiddo." Hanseol watched the sad girl open the door to leave her shop. He honestly felt really bad especially when he knew Mrs. Jung as a lady.

Sweet Won's Cafe has been a running business for many years by the Jung's but it's nice that Mrs. Shim still wants the family business to keep going.

After all, Mrs. Shim was a widow to begin with.

END OF FLASHBACK

"So you knew all of this?" Doyoung asked after Hanseol told him the story of the Jung's while having burgers for dinner.

"I know since the Moon's and the Jung's have known  each other as the 'family business next door' for many years and I happen to be in the same circle of friends as their children. It's such a shame that Mrs. Jung passed away." Hanseol sighed thinking about the happy family back in the day.

"How did Mrs. Jung pass away?" Doyoung asked, wiping his lips with the napkin.

"Heart failure." Hanseol responded to him collecting both of their plates and bringing it back to the kitchen. "After she passed away, all of the Jung's lost it. With Chaewon, you can probably figure out, same with her father."

Hanseol returned to his seat as Doyoung was waiting for what Hanseol was going to say next. "With Jaehyun, aside from pleasing their parents, he didn't want to lose another family member and swore to himself to make his sister happy at all cost. It was his only way to stop mourning over his mother."

"It must have been really hard for all of them..." Doyoung's soft voice trailed off.

"And you want to know another thing?" Hanseol spoke again gaining's Doyoung attention. "Sweet Won's Cafe is a pun named after their mother and Chaewon. Get it? Sowon and Chaewon."

Doyoung mentally smiled at Hanseol's remark.

"You see if Mrs. Shim was a complete bitch, she would've switch the cafe name completely. But since she knows the full history, she decided to keep it so that the Jung's can still have a good memory of her. After all, Mrs. Shim was also Mrs. Jung's fan. I don't know if Chaewon told you that but you didn't hear it from-" Hanseol spilled the beans as Doyoung flashed a smile at him.

"Chaewon told me everything. She even took me to her mother's grave." Doyoung calmly and softly responded to Hanseol, making sure the other coworkers and customers of Moon Burgers didn't hear anything.

"That's bold of her to take you there." Hanseol firmly responded.

"What do you mean?" Doyoung narrowed his eyebrows as Hanseol had an unreadable emotion.

"She usually never takes anyone with her there aside from Jaehyun and Lanying." Hanseol simply replied. "Lanying knows the entire story from day one also."

"Interesting information you have there." Doyoung nodded along as Hanseol took a deep breath, proceeding with his next question.

"Do you like Chaewon?" Hanseol asked Doyoung genuinely with the eyes of concern. "Despite the contract going on?"

Doyoung sighed as this was something he wanted to avoid answering, unsure of where his feelings were at. He and Chaewon also never brought up the topic to one another, making it harder.

"Renjun asked me the other day." Doyoung took a deep breath, thinking about the fake dating contract with the girl.

"But the issue is, I still don't know how I feel about Chaewon, contract or not."

-

Damn