Matcha kind of love || JJK

58. One last time

"Are you sure you want to do this?" I ask as I glance up at the hauntingly familiar house. Jaehyun takes a deep breath before nodding.

"I mean, mom's in jail so we have nothing to worry about, right?" He asks, almost as if he's trying to convince himself. I place a hand on his shoulder with a small smile.

"Yea... I guess. Well then, let's stop worrying and get in there, I wanna see my sisters," I smile, trying to lighten the mood. He grins and nods, stepping out of the car. I had promised Jaehyun I would take him back home so we could talk with dad. I wanted to see how the girls were doing, and more importantly, I wanted to know why my dad had never stood up against our mom.

I follow closely behind Jaehyun, waiting anxiously as he knocked on the door. I heard a lot of footsteps and the door flew open, Soren and Isuel squealing as they run up to us. I laugh, barely catching myself as I feel two pairs of arms wrap around my leg and waist.

"Aw, looked like someone missed their older siblings," I coo, kneeling down to hug the two girls. The were hugging me and Jaehyun tightly, and I couldn't help but feel bad for not coming by often. They drag us inside, and I look around, trying to find my dad. I spot him on the couch, a shocked expression on his face. He stood up as soon as he saw us, a look of surprise on his face. Jaehyun and I glance at each other before I look down at the two girls.

"Alright you two, dad, Jaehyun and I need to talk for a little. You two can go to your rooms, and we can play once we're done, okay?" I say gently, kissing both of them on top of their heads. They start to protest but I give them a stern look and the shuffle away with frowns.

Silence followed as the three of us tried to figure out what to say. Dad sighed, walking over to us. He said nothing, his eyes scanning over me. I watched him quietly, cautious. He was looking at me with proud and guilty eyes.

"My... you really have grown up now..." He mumbles, shaking his head.

"Come, let's sit. I'm sure you two both have many questions." He says, holding both Jaehyun and I's shoulders. We exchanged looks before sitting across from him. He takes a shaky breath, wiping his few tears away. I didn't know where to start or what to say. It felt weird talking to my dad after so many years of silence, and I didn't know if I should jump right into my questions or ease my way there.

"How have things been? You know... without mom?" Jaehyun speaks first, his voice quiet and unsteady. Dad sighs, a ghost of a smile on his face.

"I won't lie, it's been strange... but good. Definitely good. It's like this house has finally begun to gain some of its happiness back." He says with a shaking voice.

"It was definitely a punch in the face when I found out what was happening. When the police showed up and arrested her, I felt so guilty for being... happy. It was like... I could finally be a human again," Dad sighs, looking at the two of us with regret.

"I'm not going to keep you here any longer then you want, so I'll get straight to the point. Somi... I'm sorry. I wanted nothing more but to spend time with you and protect you from your mother, but she was too much. She would threaten me and force me to get away from you. I wanted nothing more but to help you, but I was scared," He pauses to look at me, seemingly assessing my reaction.

"I don't expect you to forgive me, and I'm ashamed of my behavior. I'm regret not standing up for you. I wasn't able to help you and in turn I missed out on half of your life. I... I truly am sorry. I'm... I'm glad that you managed to live your life the way you wanted," He takes a shaky breath as I take in his words, feeling my emotions hit me like a truck. I knew my mom was responsible for my loss of a father, and it just made me hate her even more.

As I looked at my father and saw the genuine regret and desire for change in his eyes, I felt conflicted. My mother caused him to distance himself, but he didn't even try to fight her. I didn't know how to feel, and I didn't know if I should forgive him or not. My mind a mess, and for some reason, hearing that he supported me, even if it was 10 years too late, made me feel something I hadn't felt in awhile. With a deep breath, I try to formulate me thoughts.

"I... I don't think I can forget the things that happened due to your absence in my life, but... I can tell you are genuinely trying to be better, and I am willing to give you a chance," I say, glancing at him with a small smile. Jaehyun smiles and nods at me, looking between Dad and I. Dad's face lights up, and he immediately nods, putting his hands on my shoulders.

"Thank you, Somi. I.. I cant tell you how much that means to me... If you want... I would love to hear more about your life. I want to get to know my little girl again," His voice was full of emotion and I felt my eyes widen at his words. *His little girl...* I felt my nose sting and before I knew it, the tears were cascading down my face like a waterfall. For some reason, hearing him say that made my walls come crashing down, and the wave of emotions I was trying so hard to hold back escaped.

Dad hesitated before wrapping me in a hug, making me cry even harder. I remembered the last time I hugged my dad like this being when I was young. It felt... nice, in a way.  I felt Jaehyun hug me as well, followed by two more smaller pairs of arms wrapping around my waist and legs. With my family around me like this, I felt like I was a little girl again. I hated crying in front of people, but around them, I felt... safe.

I didnt know how long I was like that, but eventually my tears calm down. I sit down on the couch, everyone following to sit around me. Jaehyun was beside be and smiled, ruffling my hair. I swat his hand away and fix my hair, looking at the two girls sitting in front of me, and my dad sitting in a chair close to us. I smile as I look at them.

"So, you wanted to know more about my life, right? ...A lot happened after I left home. I... I guess I'll start from the beginning," I say, diving straight into my memories as I recall my time in collage, my time at the cafe, and then the most recent events with Jungkook and that stalker. I didn't know how much my dad knew, and he kept a emotionless face as he listened to me.

They all listened closely, though I doubt Soren or Iseul really understood what I was saying. It felt nice to look back on everything, even if some of those memories weren't the best. My dad was silent, an unreadable expression on his face. Jaehyun kept asking questions about collage, which made sense considering he was going to go soon.

"Wait so did you like party a lot or did you focus on your studies? Oh, and were your roommates crazy?" Jaehyun asked, causing me to laugh.

"You're really curious about this stuff, huh? Well... mhh, let me think. I didnt really party much, I was mostly locked away in the studio. That was how I distracted myself from my thoughts, so... yea. And my roommate was always Hana, so no, they weren't crazy, " I respond, looking down as I braided Iseuls hair. Jaehyun nodded and silence followed. I glanced at Dad, noticing how he was quietly watching me. I purse my lips before sighing.

"Jungkook... he's that guy who came with you to drop them off, right?" He suddenly asks, gesturing to the girls. I hesitate before nodding. He looks away, thinking. I watch him, unsure what was going through his mind.

"I see. If anyone can keep up with an idol like him... it's you. Im happy you found someone to love," He smiles slightly, an unreadable expression on his face. I smile at the thought of Jungkook and thank Dad quietly.

It wasn't long before the house was filled with laughter and cheers as the girls, Jaehyun, and I played games together. My dad watched us with a smile, happiness apparent on his face. As Soren and Isuel tackled me with loud cheers and laughs, and couldn't help but feel so extremely happy. As I was surrounded by love in the house I grew to resent, I finally felt like I had overcome the hardest challenge of my life; learning to move on from my past. It was a new day, a new year, a new era. I was ready for this next step in my life, this time with my family around me.