BABY MAMA | pjm

LXI

ACT XIII | SCENE LXI

❝CEREALS AISLE❞

THE WHEELS SQUEAKED as jangmi pushed the cart down the toiletries aisle with one hand. "ah, you're so annoying." she groaned into her phone. "do you ever miss an opportunity to say i told you so?" she tossed a bottle of shampoo into the cart. "it's too satisfying to ever not say." brigitte replied. jangmi rolled her eyes, glancing at sora who gave her a smile.

"whatever. we're cool now and that's it. unlike you and namjoon." she chimed, grinning when rosalie twisted around in her place in cart at the mention of her uncle. "smooth, mimi, smooth." brigitte remarked, making her laugh. "he hasn't asked me out if that's what you want to know. which is understandable considering how hard long distance relationships are to manage." she added. "brigitte moreau, you really like him." jangmi gasped. her daughter's gaze snapped up then. "tata brigitte," she mumbled with a pout. "rosalie wants to speak with you." jangmi informed. "give her the phone!"

"chill," jangmi shook her head as she placed the phone in rosalie's hands carefully, aware that brigitte was willing to take any opportunity to avoid the conversation.

"hello?" the girl awkwardly held the device which was too big for her small hands. sora giggled at the sight as she watched heejun watch the girl. "someone's got a crush." jangmi remarked with a playful grin, leaning over to ruffle the little boy's hair. the tip of his ears went red, making her coo affectionately. "mummy," rosalie held the phone up to her. smiling, she took it from the girl and pressed it to her ear again. "i'll talk to you later, bri. bye!" she chirped. "bye, love you too." the woman answered sardonically before ending the call.

"she's a handful." jangmi remarked, shoving the phone in her back pocket. "i can tell." sora chuckled as they moved towards the cereals aisle. "i used to have a friend like that in high school. she always got us in trouble." she added with a smile. "im sora, did you get sent to the principal's office?" jangmi's tone was amused. "so much, i started giving him décor advice." sora grinned. jangmi let out a hearty laugh.

"oh, i need to check something in this aisle. i'll meet you in the cereals aisle." sora informed. "okay," jangmi nodded before rolling her cart past. she was just reaching the cereals aisle when someone stepped up next to her. mother and daughter looked up to find an unknown man smiling down at her. jangmi's left brow went up in question. "can i help you?" she queried, feeling slightly uncomfortable with the way the man eyed her. "that's a cute kid." he gestured to rosalie who was staring at him with a frown on her face. "thank you?" jangmi replied and began to move again.

the man followed. even though she was beginning to feel alarmed, jangmi kept it from her face, choosing to remain calm instead. she focused on walking down the long aisle, hoping sora would show up any second and save her from the strange man. "i don't usually do this but i think you're really pretty." he began. when she did not offer any response, he continued. "if it's not too rude, may i know your name?" he moved closer.

• • •

"what is the name of the goddamn cereal anyway?" jimin groaned, eyeing another shelf of colourful breakfast cereals. "you've asked that question seven times now, are you kidding?" taehyung shot him a look as he straightened from checking another low shelf. "i don't understand why you dragged me here after i just got off work for some fucking cereal. will you die if you don't have it for breakfast tomorrow?" jimin sighed in exasperation, already tired of checking too many boxes and they weren't even halfway down the aisle. "yes, i will." taehyung's tone and face were serious.

"what will you do if—" jimin's question was cut off when he caught sight of a familiar face. it was rosalie sitting in a cart and reaching for a box of cereal on the shelf next to her. and her mother stood behind it, talking to a man he didn't know. from where he stood, she looked pretty irritated. his eyes narrowed, feeling annoyed at not being able to hear the conversation.

"jimin, are you even looking for it?" taehyung called behind him. "i'll be back in a moment, tae." jimin mumbled, walking away without waiting for his best friend's reply. as he got closer, he heard bits of their conversation. "i don't know you, so i don't want to tell you my name." jangmi's voice was strained like she was struggling to keep it low. "don't you tell new friends your name?" the man sounded annoyingly persuasive to jimin. "but you're not my friend, new or otherwise." she replied tensely. "that can chan—"

"hey, sweetie." jimin piped, cutting the man off and pressing a hand to the small of jangmi's back and a kiss to her cheek. she looked momentarily surprised but quickly masked it with a soft smile. "hey, darling." her tone was honey sweet. rosalie glanced up upon hearing his voice. "papa!" she squeaked happily, dropping the box of lucky charms she held. "hey, there princess." jimin leaned down and kissed her forehead, a warm smile gracing his lips.

his gaze moved back up to the woman whom he held to his side possessively. "sorry i took too long, i didn't find the type of sweet corn you—" he made a show of pausing as though he was just noticing the stranger's presence next to him. "hello, do you need help with anything?" he asked kindly even as he felt the urge to punch the man's face in surge through his body. "uh, no, thanks. you have a beautiful family." the man shook his head before hurrying away.

when jimin looked back at jangmi, she was staring at him. he couldn't read the strange look in her eyes before she smiled and glanced away at rosalie and then back at him. "thanks for that. i was close to chucking cereal boxes at him." she chirped and he laughed. "what are you doing here?"

"taehyung is hunting down a freaking cereal that he apparently needs to eat every morning to survive." he replied with a roll of his eyes, glancing back. she grinned, following his gaze to see taehyung scanning a shelf with serious concentration. turning back to face him, she noticed something. "um..." she glanced down to see his arm still wrapped around her. "oh," he jumped away slightly. "s-sorry."

sora hurried towards them. "jangmi, i found the brand of oats i've been looking—" she slowed down as she spotted jimin next to her. "oh, hello." she drawled, a curious look on her face. "heejunie!" rosalie beamed on spotting the boy. "rosalie, i'm back." he grinned back at her. jimin and jangmi turned to her. he recognised her as the woman jangmi had gone to speak to after the recital.

"sora, this is park jimin. jimin, this is im sora." jangmi introduced. a playful glint flashed in the woman's eyes. "you're rosalie's father. it's nice to meet you."

"yes. it's nice to meet you too." jimin smiled awkwardly, glancing at jangmi. "jimin, i found it! no thanks to you." taehyung called out, running towards them from behind. he stopped on noticing the trio standing in the middle of the aisle. "hello..." he said slowly, eyes on sora.

"hey, tae. this is my friend, im sora. sora, this is taehyung." jangmi piped. his eyes shot to her and widened, only realising it was her. "jangmi?" he let out. "oh, sorry. hi, im sora." he turned back to the woman. "hi," she smiled, raising a hand in a wave. "uncle tae!" rosalie chirped from her spot. "rosalie!" he responded with equal child-like excitement, bending over to be eye level with the girl. "uncle tae, this is my friend, heejun." rosalie leaned over and grabbed the little boy's hand.

"hi, heejun!" taehyung waved, a huge smile on his face. the boy beamed widely, waving as well. "we should get going." jimin slipped one hand in his pocket. "yes." taehyung nodded as he straightened. "see you later. it was nice meeting you." jimin said to both women. "bye, princess." he kissed rosalie's temple. "i love papa." she chirped. "papa loves you." he smiled softly. "bye rosalie! bye heejun!" taehyung waved as jimin grabbed him by the sleeve and began to pull him. "why did you only buy one box after making all that fuss?" jimin glanced down at his hand. "it was the last one!"

jangmi glanced away from them and back at her friend who was nudging her with a teasing look on her face, brows wiggling. "shut up." she mumbled, pushing her cart away. "i didn't even say anything." sora laughed, following behind her.

☀️☀️☀️

jimin being jealous and protective is hella sexy yanno. also taehyung with kids is one of my favourite concepts.