off limits ✧ zb1 applyfic

✧ ninety four

When Mrs. Zhang had gone home from her weekly shopping trip with her yes-men friends, she'd stumbled upon a scene she hadn’t quite expected. Though usually, especially these days, Hao would be shut in his room working on university assignments, today he sat in the living room. He had his laptop resting on his knees, and whistled to himself, far from the gloomy mood she'd grown accustomed to seeing him in since his argument with Haewon. He did not even look up from the screen as she walked into the living room, depositing her countless bags on an armchair.

"Wow, you seem to be in a good mood for once," she commented, trying to get his attention. "What are you doing?"

Hao kept on clicking away at his keyboard. "I'm thinking of organizing a party for Haewon's departure."

Her eyes widened. "Oh. You two made up?"

That question seemed to be enough to finally pull him out of his intensive web surfing. He looked up at her, a quick glance, before inevitably breaking into a small smile.

"Yes, we did," he said, shaking his head. "Yanmei pulled one of her tricks."

His mother seemed surprised at the mention of his sister, but did not comment on it. Truth be told, Hao hadn’t quite dealt with the way things had happened, hadn't quite allowed himself to wonder why Yanmei would help him like that. He'd had his hands more than full with Haewon, her soon arriving departure, and the future he wanted to build with her. Speaking of that future, he hadn’t even broached the subject with his parents yet, for good reason. He knew perfectly well their reactions would be a headache to deal with, as he would trample all over the expectations they had for him, ever since he was but a baby. Still, he couldn’t quite keep it a secret forever. Maybe ripping off the band-aid now would be better than entertaining their false hopes.

"By the way, um," he started, before clearing his throat. "I've made some decisions, and I think I should tell you about them."

She visibly tensed up, but kept her tight smile firmly on her face. "Yes? What are they?"

"Maybe you should sit down."

That wasn’t the most reassuring line he could've pulled, but it wasn't like there was anything he could do to soften the blow. No matter how prettily he packaged it, the future he'd planned for would always go against everything his mother had hoped for him. Might as well make it clear. Her smile breaking at the seams, she took a seat in the couch opposite the one he sat on, crossing her legs at the ankles.

Hao didn’t give her the time to ask any questions first. "When I'm done with my license, I plan to join Haewon in California."

His announcement, straightforward and matter-of-factly, had the impact of an anvil on his mother's head. Rather than surprised, she seemed stunned, her eyebrows immediately knitting together. He took a deep breath, bracing himself for the endless negotiations he was sure his mother would attempt. As much as he resented how much pressure she'd always put on him, he could at least indulge her now. He was dashing all of her dreams and hopes, after all.

"But..." she stammered, before swallowing soundly. "What about your opportunities here? Your prestige? You won’t get the same in America, Hao."

He sighed. "That doesn’t really matter to me. I'm not aiming for a life in the spotlight. I'm thinking of just becoming a music teacher there."

She blinked as she took in the information. He could almost see the cogs turning in her head. "...A university professor?"

If the question wasn’t so superficial, Hao would've laughed. Of course, the very first thing his mother would do upon learning the perfect little life she'd planned for him wouldn’t happen, was to hold onto anything she could possibly brag about to her so-called friends. Teaching in a university was not nearly as prestigious as working in the national orchestra, but it was much better than the thought he could become a simple school teacher, wasn’t it? Well, too bad.