A Still Day or A Hurricane | Jungkook

Part 20

It's 8AM sharp and just as Jungkook's expected, the bell rings and his mother's singsong voice greeting everyone a good morning echoes throughout the cafe. He thinks it's embarrassing, but he makes sure he's out on the counter and not in the kitchen every time she drops by.

"Hello, lovely," she walks up to him and kisses his cheek. "How's my beautiful son?"

"I'm great, Ma. The same thing I was last night when you called," he playfully rolls his eyes, putting some pies and tarts in a takeout container like what he's been doing the past month since the Blue Side opened in Busan. "And the day before that, and before that."

"Good, just like I hoped," she beams. "This looks and smells amazing, my dear."

"It's the same thing you had the other day. You don't have to praise it every single time," he sighs. "And you don't really have to come here every morning, you know? You've got work; I know your days are always busy."

"I'm never too busy for my youngest, that's for sure," she pinches his cheek. "Plus, you're literally my only child who ever cooked or baked anything for me. And you've been away so long. Of course I'll visit you everyday when I can."

Jungkook just hums as he prepares her drink, internally blushing at how sweet his mother is. When he told her that he'd be going home to help Hobi set up the Busan branch, she was ecstatic. Her every-few-months visit to Seoul to see him isn't enough, she'd said, and even if he wasn't living in their house, she's content with seeing him in the cafe, even if she'd have to wake up a little earlier than usual, something she reminds him of every once in a while.

"Slow day today?" She asks, watching him work on the latte art for her takeout.

"Ma, we opened just an hour ago," he informs her. "And we're new. The cafe scene here is pretty great so we've got stiff competition but it's okay. It'll pick up soon."

"Your desserts are obviously way better," she states, as any mother would. "But that means I gotta up my promo game to the staff and my friends. Should I require all of them to come here for their morning coffee?"

Jungkook snorts because of course his mother would say something ridiculous like that. But it's how she's always been - loud, tactless at times, over-the-top when she wants to be, but incredibly friendly and heartwarmingly sweet. She's pretty all over the place sometimes, too, and he knows he takes after her in many ways.

"We're fine, okay?" He assures her. "I'm working on setting up pop-up stores in some areas, and there are markets open every weekend. We just need people to at least know we're out here with amazing stuff and we'll gain momentum."

"Why not join the Fall Festival? You'll get foot traffic there," she suggests.

"Did someone say Fall Festival?" The energetic yet soothing voice of Yae-won now fills the room, and Jungkook hadn't even heard her enter.

"Hi, Mrs. Jeon," she greets. "And hi, Jungkook. My usual, please."

"Sure. I've got freshly baked bread for you, with some pieces burnt at the edges," he smiles.

"Ahhh, just how I like them. You're amazing. If it's the pear loaf, I am set for the rest of the day," she smiles back. "So, Mrs. Jeon, you mentioned the Fall Festival?"

"Yes. I know the cafe just opened and it gets a decent amount of customers everyday but my son's desserts are to-die for and I think it's an injustice that not many people know about this place," she exclaims.

"Why are you so dramatic?" Jungkook teases, preparing the next set of takeouts this time.

Mrs. Jeon ignores her son and continues. "I just told him that he should consider setting up a kiosk at the Fall Festival. I mean, extremely good-looking pastry chef with delectable desserts? Who wouldn't wanna try and see what the Blue Side has to offer?"