Dark Tales | BTS | ✔️

son ; pjm

"Good day, Miss!" Jae greeted his head teacher as we walked out of the school gate, his small hand tightly gripping mine. I smiled, cherishing this moment of picking him up from school. It was always the highlight of my day.

"How was your day, sweetheart?" I asked him sweetly, running my fingers through his hair. Memories of his father, Jimin, flooded my mind. He always spoke about him so fondly—my ex-husband, Jimin.

Jimin and I still maintained contact, co-parenting our son. But with each passing day, Jae seemed to grow more attached to Jimin's new wife. I couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions, unsure of how to interpret it all. It seemed ridiculous, but it still stung.

"It was fine, Mama. Now, I would like to go to Papa's house, please," he pleaded, looking up at me with those innocent doe eyes, his desire clear. I unlocked the car door for him, feeling a sigh escape my lips involuntarily.

It seemed like he wanted to spend every waking moment at Jimin's house, barely leaving any time for me. I had already lost my husband, and now I didn't want to lose my son too.

"Jae, why do you enjoy being at Papa's house so much?" I asked, trying to understand his perspective as I started the car. Sadness shimmered in my eyes, visible for a fleeting moment.

"It's fun there! Chae Mama cooks such delicious meals for me every day. You wouldn't believe how good they taste!" he exclaimed, playfully licking his lips and giggling in his seat, distracting me as I struggled to focus on the road.

"What about the food I cook for you?" I inquired, hoping for a different response, hoping that he would appreciate my efforts as his mother.

He paused for a moment, looking at me, before hesitantly replying, "It's good, but not as good as her food." His words hit me with a heavy weight, delivered with an underlying intention to spare my feelings.

"Ah, I guess I'll have to ask your Chae Mama for some of her recipes, right, baby?" I deflected my emotions, continuing to engage with my child. Perhaps if I talked more, if I tried harder, he would want to stay with me more too.

Jae continued to ramble about his friends' mischievous acts, how they wrote on the blackboard without the teacher's permission, and how he planned to inform the teacher the next day. I feigned attention, but my mind was elsewhere, consumed by unease and anxiety. The fear of losing the only thing I had left weighed heavily upon me.

"Jae," I interrupted his chatter, making him look up at me. "Don't cause trouble for anyone, okay? And if you miss Mama, just ask Papa to make a call." I gazed at him with sad eyes, hoping he would understand the depth of my longing as he eagerly bobbed his head, eager to rush inside the house.

"Oh, and baby, please remember to go to bed by 10. You have school tomorrow too," I added, gently brushing his bangs away from his face, searching for any signs of connection. He didn't seem particularly interested in my words, but he put on a façade, pretending to listen attentively.

With a heavy sigh, I uttered, "Never mind, you can go," as I opened the car door for him, watching him dash inside the house. I wished he displayed the same joy when meeting me after school, at least.

---

"Misha, I've emailed the sale reports to the group. Please scan them and ask the editing department to review them once. I may have made some mistakes," I spoke with a heavy sigh, my voice laden with exhaustion and stress.

Life had been a constant whirlwind of pressure, and I could feel the tension building up once again, threatening to consume me.

"Sure, ma'am. I'll get back to you later," Misha replied before hanging up.