Go Ahead

Part 12

CHAPTER 10

Kim-Bum tells MinHo and HaeIn that he's been thinking about studying abroad. He's realized that there are more pros than cons and if he has the means to, then he should. MinHo and HaeIn fall silent. Kim-Bum says that he doesn't want to see his father working so hard. If he accepts Zhao's money and goes abroad, that will relieve some of the burden from MinHo's shoulders. Kim-Bum wants him to hire additional staff and rest more.

He looks up at his father and says that he genuinely wants to go. Besides, going to university abroad won't be that different from going to university in a different province. He'll still come back after he graduates.

The roles are reversed as HaeIn starts trying to convince MinHo that studying abroad will be a good thing for Kim-Bum. MinHo doesn't respond. He and Kim-Bum both start tearing up. He turns away and stands up to hide his face.

MinHo steadies himself against the door frame, then chokes out a, "Okay. Go," before heading into his room. Kim-Bum cries as he resumes eating. HaeIn tries to reassure him that MinHo is happy for him — he just doesn't want to let him go.

______________________________________

Ming Yue asks Jimin his brothers plan on doing for their college selection. Jimin thinks it's a done deal — Jungkook will go to Peking University and Kim-Bum will go to seoul  Jiaotong. Jimin tells Ming Yue that Mina seems to be doing okay — she woke up, but after hearing about her mother and husband's deaths, she was inconsolable. Ming Yue agrees to lend Jimin some money to buy matching shoes as presents for Kim-Bum and Jungkook.

After getting home, Jimin excitedly pounds on Kim-Bum's door. He opens it just as MinHo leaves to go to the restaurant. Jimin senses the awkwardness between them, but MinHo tells Kim-Bum that he can be the one to tell Jimin what's going on. Or they can wait until Jungkook gets back. Jimin thinks they're talking about what to do for Jungkook's birthday, and Kim-Bum doesn't bother correcting him.

Jungkook smiles as he reads the text messages from his family on his birthday. His uncle comes out of his mother's hospital room and catches him smiling, then asks how he can smile when his mother is like this. His uncle has to head back to China in a few days. He tells Jungkook to stay in Singapore and look after his mother until school starts.

But Jungkook says that he needs to go home in a few days, too. He misses Jimin. His uncle is furious that he's thinking about Jimin when his mother is so inconsolable that she had to be sedated. He calls Jungkook cold-blooded and heartless, bringing up how he didn't shed a tear after he caused his sister's death.

Jungkook doesn't respond to his uncle, but his words clearly bother him.

At night, he's contemplating his college selection form when Mei Yang turns off the lights. She brings out a cake and sings "Happy Birthday" to him, then tells him to make a wish. He smiles sadly as he tells her that he never makes a wish on his birthday. He's never seen a miracle and doesn't believe that a god exists.

Mei Yang tells him that gods do exist, but they live so high up in the sky that he has to wish very loudly in his heart for them to hear. "Really?" he asks. She nods.

Mei Yang smiles as she watches Jungkook make a wish for the first time. She apologizes to him for not being able to buy him a bigger cake. He murmurs that maybe he's destined to have only a small slice.

Jungkook looks at his college selection form again, where he's listed Peking University as his first choice. He remembers telling Jimiin and kim bum that becoming an adult happens in a single moment, one that only you will know. Then he closes his laptop without submitting the form, biting back tears.