Listen To Your Heart (A KaiSoo Fanfic)

Chapter Twenty-Four | Fearful

"Ryeowook?" The interpreter couldn't blame Jongin for looking so surprised. All this time, he was thinking that the male was hoping to see Kyungsoo the next time he got an anonymous knock on his door. "What are you doing here? I thought you went back with Kyungsoo."

"I did," Ryeowook said, his coyness reminding Jongin of Kyungsoo. "But he's kind of the reason I'm here." Those words made Jongin's whole body freeze in place. Of course, he hoped that he was there to pass on some happy news, but there was still the chance that that wasn't the case. "Can I come in?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry," Jongin said, shaking his head a bit before opening the door wider so that the elder could get through. After giving Jongin a minuscule grin, Ryeowook stepped inside the apartment, his eyes gliding around and observing as the door shut behind him. "Just let me grab a shirt quickly," the younger said, pointing in the direction of his room.

"Sure," Ryeowook replied, once again wearing a faint smile. Briskly, Jongin went back into his bedroom and threw a shirt over his upper half, letting it straighten itself out as he walked back out to Ryeowook, who was now in the living room.

"Please, sit down, make yourself comfortable," he said, clearing the mess on the couch that was starting to pile up again.

"Thank you," Ryeowook said as he sat down. Jjanggu leaped up onto his lap seconds later, ejecting a laugh from him as he pet the top of his head and as Jongin sat down.

"Sorry about him," apologized Jongin as he made Jjanggu get down. "He's a bit of a cuddler, but I think he gets it from me."

Ryeowook chuckled. "It's fine," he said. "He's cute." Chortling, Jongin briefly pet Jjanggu before the furry dog scampered off to find his other two companions. That was when the silence settled in. 

There were so many questions Jongin had floating around in his head and there were so many words that Ryeowook needed to get out for the sake of Kyungsoo; the only trouble was, neither of them knew how to start. But they both knew that if they didn't find some way to speak to one another, then things would never get better, for them and especially for Kyungsoo. And for that reason, Jongin decided to go first.

"How is he?" he asked in a quiet voice. Ryeowook looked over at the young man, sighing heavily before opening his mouth and speaking.

"Honestly," he started in reply, lowering his head for a few short seconds before meeting Jongin's sad, yet hopeful eyes, "I've never seen him this bad before." Jongin sighed in some sort of guilt, his eyes going closed as the gust of air pushed past his sealed lips. If only he would have fought for him more, he thought, if only he would have begged him to stay or gone after him, none of this would have happened and maybe, he would be holding Kyungsoo in his arms. "From the moment that car pulled off, I could tell how much he already regretted his choice. It's just, ever since his dad passed, it's been so hard for him to really connect with his mom and to him, when she came to the house and told him to leave you, he thought that that was her and him making a connection for the first time in his life."

"Why is she like that, though?" inquired Jongin. "I know all mothers want what is best for the children, but why go about it like this?"

"I'm not entirely sure," Ryeowook said, shaking his head lightly as he shrugged his shoulders. "My guess is that she's parenting the only way she knows how to." Jongin nodded faintly in response, understanding but not understanding enough to feel pity toward her. "It's weird," Ryeowook continued, chuckling airily, "in all the years I've worked for Kyungsoo, never once have I seen her be genuinely affectionate to him or anyone else for that matter. It's hard to recall a time when she tried to comfort him when he was upset or encourage him when he was doubting himself. I should have known when she was suddenly acting so kind to him and calling him 'sweetie' and 'honey.' I'm so sorry, Jongin. I should have done more to help."