#eomeoni

[michyeosseo]

Mother, I can see right through you.

Yoon Hae Young as JANG SE-MI LADY DURIAN (2023) 1.16

[chheolie]

[🌾] 003. market- favorite enemy series

masterlist

the sun shone brightly that saturday morning, casting warm rays over the houses that lined the narrow street. the homes of you and mingyu were separated by just a street and a childhood rivalry that never seemed to fade, no matter the age. childhood friends who spent more time bickering than anything else, you told everyone you were enemies, but the feeling went far beyond mutual teasing.

you sleepily walked downstairs, the familiar aroma of fresh coffee filling the kitchen and welcoming you comfortingly. dressed in loose pajamas, you entered the kitchen distractedly, waving to your mother who was finishing up breakfast. however, when you looked up, you froze.

sitting in your favorite spot, right next to your mother, was mingyu. he smiled mischievously when he noticed the look of displeasure on your face. it was a smug smile, as if he knew exactly what he was doing.

"good morning, slacker," he teased, taking a sip of coffee as if he owned the place.

you narrowed your eyes. "who let this imposter in?"

"imposter? are you hearing this, eomeoni?" mingyu shot back, redirecting the conversation to your mom, laughing.

you rolled your eyes, moving closer to the table and deliberately bumping his head as you sat down. mingyu complained, rubbing the spot where you hit him, but his smile didn't fade. you settled in across from him, making it clear you were there to annoy him just as much as he was annoying you.

"you know that's my spot, right?" you grumbled, pushing a piece of toast onto your plate.

"i know," he replied with a cheeky grin, pushing his coffee cup toward you. "but whoever wakes up late gets the leftover spot."

"oh yeah?" you took his cup, bringing it to your lips and taking a sip, just to see his reaction. mingyu gasped, staring at you in disbelief.

"hey, that's my coffee!" he protested, but didn't move to take the cup back.

"it's mine now." you took a long, deliberate sip, your eyes locked on his the entire time.

your mom, watching the amusing interaction between the two of you, seized the moment to ask a favor. “y/n, why don't you and mingyu go to the market to pick up the order for me? it's too heavy for me to carry.”

you almost choked on your coffee, turning to your mom with an exaggerated look of horror. “go with him? in the same car?”

your mom laughed, shaking her head. “oh, stop it. it's just a quick trip to the market.”

you shot a glare at mingyu, who just smiled. "come on, y/n. don't be a killjoy. or are you afraid to be alone with me?"

“i'm not afraid of anything, especially not you,” you muttered, but your mom gave you that insistent look you couldn't ignore.

a few minutes later, you were in mingyu's car. he unlocked the door and, before you got in, started laying down his rules with the authority of a drill sergeant.

“first thing: get in with clean feet. i don't want you dirtying up my car. second: don't mess with the seat, it's adjusted exactly how i like it. third: no playing your horrible music. and-”

before he could continue, you had already entered with dirty feet on purpose, adjusted the seat forward, and started fiddling with the radio to play your peculiar playlist that he couldn't stand. mingyu looked at you in disbelief.

“i just told you the rules!” he exclaimed, but you just shrugged, acting as if you hadn't heard anything.

“you didn't expect me to obey, did you?” you said casually, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

mingyu grumbled but couldn't help but smile. your stubbornness was one of the things he hated and loved at the same time. the drive to the market was filled with silly arguments about the music, the seat adjustment, and the dirty shoes, but deep down, that was your dynamic—and neither of you would trade it for anything.

when you arrived at the market, mingyu went straight to pick up the order. you, however, quickly got distracted in the snacks aisle, grabbing colorful packets and analyzing each one. mingyu, with the heavy bags in hand, watched you from afar, shaking his head but with a soft smile he couldn't contain.

after a few minutes, you noticed his presence, the heavy bags pulling his arms down. you ran over to him, grabbing one of the bags.

"let me help, you're carrying everything," you said, trying to lighten his load.

mingyu shook his head. “i can handle it, y/n. these bags are too heavy for you.”

you insisted, trying to take the bag back. "i'm not made of porcelain, mingyu. besides, if you pass out here, how will i explain it to my mom?"

he laughed, finally giving in and letting you take one of the bags. your fingers brushed his for a moment, and both of you fell silent, the weight of the interaction both familiar and yet different. you held the bag with determination, and mingyu watched in silence, with a mix of pride and something else he preferred not to name.

as you walked back to the car, mingyu glanced at you out of the corner of his eye, noticing the frown on your face as you carried the bag. this was the same y/n—stubborn and independent—and he couldn't imagine his life without those daily bickering sessions. maybe you were childhood enemies, but it was the best enmity he could have.

you walked side by side toward the parking lot, the bags swaying gently in your hands. you walked in silence, a comfortable silence that you rarely shared, but that seemed perfectly fitting at that moment.

as mingyu talked about some random topic, you suddenly stopped, your eyes widening as you spotted someone familiar approaching from the opposite direction. the playful smile on your face vanished instantly, and you instinctively hid behind mingyu, using his body as a shield. he stopped walking, frowning in confusion at your behavior.

"y/n, what are you doing?" he asked, turning his head to try and see you.

before you could answer, mingyu noticed the figure approaching. his body automatically tensed, recognizing the man heading toward you with a sneering smile. it was your ex-boyfriend, a guy mingyu could never stand. he knew the guy was a jerk, the kind of person who made you wonder how someone as smart as you had fallen for his charm.

your ex stopped in front of you, his eyes piercing you with an unpleasant familiarity. “y/n, what a coincidence to run into you here,” he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

you didn't respond, keeping yourself firmly behind mingyu, who, sensing your discomfort, adopted a protective stance. he moved slightly to block the man's view of you, shooting a hard look that said much more than words could express.

"no coincidence at all," mingyu shot back, his voice firm and cold. "what do you want?"

your ex gave a sarcastic smile, ignoring the question and trying to peek at you behind mingyu. "just wanted to say hi. it's been a while, right, y/n?" he said, stepping closer.

you remained silent, trying to make yourself invisible, but mingyu had no patience for games. he took a large step forward, forcing the guy to back off a bit.

“she doesn't want to talk to you. so you'd better move on and stop bothering her,” mingyu said, his voice carrying authority. he didn't raise his voice, but the implicit threat was clear.

your ex found it amusing, but he knew that with mingyu by your side, he wouldn't be able to get to you. "all right, all right, no need to get mad hyung," he said mockingly, casting one last look at you before walking away.

as soon as he disappeared from view, you let out a shaky sigh, feeling the weight of relief mixed with the adrenaline still coursing through your veins. mingyu turned to you, his face relaxing as he noticed how shaken you were. the silence stretched for a moment, laden with emotions neither of you knew how to express.

not knowing exactly how to break the tension, mingyu decided to follow his usual instinct – to tease you. a wry smile appeared on his lips as you both headed back to the car.

“you don’t know how to do anything right, do you?” he began, a playful tone in his voice. “not even pick a decent boyfriend.”

you looked at him, first with a surprised expression, which quickly turned into a mix of irritation and relief. the familiar teasing was, in a way, comforting. “look who’s talking,” you retorted, trying to sound confident, but there was still a slight tremor in your voice. “as if you were an expert in picking girlfriends.”

mingyu laughed, that warm laugh that always seemed to ease any tension. “i might not be an expert, but at least i don’t hide behind other people,” he teased, giving you a light nudge with his elbow.

you gave him a gentle tap on the arm, which only made him laugh more. “you’re an idiot,” you murmured, but there was a faint smile on your lips.

when you finally got into the car, the atmosphere felt lighter. mingyu glanced at you, who was looking out the window, trying to collect your thoughts. he could see you were still trying to process what had happened, so, for the first time in a long time, he decided to say nothing. the silence was comfortable, and sometimes, it was all you needed.

as he drove back home, with the radio playing softly the song you had chosen, mingyu gave a slight smile, more to himself than anyone else.

“hey, you,” he finally said, his voice softer than usual.

“what’s up, gyu?” you responded, still looking out the window, but with a somewhat calmer tone.

“you know i’m here for you, right?” the words came out without much pretense, but their meaning was much deeper than anything else he could have said.

you turned to look at him, a serious expression on your face before you finally relaxed. “i know,” you replied softly, and this time, without any teasing.

and, for the first time that day, the silence between you was more than just a pause – it was an understanding.

taglist: @tacosandbitch @hamji-hae @babbyypeenk @simpxxstan @oiiviagrande @hobiiimingyu @caaaptaaainamericaaa @soffiyuhh

[wildestdreamsblog]

Latibule Spinoff: Elysian II

Pairing: Doctor/Mafia!Kim Seokjin x Intern!Reader 

Warnings: Yandere behavior, Possessiveness, Manipulative behavior, If you’re not 18+ please, PLEASE, do not interact. Be mindful of the warnings. Let me know if I miss anything.

A/N: heheheheheee

Masterlist, Part II of __

Kim Seokjin blinked owlishly as you run past him in a hurry with your white coat hanging on your arm and the sound of your heels hitting the floor before completely skidding to a stop. It was already late in the evening and you still had energy to run in the hospital lobby. Seokjin was starting to wonder what you were fed as a child to be this vibrant. Additionally, though, he was now starting to think what he fed Jungkook as a child for him to be as energetic as you.

“Do you believe in love at first sight or should I run again?” you asked with a teasing smile on your face, your breaths huffing. You saw the most handsome man walked confidently across the lobby, his hand clutching his briefcase and you knew he was done for the day. That was the moment you ran from the second floor to the ground floor just to annoy your crush. You were too busy today with your patients and papers that you had no time to go to his office and bat your eyelashes at him.

It was entertaining to watch his cheeks and ears reddened whenever he saw you doing that, or whenever you verbally appreciated his beauty. You thought he was embarrassed for you and you found it immensely charming. In fact, flirting with him was the highlight of your day and you always made sure to see him on a daily basis which you noted was difficult.

Sometimes, Kim Seokjin was nowhere to be found for days. You wondered where he went whenever he disappeared. On days after he was gone, he seemed to be more tolerant of your teasing quips. On days after he returned, you could have sworn he looked at you a little bit fondly for a second and then it was gone.

“This is not the first time I saw you, Doctor Y/N,” he replied calmly, his hand in his pocket as he rested his eyes on yours.

“Yes, but I’m running out of pickup lines to use. I still need conduct further research,” you tilted your head to the side as you looked up at the tall man. “When are you even going to ask me out, Doctor Kim?”

“W-what?”

“I mean, you better hurry up or else someone might snatch me up. My mother did say that I’m the most beautiful girl in the world and I am known for being a good girl and believing every word my mother said.”

His brows furrowed at the thought of someone snatching you away from his grasp. But, you weren’t his, right? He had no hold over you, right? So why did that leave a sour taste on his mouth? Why then did he fist his hands so tight he almost felt pain knowing that he had long couldn’t?

You had no idea of the darkness that was clouding his mind and instead, you smiled sweetly at him before waving him goodbye, satisfied that you once again managed to render the smartest man in this hospital speechless and blushing profusely. That was an achievement, you giggled.

But then you turned to look at him again, your hand touching your lips and then dramatically pointing it to him. That was all it took to get him out of the darkness that was caging him once again. The mafia prince didn’t know what to make of the power you had over his darkness, a darkness that he spent a good decade reigning in.

You tapped your knuckles against his office door twice before opening the door. Kim Seokjin was the image of focus as he stared intensely at his laptop, his brows slightly furrowed with his glasses resting on his aristocrat nose. He looked up when he heard the sound of several tupperwares hitting his table.

“Eomeoni said that she courted appa by cooking and bringing him meals everyday in his office,” you started conversationally as you opened the lids. Seokjin was helpless as soon as the aromatic smell reached him that his own stomach decided to betray him and communicate how empty it was.

He coughed to cover his embarrassment, “Your mother courted your father?”

“Yes. Her method was effective, though,” you grinned at him as you placed the chopsticks in front of him. You sat in front of him before starting to eat. “She also did say to follow my dreams, so here I am.”

You met his eyes before winking at him. Seokjin’s face radiated with a warm, pinkish blush which happened to be a true testament to his extremely flustered state that only you could bring out of him. And you staring at him like that was not helping him at all.

His hands shook as his mind went to the default setting: to push you away.

“I have patients coming in…”

You blinked owlishly at him before looking down at your wristwatch. “It’s 5:47 am. Check-ups starts at 7:00 am. We have time.”

“I-I don’t eat.”

The silence was loud as you processed what he just said, and you knew what an ‘I don’t want to spend time with you’ looked like. You nodded your head before standing up. “Okay.”

You stopped yourself from showing your disappointment. You brought your chopsticks down before wordlessly closing the lids on the meals your prepared at an ungodly hour. You returned them all in the paper bag before bowing at him and leaving. He watched it all as you refused to meet his eyes for the first time since you met him.

He groaned when you closed the door, and he was once again left with the silence he was used to. He rested his head on his hands in frustration. What was wrong with him, he thought. He didn’t eat? What was he, a fucking vampire? Yes, he had a clear and fair skin, and yes, he looked like he was not aging. And of course, his beauty was out of this world. But he was just beautiful! What could he do? Should he blame his mother that used to be a top model for his good genes?

Or should he blame his already system that was already beyond repair even before you came into his life?  

Kim Seokjin eyes kept on shifting to the door and then back to his screen for a moment. However, it was as though he was powerless from looking back to the door again. The presentation that they deemed to be important was merely a white noise to him, even as the doctors kept on looking at him for approval. They found none as his face remained impassive.

He looked down on his phone, and even your usual good morning was not there and he loathed it. Granted that he never replied, but he still kept the messages. It brought him something akin to warmth in his chest when he received your messages on his phone. Reading your adorable messages was the highlight of his morning. But now, his phone was unusually quiet and you were nowhere to be found. It displaced him. It vexed him. And it confused him. Seokjin glared at the emptiness of your chair with such disgust and irritation that the presenter gulped from the darkness that crossed his face. They all wanted to please him, not only was he in the highest position but he was also the major stockholder of the hospital.

Suffice to say, Kim Seokjin was the most powerful man in the hospital. Unbeknownst to them though, his power spread beyond the corners of the hospital and into the darkness of the world.

“Director Kim?” the presenter he didn’t care to remember the name called for his attention. Leisurely, he brought his eyes from his phone to the sweating man. He didn’t even care to hide the fact that he was more focused on the phone than the presentation. He read all about it and he was not pleased one bit.

