Acrophilia

XXVI: encounters

Being home with his mother is somewhat a new experience for Jaebeom. Oddly, he got used to see her only at the hospital, so it feels weird sleeping at home knowing she's there, waking up and making breakfast for two.

His father is still quite absent in the household, but at least he makes an effort to come home every night, kissing his wife on the temple and asking her how she feels before getting ready for bed or working in his home office. For that only, and the smile that comes to his mother's lips when her husband does that, Jaebeom lets go of a bit of the resentment that fills his heart.

His father has also hired a personal nurse to help Jaebeom's mother when none of them are around, someone who actually helps her and can do something if anything ever happens. That's very soothing and put Jaebeom at ease, so he can focus on his studies and like that his mother can focus on her rehabilitation.

Jaebeom can't always go with his mother to the hospital for her rehab sessions, but he tries to accompany her to most of the time, at least to drop her off and then go home. He does it becase he doesn't like sending her with just the nurse and the driver in the car. She doesn't remember the accident, she isn't traumatised like Jaebeom, but he is apprehensive. He's scared another accident could happen and he could lose her for real this time.

Slowly, they are settling in a new routine, a far more optimistic and homey, one that makes Jaebeom infinitely happy and grateful, even if it's not perfect. There are countless things to work on, aspects that might never improve like his father's attitude, or the fact his mother will never move freely again like before. Instead of getting frustrated or angry for how things are, Jaebeom tries to think positive and remember that things could be worse. His mother might've never woken up, or she could've been stranded to a wheelchair forever, or even worse.

Things could be worse... so he should be grateful this is as much as they have to deal with.

As much as his mother and studies occupy Jaebeom's thoughts and worries, so does someone else. Obviously, that person is Park Jinyoung.

After that accidental kiss, Jaebeom has been a cliche from dramas, which is both annoying and embarrassing. He cannot stop thinking about it, but in his defence, he does it to try to remember what it felt like, as it was so fast he can't really recall, and he curses under his breath for that, just to then realise what he did and die in embarrassment. Sometimes he catches himself wishing he could relive it, slowly, able to burn in his memory every single detail instead of keeping a blurry, fast and bumpy image in his head.

Jaebeom, however, carefully and intently does not think about why he's having those thoughts about Jinyoung.

It's easy not to think about why when he meets Jinyoung, his head just forgets about almost everything and just lives in that moment. His worries feel lighter and more bearable when the younger is by his side, telling him it'll be fine, he's doing great.

To Jaebeom's surprise, he keeps meeting Jinyoung every day, which should worry him because it's suspicious, but he's actually too relieved and glad that the younger is there to worry about that.

The first day after his mother is cleared up, Jaebeom meets Jinyoung when he's coming back home after staying the whole day in the library studying for his midterm. It is almost midnight, he took the last train, and when he comes out of the station, Jinyoung is sitting outside. Jaebeom doesn't see him at first, so Jinyoung calls his name, surprising the older who turns around with a frown until he recognises his friend. Maybe he's too tired and that's why it takes him a few seconds longer, but once he does, his smile is wide and oh so happy.

"What are you doing here?" Jaebeom asks, walking up to the younger until there's two steps between them. A reasonable distance, the older thinks, even when he'd like to be closer and closer.