My Light, My Jimin

Chapter 8: Campus Life

JIMIN

It's Saturday afternoon, and it's been less than ten minutes since Taehyung texted that he was staying over at Jungkook's parents' place back in Busan for the weekend. He said we could reschedule our talk some other time once he returns, and messaged me saying that he'll bring me back some kimchi.

And I'm. . . irritated.

Reschedule our talk, like I'm supposed to be his secretary and know beforehand everything he has going on in his life, my own be damned. Besides, it's not like I had anything extraordinary planned. I had hoped to apologize to him before Jungkook had a chance to snatch him away, but that failed gloriously.

If it wasn't for the fact that I'm halfway through eating lunch with my mother, I'd be putting up more of a fuss, demanding to know where they are so I could lay into both of them face to face.

But what good would that do? I have no choice but to wait it out and allow myself to trust Taehyung. And I do trust him. It's just his boyfriend that puts me on edge.

I don't even have a reliable reason for my suspicions other than the general vibe he gets off giving, the way he so easily gained Taehyung's trust and slipped into our world like water, and the way he gets attention when I have to work so hard to be seen.

Plus, he's just a prick. We have nothing in common beside our varying levels of love for Taehyung. If he wasn't on Taehyung's mind, we probably would have nothing to do with each other, maybe give a passing nod out of respect, but that would be the extent of it all.

"You okay, Chim Chim?" my mother asks, her eyes glancing over at the view.

I snap a quick photo of the golden sunset and of her as she stares out from the seat across from me and then set down my phone, reaching to grasp her hand in mine. "I'm fine, Eomma. Just thinking is all."

"Always thinking," she chuckles. "Just like your father."

She doesn't talk about him often, I assume because it's all too painful. All I know beyond a few photos I've seen as a child is that they met during college, and she believed his name was Park Pil-wok and not Park Pil-woo. They shortly married after.

I don't feel anything now, not any resentment or anger because why should I? He left when I was two-years-old and the rest was filled with my mother's time. Why waste tears for a person that wasn't there for you?

She hums as she takes another sip of tea. "How is school treating you? Are you eating well?"

"I am."

She tilts her head. "Are you? You seem to have lost some weight."

I pick at my tteokbokki. "Just stress. Nothing too big."

"Tell me," she says, gripping my hand tighter for a moment before releasing it and leaning back in her chair. "You know me, Jimin. I'll find out eventually, so come forth and say it. Is it school? Do you need to come back home, because I have everything as you left it."

"No, no, it's not school." I try again, testing the waters without diving in headfirst. "Taehyung and I got into a fight recently."

Her eyebrows raise and she sits straighter. "What happened? You boys always get along so well."

My stomach tenses. As much as I love my mother, I know how to keep things under wraps, things like Taehyung's relationship with Jungkook. But my heart splits, wanting to confide in my own mother but still being under the loyalty oath I promised Taehyung so many years ago.

"It was a girl," I lie.

Her eyes close and she nods as if solving a mystery. "Ah, women will do that to young men. We're vicious monsters with cute faces and empty promises."