“I believe you graduated at the top of your class, Doctor Choi, am I correct?” he regarded him with an unimpressed look. He waved his hand before the man could even respond. He didn’t need his affirmation. “Did your school have an extremely low population? Did they have-“ he tilted his head to come up with a better word than what he was thinking. “-subpar qualifications? Was bribery involved?”

He met each and everyone’s eyes before standing up slowly in heavy disappointment. “Fix this. Or I’ll personally call all the organizations that awarded this hospital as the best and tell them that they made a terribly, colossal blunder and have them take all the certifications away.”

—-

“Hyuuuuung, why are you even doing here?” Jungkook, their youngest brother, whined as he watched his oldest hyung laid out on his office sofa. He had his phone up, glaring at it as though it personally did him wrong.

“Hanging out with you,” he murmured before throwing his phone away. He pulled his arm on his face and started groaning.

Jungkook wanted to smash his head against his table littered with thousands of documents he needed to go into- which he couldn’t do because his hyung just wouldn’t leave him in peace!

“You’re distracting me!”

“Tough luck. I need to be around someone who’s as lonely as I am.”

“Then go to the others! Why me?! Why not Namjoon hyung?!”

“He’s not lonely. He has his secretary,” Jin softly explained before putting down his arm and turning to look at Jungkook. “Besides, no one is as lonelier as you. Your wife is out there running from you.”

“No, she’s not! She’s just lost! What about Taehyung? Go to him!” he huffed as he was reminded yet again that his wife left him. His brows were now in a pinched as he pouted at his hyung.

Jin waved his suggestion away before closing his eyes. “Tae Tae does not feel any emotion, Kookie. He doesn’t even know he’s lonely because he is a high-functioning pain in the ass psychopath that needs to be put down as soon as pos-“

His slander on Taehyung was cut short as the sound of his phone alerting him of a message from the floor chimed. Jungkook watched his hyung scrambled on the floor to where he threw his phone both in confusion and disgust. He never saw his hyung behaved this way when he was the one who always insisted in proprietary and manners because they as he said, they might be cold-blooded criminals but they were not barbarians.

You were back, he read as the personnel from the Human Resources department he bribed messaged him. Apparently, you were on a week-long leave that required him suffering because you weren’t in his vicinity. Yet again, he had no time to dissect his feelings…

He just needed to see you.

It felt like everything was displaced when you were gone, yet at the same time it was how he was living before you came into his life and painted his world with colors he didn’t know existed. That was the thing, you came and changed his world. He didn’t know how to go back to his colorless world now.

“Okay, bye.”

Jungkook watched dumbfoundedly as his hyung ran out of his office.

Part III

[sheerfreesia007]

Interrupting the Festivities

Pairing: Lee Know x Reader

Word count: 4,992

Content warnings: Fluff, suggestive, pregnancy, birth

Summary: It’s been a busy year for the two of you and you surprise Lee Know with a sweet little reveal that your family is going to be growing!

Minduelle: Dandelion, Ssang-dung-i-deul: Twins, Agi: baby, Eomeoni: mother, Gongjag: Peacock, Jagiya: Sweetheart

Part One: Dandelions

The smell of Spring was in the air as Minho stood at the back door of his family’s vacation home. He leaned up against the open door frame while crossing his arms of his chest and smiling softly as he spotted Minduelle walking through the field behind the house. He watches as she smiles softly and lets her hand gently graze along the tops of the tall grass, she’s dressed in a pretty sky blue sundress that’s dotted with little yellow flowers. Her hair is tied back from her face but flows freely down her back as the soft wind makes it flutter and dance behind her. She’s a picture of beauty and he can’t help but to pull his cell phone out and capture her picture quickly before he pushes off from the door frame and heads down the steps into the field.

It takes him no time to reach her and he’s easily sweeping her up into his arms and spinning her around in the air much to her squealing delight as she braces her hands against his shoulders while gazing down at him lovingly. He stops spinning her and slowly lowers her down the front of his body, feeling her every curve against him as her feet gently touch the ground. Her face is flushed and her eyes sparkle with delight as she looks up at him adoringly, her hands come up to cup his face and he watches as her eyes dart around taking him in quietly with a soft look on her face.

”What is it Mindeulle?” He asks softly as his own hands come up to cover hers.

”Just wondering what features our ssang-dung-i-duel will have from you and which ones they’ll have from me.” She says sweetly. Minho frowns softly at your words before he watches one of your hands fall from his face to cover your stomach. He blinks once, twice, thrice and you chuckle softly at his confusion before suddenly things start to click into place in his mind.

He had noticed your hesitation to have breakfast in the morning the past couple of weeks but you had only reassured him that it was just the changing of the seasons as Spring started to make itself known. But now as he stared down at your patiently waiting eager face and then lower to your hand covering your stomach he finally understood.

”You’re pregnant? With twins?” He asked in a soft tone as his eyes widened slightly at the knowledge.

”We’re pregnant with twins. You helped make me this way.” You corrected him with a gentle eye roll and he smirked softly at your implication before he leaned down and pressed a kiss to your lips heatedly.

”We can do that again.” He teased and you rolled your eyes once more at him as you scoffed.

”This was supposed to be a sweet moment. How did you already turn it dirty?” You asked exasperated and he smirked down at you.

”Didn’t you know that’s my super power?” He asked smugly and you scoffed softly at him before he cupped your face and pulled you into a kiss. “My heart is so full right now. I can’t tell you how happy I am right now. We’re going to have two little ones.” He whispered against your lips and you beamed happily up at him before pressing your lips to his once more. “Twins.” He whispered and then you watched it sink in and his eyes widened comically. “Oh shit, twins.” He said softly and you began to chuckle at his shock.

”Relax, we’ll be fine.” You soothed him and he eyed you still shocked and surprised but there was a happy glitter in his eyes that made your heart melt. “We will get through this together. It will be fine.”

*-*-*-*

Everything was not fine as you had promised. Your morning sickness had suddenly amped up within the last month and it found you almost every morning in the bathroom emptying your stomach for the better part of an hour. Minho had grown concerned when everything that the doctor had suggested to help you wasn’t working and you hadn’t been able to keep much down. 

In his desperation he had called not only his mother for ideas on ways to help you keep things down but also your mother. Both women had easily descended on your home and had been coddling you excessively. Minho knew that you hated to be coddled like this but he couldn’t think of any other way to get help with your morning sickness. None of the books he had read about pregnancy had been all that helpful and he was really starting to grow concerned with your inability to keep anything in your stomach.

As it came closer and closer to the end of your first trimester Minho was worried that this would continue for the rest of your pregnancy. He couldn’t remember the last time that you were able to eat and keep down anything more than a few crackers, broth and water. Even your favorite tea managed to upset your stomach and he knew that it saddened you, you always loved a good cup of your favorite tea.

Right now as he placed a bowl of simple broth in front of you and a small stack of soup crackers he watched as you looked down at it before looking at his own soup bowl that was filled with vegetables and delectable thin slices of meat. Your stomach grumbled in hunger as your eyes took in his bowl of soup and Minho frowns softly wondering if he shouldn’t torture you by eating his meal in front of you, but he knows you’d protest not taking you meal with him. It was one of your favorite moments of the day, when the two of you would come together and just talk about your day while eating.

“Has the doctor said anything else about how to help your morning sickness and nausea?” he asked softly, still worrying about your inability to keep anything substantial in your stomach. He knew it couldn’t be healthy for you but he also worried that it wasn’t healthy for the babies either. He watches as your eyes stay glued to his soup bowl as he begins to eat before you answer him.

“She said that if it doesn’t get better once I hit my second trimester than she’ll have to put me on medication.” you tell him as you pick up your soup and drink your broth as your eyes still gaze at his bowl longingly. Minho nods his head before he begins to dig into his bowl as his eyes dance along your frame. “I’ve got half a mind to ask her to put me on the medication already, I’m so hungry.” you confess to him and he grimaces knowing that there wasn’t anything he could to help you with that unfortunately. “Being pregnant is rough enough already and then to not be able to eat anything besides crackers and broth.” you say with a frown, Minho watches as you pick up your chopsticks and steal a piece of water chestnut from his bowl and before he can stop you you slip the vegetable into your mouth still talking around it while you chew. “It’s not fair really, I mean I’m the one growing our twins and they’re stealing nutrients from me every hour but yet they won’t let me eat peacefully!” you complain goodnaturedly and Minho watches with wide eyes as you quickly steal another piece of water chestnut from his bowl and slip it quickly in your mouth before you groan loudly and let you eyes fall shut. He waits for your stomach to start rolling and for you to rush for the bathroom but when you continue sipping your soup and dipping your crackers into your broth he’s surprised.

“Mindeulle, sweetheart.” he says softly and you look up at him with a furrowed brow. “You just ate two water chestnuts. Is your stomach feeling alright?” he asked worriedly and you tilt your head cutely at him before your eyes widened comically along with his.

“I don’t feel sick. Minho! I don’t feel sick!” you rush out hurriedly as excitement fills your face and he can’t help but grin widely at how adorable you looked to him. “Is there more water chestnuts in the pot?” you asked him quickly as you stood from the table.

“Now wait, don’t overdo it. We don’t know if this is your body finally getting over the morning sickness or if it’s just accepting water chestnuts. It might reject all the other vegetables and meats.” he cautioned you and you nodded your head at his words.

“I want to try though. At least I know I can now have water chestnuts. That’s better than nothing.” you begin to ramble and he follows you back into the kitchen to help you get some vegetables to put in your soup. He takes the bowl from you and begins to put a few water chestnuts in your bowl before selecting one vegetable each from the others he had prepared. Just as he’s selecting the last vegetable you burst into loud sobs and Minho flinches with worry as he quickly turns to you still holding your bowl.

“Mindeulle! What? What is it? Are you okay? Is it the babies?” he asked panicked and you shake your head quickly trying to reassure him as tears continue race down your face as sobs rack your body. Minho sets your bowl down and quickly pulls you into his arms rubbing his hands down your back trying to soothe you. “Tell me, what’s wrong?” he tells you pleadingly and you look up at him.

“I’m just so happy that I can eat water chestnuts.” you sob and Minho stands there still rubbing your back before he begins to laugh loudly at your words. He knows he shouldn’t laugh but just the simple fact that you can stomach water chestnuts has you sobbing like your world was ending. 

“Oh sweetheart.” he coos softly at you as he tries to stop his laughing. He pulls you close into his body and envelops you in his warmth. “My poor agi.” he coos softly as you begin to calm down. Cupping your face he tilts it up to gaze into it before he leans forward and kisses you deeply.

After he gets you settled back into your place at the dining table he quickly shoots both your mother and his mother a text letting them know that your stomach has eased and you’re now happily eating vegetables in your soup. When they both respond in positive praise he then returns to his place at the dining table and watches you quietly as you eat your fill of vegetables and broth with a soft smile on his face.

*-*-*-*

Minho taps his hand against the steering wheel excitedly as he carefully watches traffic flowing around his car. A pop song plays on the radio before it’s suddenly changed to another station with a rock song, he smirks softly as his eyes dart over to you as you settle back into the passenger seat while your hand comes to lay flat against your rounded stomach. 

You’re now half through your second trimester and your baby bump is more prominent which has made Minho’s aegyo almost uncontrollable. He just loves looking over at you and seeing your round tummy knowing that the twins are in there. He’s constantly filled with love and awe every time he looks at you and he can’t control himself to keep his hands to himself anymore. You’ve begrudgingly accepted it even when you don’t want to be touched, you’ve told him that while you may not want to be touched the way his face lights up every time he sees you makes your heart melt and your body feel like jello.

“So will there be an ultrasound today?” he asks for the millionth time and you huff at him before shifting in your seat once again. As the twins continue to grow within you your discomfort skyrockets and Minho can’t imagine how uncomfortable it must be to have two babies growing within you. 

“Yes Min. I told you this. You know this.” you say tiredly with a long sigh as you try not to snap at him. He knows that your irritable attitude lately has only been because of how uncomfortable you’ve gotten so he tries to keep you as peaceful as possible but sometimes he knows he gets too excited for you. “I hope it won’t too long of a wait, they always ask for a urine sample and the twins are doing somersaults on my bladder.” you say softly as you huff out a breath while shifting once more in your seat. Minho gently takes your hand in his before raising it to his lips trying to ease you.

“Well you tell those two to cut it out and give their Eomeoni a break.” he says firmly and you smile beautifully at him before your eyes begin to tear up. “Oh no, no, no, no. I didn’t mean to make you cry agi.” he coos softly and you quickly brush under your eyes catching the tears as they fall.

“It’s okay, I’m just a mess lately.” you say quickly and Minho smiles softly at you giving you a moment to compose yourself as he pulls into the parking lot of the doctor’s office.

“What caused the waterworks this time?” he asked gently as he parked the car and you scoffed softly at him causing him to grin widely at you.

“Calling me their Eomeoni.” you confess quietly and he beams over at you. “Don’t start, it just hit me a little harder than normally.” you warn him and he quickly gets out of the car before rushing around it to your door and helping you out. He wraps his arms around you loosely and rubs his nose gently against yours before pecking your lips. “Don’t make me cry in the parking lot.” you warn him and he grins down at you feeling his heart swell to its limits at how much he loves you.

“I won’t, I won’t.” he promises and you nod your head at him before he begins to guide you towards the doctor’s office eager to see what the twins look like now since the last ultrasound. He idly wonders if he can convince the nurse to let him keep all the pictures they take today.

*-*-*-*

“Mindeulle, are you sure that’s what you actually want to eat? That sounds disgusting, soy sauce and vanilla ice cream? That’s going to give you heartburn.” he said into the phone as he walked down the freezer aisle looking for the ice cream.

“Please Minho, I need it. In fact it’s a straight order from the twins and you wouldn’t deprive them would you?” you whine over the phone and Minho chuckles softly at you.

“Well if it’s a straight order from the twins how could I deny them?” he humors you and hears you huff softly at him and he chuckles softly. “What now?” he asks softly and hears your soft grumble.

“You’d deny their Eomeoni but if it’s from the twins you get them whatever they want.” you gripe out softly and Minho bursts out into happy laughter.

“Are you really jealous of our twins right now?” he asks amusedly and you huff at him. “And am I not at the grocery store right now picking up soy sauce and vanilla ice cream for the three of you?” he asked smugly.

“Yes, yes but it’s because the twins need it.” you counter and he laughs at you again.

“I love you crazy woman. I’ll never deny you of anything unless it’d harm you.” he tells you honestly and you sigh wistfully over the line.

