Mirrors | Jikook |

Chapter 8: Catch up

         Once Jimin came back with a glass cleaner spray and a cleaning rag, he stepped up the the mirror and began to clean it. "What's so wrong with me cleaning this?" Jimin asked quietly. The dust bothered him. As he wiped the old mirror, it began to look new. Jimin smiled at his reflection fixing his red hair a bit. There was no harm at all! "She's just lazy.. Thats all." Jimin giggled. "You should be kept clean." Jimin claimed as he stared deep into his own eyes through his reflection. Everything around went silent and he swore he couldn't hear his mother call out to him countless times after. Jimin raised his hand against the mirror and placed it onto the clean glass.

            "Jimin!!!" the mother shouted for the fourth time now! Suddenly Jimin moved his hand away and blinked his eyes turning around to run to his mother.

          When Jimin left the room, his reflection stayed where it was! Jimin's reflection was different... It was more pale and had dark red eyes as the color of his red hair faded into black. The reflection cracked a smile and moved the hand away backing up slowly as it seemed like it was leaving the room through the reflection of the door way. As it turned around to look back at the real world through Jimin's mirror, the face was different! The reflection now had red eyes, dark silk hair, pale skin and it cracked a bunny smile as it reached to the lightswitch and turned it off. The figure only wore a black coat over a black tux still holding an evil smile as the lights turned off in the room. Suddenly, the figure stood behind the open door with it's red, blazing and vibrant eyes piercing at the mirror almost as if it was waiting for Jimin...

               Meanwhile, Jimin got to his mother downstairs. "You called?"

             "Jimin, I was calling you for a while now! Four times!" The mother claimed while she cooked up a spicy beef soup called Yukgaejang. The beef was shredded into small strips with scallions, vegetables like gosari and a bowl of rice along with the hot steamy soup.

              "Mother you only called me once..." Jimin claimed as Mrs. Park looked at Jimin for a split second.

              "I guess we'll have to get your ears checked." Mrs. Park joked. "Jimin, please sit. I want you to tell me what's been going on." Mrs. Park smiled begining to pour the soup onto two bowls. Jimin was starving now. He missed his mother's home cooked meals.

             Jimin went to sit down on the cushions infront of the low table. It was very common that most people had these in their homes. It was home tradition. Jimin watched how his mother placed down the bowl of Yukgaejang down infront of him as the heat of the spicy soup and the smell made Jimin's mouth water.

         "Thankyou for the food, Mother." Jimin smiled as he held up a spoon waiting for his mother to sit and begin to eat so he can too. "I will eat well."

           The mother returned the smile and walked over to her bowl of beef soup and set it to the table sitting across Jimin. She then had side dishes of rice in a bowl, fried eggs with mushrooms and seaweed. "Now, what have you been up to?" the mother asked as she already began to eat. After she took her first bite from the shredded, spicy beef, Jimin was free to eat now.

           Jimin began to eat calmly. He actually wanted to stuff his face with the food but that would show bad table manners. "I've been at school... I would come home to eat and watch dramas and of course study when I can."

              "What have you been eating?" The mother asked continuing to eat and pausing just to stir the soup.

               "Instant soup cups with ramen... And at times.. I wouldn't eat at all." Jimin confessed making the mother stop and look up.

          "Was the money I sent not enough?" The mother worried. "I am so sorry, Ji-"

           "No, mother... It wasn't your fault. It's mines." Jimin sighed. "I had to spend it on college.. Rent and only had little money left off to buy myself food. I would be starving... And all I would do was to just get rid of the feeling was to sleep it off."

           "Jimin..." The mother was heart broken to hear such a thing and covered her face. "I am so sorry... I don't know what to do.. I-I feel horrible for letting this happen. I will work hard to pay you more!" Knowing that her son went through such things, it broke Mrs. Park's heart. No mother wanted to know their child was starving.

              "Mother... Thankyou." Jimin looked to his mother. "Please don't work hard... I know this won't be healthy for you. I should be taking care of you." Jimin replied. "Maybe it's time I get myself a job of my own. This is adulthood and I might aswell start living it."

                "My son, you have college! You can live with me again. Nothing has been the same lately... I would be alone here everyday after working at my two jobs and if you can stay here, I would feel happy now knowing my wonderful and hard-working son would be here." The mother set the spoon down. "I get a little bit afraid.. Knowing no one is here everyday.. But I can't shake off the sound of someone coming from your room... Where that mirror is. Maybe having you around will make me feel less scared from that.....noise."