Sakimashita: Drunk On You

Chapter 14

a/n: Next is the last chapter

Trigger Warning: Mentions of/Referenced suicide and bullying of other characters

The next day, they are all sitting at the dining table. They have just finished their lunch in silence.

Yoongi's father is the first to break it. To their surprise, he addresses Taehyung directly.

"Come with me," he says.

 Taehyung glances at Yoongi.

Yoongi's father snorts and then asks, "Why, do you need his permission?" 

Yoongi retorts, "He can do what he wants."

Taehyung faces his father and says sincerely, "It depends, sir."

Yoongi looks at his partner impressed. Surprised. 

Yoongi and his father exchange a look before the musician nods at Taehyung. 

Taehyung immediately pushes his chair back and stands up.

"Where would you like for us to go? Should I get my keys?" Taehyung looks up. "I need to get them fr -"

Yoongi's father gives a slight shake of his head. "Just to the garden."

Yoongi watches his father and his partner head out the backdoor to their backyard. He watches with them a pleased smile.

*

The TV is playing some reality show on the screen. His daughter is sitting on the floormat filling in colours in the sketchbook using crayons Taehyung had bought her as a birthday present. Yoongi and his mother are on the couch helping her with peeling peas. His dad and Taehyung are out to market for some local produce. His dad was impressed with Taehyung's knowledge of farming. A doubt and their lack of knowledge on how to fix the patch of dead pumpkins led to Taehyung making a spurious call to his own father. The two elderly men spoke awkwardly over the phone as they used to also be friends besides being parents of two colleagues whose friendship had waned over the years.

Once the call had ended, Taehyung offered to take Yoongi's father by his car to the market to look at local produce and instruments he may need to buy.

Yoongi doubts his father's sudden lack of knowledge in what he has been investing his time in over the years. He thinks his father is trying to spend time with Taehyung. So, Yoongi didn't stop them when they left together.

"Son," his mother suddenly starts breaking Yoongi out of his thoughts, "Parents and children don't have to look eye to eye in everything." Yoongi looks at her with a narrowed gaze wondering where it is going. "What matters is you are here. Life is too short. As parents who know the loss of a child, we don't want our child to know the loss of their parents. So we stay so that we live another day."

"Why are you -"

She continues as if uninterrupted, "Besides, we know him since he was a kid. We know his family. Who knows. He may also help your father restore his lost friendship."

The strain between his father and him over orientation and Taehyung had led to a falling out with Taehyung's father.

Yoongi says after swallowing the discomfort lodging as a lump in his throat, "Come stay with me."

His mother smiles, her gaze trained on the bowl of peas, her wrinkled hands still at it. "Can't do that, son. Someone has to look after the house. Plus, your dad won't leave and I can't leave him alone."

Yoongi makes a noise of distaste. "You still don't voice your opinion. Even now."

 She asks rhetorically, "Who asks me for it anyway?" Then tacks on, "Maybe your brother did sometimes. Then he wasn't there to ask anymore." She finally looks at him. "You did when you were fighting with your father. It always is like that with women. With mothers and wives. Our opinion is wanted only when it can be used in an argument."