Tangled Red String [Hyunsung] ✓

Chapter 17

A/n republish; major revision

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Hyunjin did not attend the class on the next day. As much as Jisung wanted to take care of him, Hyunjin firmly stated that he would be upset if the younger decided to stay for him. So, Jisung gave in defeat and promised him that he would visit the older on lunchtime.

Jisung tilted his head in confusion when he saw a pair of woman oxfords inside the shoe rack. Then, when he entered the living room, he saw a somehow "familiar" middle-aged woman was setting up several meals on the table.

His body froze in an instant. Despite the pretty chill weather, he could feel sweat started to form and might as well roll down his body sooner or later.

"Hannie!" Hyunjin called excitedly before lunging himself to the smaller boy, indirectly pulling him from his deep thought. Thankfully, Jisung still could hold their bodies up, preventing them to fall onto the floor.

"Hyunjin? Who is this, sweetie?"

"O-oh, good afternoon. I'm H-han Jisung, Hyunjin's roommate." Jisung introduced himself with a little stutter after releasing himself from the older's grip.

"Ah! You must be the one who takes care of my baby. Thank you so much." Without hesitation, Hyunjin's mother hugged Jisung briefly.

"I can see that you've bought some lunch, but let's save it for later, okay sweetie?"

Nodding his head, Jisung then robotically followed Hyunjin's mother who walked toward the table in the living room, leaving Hyunjin that was too stunned for witnessing his mother's rare welcoming manner.

Little did Hyunjin know that his mother was in touch with Seungmin and gradually asked, or rather, bribed him with Day6 merchandise to tell her about Hyunjin's campus life, which also included Jisung as his son has confessed to the puppy like boy about his little crush on him.

She felt bad for doing that, but she could not help it; he just wanted to make sure her only son was doing fine and adapting well with the new environment.

>~<

In the older's eyes, Jisung was not someone who would have hard time to talk with someone he just met; Jisung was exactly the opposite of him. But he somehow felt that the younger looked awkward and even uncomfortable to talk with his mother.

He did not blame the squirrel like boy, though. His mother sometimes had this kind of intimidating aura around her. So he positively thought that was the reason why the younger acted like that.

However, that was not the only odd thing he saw today; her mother was quite a cold person, yet she surprisingly seemed trying to make a good rapport with the squirrel like boy. It luckily worked out eventually, especially when she brought up the major that Jisung chose at the moment. Since culinary and business were her expertise, it was not hard for them to share their interest after that.

Hyunjin felt being left out a little, though. But, he did not mind it too much. It was rare for his mother to talk excitedly like that with someone she barely knew.

>~<

"Let's head to the parking area, I'll take you to your department building." Hyunjin's mother suggested.

Jisung was about to refuse but she beat him to it. "And that's, young man. It's definitely an order."

Despite the genuine welcoming manner from the old woman, the college boy actually still felt uneasy, but he nodded his head eventually.

"Once again, thank you so much for taking care of Hyunjin. I'm so grateful he got a caring roommate like you." Hyunjin's mother said as she pulled over the car.

"It's nothing. I'm glad to help."

"Since you leave far from home, you should visit us sometimes. I'll gladly serve you some real food, not the microwave ones." She said and laughed warmly afterward.

Nodding his head, he answered, "I'd love to. Thank you, Mrs. Hwang."

After making sure Hyunjin's mother car was far enough, Jisung squatted down, trying to calm his raging heartbeats.

Due to certain information he learned, being together alone with Hyunjin's mother became an unnerving moment; he could not help but imagine the possibility of her turned into a complete different person while they were alone.

He thought he was safe, at least for now. He knew he could not keep running away. He needed to tell Hyunjin eventually, yet his mind continued to feed his fear with the probability of the older left him.

"Not now. Not yet."

Taking a deep breath, Jisung then strode toward the building. He still needed to attend the class after all.

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