THE MANAGER NIM

32. DEVIL'S KITCHEN

Your phone rings sliding through your hefty mood. 

"Yeah ma! I reached the office and I didn't skip breakfast!" You answer her in a monotonous voice, a considerable knob of irritation built by her usual dubious questions blocking your tone. 

Her usual voice manifests that your Shashima is yet to reveal your fake boyfriend story to her as she herself doesn't believe it yet.

"Ah, my voice?! No. I'm completely fine ma, it's just I have a bad headache since morning due to my usual sinus problem. Nothing serious, trust me!" You strive to make your mom believe your shady reason.

"Also where is appa? It's been a while since I talked to him!" You use the most effective Astra to divert your quick-witted mom and you could hear the hands getting swapped.

"What's my little pumpkin doing over there?" Your dad's voice sounds as enthusiastic as always with a strong tinge of love.

"Appa, it's been a decade since you called me last time. You're not planning to abandon me, are you?" Your voice trembles with feeble anger and your eyes start to get a little moist.

"How can I even take no notice of my princess's hard life? I've been constantly pestering Shashi about your well being as you seemed quite busy with work all day and I must say I feel really gratified and proud about my little daughter sprouting her own vivid wings in a foreign nation, you gotta prove what you're capable of to all those dumb relatives of ours who mocked me for trusting my daughter's passion and dream instead of marrying her off to a lippy idiot.

And I also heard about how Shashi planned a sudden alliance arrangement for you and how it ended. I swear on our family, neither I nor your mom had any say in this arrangement, to begin with, we didn't even get informed about this arrangement, she herself took all the decisions in our place. 

They leisurely informed us about all those horrendous things that happened that day when we voluntarily enquired them based on the rumours spreading among our other family members. And that's the price we gotta pay for staying under their roof, my child.

Please pardon you amma and appa, we wanted to protect you at all cost from this rotten world, but still, a brazen brat caused this mortifying wound in your heart. We constantly avoided bringing up this topic to you as we thought it might worsen your wounds and decided to disregard it wholly but what kinda parents ignore their kid's pain and that's why we decided to try our best to heal it in the way we could as a responsible family. We're very sorry about what happened y/n, you do know we love you more than anything in this world right?" Your dad's voice palpitates in a strong flow of emotion.

"Appaa!" Your voice chokes as beads of tears start to accumulate in your eyes. The bottled up homesickness sears through your eyes as it unfurls throughout your heart. Deep down you always knew nothing apart from your family can ever be the source of genuine, selfless love, but today you feel it in your bones.

"This is why I never allowed you to take over the phone all this while!" your mom grasps the mobile from your trembling dad. "Y/n, your appa said whatever I hesitated to tell you, though she is my sister she has no rights to hurt or force my kid in the name of love. When are you getting your salary?" She enquires hastily. 

"By the end of this month." You answer back with confusion inlaid with a hue of relief.

"It's hardly ten more days, right? So you better surf through the internet and find a decent house for yourself. You should move outta Shashi's house by the end of this month!" Your mom's voice echoes like a command.

"Maaa!" Your voice trails off to emphasise how hard it is to get yourself a nice studio or apartment in Seoul.

"Omoni!!!" Jungkook hollers from his spot, across your table, with a radiant smile.