Do you get déjà vu, huh?~
7 p.m.
The whole city became dark as the sun had already set in but got illuminated by the street lamps. Twinkling stars and a cresent sliver moon shone together up in the sky. The neighborhood where Jeno grew up was quiet, silent; street cats and dogs roaming around. The twenty-two-year old male sat on the sofa infront of his father who was glaring holes at his muscular figure. An aged woman came out from the kitchen and put two cups of tea with some snacks on the table. Jeno was back home which was situated at the side of Seoul. He didn't think to come back here like this but here he was, sitting infront of his parents as if he was put at a gunpoint.
"Where did you meet him?", a soft feminine voice asked.
"I told you that I had some work at the central area of the city. I went to the store to buy some stuffs for home and there I met him", his strict voice spoke.
"Jeno dear, you were back from USA but you didn't tell us. Why?", the mother asked.
Jeno swallowed his saliva and looked up through his eyelashes. He couldn't make any sentence to utter.
"Jeno, speak up!!!"
"Honey! Don't shout. Let me tell. Jeno, did you plan to surprise us that you are back?"
He shook his head. "No. I just didn't want to see you."
"What?! Jeno!!!" The man named Changwook raised his voice.
"What do you mean, Jeno?"
"Mom, Dad, honestly speaking thank you for making who I am now. But still I just- I just can't bring myself to love you again the same way I did before."
The parents kept quiet, letting the younger speak.
"I met Eunseo again."
The older couple's eyes became wide as they shared a look at each other. "You met her?" Her voice became shaking.
"Yes, I met her and believe me I couldn't look into her eyes without feeling guilty. And I solely blame you for this."
"She was a disgrace to this family. Why bring her up again?", his Dad said.
"No, she wasn't. She did nothing wrong. But you- YOU! You two just didn't treat her the way she deserved to be treated. I feel so ashamed to be called your son."
"Lee Jeno! Mind your language!"
"No, Dad! I can't anymore. And I didn't lie, you two never treated her like you did with me. There was always a partiality that I noticed. You treated me better than her. Why? Because I am a boy?"
"No, we treated both of you equally."
"Liar. You are lying, Mom. There was a thin line of difference the way you treated us. I think you never loved her in the first place. Otherwise why would you have to kick her out of the house?"
"She was pregnant, Jeno. Pregnant at 18!", the woman named Hyein exclaimed.
"Then, you should have been by her side and not leave her. What kind of a mother you are! How can you do this to your own daughter?"
"What would society say? Moreover, her boyfriend rejected to take care of the baby and left her. We couldn't do anything."
"You could have forced that guy to take responsibility. The baby wasn't only Eunseo's but also his. You could have talked with his parents too. But no, you decided to punish Eunseo."
"Why would I go out and talk to others when the problem was at my home? She was young. She did something wrong. She ruined her life with her own hands."
"Have you ever asked her what exactly happened? She was a pure soul who didn't need to suffer like that. She was eighteen!!! Eighteen when she had to leave home, not alone but with a life growing inside her. Did you ever thought if she died on the streets without any food, because of the scorching sun, rain, cold? She could have died, Dad. Just thinking about that makes me feel so guilty that I also couldn't even help her. Because you told me if I go after her, you won't send me to abroad for my studies. How selfish was I! I still wanted to go when I heard her banging on the door screaming, 'Mom! Dad! I'm sorry! Jeno help me!' But you locked me inside my bedroom and I couldn't help her. And next day, I went to USA with a heavy heart. Shame on you Mom and Dad! You ruined two lives and I hate you for that." Tears forming in his own eyes as he looked up at ceiling to hold them back.
"You just cared about yourselves, your reputation. She was alone without any support, out in the streets when I was living a good life. It was hard for me too. Days and nights thinking about her. I don't know why you did that. Did you lose your humanity? Did you forget that you gave her birth? Did you forget that you raised her for eighteen years? Have you ever regretted your decision of kicking her out and searched for her? Did you ever gave her any scope to explain herself? She could've had a beautiful life", he continued.
Hyein and Changwook looked at their hands on their laps, didn't have anything to say. "How is she?", the woman asked after a long pause.
"Honestly, you don't have the right to ask that question. But I think she is happier, far away from you and... me." He flashed a sad smile. "I think that's enough. I will do all the duty of a son but don't expect much from me." He stood up and proceeded to the door.
"Jeno, wait! Don't leave Mom." The lady followed him, on the verge of crying. "Please stay."