“How can you annoy me one second and then make my heart melt the next? It’s not fair. How am I supposed to not jump your bones as soon as you walk through the door?” you whine softly and Minho straightens against the grocery cart with interest at your words.

“Is that so?” he asks softly and you huff softly in his ear.

“I’ve been needy for you since you left. It doesn’t make any sense. I want the food but I want you too. So much.” you whine softly and Minho quickly rushes to the ice cream section before grabbing the most rich vanilla ice cream he can spot before heading to the registers.

“You better be naked on the couch waiting for me when I get home.” he says in a heated whisper into the phone.

“But the ice cream.” you whine softly and he huffs softly at you.

“I will feed it to you while you sit on my cock.” he grunts out and you keen loudly in his ear. Minho doesn’t bother to put the shopping cart back in its rightful place as he pays for the ice cream and runs out of the store to his car as he hears you shuffling in the background removing your clothes.

*-*-*-*

Your living room has exploded with Christmas wrapping paper, bows, bags, and name tags among the boxes of gifts that you may have overdone purchasing for everyone you loved. But as you sit in the middle of it all with Jisung and Gongjag sitting on the sofa and the armchair helping you keep everything organized and helping with the wrapping of the gifts. The Christmas tree that you and Minho had set up and decorated sat in the corner twinkling with its sparkling lights and eclectic assortment of ornaments kept catching your attention and distracting you.

This morning Minho had to leave early to head into the office for an issue that couldn’t be handled remotely. He had told you he hadn’t wanted to leave you so close to your due date, it was still two weeks away but the doctor had cautioned that you could go into labor at any moment now. Not to mention the twins had been more active lately not being able to settle or lay still for very long which had caused you quite a bit of pain effectively causing Minho to become more overprotective of you. But he ultimately had to leave you for the day to finish up work. He had made a call to Jisung and Gongjag asking them to stay with you today while he was away. You hadn’t agreed with his reasoning of having to bother your friends to keep watch of you but you had to admit that you enjoyed the company as you laughed at Jisung sticking his tongue out at his wife from the armchair as she flung a bow at him. 

You burst into uncontrollable laughter when the bow stuck to his head as you stood there in the middle of the multiple rolls of wrapping paper. As you continued to laugh as Jisung flinched back and tried to remove the bow as Gongjag teased him you suddenly felt a wet warmth form and then flow down your legs and you looked at Gongjag with wide eyes as you gasped loudly. Gongjag looked over at you worriedly before her eyes widened in her face and she quickly jumped from the sofa and rushed over to you.

“Your water broke. We have to go to the hospital. C’mon let’s get you changed quickly and we’ll drive you.” she guided you softly as you stared at her worriedly.

“Minho, we have to tell Minho.” you gasped out softly when a sharp pain raced across your stomach causing you to grip it tightly with your hand.

“Okay, we’ll tel him. Breathe through your nose remember.” Gongjag instructed as she guided you out of the living room and towards your bedroom. “Jisung grab her hospital bag! Put it in the car!” Gongjag called out to him over her shoulder and you could hear him rushing around the apartment.

“On it!” he called before the front door slammed shut. Gongjag easily helped you out of your wet yoga pants and handed you a fresh pair of underwear and sweats before bending down to help you step into the clothes.

“I’m so sorry, this is so embarrassing.” you rushed out worriedly and Gongjag shook her head as you stood after dressing you.

“Don’t worry agi. We all love you and are gonna help you birth these babies.” she cooed softly at you and you burst into tears at her kind hearted words. “Oh agi. No tears, this is a happy moment. You can tell the ssang-dung-i-deul all about how their Auntie helped them come into this world when they’re older. Preferably on the eighteenth birthday in front of everyone.” she said conspiratorially and you chuckled watery at her words as you nodded your head. You hissed suddenly as another contraction gripped you and Gongjag looked at her watch timing the contraction before leading you out of the bedroom towards the front door where Jisung stood waiting anxiously as he shifted from one foot to the other. You burst out in stilted laughter as you spotted the bow still stuck to his head and Gongjag rolled her eyes at him.

“The babies are coming!” Jisung suddenly rushed out and you chuckled once more at him as the bow bounced on his head as he erratically moved trying to find the best place for himself to be helpful.

“Ji pabo. You go first and get the car started.” Gongjag instructs him. “Then come back and wait at the bottom of the stairs while I walk Mindeulle down.” You huff softly as another contraction grips you as you all walk out of the apartment before Jisung rushes off down to the car. “I swear he’d lose his head in an emergency.” she says softly to herself and you laugh softly at her words while you nod your head.

“But he’s too sweet for his own good.” you tell her and she nods her head avidly at your words.

“Oh absolutely. He wants to help, he just doesn’t know what to do or how to help. My sweet clueless jagiya.” she says softly and you chuckle softly as you come up to the stairs leading down into the parking lot. Just as Jisung came walking to the bottom of the stairs and you had made it a little more than half way down the stairs a contraction hit you so intensely that it made you double over on the stairs. Jisung immediately wrapped his arms around you and guided you down the stairs as you hissed and tried to suck in air through your nose.

“I got you Mindeulle.” he said softly as his hand came up to cover your stomach. “We gotta tell these little ones to cut you some slack.” he teased and you grinned at him while walking to their car. Jisung helped you into the backseat before sliding in on the other side while Gongjag sat in the driver’s seat and began pulling out of the parking lot quickly.

“We have to call Minho.” you gasped out softly and Jisung nodded his head while pulling out his cell phone as Gongjag drove as safely and quickly to the hospital.

“Yah Minho!” Jisung greeted anxiously as you gripped his hand tightly in your own as you did your breathing exercises. “You need to meet us at the hospital!” Jisung said worriedly before crying out loudly as you gripped his hand tightly as a contraction ripped through your lower half as you cried out loudly in pain.

“Easy Mindeulle, we’re almost there.” Gongjag tried to reassure you as Jisung nodded his head at you.

“Minho, just get to the hospital!” shouted Jisung into the phone before hanging up. You knew that Minho would probably be in a panic now after that phone call and probably after hearing you in the background but you couldn’t focus on that as you felt the contractions start coming closer and closer together as you squirmed in the backseat of the car.

*-*-*-*

Minho rushes through the emergency doors of the hospital gasping for breath and looking around frantically at everyone that was in the waiting room. He spotted the nurse at the front desk and rushed over to it feeling out of breath and worried beyond belief.

“Excuse me” he panted softly and the nurse looked up at him concerned.

“Can I help you?” she asked curiously and he nodded his head.

“My wife, she’s giving birth and was rushed here by our friends.” he tried to explain to her but his words came out staccato.

“What’s the last name dear?” she asked kindly with a soft smile on her face.

“Lee.” he told her and she nodded her head as she typed in the name hurriedly before looking through the records in the computer. 

“Third floor, room three hundred forty one.” she told him. “Take the elevators right over there to the third floor.” she instructed him before pointing towards two elevators in the corner of the room. Minho nodded his head and thanked her quickly before rushing to the elevators. He anxiously waited for the elevators to arrive before quickly getting into them and pressing the button for the third floor. He shifted on his feet as the elevator rose from the first floor and tried to calm himself down to not be completely panicked.

When the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened Minho quickly walked out and was greeted by a nurse at another front desk.

“Can I help you?” she asked kindly and Minho walked hurriedly over to her.

“My wife is giving birth in room three hundred forty one. I need to be with her please.” he rushed out and she smiled widely at him.

“Can I see your i.d. please?” she asked quickly and he easily pulled his wallet out before showing her his i.d. She smiled while nodding her head and pressed a button that unlocked the door leading further into the maternity ward. “Right down the hallway on the left.” she instructed and Minho nodded his head before quickly rushing down the hallway.

When he came to the door for room three hundred forty one he could hear you groaning loudly from within before he knocked quickly on the door. It opened suddenly and Minho was greeted by a panicked looking Jisung.

“Oh thank god you’re here!” he cried happily before pulling Minho into the room. Minho stood there for a moment quickly taking in the room before he spotted you on the bed sweaty and panting softly as you gritted your teeth.

“Are you the husband?” asked the doctor who was moving towards the end of your bed and Minho nodded quickly before he moved to your side. You looked over at him and sighed softly when your eyes connected with his.

“You almost missed it.” you said sorrowfully and Minho shook his head quickly before pressing a kiss to your forehead.

“I wouldn’t miss this for the world.” he whispered to you before guiding you to sit forward as he climbed into the bed behind you and wrapped his arms around your body like the two of you had planned for your birth. Your body fell heavily back against his chest and he sturdily kept you upright as he pressed sweet kisses to the side of your face. “You’re doing so well agi. So well. I’m so proud of you.” he whispered in your ear.

“Alright Mrs. Lee, on the count of three I need you to push. We’re at the end now.” the doctor instructed you and Minho felt you shake your head at his words.

“C’mon Mindeulle. We have to push. Our ssang-dung-i-deul are coming.” Minho whispered into your ear and your head lolled back against his shoulder.

“I’m so tired.” you panted out and Minho nodded his head while interlacing your fingers with his as he shifted back against the bed.

“Alright, one, two, three!” said the doctor loudly and Minho leaned forward with you as you gripped his fingers tightly as you screamed in pain. “Good! There’s one!” said the doctor as he handed one baby to an awaiting nurse who quickly moved to clean up the baby. Minho gasped as the sound of a loud wail filled the room and he beamed proudly as he pressed more kisses to the side of your head. “One more time, count of three. Let’s get that little girl out here.” the doctor said encouragingly. “One, two, three!” Minho leaned forward once more with you as you screamed and gripped his fingers again. He watched wide eyed as your daughter was slipped from your body and handed off to another nurse who quickly moved to clean her off. When he heard the wail of his little girl Minho sagged back against the bed with you laying heavily on his chest and he began to chuckle softly as tears fell from his eyes.

“Here you are Eomeoni.” came the sweet soft voice of the first nurse and Minho watched in awe as she gently placed your son in your arms, laying him on your chest. Minho stared down at the two of you as his body began to shake with so much emotion coursing through him before the second nurse came over with your daughter and laid her on the other side of your chest. His arms came around the three of you protectively as he pressed kisses into your hairline while tears still slipped down his face.

He’s so enraptured by the beautiful moment of his little family expanding by two that he doesn’t notice Jisung proudly snapping picture after picture on his cell phone to later send to the happy exhausted parents.

SKZ Taglist: @intartaruginha, @kayleefriedchicken, @babigriin, @simpforleeknaur, @inlovewithstraykids

[jujulebee]

this is like, the opposite of me, like i would like, climb things i wasnt supposed 2 and then when i DID get GRIEVOUSLY INJURED i would like walk it off lmao

Egg fell off of something she most certainly shouldn't have been climbing and now she's hamming up her nonexistent injuries for her babysitter Anya

Anya: oh you poor thing!!

Egg: 😔😔😔😔 poor thing

[back2bluesidex]

Enchanted - KNJ

Pairing: Namjoon X Reader

Theme: Angst with a happy ending, exes to lovers au.

Request:

HIII i want to make a request for the TS song drabble game Can you do Namjoon x Enchanted the genre maybe angst? fluffiest Its one of my favs ..this idea came to mind while remembering the lyrics.. what if Namjoon lost his memory and reader was a museum crying staring at Nam´s favorite works and then they meet and maybe they fall in love again.. leaving an open ending if he ever got his memory back or not. or maybe he did! whatever you want is fine :)

Song: Enchanted

Word count: 1k+

Warnings: Major character accident, partial amnesia, angst, pining, crying, suffering, reader gets called a bad luck.

Minors and Karens Are Not Allowed in this Blog!!

A/N: A huge thanks to you, anon, for offering this brilliant idea. I changed the storyline a bit so that it fits within a drabble length and I hope you like it.

also, a very happy birthday to our best boy Kim Namjoon. I hope he is happy and healthy just as he deserves to be.

"What are you doing here?"

"eomeoni, I- I"

"Didn't I tell you to keep your distance from now on? Didn't you ruin enough?" 

"Please.. I will - I want to see him once. Please. I promise I won’t even step near. I will just take a look. Please eomeoni?"

"No! You - You are bad luck. Look what you did to my poor son. He was rushing to see you just because you fainted and look who's laying on the death bed now!"

"eomeoni.."

"Stop calling me that! You are no one to me! you are no no one to Namjoon. Leave right away or I'll have to report you." 

The conversion reels in your head as you stare at the man from afar. 

It's been a year since that dreadful night, the worst night of your life. It's been a year since you last saw him, heard his voice, until today. 

Your heart rips apart seeing him standing so gracefully with practiced elegance. Nothing has changed. He still looks the same. It feels as if it was just yesterday when he took you to the art fair and bought you that handmade clay-framed mirror. 

But you know things are far from being so simple, if anything then everything is much more complicated than ever. 

While you still stay awake each night, spending a fair share of time shedding tears for him, he doesn't even recall your name. He doesn't remember who you are, what you sound like, how your touches feel, or the time you two shared being so in love. 

You had vanished from his life long ago, vanished from his memories leaving absolutely no traces behind. 

He forgot you, even if you know he never intended to, even if you know it was a cruel decision of fate, he still forgot you and you can't change a thing about that. 

Silent tears fall from your eyes as you stare at him. Only you know how much you want to run to him, hold him tightly in your arms and tell him that you have waited for him, tell him that you have never stopped loving him, tell him that you love him more than anyone ever can. But you can’t.

And even if you do all these, what will be Namjoon’s reaction? He will just shove you to the ground thinking you are a crazy woman trying to throw herself at him. So you decided to leave. Meeting him unexpectedly here in the gallery should be more than enough for you. You can’t ask for more. You have no right to ask for more. 

You turn your heels to leave but you hear a faint voice calling you from behind. 

"Excuse me.." it's his voice. It's Namjoon. 

You start to panic. Contemplating whether you should run away or give in, you stay planted at your own place. 

"Hey. Um.. I am sorry to bother you but I- uh saw you staring at my direction and you seemed to be really familiar.. So, do we know each other?" Namjoon's voice is unsure and filled with confusion.

Your heart breaks. You know you should have not expected him to remember you but his confession still makes you weak on your knees. 

Blinking several times and gathering some strength, you turn around and face him. 

He's just as handsome as he used to be, if not more. 

Seeing you silent, Namjoon clarifies, "Sorry if I seem weird with my questions. I actually got into an accident last year and lost some of my memories. So I tend to ask people who they are if someone seems familiar to me. And you.." he pauses, his eyes raking through your face as if he's trying to find a clue "you seem to be someone very close to me." 

