NOT SO GOOD BOY

Episode 23

Jimin stood in front of the sliding panel that led to the living room, box of kittens in hand. Desperately trying to calm his beating heart he took a deep breath. His knees were weak, arms heavy, but he kept his chin up.

He had no idea if his father was mad or not, but either way he was ashamed of himself. He didn't want to face his father, but knew the latter would be mad if he didn't own up to his mistakes.

With all this in mind he opened the pushed the panel open, taking a step into the otherwise quiet room room.

His father was sitting at the coffee table, his small glasses on as he looked down to papers. He was facing him but didn't look up until Jimin took a few steps.

He walked to inside holding the gaze his father was casting him from over his glasses, breaking it only to place the box of kittens on the couch.

The atmosphere was tense, Jimin wasn't sure how his father would react, but he took the opportunity of him being receptive to kneel down beside him, looking at his eyes one last time, before placing his hand on the floor -right next to his father's thigh- and slowly bending forward for his forehead to touch them.

"I am truly sorry." he said, again in the most polite korean he'd ever been taught.

Jaesung didn't utter a word, but Jimin did hear a sigh come from the back of his throat, making him bite his lip anxiously .

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to." He said, voice soft yet somehow still bearing a heavy warning.

"I already apologised to mom." Jimin said, not raising his head.

There was a small silence, before Jaesung asked him to raise his head and look him in the eyes. He wore his responsible father face, letting the silence weigh on his so as his lips pressed in a tight line and his eyes dark. He didn't look angry, just serious and extremely intimidating.

Nevertheless he held his gaze, not because he was being disrespectful but because he knew his father would get mad if he didn't hold his chin high to bare the consequences.

His father had always taught him that making mistakes was human, and the only way of making up for them was to own up to them.

That is why, he had been told, people go to prison and detention centers. To keep the general public away from danger and to let those dangers reflect upon their actions and 'pay' for what they have done.

"Are you ready to own up to you mistakes?" He asked.

Jimin nodded slowly.

"Here's what your mother and i thought. " Jaesung continued. "You'll go back to Dr Yunbin, you'll stop letting kids at school bully you and help me teach a class."

Jimin, who had been nodding throughout the speech, suddenly popped his head up at the very last condition.

"Are you s-"

"Yes Jimin, yes i'm sure."

The boy looked down, bowing his head slightly before nodding.

"I'll do that." He said softly.

As much as he was weary of being around his father's students who most likely didn't know what they were doing, Jaesung had never done anything in his life that hadn't proved to be well thought through. He trusted his father's judgement.

Jaesung nodded, letting out a relieved breath as he suddenly slouched, as if the string that had been holding his back straight all this time suddenly snapped. His features morphed into a warm smile.

"Good, i was getting sick of the stiff dad act." He said, leaning forward to ruffle Jimin's hair as the younger smiled shyly. "So what's in the box?"

Jimin stood up to fetch it, before going to sit back down next to his father, this time cross legged.

"Oh my god." His father looked down at the kittens -he'd always been one for animals, especially baby animals- his hand immediately reaching out for one. "Jimin, you are the best thing that's ever happened to me, you know that?"

Jimin laughed, getting up to fetch a small tub of water and a cloth, hearing the water of the bath his mother was running rumbling upstairs.

"Where did you find these?" Jaesung asked.

"Near the river." JImin said as he sat back down, dipping the cloth in the water and bringing it to rub one of the kittens' dirty eyes gently, his father down the same with his hands.

"I've always dreamt of having another cat, Dumpling is always living his own little life, we barely see him anymore." He said, making Jimin laugh softly.

Dumpling was a wild little fella they'd saved from the river a few years back, Jimin not having hesitated to soak his shoes and pants to go fetch the wailing animal from the waters.

Granted he'd received some firm scolding for having destroyed his shoes, but the cat had been of great help to console him when he'd been released from the detention center.

"How should we name them?" Jaesung asked, just as Chaseol entered the room.

"Let's name them after the days of the week." The younger answered, placing the kitten on the floor and watching it wobble around.

"I'll take over Min-ah, why don't you go take your bath hm?"

A/N:
i don't even know what a
sleep (-update) schedule is anymore...