He didn't look back and removed her hand off his shoulder, twisting the doorknob and left the house, muttering, "Sorry Mom."
Hyein touched the door with a sorrowful face while the father sat on the sofa with crossed arms.
♪°•°∞°•°♪°•°∞°•°♪°•°∞°•°♪
"Three months?! You gave him three months?!", Minjeong exclaimed in shock.
"Yeah..." The Chinese's lips formed a thin line.
"I don't understand. Why? Just why?", the older asked, sipping coffee. Ningning came to her house early in the morning to spill everything what happened last day.
"He was literally begging me."
"So? You will give him another chance?! Straight up no!!!"
"He seemed genuine though."
"I am telling you again. Don't trust guys!"
"But he looks innocent."
"When did you last see him? Yes, when he was a kid. So, he can change too. I have seen so many people who changed over the course of years. Renjun can play with your feelings too."
"But... but he-"
Minjeong sat beside Ningning. "Don't tell me you still like him."
"I don't. I mean I guess the love is not the same anymore but he... never left my heart. I never forgot him."
"Ning..." Her eyebrows were knitted together.
"I also want those three months to see whether my feelings for him are same or not."
The Korean nodded and said, "You know? Love is a total drama queen. It is just waiting to make an entrance."
"Hmm?"
"You can try and explore to find the real love. I will always support you. But if that Huang Renjun turns out to be an asshole, I am all ready to throw a few punches."
The blonde giggled and nodded her head.
■□■□■□■□■□■□■
"Jaemin-ahhhh!!!" A thirteen-year-old Eunseo entered the big art classroom. She saw her fellow friend sitting at the last bench as usual and skipped to him, taking a seat just beside the same-aged guy. "Are you sleeping?", she asked and poked his head when she saw his head rested on his folded arms on the table.
He turned his head to her side and smiled. "You are here? I came a bit early today so, thought to take a small nap." The ravenette raised his head up.
"Your glasses." The girl handed him the round spectacles which was on the table.
He wore it and said, "I hate these glasses. They make me look ugly."
She snorted and hit his back lightly. "What the heck, Jaemin! You are not ugly, you are cute." She pinched his cheek lightly.
"No, no. I am waiting for puberty to hit me hard and so that, I can have a glow up."
The enthusiastic voice of the boy made her chuckle. "Why? Then what would you do?"
"I will confess to my crush", he excitedly answered.
"Crush? Who is she? Who is she? Tell me!" Eunseo shook his thin body with wide eyes.
"You will get to know soon." He shyly flashed a grin.
"Heol! This is not fair. I wanna see her", she whined.
"You really want to see?"
"Hmm." She cutely nodded.
Jaemin took out his phone out of his bag and extended it infront of her.
"Where is her picture?", she asked in confusion, seeing a black screen.
"She is there only."
"Where? I can only see my reflection."
'It's you only, Eunseo. It's you', he thought and suppressed a smile.
"You are playing with me. When can I see her? Tell."
"When I will tell her that I like her."
"So, do it now."
"No! I need to look good at first. Otherwise she will reject me. She is really pretty so, I need to look handsome too."
"Stupid boy. Love doesn't see looks. Looks can make you fall in love but you can only stay if you fall in love with their soul too. Looks are just a outer covering and there's a saying don't judge a book by it's cover. Wow, it seems like I have been watching dramas too much with Mom."
The other boy listened to his friend carefully. "So, looks doesn't matter for you?"
"No. Your true self matters a lot more. So, be confident and confess to her. Fighting, Jaemin!!!", she beamed at him and showed a thumbs-up.
Na Jaemin, an innocent kid first time experiencing love. 'What is love?'- he asked this question many times to himself but now he finally got the answers. Love is about accepting each other the way they are without judging. Love doesn't really have a fixed definition. But when you're around the person you love, you will feel safe although a nervousness will strike you. You will never stop smiling if that person is talking with you. You will start missing them even before they leave. First love is moreover an important part of your life when you realize this weird yet beautiful raw emotion of humans. People often call young love as immature and naive but it is truly one of the most selfless, innocent and bewitching things ever. There's not much expectation from the other, you will just stare at them and your heart will pound faster and faster. When your friend tease you with your crush's name, you will blush. It may be an infatuation but you can't lie that's the best feeling when you just fall hard for that person without knowing that first love will one day come to an end.
═════ °• ♔ •° ═════
26th May, 2022.
