"Hello, Mister. Back to earth?" she said, waving her hands in front of his face.
"Huh?" Jin blinked, startled from his reverie.
He realized he had been staring and shook himself free from his thoughts. "Areum! Oh my god, what happened?" A second girl rushed over, her eyes widening at the sight of Areum's soiled shirt.
'So her name is Areum? Just like her name, she's beautiful,'Jin thought.
"This Mister here spilled sausage on my shirt, and instead of apologizing, he's busy checking me out!" Areum exclaimed, a smirk on her lips.
Jin nearly choked on his saliva. "Excuse me? The first thing I said was that I'm sorry! And checking you out? I admire your confidence, but I wasn't checking you out. As for your shirt, I'll gladly pay for it-"
"No thanks. Just watch where you're going next time," Areum replied, grabbing her friend's hand and walking away.
---
Areum leaned her forehead against the cool window, relief washing over her as she remembered the jumper she had brought along. She glanced down at her ruined shirt, now crumpled in her hand.
'He was handsome, though,' she thought, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks.
"Thinking about the dashing guy you met earlier?" her friend Soyeon teased, glancing sideways with a knowing grin.
"What? No, I-" Areum stammered, but Soyeon pressed on.
"Come on, don't lie. I saw how he was looking at you. You two would make a cute couple!"
"Soyeon, please, just focus on driving faster. You know Appa hates it when I come home late!" Areum shot back, glancing anxiously at her watch.
"Okay, okay! I get it, Ma'am," Soyeon replied, chuckling.
---
The next morning, Areum stood before the mirror, applying a touch of makeup and adjusting her neckline. As she descended the stairs, she found her parents and brother gathered at the dining table.
"Good morning, Eomma, Appa, and Hyungsik oppa," she greeted cheerfully.
"Morning, Areum," her mother and brother replied, while her father nodded silently.
She quickly sat down, gulping down her orange juice.
"Eat slowly, Areum. You won't be late for university; I'll drop you off," Hyungsik offered.
"No, oppa. Not today-I'm going with Soyeon," she said, her tone firm.
"How will you get there?" Mrs. Lee asked, concern etching her
"We'll take the bus," Areum replied
"By bus? Areum, do you not care about my reputation at all? What if one of my acquaintances sees you? I have suitors in mind for you from prestigious families. Our family has standards," Mr. Lee began, launching into a familiar lecture.
"Appa, my exams are approaching, and traffic is terrible. I want to go early and study with Soyeon," Areum insisted.
"Appa, it's fine. She doesn't take the bus every day," her brother interjected
"Alright, if it's for your exams, I'll let it go. But remember, your GPA must not drop below 3.5," Mr. Lee relented, though his tone remained stern
"My daughter has never had a GPA lower than 3.5. She's exceptionally bright," Mrs. Lee said proudly
"Yes, and her future husband will be incredibly lucky-speaking of which, we should start looking for someone-" Hyungsik teased, winking at her. Areum rolled her eyes
"No way! I want to focus on my studies right now. I've got to go; I'm running late. Bye, everyone!" she called, hurrying out the door.
---
Jin sighed, surveying the chaotic scene before him. Six pairs of guilty eyes stared back, their expressions a mix of shame and amusement.
"So... how bad has it been exactly?" Jin asked, bracing himself.
"Jimin threw the tteokbokki while trying to wash it," Hoseok explained, his tone serious.
Jin shot a look at Jimin. "Why did you make the tteokbokki? I asked Taehyung to handle it."
Jimin scratched the back of his neck, his cheeks flushing. "Actually, Jin hyung..."
"Hyung, Taehyung hyung said he'd do Jimin hyung's homework if he made tteokbokki instead," Jungkook chimed in, stuffing chips into his mouth.
"Yah! Be quiet!" Jimin snapped, his face turning red.
"And what's that burning smell?" Jin asked, his brow furrowing.
"Uh, I may have burnt the egg while trying to boil it," Namjoon admitted sheepishly, chuckling nervously.
"I don't understand why I even ask you guys to help out," Jin sighed, shaking his head. He gathered the ingredients and headed to the kitchen.
The boys had decided to spend the day barbecuing at their vacation home. Although Jin was older than Jimin, Jungkook, Hoseok, and Yoongi, he felt a brotherly bond with them, just as he did with his younger brothers, Namjoon and Taehyung. All hailed from elite families, and their connections had forged a familial bond.
As Jin grilled the meat and waited for the noodles to boil, he caught a glimpse of Taehyung and Namjoon playing badminton outside. A smile crept onto his face, watching them compete with youthful exuberance.
"No wonder Appa adores them," he muttered.
"I agree; they're seriously gifted," Hoseok added.
"Yeah, and I'm not," Jin remarked, his tone tinged with self-deprecation.
"Hyung, why do you put yourself down like this? Namjoon and Taehyung are smart, but so are you," Yoongi interjected, concern in his eyes.
"I don't need to demean myself. My father does that quite well," Jin replied bitterly.
"He doesn't mean it, I'm sure. Your parents love you. They accepted Hana, even though she wasn't from our culture and was older than you-" Hoseok began, but Jin's expression darkened.
"Hoseok, don't mention her name in front of me," Jin said sharply.
"Sorry, Hyung, but you should talk about your feelings. It's been 3 years since she left you and married that guy. You haven't spoken of her since," Hoseok pressed gently.
"Hoseok... I said leave it," Jin replied, his voice strained.
Yoongi, sensing the discomfort, quickly tried to change the subject. "Hoseok, let's go buy kimchi. Jungkook mentioned he wanted some," he suggested, heading for his coat.
"I'm sorry if I ruined your mood, Hyung. But I hope one day you'll feel comfortable sharing your feelings with someone. You deserve happiness too," Hoseok said, placing a comforting hand on Jin's shoulder.
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YOU ARE READING
Connection Of Conformity || KSJ
FanfictionAreum flopped onto her side of the bed with a dramatic sigh. "You know, I really shouldn't have agreed to marry you in the first place." Jin turned away with an exaggerated eye roll. "Oh, come on. As if I was dying to marry you" ...
