You're The One I Want | Winrina

Leave My Pizza On The Doorstep

"It's about Jimin," she said, finally.

Chittip eyes twinkled. "Of course it is."

Something about her mother's voice set Minjeong's teeth on edge. "Why does everyone say that? Why does everyone act as if me and Jimin is so inevitable?"

Her voice was bitter than coffee.

"You haven't seen yourselves together."

Minjeong stuck her lower lip out. "Everyone says that too."

Taeyeon did her best to hide her smile. "Sorry. Carry on."

"She asked me to pretend to be her girlfriend for a day so that her parents wouldn't be disappointed in her," Minjeong said, bluntly.

Her mother blinked, and sank back into her seat. "Well, I wasn't expecting that."

"There's more."

Taeyeon nodded. "Go on."

In that moment, Minjeong caved, and told her mother everything. Once the words started to pour out, they didn't stop, and Minjeong found herself telling her mother every single detail of the whole convoluted story, beginning with the reunion, right up until her plane had landed on the mainland. As the story finished, Minjeong sank back into the chair, almost tired out after recounting the whole thing.

She looked up at her mother, who was sitting rather still in her chair, watching her intently, her expression unreadable.

"Whatever," Minjeong said, quickly. "It's done now. I don't have to think about it anymore."

"You don't?" Taeyeon arched an eyebrow.

"No, I don't. It's time to move on."

Taeyeon sighed, leaning closer towards her, looking down at Minjeong with stern eyes. "Why are you always trying to hide how you really feel?"

"I'm not," Minjeong insisted.

"Then why won't you tell me what's really going on in that head of yours?"

"Because it's embarrassing!" Minjeong dropped her head into her hands, her fingers curling through her hair. "I did everything I wasn't supposed to do. I did a bunch of stupid things because someone asked me to. Mum, I quit my job because of her!" she said. "And even now that she's messed me over, even though I'm so angry at her, I still want to forgive her. And honestly? I've been wondering all the time if it was my fault this all happened. What if I'd just said something to begin with? What if I'd just talked to her about it?" She took a breath. "And I've been trying so hard to do what you do, what all Kim women do, to put her out of my mind, not think about her and move on, but I just can't. I'm weak."

"Minjeong," Taeyeon said, her voice soft. She took her daughter's hands in hers again. "Minjeong, I sincerely hope that I have never taught you that when things go wrong in our lives we are not allowed to fall apart. There is nothing weak about having feelings."

"But you never let them get to you," Minjeong said, "when Dad left-" Taeyeon sucked in a breath- "it was like you flicked a switch. After the wedding, I saw you cry once, and then it was like he didn't matter anymore. You didn't let it phase you. It was like nothing had changed."

"Oh, sweetie," Taeyeon said, a wobble to her voice. "I had to act normal. I had to look after you. I had an eleven-year-old daughter that didn't understand why your dad wasn't coming home, and I couldn't just stop functioning. Who would have taken care of you? I didn't want you to have a horrible childhood just because your mother was always miserable." Taeyeon swallowed. "The truth is: it took me years to get over your father. Getting to the altar and realising you've been stood up on isn't something you can just get over. You think there weren't times when I fell apart in a friends' arms? You think there weren't days when I felt like it wasn't worth getting out of bed?"