Take My Breath Away

15

Jimin didn't usually get nervous when meeting new people, he was good at keeping casual conversation and most people seemed to like him, however meeting Jungkook's mother turned out to be a different story. He could feel his palms dampening from sweat as he walked alongside Jungkook down a busy street on Saturday on their way to lunch. He wanted to make a good impression, this was his boyfriend's mother after all and however strained the son and mother's relationship was Jimin knew Jungkook cared about what the woman thought.
As they rounded a corner Jimin thought about what he could possibly talk with Jungkook's mother about, they probably had nothing in common seeing as she was a powerful business woman leading a major company in Seoul and he was just a university student from a lower-class family with a threateningly low bank balance. They did have one thing in common though and that was Jungkook. If all else failed he would just talk about his boyfriend, how wonderful and kind he was, how well the boy treated him. Yes, mothers loved gushing about their sons, right?
Jungkook grabbed Jimin's hand as they neared the restaurant they were meeting his mother at. Jimin took a deep breath as the brown-haired boy opened the large glass doors and guided him inside. The restaurant was like no other the blonde boy had ever seen. The ceilings were tall with crystal chandeliers hanging from above, huge windows lined the walls with blue silk curtains draped over them, and tables with pristine white tablecloths with beautiful flower centrepieces were dispersed throughout the room. Jimin observed the waiters dressed in immaculately pressed suits, hair perfectly styled, as they poured water into crystal glasses and jotted orders down onto leather pads.
Anxiety started to build in Jimin's stomach. He didn't belong here, this place was for the upper-class, for people who had real money. He felt extremely out of place as his eyes wandered to a few women sitting at a table nearby, their clothes were probably worth more than all the ones in his own closet put together. Jimin looked down at his own clothes, thankfully he'd put on a blue button-up and black slacks, but it was still painfully obvious that he simply didn't fit in.
Jimin held onto Jungkook's hand a little tighter as they walked up to a woman standing behind a marble counter.
She was typing something into a tablet in her hands, but looked up when they approached and smiled an almost unnaturally wide smile.
"Welcome! Do you have a reservation?" She said in a sickly-sweet tone that screamed fake to Jimin, he wouldn't be surprised if the woman actually hated her job. He probably had more in common with her than half the quests in this restaurant.
"Jeon." Jungkook replied and the woman looked down at her tablet, her long nails clicking against it as she swiped across the screen.
"Yes, right this way."
The woman led them through the restaurant, zigzagging between tables. Jimin tried not to look at the other guests as they passed, afraid that they would look back and judge him. They were approaching a table further into the restaurant where a woman was sitting with her back facing
them.
"Mum." Jungkook said and the woman turned her head to look at them.
Jimin could immediately tell she was Jungkook's mother, they had the same sharp cheekbones and big brown eyes, though there was something in Jungkook's eyes that was missing in his mother's, Jimin couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.
Jungkook's mother stood up and straightened her skirt.
She was slim and rather tall and her sleek black hair was tied back in a tight knot in the back of her neck. She was wearing a white blouse, a pencil skirt that hugged her body and a pair of black stilettos. Her lips were painted in a berry tone and a pair of glasses with translucent frames rested on her slim nose.
"Jungkook darling, how are you?" She said as she embraced her son in a hug, the brown-haired boy barely having time to reciprocate before she drew back.
"I'm good." Jungkook replied and gave her a smile.
She nodded and gave him a quick smile back, but it didn't reach her eyes. She turned towards Jimin and he could see her eyes wandering over his frame before bowing her head slightly. "You must be Jimin, I'm Seung."
Jimin bowed back, significantly deeper. "It's very nice to meet you." He managed to get out, relieved his voice didn't quiver.
Seung smiled and gestured towards the table. "Let's sit."
Jimin took a seat next to Jungkook, Seung sitting down opposite to them.
"I'm happy we were able to schedule this lunch."
Jungkook's mother said as she unfolded the white linen napkin and placed it in her lap. It sounded more like she was talking about a business meeting than a lunch with her son. "I'll be leaving for Tokyo tomorrow."
"Yeah, it's been a while." Jungkook said.
"So it has." His mother replied in a neutral tone.
Silence fell over them and Jimin felt increasingly uncomfortable. Seung was observing the two boys, her steely gaze flicking between them and to Jimin it felt like she was analysing every part of him. There was something about the woman that made it impossible for Jimin to meet about the woman that made it impossible for Jimin to meet her eyes for too long, there was an aura of authority surrounding her and the blonde boy found himself cowering at her gaze.
Seung's eyes diverted from them after a few seconds and waved a waiter over. "We'll have today's special." She said without looking at the man who was taking their order.
"Certainlv." The waiter replied and ushered off with the untouched menus that had been lying in front of them.
"So," Jungkook's mother turned her attention back to the two boys. "how have you been Jungkook? Is school going well?" She spoke in a neutral tone and interlaced her fingers in her lap.
"Yes, they've given us a lot more work, but it's nothing I can't handle." Jungkook replied.
Seung offered a quick smile. "Of course." Her eyes wandered over to Jimin. "I'm glad to hear you haven't been too distracted."
