He's got the whole world in his hands | Jeongin

Chapter seven

It was strange to have a priest eating breakfast with you in your mother's kitchen. Minsi couldn't help the stints of anxiety that flew through her every time she watched Jeongin take a bite of eggs. He was in a black long sleeve dress shirt. A matching belt kept the same shade of dress pants tightened around his waist.

She was slightly worried that he'd end up getting bits of egg on his shirt. He was shoveling his food into his mouth so fast that she wondered if he had been starving. Did he have dinner the previous night?

"This is delicious!" He managed to get out through a mouthful of egg. Realizing Minsi was staring at him with a look of amusement, he swallowed with a loud gulp. "I'm so sorry, I know I shouldn't talk with my mou-"

"Do you really think I'd lecture a catholic priest about morals?"

"Uh..."

"I would, but I'll let this slide. What can I say?" She shrugged and dug her fork back into a pile of scrambled eggs. "This stuff is pretty delicious."

He nodded in agreement with a chuckle and picked up a strip of bacon. The awkward tension from their previous conversation disappeared the moment Minsi served food. Everything was better after food. The mouthwatering scent of bacon, the perfectly seasoned eggs, and she even gave him a glass of orange juice.

"That good?" She asked as he shoved two strips of bacon in his mouth. His cheeks went red and he nodded while chewing. "I don't think I've ever had anyone enjoy my cooking this much."

He chewed frantically and swallowed. "It has been quite a while since I've had a proper home cooked meal. I'm always working and life never really stops. I won't lie, I've been indulging in fast food a little too much."

"Really? I mean, I thought your job was to just preach behind the pulpit. I mean, I know you do confessionals and stuff, but how much else is there to it?"

"Sometimes I'm the priest at weddings. Lately, I've done my fair share of funerals. People come to me for life advice. I have a bible study group that I lead twice a week."

"You really are a priest, huh? Do you ever have free time? I mean, you must need to sleep at some point."

"I have an apartment that I visit every night. Obviously, I have life outside the church too, but it's where most of my priorities lie."

Minsi nodded and pushed her eggs around with her fork. He noticed her sudden quietness and changed the topic. "So what about you? What do you do? I mean, you said you major in psychology. Do you attend college full time or do you work it in with a job?"

"I'm at college full time. My mother funds the bills for my education and helps out when I need things. This is actually supposed to be my last year. My mom's parents were loaded and when they passed, all their money went to her. She was their only daughter, so..."

"That must be nice," he smiled. His russet eyes met hers. "Seems like a weight off your shoulders."

"Yeah," she ducked her head down and pushed her fork around the plate again. A loud scraping sound caused her to wince before she put down the fork. "I suppose it'd be better if we got along, but our paths seem totally different."

"I really do believe she's coming from a good place. I had a few fights with my own mother growing up. Mothers never stop mothering. I swear that they'll be old and gray, barely able to get around in the nursing home, and they'll still be probably trying to get us to do what they want."

"Something like that."

Another tense silence began to bloom between them. Jeongin finished the last of his eggs and the strip of bacon. "This has probably been the best breakfast I've had in a long time."

"It's literally just bacon and eggs, you don't have to compliment me."

"I mean it, I can never make bacon properly. I always overcook it because I'm afraid that it'll still be raw. My bacon is burnt to a crisp. It looks burnt and withered, yours is so much better. You should learn to take compliments. The art of cooking has been lost to the fast food industry. It's not like that for everyone, but it is for me. Too many people don't know how to cook these days."

Minsi nodded and continued to eat her food. Usually, she was anxious about new people, but this felt different. She wasn't really worried about Jeongin having ill intentions. Her mother attended church every time the doors were open. Whether it was mid-week services, a Sunday service, or there was a special event, her mother was always there.

Minsi thought her mother was smitten by Jeongin and she couldn't help, but feel the same way. She only knew who he was because her mother constantly sent her the latest gossip via text messages. She responded when she could, but most of her texts were laced with unamused responses. A lot of 'mmhms' mixed with 'wow!' and 'okay.'

Her relationship with her mother was difficult. She couldn't remember the last time it wasn't so difficult. She had been herded around like a lamb ever since she was a child. Her mother's parenting had turned into smothered suffocation. Children were supposed to grow and learn how to fend for themselves. Minsi had to practically throw herself out of her mother's nest instead of her mother teaching her how to fly.

"So what happens after this?" She asked.

Jeongin stared down at his empty porcelain plate. With his fingers dug into the paper towel Minsi handed him, he couldn't believe he was nervous to say the next words. He sucked in a deep breath and uttered them anyway.

"Your mother wants me to meet with you a few times a week."