"why do you have to do that?" Jennie asked taking her mother's phone and putting it down on the glass table in front of her. Hyejoo was sitting in the middle of the furry sofa that was located within the quiet living room.
"Jennie" Junmyeon rushed in to tell her to stop before things gets, even more, worst for her and them all. by his rushing in, it grabs the attention of the other two adults that were also in the house. "what's the matter?" Junmyeon's father said from afar before approaching the scene.
"I told him to leave you alone, why? is there a problem about that?" she stood up to settle her daughter down. Jennie scooted in closer to overstare her, "is there a problem? if there isn't, I wouldn't be here asking. why do you always do this mom?"
her mother looked away in disgrace, not wanting to listen to her. "ever since I was young, you always use your status to overwin someone else even when they're not wrong. they're human too mom. just because they're not rich or anything like us, it doesn't make them less human."
"I don't care about what you have to say, all I know is that I love you and I don't want others, especially that kid, to get close to you. he's using you, Jennie, he's doing all this because of his resentment!" Hyejoo responded to the pitiful girl that she loved with her whole heart while crossing her arms on her chest in terms of righteousness.
"you don't know him, he never ever tries to harm me. but you are always picking on him and leaving scars on him. you think I don't know what happened to my father?" Jennie exclaimed in disbelief in responses to her left-alone surprising acts.
"you-" Hyejoo paused before glaring back at where Junmyeon and his parents stood listening to the conversations. "he told you didn't he?" she asked Jennie, referring to Jungkook.
Jennie tried to hold back her tears but it overflows out her doe eyes. she shook her head before clearing her throat, "no, it's worst than that- I saw it with my own eyes."
her mother flinched away to hide her face of fault. she only knew she love her daughter, nothing else. the death of her husband was not intentional but with the cover-up of his death for six long years, she knows better than fault and blame will land onto her. hearing the sobs of her daughter, she silently died inside while trying to stand strong.
"but, I don't hate you just as I don't hate my dad for leaving. I know he has his reasons and you have yours but what you are doing to Jungkook is wrong. it wasn't his fault that dad left me nor was it auntie Chanhee that dad left you. those are just your mind convincing you to believe in because the real reason died the day you visit my dad." she walked around her mother and face her again, this time with gentle words that form right into the tears if both mother and daughter.
"what has been done is already done. the many scars you left for both auntie Chanhee and Jungkook are already signs of enough. how much more are you going to torture him for being an adopted son of the father?" Jennie cried in shallow and took her mother's hand into hers, "look at me.." she said and waited for her mother to brush her tears off her lower lashes and face her with beautifully painted eyes of her.
in between the stares of the contest, Hyejoo notices how big and tough her girl has become. a beautiful, mesmerizing, and strong girl stand before her teary fragile eyes and she couldn't have been more proud of how much the small Jennie have matured into. Hyejoo picks up her other hands and runs them onto the side of Jennie's cheeks as she swift it in a small stroke before fixing her hair in place. "I'm sorry... for not telling you about your father."
Jennie let go of a sorrowful laugh before taking both of her hands onto her very own, "my father left you so I didn't want to talk about him even though I knew. I didn't want to keep reminding you of the heartbreak that you must have felt when he moved on with another child and wife. but six years of pain is enough for all of us." Jennie pulled her mother's hand behind her anterior and use her own to wrap around the small motherly figure.
"mom, thank you for your protection and your infinity love. but can you do yourself a favor and let the resentment go? I don't want you to tie yourself to it anymore. I want to you move on like father and me. can you do that?" she mumbled nonstop behind her mother's warm and flowery clothes detergent embraces.
hearing the significance and honesty of her child, she smiled through the regretful tears that had to take long enough for her to shred, "you know that I always will do anything for you dear" she stroked the back of Jennie's head in delight and it quickly triggered a beam onto Jennie's lip.
Junmyeon sighed in relief while he looked towards his parents, who were in the middle of wiping each other's tears as well. only then did he remember Joohyun. with the words that Jennie have said earlier, it made him understand what it meant to move on from the past. a big and bright grin appeared upon his face as he exciting ran out of the house that kept his parents guessing where.
-----
he panted in front of Joohyun's place and felt sorry for leaving her uniform after coming back from the camp. he ringed her doorbell impatiently for her to come out.
"ohh, Junmyeon-"
before she could even finish it, he hugged her tightly, stopping her words from escaping out of her trachea. her eyes widen in surprise, "what-what happen?" she asked as he let go of a chuckle and released her in which he quickly planted a kiss onto her moisturized lips.
she gasp and brought her fingers to touch her lips if it was still there, "wh-what are you doing?" her heart flutters into a flame of love.
"Joohyun, listen. I'm only going to say it once so listen well." he lifts her chin up to face his tall height. she gulped down her guts and nodded.
"I know my parents disapprove of our relationship and separate us by taking me overseas but you never left my existence. I'm sorry for giving up on you and for leaving you without any words but I'm here to tell you that from now on, I will never leave you again and I'll never give up on our relationships." he rapped fastly and she struggles to understand but she did know why he ran here after all of that rumblings and actions.
she flashes a pretty cheeky smile that made him shy, "just say you love me and go" she giggles, seeking starlight within his eyes. "I..um" he scratch the back of his head and before he knew it, she tiptoed to reach for his lips and place a long press against it before coming down to her flat feet again.
"my feelings..are still the same." she glued her eyes onto the top of his sneaker for her confessions, "Junmyeon, I-"
"I love you!" he interrupted her, making her glare up at him that instance. "I love you! I love you! I love you!" he said while playfully jumping around the girl who laughed adorably.
-----
"Jungkook, we don't have to do this if you're not fully sure." his mother said as she have been watching her son hesitate for the one-hundredth time. he have his suitcase out but his clothes were still hanging in his dusty closet.
Chanhee sat right down on the edge of the long side of the bed, staring into his eyes, and knew exactly the reasons for all of this. "are you sure about this and won't regret it later on?" she query him as he laid lonely and doubtful eyes onto his mother.
"this all started because of me... I didn't stop the grudges that I held towards Hyejoo and still approach Jennie, knowing she had more than just crushing feelings for me." Jungkook responded by making his way towards the closet to unhang his shirt and throw them into the suitcase in a sloppy job.
"I'm sure she'll understand why you're acting this way and I'm sure she's feeling the same way; pitiful." she stop the hand motion of him and took his gentle yet rusty hand into her, "love will only succeed if you listen to one another and overcome it together."
he removed his hand and continue throwing his shirt before digging out his pants from the closet drawer, "you once asked me if I want to move overseas. well, now I do." he stated forcing a bright tone into the darkroom that glowed dully.
his mother sighed before considering his decision and walked out of the door, which shuts quietly behind her. he pulled his head back out from the corner of the closet and watched the closed door, slightly letting a couple of drops of tears race down his pale cheeks.
he knew this decision will make Jennie sad but all he could think of was to keep her safe because he was a monster with a ripped heart that have fought tough battles.
going along the strict choice that he decided to follow, he folded his clothes and neatly place them inside his dark gray suitcase before buckling the whole set up into one piece. he scans the room for any necessary things that still need to pack. only then did a knock come upon his bedroom door, opening in someone instead of his mother.
he shot up in alarm, standing up to greet the guest that came at the right time. "what are you doing here?" he asked with his brows raising up in confusion. a smile formed from the person who stood in front of him, in relief to still see him there.
••• to be continue •••