faint ; tomorrow x together

■ 20: Kim Ji-ah ■

trigger warning: mentions of drugs, abuse, and harassment

───── No One's POV ─────

"M-mom?"

Mrs. Kang finally teared up and embraced the girl, making Ki Chul stiff at first. She slowly melted in the hug and hugged her back. A nostalgic feeling & a waft of Mrs. Kang's scent made Ki Chul tear up as well.

While all of this was happening, Beomgyu and Taehyun rushed to the living room to place down the trays they were carrying, then run back to the scene.

Ki Chul & Mrs. Kang pulled away with tears streaming down their eyes.

"A-are you... really my m-mom? Are you... K-Kim Ji-ah?"

"Well... I was 'Kim Ji-ah'. I'm now... 'Kang Ji-ah'"

"Okay, uhmm..." Taehyun suddenly placed himself between the two as Ki Chul cried harder. "What the hell is going on here?"

"Tae, calm down" Kai pulled Taehyun away.

"Why don't we all settle in the living room?" Soobin suggested to which they agreed to.

Ki Chul was still a crying mess, and so Beomgyu walked her to the couch while trying his best to calm her down even just a little bit. He offered her a handkerchief, he rubbed her back, and wrapped an arm around her shoulder as they sat down together, side by side.

They all looked towards Mrs. Kang as she heard a heavy sigh. "Where do I even start?"

"Around 20 years ago, I was forcefully married to Kim Kang-Dae. It was arranged by our parents to benefit both of our family's business. I was so naïve before and had no power to object my father, so I just agreed to it which is the biggest regret in my life. He never cared for me and he was always out of the house. I've never felt so lonely in my life. That is until you came Ki Chul, after one night... when he came home very... very drunk..." Mrs. Kang silently cried out.

Ki Chul paused, trying to take in that one information. Her eyes were shaking with one though in her mind, and Mrs. Kang seemed to notice.

She reached out to hold her daughter's hand. "Ki Chul, honey. Please. Don't ever think that you were a mistake. I am begging you to stop that thought. Sure, you weren't... made out of love, but I molded you with love. You were the best thing that has ever happened to me. Whenever I felt alone from a husband who never loved me and from parents who never cared about me, you were the one who picked me back up. You were the only reason for me to keep going and keep fighting"