"Maybe all one can do is hope to end up with the right regrets." – Arthur Miller
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"Ahn Youngmi, Seokjin is my son!!"
The afternoon tea between two close friends heated up, since one of them brought up sensitive issue and poured some salt into the still opened old wounds. The nice view of blue skies in the city of Prague were suddenly turning grey and gloomy.
"Seokjin is precious to me too." The lady called Ahn tried to convince. "But Namjoon, he deserves a second chance."
"Second chance? No. I'm coming back to Seoul, with you tomorrow. After what he did to my beloved son, and then come again like nothing happened? Like he know nothing about the agreements? That jerk deserves my slap!!"
"Seokjin still love him."
"What?" The beautiful mid age lady gasped in disbelief.
"Jiae, I'm with him every single day. How can I'm not notice it?" She sighed desperately. "Namjoon did Seokjin wrong, and unfortunatelly it's only Namjoon that could fix his broken soul. Cure his broken hearted."
"How? How come that jerk could be the only one be able to cure my precious baby's wounds? How in the world? He was the one who has made those wounds!"
"You could tell if you see them yourself. You could tell that they still longing for each other."
It's hard to stood up in between. As Kim Jiae's close friend, and as well close with KIMs. And both Seokjin and Namjoon were precious for her. She knew both Namjoon and Seokjin since they were born. But then she stayed in England, and wasn't around in a while when Namjoon grow up, that's why the man didn't remember her. She didn't even met Namjoon at the mother's funeral. Meanwhile, Jiae was able to visit her as she accompanied her husband for business trip. And Seokjin managed to see her for several times.
And she wanted those two precious babies of her beloved close friends to be cured from their wounds.
"Please do come home, later, for Myung's 3rd birthday. But for now, please trust me. Please let me take care of Seokjin."
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"Seokjin, are you alright?" Namjoon clearly knew that the pretty one wasn't alright as he put his palm on the sweating forehead. Fever. "Seokjin, love, can you say something? Can you tell me which part that feels hurt?" No response, and the irregular breath and chapped lips worried him. Since when this happened? Even Myungsoo played the Lego alone, in the almost dark room.
And before he could check Seokjin more, another coughing sounds was heard from the living room, and it followed with cries.
"Myung?!"
Namjoon had no choice but to check his son first. The baby boy as well looked miserable. Seemed that he haven't took a shower probably since the morning, or worse, since the day before? Because he still wore a pajamas.
Coughing with runny nose, Namjoon won't deny that his baby boy felt a bit warm when he cradled him earlier, before he gave the cookies and then left him alone in the living room, to see the mother inside the bedroom. So, he took his palm around the baby boy's neck, and no doubt it was also indicated fever.
"Oh, Lord. No..."
Namjoon took his cellphone and looking on some clinics nearby. He needed a doctor to come and see what happened. And there were only two available clinics he could find. Unfortunatelly, the nearest one had only one doctor to stay in the clinic that couldn't make a home visit. And the other clinic was in another village, where Bomi threw charity event with her medical fellow.
"Mommyyy..." The baby boy cried even harder as he coughs.
And it made Namjoon cursed himself. What if he arrived home late? What would happen then? And the way his baby boy cried to see his mother, really hurts him. It hurts when he was close to soothe as the father, but had no privilege to say, "Daddy is here for Myung, don't worry..." He couldn't say it since Seokjin haven't give him permission.
As much as Namjoon wanted to hide the truth from his family, including Bomi, that he broke the agreement between his father and Seokjin's parents, the condition didn't give him so much choices. If calling Bomi would make his secret revealed, and it's the ticket for him to go into the jail, then it's okay as long as Seokjin and his baby boy could get some treatment and be healthy again. He needed some help, and it's emergency.
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Bomi happily hummed some country songs as she dried her hair. She just finished taking shower in the nice bathroom of vintage English cottage she rented, after a whole busy day for the charity event. Having some patients and talked with them in such event made her happy. She loved her job.
She was ready for dinner with Yoongi and other medical fellow, and was about to call Namjoon to remind the man that they had appoinment dinner in the following day when her cellphone glaring and ringing. She picked it up.
"Namjoon, hi! I was just about to call you."
But the man in the other line sounded weird.
"Bomi, you are doing the charity event starting from today, right? Can you come and bring your medical equipment? And some medicine or anything for fever? I will send you my location, it's not quite far from your cottage. Please be hurry."
"Hey, slowly." The young lady knitted her eyebrows, tried to understand the conversation. "What?"
"It's an emergency, I need you to –" Namjoon couldn't finish his sentence because Myungsoo cried even more.
Bomi gasped as she heard a baby crying in the other line. "WHAT THE HELL NAMJOON?! WHO'S BABY CRYING THERE?"