An icy feeling began to spread in Jimin's stomach. He was starting to doubt Jungkook when he'd said that his mother had been happy to hear about their relationship
Jungkook grabbed Jimin's hand and squeezed it. "I have plenty of time to study, Jimin spends most of his time in the library anyway." The boy chuckled lightly.
"I see." Seung said and nodded. "Jungkook tells me you're a literature major Jimin, what are your plans for a future career?"
"I-" Jimin hadn't really figured out exactly what he wanted to do, he just knew he wanted to work in literature.
"I
haven't decided vet."
Seung pursed her lips. "It's never too early to think about your future."
Jimin opened his mouth while trying to think of something to sav. but as a savina arace a waiter turned up and set to say, but as a saving grace a waiter turned up and set small plates down in front of them. The dish was some sort of pickled vegetables and fish, the portion barely big enough to fill his palm. Jimin looked down at the array of cutlery laying in rows at the side of the plate. He'd never been to a fancy restaurant before and he wasn't sure which one was the correct one to use. Jungkook nudged him and pointed discreetly to the small knife laying the furthest away from the plate and Jimin picked it up along with the accompanying fork on the other side. Jimin preferred to use chopsticks, but judging from the food in front of him the restaurant was more geared towards western cuisine.
Jimin observed as Jungkook neatly cut a piece of the fish and put it in his mouth, the boy's mother doing the same.
The blonde boy wasn't the biggest fan of seafood, but he wasn't about to say that in front of Jungkook's mother. He took a bite of the fish and swallowed while looking down at the plate. It tasted fine, it was probably the best piece of fish he'd ever had, but he'd much rather have ramen.
"What kind of books do you like Jimin?" Seung said while gently dabbing the side of her mouth with her napkin before placing it back in her lap.
Finally something he could talk about. "I read a lot of modern classics and books from the turn of the century." He started hesitantly, but when Jungkook's mother nodded he found a bit more confidence and continued. "They're truly timeless and there are so many interesting themes that are still applicable to our lives today."
"I enjoyed reading when I was younger." Seung said after she had swallowed the last of the vegetables on her plate.
"Jimin's favourite author is John Steinbeck," Jungkook piped in, giving Jimin a smile. "I think you've told me you've read some of his books."
Seung hummed. "Yes, I found them a bit dull, not really my taste."
"Steinbeck was one of the best writers of the 20th century." Jimin found himself arguing before he could stop himself. "His strengths lie in his descriptive writing, it's not so much about what happens in the story as much as what he makes vou feel when vou read it."
Jungkook's mother eyed him with an expressionless face and Jimin was afraid he'd stepped over the line. "Well," she finally said. "at least it seems like you've picked the right major."
Jimin wasn't sure if she meant it in a positive way or not, but Jungkook spoke up before he could offer some sort of reply.
"How was New York?"
Seung turned back towards her son. "It was fine, we've been trying to expand into the US for a while and it seems like we're finally getting somewhere."
Jungkook and his mother moved on to discuss her newest business venture, an investment in an up-and-coming social media platform, as their main course was served.
Jimin felt immensely dumb listening to them talk, they threw around with terms completely foreign to the blonde boy and he couldn't understand half of what they were saying. He concentrated on the small piece of stake he was halfway through and stayed quiet.
Rich people must hate food, he thought as he took another bite of the stake. What self-respecting human would pay this much money for something like this. The stake wasn't even that good, he'd had way better at the little corner restaurant a few blocks from his house back in Busan. He could probably buy at least ten of those with the money the dish in front of him cost.
"When are you coming back next time?" Jungkook asked as a waiter was removing their plates.
"It might be a month, may be longer." Seung answered.
Jungkook nodded, but he didn't say anything.
"I'm sorry darling, I know this is a hard time-" "No," Jungkook was quick to cut her off. "It's fine."
Seung pressed her lips together and Jimin could swear he saw a glint of sadness flash in her eyes, but before he could be sure it was gone. "I wish I could be here, but you know how it is."
"I know." Jungkook said, a hint of bitterness in his voice.
"Maybe you could go see your father, I'm sure he doesn't want to be alone on-"
"Yeah, maybe." Jungkook cut his mother off again, avoiding
her eyes.
Jimin reached over and grabbed Jungkook's hand. He understood why the boy didn't want to discuss his father, but he felt like there was something else he was avoiding.
Suddenly Seung's phone started to vibrate in her bag which she had placed next to her chair. She bent over to pick it up and frowned at the screen. "I need to take this.
Excuse me for a moment." She said and got up, not giving the two boys a second look before she started walking towards the exit of the restaurant, already speaking quickly to whoever was on the other line.
"I'm sorry," Jungkook said after a few seconds when the boy's mother was out of earshot. "I know she's a bit.."
Jungkook seemed to have difficulty finding the right words.
Jimin turned his head to his boyfriend. "Scary?" The blonde boy said with a dry chuckle.
Jungkook let out a light laugh and squeezed Jimin's hand.
"I- yeah, she can be a bit intimidating, but you should know this is actually mild for her."
"This is mild?" Jimin asked and raised his eyebrows.
"Yeah," Jungkook said and brushed a piece of Jimin's hair behind his ear. "there's a reason why she's one of the most successful businesswomen in South Korea, people respect her."