Belong | Min Yoongi

11: Present Day

"Oh, it's okay," you say. "Just roses?"

"Just roses," he answers. "Were you expecting daisies? Didn't you get them at the start of the series?"

The daisies, of course. You used to have them in your backyard in your old house and your mom would pluck one and put it on her ear and then one on yours.

They're so simple, though; you suppose no one knows it's your favorite and you like it that way. You received a bouquet during your first ever movie premiere a few years ago, with just your name and nothing else. Daisies are often just supporting flowers to the bigger, brighter, and more beautiful ones, but somehow that makes them even more beautiful in your eyes. You never knew who it was from but the flowers come, every premiere, with no fail.

"Just wondered if they're thinking of me and wanted to drop by some flowers," you shrug. "I'll go through the letters first thing when I get back."

"Don't want me to filter them?" He wonders.

"No need. I'll be fine."

You drop the call and plop back on your bed. It's the second night of your 4-day stay at a little villa resort in the mountains with your family. It's to celebrate your father and stepmom's 10th anniversary and one of the reasons why you came home. They both asked for meals together and tonight, a renewal ceremony. Your sisters planned it out for them to have speaking roles, leaving you out, which you don't really mind.

They look like a close family, you think to yourself as you recall the past 2 days. Your stepmom talks to your sisters like her own daughters, and despite the resentment you have towards them because of their resentment towards you, you're at least satisfied that they got to experience having a mother again. You know your mom took that away from them; she took it away from you, too, but you never held a grudge even though it hurt.

Not everyone will understand and people will take things differently but seeing her achieve her dream as a ballet dancer and director of a prestigious company abroad pushed you to work towards your dream, too. And it's not like she stopped trying. The rest of your family didn't want her to be part of their lives anymore and resisted any attempts at still maintaining anything close to a relationship.

Not you, though, as you remained in contact. You spent a summer break with her during your first year of university when she sent you to Paris for a month; she even let you take acting classes there while she worked. She'd visit Seoul and stay with you. You talk to each other regularly. You tell her about your projects and everything in between. You bond over your dreams and love for each other, and your heart will always be with her. Seeing your sisters get that love with someone else doesn't hurt you as much. You're glad they could at least feel that with another person.

Tonight might make you feel a little out of place but you're ready for it. You dress up and walk to the garden and admire how beautiful it looks. Your father and stepmom look great, too, and you do your best to feel like you belong here, even if a big part of you knows that you don't.

A place doesn't always become foreign when you've been away for a while; it's the people who make you feel like you're not from there, like you're not welcome. And even with just your sisters, they're both enough to make you feel like this is no longer the place for you; they're no longer the place for you.

You spend most of your time with your grandparents who thank you for the flowers that come every few days. The vases are wonderful, they say, and you make a mental note to ask Yoongi to let you know if new ones come in.

You retire when they do, saying you'll have an early morning trek to the mountain to watch the sunrise. Your father hugs you goodnight and thanks you for coming, and something in his eyes says he wants to say more, but he lets you go instead.