One Day At A Time [ATEEZ]

Twenty

2020, August

I bend down for my backpack but before I can pick it up, someone else beats me to it. I stand straight and stare at San, “I can hold it myself.”

“Yea, I know,” San nods as he puts my backpack on his left shoulder, already carrying his own backpack on his right shoulder. “Auntie, see you in two days,” he smiles before going out of our house.

I shake my head and turn around, looking at Mom before giving her a tight hug, “take care of yourself.”

“I will.”

“Don’t forget to eat.”

“Maybe.”

I break the hug and playfully glare at her.

“What? You know I get lazy when it comes to cooking for myself,” she shrugs.

“I already asked Auntie and Haneul to take you to their house for lunch and dinner,” I grin at her.

“You—”

“Mellow!” I completely ignore Mom and go toward Mellow who’s been sitting beside the sofa ever since I put my backpack there. “Oh, my little baby,” I squeeze her little furry face, “although at this point, I’m not sure whether you’re my baby or little sister…” I glance at Mom before pecking Mellow’s little forehead. “I’ll be back in a few days, okay? Don’t forget about me and treat me like a stranger when I come back, okay?”

While I’m being affectionate with her, Mellow tries her best to set herself free from my grip and then runs away.

“Love you, too!” I blow a kiss and then stand up. I kiss Mom’s cheek and give her one last goodbye kiss, “I’ll call you three times a day, okay?”

“Why bother?” Mom pushes me toward the door. “I want to forget about all of you for these three days and think I’m back to the time I was 20, when I was single and had boys lining up in front of the door for me.”

I shake my head, chuckling, “Mom, you’re impossible.”

“Don’t think about me and Mellow and have fun with your friends,” she finally pushes me out of the house. “Have fun and take care and maybe find yourself a boyfriend,” she winks at me before closing the door right at my face.

I stare at the door until realization hits me: my mom literally kicked me out of the house. “I never thought I’ll see this day…” I shake my head and head down.

As I walk out of the apartment, I see Eunbi’s car and beside the car, I see San. Yeosang and Wooyoung are sitting in the back and as Eunbi sees me, she gets out of the car.

“You took so long to come down.”

“I was gonna take longer but Miss Yubin kicked me out,” I smile as I go toward the back seat.

“Uh, what do you think you’re doing?” Eunbi stops me before I can open the door.

“Uh, getting in the car so that we can leave?”

“Oh, no you don’t,” she shakes her head as she comes to the other side of the car and starts pushing me. “If I’m gonna be driving for three hours, then I’m gonna need someone pretty to look at during the drive. Therefore, you’re sitting in front,” she opens the door of the front passenger seat.

“Okay…” I nod and get in.

San joins the two boys in the back and Eunbi gets in as well.

“Alright, three guys and pretty lady,” Eunbi puts her hand on the steering wheel after fastening her seatbelt, “put on your seatbelts because this is gonna be one long journey~” she says in a singsong voice as she starts the car.