𝑸𝑼𝑬𝑹𝑬𝑵𝑪𝑰𝑨 || 𝐉𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐇𝐨𝐨𝐧

14

Jake's footsteps echoed in the quiet streets as he made his way back home. The day had been long and emotionally draining, a stark contrast to the bright and sunny morning that had greeted him. After whatever happened at dinner the previous night, he had spent the night at Sunghoon's place and the whole afternoon that followed, with Jay. Now, as the sun began to set, casting long shadows on the ground, he knew it was time to face whatever awaited him at home.

As Jake approached his house, his heart pounded with a mix of anxiety and resolve. He knew he had to confront the situation and, hopefully, find a way to apologise to his grandfather. Taking a deep breath, he opened the front door and stepped inside.

"Mom, I'm home," he called out, his voice echoing through the quiet house.His dad and grandparents never stayed at Hwawonjae leaving the huge mansion to him, his mom and the people who worked here.This place was never his home.

His mom was seated on the couch, her face a mask of worry and anger. Their was a empty bottle of alcohol and a less than half filled glass in front of her. 

She quit drinking a year ago. The last thing Jake wanted was his mom to return to her old habits and get sick.

"Mom–"

Before Jake could say another word, she strode over to him and slapped him hard across the face. The suddenness and force of the blow left him stunned, his cheek stinging.

"How dare you!" Her voice trembled with a mix of anger and hurt. "How dare you walk out on us like that!"

Jake's initial shock gave way to a surge of anger. "What was I supposed to do, Mom? Dad wouldn't listen to anything I had to say, and giving explainations to grandfather is useless!"

"You should have begged then!" She shot back, her eyes flashing with frustration. "You can't just run away every time things get tough!"

"beg them?" Jake scoffed, rubbing his cheek. "All they ever do is lecture me about how I'm wasting my life. They don't care about what I want, what we want, mom. Hojin was a bastard to me. He cheated on me repeatedly and I kept taking it just for the company's sake. They broke it off, their family did. why has this become my fault?" Jake found himself close to tears and took a deep breath holding it in.

Jake saw his mom's expression softened, her anger giving way to concern. "Jake, please don't hurt yourself going against them." she put a hand gently on her son's face where she just hit him. "They'll ruin your life my son, they'll ruin everything you love. In this cold palace, I tried to give you as much freedom and warmth as I could, I can't do this anymore." she placed her head on Jake's shoulder as she broke down to tears.

---------------

Jungwon decided he wanted to stop by the library and said that he would text Ni-ki when he's done and they'll go have dinner. Ni-ki agreed, but the moment he said yes, Sunoo's face flashed in front of his eyes. I said I was busy. . . .I hope he dosen't find out we went without him. 

He shook the thought as he walked down the familiar street towards the cafe where Sunghoon worked.

He had always admired Sunghoon, who was two years older and had always been a source of inspiration and guidance. However, since they left the orphanage, Ni-ki had noticed a change in his brother. The bright, genuine smile Sunghoon used to wear seemed to have dimmed, replaced by a forced cheerfulness that didn't reach his eyes and the younger was more than aware that something was wrong.

As Ni-ki approached the cafe, he paused just outside the large glass window. He spotted Sunghoon behind the counter, crafting drinks and chatting with customers. From the outside, he appeared to be his usual self, smiling and laughing with the crowd. But Ni-ki, who knew his brother better than anyone, could see the subtle signs of fatigue and strain. The smile was just a facade, a mask to hide the stress and exhaustion he was feeling.