Blaze

Sincerity doesn't hurt

Suho, Lay, and Tao turned when Chorong opened the door abruptly. She stared back at them a second before finally telling, "Suho, Namjoo's mom is here."

"What?" he sounded shocked before he stood up. "Did she say what she came here for?"

His reaction left her a little baffled, "No."

Suho immediately walked pass her. Chorong's first instinct was to follow.

~_____~

"What!" Namjoo shrieked. "He already came here?!"

"Yes," Officer Park nodded, "but the gunmen hasn't leaked anything yet, so he left."

"Ah...thank goodness," Namjoo heaved a sigh of relief before turning around to walk out.

"That was good news, right?" Kris asked as he followed her out.

Namjoo slightly turned her head to hesitantly glance at him. She was suddenly nervous and uneasy. Her heart started to race when she thought about how close they had been earlier and sped up with her footsteps. Neither talked on the way back to headquarters.

It was feeling just like any other day when she stepped out of the elevator. From in front of her she spotted Donghae walking toward her, but stopped when someone called out her name. The second she turned she felt a slap fly across her face. It stung for an unbelievably long time before Donghae started running; his footsteps were loud and rushed. Namjoo turned stunned to see her mother's furious eyes staring back at her.

"This," her mother held up a white envelope, "how dare you send your dirty money home!"

Then she tossed it against Namjoo's face as if slapping her again. Namjoo's eyes grew wide.

"What?" her mother questioned detestably. "You think I can't support myself and my son!? The moment you set your foot outside of the house was the moment you cut your ties with us! How dare you!"

"Aunt!" Suho suddenly screamed and picked up the white envelope by Namjoo's feet before putting his hands on Namjoo's mother's shoulders.

"Namjoo, go wash up," Donghae ordered.

Bitter tears emerged in Namjoo's eyes before she glanced at her mother once more and finally turned to walk away.

~_____~

"What do you think you're doing!?" Namjoo's mother scolded Suho. "Let go of me this instant!"

"I'll walk you out, lets go," Suho struggled against her weight to push her back toward the elevator.

He finally let go of her when the elevator doors closed and huffed angrily.

"Don't think that you can persuade me to take that back," she held her head up high and stared straight at the doors.

Suho glanced at the envelope of money, "She was only thinking of you."

"Thinking of me!?" Namjoo's mother repeated disgusted. "I will never take any money she makes from this job here! And you, better not appear before me again!"

The elevator doors opened and she stomped out. Suho's lips fell apart disappointed and he glanced at the money in his hand before the elevator doors closed.

~_____~

Chorong had never seen a mother hit her child before. Having been raised and pampered with much comfort, her parents had never raised their hands to her at all. But seeing this left her feeling shocked and devastated. She was only beginning to understand how far apart Namjoo was from her mother. What Donghae had meant by 'soured' about Namjoo and her mother's relationship was finally hitting her. And Chorong was finally comprehending the fact that Namjoo probably didn't have anyone else, but Suho.