"I- I think you got the wrong idea. I mean - I, no, we.. we knew each other through some common friends but weren't exactly close." Your words fumble over each other much more than you would like. 

"oh- sorry then." A sheepish smile takes over Namjoon's face. 

His dimples make you sick and you want to run away from him. 

"I gotta go-"

"May I know your name?" 

You two speak out at the same time.

"Y/N. It's Y/N." You say hurriedly. 

"Yeah... Y/N" Namjoon whispers. 

You don't know if you're imagining things or not, but a flash of sadness passes through Namjoon's features. 

"I don't wanna sound like a creep but-" he hesitates.. "I would love to have a cup of coffee with you." 

"I am so sorry but I kinda have to go." You reply with your heart breaking into a thousand pieces all over again.

"oh.. then, can I at least have your number? Please?" Namjoon pleas. His voice quivers a bit or maybe you're just hearing things. 

You don't know what you should do. You don't know why life is playing these games with you. You don't know where this will go but what you know for sure is that you're enchanted to meet Namjoon again. So you give in and take another chance. 

"Sure." You murmur. 

Namjoon pulls out his phone from his pocket, unlocks it and gives it to you. 

As soon as you take his phone in your hands, your world starts to spin, eyes start to blur, hands start to shake because it's you. It's your picture saved as his wallpaper, the one from the art fair, under cherry blossom, wearing the same hoodie Namjoon is wearing right now. 

When you look up at him you find that his dark eyes are full to the brim with tears, which may start falling anytime. He looks as broken as you do.  

"The story line didn't end there, Y/N. It was the very first page. And... And I was enchanted to meet you. I would do anything to meet you again." 

"You- y-you remember me?" your words get choked.

"How could I not? You are deep-rooted in my heart. My brain may have forgotten a period of time but heart kept on trying to make me remember you. And it was successful." Namjoon smiles through tears, so do you.

"I hope you are not in love with someone else, you don't have someone waiting on you." he whispers, stepping close to your body.

"No- I don't." you reply, taking a step towards him.

Namjoon comes closer, cups your face and connects your forehead with his as you two intertwine your lives again standing in the middle of the gallery.

Taglist:

@phenomenalgirl9 @variety-is-the-joy-of-life @soraviie @sukunabitch @chimchimmarie @coffeedepressionsoup @meowstake @vonvi-blog @nochuel @chimmisbae

[without-ado]

엄마(Eomma)/어머니(Eomeoni): Mom in Korean

[anemoiawithatouchofobsession]

Dont talk to me Im watching Sarangbang sonnim gwa eomeoni

[thelingodingo]

Korean Familial Terms Part 1

I've mentioned before that Korean has a very complicated and extensive system of familial terms (at least compared to English). So in this post I'll explain a bit more in depth of how these terms work!

Part 1: Immediate Family

부모(님) (bumo(nim)) - parents

Mother:

엄마 (eomma) - mom (informal)

어머니 (eomeoni) - mother (standard, formal)

어머님 (eomeonim) - mother (formal, used when referring to someone else's mother)

Father:

아빠 (appa) - dad (informal)

아버지 (abeoji) - father (standard, formal)

아버님 (abeonim) - father (formal, used when referring to someone else's father)

Sister:

누나 (nuna) - male to female

누님 (nunim) - male to female (formal)

언니 (eonni) - female to female

형님 (hyungnim) - female to female (formal): people very rarely know that "hyungnim" is actually a term that can be used by women as well in specific contexts. if you're a woman that's formally referring to an older woman then yes, you would use hyungnim. this is most common when referring to your sister in-law on the husband's side.

여동생 (yeodongsaeng) - younger sister

자매 (jamae) - sisters

Brother:

형 (hyung) - male to male

형님 (hyungnim) - male to male (formal)

오빠 (oppa) - female to male

오라버니 (orabeoni) - archaic version of oppa

오라버님 (orabeonim) - archaic version of oppa (formal)

남동생 (namdongsaeng) - younger brother

형제 (hyeongje) - brothers

Bonus

Cousin: you would use the same terms as sister and brother except you'll add the word 사촌 (sachon) in front of it when you need to specify that it's a cousin of yours.

Part 2: Grandparents, uncle/aunt, niece/nephew - coming soon!

Part 3: Father's side of the family, mother's side of the family, in-laws - coming soon!

[mclarensangel]

Chapter 6- The Royal Announcement

Warnings: female presenting character, mentions of abuse from a parental figure, mentions of bullying, mentions of the death of a side character, yoongi being adorable, namjoon being protective, namjoons eomma being protective, low self esteem, crying, mentions of a dog

Word Total: 4.2k

*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_

Claps soon emanate from the room at the acceptance of the king’s proposal of marriage. Briefly glancing just past the shoulder of the king, you saw your two other contenders, standing there practically green with envy. Their faces contorted with anger at the realisation that they would never be queen. You had the power. But you didn’t care about the power, it was the love of the boys both in front of you and behind you. The boys who you had become so close to, that you felt if you were away from them for too long your heart may break. 

Namjoon turns back around, and his eyes fall onto the crowd before him. Rustling is heard as people fall to their knees to bow to their king and now… their future queen. Eun-Bi and Seol-Hyun begrudgingly follow the audience's lead. Once everyone had risen again, Namjoon addressed the audience once more. 

“Tonight we shall celebrate my bride. The wedding will take place in 50 days. I would like to invite my beautiful future queen's family forward. However, first I would like to introduce the two candidates who did not make it. Tradition states that you are now Kings women” he began, turning to face the women who now held mischievous smirks on their faces. Namjoon squeezed the hand he was still holding before continuing on “However, that will not be what is happening this time. The woman whom I will marry will be the only one for me” he carried on, turning back to the crowd fully “As you all may know, I have never had a… collection…” he grimaced “of concubines. And I will not be starting now. I invite you all to enjoy the celebrations. And I especially look forward to meeting my bride’s family” he finished. A sudden pang hit your chest when you realised Namjoon was meeting your father. You had spoken with the Queen Dowager about what your relationship with your father was like, and you didn’t know if she had mentioned it to the boys, but knowing her, she would have. 

Putting on a brave face, you smiled whilst your family made their way up to the two of you. Your mother was the first to greet the two of you, a look of pride and a smile as wide as her face greeted you. 

“Chin-aehaneun, I am so proud of you. I have missed you so much” she spoke, placing her hands against your cheeks, love radiating from her eyes. Pulling you into a hug, you allow yourself to take a breath of her scent. The scent reminded you of home. Of love. Of warmth. Of her. She was wearing her best hanbok for this occasion. The jeogri was a beautiful crimson colour, the chima matching the colour perfectly. Your family emblem is sewn into the bottom of the skirt as yours had. The goreum was in a beautiful white, a contrast to the dark colour of the other fabric just beneath it. After a brief hug, your mother took a step back, before falling onto her knees in front of the king. 

“My deepest apologies, your royal highness, for I did not greet you first, as I should have. It has been so long since I have been able to hold my daughter that I forgot my place. Please forgive me, my King”. Namjoon laughed joyfully, crouching down to pull your mother from the floor, a smile so handsome that you felt your heart miss a beat and a smile crawl onto your lips. 

“Eomeoni, you need not thank me. I would have done the same in your position. Thank you for giving birth to such a woman, my family and I love her.” he said pulling her to stand. “I would like to formally invite you to dine with the Kim family, where you will dine alongside myself, my eomma and my closest men. Please join us in the dining hall in around 10 minutes from now?” he said, his hand closed around your mothers as he talked. After receiving a nod of confirmation from your mother, he lets go of her hands and takes a step back. The handsome smile falls from his face, as he moves his hands behind his back. The briefly gentle-looking man, now looking every part of King Namjoon. He turns to your father, his face stern and solid, his teeth grit together. Your father, pretending to play the part of a loving father, takes a step towards you. However, it is not Namjoon that stops the man from taking a step closer to you. Its Yoongi. Both yours and your father's faces change to one of shock. Your father goes almost red in anger before he remembers where he is and takes a step back once more. 

“My apologies Sir, I didn’t realise I couldn’t greet my own daughter” he spoke to Yoongi, disdain evident in his voice. Yoongi smirked at the audacity of the man before him. Yoongi remembered everything you had told him of your father from the times you had spent together since arriving here, he had also been told by the Queen Dowager, when she warned everyone of the turbulent relationship between the two of you before the ceremony. 

*5 days previous*

The boys had decided that today was Yoongi’s day to spend with you. He had been the busiest and had the least amount of time to spend with you, and as it was his free day, they deemed it only fair that it was his day. You had received a letter in the early morning to meet him in the cherry blossom gardens, on the dock by the lake. One of his men would be there to escort you, just in case you got lost. You found out recently when trying to find a wishing well that Jungkook had told you about in the east corner of the grounds, how easy it really was to get lost in a place such as this, so you were thankful that someone would be able to escort you to the exact right place. 

Dressing in the hanbok that Jimin gifted you, you revelled in the beauty of it. Watching how the sun hit the purple shades beautifully, and how it caught the glimmer of the golden thread that was sewn into the dress in butterfly shapes. Making sure to attach the norigae to the outfit, your heart filled with happiness and love at the thoughts of the time you had spent here so far. Sitting down you pull on the lilac beoseons and then place the purple gomusin’s. Finally, you turn and shuffle over to where your mirror sat, and where your ladies were waiting for you. On the table by the mirror were the golden cheopji’s that you had been gifted alongside the outfit you were currently wearing, as well as the earrings that Yoongi had gifted you. Your heart fluttered as you remembered what he had said when gifting them to you. No one other than your mother had made you feel as loved and as beautiful as the 6 men you met with regularly and the Queen Dowager. You had yet to meet the king for the final part but the men of his that you had met gave you hope that they would be as kind as them. Alongside the earrings from Yoongi, was the ring that Taehyung had gifted you. Luna, the puppy that Jungkook had gifted you, sat next to you, her head resting on your leg as Hwasa began styling your hair, braiding it but allowing some hair to fall in strands around your face. She places the cheopji’s in carefully, before moving on to her next job. Applying a gentle rouge to your lips, making them a gorgeous pink colour. Soft and inviting, you hoped. Whilst Hwasa was attending to your hair and makeup, Hyo-Seong got to work placing the jewellery onto your body. First, she placed the earrings in your ears, making sure not to let any of the loose hair knot into the earrings. Then, she placed the signet ring on your little finger on your right hand, the finger closest to your ring finger, making you smile down at it. Once they had both completed their respective jobs, they took a step back and smiled at their work. Hyo-Seong took a step to the side, retrieving a collar and a rope-like item. The rope had a handle fashioned onto it, and any loose hairs on the rope had disappeared. It was able to be tied onto the collar. Hwasa called Luna over to her, who upon hearing her name bounded over to the lady. Placing the collar carefully around the neck of the dog, she then attached the lead, before handing the part with the handle to you. You stood up, smiled at your dog and the ladies and made your way towards the door. 

Pulling open the door, you saw a man with his fist raised. The man jumped and took a few steps back. 

“Lady Seo, I am here to bring you to the Head Directorate, His Lordship Min Yoongi, please accompany me this way,” he says, bowing slightly and moving his arm to gesture the way towards the cherry blossom gardens. Bowing slightly back, you turn and smile towards your ladies before moving out of your apartment and following after the young man just ahead of you. Moments later, you arrive in front of the man who you had previously been told about. Min Yoongi, in the flesh. He stood by a large piece of fabric on the ground. Pillows are strategically placed, allowing for comfort as well as for being able to see each other comfortably. A small wooden table sat near the end of the pier. It held so many of your favourite foods, that you have discussed with the Queen Dowager or one of the other boys. Everything from your favourite snack to your favourite dessert was on the table. Another table just to the left of it, held different drinks, also, more of your favourites. Luna didn’t care to notice your admiration and tugged on the rope to get to Yoongi, wanting belly rubs from the man. Yoongi noticing the pull on the lead gave you a swift nod, and you let go of the lead, allowing her to run to the man, desperate for his attention. You smile at the sight of the usually stoic man, smiling a gummy smile down at the small dog. Your heart felt so full at that very moment. Seconds later, Luna got bored with the tummy rubs and went and laid on one of the cushions, lying directly on her back, paws in the air, soaking in the sun as if she was a human trying to soak up the sun into their bones. Yoongi lets out a short laugh, directing his gummy smile towards you, before holding his hand out…

“Shall we, Lady Seo?” he asks. You smile back at the man, taking his hand and allowing him to lead the way over to the cushions. 

“I may have had to ask the boys and eommoni what your favourite food and drinks are,” he said nervously, taking a jug of liquid and pouring it into two separate cups. Handing one to you and then taking his. You both smile at each other and take a small sip of the liquid. A content smile leaves your lips once you have swallowed the sweet liquid. It was peach tea, much like the tea that is served at the Queen Dowager’s luncheons. Served in your favourite way, cold and sweet. You take another happy sip, before placing the cup down and turning to look at the man before you. 

“You did not need to do all of this for me, my lord,” you told him before continuing “I deeply appreciate and love this, but it is not I that deserves this”. The words that come out of your mouth quickly make the man before you snap his head to you in shock. 

“Why is it that you have decided that you do not deserve this? What or who has made you believe that you are not worthy of all the love and attention that you receive? Tell me who and I shall have their heads immediately” the blonde-haired man speaks to you, his voice serious and his eyes full of questions and… worry? Why is the man before you worried? It could not be that he has feelings for you, you tell yourself. Bowing your head slightly, you try to put into words the thoughts that are swirling around in your head. 

“I do not know how much the Queen Dowager has told you about myself. So please allow me to tell you myself.” you began “When I was growing up, I briefly attend schooling, mainly on elegance, reading and other such subjects. Whilst attending this school, I met Yeji, my best friend, and my school bullies, who are also here, Kim Seol-Hyun and Kwon Eun-Bi. They made my life in and around that school a living nightmare, they would constantly taunt my weight and…. The…. my….. My sister died when I was younger, it couldn’t be helped, we did everything we could, tried every doctor, and every medicine. Nothing worked, and she passed away in my arms. The two girls somehow knew of this and told me every day that it was my fault, that the reason she passed was due to me, and that she never got any food, but that wasn’t true. I barely ate when my unnie was ill, I was always the one looking after her. And that’s when my father started drinking, using the money on beer instead of looking after his family. I tried so hard to keep my family together, but I just couldn’t do it. And those two… beasts made everything worse, to the point where I engrained into my brain that I was undeserving of love, because surely if three people tell you that you are unworthy of love that must be true right?” you spoke. You jumped when you felt a soft thumb touch your cheek, wiping away the tears you didn’t know that you had spilt. 

