BREAKFAST WAS SILENT in the park household. but not in the manner that it usually was. the air was frigid and tense. myungsoo and hyunjoo hadn't so much as glanced at each other, talk less of breathing a word. and bora absolutely despised it. she made to speak when a throat being cleared cut her off.
lips parted and eyes widened as everyone's attention was pulled to where jimin awkwardly stood, hands in his pockets. he bowed respectfully, lips pursed when he lifted his head again. bora jumped right out of her seat to him, wrapping her arms around him. "i missed you." she whined as he hugged her back tightly. "we saw just the day before." he pointed out. "so?" her voice was muffled by his jacket. "so you better get used to it because you're going to start living with heungmin hyung soon enough." he pulled away with a teasing smile when she slapped his shoulder.
he looked straight at his father as he spoke. "i'll wait in your study while you finish breakfast." he informed. "you should finish eating too." he whispered to bora. with a glance at his mother, he bowed and left the dining room. the woman sighed heavily and went back to pushing her food around her plate. myungsoo glanced at her but remained quiet.
• • •
myungsoo stared at him, making a smacking sound with his lips. jimin glanced down at his hands and then up at his father. "how's my grandchild?" he finally spoke, resting his arms on the large mahogany desk. "she's fine. better than ever. she was so excited to go to school today. to her, nothing bad happened." jimin replied, a small proud smile his father totally understood gracing his lips. "unfortunately, i can't say it's the same for us." the older man supplied.
his son expelled air out his lips at that. his tongue ran over his bottom lip, gaze casting downwards. "have you spoken to mother?" he asked, voice low. myungsoo let out a humourless chuckle. "i haven't even been able to look at her without feeling a deep sense of disappointment. i don't know what i should say to her. i couldn't have been more shocked if a random person punched me in the face while we're in the street." he tapped his fingers against the desk.
jimin eyed the man. he looked tired, bags under his eyes. it was obvious from the way his shoulders slouched and his greying form hunched over the desk that he'd barely gotten any sleep the night before. jangmi's words echoed in his mind.
"dad, how are you?" his voice was soft and worried, leaning closer instinctively. the old man sighed, propping his arm on the desk and resting his cheek against his palm. "take a wild guess." he rubbed his eye with the back of his free hand. "hurry up and figure your life out so i can retire and take a vacation." groaning, he shut his eyes. the younger man chuckled, running a hand through his hair. "i'm doing that."
"well, can you do it faster?" myungsoo asked, making his son laugh again. "how's a summer vacation sound?" he chirped, clasping his hands together. his father's brows moved up, gaze questioning. "are you...?" he trailed off, leaving jimin to figure out his question. the man's lips curled up, head shaking. "we're not there yet." he glanced down. "you're both not there yet or she's not?" myungsoo pinned him with his questioning stare. "well, we both can't be there yet if one of us isn't." jimin supplied. his brows shot up when his father began to laugh. "why...?"
"you're answering me like a true businessman. vague and evasive but not nothing." the greying man enunciated with a rake of his fingers through his hair. jimin smiled at that. "i didn't realise." he mumbled out. "reserve it for the office. or the media." his father advised.
"are you going to at least talk to her? maybe listen to what she has to say?" jimin brought them back to their earlier discussion, rubbing the ring on his index finger with his thumb. myungsoo knitted his brows together, forehead creasing. "are you?" he redirected smoothly. jimin's lips pursed, cheeks puffing out as he blew out a breath. "i don't know, father. jangmi thinks i should give her a chance."
the older man's head tilted in response, a curious countenance forming on his face. "she does?" his voice carried a note of surprise. the cute faced man bobbed his head in a nod, sniffling a bit. "yes. yes, she does. she gave me a whole speech about how she's family and you stick with family no matter what. i think she might have a made a jab about my own shortcomings but i'm not sure." he mumbled the last bit, a slight frown on his face.
myungsoo's smile was somewhat sad. "how is she?" he asked softly. "mother is not going to be getting a grandma of the year mug from her anytime soon. but she's mostly relieved that our baby girl is fine and that's all that matters to her right now." the younger man answered earnestly, scratching the bridge of his nose. "send her my apologies."
jimin chuckled, glancing down and his father lifted a brow at him. "and what is so amusing?" he queried. "she guessed you were going to say that. and she asked me not to play courier and to return any apology sent because you have absolutely nothing to apologise for." the chuckling man replied. the corners of myungsoo's eyes crinkled in a smile. "you know, i think you are her second favourite park after noona."
myungsoo's smiled smugly. "i've heard that i'm charming." he chimed and jimin laughed. "i'm sure you have." he glanced at his watch. "i have to get to work, father." he moved his gaze back to the man. "yes, yes you should. i'm staying home today." the older man nodded. jimin got on his feet. "have a good day, father." he dipped in a bow before turning around and leaving.
he shut the door of the study after him, taking in a deep breath. with a quick run of his fingers through his hair, he made his way down the hallway to the front doors. his hands moved into his pockets as he covered the distance.
"jimin!" he heard bora's voice behind him. whirling around, a smile tugged at the corners of his lips as she jogged the few steps to him. "hey, i thought you already left for the gallery." he pulled his hands out of his pockets, gaze falling on the small bouquet of roses she held in her hands. he had an inkling as he took note of the number of red petaled flowers but he asked anyway. "what are those for?" his words were slow and hesitant. "they're roses for rosalie."
"they're from mother, aren't they?" he asked even though he knew the answer. bora nodded, a solemn look on her face. "apparently, she promised rosalie and wanted to make sure she got them." she explained. "so you know." he breathed. "of course i know. i live in this house, don't i?" she shot him a look. "and you're not mad at her?"
she pushed the flowers into his hands, sighing heavily. "i'm mad and disappointed. but she's human and sad and regretful and lonely. her husband and son have refused to speak a word to her. so she has only me. i may not be happy with her – which she knows – but i'm not going to cut her off. she's my mother and she needs me so i'll be there for her." she placed on hand on her hip. "do you know you're annoying?" his eyes held a playful gleam. "you're so perfect, i want to kick you."
bora giggled, flipping her hair behind her ear. "i can't help it if god took his time on me." she quipped dramatically. he gawked at her for a moment, scoffing, amusement written on his face. he suddenly understood how jangmi felt whenever he said things like that. "you really are shameless. i pity heungmin hyung."
she lifted her hand and hit him on his chest. "remember how i said i missed you? i take it back. leave. leave!" she continued to hit him. jimin flinched away from her, laughing. "ah! ah! i'm going!" he let out between chuckles. "little brothers are so annoying." he heard her mutter as he ran away from her to the door. he smiled to himself. no matter what she said, he knew she loved him.
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thank you for being patient with me. y'all are so sweet and understanding i don't deserve. i know this chapter isn't much, i'm sorry. and omg thank you guys so much for 200+k reads and 10k votes!! wow, i'm really humbled. you guys are awesome. - 💛 t
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