Speeding Into Trouble || Taekook

30

Jeongguk sat in the dim hospital room, one leg jittering while the other was stretched out like he owned the place.

The constant hum of the dialysis machine filled the silence, a slow, steady reminder of time passing too damn slowly.

His mother lay in the bed beside him, pale and tired, but with that ever-familiar spark in her eyes—the kind that said "Don't you dare treat me like I'm fragile, you brat."

"Gguk-ah," she called softly, the corners of her lips lifting in a worn but stubborn smile. "You've been glued to that chair all day. Go stretch your legs before you turn into a chair yourself."

Jeongguk blinked at her, unimpressed. "I am the chair now. Might as well start wheeling me around the ward."

She gave him a weak laugh, smacking his arm with all the strength of a wet noodle. "Don't be dramatic."

"You made me this way," he quipped, nudging her hand gently. "I'm staying right here. You're not getting rid of me that easy."

Her smile softened. "Good boy. Loyal like a golden retriever."

He rolled his eyes, but the smile tugging at his lips betrayed him. "Sure, Eomma. Bark bark."

A sly look overtook her face. "So... where's that handsome boy with the nice voice? Taehyung, right?"

Jeongguk choked on his spit. "Wh—Eomma!"

"Oh, please." She fluttered her fingers like she was dismissing a minor inconvenience. "The way you looked at him when he visited? I thought you were about to propose."

His ears turned bright red, his face crumpling with fake indignation. "Can you not bring that up while you're hooked to a machine and looking all wise and mystical?"

She raised an eyebrow, smug. "Admit it. You're in love."

Jeongguk slumped dramatically, covering his face with both hands. "Fine. Maybe. I mean, yeah. Fuck. I am."

"Mouth!" she barked instinctively.

"Sorry." He grinned. "But yeah... I'm stupidly, ridiculously into him."

She beamed, like he'd just handed her a bouquet of roses and ten grand. "Good. He's got a lovely aura. Warm. Kind. Plus, great fashion sense. I approve."

"He wore a knitted vest with birds on it."

"Exactly. A man of taste."

Jeongguk shook his head, but the pride and affection in his eyes were unmistakable. He leaned back in the plastic chair, hands folded in his lap. "He means... everything to me."

For a moment, the playfulness faded, replaced by something quieter. Gentler.

"You deserve to have everything, Gguk," she said softly. "You've taken care of me without ever complaining. But I see the way your eyes light up when you talk about him. Let yourself be happy."

He swallowed, throat tight. "Sometimes I feel like I don't deserve it. Not after everything."

Her grip tightened around his fingers. "Don't say that. You've survived, Jeongguk. You've lived. That boy—he's the beginning of something good. You don't run from that. You hold on with both hands."

He blinked rapidly, nodding.

"And," she added with a sly grin, "you better bring him back soon. I miss him. We were bonding."

"You bullied him about his fashion sense."

"He said he liked it. I was testing him."

Jeongguk snorted. "You're a menace."