“You are worth so much more than their meaningless words, you are worthy of so much love and you deserve so much love. They do not even deserve to be in your presence. You are an angel that has been sent down to show us what we have been missing and what we need in our lives. You don’t have to tell me any more if your heart does not desire to do so” He spoke, his eyes never leaving yours, as he continued to wipe more tears away from your rosy cheeks. 

“Things between my father and I got a lot worse when unnie died. He drank more, and he treated me worse. He would come home from drinking and say ‘im using this money for your future’, he would tell me that his drinking was all my fault. That it should have been me who died. The night that Lord Kim Seokjin announced that the King was looking for a Queen in our village was the night that my father attacked me for the first time. When I came home with the news that the Supreme Commissioner had visited and told us the news, he told me that I would not be proceeding with the application. I tried to be brave” you continued on. Yoongi took a hold of both your hands, enveloping his large ones with yours. He squeezed them and you gave him a gentle smile before continuing on. “ I told him that he has no authority in this decision, that the law dictated that we must, or our family would be shamed. My mother was so happy to be able to do this for me. She told me to go and get myself ready for the dinner that we would be having with the Hwangs. And so I did, I went to my room to get myself ready and I had taken some of my braids out when my father stormed into the room. I had never seen him so angry before. I felt trapped… and…. And… scared” you spoke. Tears began falling down your face at a more rapid pace. Yoongi could see your eyes beginning to fill with fear as the story continued on. “He stormed in and told me that I was treating him as a child as if I was his parent. I was sitting down, so I thought standing up might make me safer, but he obviously thought differently. He lunged towards me, and he grabbed some of the braids that were still tied and yanked me to the floor with them. I remember hitting my head and then him screaming at me” you stated. Yoongi continued to watch as your eyes became more and more distant as if you weren’t really there with him. Almost like you had been transported into your memory. He moved to sit next to you, holding you in his arms. Allowing you to feel safe when you’re body was feeling terrified. “Even when I was on the ground he screamed ‘I am the man of this house’ and ‘I make the rules’. One of the things that hurt more than what he did was his screaming in my face ‘not a’” you hiccuped “ ‘a fat little girl who won’t even make it past the first stage’ and then he crouched down to my height, and told me that it should have been me that died, and I should never have been born and that I was a disgrace.” You finished, looking up into Yoongi’s brown eyes. Your eyes became more focused and then a light smile hit your lips “that's when my eomma came in. She grabbed him by his ear and dragged him out by it. I had never seen so much fire and anger in that women’s eyes ever before. It was truly a sight to behold. Once she had pulled him out of the house, she came back in and told me that I was none of those things that the man had told me and she held me as I curled up into her arms, My eomma has always been my biggest supporter.” you finished. Yoongi looked at you, and he didn’t look at you with shame or embarrassment, there was a look in his eyes that almost reminded you of love. He held you in his arms for a few moments longer before speaking to you again “your eomma is right, you are none of those things that the disgrace of man who calls himself your father called you. You are so much more. I have only known you for a short while but I know that I cannot let you leave my life. My life is so much better now that you are a part of it. And if I have anything to do with it, Namjoon… I mean the king, will make you his wife, and I… I mean we… I mean he, will be able to dote on you for the rest of your life. You are worth so much more than what he says, and if I ever have the displeasure of meeting him, know that I will have a few choice words to say to him” He tells you, his face stern, his eyes looking off into the horizon, making you giggle at his almost heroic position. 

“Thank you, Lord Min,” you told him.

“Call me Yoongi” he responded

“Thank you, Yoongi” you repeated. “I do have a question for you, however,” you continued 

“Question away nae salang/Sarang,” he told you, making you blush at him calling you ‘his love’.

“What is the relationship between you, the Great King and his other men? You need not tell me if it makes you uncomfortable my lord” you questioned. “Sorry I mean Yoongi”

The man laughs at your minor slip-up, making you feel at ease. He turned his body slightly more towards you. 

“The king, his men and I, well…” he paused, taking a deep breath before continuing “we are together. Romantically that is. But I personally have felt that we weren’t quite complete like there was something or someone missing. And I can’t speak for the other boys, well I can a little bit due to the discussions we’ve had. But when we saw you, it was like everything in the world became brighter, the colours more radiant, the breeze that much sweeter. Like you were destined to be ours. And so we told Namjoon, who will be choosing the final woman to be the bride, and we all concluded that you were the woman we wanted. So if you’ll have us, we want you. We all want you” he finished, looking you directly in the eyes, fear and nervousness swirling around in his eyes, as he waited with bated breath for your rejection or acceptance of his admission. 

“I want nothing more than to be yours, all of yours,” you told the man before you, bringing your hand up to rest against his cheek. His eyes lit up with joy as he stood up, pulled you up, and lifted you into his arms, spinning you around

“You need not apologise Sir Seo, but it is your King who you should address first, not your daughter. Or do you not have any respect for your King or even your future son-in-law” Yoongi spoke. His back was straight, his ceremonial robes fitting to perfection around every crease of his body, and his right hand resting gracefully on the katana that dangled from his left-hand side. The man before him looked flabbergasted. Namjoon let out a quiet snicker beside you that he easily covered as a cough if you did not know any better. 

“Who do you think you are, telling me who I shall and shan’t greet? The Great King was accepting of my wife greeting our beloved daughter before him, so I shall do the same” Your father spoke, digging himself into a deeper and deeper hole. Before Yoongi had a chance to respond to the ill-mannered man before him, the Queen Dowager stood, moving to stand between your father and the men who stood on either side of you. 

“The man who you are talking to” the Queen Dowager started “is the Head Directorate, a man way beyond your station. It is required of you to speak to him with respect. Or you see that katana that he holds so elegantly?” She spoke, moving her hand and body to gesture to the large blade that Yoongi held, her head turning just slightly more than her body to send a wink to the three of you. Once she has gestured, she moves her body back towards the man who fidgets in his spot, taking a step closer towards him, her face stiffening with hidden anger. She lowers her voice so that only those nearby can hear “I will personally assure you that he uses that ever so sharp blade to cut your head clean from your neck. If you ever think about disrespecting my family. Ever. again. Is that understood?”. The man before her swallowed in fear before nodding and bowing deeply towards the revered woman. 

He moves and stands in front of the king. He too falls to his knees and bows multiple times before him. Waiting for the command to stand to fall from the gracious king’s lips. He bows 5 more times before the words slip from between the plump lips of the king. 

“You may stand,” he tells him, his voice deep with authority. “However,” he continues on “as you so like to drink, you shall be sent to the bar. For good. You will never see your family again, you have lost your title, and if you think of ever causing any trouble, my mother will see that her threat becomes reality. Do you understand me?”. Your father stands there, his mouth falling open and closed as if he were a fish. After a few moments without a response, he sighs deeply before repeating. “I said. Do. I. Make. Myself. Clear?” enunciating his every word. Your father, still not responding, stands there. It is only when Namjoon calls for the guards that he begins to realise the depths of his situation and tries to scramble his way out of it. He falls to the ground again and bows as deeply as possible, begging the tall man before him for his forgiveness. But Namjoon does not budge a single inch, glaring down at the man with the most amount of distaste you had ever seen in anyone's eyes. 

When your father has finally been removed from the room. Namjoon turns to your mother. 

“Eommani, I sincerely and deeply apologise for having to do that within your presence. It would be my greatest honour to house you within my kingdom. Would you do me that honour?” He asks the woman who is a striking resemblance to you. 

“It would be my honour, your highness she says” bowing as low as she can once more. Namjoon pulls her up before she can reach the floor before telling her “you need not bow towards me eommani, it is I who should bow to you.” He states, going to bow himself. Your mother stops him before he can even bow his back more than 45 degrees. She holds his hands in hers and speaks…

“Please call me eomma”

SERIES TAGLIST

@skyys-universe @yoongiigolden @zae007live @thedarkwinterrose

@namjinieesope @uniquelyabnormallyoriginal @poesreddeath @insert-a-creative-url-right-here @hey-syia @scentisterror @emu007 @hajimaoppaa @feedthefandoms995 @maetyun @explorewithd @treetops68 @bibebts @angel-121 @sbromp @zmbo97 @sgnsgssy @silverrr-spooon @el-insomnio-no-es-divertido @plutoneu @oppa-agust-d @jolinaprincess @iamhereforbts @wiccanmetallicrose @iwishididn0texist @hair1997 @uniquecutieprincess @agusfree @borahaetelevision @queen-in-the-shadows

PERMANENT TAGLIST

@ewok7attack @marcelka134340

PROOF READERS

@marcelka134340 @oppa-agust-d

[loveisnotovertae]

Love Is Not Over

✏️Taehyung x OFC ✏️Friends to Lover AU 🛑 Rated 18+ 📖WC:2075 ⚠️Mentally abusive and controlling ex, stalking, mention of anxiety cheating, COVID, drinking, drunk hookup, masturbation, oral, accidental marriage, accidental pregnancy⚠️

Mae always wanted to go to South Korea and visit all the places her Aunt and Uncle used to tell her stories about. So after catching her fiancè cheating, she did just that. Her two month trip turned into a permanent stay thanks to covid lockdown. A friendly neighbor turned best friend, who just so happened to be part of the biggest music group in the world. A drunken night that changed her life forever.

Chapter 12

“How do you feel?” Taehyung’s mother asked from the other end of the phone.

“Anxious, excited, and scared,” Mae answered, “I have so many emotions going through me right now, I don’t know if I want to make the driver turn back to the airport or if I want him to speed up so that I can get there faster.”

Mae stared out of the tinted windows of the car and watched the busy California traffic pass by. She was back in her home state for the first time in three years.

The past two weeks were stressful. Her phone was constantly blowing up between phone calls and text messages. Then the random gifts and letters started showing up. That’s when she knew her address had been leaked.

Taehyung’s parents came over in the middle of the week to take Mae to dinner and saw the hallway outside her door covered in gifts. She’d cleared out the hallway a few hours before and was just as shocked as they were when she opened the door.

That night was when the three of them decided it would be safer for Mae to get away for a while. So she packed a couple of bags and went to stay with Taehyung’s parents. Once settled in, she had a talk with Tae’s father who convinced her to go to the company for help. After years of observing his son and the rest of the members, he’d seen what happens when things go bad, and knew it wasn’t safe for her to go through it alone. She agreed to let them step in as long as they kept everything that was happening from the guys.

It was his mother’s idea for Mae to go visit her friends. She grew concerned watching the stress of everything take its toll on her. Taehyung’s mother understood why Mae wanted to keep things from him, she’d done it a few times herself, but Mae needed someone to talk to. Someone who could comfort her in a way that they couldn’t.

“Did you let anyone know you were coming?”

“No, I wanted to surprise them.”

“Remember what I told you to do if you run into that asshole of an ex,” Taehyung’s father said.

“Yes, Appa, I remember,” Mae said with a laugh, “Don’t give him the satisfaction of knowing that he still has an effect on me. If I see him I’m supposed to treat him as someone I’ve never met before and if he tries anything, kick him in the balls.”

“That’s my girl,” he said proudly.

“We are just a couple minutes away,” the butterflies in Mae’s stomach fluttered as the surrounding houses became more familiar. “I’m going to let the two of you go.”

“Alright,” Taehyung’s mother said, “Have fun and be safe.”

“I will, Eomeoni.”

“If you drink, make sure to stay away from Taehyung. We don’t need another Jeju incident right now.”

“I promise I will not get that drunk again, Appa,” Mae said with a chuckle.

“Good, the last thing you two need to worry about is mysteriously becoming parents.”

“APPA!” Mae couldn’t help but laugh along with him at her outburst. He loved teasing her.

The three of them said their final goodbyes as the driver turned into the long driveway to the house.

Mae fiddled with the strap of her purse, the closer they got to the house. Her body buzzed with both excitement and nerves.

A big smile formed on her face when the head housekeeper, Abigail, stepped out the front door with a confused look on her face at the car coming up the drive. It took everything in Mae not to jump out of the moving car and hug her.

“Oh my word,” Abigail said once the driver opened the door and Mae stepped out. “Someone pinch me, I must be dreaming. Is it really you Miss Mae? Look at you!” She opened her arms and hugged Mae.

“Are you surprised?” Mae asked, letting the warmth of the hug calm her.

“Surprised doesn’t even begin to describe it,” Abigail said, tightening her hug, “Oh my sweet, beautiful child. I’ve missed you so much.” She kept her hands on Mae’s shoulders as she stepped back to get a better look at her. “Wow, look at you. You look so much happier and healthier than you did the last time I saw you. Did the girls know you were coming?’

“No, Ma’am. I wanted to surprise them, too.”

“They will be so shocked! I’ll take your bags and get your room ready. Why don’t you go join them by the pool?”

Mae gave Abigail another hug and thanked her before sprinting through the large house towards the back patio door that led to the pool.

“Bitches, I’m home!” she yelled, swinging open the doors and stepping out into the blinding sunlight. “Jesus! I forgot how bright it is back here at this time of day,” Mae shielded her eyes with her hand.

“Mae!” her three best friends yelled in unison before she was engulfed in a group hug.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Kimberleigh asked.

“And why the hell didn’t you let us know you were coming?” D added.

“I wanted to surprise you and I figured the less people that knew I was coming, the better,” Mae answered the two of them.

“Is everything okay in Korea or has it gotten worse?” Veronica asked as the women ended their hug.

Mae hesitated for a bit before answering her. All they knew was that people knew her name and what she looked like. She’d hoped to wait a few hours before telling them just how bad it had gotten. But she knew by the look Veronica was giving her, her brain was already thinking of scenarios.

“I won't lie to you guys. It’s been really scary. A couple of days after you left, my phone number was leaked and then my address. I’ve spent the last two weeks with Tae’s parents. Even..”

“Taehyung,” Kimberleigh cut Mae off and looked over her friends shoulder. “Did you know about this?”

Mae’s eyes went wide and she slowly turned around to see a group of seven men standing outside the doors she’d just come through minutes before. Their faces showed a mixture of concern and worry. Taehyung looked angry, she knew he was going to be mad that she’d kept this from him.

“No. No, I did not,” he said, not taking his eyes off of Mae.

