"Well, where is she? I must see her now."
Namjoon's left brow raised as he swallowed another sip of his hot instant coffee, the white paper cup warming his fingers. Bang Pdmin sat to his right in a swivel chair, arms and legs crossed. They were in his office, it was small but big enough.
The tall, pearled neck woman huffed in front of them again, angry wrinkles lined her forehead and matching her red painted frown.
"Kyun-ssi, I would like to remind you Hani is still attending school. She will not be here until 4:00. I cannot just summon her." Bang Pdmin almost exasperated, it seemed like this wasn't the first time he had been confronted by Hani's family. He had told Namjoon who they were when his decision had been final about keeping Hani.
Namjoon had been surprised, not that he kept up with upper class politics, he hadn't known who the Kyun's were exactly, but Bang Pdmin had explained and apparently they had a few expensive connections in the media and entertainment world.
They were fucked, weren't they? Namjoon ran his clammy hands down his jeans, he wasn't intimidated easily, but this was all rather uncomfortable for him.
Hani's mother clicked her tongue, pulling at a stray piece of hair and patting it back in place. "Then we have nothing more to discuss, she does not belong here. Release her from her contract." Her commanding tone and dismissive wave screamed entitlement.
Namjoon couldn't believe people like her still even existed, he guessed cliches were cliches for a reason. He tried not to judge those he didn't know but that didn't mean he didn't dislike her.
Bang Pdmin pushed up his glasses, giving her a hard but polite stare. "With all due respect Hani is an adult. The decision is hers."
She clicked her tongue again, "Bang-ssi my husband will not relent. Why don't we discuss our options, privately," she said, looking at Namjoon disapprovingly, at last acknowledging him with a mean set of eyes .
Namjoon's lip twitched, he was throughly annoyed but remained calm. The tension in the air was thick but Bang Pdmin managed to remain relaxed. Both of them knew the undertone of her words, the rich and powerful spoke with money, but they--their company--weren't like that.
Pdmin smiled, patting Namjoon's shoulder, feeling his uneasiness. "Namjoon is a valuable member who works closely with Hani we can discuss--"
Hani's mother scoffed, her fancy earrings swaying as she shook her head. "What would a boy know? I don't need her fraternizing with likes of people below her. " Her prim and proper demure didn't hide her true colors.
Namjoon could see through people like her, upper class women who were nothing without their elitist title and money. She sat rigid in the seat Pdmin had offered her earlier, dismissing him again but that hadn't stop him from speaking his mind.
"We like Hani and we want her to stay. I've already sent Hani messages that you're here." If only she would answer them. Better send Taehyung-ah one too. "It won't be long."
Bang Pdmin cleared his throat. "If I can be honest, have you not tried contacting your daughter yourself? If Hani had any issues she would've come to me."
Namjoon couldn't help but notice the angry twitch in her face, it made him all the more curious. Pdmin had a point, why go through all this trouble? If Namjoon was truthful to himself, he didn't know Hani very well, but from their interactions he couldn't believe this woman sitting before him was even her mother, they were total opposites.
In beginning he understood Hani's choice not to mention her family, Bang Pdmin wanting to keep it quiet but everything seemed to make sense now. Why Jin hyung took such an interest, the extra care and Hani's timidness, the almost painfully shy way she talked.
"You're making a mistake Bang-ssi. You're running your company finically to the ground, those loans you have, you'll never pay them back. And Hani, why keep a single girl? Where are you even hiding her, not staying with a bunch of boys, is she? What would the press say about this?"
"What does it matter to you? We'll be fine and we're doing just fine."
He admired Bang Pdmin's absolute tone. His phone buzzed, a message from Taehyung-ah. Her phone is dead, she'll be there in five. He nodded to Pdmin, excusing himself, waiting for Hani outside their company with his hands in his pant pockets.
She looked tired, her school uniform wrinkled, looking up at him with big surprised eyes. "Is something wrong, Namjoon oppa?"
"Your mother is here, with Bang Pdmin. She wants to see you."
Hani bit her lip, before looking down at her beaten converses. "Oh--uh-thanks."
Namjoon opened the door for her. "Hey, you'll be okay, right?"
She gave a small smile, giving him one last look, eyes blank with no emotion so he didn't believe her. It irked him that he couldn't do much about it.
"You can let go now, please?"
Hani nudged at Jimin to get off her, wiping her eyes with the back of her sleeves. She sniffed, face red and sticky with tears. Of all the people it was Jimin, his pudgy cheeks stuck out like a sore thumb, it was cute--he was cute--but right now her embarrassment was the least of her worries.
"Don't tell anyone about this, okay?"
"Your eomma--"
"She's not my eomma!"
Jimin winced at her loud but sad tone, he'd never seen her raise her voice. "I-sorry--"
"No--I-" She cut him off. "Sorry. Listen, keep this to yourself, okay? I got to go." Hani swiftly rounded the hallway corner.
He coughed. "Wait--!" He ran after her, trying to stop her, playing a game of cat and mouse but he kept blocking her way.
She sighed, in defeat. "What do you want Jimin? I don't care, I'm not going to practice today."
He put his hands on her shoulders. She'd be lying if she didn't admit being in arms had felt nice, if not comforting but this was weird, she stepped back and his hands dropped.
He ran his fingers through his hair sheepishly. "I just wanted to say, if you need someone to listen, I'm here. You can talk to me."
Hani looked at him, a funny look on her face, like she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "I said I don't want your pity. I'm sure you've heard the rumors, right?" She said, referring to their time at their old school.
"And I said I don't pity you. We're all struggling. We can lean on each other if we wan't too. Taehyung-ah likes you, I trust him. I'm asking you to give me a chance."
