Jungkook's P.O.V
Taehyung and I spent the rest of what was almost our lovely evening scrubbing toilets while doing nothing other than sharing flustered glances. When we could finally leave the bathrooms, I remained frozen in terror, watching my boyfriend bowing to our boss repeatedly with a red face. "We're so terribly sorry!" he said. "We weren't thinking, I promise it won't happen again!"
"I reckon since you didn't disturb the customers, for now, I'll let it slide," the elder replied in a calm tone.
"Thank you!" I cried.
"Although I did not expect it," he added. "Two men, especially young lads such as yourselves, doing inappropriate things at a public place? I'm a little surprised, disappointed even, yet, I love your relationship. Everything hits differently now..." Our boss flushed a golden smile. "Susan, my youngest, might not be as happy, I'm afraid. She fancies you, Mr. Kim, and I'll have a good laugh dropping that bomb if you don't mind."
We'd escaped the horrible fate of having to search for a different employer, but the embarrassment still stayed. Hurring outside and parting ways, I was praying to whoever would listen all the way home: Please turn this into a hilarious memory to share with my million future friends and not a trigger for a random cringe attack in the shower...
At last, I stood at my front door, disposed of my fancy outer layer of clothing, took out the keys, and walked in.
"He's back."
Before I had the chance to put away my shoes, my parents were standing in front of me, blocking the hallway with serious faces.
"Jungkookie, sweetie," my mother said, "we need to talk."
The interrogation had begun once the couple led me to the living room and sat me on the sofa, resting on the couch next to it. "We assume you didn't need the money for work," Dad started, crossing his legs, then signing his wife to put in her two cents.
"Your father and I are worried. You've been going out without telling us, and you always ask for financial aid despite, supposedly, having a job to which you go every day, including a few weekends. You realize that doesn't make much sense, don't you?"
"I'm not twelve, and I told you—"
"We know you're hiding something." The second my dad cut me off with an ice-cold voice, dead silence crept into the room, devouring the air. He alone dared to speak. "Are you still having relations with that poor boy?"
Mom opened her mouth, ready to break the quiet, but stopped herself when he lifted a hand. It had come to this... I alone was permitted to answer, and only because he knew my reply wouldn't be decent. And he waited, patient, eyes piercing through my chest. "Well..." Wrong move. I wasn't able to utter any more words.
"I can't believe it!" Father stood up. "My son will not be a predator, and I won't allow you—"
"LEAVE ME ALONE FOR FUCK'S SAKE!" Mom's wide eyes had caught my attention. I had to take a deep breath. "I'm not," I stated, "I promise."
She stepped between us, resting a warm hand on my shoulder while maintaining direct eye contact with her husband. "I believe you, Jungkookie. I don't see somebody capable of this when I look at you."
"Yet, according to him, he's messed up already."
I stuck my tongue to my inner cheek as my palms turned to fists. "Mom's right, it's not like me," I said. "Maybe that was why I'd exaggerated things when they became a bit..." I smirked. "...Overwhelming."
Dad bit his lip and sat back down. "We'll trust you as your parents," he finalized the conversation. "This is important. Do not let me down."
Getting out of another uncomfortable situation, drained out of energy, I craved nothing more than to get in my pajamas, and drive off to dreamland. I brushed my teeth, turned off the lights, and lay down. I couldn't fall asleep.
"Fucking hell..." Comfortable underneath my soft, blueish-grey blanket, I was ready to let my eyelids close, yet groaned in frustration. My hand reached the nearby cellphone, which I kept turned off while out with my lover. One last thing had been bothering me.
Sixteen missed calls from Robert.
Taehyung was correct; my friend wasn't at fault. Robert fell for a girl, and if he wished for anything to happen, he should have spent time with her. And it worked for the guy. Robert had a girlfriend, and I had to deal with it. My reaction was silly. He didn't mean to neglect me.
I was ready. Since, even though I tried to deny it, a part of me missed my buddy, I'd decided to find an opportunity to catch up.
"Good lord, Kook! I'm so glad you've called back. Are you mad at me? Is there something wrong?" he asked on the phone.
"Everything's alright," I told him. "I'm just a little upset we couldn't hang out lately, how about some PlayStation action at my house this Saturday?"
"That sounds awesome!" Robert shouted.
***
A phone call woke me up on Saturday morning, and it was indeed Robert's name to pop onto the screen. The news he bore, however, wasn't the chance to fix our problems.
"Hey, man," I heard him, "let's cancel our plans... I'M GOING ON A FIRST DATE WITH ERICA!"
"What...?"
"You're my best mate, I can do that and hope you'd understand, but she's my girl," he said.
"Shouldn't she understand too? I'm not mad, though you made those plans with me first... She must be okay with choosing a different day, right?"
"I don't know her that much. I'm still trying to make a good impression. I'd like her to view me as outgoing and available," explained Robert.
Outgoing? "But it's not who you are," I said.