"Bomi --- sshhh it's okay it's okay, aunty Bomi is coming to see and examine Myungie. --- Bomi, please."
"NAMJOON!! WHAT AUNTY?!"
"I promise, I will explain. Just please come, and be hurry."
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Namjoon waited for about 35 minutes in desperation before he heard a car entered the yard, and someone knocked the main door. He opened it to welcome Bomi with her confuse questioning look. And of course along with Yoongi behind her, that raised his left eyebrow as the older one saw him cradle a baby boy crying on his shoulder.
"OH MY GOODNESS, NAMJOON!! WHO'S CHILD IS HE?!" Bomi squeaked as she caressed the baby boy's cheek. Well, cute.
"My son." Namjoon nonchalantly answered.
"WHAAATT?!"
"We will talk, later." Namjoon gently pulled Bomi, as well asked Yoongi to come inside the house. "I need you to check Seokjin first."
"WHAAAAATT?!"
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Namjoon went inside the main bedroom and followed by the two shocked people after they heard the name Seokjin.
"He got a fever. Sweating, and heavy breathing that scared me. He didn't react at anything." Namjoon tried to give some indication he could see to explain it to Bomi, that still dumbfounded stood up across the bed, near the bedroom door. As he wiped Myungsoo's runny nose with tissue.
"Is he the same Seokjin that we rescued at that time, Yoongs?" Bomi quietly mumbled. Blankly staring the person laid in the mattress. "No fucking way."
"Yes he is." Yoongi gave the doubtful young lady a quick answer. "You are the doctor here. Just go check him. Namjoon will explain it to us, later. Right, Namjoon ah?" The pale skin man pierced his gaze into the younger one.
Bomi walked heading into the bed with hesitant to approach the patient. She put her medical equipment on the floor and knelt down to see the face, clearly. It was real. Seokjin. "No fucking way." She mumbled and cursed once more, still in disbelief. "Is that mean that he was pregnant back then?" She turned her head to face Namjoon, that didn't bother to answer the question because he was busy to calm the baby boy. "Namjoon?"
"What?" The man finally paid an attention.
"Seokjin was pregnant back then..."
"Bomi, just please check him and I will answer any question later."
The young lady got a light smack on her shoulder. It was Yoongi offered her a stethoscope. "I'll be your assistant..." Yoongi said.
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Bomi gave Seokjin an injection after she took some examination. And wrote a prescription that Yoongi quickly prepared the medicines to give it to Namjoon. "Is he lack of sleep? He should be better tomorrow morning. Or else, we have to take him to the hospital." She stood up and sighed. "Now let me taking care of this poor baby boy."
She took the medicine box from Yoongi and search something for Myungsoo. After she got what she needed, she then walked approaching her cousin and stroked the baby boy's hair. "Hey darling, what's your name?"
"Mommyyy..." Was the only word the baby boy gave as a response, while sobbing.
"Myungsoo. His name, my son's name is Myungsoo." Namjoon replied.
Bomi threw "I will definitely kill you!!" look into Namjoon, and the man seemed to understand the threat. Cold and scary mode of Bomi is not a joke. "Ohh, Myungie?" She suddenly switched into nice and warm mode in a blink of eye. "Mommy needs rest, so aunty Bomi will taking care of Myungie. Okay?"
Myungsoo shook his head in rejection.
"Whhyyy?" Bomi pouted as she tried to get the baby boy's interest. "Aunty have jelly and nougat. And pudding as well."
Myungsoo slowly raise his head from Namjoon's shoulder. "Pudding?"
Bomi nodded with a wide smile. "Just take this magical drop and aunty will also give Myungie cupcakes later. Deal?"
The baby boy looked hesitant, but then he nodded. And Namjoon couldn't hide his relieved expression. He smiled.
"Okay, aunty will give this magical drop. Ready? Now open up Myung's mouth, aaaaa..."
The baby boy followed the instruction to open up his mouth, and Bomi gave him the medicine. Smooth and fast.
"Pudding?" The baby boy asked after he swallowed the medicine.
Ohh. Not that smooth. Since she had no pudding, at all.
"What about nougat?" She smiled awkwardly.
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"Don't lie to children."
"You shut up, Yoongs." Bomi snapped while checking inside the refrigerator. Seokjin's refrigerator in the kitchen. She wished could find something close to be called pudding. "Damn. Seokjin only have nuggets and sausages. Eggs. Milk. Cheese. Kimchi."
"Why don't you just offer him jelly and nougat that you clearly have? You bring those snacks everywhere."
"Because I suddenly cravings for pudding and cupcakes." She pulled her hair. "I didn't expect that Myung will chose pudding over the jelly and nougat. Gosh!!"