“Why don’t we go get the food ready while they talk. Mae can fill us in later,” D said, taking the other women’s hands and pulling them towards the house.

The two of them stood there a few minutes staring at each other. Mae didn’t want to anger him anymore so she just waited until he started yelling.

Taehyung was upset that she’d kept this from him. But he was angry at the people who were making her scared. Scared enough that she didn’t feel safe in her own home, so she went and stayed with his family. He took a few minutes to calm himself so that she wouldn’t think he was angry with her.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“At first, it wasn’t that big of a deal,” Mae answered, breaking eye contact to fiddle with the bottom of her shirt. She didn’t look at him while she spoke. She told him about the phone calls, text messages and the packages. She told him that she’d brought in the company, like his father advised. She told him that his mother was the one who’d suggested that she come here so she had her family. But she didn’t tell him about Tyler. She didn’t want him to be anymore upset, especially with their concert happening in a few days.

Taehyung, though, could see she wasn’t telling him everything. It was like she was reading from a script. It was reminiscent of when his mother hid things as to not worry him more than she deemed necessary. It took everything in him not to smile.

“Mae,” both of them froze in shock when Mae flinched at the feeling of Taehyung’s hand on her shoulder.

“I am so sorry. I don’t know why I did that,” Mae said, looking at him with wide-eyes.

“You don’t need to apologize, Mae,” Taehyung said, giving her a reassuring smile, “You’ve had a long flight and what sounds like a very stressful couple of weeks. Why don’t you get freshened up and I’ll fill everyone in?”

“Thank you, Tae,” she said, smiling in return, “Just so you know, I was planning on telling you. I just didn’t want you to be worried about me. So, please don’t be mad.”

“Mae, I’m not mad. Well, not at you, at least. I’m mad at those who thought it was ok to do these things. You did the right thing by going to the company and staying with my family. Now, go get cleaned up. You look like shit.”

Mae playfully slapped Taehyung on the chest and called him an “asshole” before walking away.

Taehyung waited until she was out of sight before he pulled his phone from his pocket and called Bang to see just how bad things had gotten. He walked around the yard as he listened to what the older man had to say. As far as he knew, only a few of the packages and letters had been questionable. The gifts that were deemed good were put aside for the two of them to sort through once they got back.

His next phone call was to his parents, who surprisingly didn’t give up any information about the calls and texts Mae received. They just kept telling him that she’d have to tell him herself. They were protecting her as much as they would him, which he found both annoying and amusing.

The group was back outside when Taehyung returned to the patio. He sat on one of the barstools and told them everything Mae and Bang said, while they cooked.

He’d just finished telling them when Mae came out of the house freshly showered and in a clean pair of clothes. The wall she had up earlier was now gone. The toll of the past two weeks now showed in her eyes.

“You’ve been crying,” Veronica said, concerned for her friend.

Mae didn’t say anything as she unlocked her phone and placed it on the counter before sitting on a stool next to Taehyung.

Unknown Number: My sweet angel, Mae. What a coincidence that you would be arriving the same day I was leaving. You really need to pay better attention to your surroundings. If you hadn’t been so busy on the phone while you got in your car, you would’ve seen me getting out of mine at the airport. I can only assume you are here for your husband’s concert. Or you’ve been shunned out of the country for your drunken marriage. Either way if you’re still in town when I get back I’d love to see you and catch up.

The group grew quiet as they passed around Mae’s phone and read the messages from Tyler.

“How?” Namjoon asked.

“He’s Tyler. He knows everything,” Mae lowered her head and said softly.

“I think you should come stay at the hotel with us until you leave,” Taehyung said, holding her hand to stop her from picking at her cuticles.

“No, absolutely not,” Mae straightened up and looked at him, “There are too many people that know where you guys are staying. They will be watching your every move. It’ll be safer and I’ll be more comfortable here.”

“Ok,” Taehyung nodded his head and sighed, “But I need you to promise me that if he or anyone else finds out you’re here you’ll come stay with us and our security team.”

Mae looked around at the concerned faces of her friends. They were all worried for her. Especially the girls who knew how bad Tyler could get.

“If anyone finds out I’m here I’ll go stay at the hotel,” she agreed.

“And no more keeping things from us?” Jimin asked, pointing the knife he was using at her.

“I won’t keep anything else from you, I promise. Now please put down the knife.”

Jimin pursed his lips and nodded his head, satisfied with her answer, before going back to chopping the vegetables.

[michyeosseo]

Acting this way for I am an emotional animal. My emotions, please acknowledge.

Yoon Hae Young and Choi Myung Gil as JANG SE-MI & BAEK DO-YI LADY DURIAN (2023) 1.12, 1.13

[thedeathdeelers]

EOMEONI YOUR TIMING IS TERRIBLE

[moon-yeongjun]

No More Secrets || One-shot

Summary: The night of the Christmas Lighting, Eomma confronts Jun about Lo Madrigal.

You know, Jun had really not thought through the whole confession thing. 

That was pretty obvious, considering how messy and inarticulate it had all been. But it was even more obvious on the way home, the Moons all packed up in the van. Jun drove like always. The radio was on, playing pop worship music, like always. But the car was silent.

The car was never silent. How could it be silent, eh, with three sixteen-year-old girls always jabbering away?! And really, Jun didn’t even notice at first. It was late and Jun was tired, his brain whirling around like snowflakes as he thought of– who else– Lo. Lo, beautiful under the lights. Lo, her smile more dazzling than any of the decorations. Lo, with snow in her braids. How she had squeezed his hand, even as Jun stuttered and second-guessed and was generally very embarrassing, he was certain. Yet he could not even cringe at himself, because in every corner of his thoughts and in every corner of his heart was Lo. 

It was about halfway through that some of this subsided and he realized not a single person had said a thing. 

Oh. Oh, this was– weird.

Jun cleared his throat. 

No one said anything.

He coughed a bit.

No one said anything.

“Ah, I like this one,” he commented as he turned up the radio a bit. No one said anything, and now he was certain that at the very least, Eomma was mad at him, because she usually would start singing along. 

He dared to glance her way. She was staring straight ahead, blank-faced. She barely blinked. 

Oh– oh dear. And then the cold panic washed over him, harsher than any winter wind, and he would like to sink in his seat and hide, but he was still very much driving and so he could not do that, or he’d put the car in the snowbank and his family in the hospital! 

Well, maybe that would be better than whatever was awaiting him when they got back to the farm. 

And so when Jun parked the car and his siblings piled out again, he cast a glance toward the dark woods and tried to calculate if he could run fast enough to make it to the treeline before Eomma tackled him. Tchhhhh, the snow was quite deep and Jun was not extremely physically fit. In fact, Eomma went on long walks every day and even did a few workouts on Youtube. She would pummel him into the ground, like a ssireum wrestler. Escape was impossible. 

With a gulp, he got out of the car himself and trudged toward the house. 

“Sooooooooo… anyone up for some hot cocoa, eh!” Jun said cheerfully as he came in.

“Kids, go to your room,” said Eomma sharply. “Except for you.” 

She stared daggers at Jun. Oh, she really might kill him. 

His sisters and his brother all exchanged one meaningful look before darting away. He heard him pounding up the stairs and up there, they all burst into conversation and laughing. At his expense, no doubt! Yah, of course they would enjoy this. For thirty years, thirty years, Jun had never done anything wrong! He’d never put a foot out of order! Well, there was the cat thing and the fake dating thing and Eomma had regarded him with a similar cold-stone anger that he had rightfully deserved, but besides that, he really– he really had been the perfect son! What had he even done today, eh? Held Lo Madrigal’s hand? That was it! And she was treating him like– why– like he was as bad as Yeong-tae or Han-byeol!

This was so absurd, he was going to give Eomma a piece of his mind. Jun put his hands on his hips. 

“Eomma, this silent treatment really is not mature of you, I am quite frankly disappointed in your behav–” 

“Do you want to die?” She cut through his tirade before it could even start.

And Jun immediately fell to his knees, clasping his hands. “Eomeoni, forgive me!” 

“Tch! So dishonest!” Eomma snapped at him. “What were you thinking, eh? I can’t believe you are doing this again!” 

Eh? “Wh-what?”

“Seeing someone behind my back!” Eomma exclaimed. “Junnie, why are you always hiding things from me, eh? Am I really so bad? You hate your eomma that much?” Her lip wobbled, her eyes bright– though he did not think that Eomma would cry. 

Jun’s jaw went slack. “I– n-no, not at all! I didn’t keep anything from you this time, Eomma!” Jun scrambled up from the floor. “Really! And she’s not secretly a cat this time either, I promise!” 

“Aigoo, how am I supposed to believe you!” Eomma crossed her arms. “You just turn up holding hands! Holding hands and you never even mentioned her to me before!” 

Well, alright, that was, that was fair. “Eommmaaaaa,” Jun whined. “Eomma, that’s because it was the first time! We were just gaming together before!” 

“Gaming?”

“Yes, on the computer!”

“You were dating on the computer?”

“No! No! No dating! Just playing games! You know, Stardew Valley and Fall Guys and Overcooked, you’ve seen the girls play them with their friends on the Switch! We were just friends, Eomma, I swear. U-until– until tonight, I–I mean.” 

Eomma stared at him. She was assessing him with her sharp eyes, looking through him in a way that he knew that only Eomma could. She was the person who knew him best in the whole world, and yet now she looked at him like a stranger. And Jun felt like a stranger, too.

But was that Eomma’s fault? Or was it Jun’s fault, for never really speaking his mind? 

Now was his chance, for once. He thought of Lo again. He thought of their letters and how Truffle would encourage Toffee to stand up for herself. 

“I…I like her, Eomma,” he said a bit weakly. “I liked her for a while. She’s the first person I’ve ever liked like this.” 

Eomma’s eyes widened, looking at him like he really was an alien. “Yah, what about Tiffany!” 

Ah yes, his fiance. That whole thing felt worlds away. It was a life that had ended with the death of his abeoji. “Tiffany, I was only engaged to her because it was what you wanted, and what her family wanted. But we weren’t suited for each other, Eomma. We were like roommates.” 

Eomma muttered something under her breath, shaking her head.

“She’s very smart, Eomma. You’d like her too,” Jun went on, stammering. “You–really, she likes many of the same things that you like. She cooks, and she dances, she loves romantic films and tv shows. I showed you some dramas, eh! Remember Crash Course? She watched that too! She’s even learning Korean.” 

“This doesn’t sound like it happened just today,” Eomma said sharply. “It still sounds like you’ve been going behind my back again.” 

“No, I promise!” Jun exclaimed again. He sighed, rubbing his temple. “It was just as friends. It was all just as friends. Men and women are sometimes friends!” 

It was not really the way Eomma had been raised, he understood that. She was from a small farming town. Women and men didn’t become close easily. She’d met Yeong-seok and he had asked her out right that moment. 

“I know men and women are friends,” said Eomma defensively, as if reading Jun’s mind. “It just all seems very abrupt to me, that’s all. After last time, I had hoped you would talk to me. You children treat me like I’m some kind of terrible person, keeping things from me all the time.” 

“You aren’t terrible, Eomma. I’m sorry. You’re right, I should have talked to you about Lo,” Jun said, feeling just awful, the way only a parent who was excellent at guilt-tripping could make a son feel. Though– she had a point! He probably should have… talked to her… talked to…er… anyone. “I promise, I will talk to you from now on. And–and anything you want to know, I can tell you right now. Any question, go ahead!” 

“You didn’t sleep together did you?”

“EOMMA!” 

“You kids are like that these days!” 

“EOMMA PLEASE!” 

“You said any question! Stop shouting, you’re disturbing poor Tony.” Eomma leaned down and pat their family corgi, who indeed was starting to think all the noise meant it was time to play. He dropped the ball he’d carried over to Eomma. 

Jun put his hands in his face, resisting the urge to scream. 

Eomma chuckled, which was a surprise to Jun. He peeked through his hands and saw her smirking. Ah. That was revenge, now he saw. Slowly, he lowered his hands again. “Eomma…” he said “... so you aren’t… really that upset are you? I mean, that– that she is ah– that … ”

“Junnie.” Eomma crossed to him and squeezed his arms. Then she lightly smacked one of his arms. “No, I am not really upset. I just want you to talk to your eomma. I want you to be happy. It is so, so hard to be happy, and so– if she makes you happy– she does?”

Jun blushed, feeling his heart stammer now. He could not say how much Lo meant to him. After nearly a year speaking to her, she had become a very precious person. When he thought of her, he became very calm. It felt like things might work out. He wasn’t sure if that was quite happiness, but wasn’t it close? It was the closest to happiness in a long time. 

“I can talk to her,” he finally confessed this, which felt even bigger than happiness.

And Eomma smiled at him. “That’s good,” she murmured. “I could talk to your appa for hours and hours. We stayed up very late, all the time, just talking about nothing. Those are my favourite memories. And I still talk to him, you know.” 

Jun did. He heard her sometimes, in the morning. And it always broke his heart, a little. But then he’d come down the stairs and Eomma would be smiling, and that would heal some of the ache. 

“So I am happy for you,” said Eomma. “Now. If you are dating her, invite her over sometime soon, okay? Promise me.”

“I promise.”

“Good boy.” Eomma went on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. Then she slapped it softly. “Now off to bed. No “gaming!” Whatever that’s slang for!” 

“Eomma!” Jun squeaked.

But Eomma just laughed the way up the stairs.

[sheerfreesia007]

Brave Girl

Pairing: Changbin x Reader

Word count: 7,227

Content warnings: Arranged Marriage, Angst, Verbal abuse, toxic relationship, Changbin is cruel, mention of sickness, mention of medical procedure, mention of recovery

Summary: Changbin is a family man and would do anything for his family. But when his mother needs a medical procedure done that only your family can help facilitate is he able to set aside his pride to take you as his wife?

Eomeoniga apeuda: Mother is sick, Yong-gamhan sonyeo: brave girl, Eomeoni: Mother, Agi sonyeon: baby boy

Changbin felt his heart come to a standstill as he sat at the dining table in his normal spot in his family’s home. His mother sat across the table from him with his sister next to her while his father sat at the head of the table on his left while his brother in law sat on his right. He couldn’t believe his ears as he sat there staring down at his dinner plate feeling his appetite suddenly disappear on him. His once eager stomach now twisted and turned as he tried to mull over the words his father had just spoken. Eomeoniga apeuda, mother is sick. 