"Pardon?"
I sighed. "Whatever. Enjoy your date."
If you don't know her as much as your best friend, why is she your priority? Why not me? "I have an idea!" he announced. "We've always dreamed about helping each other with first dates, do you want to come by and make it a reality? I need help, and hanging out with you might make me less nervous."
The idea made me sick to my stomach. "Sure." I was positive I couldn't do it, yet saying 'no' was difficult.
No. I was right; I couldn't do it. There wasn't a doubt in my mind. I had to recontact Robert later that day, and lie I was grounded.
"Aren't you 18...? That's unfortunate, yeah. But hey! It means I didn't actually cancel anything."
I hung up and shut my eyes, counting to ten, hoping it'd be enough for the annoyance to fade away. It didn't, and I had to make another call instead:
"Taehyung, do you have a working TV monitor at home?"
"I do...?" I heard him.
"Great. Since your mother's there, I figured I could bring my console."
"Oh! I miss holding a controller so much," he cried, "and you'll finally meet my mom! I am planning on coming out to her someday. Making sure she'll be familiar with, and even like you, might be a smart move," he said.
Once our chat was over, I rushed to empty my school bag and stuff the gaming equipment inside. Although afraid of meeting Mrs. Kim, I knew her sons loved her and wished to assume there was a reason.
Mom saw me running downstairs. "Are you planning to stay somewhere overnight?"
"It's just my PlayStation."
"That's all? Who are you planning to play with, and why not here?" she asked. "We'll welcome anybody."
I stepped outside, pretending not to have heard.
Dohyun jumped on me with a hug when I knocked on their door, cheerfully shouting, "Big brother! Big brother! Kookie's here!" Taehyung greeted me with a smile, about to lean in for a hug when a feminine voice startled him:
"Who's that charming gentleman at our doorway, boys?"
"He's a new friend of mine," her oldest son replied.
The woman stretched her hand. Taehyung signaled me to reach out mine and shake it. Anxious, I glanced up; her eyes were warm. "Pleasure to meet you."
Shortly after I connected the cables and turned the console on, Taehyung and Dohyun began fighting over the controller. Eventually, the older gave up, ruffled his brother's hair, and wished for him to have fun. I tabbed his shoulder and handed him mine.
"You'll be playing, and I'll be venting."
Minutes in, when the two seemed hypnotized by the moving pixels, I had lost my chill.
"He didn't try to cover it up! He said it to my fucking face and canceled everything for that dumb bimbo. Even before they were dating, it was always 'Erica this, Erica that...' The dude's fucking obsessed!"
Still focused on the screen, Taehyung let out a scoff. "Like you're the one to talk."
"I don't even get it!" I continued. "She's annoying, unfunny, her chest is huge, like too disproportionately huge, it's weird..."
He laughed. "I've talked to Erica, she's a pleasant person, and she's his girlfriend now. You two should also have a chat."
"I refuse to spend my precious time on a fuck toy." I leaned to his ear, and, holding in a giggle, whispered, "other than you."
"First of all, fuck off, and second, you're bitter for the sake of it," he replied.
"Calling a lady that is not nice." At last, Taehyung, that hypocrite, remembered to glare at me for using profanity in front of Dohyun, who'd overheard the banter and joined in. "I get it. When somebody takes your best friend's attention, it's a little sad. you took away my brother from me at first, and he probably took you away from your friend too," he continued. "Maybe that's how a lot of new relationships work. Maybe you should just let them be and wait for things to settle."
"How old are you again...?"
While we were all having a blast, I could see the small corridor through which their mother was drugging a wheelchair, coming out of one of the doors. A man was sitting in it. He appeared to be in his early forties, was from Asian descent, and had oddly familiar facial features. There was something wrong with his expression.
The woman took him to what I guessed to be a bathroom, and after some time had passed, dragged the wheelchair back to the other room. Now, he was wearing different clothes, his hair wet, clean-shaved.
Once taking care of her unwell husband, Mrs. Kim returned to the living room where we sat.
"Are you enjoying yourselves, boys?" Her sons nodded in perfect sync and pointed at the PlayStation. "We used to own one, an older model. I never understood why the two liked it so much," she said.
"That's because you've never tried it," Dohyun stated.
I paused, examining the scene, then passed her a controller. "You should join us. Perhaps, you can give it shut if you're curious, Mrs. Kim."
"Oh, well. I suppose it won't hurt anyone."
She was playing against Dohyun while Taehyung and I were cheering her on. The room was filling up with light, and within the walls, echoed a tripled amount of the giggles I often loved hearing from my boyfriend. When it was my turn to battle with their mother, I was ready to let her win on purpose. She kicked my ass.
"This is great, you guys! Thank you!"
Mrs. Kim was a friendly, fun, and beautiful lady. I was less angry with her and more sorry for her, yet, no matter how great of a time we'd spent together, I remembered; that woman was not stable.
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