Crazy Rich Asians | ng

십일

Yoongi stood at the top of the stairs, looking both ways as he tried to remember where the bathrooms were. He sighed, ready to give up and go ask Namjoon for help, but when he turned around, he saw Namjoon's mother standing halfway down the staircase. "Oh, hi, I think I'm a little lost. This house is pretty big."

"I'm glad I found you." Eunjeong said vaguely as she walked up the stairs to stand directly in front of Yoongi. "I'm afraid that I've been unfair."

"Oh," Yoongi's eyes widened in surprise. "No, I'm sorry I made an assumption. I didn't mean to offend you."

Eunjeong smiled. "Not at all. You asked about my ring." Yoongi nodded, glancing at the amethyst jewelry again. "The truth is, Namjoon's father had it made when he wanted to propose to me because Halmeoni wouldn't give him the family ring." Yoongi's mouth parted slightly at the admission. "I wasn't her first choice. Honestly, I wasn't even her second."

"I'm so sorry." Yoongi said sincerely. "I had no idea."

"I didn't come from the right family." Eunjeong continued. "I didn't have the right connections. And Halmeoni thought I would not make an adequate mate for her pup."

"But she obviously came around." Yoongi smiled.

Eunjeong sighed. "It took many years, and she had good reason to be concerned, because I had no idea the work and the sacrifice it would take." Yoongi took a deep breath and nodded in understanding. "There were many days when I wondered if I would ever measure up. But having been through it all..." She took a few steps closer to Yoongi, making him back away instinctually. "I know this much." She paused, placing a hand on Yoongi's cheek. "You will never be enough." Yoongi felt the backs of his eyes burning but refused to let himself cry in front of Namjoon's mother. "We should head back." Eunjeong stated, moving past Yoongi to head back downstairs. "I wouldn't want Namjoon to worry."

"Are you alright?" Namjoon broke the silence in the car.

Yoongi took a deep breath and nodded, forcing a smile on his face. "Yeah."

Namjoon returned the smile. "I know my mom can be tough at times, but there isn't anything she wouldn't do for me." Yoongi bit his lip. "And there is a reason why I lived with Halmeoni growing up...my mother knew she wasn't the favorite. So, she let her raise me so I would be."

Yoongi turned to look at Namjoon. "You were just a pup?"

"It's hard to understand from the outside." Namjoon stated, and Yoongi had to hold back an eyeroll. "But she did what she thought was best for the family. For everyone involved." Yoongi nodded but stayed quiet. "Anyway, I think I've had enough dumplings for the rest of my life." Yoongi forced out a laugh, but he wasn't really feeling it. "What should we do? Sushi, movies, whatever you want."

"Wait, what?" Hoseok asked, earning a nod from Yoongi. "So, was she like, 'you will never be good enough for my son', or was it like 'you will never be good enough for my son'?"

"The second one." Yoongi sighed into his ice cream. "It made me want to cry and puke at the same time."

Hoseok shook his head. "God, she is so badass." Yoongi shot him a look. "I bet if you told her you'd leave Namjoon for a billion won, she would write that check. They do that around here."

Yoongi shook his head. "She looked at me like I was nothing."

"Like a 10 billion won check." Hoseok continued. "I feel like she would do that."

"I don't even know what I should do." Yoongi admitted with a sigh. "I mean, I can't even tell Namjoon because he worships her."

"Yep." Hoseok nodded. "Korean alphas think their moms fart Chanel No. 5. What about Halmeoni? Does she hate your face too?"

Yoongi shot him a look. "Nobody said they hated my face. And Halmeoni likes my face. She said I have a lucky nose."

"That's great!" Hoseok exclaimed. "Eunjeong can hate you all day long, but you can't beat 2000 years of Korean filial piety."

"I feel like I shouldn't even go to the ceremony." Yoongi confessed. "It's Jimin and Jungkook's day, I don't wanna cause any drama there. I feel like I should just sit it out. Tell Namjoon I have food poisoning or something." He looked up to see Hoseok staring at him with a raised eyebrow. "What?"

"That's bullshit." Hoseok deadpanned. "You're just scared."

Yoongi shook his head. "No, I'm not."

"Okay, here's what you need to understand." Hoseok turned fully towards Yoongi. "It's not about getting Eunjeong to like you. It's about getting her to respect you. Right now, she just thinks you're some undeserving, clueless, gold digging-"

Yoongi cut him off. "I get it."

Hoseok ignored him in lieu of continuing. "-trashy, unrefined banana. Yellow on the outside, white on the inside."

"I know what a banana is." Yoongi shot him a look.

"But in reality, you're a super sophisticated, smart, badass omega who don't take shit from anyone." Hoseok placed a hand on his shoulder. "Show her that side of you."

Yoongi nodded as realization hit him. "You're right."

"Damn straight, I'm right." Hoseok scoffed. "I'm Jung Hoseok, I'm always right."

"She's trying to play a game of chicken with me." Yoongi stated. "She's coming at me and thinking I'm gonna swerve like a chicken."

Hoseok shook his head. "But you can't swerve."

"I'm not gonna swerve." Yoongi determined. "Not for her."

"Chickens are bitches, dude!" Hoseok exclaimed.

"And I'm not a chicken."

"You're not a chicken." Hoseok agreed. "You're gonna roll up to that ceremony and you're gonna be like 'bak-bak, bitch'."

Yoongi nodded. "Bak-bak, bitch!"

"Chickens are bitches!" Hoseok yelled out. "Fuck chickens!"

"Fuck chickens!" Yoongi laughed before smiling at his friend. "What are you doing tonight?"

Hoseok shrugged. "I was gonna go to FedEx or something. Why?"