When Heiran punched in the passcode and entered her apartment, she was met with an interesting scene that made her stop at the door and watch. Yoongi and Minseo stood at attention, their hands tied to their backs as they watched the older woman prowling around them in an electric blue tracksuit. The woman was a striking replica of Ahn Heiran, the only difference being the few extra lines on her forehead and her graying salt-and-pepper hair. There was something motherly about her aura, although at the moment it was overpowered by her intimidating poise.
She pursed her lips in a tight line and set her scrutinizing stare on Minseo. Despite her brave facade, Heiran spied the Minseo's hands shaking. Her red lipstick was smudged and her dress was a bit ruffled, though it showed signs of being quickly smoothed down. Heiran guessed Mrs. Ahn must have caught them in a compromising position. All of a sudden, she regretted not being there to see it. She would've given up anything to watch Yoongi getting caught with a girl by her mother. Ahn Yongseo adjusted her glasses as she directed her question at Minseo. "Why are you dating my boy?"
Minseo gulped and glanced at Yoongi who pointedly stared at Mrs. Ahn. Seeing that he was not offering any kind of mental support, she braved the question with a disappointed sigh. "Because he's cute?" Heiran slapped a hand to her mouth to muffle a laugh. Minseo looked as if she herself couldn't believe she had said that.
Mrs. Ahn nodded, "I agree. But is that all?"
Heiran wanted to take a picture of Yoongi's tomato red cheeks but found her phone missing. She must've left it back in Jungkook's apartment. Cursing her forgetfulness, she resumed watching her mother's interrogation. This scene was just too good to miss.
"We share similar interests." She added helpfully.
"Similar interests. Hmm, such as?"
"We both love coffee, we both hate people, and we both dream of world-domination!" Minseo blurted out in a single breath. Yoongi's embarrassment only intensified. Heiran almost snorted out loud.
Mrs. Ahn looked alarmed for a brief second. She slowly blinked before she turned her attention to Yoongi. "So you've found your match."
"W-well...t-think so." He sputtered. Heiran was truly regretting the absence of her phone as Mrs. Ahn heaved out a long breath and announced, "I'm happy for you."
Yoongi pursed his lips awkwardly muttering out a quiet thanks. Mrs. Ahn looked at Minseo who still seemed as terrified as ever and offered a kind smile. "You can relax. I was just testing you."
Minseo's face grew considerably relieved, "Does that mean I passed?"
"For now." She replied coolly. Heiran held back a snicker as she saw Minseo's expression fall. Maybe Heiran shouldn't have been too relaxed. Not a second later, Ahn Yongseo's voice rose up directly addressing Heiran.
"Why don't you step inside the door, young lady."
Heiran jumped, startled. That tone did not sound good. It implied danger. It implied a bucket-load of trouble. She cursed under her breath as Mrs. Ahn slowly turned to face her with her menacing dark eyes, the same shade as Heiran's.
"Ah, M-Mommy! How are you? What brings you into my humble abode?" Heiran called out, extra-cheerfully, but she did not dare take a step inside her apartment. There might not be any visible weapons in Mrs. Ahn's hands now but that can change at any moment.
"You really don't know why I'm here, Ahn Heiran?"
All the alarm bells began ringing in her head as her full government name spilled from her mother's lips. "Sh*t," she cursed under her breath again. She immediately went into defense, holding her hands in front of her.
"Mommy! I don't know what I did, but whatever it is, I can explain!"
Mrs. Ahn narrowed her eyes, her deathly stare sending terrible chills down Heiran's spine. "You can explain it? Fine. Then explain this."
She held up her phone, an internet news article pulled up on the screen. Its striking headline glared back at Heiran in big bold font along with a picture of Jungkook kissing her before the shoe store that evening.
Will the Nation's Hero Fall For the Seductress's Charms?
Prosecutor Jeon Jungkook with co-prosecutor A from the Yeongsan Murder case caught on camera.
Although her face was blurred out, anyone could tell exactly who she was. If not for her rebellious hair color, then because of the awfully particular caption. Heiran gasped out loud, unable to believe the audacity of that article headline before she met her mother's eyes and gulped. "Uhm...so..."
"So?"
"I...don't know how to...explain..."
"So you have nothing to say?" She hissed and Heiran flinched.
"W-well..." Of course, classic Ahn Yongseo. Heiran got her skills of intimidation from none other than her. Before she could expect it, Yongseo's voice rose up addressing Heiran directly.
"You've tarnished the family name—-"
"Come on, mommy. You don't care about stuff like that—"
" — and gotten your entire reputation ruined and you have nothing to say?"
Heiran sealed her lips shut. Yoongi was right. Her mother was livid and she had every reason to. Even her own blood was beginning to boil. Just how dare they call her a seductress? How dare they say she was trying to woo that awful man? Heiran was going to find whichever rat that wrote that article and sue them for that libel.
It was just at that moment she heard Jungkook's voice at a distance.
"Ran! You forgot your phone inside the car."
Oh, no. Not now. Heiran whipped around her eyes wide, subtly shaking her hand behind her back to tell him to leave. Jungkook paused, confused, and mouthed 'Why'.
Heiran aggressively waved her hand behind her back, hoping that he would just take the message when Ahn Yongseo demanded. "Tell him to come inside."
