Boys & Flowers | Nomin

18

Mrs Na fumbled a bit for her phone as it vibrated beside her. Jaemin remained frozen like a bag vegetables, staring at the TV as the colours flashed across his face. Mrs Na put the phone against her ear with one hand and turned the TV off with other. Jaemin seemed to come back to reality as his gaze dropped to the carpet. 

"Hello? Mrs Na speaking." She spoke, her concerned eyes glued on her son. 

Mrs Na heard an aggravated cough on the other line before the other spoke, "Good afternoon, Mrs Na. This is Chen, Jaemin's manager at SM. We'd like you to come in and speak with the board of directors concerning Jaemin's rumour, if it is not a hassle of course."

"The dating rumour?" Mrs Na questioned. Jaemin's head snapped up from the floor at the words, his eyes wide as he looked at his mother. Mrs Na held her hand up for Jaemin to wait until she had finished on the phone. 

"Yes." Chen responded. "We'd like it if you came in immediately."

"Of course, of course." Mrs nodded. "We're on our way."

"Thank you for your understanding." Chen commented, voice monotone. Mrs Na was about to reply when Chen hung up on her. 

Mrs Na stood from the armchair before moving to the dining room where she picked up her car keys. Jaemin followed behind her desperately, his face scrunched up and soured with confusion. 

"Mum, who was on the phone? what's happening? Where are you going? Mum!" Jaemin fired question after question, anxiety and panic curdling his insides.

"It was your manager. We have a meeting with the board of directors right now. Hurry and put your shoes on." Mrs Na told him. She was not angry at her son. He was just a teenager who was falling in love for the first time. He was just doing what teenagers do. 

She was just slightly concerned for her son's future. Whether this would tarnish his name and prohibit future opportunities for him or if it would sit with him even after everything had settled down, if it would crave it's way into him, if it would scare him from seeking love because of the eyes of others. 

Jaemin was quick to put his shoes on, shuffling outside to wait for his mother by the car. Mrs Na wasn't long before she too was outside and hopping in the car with great hast. 

The drive was silent. Very silent. It was a very anxious silence.

When they were finally at the SM, everything continued to be silent. Mr Byun had passed Jaemin a sympathetic smile when he had greeted them at the front desk. He quickly notified the board that they had arrived before Mr Do ushered them into the elevator. 

Mr Do still intimidated him. He was almost a whole foot taller than the older but his dark glare would never fail to ran shivers down Jaemin's spine. He didn't understand how Jongin freely joked around with him and flirted with him. He didn't understand a lot with his company. 

Once the elevator opened, Mr Do lead them down a corridor. It was clean and plain, almost like a hospital but instead of the overwhelming amount of sickening white, it was a dull grey. 

Mr Do paused before the door and turned to Jaemin, "You will wait out here until the meeting is finished."

"But-" Jaemin went to speak up but was quietened by his mother's hand.

"Just wait out here, sweetie. I'm sure we won't be long." Mrs Na assured, squeezing her son's shoulder lightly. Jaemin nodded before Mr Do and his mother disappeared into the room. 

Jaemin turned back around to the empty corridor. His eyes trying to find anything slightly amusing to distract him from the current situation. Yet the grey carpet provided nothing to settle his nerves nor did the plastic plants on either side of the elevator. 

With a sigh, he slid down the wall tiredly. His hands clasped in front of him as his propped knees supported them. He moved his hands over his face, feeling the warmth of his cheeks against his sweaty palms. 

He should have listened. Chen hyung told him to be careful about this. That with his new found popularity, he wouldn't know who's listening or more like who's watching. 

What did this mean for him and Jeno? Did this mean the end? But it just started! Jaemin wasn't ready to give it up, he didn't want to. He really liked Jeno and he knew he felt the same. They couldn't just tear them apart. They can't do that! They have no right to! It's their relationship, not the company's. They had no right to. No right. 

That's what Jaemin kept telling himself.

After a few more agonising minutes, a man walked out the door. He was tall and slightly bulky with a prominent nose and nicely trimmed facial hair. He smiled at Jaemin as if he knew him. He reached out his hand for Jaemin to shake before introducing himself, "I'm Seunghyun, Jeno's dad."

Jaemin shook the man's hand with slight awe. He was amazed he hadn't guessed he was Jeno's father straight away. They look so alike. 

"I'm Jaemin." The younger smiled. 

Jaemin was quick to stumble back onto his feet as his mother walked out. He couldn't get anything out of her. Her face was completely platonic, a gift all mothers seemed to have when needed. 

"Ma, what's happened?" He asked, his brows furrowed and tone slightly desperate. For something that is about him, he sure as hell knows little of what's going on and it's starting to trigger his anxiety. 

"They said that they're going to come up with an excuse to cover it up. Say it was photoshop or something along those lines." Mrs Na told him. Her stomach dropped as she saw the relief on her son's face. She hadn't finished yet. "But you must also stop seeing each other, Nana."

Jaemin paused. "What?"

"They can't always come up with excuses every time you two get caught. I know it hurts but-" Mrs Na tried to explain but was interrupted as Jaemin shook his head furiously.

"No." He stated, steam nearly rising from his shoulders. "No, they can't do that! I don't belong to them! What I do and who I date is not their choice!"

"Yes, it is." Seunghyun said with a sad smile and a soothing hand on Jaemin's shoulder. "It's apart of your contract and it's apart of Jeno's as well."

"That's not fair." Jaemin whispered, biting back his lower lip as he fought away his tears. "T-They have no right."

"I know." Seunghyun sighed solemnly before he left down the corridor. He silently prepared himself for what he had to tell his son when he got home. 

~oop

long time no see

I know it's a short chapter but if I added anymore it would ruin it 

so I hope you enjoyed :)