Generations Expectation's | 8th member of BTS

17

| Korean Words meaning |

Anything in regular font = Korean

Anything in Italics = English

Anything in Bold = Spanish

Anything in Bold & Italics = Any other language besides Spanish, Korean, or English

*Time Skip, One Day. Was July 21st, now its July 27nd*

It seemed like only yesterday that Aunt Becca and the little ones had arrived, and now here they were, preparing to depart once again. Suppressing the urge to shed tears, I sat alongside Jungkook and Hobeom outside the bustling entrance of LAX. The airport was a hive of activity, a constant flux of people hurrying to catch flights or arranging transport. While I was fortunate to have spent a week with my family after so many years, it felt as if the time had slipped away as swiftly as it arrived.

Currently, Aunt Becca was occupied, attempting to fit some toy that Cassie had retrieved from her suitcase, despite Aunt Becca's explicit instructions not to touch it. Gabe, always the epitome of good behavior, was conducting himself with polite awkwardness, giving one-armed hugs to Hobeom and Jungkook. The surprise of even receiving a goodbye hug from the usually reserved Gabe seemed to catch both Hobeom and Jungkook off guard. Over the past few days, Jungkook and Gabe had formed a strong bond through video games and cartoons, so the reluctance in Gabe's eyes as he separated from the embrace was unsurprising.

His footsteps on the pavement echoed a hint of reluctance, mirroring my own feelings. He glanced up at me, his expression reflecting puppy-dog eyes filled with dismay. I recognized the battle he was waging, attempting to stifle his emotions in public. He didn't want to be perceived as a "tantrum-throwing kid" a reputation that his younger sister, quite the handful, had earned for herself. His face bore evidence of the Californian sun, two shades darker with a touch of red. He wore a bright blue short-sleeved shirt adorned with the iconic California Republic flag symbol, paired with khaki shorts that had likely seen repeated use during their stay.

"Noona, I'm really going to miss you." he said with a sweetness that was both heartwarming and bittersweet. His lower lip trembled slightly as he fought to maintain his composure. Reacting instinctively, I dropped to my knees and enfolded his small frame in my arms. His tiny arms draped over my shoulders, and he nestled his face against the nape of my neck, as if finding the missing piece of a long-forgotten puzzle. The embrace felt like a refuge from the impending reality. The thought of parting made me want to hold on indefinitely. Letting go would bring the stark truth of their imminent departure crashing down on me.

"Come on, Gabe, we need to check our bags." Aunt Becca's voice interjected, gentle yet firm, not wanting to interrupt the poignant moment but well aware that their flight time was approaching. Reluctantly, Gabe slipped out of my grasp, leaving me with a sense of emptiness in his absence. I mustered a smile, though exhaustion and sorrow tinged its edges.

"I love you...-" I whispered in a hushed tone, ensuring only he could hear so as not to embarrass him in front of Jungkook and Hobeom.

"I love you too, Ae Cha Noona." he replied, his voice quivering as tears welled up in his eyes. Turning away from me, he rejoined Cassie, who was bidding farewell to Jungkook with tearful hugs. I observed Gabe discreetly wipe his face with his arm, determined not to create a scene, a sharp contrast to Cassie, who was attracting the attention of bystanders, perhaps leading some to suspect that Jungkook might be involved in something questionable.

Before Gabe was barely out of my arms Cassie went running from Jungkook's arms to mine. Carrying herself quickly on her cute, chubby little legs. Her weight slammed into my chest and I found myself laughing softly at her adorable actions as I wrapped my arms around her small frame.
"Noona. I'm going to really miss you" Cassie said pushing off of me so she could look up into my face with her cute little face, covered wet with tears. "Aww, I know sweetie. I'm going to miss you so much too. You have no idea" I said pushing a strand of hair from her face that had got stuck and soaked with her tears. "Noona. I love you. Please come home soon, okay?" Cassie said uncoiling her arms from our hug and using them to sloppily wipe her face. I sighed, keeping a smile on my face. "I'll try my best" I said simply knowing I couldn't make any promises. Cassie looked a bit upset with my answer, I knew she wanted to say more but she knew her Mom, who was standing close behind her wanted to talk to me too and there wasn't much time.  Cassie shook her head, understanding as she continued to try to dry her face. "I love you Noona. I'll make sure we'll call when we get home and you BETTER keep reading us goodnight stories and singing us lullabies. Mom sucks at singing" Cassie said speaking honestly not controlling the volume of her voice at all, making me laugh at her. "Okay...that sounds like a plan" I said giving her a warm smile, trying so hard to not break away like dust in the wind. Cassie gave me a half-chubby cheek smile before giving me one last squeeze and pulling herself away slowly, letting her tiny warm hands scrape across mine.
Making me treasure and store the moment of the touch of her hand in my mind until the next time I would see her.