𝔸𝕔𝕣𝕠𝕤𝕤 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕊𝕥𝕣𝕖𝕖𝕥

forty four

Jimin feels anxiety bubble up in his stomach. It fizzles and crackles and begs for his acknowledgement, but Jimin ignores it to fully understand what Yoongi had just told him. The words roll over in his head but he isn't actually processing any of it.

"What did you just say?"

"My dad wants to meet up with me on Wednesday. He also wants you to come along. You can say no if you want to."

"But... Why?"

Yoongi sighs. He takes Jimin's hand from across the counter and squeezes it gently. "I'm not sure... He says it's for moral support but it's obvious he has a deeper intention." Jimin furrows his eyebrows, he looks at the elder with concern. He knows that Yoongi's father would probably want to talk to the boy about moving and other scary things Jimin doesn't want to think about but he never would've guessed that the man would want him there, too. (Let alone even be aware of his existence in the first place.)

He takes a deep breath, though it doesn't do much to soothe his upset stomach.

"Alright, I'll come."

–

"Hyung! We're glad you're home." Jungkook calls from the couch. Namjoon sits beside him and Yoongi raises an eyebrow. "What's going on?" Namjoon beckons the elder to sit next to them, when he does, the faded blonde starts to explain.

"Remember when I promised I would find a way to make sure you stay? Well, I think we've found it." Yoongi only grows more confused. "What do you mean?" He asks. Jungkook, practically bouncing up and down on the couch, answers enthusiastically. "Well, Taehyung's dad is this big shot lawyer. We think that if we can get him to present all the evidence that we have that you're dad is illegally threatening you then we can scare him off! He'll leave you alone or go to court with Tae's dad and loose, probably. What do you think?"

Yoongi furrows his eye brows. "Guys...  I appreciate all that you're doing for me but getting a lawyer involved? And going to court? I'm sorry but I don't wanna get mixed in with any of that. I'm... gonna go to bed now." And then he's speeding off before the others can stop him.

Namjoon and Jungkook sit in silence for a few seconds.

"I'm gonna call Taehyung." The redhead says, reaching for his phone. "Kook, no. If he doesn't want us to get involved then we can't get involved." "But, Hyung–!" "No buts!"

–

("I don't get why you still let him push you around like this." Do-yun flinches when the cold cotton swab meets his burning skin. Chunja looks down at him concerningly, her question crackles intensely in the air. She disinfects the wound on her husband's cheek, hands gentle with love and care. "He's a horrible parent." She adds on.

Do-yun looks up at his wife, eyes darkening with something sinister. "Horrible? I don't think so." He says, voice void of emotion. "In fact, I commend his parenting and plan to follow his lead when we eventually have children of our own." Do-yun's dark gaze remains.

Chunja lets her eyebrows knit together but doesn't say anything.)

-

(Chunja holds Do-yun's hand tight. She hadn't expected her husband's father to come to their baby shower. And now that he was here, the once optimistic, easygoing atmosphere had completely morphed into one of awkward tension. Needless to say, Chunja doesn't like her father-in-law very much.

"I'd like to have a word with both of you." The elderly man had said. And not a second later, Do-yun was dragging his wife into a separate, empty room. She feels a shiver run down her spine. "Now that you are going to be parents, I'd like to give you some advice." Do-yun nods intently. "Thank you, father. Please, go on." And so he does.

When Do-yun's father finally leaves, Chunja looks at her husband with a frown. "We aren't seriously gonna take his advice, right?" Do-yun's eyes widen as if he's in shock. "What are you talking about? of course we are! I mean, our child must be perfect, and I can't see any other way of ensuring so."

Chunja lets a deep sigh leave her lips but still doesn't say anything.)

-

(Do-yun caresses his wife's face gently. Chunja looks up at him from her hospital bed with a warm smile. The nurses had predicted that she'd be giving birth in less than an hour so they promptly evaded the room to give the couple time to mentally, and in Chunja's case, physically prepare.

"I'm nervous..." She admits through an anxiety-ridden laugh. "Don't be. You're so strong, I know you've got this." He says, voice deep and full of love. Do-yun leans down to place a soft kiss on Chunja's lips.

"T-" she opens her mouth to speak but is cut off by a loud, single knock on the hospital room door.

The door is opening before either of them can even say anything and in walks Do-yun's father, standing tall and proud as usual. "Father." Do-yun says, leaving his wife's side immediately to go and greet him with a bow. "What are you doing here?" Chunja misses his warmth.

"Well, I'm here to support you of course. I know how it feels when you're about to become a father and I want to be there for my son." He says simply, pushing circle-rimmed glasses up his nose. "Oh, well, um, thank you."

"So, will you be having a boy or a girl?"

"A boy, father."

"Good. A girl would be bad luck for this family. Y'know I only had boys and so did my father. It's good to see you sticking to the tradition."

"..R-right."

Chunja lets her mouth curve down into a frown but once again, doesn't say anything.)

–

(It's when Yoongi is three that Chunja finally says something.

"How dare you put your hands on my son?!"

Do-yun bursts into the room after hearing his wifes shout of distress. "What's going on?!" On one side of the room stands his father, thick eyebrows furrowed downward with his arms crossed over his chest. And on the other side of the room stands an angry Chunja hunched over an upset Yoongi. He hides his face against her clothes but a blossoming purple still spills out onto the visible part of his cheek. "He deserved it! Little brat." His father says gruffly.

Do-yun suddenly feels very conflicted.

"Do-yun! Tell your father to get lost!"

"No, Do-yun, tell your wife to stop overreacting!"

The man of the hour swallows the knot in his throat.

"...D-darling... No need to start shouting. Let's talk this through... If father said he deserved it then he probably did, okay..?"

And that was that. Do-yun had made his choice. Chunja feels her eyes burn with unshed tears.)

Do-yun was not waiting for his father to die.

However, after receiving the news from his uncle over the phone, Do-yun found that he wasn't as depressed as he thought he would have been. As he should have been.

And at the funeral, he had realized it. His father had died, and he was finally free. And that. That feeling that suddenly resurfaced on the anniversary of the old man's death, had forced Do-yun to make another shocking realization.

"I don't want a son who breathes a sigh of relief over my dead body."