Yoongi clicked his tongue as he took his cellphone and calling someone. "Jimin will join us for dinner tomorrow. And he is kinda free from any assignments." He said as he waited the other person in the other line to pick it up.
"Are you going to ---?"
"I think it's okay if he could be here tonight. I will ask him to get the pudding and cupcakes we need."
"Oh God. Yoongs? You serious?"
Yoongi rolled his eyes. "You pay."
"Namjoon will pay." Bomi said as she took cold mineral water from the refrigerator.
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"Myungie..." Bomi showed up to the living room from the kitchen. "As we wait the fairy that will bring pudding for us, let's have some nuggets?"
Bomi fried some nuggets and sausages, while Yoongi still in the kitchen to cook them some fried rice. Kimchi fried rice, and omelette. They were lucky to find some instant rice in the kitchen cabinet. Such a well-mannered guests. Took groceries without asking the house owner. But hey, it's emergency.
"Myung will have pudding after nuggets? From fairy?" The baby boy asked, followed with yawned.
Bomi gulped. What fairy? Too much lies. Though she meant that Jimin had kind of fairy personality, will the baby boy understand? "Pudding after kimchi fried rice." She smiled, and decided to learn some more about parenting after this. Knowledge could help better, just in case.
The baby boy way too hungry to care about 'after kimchi fried rice,' he took the nuggets and munched it, while the father stroking his hair lovingly.
"Have some, Joon." Bomi said, while she take a look on her wrist watch, 7.04 PM and Jimin would probably arrive when Myungsoo already sleeping. She felt bad for the poor baby boy. "Ahh, Joon." She remembered something.
"Hmm?"
"We need to change Seokjin's clothes. Can you do it while we wait for the dinner?"
"Well..."
"Also change Myung's. We don't have to bathe him for now, but maybe you can bring me wet wash cloth? I can help to get him clean here, while he enjoy his meals. Because he probably fall asleep soon." She poked the baby boy's puffy cheek. "Look. The medicine is working."
"Magical drop." Namjoon chuckled, as he saw his son rubbed his eyes. "... I will prepare a bedroom." Well, there were another two smaller bedroom in the main house, that one of them belong to Jungkook.
And Bomi won't deny that Namjoon's chuckles was something she had to celebrate, maybe later, after the man explain everything. "Then be hurry, bring me new clothes for Myung and prepare the bedroom. After that you go change Seokjin's clothes."
"Okay." Namjoon kissed Myungsoo's crown head and stood up.
"Just change his clothes. Don't harass him." Bomi gave the man threatening look.
And Namjoon could read it. "I will not. You have my word."
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Namjoon went back to the main bedroom after he gave Bomi a new pair pajamas for Myungsoo, and prepared the bedroom for him and the baby boy. He wanted Seokjin totally rest, he would sleep with his son. Yoongi called him to join the dinner, and he said that he would love to eat the kimchi fried rice later.
He opened up the large wardrobe, but couldn't find any adult pajamas. There were only oversized hoodie, oversized long sleeves, oversized sweater, and sweatsuit. He decided on grey cotton shorts and white cotton long sleeves. He sat on the edge of the mattress while looking into the pale pretty face. "You forced yourself too much. You lack of rest and sleep."
Seokjin was deep on his sleep. Breathing way more normal, than the last time he did before Bomi gave him injection.
For a while, he observed the clothes Seokjin had been wearing. Brown oversized hoodie and sweat shorts. "Why hoodie when it's summer? There is only autumn and winter clothing on your wardrobe." He brushed the damped bangs and sighed. "But that's okay. You looks pretty in anything you wear." He smiled bitterly. "Please get well soon. Myungsoo needs you... We need you..."
Carefully took off the clothes, he started from the pretty one's right hand. No problem, that was smooth and easy. He just needed to do it quickly so he could join Yoongi and Bomi to enjoy the dinner, and put Myungsoo to bed.
It was all nothing until he took off the sleeve on the pretty one's left hand before pulled the hoodie off. There, the absence of the cloth revealed the bare arm, where he could see the pale skin.
What he saw thunderstrucked him.
Not because he loved the scenery. Though it definitely lovely. But it because the view was the answer of why Seokjin always wearing an oversized clothes with long sleeves that covered half of his palm.
"No." Namjoon could feel his heart sinked, and broken. The pain, hurts like his heart being slices into pieces. "This can't be true..."
A heartbreaking scene. Bomi probably didn't notice because she only did the blood pressure and pulse examination on the right arm. The young lady didn't notice that there was this spine-chilling scar, right on the wrist. A very clear scar that he knew, it must be came from deep cutting. And it wasn't the only scar that matter.
There were other scars around the left arm. Still fresh, and new. Significant scratches, of self harm.
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A/N:
Thanks for reading. Review?