Firefly✨💕
Good morning babe 😘
Jaemin texted and sat on the bar stool in the kitchen. It was morning time and summer was knocking on the door. People stopped wearing winter jackets or sweaters. The temperature was increasing slowly day by day. The man made himself a cup of coffee and sipped it with much satisfaction although the bitter drink did not taste so good for other people. He was staring at the phone screen waiting for Eunseo's answer. Not getting any reply, he felt bored and walked to the balcony to get some fresh hair.
Soon, Jeno in his pajamas came to the kitchen for some water. As he was pouring himself a glass of water, a notification sound came which basically said, 'Pikachu~'; this startled the boy as he walked over to the long table where Jaemin's phone was lying. He didn't mean to peek but the message came in his view. 'Good morning to you too, Sir. Can we talk in the office? I am a bit busy.' He immediately understood that this message came from none other than his sister. His eyes widened as he quickly unlocked the phone and read their chats which was basically Jaemin sending her flirt texts while she telling him to stop or sending him work-related stuffs.
"Jeno?"
The male snapped at the owner of the familiar voice. "What is this, Jaemin?" His voice was hoarse because he just woke up and wasn't in the mood to talk to him sweetly. Jeno extended the phone, showing the chats.
"Hey!" The blond yanked the device off his friend's hand.
"Answer me." His narrowed eyes stared at his bestfriend. "You didn't stop right?"
"What's with you, Jeno? Why are you acting like this?", he snapped back.
"I told you to stop doing this to her. SO PLEASE STOP!!!", he kind of begged while shouting.
"Jeno... Let me explain why I am doing this."
"I don't need any explanation. Whatever you're doing is wrong. This is wrong. Can't you just be like a normal boss? What satisfaction would you get breaking her heart? You were never a playboy. So, what's all this about?"
"I really don't understand why are you reacting so much. Do you by any chance know her? Are you keeping any secret from me?"
The muscular boy gulped and said, "I'm sorry. But just stop, Jaemin. I beg you." He clasped his hands. "She won't be able to endure this heartbreak." With that, he just left to go to his room, leaving the other boy in total confusion.
He could have told Jaemin about Eunseo's real identity but he couldn't. The girl told him that she didn't want keep any contact with him. Moreover, his friends already know about his sister's life. He has no right now to label her as his sister and expose her private life to someone else by telling she was his twin sister. Sometimes, he wished if he could turn back time, he would have never let anything of this mess happen.
◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇
The brunette got down from the bus with Rowoon to drop him at his kindergarten. She crouched down infront of the little boy to kiss his forehead and said, "Best of luck, Rowoon. Have fun today", she beamed at him.
He smiled and looked around to see the parents dropping their kids at school. One thing, he noticed many men usually came to send their children to the school. He assumed that they were their fathers. He heard many stories from his new friends about their fun family trips, how they regard their Dad a hero, how their Mom would always scold but Dad came in rescue, how their fathers teach them football, take them out to the park. He felt like he was missing out a very important person from his life. He wondered where his real father was. Was he watching him from afar? Or he didn't know about his son? Or he doesn't even exist?
With a lot of hesitation, Rowoon finally managed to ask, "Mommy, where is Daddy?"
Eunseo's biggest fear was there. She was always scared thinking about the day when her son would ask about his father. The day finally came and she wasn't prepared to answer the child. Ofcourse she knew one day, he would definitely ask that question, now that he was going to school. "Why are you asking this? Mommy is here though", she said with a smiling face.
"No! I want to meet my Daddy! Where is he?"
"Rowoon, I will tell you when we will get back home, okay?"
"No, no, no!!! I want to know now!!! Where's he?? Tell me! Tell me! Mommy, please. Where's Daddy?", he whined and shook her body.
"Rowoon please!!!, she raised her voice. "Stop being a bad boy."
"But everyone has a father. Except me. I also want a father. Please Mommy~ Tell me. Where's he?-"
His continuous whines and questions reminded her of that person for whom her life was like that. Anger rushed inside her as she couldn't control her temper and bursted out, "He died!!! You don't have a father. Forget about him."
His doe eyes stared at his mother. "No!!! Mommy, you're so mean. Why would you say that?" His eyes became glossy due to the tears lined in his eyes.
When she finally came back to her senses, she realized what she did and immediately regretted. "Rowoon, I-"
Now the tears rolled down his puffy cheeks and she felt her heart break, seeing the sight of her son crying because of her. He shook his head and rushed inside the kindergarten before muttering, "You are a bad Mommy! I hate you!"
'Oh no. Why did I do that?'
Jeno in NYFW?!?! Looking so hot 🔥
Thank you~