"That's odd," Jin whispers. Is there something wrong?
Well, odd, does not even define it. His mother adores the Yens and their hospitality. What might be the reason for her change of heart?
"Why all of the sudden, mom?"
After firing that question and expecting a reply from her. He was disappointed when he did not receive any. Instead, all he heard was a long helpless sigh from her, it sounded as if she's been burdened with something for so long.
Her troubled sigh repeatedly echoed inside his head.
He never heard her sigh like this for so long.
A heavy feeling plunged his airways that caused his heart to ache. Watching the expression on his mother's face, he knew she's hesitating to speak openly about it. That alone made him uneasy, nervous even.
The Yens are like a family to them.
Did they fight? Was there any misunderstanding left behind?
Witnessing the awkward and suffocating silence, Mochi grabs his chance to leap out of the scene and Jin just watched him running in full speed towards his room to escape.
But that didn't distract him.
His gaze never left his mother.
There's absolutely going on behind his back.
What could he have missed?
She then spree out of the scene right after Mochi left and strides to the laundry room. His mother must have felt the dark and intense force from his stare stabbing her in all directions.
Jin ran his palms over his face.
Now, she even made it more obvious. His mother is really bad at hiding things from him. It seems that running away and purposely avoiding him was her last option.
Nevertheless, Jin followed her in tow and as he approached the small room, he can hear the rustling of clothes and the sound of hard plastic screeching against the tiled walls. He slides the door open and leans his head on his hand that's gripping the door open, preventing it from automatically closing.
He watches his mother, acting all busy with her hands rustling through the dirty clothes inside the basket.
Aigoo. She doesn't need to do these unnecessary things just because she couldn't tell him. He completely understands and has no choice but to respect her part.
"Should I go and apologize to the Yens?" Jin volunteers
Asami's hands paused for a brief moment, she had a soft expression on her face at what she heard before it disappeared in a wink. Her boy is ever so considerate, "No, I'll go. I would feel bad about declining their offer without personally apologizing."
Jin pokes his tongue to his cheeks inside his mouth, his head nodding slightly at her in agreement, "Right."
His mother finally left the basket, stood up, and fix her duster. She walks towards him with a smile, kissing the side of his head.
"I'll be back, then we'll talk."
A smile grew out of Jin's lips. Cool. He likes the sound of that. His eyes followed his mother walking towards the door before hearing it closed with a short tick. He listened to her faint footsteps on the other side until he could no longer hear a sound from the heel of her shoes.
He was left there, alone as he ponders over the possible reasons his mother may have kept from him. She'd be in a tight spot if he were to force the issue on her.
Mochi who was hiding in the corner watched over the troubled expression on his master's face. After seeing Jin's mother leaving the house, he grabs his chance to rush back to Jin and stand with his two small legs beside him, his tiny paws trying to reach his arm in the side of his thighs.
Jin went back to the living room, spacing out. His hand grabs the warm glass his mother prepared for him on the table before he drinks it straight and slumps his exhausted body on the couch.
He closes his eyes, yet fights his urge to sleep.
Mochi followed him without a sound and hops to the couch. He has been practicing to master this and it took his tiny legs a lot of attempts alongside injuries.
Mochi: *sighs* pain.
He found himself a comfortable place to lay, just above his owner's head as they both listened to the continuous silence around them.
Even though Jin was home alone. At this time of the day is where he could only be at ease and unguarded. Besides, his mind is preoccupied with concerns. He can't seem to shake it out of his head, though his mother already told him they would talk.
Is he overthinking things again?
His mother is the type of person who never goes back on her words.
But, obviously, something is off point. If not, why would his mother reject the Yen's hospitality who's been in their friendly neighborhood since he can remember?
While the heavy thoughts fill his head, his phone suddenly buzzes inside PE pants.
He took it out sluggishly, uninterested, with his eyes still close. He turns his body, his stomach pressed against the burgundy couch, and his elbows were supporting and holding his shoulders as he opens his phone and stumbles into his contacts on takotalk, an app widely used in Korea for communicating.
When his eyes shift to the first contact in his inbox, A very familiar name in bold letters accompanied with a number '2' highlighted in red on its left side was on display, citing that he had two unread messages by the same person.
He frowns after seeing the nickname 'Mr. Snob' with an adorable lion emoji beside it. It's no other than Park Jihyuk. How Jin came up with Jihyuk's nickname on takotalk was inspired by his hot temper.
Now that he thinks of it, he wonders what nickname Jihyuk set on him in his contacts.
Jin knew Jihyuk would eventually message him despite his temper. All these years he has been patient with this cub, a big tsundere he is.
Man, he gotta control his temper or he might not find himself a girlfriend.
When Jin imagines Jihyuk getting a girlfriend, a chill ran down his spine, the thought of it gave him goosebumps. He could never picture Jihyuk in such situation, the guy even barely talks about women.
Jihyuk is a studious and honor student since they were in middle school and he might just be a workaholic person too in the future.
Jin and his mother can justify that and it is probably the reason why it led them to the conclusion that his friend might marry his academic books or profession instead of finding himself a wife.
Mr. Snob: The scarf you were wearing.
Mr. Snob: ...
After reading his friend's messages, Jin's brows met.
He's so random.
For a moment, he thought he was going to continue scolding him nonstop. Jin plays with Mochi's soft fur with his left hand while his other was busy tapping on the keys in his phone to reply.
Jin: What about it?
Does Jihyuk find it fancy now? Well, the cotton quality does look expensive, but even so, giving it to him is far from possible. It's not even his, to begin with, Ms. Euna will surely cut off his head when he returns to her empty-handed.
He waited a few minutes for Jihyuk's reply, but nothing came nor has his friend seen it. He must be studying his heart out right now.
Likewise, final exams for the first semester are approaching within three weeks. Jin's sure that guy is pressuring himself again.
His ears perk up when he hears the faint and familiar melody of a chime bell by the entrance and the short tick of the thick door.
His mother is back.