dolls | ateez

ೃ⁀➷ prologue

☆ • ✦ʚ dolls ɞ✦ • ☆

"Mom...that's enough..." Jongho heaved out as he's being pulled by the shoulders back into the house by his mother. He'd barely left the doorstep but she already has his broad shoulders between her lithe arms.

"No, you don't understand a mother's love. Hush, my insolent child," she shushed him, patting Jongho's head as he's forced to bend down to match her height. Her hand ran through the brown strands softly as she does it for the last time, the feeling familiar to Jongho's nine-year-old self whenever he came home littered in bruises.

Now, Jongho is 19 and barely matured, moving out for the first time ever into his late grandmother's little cottage with his elder brother.

"Mom..." Jongho whined again, struggling in his mother's death grip as she laughed at him. "I still have boxes in my room!"

"Just one more minute!"

"Ow!" As much as he loved the affection from her, his pouty lips were immediately wiped off his face the moment he got hit by something hard. Jongho immediately spun around and stood at his full height to glare at his assaulter, who was none other than his brother, Choi San himself.

"Fugly bitch," Jongho spat under his breath, lifting his chin up to appear taller than other other.

"Uncooked cunt," San seethed with his head raised just as high. The brothers were competitive as anything, even a blood bath was more likely to break out between the brothers instead of the old house burning down.

A heavy hand suddenly smacked San dead center on his back, the sting sending a jolt down his back. San jumped upon impact with a shout.

"Mother!" San whined loudly as a hand immediately flew backwards to sooth the smack. He failed miserably, however.

"Sorry" Mrs Choi smirked before patting her older son on the back in a teasing but comforting manner. She was still a mother, through and through.

With their little dispute settled and soon later, Jongho finally finished loading up the family's mini-van with his last box of belongings. He was sweaty, huffing and the rollercoaster of emotions were washing all over him.

It was a big step, walking away from the single storey home he grew up in. All the memories he'd made with his friends and family will have a special spot in his heart, definitely.

"So, this is it?" Jongho mumbled as he stood before his mother. He observed her face; laced with light wrinkles around her eyes but her smile still shone bright. San was already in the driver's seat, leaning over the steering wheel. He watched them physically interact for the last time, reminiscing his own departure before their family fell apart.

San already said his goodbyes, not as affected as Jongho since he'd already moved away from home when he first got into college. Whether a tear slid down his cheek or not, was for San and only him to know.

Mrs Choi heaved loudly, resting her hands on her hips. Like Jongho, her eyes were already glossy with tears. Her lips parted but no words came out, only wobbling slightly before Jongho engulfed her in a tight embrace.

She finally let them go, letting the pearls slide down her cheeks as she clutched her youngest son tightly. Pulling him into her neck, they had stood there for hours, had San rolling his eyes in the car(despite that mother fucker crying his ass off not a second ago).

"I'll miss you honey," she gasped out when Jongho finally pulled away. His eyes were equally red and swollen, even sniffing quietly. He mustered up a weak smile in return for his mother's, holding her hand as he was guided towards the mini-van.

San was fiddling with the buttons beside the radio, pretending to be busy as he avoided their gaze(we all know he was crying).

Jongho was one door handle away from leaving. He rested his sweaty palm against the silver metal, unmoving as he felt his mother's eyes on his back.

"I'll call everyday," he spluttered, looking like a total mess with snot and tears decorating his face. "I promise."

"And I'll miss you everyday," She replied and leaned in once more into his space to give him a hug. "God, keep my baby safe. I'll see you in a couple of months, yeah?"

Jongho nodded. "Yeah."

Mrs Choi stepped back as the vehicle's door finally swung open and Jongho hopped in. His hand lingered on the inner handle, head turned back to look at her one last time, engraving her features into the back of his head.

A slam and a beep later, San pulled out of the driveway with a junk load of crap spilling from the boot into the passenger seat, waving his mother a final goodbye.

She waved back weakly.

Mrs Choi's body became smaller and smaller as they drove off, Jongho avoiding San's gaze as he leaned his head against the van's window.

A 5 hour trip down south to his late grandmother's cottage and leaving his city boy life. It was a little overwhelming for him, to be honest.

But nothing isn't a challenge for Choi Jongho himself, he's prepared head-on for anything!