Turning The Page

Chapter 7 - New Start

As Yoongi and Eun-Ji reached Yoongi's apartment, Eun-Ji's aunt and uncle were waiting to receive them.

"Eun-Ji, Yoongi," her aunt says when she sees them, pulling Eun-Ji into a hug.

"Is everything okay?" Eun-Ji asks hugging them both.

"We should be asking you that, why didn't you tell us about Namjoon," her uncle replies as Eun-Ji looks at the worry on their faces.

"I didn't want to worry you and I had plenty of support from everyone," she says taking her aunt's hand, "I promise I'm okay really," she adds with a warm smile.

"It doesn't matter how busy we are, we always have time for you no matter what," her aunt says smiling back at her before tapping her husband's arm. "Give it to her," she says to him. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small box, passing it to Eun-Ji.

"What's this?" she asks, confused as to why her aunt and uncle are giving her a gift.

"Just open it," her aunt beams. Eun-Ji opens the box to find a small set of keys and she looks at them, perplexed.

"What are these for?" she asks.

"The apartment downstairs," her uncle says gently with a smile. "It's yours."

"What? No, I can't take the apartment, it's too much," Eun-Ji says, trying to hand the keys back. "If you want to give it to someone, give it to mum and dad, please," she begs. "I'm worried they won't have somewhere to go with only a few weeks before they have to be out of the house," she pleads.

"Don't worry about your parents, they're fine," Eun-Ji's uncle says, and she looks confused.

"They have a new place to go to," her aunt adds, "It's not in Seoul but that's what they wanted."

"But how?" Eun-Ji asks knowing her parents had been struggling.

"They have been saving for a long time and we gifted them the rest they needed along with a bit extra," Eun-Ji's aunt explains.

"But appa, he was always so against you helping any of us," Eun-Ji says.

"He's gotten a bit wiser in his old age," her uncle chuckles. "He had his reasons and never wanted you to look down on him, so he never told you the truth," he continues.

"He never told me anything," Eun-Ji replies, "he'd always just snap at me that I should be grateful for what I had and not ask you for anything."

"Just know that he loves you very much and always has," her uncle says placing his hands on her shoulder. "He'll probably kill me for telling you, but I don't care," he laughs. "When I invested in the development company your father had an opportunity to invest as well, he chose not to because around that time another company had collapsed and people lost a lot of money. He didn't want that to happen because you were only a baby and he couldn't invest his family's future in something that may never happen," he says as Eun-Ji listens intently. "When everything went well with my investment your father was upset that he hadn't taken the chance and that it left his family struggling," he said. "He became bitter that we could afford luxuries and he struggled to put food on the table but refused any help."

"But why the change of heart now?" Eun-Ji asks feeling bad for occasionally feeling resentful of her parents and their stubbornness.

"You did," her aunt replies. "He saw that even though you grew up with very little, you never asked us for anything, it was always given. You worked hard to put yourself through university, working several jobs and still doing extra studies to get what you wanted. He realised that you were stronger than he had ever been and regretted not being there for you at times, but he wants to be there for you and your family when you have them. And at his age, working two jobs is getting too much and he's worried he'll never get to see his grandchildren."