Hani scoffed a little. "Because Taehyung likes me? What about you Park Jimin?"
Jimin ran another frustrated hand through his hair again. "I don't know you and you don't know me either. But I'm willing to try."
Hani didn't know how to answer. She chewed on her bottom lip for a long second before making eye contact with him again, sighing.
"Okay. But not now, please," she pleaded softly, as much as she didn't want to be alone, she needed to be alone to process everything.
Jimin nodded, tucking his hands into his hoodie and stepped aside, letting her go.
"So, Hani wasn't at practice today. You think she's okay? Should we check on her?" Taehyung bounced where he sat, a large pillow in his lap as they waited around the table on the floor.
"You'll get that dirty, put it away. The food is almost ready." Jhope chided, pointing to the blue bed pillow. Taehyung continued to squeeze it, pouting.
Jimin scrolled through his phone, sitting next to him. "She wasn't feeling okay."
Jungkook sat on the other side of Taehyung eyebrows shooting up from his homework. Jin suddenly had gone silent and Namjoon made eye contact with him, his attention no longer on his book. Yoongi and Jhope also looked at each other in confusion.
"Wait, hyung how would you know that? Didn't you miss school today?" Jungkook asked.
Feeling all the members stare, Jimin cleared his throat before answering. "I bumped into her at the company, she said she wasn't feeling good."
"It was in the group chat Jungkookie, you might've not seen it." Jin interjected, ladle in his hand as he spooned the jjigae for a taste. Yoongi grunted, agreeing cutting up some last tofu to add into the pot near the stove.
Jimin gulped down some water. "Right."
"Should we invite her for dinner?" Jhope asked, towel drying his hair.
Jungkook eyes widened into saucers. "Hyung is she allowed here?"
"Wae?" Taehyung smacked his shoulder smiling, wiggling his eyebrows. Jungkook blushed.
"They didn't say she wasn't not allowed," said Jin. "She's still a part of this group, why not?"
Yoongi shrugged. "Someone go invite her."
Namjoon rose up from the couch. "I'll do it. And guys, wear some pants, will you? If she comes do you want her to see everything?"
"Yah-yah-yah Yoongi you can't just leave in the middle of cooking, we're almost done!" Jin whined as Yoongi dropped the knife and hurriedly walked to the bedroom along with Jhope and Taehyung.
"It's so dirty! What are we going to do!" Jhope complained. "Quickly hide everything! The living room--Jimin you better get your shit off the floor!" And thats when everyone started to scramble.
Hani rubbed her tired eyes hearing a knock. Her small studio was shrouded in the dark except for a little nightlight.
Ugh—what time is it? She looked at her phone 11:30 pm.
There was a knock again. Wasn't it late?She creeped out of bed heading the few feet it took to the door, tentatively opening it just an inch.
She squinted. "Eo—Namjoon oppa? Wae?" Where were her glasses? "Wait please."
Hani searched quickly eyes blurry, adjusting to the light being turned on and went back to the front door.
Her slightly red cheek made Namjoon bite his tongue in anger but he smiled, his dimples showing, scratching at the back of neck, ignoring the urge to ask but he had a feeling already about who did it. "Sorry, the guys and I wanted to know if you want to come eat with us? It's late I know..."
Why is he cute too? Hani licked her lips, all she had before bed was cheap ramen. Her body was used to eating very little but she could eat again.
"Um...I don't know. Not that I don't want to. It's just why? I mean, am I even allowed?"
Namjoon shrugged. "Well, we haven't had a dinner as a whole group yet, so you want to?"
What should she say? "Sure. Uh-should I change?" She looked down at her long gray sweater dress, drowning in it and blushed.
Cute. Namjoon thought, smiling. Man, she's so tiny. "We're all in our pajamas but if you're uncomfortable you can."
"It's fine." Hani shuffled into a pair of slippers and crossed her arms. It was only down the hall anyway.
Their dorm buzzed open with a click. "Sorry, is might be messy."
"That's ok—ah!" She tripped, thankfully Namjoon caught her, hands around her waist.
She laughed nervously and he let go. "There's a lot of shoes." Her face went red, everyone looking at her expectantly, gathered around a small table huddled around food—rice, jjijae and kimchi.
How could they afford that?
Taehyung waved. "Hani I didn't know you wore glasses!"
She shrugged. "Yeah, I don't wear them a lot."
"They look cute! Come sit!" Jin smiled, patting what little space he had next to him, followed by Namjoon who unceremoniously sat on the other side of her after shoving Jhope a little to make way.
How they all managed to squeeze in was beside her. Jin handed her a cup of her rice and a separate bowl of jjigae. She thanked him.
"Yoongi and I made it, what do you think?" Jin asked.
Hani looked around awkwardly taking a hesitant bite as they stared at her. It was suffocating being surrounded by them all at once and at such a close proximity.
She could smell the mix of cologne and musk of the boys all living together in a small space, even through the smell of air freshener. The tower of metal shelves lined with mountains if clothes to her left looked hastily covered with a sheet. The drying rack by the window too.
Everything in her body was telling her to run back to her own room across the hall but seeing them try so hard to made her appreciate their company.
She gave Jin a thumps up. "It's really good! Really!"
Her reaction seemed to break the tension in the room, relaxing sighs being heard around. The usual chattiness amongst the members soon reverberated against the walls as their spoons dug into the large pot.
Hani watched, laughing at Jhope's silliness and Yoongi's confused expressions at everything him and Taehyung were doing. She felt a pat on her back and turned to Namjoon.
He smiled and she did the same, this time it reaching her eyes. He hadn't understood Bang Pdmin, she was very talented, yes, but now he did. She needed to heal like him, like they all did—and they would do that together.
an☽
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