“What do you mean she’s sick? As in a cold? That’s nothing, she’s strong and she can get over a measly cold.” Changbin scoffed softly as his head lifted and he stared across the table at his mother. He wouldn’t admit it to himself but he had noticed that her complexion had been growing paler and paler each time he saw her. He had unconsciously thought she had just been spending more time indoors and not out in the sun like she normally would but now he could see how sallow her skin tone looked.

“It’s not just a cold Changbin.” his father said softly, looking stoic as he watched his son quietly.

“How dire is it?” asked his sister and Changbin’s eyes darted over to her to see her frowning softly as she gently held their mother’s hand in hers giving her silent comfort.

“There’s a procedure that could help with her illness. It won’t remove it but it will make it easier for her in the long run and will give her a better way of life than not having it done.” their father admitted and sighed softly as he turned his head to his wife and daughter.

“Then she’ll have it done.” Changbin said confidently and without any room for argument as he looked to his father and then to his mother for reassurance. His mother smiled softly at him and dipped her head slowly as her eyes watched him with love radiating through them.

“It’s not that easy. The procedure is only done by a select few doctors and they all have very packed and busy schedules right now. We don’t have the connections to make this happen quickly unfortunately.” their father explained.

“Well how do we make those connections?” Changbin asked hurriedly as he looked to his father with hopeful eyes.

“There is a way but you won’t like it.” their father said softly as he turned to look at Changbin with a soft frown.

*-*-*-*

You sat on the stiff uncomfortable couch in your father’s study with your knees together and your legs crossed at the ankles while your hands lay in your lap clutching each other. If you clenched them tightly enough you felt as if you could feel the tightening sensation throughout your whole body as you tried to keep yourself grounded. Your father sat behind his desk looking as closed off and cold as ever as his eyes focused on the other powerful man sitting on the opposite couch from you.

The head of the Seo clan sat on the couch opposite from you dressed in a neatly pressed dark navy expensive looking suit with a black button up shirt and black tie that got lost in his shirt. His face looked as if it had been carved out of marble as he looked towards your father with a slight furrow to his eyebrows. He sat there with his left ankle perched on his right right knee. His slender veined hands lay almost lazily on his bent knee and his raised ankle but you knew better he may look nonchalant and unbothered but that’s how he wanted to look. After all these years of being the daughter of one of the most powerful men in your city you knew better than to accept someone at face value. You only hoped he was much more approachable than the man sitting next to him.

Seo Changbin, the only son of the Seo Clan, sat on the couch next to his father leaned back into the cushions with his muscular legs spread wide as his arms crossed over his wide chest and a dark scowl on his face as he openly glared at you. His dark angry eyes held you pinned in your spot and you felt the sweat begin to prickle along your hairline as you avoided his eyes at every cost. You felt like prey under his gaze and you had a feeling that if you moved even just a toe out of line that he’d explode in anger. Your eyes dipped to the hardwood floor trying to make sure you look as small as you possibly could under his gaze as your fingers twisted around each other again and tightened.

“The wedding ceremony will be held within a month. But you will be married by the end of this week.” your father stated uncontested and you felt your ears begin to ring in the silent room. You knew eventually you would have to marry for your family but you had at least hoped that it would be with a slow lead up that you’d be able to get to know your future husband; hoped to at least become friendly with him before getting married. You had no misconceptions about marriage, you knew it was only a means to further your family’s position in the world but you had hoped to be at least amicable with him. But now as you realized that this situation wouldn’t allow that hope you felt your heart start to wilt inside your chest like dying flowers.

Sneaking a look across the room at the still glowering man you knew without a doubt that he hated you and wouldn’t be open to any type of relationship with you. Feeling tears begin to rise up and prick the backs of your eyes you quickly blinked the sensation away before raising your head regally, you steeled your heart to the sorrow of the knowledge that this would most likely be how the rest of your life played out. Tied to a husband who absolutely abhorred your existence, it wasn’t going to be easy and you knew he wouldn’t make it a pleasurable experience but it would be your burden to bear.

“While my daughter and her mother will take care of the wedding plans I will have the procedure scheduled for your wife this Friday.” your father said and you felt your body slowly become a hollow shell as you tuned out your Father’s words as he began to talk to your future father in law about the procedure and everything that needed to be scheduled.

“Why wait?” asked Changbin suddenly in a low tone that had your eyes immediately drawing to him. The hair on the back of your neck rose in cautionary alarm as your eyes darted over to your father whose nostrils were flaring with irritation as the younger man interrupted him and upset his plans.

“Changbin.” warned his father in a low tone but the younger man scoffed softly as he leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees as he slowly turned his head to glare at you.

“It’s only a marriage of convenience. Why wait?” Changbin asked honestly, you felt his eyes drag up and down your body with disgust and you tried to stop the flinch but only just barely tampered it down. Everyone in the room was silent for a moment not wanting to voice the actual reason for the wait, you smiled bitterly at your future husband and his eyes suddenly narrowed at you in suspicion.

“Because darling, we have to keep up appearances.” you said boldly into the room. “Wouldn’t want others to think that your mother’s sudden procedure is in exchange for our sudden marriage or vice versa.” you said bitterly having a hard time swallowing that knowledge. There was a sudden shift in Changbin’s eyes at your honest bold words before they shifted back to glowering at you, you didn’t know what that meant but at this point you didn’t care as you felt emotionless to everything now. You were being shackled to a man who viewed you as nothing more than a means to save his mother, you would have to get used to his sour attitude and the sooner you came to terms with that the better.

“That’s enough!” snapped your father and you shrinked back slightly in your seat as your head turned to him quickly. “Tomorrow we will draw up the marriage contract between both of our lawyers. You will both be there to sign the contract. And then my daughter will move into the Seo family home before the procedure on Friday.” he commanded firmly and while your head nodded obediently you were screaming internally at the fact that it was all moving so quickly. Changbin shifted back into the couch and your eyes darted over to him once more, the man glowered at you and sighed quietly realizing that he was to be your husband starting tomorrow.

*-*-*-*

You were back in your father’s office standing to the side of his massive oak desk silently watching as both your family lawyer and the Seo family lawyer read over the contract before mentioning certain items that they found questionable. Your mother stood next to you with a soft arm wrapped around your stiff shoulders trying to reassure you that everything was going to be alright. That nothing bad was going to happen, this was all just so normal. Maybe for your family it was normal, your parents’ marriage was arranged and an exchange for more power on either side; even your brother’s marriage was the same. So now it was your turn.

The room is quiet as the lawyers look over everything written and you silently take in everyone that is standing in the room. Changbin and his father are standing to the far side of the room silently conversing, you can see Changbin frowning darkly at his father as he speaks to Changbin no doubt telling your future husband something that he doesn’t want to hear. His mother, sister and brother in law are sitting on the couch together with their mother in between them. Changbin’s sister is resting her head on her mother’s shoulder and you can see their mother trying not to shift on the uncomfortable couch. She looks frail due to her condition and you silently thank your father for helping her with getting the procedure she needs. At least something good will come from this marriage.

Turning back to the desk you stare at the stack of papers in the middle of your father’s desk, you watch as the lawyers finally look up at each other and nod their heads in agreement. They then turned and looked at both your father and Changbin’s father with smiles on their faces before nodding their heads. The room grows eerily quiet and you take in a soft shallow breath not looking at anyone or anything besides the papers.

”Come sign the marriage contract and marriage certificate.” Your father said sternly as he turned his head to look at you as you felt your stomach start to roll and twist. Your mother squeezes your shoulder and presses a kiss to your temple before you take a step towards the desk. Changbin meets you at the desk and you look over to him with a quiet look and he avoids your eyes at all costs with a soft sneer on his face. He steps up to the desk first and quickly signs his name on both the contract and certificate causing you to sigh softly. You step up to the desk once he’s moved away to the side and you sign your name in a flourish as you feel the imaginary shackle close around your ankle.

When you turn from the desk your mother is standing next to Changbin’s mother, both are wearing soft weary smiles on their faces as your mother gestures for a professional photographer to step closer. You’re thankful that you had dressed up for the occasion as you step closer to Changbin and slip your arm around his before smiling prettily for the photographer who quickly snaps a few pictures.

Changbin’s father steps over to the two of you and presents a dark maroon velvet box that he opens slowly. Your eyes widen as you spot the pretty array of rings that are stored in the box. They’re all gold and some of them had detailed carvings or gorgeous gemstones set in the bands.

”Wedding rings for the happy couple.” He says softly and you want to cry at his words, it’s all just a farce and you have to bite your tongue harshly to stop the bitter laugh that wants to burst from your mouth. You watch silently as Changbin picks the simplest rings in the box before handing them both to his father. The flash of the camera makes black spots dance in front of your eyes. “We will have them resized to fit each of you. They should be done in a few days.”

You nod your head at his words with a soft smile feeling the coldness of your new husband as he stands stiffly next to you. You knew nothing good would come from this marriage but the detachment that he’s showing you right now is shocking and throwing you off. But you take in a soft breath and straighten your posture just as Changbin rips his arm from your grip and begins to walk to the office door.

”Changbin!” Calls out his mother in a distressed tone and he turns to look at her worriedly but then scowls softly when he sees her gesturing towards you.

”I have work to get to. If you need anything please let the house staff know and they’ll be able to help you.” He says emotionless to you and you stare at him with blank eyes before you nod your head once. He frowns softly as his eyes dance up and down your body before he’s turning from everyone and walks out of the office.

”I’m so sorry dear.” His mother says softly as she walks slowly over to you and gently grips your hands in hers. You look down at your connected hands that hang in between both of your bodies before you look up at her with a soft smile on your face and shake your head gently.

”You have nothing to apologize for.” You tell her reassuringly and she looks at you with soft sorrowful eyes. It’s almost as if she understands everything with just hearing your words and one of her soft frail hands comes up to cup your cheek.

”Such a yong-gamhan sonyeo.” She praises softly and you suddenly have to blink the tears away that have sprung to your eyes before looking away from her sweet face.

*-*-*-*

Friday morning rolled around and you awoke in the large comfortable queen size bed in your new bedroom within the Seo family home. You groaned softly as you turned your head to the side and looked at the bright neon red numbers adorning your alarm clock. Five am. Sighing softly you turned to face the ceiling in the dark room, every morning since you moved into your new home you had woken up at five in the morning without fail. You didn’t know the significance and after the first two mornings you refused to try and figure it out.

Groaning once more you slowly sat up in the large bed and slid your legs to the side of the bed before shimming your way out of the bed. You shivered when your feet touched down on the cold hard floor before your feet sleepily found their way into your house slippers. Standing you stretched your arms out to either side of your body and felt your bones popping more than you heard them. You walked over to your bureau and pulled your long silk robe over your shoulders before cinching the belt around your waist. Silently making your way out of your bedroom you made the trek down to the kitchen hoping that the family chef wouldn’t be here yet so that you could surprise Mrs. Seo with a light breakfast before you had to get her to the hospital for her procedure.

It had only been a few days and already you had grown closer to the older woman. You had come to view her as almost like an Aunt to you and with every interaction that fondness that you had started to form was growing and growing. She was the only one in the home that looked at you with a kind eye and normally would be your only companion since both of the Seo men in the household were busy with the family business. 

Every once and awhile Mr. Seo would join you and Mrs. Seo for dinner but usually it was just you and Mrs. Seo. Since you had moved in you hadn’t seen much of your new husband, only seeing him in passing when he came in late from work and he would normally only greet his mother when he came in while you were spending time with her before bed. He would glare at you as you sat on the couch next to Mrs. Seo while the two of you watched a new drama on the television before bed and when he would come in to greet her you would quickly excuse yourself so that he could have some time alone with her. Often Mrs. Seo would protest and try to get you to stay and spend some time with Changbin but when you noticed the look of disgust on his face at her suggestion you reassured her it was fine and to enjoy her evening with her son. It has become something of a routine for you now to just avoid being around Changbin in his own home.

But now as you walked into the kitchen yawning widely behind your raised hand you came to a halt in the doorway. There he sat at the kitchen island eating a meal of eggs and sausage with a mug of coffee in front of him. You contemplated turning around and going back to your bedroom but the smell of coffee lured you in. Lifting your head to give yourself a burst of confidence you boldly walked into the kitchen to the cabinet over the coffee machine and pulled down a mug that you had commandeered as your own since moving in. You could feel his eyes boring into you and you knew you would have to greet him in some way. 

��Good morning.” You greeted him softly without looking at him and heard the answering grunt from him. You didn’t bother to turn to him for any further interaction as you began making your own cup of coffee for the morning before grabbing another familiar mug from the cabinet and began preparing tea for Mrs. Seo. You were so focused on your task of making coffee and tea in the quiet kitchen that you didn’t hear or notice Changbin getting up from his spot and walking to the sink to place his dishes in there. But dread and trepidation filled you when you felt his breath ghost against your neck as it stood close to your back.

“Don’t become too comfortable here in my home. You are only a means to help my mother, nothing more.” he hissed softly into your ear and your body froze in self preservation as your mind mulled over the words. You stayed as still as you possibly could not letting your breaths to completely fill your chest with air in case that set him off. “Do you understand?” he asked darkly and you quickly nodded your head not willing to make a sound.

Only when you heard his receding footsteps did you let out your breaths in a heavy sigh as your body released itself from the frozen lock his actions had placed you in. You blink owlishly for a few quiet moments before you hear the soft sluggish footsteps of Mrs. Seo, you shake your head quickly to clear it before turning and smiling warmly at her.

“Good morning.” you greet her kindly as you step to her side and guide her over to the dining table to have a seat. “I’m making you tea before we need to get ready to go. Did you see Changbin before he left?” you asked kindly and she beamed up at you happily.

“I did, he wished me well and said that he’d see me when I was done with the procedure.” she said softly, still beaming. You nodded your head at her with a soft smile before turning back to the coffee pot to finish making both of your drinks.

*-*-*-*

The soft beeping of the heart monitor had become your background noise as you quietly sat in the uncomfortable chair next to Mrs. Seo’s hospital bed while working on your laptop. While you didn’t have an actual career to your name you did have stocks and bonds that you liked to play around with on the stock market to further grow your savings, it was a pleasant reassuring fact that you had savings that were only in your name that no one would be able to touch besides you. Even in the marriage contract you had asked your father to always keep your savings and stocks strictly for you and not something you would have to share with Changbin, he had understood your request and made sure to keep that clause in the contract for you.

