Homeless ➹ 2jae [✓]

- 34 -

Knock, knock.

"Who is it?"

"Mrs. Choi, it's Jinyoung!" The door opened almost immediately, Youngjae's mom with a nervous and somewhat sad smile.

"Hi, Jinyoung," she greeted, then looking toward her son, who had a hard time looking her in the eye. "Youngjae?" Something about seeing her son nearly broke her heart. She found herself ignoring the stranger to her left, holding back years of guilt and need to make things right with Youngjae.

Meanwhile, Youngjae didn't know the words. It was like a script he hadn't practiced, or lyrics he never learned. The words didn't leave his mouth, but his eyes. Silently, but heavily, breathing, he looked his mother in the eyes and told her how he did miss her, but something in him was afraid.

"Come in, guys," she said, breaking out of the staring contest with her son.

Jaebum walked in—having not said a word, nor having a word said to him, noticing how the room looked untouched. The atmosphere of a perfectly still hotel room made him imagine Mrs. Choi standing in that dress for hours, awaiting this moment. To him, she didn't seem so bad.

They sat down on the couch, while Mrs. Choi took a seat on the ottoman. Still it was quiet, until Jaebum spoke up. "Ah— Very sorry," he chuckled. "My name is Im Jaebum, Youngjae's friend. Pleasure to meet you."

"Oh!" Mrs. Choi let out a stifled laugh as well. "I hardly noticed you, Jaebum, I'm sorry! Nice to meet you as well." And, the room went quiet again. Jinyoung wanted Youngjae to take the lead, but Youngjae couldn't speak. Jaebum felt as if it wasn't his place. Soon enough, though, Mrs. Choi asked, "So, Jaebum! How do you know my son?"

"Oh... Well, Jinyoung is my roommate, so I met Youngjae through him."

"That's nice," she smiled sweetly. Jaebum didn't want to admit, even to himself, that the image of Youngjae's mother he had in mind was much different that what he was seeing. With his knowledge of Youngjae's falling out with her, he really couldn't know what to expect.

"Ah..." Youngjae muffled out, raising his head to meet his mother's gaze once again. There was so much he knew he had to say. That script he listened to over and over in his head, but never once uttered out loud, was gone, suddenly looking at things in his mother's perspective. He raised his jacket sleeve up to his face and over his mouth, leaving only his teary eyes to see.

His mother's breaths began to grow heavier as well.

"Three... four years really isn't a long time, is it..." he choked out. Somehow, he found himself trying to find the right apology, but all he could get out were silenced cries.

"Maybe not for some things," his mother spoke quietly, "but it certainly is for not speaking with your son."

Jaebum kept his hands in his pockets, resisting the urge to comfort Youngjae despite how much he wanted to. Though, Youngjae made the first move, resting his head against Jaebum's shoulder. His mother's eyes went wide, wondering why he wouldn't lean onto Jinyoung, whom he'd known for years. Jaebum knew then that it was okay to throw his arm around him and love him a little when he needed it.

"Ah- Jaebum?" Mrs. Choi asked, her voice turning not but the least bit stern. "You are Youngjae's friend, right?"

"Oh?" Jaebum looked up at Mrs. Choi, whose eyebrows were raised. "Well-"

"He's my boyfriend, mom..." Youngjae stumbled through those words. Even after the reason they stopped talking, he didn't want to feel hesitant to say that to his mother. He wiped his tears with what was now his jacket, and spoke confidently. "I wanted you to meet him."

"Oh, Youngjae..." He was almost awaiting some passive aggressive remark, but instead she told him, "I really feel... Oh, I don't know what to say." She bit her lip, trying to think of how to say it. "It means a lot to me that you would bring him with you... You must love each other a lot, right?"

All three boys smiled sheepishly for their own reasons to that comment, Jinyoung because he thought it was sweet. "We surely do," Jaebum smiled and tilted his head to the side a bit.

-:-:-:-

Just as they were about to leave, Mrs. Choi asked Jaebum to stay behind. "Jaebum-ah," she said, somewhat out of touch with her affectionate nature. She took his hand in hers and looked him in the eye. "I can see already that you are a good man. As... a mother who walked away, I have no right to give or not give you permission to be with him, but I trust that you'll take care of him. And it means a lot that you do."

Jaebum looked down with a smile, taking his other hand to place on top of hers. "Thank you, Mrs. Choi. I'm glad that you think that way." She then let him go after stuffing her phone number into his hand to give to Youngjae.

"Let him know that he can call if he wants to."

"I will. Thank you so much, and it was very nice to meet you." He bowed his head before looking down the hall to see Youngjae and Jinyoung looking at him. Running back, he saw the confused and concerned look on Youngjae's face that soon lifted when he saw how smiley Jaebum was.

"How'd that feel, Youngjae?" Jinyoung asked. Youngjae sighed and tried to look back on the hour or so they were there, but somehow couldn't remember any of it.

"Good," he answered simply. "I feel good."

-:-:-:-

a/n: why the fuck do i get so emo over my own damn stories jfc this is not okay lmao

hope you guys liked this chapter !! <333