Malli|TK

11

ROLLERCOASTER

It was a strange feeling for Jeongguk to be back in between these walls of a house he could say that he grew up in.

And what fascinated him the most was the way everything still seemed the same, the kitchen, living room, there was still that crack in the door frame of the bathroom that Ms Kim said she would get fixed, although it looked like she never did. It was no risky crack anyways.

But it was still there, like almost every other little detail Jeongguk remembered about this place.

And as he was now sitting on the table- Taehyung sitting next to him and Hana in front of him, the memories flooded over Jeongguk like the rain he had experienced outside earlier.

Just like Taehyung, in his eyes, Hana didn't change either. She had the same warmth in her eyes, the same adoration adorning her beautiful, calming voice. And the way she just invited Jeongguk over to eat, as if nothing had happened, was also sign enough that she was still the same loving woman he remembers her to be.

And looking at Taehyung and her, looking at their home- his second home- he deemed himself unworthy to be here and share food with them.

He deemed himself unworthy to create another beautiful memory.

He wanted her to be pissed at him for leaving, just like Taehyung was. It's what he deserves.

It was silent while they ate, Jeongguk tried to glance around as less as possible, although he wanted so badly to see how Taehyung's room looks like now. Or how their attic looks now, there where Taehyung and him spend most of their time trying to solve mysteries about made-up supernatural creatures. Or how Hana's room looks like, there where both Taehyung and Jeongguk would sleep in after watching a horror movie, although she forbid them to.

The familiarity of it all, his heart seeks it.

He missed it.

But he couldn't say it out loud, couldn't come back.

"Jeongguk?"

The ravenette's eyes snapped up to the beautiful brunet woman in front of him, who smiled lovingly, holding a piece of meat between her chopsticks towards his plate.

"Do you want some more?"

He found himself staring at the piece of food, then up to the woman's face, back to the food, back to Hana's face and it went on and on, until he finally got out of his thoughts and reluctantly nodded. His eyes followed the way she placed it on top of the small mountain of rice on his plate.

His heart was beating fast.

Too fast.

"T-thank you."

It's the way she has always been the best mother version to him, the way she always cared for him, never neglected him, even though he wasn't even her real child.

"Thank you so much.." He added in a whisper, knowing really well that Taehyung next to him heard it, seeing as his arm froze midway of stuffing food into his mouth.

"Is everything alright?" Taehyung asked quietly, obviously trying to keep it between him and the ravenette, to not catch his mother's attention.

Jeongguk looked up by the blond's question, he nodded and... he smiled.

He smiled at Taehyung and was well aware of the fact that all the gratitude he was feeling was displayed in the look of his eyes.

And he didn't care.

He wasn't trying to hide it, he wasn't going to keep up with this act.

"Do you wanna stay a little more?" Hana asked and Taehyung knows that under every other condition, he would give everything for Jeongguk to already go.