There was a soft knock on the hospital room door and you easily closed your laptop to stow it away before rising from the chair and opening the door slowly. Your eyes landed on a scowling Changbin and you sucked in a harsh breath before stepping to the side and pulling the door open wider as you schooled your features to a neutral mask. He watched you silently with that scowl darkening before he turned his face to look over at his mother. She was lying in the hospital bed resting peacefully with her eyes shut, you had managed to gently clean her face and body after the procedure was over and the nurses had left you with her instructing you that she needed to rest. The doctor had come in after you were done cleaning her and advised that she wouldn’t be able to leave until she woke up causing you to nod along to his words before taking notes on all the medications that she would need to take during her recovery along with any precautions that you should be on the lookout for.

“How long ago did the procedure end?” Changbin asked in a dark growl and you were jolted from your thoughts turning to face him after you slowly closed the door.

“They wheeled her back in here about five minutes after I texted everyone that she was out of surgery.” you responded dutifully as you walked to the end of her bed and stood there watching her quietly.

“You should’ve let us know ahead of time. We would’ve been able to get here sooner.” he snapped angrily at you and you stared at him quietly before turning back to Mrs. Seo. You knew he had been worried about his mother so you didn’t blame him for lashing out but that didn’t mean that you had to react or respond to his words. “I said-” he began angrily when Mrs. Seo hummed softly as her hand came up to rest gently on Changbin’s forearm causing him to turn to her immediately. “Eomeoni” he greeted softly and you watched Mrs. Seo smiled softly up at him as her eyes fluttered open.

“Agi sonyeon.” she rasped out softly and you smiled softly before ducking your head and moving to the far chair in the corner of the room to give them some privacy. You tuned them out so that they could talk freely before Changbin stood up from the chair next to his mother’s bed and glared at you for a quiet moment before he nodded his head to the door.

“Can I speak to you outside?” he asked in a low growl and you nodded your head before standing up to walk to the door.

“If you need anything I’m just outside the door.” you told Mrs. Seo with a slight head nod and she nodded her head easily in response to you. You then took in a breath and walked out of the hospital room before turning back to Changbin who followed you out quietly with a scowl on his face.

“I need you to do better with giving us updates on Eomeoni’s progress.” he said darkly and you looked up at him with a furrowed brow. He stood so close to you that he towered over you intimidating you to press your back up against the wall to try and give you any space to breathe. “Don’t say a word and just listen.” he hissed and you quickly nodded your head as your eyes darted around his angry face. “Your only job in this family to help Eomeoni recover and heal, that’s it. That is your only purpose in life right now and if you don’t do a good enough job I will have shipped off to somewhere no one can find you. Is that understood?” he berated you in a low tone that had the hair on the back of your arms standing up in warning.

“Yes, understood.” you whispered softly in response, keeping your eyes trained on the ground as you tried to regulate your hurried breaths. You hated how he made you feel like nothing with his cruel words but there was nothing you could do about it. He was your husband now and he held the power. A pit formed in your stomach as you tried to breathe slowly as your mind raced with the knowledge that this man could make you disappear without even blinking. You didn’t see Changbin nod his head as he glared at you but you did hear his retreating footsteps and when you looked up to see his back walking away from you the breath finally left your body as you slumped against the wall in relief.

His presence was so suffocating when he was around you, it made it hard to breathe, hard to think clearly. It pressed against your body with an unrelenting force that made your world tilt and your brain go foggy with fear. Taking in a shuddering breath you felt your mind clear and you raised your head confidently before walking back into the hospital room letting a soft slightly broken smile grace your face when you locked eyes with Mrs. Seo.

“Did you have a good talk with Changbin, Yong-gamhan sonyeo?” she asked in her raspy voice and once again at her sweet nickname for you tears sprung to your eyes that you had to quickly blink away. Were you ever going to live up that name she had decided on for you?

*-*-*-*

After Mrs. Seo had been released from the hospital into your care you had formed a very busy routine for yourself. Your mornings started at five in the morning when your eyes would pop open as if your internal clock was blaring with an alarm. You would give yourself a half hour to quietly reflect on your upcoming day before you would get dressed and make your way down to the empty kitchen to make yourself some coffee. From there the chef would arrive for the day and you speak with him about Mrs. Seo’s diet and meals for the day before having your own breakfast.

You would then wait for her meal to be prepared before bringing it up to her with a single cup of tea, she would already be awake and greet you kindly as you placed the food tray over her lap. Her medications would be divvied out by you and you would bring her water to be able to swallow the pills, once that was completed you would send out a text to the family group chat about her morning update, receiving responses from Mr. Seo and Changbin’s sister but never from Changbin. 

The next few hours depending on the weather for the day would be spent either out walking in the garden with Mrs. Seo or in the library where you two would browse the shelves while walking slowly. Mrs. Seo always preferred being outside since the garden was her pride and joy. She could spend hours out there with you just walking and talking about anything that came to mind. It was during those walks that you learned so much about the Seo family, how she had met Mr. Seo through her father’s company, how they had fallen in love and gotten married before having both of their children. You learned how close the family was and how family meant everything to them, which was ironic to you since Changbin was literally your husband now but would never accept you as such. But you knew it was all because of his deep hatred for you and you knew that was a battle that you couldn’t win.

“I worry about Changbin sometimes.” Mrs. Seo said softly as you both walked slowly through the rose section of the garden, you had your arm looped around hers to help steady her if she ever felt off balance and to keep her close since you enjoyed her presence so much. Your head turned to look at her quietly as you shuttered your face of any emotion so that you wouldn’t upset her. You knew she loved her son and only wanted the best for him but there was a soft sadness in her eyes whenever she looked at you; you knew it was because of the situation that you found yourself in, a loveless marriage with a man who despised you. “He’s always been very headstrong, always needing to do things his own way. He’s the strongest man I know, always willing to help anyone out and never knowing how to ask anyone for help in return.” she explained softly and you mindlessly nodded your head along with her words. You knew this all to be true and stayed silent so that she could speak whatever truth she felt she needed to without interrupting her. But then her words started to filter through your brain and suddenly understanding hit you and you felt your whole body sag with sadness, Changbin hated you only because he had to rely on your family to help his mother. Sorrow suddenly filled your body in waves and you felt as if you were drowning while standing in the middle of the rose garden.

“I worry because even if he doesn’t want the help he has it in the form of you and he doesn’t see it. I worry because I can see the harsh words he hisses at you and I can see their effect on you. I worry because I want you to be happy and I can see you slowly shrinking away.” she lamented softly in a sorrowful tone that pulled at your battered heart and sucked in a harsh breath trying to subdue the drowning sensation trying to consume you. You softly patted her hand that sat perched on your forearm with a soft smile on your face as you masked your pain and sorrow of your broken marriage.

“I’m happy when I’m with you.” you tell her honestly and she beams prettily at you. You soak in her light and just take a moment to feel her warmth infuse your body. She has quickly become your life preserve and you try to soak up as much of her existence as you possibly can to stay afloat. The two of you grow quiet then as you continue walking through the garden before Mrs. Seo grows tired and you bring her back inside to rest before you start your afternoon routine with her.

*-*-*-*

The next time you see Changbin it is at a social party that one of the Seo clan’s family friends is hosting and it’s the first time Mrs. Seo has felt well enough to attend. You are stuck close to her side as her and Mr. Seo mingle and greet their friends. Mrs. Seo tries to include you in the conversations but you’re soon disregarded and you quietly just blend into the background of the party. You’re keeping a watchful eye on her as she smiles and laughs softly while holding her husband’s arm close to her body. She looks well rested and doesn’t show any strain and stress on her face, you’re so proud of her recovery and her regaining health.

But just then you hear Changbin’s loud laughter behind you and you freeze in your place. You knew he was going to be here but you had hoped that he would attend much later when it would be closer to when you could escape. You haven’t seen much of him lately which you’re thankful for but the few times that you have seen him have been nothing but cruel harsh words spat in your face.

”And she’s your wife?” Comes a curious question from someone with a high pitched tone and you feel your back straighten as your ears perk up. You can only guess it’s one of Changbin’s friends asking about you and while you don’t want to hear what he has to say your curiosity is a hungry beast.

”Unfortunately.” Changbin grumbles and you feel the barb land it’s hit on your armored heart. You focus your eyes on the family member talking to Mrs. Seo but your ears are traitorous and still listen to Changbin’s conversation.

”Is she any good?” Asks a lower toned voice and you feel your cheeks flush with embarrassment hoping that your husband in name only won’t entertain the question.

”The only thing she’s good for is her family’s connections.” Changbin says darkly and you gasp silently as your mouth falls open slightly at his words. You feel tears burn at the back of your eyes and you quickly blink as your fingers twist together and tighten trying to pull you back from the brink of an emotional breakdown. He’s reducing everything that you’ve done for his mother to just your family’s connections, the opinion that he speaks out causes an inferno to start forming in the pit of your stomach and you feel a dangerous darkness start to consume your soul.

”Pity, that her looks are wasted on such a useless woman.” Scoffs out the higher pitched voice and suddenly you feel a snap within yourself. Your ears ring just like on the night you signed your freedom away back in your father’s office and you feel everything going numb. You’re no longer paying attention to the room around you as it all grows muffled in your ears. Your surroundings grow blurry and unfocused while the sound is muffled to the point that you no longer hear any conversation, it’s got a peaceful quality to it all suddenly and you let yourself mellow in this unfocused world for a moment.

But then suddenly a soft fragile hand lands on your twisting fingers and your eyes suddenly focus on the soft smile of Mrs. Seo. She’s staring at you with soft concerned eyes as yours focus on her face. She furrowed her eyebrows softly before suddenly her face clears and her eyes grow misty with an understanding that is speaking to your soul. You smile softly at her and her eyes dance around your face before they focus on your own eyes, she nods once and lifts a hand to hover over your cheek and speaks a soft phrase that makes your soul cry out silently.

“Yong-gamhan sonyeo.” she says in a soft sweet tone causing you to feel tears flood your eyes at an alarming rate and you don’t understand fully but there’s an urge to move within your whole body.

You shouldn’t be here, the thought whispers through your mind and suddenly it’s the only thing in your head. The words bounce around your mind and grow louder with each bounce until it’s the only you hear. Your eyes blink slowly and Mrs. Seo’s face comes into focus once more. She’s staring at you with a quiet sorrow that holds a profound understanding underlying it. But soon she blinks and turns her head to look at Changbin who’s come to your side to see if she was alright. You don’t hear the conversation between mother and son barely paying attention to Changbin’s curious look that he throws your way, you’re staring into space as everything happens around you and the numbness within your body turns into a resignation that builds quickly. You shouldn’t be here.

*-*-*-*

The church looks absolutely stunning, Changbin has to admit as he looks around the sacred building while standing up at the altar. You hadn’t done a great job of picking out all the decorations for your wedding ceremony choosing a soft color palette of pastel pinks and purples that looked pretty against the white gauze hung everywhere. He hates to even think it but you had been showing him over the last three months that you were a good choice in a partner although an unwanted one at first. 

The wedding ceremony had been pushed back by yourself twice because you hadn’t been completely happy with his mother’s recovery and that fact alone showed him that you cared for his family as if it were your own. You had grown closer to both of his parents and his sister within the time you had spent living in the Seo family home but the relationship you had nurtured with his mother had left him speechless this past month. There was a softness between the two of you that spoke volumes to him when he was witness to any interaction the two of you had. It actually made him a little jealous of how close you were to his mother, but he was mostly happy about it all.

You had fallen in with the family so easily and the staff all regarded you with respect. There was a quiet command about you that they all seemed to respect and adhere to. It didn’t hurt that everything you did and every choice you made was to benefit with the family. You had made small changes to the way things run in the household and while Changbin had at first rebelled against it because it was you making the changes he had to admit that the changes made their lives so much better.

And then there was his mother’s recovery. You had gone above and beyond what he thought you would do for his mother. Being her constant companion, making sure that she was taking her medications, allowing her to go at her own pace but still fussing when you felt she was growing complacent, updating the family on her progress, and bringing out her inner happiness and never letting it darken. He was grateful to you for all of your efforts to heal his mother and take care of her, he hoped after the ceremony that he would get to spend some time with you and convey his gratitude with the words that he held in for so long.

He knew he hadn’t been kind to you during the three months you had been living with his family, he admittedly had been downright cruel to you at times. It had taken him much longer to accept that you were a part of his family now and his wife. But he had planned to finally confess to you that he was happy with your marriage even if it was unconventional and hadn’t been an actual marriage as of yet. He wanted to start anew with you now that he had come to terms with your union. Once the two of you pledged yourselves to each other in front of everyone he planned to whisper sweet apologies to you before promising to make things right between the two of you.

Shifting on his feet he turned to gaze down the long aisle as the pianist began to play a soft sweet hauntingly beautiful tune. His eyes darted over to his parents who both sat proudly in the front row on his side of the church, his father looked stoic but with a hint of pleased happiness. Changbin smiled softly at the image, his father had been delighted by all the changes in the home by his new daughter in law and had grown softer since she had started living with them. And then there was his mother sitting strongly next to his father as her head turned to gaze down the aisle with a soft sad smile gracing her lips. Changbin frowned at the saddened air that she held about herself, shouldn’t she be happy?

There was a clearing of someone’s throat and Changbin whipped his head up to look at one of your bridesmaids. She stood in front of him in her pretty pink pastel gown holding her small bouquet of flowers in one hand while holding out an envelope in the other outstretched to him. Frowning softly Changbin took the envelope from her hands and slowly opened it before darting his eyes up towards the aisle to see the other bridesmaids standing at the far end of the aisle watching trepidatiously. Looking back down at the envelope he slowly pulled out the folded pages of paper and opened them just as slowly. His eyes widened and his breath came out in pants while his heart plummeted into the pit of his stomach with despair. His fingers went numb and the papers slowly fluttered to the ground falling to land face up for everyone in the front row to be able to read the large bolded letters at the top of the page, Divorce Agreement.

*-*-*-*

You slowly shimmied along the seat aisle until you came to the window seat and sank down into the chair. Turning your head to stare out of the small window you smiled bitter sweetly feeling your heart shattering in your chest for a completely different reason than it had three months ago in your father’s office. Today your heart was shattering because you were finally free to be a Yong-gamhan sonyeo.              

SKZ Taglist: @intartaruginha, @kayleefriedchicken, @babigriin                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

[theereina]

A few different ways to say mother:

Mother. Mom. Mama. Mommy. Mum. Ma. Madre. Mère. Māma. мама. Mãe. Okaasan. Māṁ. Mutter. Ibu. Mor. Mẹ. Eomeoni. Moeder. Inay.