Keeping Up With The Kims

EP 04 - What century is this?

After picking up RM (the only one among the cousins who didn't have a license— which is practically a safety measure for the whole of South Korea), Dahyun sped towards their grandparents' estate in Pyeongchang-dong.

"It's the first time that V openly cried to me since high school. This must be bad," Dahyun says to RM while taking a turn.

"He told us that he would finally be talking to halmeonim and halabeoji about not taking an MBA and refusing to join the business. Maybe it didn't turn out well," RM answered.

RM didn't know what to expect, but he was already dreading their arrival at their grandparents' house. He hasn't seen Taehyung distraught since his parents died back when they were 14.

It also didn't help that Pyeongchang-dong at night felt eerie as hell.

They were now climbing up the quiet streets that ran along the walled-up mansions. The streets were well lit, but being surrounded by high walls which he knew hid the privileged, insensitive rich kids from high school that he's come to resent made him uneasy.

It was only when Dahyun was slowing to a stop that RM saw Taehyung leaning against the same walls that discomforted him.

———

RM's POV

Once Dahyun turned off the engine, she immediately gets out of the car and runs to Taehyung. I follow and watch as she hugs Tae who looks like he's trying to hold in his tears.

"Tae, what happened? Why are you out here?" I ask as I rub his shoulder.

"Let's just leave first. I can't stand being here any longer," Tae replies as he heads for Dahyun's car. Dahyun and I just follow him.

Once we're all settled in, Dahyun asks, "Where do you want to go?"

"There's this place in Hongdae. I'll tell you where to go," answered Tae.

The drive was mostly silent except for the call we made to Jin asking him to meet us by following the coordinates Tae forwarded.

———

Tae directs Dahyun past the nightlife area of Hongdae towards a less busy part of the district. There were murals decorating the walls in this area, the exact opposite of the bland AF walls in our grandparents' neighborhood.

"Stop here," Tae says once we reach the front of a wide two-storey brick building. On its left was a cafe and bookshop while on the other side of the building there seemed to be an antique shop.

Wow, it's just like I'm back in Brooklyn.

When they get out of the car, Tae takes out a set of keys and leads them towards the building's wide double doors.

"This was a warehouse bought by my parents right before they..." Tae pauses and takes a deep breath. "... right before they got into an accident."

"I've asked your dads what this building was to be used for, but they didn't know. Even halmeonim and halabeoji have no idea why they bought a warehouse in the middle of Hongdae."

Tae opens the doors and the three of us step inside. He then flips a switch by the entrance.

"Wow. This place looks new for something that's been out of use for eight years," I say to Tae.

He just flashes his signature boxy smile then looks around. Dahyun stares at him, waiting for an explanation. We then hear someone knocking on the door.