The Artist and His Muse

Chapter 20

Mr. Choi woke up the following morning with a hangover the size of Seoul. He grimaced as he slowly opened his eyes and felt the sunlight streaming into them. He quickly squinted his eyes tightly together. Stumbling out of bed, he moved to the window and jerked the curtains closed. He looked at his bedside clock and gasped when he saw it said ten o'clock.

He ran his hands through his thinning hair and looked at himself in the mirror. He crinkled his nose at his own smell. He was still wearing the same clothes from last night and they reeked of alcohol and smoke. He stood confused and tried to remember what he had done last night.

He remembered agreeing to go to dinner with Jin Soo and after they reached the restaurant, Jin Soo ordered several bottles of soju. He tried to remember how much he had drunk but he couldn't remember anything.

He figured he had better go find Yeon Ah and apologize to his daughter for getting so drunk. He slowly and quietly made his way through the house. Everything was neat and tidy like she had recently cleaned up. He wondered why it was so quiet. She should be home right now.

He saw a note on the kitchen table. A frown passed across his face as he picked it up slowly and opened it. He squinted and tried to focus on the writing but his head hurt too badly. He closed his eyes for a moment and tried again. The words cleared up in front of his gaze and he began to read.

"Hey Dad!
I'm sorry for the late notice but Jin Soo said he told you last night that he planned a surprise trip to Japan for he and I starting today! I'm so excited to go and to go with him! Thank you for giving me permission to go. I promise I won't do anything irresponsible! Sorry for leaving you without saying goodbye but you were sleeping so soundly I didn't have the heart to wake you up. See you in a few weeks! Love you!

Yours,
Yeon Ah

Mr. Choi looked at the note and slumped down into one of the kitchen chairs. He didn't remember anything at all about Jin Soo asking him about Japan. Maybe he did? Maybe he didn't. Oh well. Let the kids have their fun. They would be getting married after the first of the year anyway. He smiled and left the note on the table. He had better call into work and then take a shower.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jungkook rode back to Seoul in total silence. Memories of her battered face kept haunting him every time he closed his eyes.

"Kookie, is everything ok," asked Jimin quietly. He was the only one who even remotely knew what was going on with Yeon Ah. Jungkook hadn't wanted to burden anyone else with this issue. Especially if he couldn't actually fix it.

"No. It's not. But I can't do anything." He clenched his teeth together and laid his head back with a sigh.

"I don't know what's going on, Kookie, but you came back terribly upset. Everyone noticed, they just don't want to ask you about it.  They're giving you space for now but they're going to have questions. Are you ready to answer them?" Jimin looked at the younger man and sighed softly when Jungkook merely shook his head no. "Ok, Jungkookah, but if it gets to be too much to bear, I'm here to listen."

Jungkook turned his head away and stared out the window. His own members were now worried about him even more. What had happened to the old fun loving Jungkook? The prankster Jungkook? The happy maknae of BTS? He felt like he was looking at his old self from afar and wishing he could be that person again.

Ever since this had happened with Yeon Ah, he had felt himself slowly slipping into the dark shadows of his mind. At first he had felt responsible because he hadn't made sure she was in a safe place to begin with and now he felt like an accomplice to Jin Soo because he had done exactly what that beast had wanted him to do - leave Yeon Ah behind. The hardest thing he had ever done in the world was to obey Yeon Ah's wishes last night. Everything in him screamed to stay and help her but her eyes begged him to leave. He wasn't sure if she was trying to save him from a scandal or she actually hated him so much she wanted him gone.