#Taejin - In My Silence

Chapter 19: Dad

"You haven't told Dad yet, right?" Taehyung inquired.

"Haven't told me what?" A new voice with a sense of authority demanded attention.

Her husband's sudden presence in the kitchen surprised Kim Ha-Yun. He might've seen Taehyung's car arrive earlier and decided to look for him all the way there.

"Ah, Dear, Taehyung came today to learn cooking from our chef. Don't let it bother you. Come, come, let's get out of here and I'll ask a maid to make you some coffee, hm?" Kim Ha-Yun tried to intervene to diffuse the tensions which oftentimes break into a war between his husband and his son.

"Haven't told me what, Taehyung?" Ignoring his wife, standing tall in a challenging gesture, Kim Jung-Hwa asked his son one more time. Insisted. His voice was stern and commanding, and he had a way of making even the most trivial tasks seem important.

Kim Jung-Hwa was a strict man, with a no-nonsense demeanor that left little room for frivolity. He held his son to a high standard, and expected nothing less than perfection from him. He had very specific rules and expectations, and he was quick to enforce them. He was not one to tolerate disobedience or disrespect, and his punishments were swift and severe. He believed that discipline was the key to success, and he was determined to instill that discipline in his son from a very young age.

"Darling, let's discuss it some other time, hm? Taehyung rarely comes home..."

"It's okay. It's okay." Taehyung turned his body to face his father eye to eye. "I have a boyfriend. And I'm serious with him." He said confidently, though Seokjin might yet to agree about their current status. Taehyung held his hands at his sides and reminded himself not to fold them across his chest and not to look afraid and defensive in front of the man who always inflicts fear by his mere presence.

Kim Jung-Hwa's expression changed. His brows furrowed, his lips pursed. "Repeat that again?!" He ordered.

"I have a boyfriend. And no, I'm not going to ask for your approval. I'm just informing you of this. Whether you like it or not, that's on you. I would still date him regardless." Despite his bold statement, there was still a slight tremor in Taehyung's voice.

Kim Jung-Hwa snickered. "Oh, really?!" He walked a few steps forward and leaned back on the kitchen island. His hands were casually folded on his chest. He was ready to test his son's composure. Meanwhile, Kim Ha-Yun could only stand aside and watch in fear and worry. Like always. There was no room for her to meddle anymore. In the end, it always ended up as a one-on-one battle between those two men.

"I've never expected you to swing that way." Kim Jung-Hwa continued. "Did he influence you to be like this, huh? Did he make you gay?" He used a condescending tone.

"There is no such thing as 'he makes me gay'. I absolutely won't tolerate you for badmouthing him whatsoever. Including that offensive sarcasm you just said!" Taehyung wouldn't have it.

Kim Jung-Hwa snickered again. "Tell me then, who is he, this boyfriend of yours, who makes you dare to talk back to me, Taehyung?!" Kim Jung-Hwa didn't ask, he commanded. His voice was deep and authoritative, and his piercing gaze seemed to take in everything around him.

"My boyfriend is a Pediatric Cardiologist. And the owner of the hospital where I currently work."

Kim Jung-Hwa let out a loud chuckle. "You get a real deal for once, huh?!"

Taehyung gritted his teeth. "Yes. No need to get rid of him like you did with all my previous girlfriends."

"I only get rid of who needs to be gotten rid of." Kim Jung-Hwa still maintained his laugh. "And does this boyfriend of yours know who you really are, Tae?"

"Who I really am?! Tsk! I'm not a valuable treasure! He found me as a broken person and he picked me up and fixed me regardless. Only years later, along with my other close friends, he accidentally found out who I really am, just because Miss Ha-Yun gave away some expensive cosmetics to the nurses, saying that those were her new brand that her husband's company was currently producing and promoting. So from then on, everyone somewhat knew that I was the heir of that cosmetic company. But don't worry, my boyfriend is rich enough and he doesn't need to climb the ladder by taking advantage of me."

Kim Jung-Hwa thought in silence for a moment, giving Taehyung room to continue. "I hope you won't disrespect him in any way. He helped me a lot, cleaned up my messes at work, even without me ever knowing what he did. And after every fight that you and I had, he was always there to pick me up." Taehyung was now getting all emotional. He reminisced about how kind and caring Seokjin was. His heart was full of compassion. There were countless selfless acts of kindness he did for Taehyung over the years. "He fixed me for every single time you broke me!" Taehyung said that with bold emphasis.

"So, no! You don't have a right to insult him!" Taehyung added. "Whatever you say or do, I stand my ground and won't change my mind. Don't even try to touch him! And don't even think about coming between us!" Taehyung clenched his jaw and lifted his chin up, challenging his father for once.

Kim Jung-Hwa's snicker faded down into a light chuckle. "If he's as good as you say, I want to prove it myself." He stood up straight and left the kitchen without any more words.

Kim Ha-Yun hastily approached his son and patted his shoulder with deep concern. "Oh, Sweetheart!" She then fetched a glass of water for him. Taehyung slumped on the nearest chair and let out a deep sigh. That was a draining quarrel, as always happened in every argument with his father.

At least Taehyung had fought well in front of his father. Fought for the man who had been defending him for years. The man who had made such a profound impact on his life. The one who had made him a better person. Taehyung had nothing but gratitude for Seokjin.

...

All of a sudden, the long-awaited chef knocked and came into the kitchen with several paper bags of fresh produce for Taehyung to learn to cook. His bright smile lit up the room as he didn't even realize the tension left by the heated argument that had just occurred just a few minutes before in this very room.

"Good morning, Madame, Young Master! Shall we start cooking now??" He clapped his hands innocently with all the cheerfulness and widest smile on his face.

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