BABY MAMA | pjm

IV

ACT I | SCENE IV

❝ROLLY POLLY❞

ROSALIE LOOKED UP at the strange man sitting in their living room before her big brown eyes fixed on her mother who was behind her. this man was making her mother unhappy. her bottom lip jutted out as her face scrunched up in a frown. she glanced down at her finished drawing and placed the crayon next to it. she was going to protect her mother until uncle hobi came to send him away.

she walked to the couch and placing her hand on her mother's knees, climbed up on her lap and wrapped her arms around her. she shot the man a glare as she felt her mother's arms go around her. she liked his shirt and he was pretty but none of that mattered if he made her mother sad.

jangmi ran a hand over rosalie's braided hair as she stared back at the man she used to love so much. "what do you want to know?" she asked, feeling as rosalie's grip tightened around her. "i-is..." jangmi was surprised to see jimin visibly gulp. "is she mine?" his voice was barely above a whisper. jangmi stared at him, confusion written on her face. was he actually asking her that?

rosalie took after him in looks goddammit. from her smiling eyes to her plump pink lips, she looked like her father. and he was genuinely asking if she was his. like she hadn't come to his home to let him know only to be turned away at the gates like a beggar.

her stare darkened to a bitter glare. "yours?" she let out a derisive laugh. "rosalie, do you want to go play with your legos until uncle hobi comes?" she whispered. rosalie shook her head, staring at jimin. jangmi smiled as she realised her sentiment. "mummy's fine. he won't do anything to me."

rosalie's head tipped backwards and her eyes met her mother's. "he won't?" she blinked. "he won't." jangmi assured her, allowing a smile to grace her face. "why don't you build a tower so you can show it to uncle hobi?" she suggested. rosalie grinned at the thought of showing off to her one and only uncle and she nodded excitedly. "okay!" she chimed, jumping off her mother's lap. sending another harsh look jimin's way, she grabbed her drawing and skipped to the playroom. she hummed a little nursery rhyme she had learned from hoseok as she went.

as soon as rosalie was gone, the smile fell away from jangmi's face. she fixed jimin with a cold glare. "is she yours?" she repeated jimin's words. "yeah." he said slowly. she scoffed, eyes rolling at his reply. he really wasn't this dense, was he? "you are legitimately asking me that?" her expression was full of incredulity. "yes. why can't you just answer me?"

"no, park jimin, she's not yours. she's mine and only mine." she replied. "so now that you know that, can you leave?" she got on her feet. "why are you getting mad? i only asked a question." he was on his feet as well. "of course, i'm mad! you're asking a really stupid question and getting on my nerves." jangmi tried to keep her voice low.

"uncle hobi is here!" hoseok appeared in the living room, a bright smile on his face which disappeared when his eyes fell on the two in the room. "jimin?" his eyes widened. "w-what are you doing here?"

"leaving." jangmi answered. "no, i'm talking with her." jimin countered. hoseok's brows moved up. "okay." he dragged out the word, feeling suffocated by the tension in the air.

"uncle hobi!" an excited squeal pierced the silence of the room. rosalie ran towards him, arms wide open and the happiest look on her face. "rolly polly!" hoseok turned to her and getting on one knee, stretched his arms out in waiting.

the three-year-old wrapped her arms around his neck, crashing into him. hoseok made a show of falling on his back, laughing loudly as he held on to the girl. excited giggles left the small child's lips when he rolled around a bit. jangmi and jimin watched the two's antics. "uncle hobi?" rosalie called as hoseok got on his feet with her still in his arms. "yes, angel?" he leaned back to look at her face. "i drawed for you."

"you did?" hoseok gasped dramatically. "mhm." rosalie's head bobbed in a nod. "well, guess what?" he smiled. "i got you a present." the girl squealed, clapping her hands in glee. "let's go to your room and i'll show you, hm?" he whispered, recalling the other two in the room. "okay." she whispered. "and then we can go out to eat." he added. another squeal left the girl's lips. "shh!" hoseok placed a finger to his lips and rosalie imitated him.

nodding at the estranged couple, hoseok made his way to rosalie's bedroom. jimin and jangmi turned to each other. "can you leave now?" she deadpanned. "no, we're still talking." he answered.

rosalie's giggles and hoseok's hearty laughter could be heard as jangmi and jimin stared each other down. the man and the child reappeared and looked at them. "we're going out for a while." hoseok informed. "okay, be safe." she smiled. he sent a wary look jimin's way before leaving the house.

"finally, we're alone." jimin stated once the door clicked shut. "i'd prefer it if i was alone. don't let the door hit you on your way out." she spat out. smirking, he sat back down and relaxed on the couch, making himself comfortable. when she was ready, they would speak like civilised people.