04/04/2021
Sooyoung and I have been messaging each other since I spoke to her last night. I have been diligently planning the New York trip and have informed her that my flight and hotel has been booked and that I will be arriving on the 10th of April with my sister, Sejin-nim, and friend/security staff member, Chulsan.
Sooyoung said she's thrilled that Kyungmin will be joining me on the trip and I can say the same. I'm glad Kyungmin was able to take some personal time off in such short notice. Apparently, she hasn't taken a proper day off in a while and she claimed it to be a personal family issue, so they allowed her to use her personal time off even if they weren't given a heads up sooner. Kyungmin and Sooyoung were really close back then and I'm glad they'll have an opportunity to rekindle their friendship.
I also messaged Sooyoung asking if it's okay to arrange a paternity test because if Moonsik is really my son, I want to make sure that it is on paper, and that I can be known as one of his legal-guardians. She said there was no way she could argue against that and that she was hoping I'd ask. I informed Sejin-nim and he said he'll try to contact a company who can administer a legal DNA paternity test while we are visiting.
In the morning, I had let all the boys know that I needed them to be present at the dorm this evening for a meeting. I let them know that I was going through something and I wanted to discuss it with the whole group.
It is now 8pm, and we are all congregated in the living room.
I am seated in the only recliner chair in the room. The first men to file into the living room are Jungkook, Taehyung, and Jin. They all decided to take the couch adjacent to me, on my left. Not long after, Jimin and Hoseok enter the room and take the other couch across my chair. Last to arrive is Yoongi, and I get up, offering the chair to him. As I get up, Yoongi and I make eye contact and he nods at me in a way to give me a source of comfort, which I admit does help my nerves calm down a bit.
I stand up and pace in front of them a few times, back and forth, while I wait for everyone to settle in their spots. Some chatting occurs since everyone has been doing their own thing all day. Since they haven't seen each other much, they naturally end up having small discussions to catch up.
After walking back and forth, slowly, in the front of the living room- lost in my thoughts on how I was going to share the news to the rest of the guys, I am interrupted by one of the members' voices.
"Hey, Namjoon, we're all here, like you asked us to be. What is this meeting about? You're making us nervous," Hoseok says in a high volume to get my attention.
"Oh, yes. Sorry! I was just trying to form the thoughts in my head," I explain to him and the rest of the group.
"Well, start whenever you're ready," Jin encourages me. He and I connect eyes, and again, I feel comforted.
If Yoongi, Jin, and Jimin have been so supportive of this whole situation, it seems I shouldn't be nervous about letting the rest of the guys know, right?! But, this is such a major change in my life that it could impact the group down the line. And, as the leader, I just don't want to let them down in any way.
I clear my throat and allow myself to begin.
"So, what I'm going to share is only between us and a select few people outside of our group. Jin and Yoongi were the first to learn about what I am going to share with you, for good reason. Jimin happened to hear a conversation regarding this topic, so he also knows. I wanted to wait to tell the rest of you until some areas were clarified."
I pause and look at the members, especially Hoseok, Taehyung, and Jungkook. They look like they are listening intently to what I am saying. I continue.
"Through my sister, I found out that my ex-girlfriend from a few years ago has a child who I never knew about. He is my child."
Stunned expressions are etched on the faces of Hoseok, Taehyung and Jungkook. I was anticipating a flurry of curse words to come out of the three members but their reactions were much different.
"Hyung," Jungkook gasps out softly.
"What's his name? How old is he? Have you talked to your ex? Do we know her?" Hoseok asks me these strings of questions, with the utmost curiosity in his tone.
I answer him in order of question. "His name is Mason Lee. He does have a Korean name- Lee Moonsik. He is five years old- just had his birthday in February. I have talked to my ex-girlfriend, Sooyoung. That's one of the reasons why I waited to tell the rest of the group. I needed to talk to her first. Yoongi and Jin knew about her back when she and I were dating. We dated right before our group debuted but I kept it as much of a secret for the safety of our group's image, as well as for Sooyoung. Since Jin and Yoongi were more experienced about relationships back then, I decided to confide in them for when I needed relationship advice. Jimin overheard a video chat conversation Jin I had with Kyungmin regarding my son back when we were in California, last month."
"Okay, that makes sense and I understand," Hoseok says in his deep voice, nodding as he retains the information.
"Namjoon-Hyung, did you talk to the company? What did they say?" Taehyung questions me in a worried tone.
"Tae, actually Jin and Jimin were with me when I discussed this all with Bang PD-nim. Sejin-nim was also present during the meeting. What was decided on was that if I want to be present in Moonsik's life, the company will not stand in the way. Bang PD-nim did say he'll look into legal matters and ensure the safety of my son and his mother when it comes to such things as the media. Obviously, he does advise that I keep my family life as private as possible, which is no different than all of us not sharing the lives of our other family members, to a certain extent." I finish explaining and smile at Taehyung, who is relieved.
"That's good, Hyung. I imagine you want to be a part of your son's life," Taehyung tells me, while giving me a soft smile.
"Do you plan on meeting your son eventually?" Jungkook inquires.
"Yes. In fact, I'm taking my personal vacation time to visit Moonsik and his mom in New York," I share to all the guys, which is the first time any of them is hearing about this plan.
"Are you really?!" Jimin says, shocked, but with a tinge of excitement in his voice.
"Yes, I am. I had a video chat with Sooyoung and she was fine with me visiting them. I pretty much have almost everything arranged for the trip. I actually spoke to Moonsik for the first time during that video call," I tell the men.
"How did that go?" Yoongi asks, curiously.
"Better than expected, to be honest. The kid is lively and we enjoyed discussing topics kids his age like, such as legos," I say, adding a light chuckle.
"How did Sooyoung introduce you to him through the video call?" Yoongi further questions me.
"She introduced me as someone who is close to his family back in the day. We thought we'd wait until I'm there in New York for Sooyoung and I to tell him the truth," I say out loud. Hearing what I said makes me feel anxious.
"Are you nervous about when that time comes, Hyung?" Jimin ponders, questioningly.
"Of course I am. I'm worried he won't take it well. But, we'll just see how it goes," I say as calmly as possible. But, the men know me well enough and can sense my apprehension.
"Namjoon, while you're in New York, feel free to call any of us, if you need to! We are here for you for moral support. Just know that," Hoseok says to me while flashing a comforting smile. I look around the room and see everyone nodding in agreement.
"Hobi is right. We will be here for you if you need to talk. We're a phone call away," Jin assures me.
"That means more than you know, guys," I say to them all.
I can't imagine my life without these six men.
*********
A/N:
Question time!
If you were in an idol group, what would be your strength?! Would it be singing, rapping, dancing, or visuals? Pick two, if you must!
🎵Song to check out: "Boyz with Fun" by BTS
As always, thank you so much for reading my ff! If you enjoyed the chapter, please vote and comment, if you'd like! XOXO✨
-MissD