"What?! NO! That's— That was just a neighbor. I was just saying hi! Haha! No need to invite him inside." Jungkook was still standing there like an idiot as Heiran frantically tried telepathically telling him to go back. However, her efforts were in vain because Mrs. Ahn had already caught on.
"Inside, Rannie. I will not repeat myself again."
Heiran pursed her lips and winced. There was simply no winning against her mother. Ahn Yongseo was an adamant female with the resolve of a tiger. Her shoulders drooping, Heiran beckoned the puzzled man inside. "Come on in. Mom wants to see you."
She could only shake her head at the man as he instantly lit up like a Christmas tree. He had no idea what was coming. Heiran braced herself for the disaster that was about to come. When he arrived inside her apartment and her front door slammed shut, a deafening silence descended on the room. Yoongi seemed to shake his head in disappointment at the appearance of Jungkook, although he did not look too surprised. Minseo looked excited. Her own mother looked like the embodiment of doom. The man beside her, unaware of the tense atmosphere of the room, bowed his head in a polite greeting.
"Ah, Mother. It's been a while."
Mrs. Ahn's eyes flashed. "Mother?"
Jungkook blinked innocently, not understanding why her mother was so offended by that name. Ahn Yongseo stalked towards him. "Mother?! How dare you call me that?"
He was shocked. "B-but Mother, don't you know me?"
Ahn Yongseo scoffed, unable to believe his audacity. "You have some nerves to say that after what you did to my daughter." Her mother began to march forward, her expression furious and Heiran quickly interrupted her path, blocking her way. "Whoa! Whoa, Mommy! Calm down! That's not what he meant!"
But her mother was determined to give the alarmed man a taste of her fists. Heiran held onto her mother so that she couldn't advance forward. It only seemed to aggravate her temper even further. "You must think you're all that just because you're the Nation's Hero but to me, you're nothing more than a sleaze who took advantage of my daughter!"
For once, he was showing some sense. Jungkook fearfully inched away from his would-be aggressor as Heiran tried her best to hold her mother back. "I'm s-sorry. That's not what happened."
"You think I will believe you? You, as*hat?! How dare you! How dare you disgrace my daughter! I will show you who I am!"
"Mommy, please. It's not what you think!"
"You shut up, young lady!" Mrs. Ahn screeched. Heiran screamed for Yoongi who was cackling on the sidelines to help her but the man was infuriatingly uncooperative. "Yoongi, help me!"
Minseo took pity on her and tried to help but seeing her mother's ferocity she changed her mind.
Ahn Yongseo shrieked, fighting to get past her daughter's barricade. "Why don't you come here and fight me, coward? Why? You don't have the balls anymore?! Say that sh*t again! Say that sh*t about how you're the Silent Wolf or whatever wolf you are! And let me tell you this, I don't care even if you're the president of South Korea!" Mrs. Ahn wheezed, fighting to free herself from her daughter, "I don't care who you are, where you're from, your skin color, your gender identity. You mess with my child, you will catch these hands!"
"Mommy, that's not what he meant! You know him! It's JK! Don't you remember JK?" Heiran desperately tried to explain, locking her mother's arms in a tight hold as she struggled.
"What JK?! I don't know any JK!"
Heiran scrambled to explain before her mother broke free. For a woman her age, Ahn Yongseo was surprisingly strong. "JK! From high school! K-Kang-Han! Jeon Kang-Han!"
The familiar name made Ahn Yongseo freeze mid-struggle. Yoongi's cackles died down and a pin-drop silence befell on the room. She looked at Heiran as she repeated the name. "Kang-han?"
"Yes! Yes!" Heiran shouted, glad that her mother was finally listening. "Remember him? I used to date him back in high school. And you liked him so much. Remember, you even used to say you would've adopted him if we weren't dating!"
Ahn Yongseo stepped away from her and she cautiously released her hold. Her gaze was transfixed on Jungkook who stood still like a deer-caught in headlights at the mention of his former name.
"That's Kang-Han?"
"Yes!" Heiran shouted in relief. She quickly bounded upto him and messed up his hair so that it hung in a chaotic curtain over his confuddled eyes. Before he could even register what she was doing, she plucked his glasses off his nose, threw them over her shoulder, and slapped his cheeks to bring some color into his pale face. "Ow."
"Smile with your entire teeth!" She demanded under her breath.
"W-what?"
"Just do it!" She hissed. Jungkook awkwardly stretched his lips into what could be somewhat described as a smile, the worry still in his eyes as Heiran turned around and presented him to her mother like a proud class project. "See? Don't you see it now?"
Ahn Yongseo gasped almost instantly, bringing a hand over to her mouth in shock. Her eyes filled with recognition and her face grew pale. She whispered, unable to believe her eyes. "Hannie, is that really you?"
Heiran saw his throat bob up and down, and felt the tension shift from the room to something else, a bitter-sweet happiness, as her mother walked closer, her eyes glimmering with overwhelmed tears. Heiran knew even before Jungkook could confirm it with his own voice that her mother had realized who exactly he was. Jungkook finally found his voice and stuttered out, "Y-yes."
Ahn Yongseo had never looked as overcome with joy, "Oh, you sweet child. You've grown up so much!"
A/N: I know this is a short chapter but I didn't want to keep you guys waiting for too long. So how was that surprise reveal? Now we know why Heiran didn't recognize Jungkook in the beginning.