Let Me Know

Chapter XVIII

Jimin slipped inside the coffee house as quietly as possible and Jungkook was right behind him, moving even quieter than Jimin was. Songyi was at the stove in the kitchen, looking oddly thin since the last time he had seen her. Sooji was nowhere in sight. Jungkook slammed the front door shut behind them and Songyi turned towards them in surprise, looking shocked to see Jimin standing in the living room.

"Oh, hello, Jiminah. What brings you here ? Is it too cold outside ?" Songyi said in a surprised voice.

Jimin looked to the front counter and saw Songyi, and God did she look horrible. Her hair might have gained a few more streaks of gray, it looked like she hadn't slept in two days, and the dark bags underneath her eyes sort of gave her the garish appearance of a raccoon.

"Just a little." Jimin answered, forcing a smile. "It's empty at my place, so I thought it would be okay to study here instead. If you don't mind that is." Jimin said slowly.

"You and Jungkook can study all you want. It's kind of dead in here. I guess I can manage alone." Songyi said, wiping down the front counter with a bit of force.

"But before that... I need to talk to you, Songyi eomma."

Maybe it was something in Jimin's voice that made her realize that this was going to be no simple conversation. She must have known what was coming, because her already pale face turned even whiter and Jimin could see her swallow hard. Her eyes were already bloodshot and shinning and Jimin thought she was going to cry. He really hoped she wouldn't cry.

"Jungkook." Songyi addressed her foster son in a hard, firm voice. "Go help the kids with their homework."

Jungkook sighed and moved towards the stairs not before turning back to Jimin with a serious look on his face.

"I sure hope you know what you're doing." Jungkook muttered warningly before going up the stairs.

'Yeah.' Jimin thought with a mental sigh. 'I sure hope I know what I'm doing, too.'

Jimin walked into the kitchen to Songyi who was leaning up against the counter with her arms crossed and she had definitely seen better days.

"How are you Songyi eomma ?" Jimin trailed off, biting his lips.

Songyi smiled a bit in sympathy. "I'm fine, Jimin. Just fine."

That was definitely a lie. Jimin could tell that much, and he wasn't a super intelligent genius like Jungkook. It was the perfect time for a talk, right ? Probably not, but it was now or never.

"I, really liked your sister." Jimin started, hopping up to sit on the counter.

"Good. I'm glad." Songyi said, her voice sounding a little weary.

This was clearly going nowhere. Jimin fell silent for a few moments, watching Songyi as she went about restocking the pastries in the case. Jimin knew she was sort of a heartbroken person, but it hadn't ever been this obvious to him before. She must have been as good at hiding her emotions as Jungkook was.

"Look, Jiminah... I don't know what to say to...to...-"

"If you're talking about what happened on Chuseok, then you don't need to say anything."

Songyi looked up at Jimin in surprise, her eyes widening. "Excuse me ?"

Jimin flushed bright red and immediately fixed his gaze on his shoes, but kept talking. "Your sister told me what happened. I don't think it's anything you need to apologize for."

Songyi sat back on the floor with a baffled look on her face, as if she couldn't really believe what Jimin had just said.

"I see." she finally said, sounding very weary.