𝐤𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐨 | 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐣𝐢𝐧 ✔️

fifty two

[april]

When Young-Jae and Namjoon dropped him off at the airport, giving him goodbye hugs and kisses, he'd been happy. Excited.

Something about flying to America, meeting his dad...it felt like an adventure. And he'd been waiting for this moment for a very long time.

Now, sitting on the plane, hearing the captain notify the passengers that they'd be landing in ten minutes...

He was a little nervous.

Okay, more than a little nervous.

Jin was outright scared.

It wasn't because he knew he was going to be in a foreign country alone, he'd made sure to learn English for that specific reason.

No, it was the fact that he would be surprising his father.

A father who left his family to start a new one, practically on the other side of the world.

As the plane landed on the tarmac, Jin began to shake out the nerves, busying himself by collecting his things and going over the plan in his head.

"What's got you traveling all by yourself, young man?"

Jin turned to his seatmate.

They hadn't made much conversation, other than the beginning when the old man thanked Jin as he let him step over to get to the window seat.

"Oh, uh, just visiting family."

"Right before exams? Shouldn't you be home studying for those," the old man joked, giving Jin a warm smile.

Jin smiled in response, putting his book in his backpack. "I'm actually graduating this year. I've taken a few of my placement exams, so I think I'll be okay."

"Ah, well you look like a very smart man," the elder said, leaning to look out the window. "I'm visiting family too, surprising my grandkids."

Jin nodded, zipping his bag. "Well, that's nice! I bet they enjoy your visits. How old are they?"

"I have a three year old grandson and six year old granddaughter," he said, and it was almost an immediate reaction, as Jin sat up a little straighter, a chirp in his voice.

"Oh really? My boyfriend's son is three-" he trailed off, realizing what he just said.

Of course, South Korea was still considered pretty conservative. And, he was talking to someone of the older generation.

He stared at the old man, waiting for him to judge him with a look of disgust, or shout in his face, but he was surprised, when the old man simply gave him a smile, as he flipped open the cover of his iPad.

"Oh, they're such troublemakers at that age, aren't they?" he said with a chuckle. He pointed at a picture on his iPad, which Jin leaned over to look at, shocked.

It was a couple with two kids and the grandfather.

The old man seemed to understand Jin's shock. He swatted the air with his hand in a nonchalant way.

"Oh, when you get to be my age, you stop caring about trivial things," the old man shook his finger, "I think it's America. My son's husband spoils them too much. They become very independent children, much different from back home," he said, shaking his head at himself, in a lighthearted tone.

Jin didn't know what to feel.

He'd never encountered an old man quite like this one.

"Yes, Young-Jae is definitely a handful at times, but he's a very sweet kid." Jin finally settled on responding.