Healing (KTH, featuring KNJ)

Chapter 19

Taehyung woke up with a light heart, still snuggled up tight with Clara and prepared to face the world. But he also knew he had some work to do with both his parents and Namjoon's. He knew neither of them really wanted him to be with Clara, one set because they loved Clara too much, and one set because they loved her too little.

In particular he was focused on Namjoon's parents. Taehyung was realistic, he knew that anyone who dated him would face unique hardships. The media is relentless, some fans could get out of control, going out in public was difficult, he'd often be traveling or too busy to spend a lot of time supporting her. It was clear his dream of his parents becoming part of her support system was still a long way off. So he needed to make quick work of convincing Namjoon's parents that he could be trusted.

Gently extracting himself from Clara's hold, he slipped his shirt back on and headed down the hall to see if her parents were already up. The clatter of dishes drew him to the kitchen where Mr. Kim was making a cup of coffee.

"Mr. Kim, good morning, I'm sorry for coming over so late and without warning last night. I hope you can forgive me." Taehyung bowed deeply, hoping that starting with some respectful gestures might help ease the conversation to come.

"Good morning Taehyung-ah, why don't you sit down and we can talk for a bit, hmmm? Would you like a cup of coffee?"

"Yes please, just black". Quickly taking a seat at the table, Taehyung prepared himself to beg for forgiveness again, and if everything went right, he hoped for a favorable response to the special request he had for the man in front of him.

"Well", began Mr. Kim, "I assume the fact that you stayed all night is probably a sign that Clara has at least partially forgiven you?"

"Yes sir".

After a long pause that left Taehyung beginning to squirm Mr. Kim continued. "I know I don't have to tell you how disappointed I was in everything that happened. But I also know you're a good kid. And even if you didn't do the right thing I know you're working hard at figuring out how to be in a relationship, and your heart is in the right place."

Another pause followed.

"I will continue to support your relationship, but I assume I don't need to say that there won't be many more chances Taehyung-ah. I expect two things from you. First, you have to fix things with your parents. We know your parents and they are good people who love you very much. But you cannot bring Clara back to that environment without addressing the situation first. And second, you need to continue to demonstrate that Clara is a real priority for you. Trust me, if anyone knows how busy you are it's us. We've seen everything Namjoon goes through. This relationship is going to be bumpy, but you need to prove to Clara and to us that you are trying your hardest. Just like Namjoon, you deserve to be able to have a relationship and fall in love even though your career makes that difficult. But please don't screw this up again."

Taehyung nodded in agreement, but didn't yet speak as Mr. Kim continued.

"Clara really is a lovely girl. We fell in love with her the first time we met her with Namsoo. She's smart and can be very independent. But has trouble admitting when she needs help, in part because she isn't very self-confident. Losing her fiance has made that even worse. So you need to watch out for her, don't wait for her to come to you."

"As you know, she's also quite shy, and innocent about the world you live in. She can be too kind and trusting for her own good. She is going to need to be protected from the harsh elements that come with your life. I am asking you now, please don't ever reveal your relationship to the public. Keep her only as a part of your private life. She will never thrive in the spotlight. She seems to really understand and accept your life, you are lucky to find a girl like her that will accommodate you so willingly. But don't take that for granted and assume that she will always bend to you. You need to bend to her also. I'd encourage you to do that as often as you can so there is never a question that you value her as much as you value your life in BTS"

"I promise you I will do all of that. I really will. Thank you so much for supporting me, for supporting us." Taehyung bowed repeatedly, truly feeling grateful for the support of Namjoon's parents. Because it was going to make his next request so much easier.

"Mr. Kim, can I ask you to help me with something? I need to figure out how to fix things between Clara and my parents, and I'm not sure I can do it alone.