Just For A Few Days (Namkook)

Chapter 16: "Wanted to ask if you are home yet"

"I can't believe this! You're nothing but a traitor in my eyes."

"Appa please! I didn't know anything about the news."

"Still I find you sneaking out with that bastard at this hour?"

"He didn't do anything wrong. The article said nothing but hardships you faced in your career, appa. It glorified your hard work."

"Oh really? Then why am I getting telephone calls and letters from people lending their hand of help? You think it makes me look good? No you idiot! It makes me weak in front of those people."

"You are just too stubborn to understand!"

"Mind your language! Don't forget I'm your father under the roof of whom you're still surviving. If you want to keep advocating for that boy, then leave my house right now."

The voice gradually became inaudible and the vision in front became brighter as some shining light brushed a layer of warmth on his face. The squint slowly turned to a stare. A familiar male face came in notice that overflowed his heart in emotions. The male was pulled in a hug before the woken up person burst into tears.

"Appa, please! Please let me go! I cannot live without him!"

"Dad!"

"I would never ask for anything. Please appa!"

"Dad!"

The continuous pronunciation of 'dad' alarmed the unstable man who he actually was. It wasn't his father, it was his son whom he was holding on to for life. Even with the realisation, he didn't change the position, rather started unleashing the gates to his uncontrollable tears.

"Just tell me what's wrong, dad. I'm your Kookie." Jungkook started patting Jun-ho's back to calm him down.
"What about appa, Kookie?"
"Grandpa has left the world a long time ago, dad. Remember?"

Jun-ho suddenly pushed his son away as his eyes immediately turned from bawling to scared . Unable to read his expression, Jungkook held his father's hands tightly saying, "Dad, did you have a dream? What did you see?"
"I did a mistake, Kookie. I didn't keep my promise to him." The frail voice of the grown man surfaced the vulnerability in front of his son.
"You didn't! You kept your promise. You were the best son to him and you carried his legacy forward. Grandpa might have been proud of you if he was with us, dad."

Jun-ho put up a sad smile on his face to produce an understandable response for his son. He knew Jungkook didn't get the fact 'he' wasn't his grandfather, it was referred to someone else whose identity isn't unknown to the boy yet the true significance of that person in Jun-ho's life is better kept secret from the 27 years old.

"I'm sorry to bother you, Kookie. I guess it was just a bad dream." Jungkook folded the mid partition of his eyebrows forming the angriest fake frown to scare the other.
"One more time you talk about bothering me and you will see the angry Kookie that you're so scared of, Mr. Jeon."
"Point noted, my angry Kookie. I'm fine, I'll get ready for work now." A chuckling Jun-ho said pinching on his son's cheeks who kept whining at the baby treatment from his father.

********

Taehyung's words carried warning and discouragement to the casual friends with benefits situation that Namjoon has been having. The intention was to keep the billionaire clean out of scandals that might be used against him in court, but Namjoon only felt a gush of irritation at the idea of not being around the man whose touch and presence are the only sources of happiness in his life right now.