Destination Wedding

43

Jin and Namjoon greeted the Kims while Taehyung tentatively waited behind them. The steakhouse was quiet and luxurious and Taehyung felt slightly underdressed.

"Why is my son hiding from me?" Mr. Kim teased towards Taehyung.

"Appa." Taehyung was pulled into a warm hug by his father, as if he was already comforting him. For what, he didn't know. "Appa, is something wrong? Are one of you sick?"

Mrs. Kim butted in. "Sick?! We're perfectly fine, Taehyung. Always so dramatic," she taunted. "We haven't had a moment to catch up. We simply wanted to eat dinner as a family."

Taehyung sighed and nodded, taking his seat at a table that was too large for the five of them. He eyed his mother suspiciously as she flashed a mischievous smile after checking her phone.

"I trust everything is going smoothly with the final wedding preparations?" Mr. Kim questioned.

"Yes, sir. Jin hasn't left a stone unturned. He's done a beautiful job, and I'm so lucky," replied Namjoon. Jin blushed and looked at his fiancé lovingly.

"Aw, you're too sweet, Namjoonie. You two deserve the most memorable of days," cooed Mrs. Kim.

Taehyung seized the opportunity to catch up with his father, filling him in on how work had been steady in LA. He expressed how much he missed his dad and how after being reunited with his circle, he was considering moving back to Korea. His father could only beam at him and convey how proud he was. Taehyung spared the intimate details but also shared about his long-overdue reuniting with Jeongguk. His father always had a soft spot for the boy. Taehyung gushed about the hardworking man he'd become, but before delving into his business accomplishments, he was interrupted by a subtle scoff from Mrs. Kim.

Taehyung eyed her questioningly. While he didn't trust Bogum, he recalled what he said about his and Mrs. Kim's shared concerns regarding Jeongguk. He couldn't help but wonder what preconceived judgments his mother formulated against him.

Jin interrupted the annoyance bubbling inside Taehyung. "Eomma, why did they seat us at such a large table?"

"Oh! Well, I ran into the Parks earlier today and invited them to join us!" She abruptly stood up and waved down Mr. And Mrs. Park who had just reached the hostess stand. Taehyung, Jin and Namjoon all seemed to emit a sigh of collective relief upon noting Bogum's absence. That was, until he waltzed In moments later.

Taehyung shot his mother a glare. "Eomma, what is this?" Taehyung hissed through gritted teeth. Namjoon subtly shook his head while Jin looked appalled at his mother.

"Eomma, you can't be serious," Jin whispered. Mr. Kim looked gobsmacked towards his wife.

"Hush, all of you! Don't embarrass me!" Mrs. Kim whisper-yelled. A look of hurt flashed over Taehyung's face. How insensitive could she be?

"I think it's high time that Taehyung and Bogum buried the hatchet," she continued to whisper as the family approached. She looked onto her own family for agreement, but finding none, huffed in annoyance.

"Taehyung, I won't let you lose a catch like Bogum over some... some misunderstanding!" The Parks were nearly at the table now.

"Misunderstanding?" Taehyung questioned, voice raised. Now he was pissed.

"I hope we're not intruding!" Mrs. Park sang. The Parks gathered around the table, unnoticing of Taehyung's fury and the stupor of the rest of the Kim men.

"Of course not, Mijeong!" Mrs. Kim ushered them to their seats hurriedly, casting glares at her family behind their backs. Everyone bowed quickly and Taehyung, despite his anger, had to stand and hug the Parks. He was so fond of them. After all, they were like his surrogate parents, given how he and Jimin were joined at the hip. And since Jimin was an earth angel, he couldn't blame them for Bogum being such a rotten egg.