Chocolate Hearts | Jongin

17. Moving On

Chocolate Hearts
Chapter Seventeen
Moving On

When Nari phoned Hyeon for the first time in years to invite him over to talk, she couldn't have been more nervous.

Hyeon sounded surprised that she would invite him over, but he nonetheless agreed. They set up a time when they were both free from work to talk. There were a few things Nari wanted to discuss with him - particularly how he'd taken up all responsibility for their mother's well-being.

Nari was so nervous in the hours leading up to meeting her brother that she kept herself preoccupied with baking. The familiar smells of the kitchen and actions kept her mind off things for at least a little while, until the cupcakes went in the oven. After that, she grabbed her guitar and continued to play until the cupcakes were ready and she had them resting on the bench.

When there was a knock at the door, Nari's heart skipped a beat. She approached the door, heart hammering in her chest, and opened the door to see Hyeon.

He smiled nervously, running his hand through his dark hair. "Nari."

She smiled back, just as nervously. "Hi, Hyeon." She stepped aside and let him in.

Hyeon paused by the kitchen bench, where her recently iced chocolate cupcakes were resting. "Mum talked about your cooking," he said. "Did you make these?"

Nari shrugged. "Help yourself. I was in the mood to bake."

Hyeon reached out and grabbed one, looking a little hesitant about performing the action. He took a bite, and eyes widened. "They're delicious."

Nari smiled. "Thanks."

The two gravitated toward the sitting area, and sat directly opposite each other. Awkward silence filled the air. Hyeon busied himself by slowly eating his cupcake, while Nari drummed her fingers on the armrest of her chair.

She looked at her brother with curiosity. The bags under his eyes weren't as pronounced as some other people she knew, but they were still highly noticeable and made him look constantly tired. She squirmed in her seat, thinking about all the effort he had put in for their mother while she'd done nothing to help.

True, she hadn't known anything about it, but she still didn't count it as a reasonable excuse. She knew there'd at least be court dealings for her mother's divorce, and perhaps even charges pressed against the man if her mother chose to pursue them. She should've checked in more often, or promised her mother to help.

Nari cleared her throat. "Hyeon, I think I owe you an apology," she said quietly. Her brother's head snapped up in shock. "I didn't understand how much you were doing for Mum... juggling that and your own work. I-I'm sorry for doubting you."

"Don't," he said at once, shaking his head. "I deserved it, I'll admit that right away. I was a jerk to you, Nari, I deserved every hateful and anger-fuelled word you sent my way. You were right to doubt me."

"You should've at least told me you were starting the divorce process," Nari insisted. "You should have split some of the paperwork with me, instead of labouring over it yourself. Just look at those bags under your eyes!"

Automatically, Hyeon rubbed at his eyes. "It's fine," he muttered. "You've got enough on your plate, what with me and your bakery -"

"I could have easily made time. You knew that."

Thinking about those nights she'd spent questioning and thinking about her feelings for Jongin suddenly seemed like a waste of time, when she could've instead been helping her mother.