At The End Of The Tunnel | k.sj. ✔

이십구: VICIOUS DESTINY

"E—excuse me, do I know you?" Seokjin's pretension of not being acquainted with the lady was not that much subtle to go unnoticed by the other two presence besides him, reacting to which both of them furrowed their eyebrows— owing to the same emotion called confusion.

"Yes sir, you do. I was her homeroom teacher last year before she transferred schools. Jinjoo's mother," The female beckoned at Joobin with an obvious smile, "and I had met several times— almost every time she came to pick her up. Don't you remember, Jinjoo's Mom?" 

Already daunted due to the woman's unsought entry into their lives, her relentless scraping over the same subject was making Seokjin tremble with panic. His lips quivered— though not so noticeably— and every dash of optimism began to disappear into thin air for him. Seokjin had to either try his hand at shamming his ignorance once again, or just cave in to the situation.

Just when Seokjin thought the ordeals were finally over for him, his vicious destiny decided to get back at him for underestimating it.

"She has... she has adapted well. Thank you for asking but now if you may excuse us, we've got some appointments to get by." Seokjin stammered reluctantly, ensuing with bowing before the lady out of courtesy and instantly locking Joobin's arm in his in order to heave her out of the scene.

If only Joobin had passively followed in Seokjin's footsteps and waited patiently for him to explain what had just transpired, by himself. She did not, though. Oblivious of the grave repercussions that may follow her bringing up of the topic before it could calm, Joobin had ambushed Seokjin with those infinite questions swirling in her head— which were the result of that ambiguous conversation he had just had with that woman.

"What was all that about, Seokjin? Is there something about you that I don't know yet?" Knitting her brows into one, Joobin initiated.

"What do you mea—"

"That won't work on me, in case you didn't know." Joobin interjected, plunging her open palm in the air to gesture Seokjin that it was about time he stopped averting.

"I... I—" Seokjin dithered, unable to fetch the words to form a string of them and utter it to Joobin so that she felt satisfied. It was not like his mind had gone blank, it was rather more due to the numbness that was so keen on enshrouding his senses. Realizing that his vision was getting clouded by the hot tears surfacing in his eyes, Seokjin closed his eyelids softly, sucking a deep breath in.

He did not want to break down before Joobin yet again.

And so, with an awfully heavy heart, he proceeded, "I used to have a lovely family—well, until they succumbed to an accident."