❝𝗖𝗘𝗢 𝗥𝗜𝗩𝗔𝗟𝗦 ━━ 𝗝.𝗝𝗞

13 | Warmth in that ice cream

"Get the defamation treatment done, some antibiotics and then go home and rest. I will come with you."

"No, you stay here and get things ready. We'll carry on the shoot as soon as my skin gets better."

Secretary Kim sighs, nods. "Okay, call your mother, get her help."

"No! She'll get worried. Don't." Jeongguk says, shaking his head. "I will go alone, I don't mind."

"Call her, she's a botanist, she'll know some stuff which will help you." Secretary Kim says, simultaneously ringing up Mrs Jeon on his phone. He ushers Jeongguk to talk, who makes a twisted face close to crying.

"Hello Mom, uh," He looks at Kim unsure of what to say, "I need your help?"

Secretary Kim facepalms.

...

"Nice, you are 25 and still can't keep track of which things have peanuts or not." Mrs Jeon says, pinching Jeongguk's ear.

"I can!" he defends, "But honestly I didn't taste any peanut in it so I actually didn't know."

The mother sighs, taking out the ointment and medicines the dermatologist gave them. "I finally thought that I won't have to worry about these things now that you have a wife. But look...I must have killed a lot of plants in my previous life."

Jeongguk snorts.

"Ahh, look at this house." his mother groans. "I hoped that next time I visit this place, it will be warm and will look like a home now that you have a wife. But look...I must have killed a lot of plants in my previous life.".

Jeongguk sighs. A wife? A home? Here, in this place?

Never.

It's absurd and of no use.

"You could have called Minhee to help you out," she says while applying ointment over Jeongguk's inflamed skin. "She is an expert in careskin, isn't she? She went to a beauty school too and now she is a CPU of that company...what was the name...Bird? Ah, no, was it fins? Anyway, she would know better for you."

"Mom...first of all, it is skincare, not careskin and she is the CEO of Wings. Please don't say this in front of their family." Jeongguk says, hissing every time his mother touches his face while muttering 'yeah the same thing, the same thing'.

"Here, get some sleep." She then cups his chin, "Ahh, look at how thin you have become?" Then she hits his chest, "What are these muscles. Huh."

"Mom!"

Jeongguk storms back to his room, and gets under the covers. His mother appears with some medicine later and places it on the table beside the bed. She sits down beside Jeongguk who has his lips in a pout, pretending to sleep.

"You did it on purpose, didn't you?"

Jeongguk opens his eyes, looking at his mother. "The dating thing. You did it because you didn't want her to move in."

Jeongguk scoots up, parting his lips to say something. But he can't lie to his mother.

"I know Jeongguk, you think this marriage won't change things, you'll be living the same life. I am not blind. I have seen and read the articles of you two being labelled as rivals. Your dad hesitated to let you marry her, only because he was worried about the consequences you would face. But we don't want to regret our deci—"

"It's not your fault at all, Mom." Jeongguk interrupts, scooting close to her. "I agreed to it. For whatever reasons, I did. Never blame yourself for it."