The Flower of the Dark | k.th

.Nineteen.

JIEUN's POV
"Taehyung! It says I'm missing!" I panic, unconsciously pulling him closer.

"What do you expect?" He paces to the glass and rips the paper off, crumples it up, then sticks it into his jacket pocket. "You've been gone for a few days here."

I remember both Taehyung and Jin saying something about that.

"Oh..can you put me down now?" I kick my legs around.

"I need you to cover my face though," Taehyung whispers, setting me down.

"Why?" I ask, tilting my head in confusion. "You didn't need to before."

He takes out the crumpled piece of paper from his pocket. "Not before you went missing. Now, let's get away from this place."

I nod in agreement and follow him down the street that leads to my mother's house. As we walk, I remember the picture I saw in Magic Shop. "Taehyung?"

"Yeah?"

"How do you know my dad?"

He stops walking for a second, then starts again, thinking of what to say. "I don't really know him that well. The first time we met each other was also the last."

"The last? Come on, Taehyung. What are you getting at?" I snap, wanting more answers the more he speaks.

The boy in the jean jacket takes out a black mask and puts it on, making only his eyes visible. "I'm not what you think I am, Jieun."

We near my mother's house and I run inside, Taehyung following close behind. "Mom!" I yell and run towards the elderly woman sitting on one of her couches while watching a TV drama.

Her eyes pop open as if i've come from the dead. "Ji Eun!" the woman jumps up and wraps her arms around me in a tight hug. "I thought that I would never see you again!" She says through happy sobs.

Her tears start to get to me, and I find myself crying. "I'm so sorry for leaving you Mom!"

She slowly moves away and motions for me to sit on a couch. That's when she notices Taehyung. He gives her a deep bow and smiles with his eyes. My mom, Gayoon, looks at me with an expression that says: 'who is this and why is he here?' "Jieun..."

"Mom, I can explain-"

"How do you attract such handsome men?" She clasps her hands together. "You sir can sit next to my daughter, I'm fine with that. But..." Gayoon pats Taehyung's chest, "She's already taken."

He nods and takes a seat on my left, staring at the floor the whole time. My eyes fall onto the small, white coffee table in front of me. There's wrappers for instant noodles sitting in a small pile near the edge. Has she been only eating instant noodles ever since I left?

"Mom...have you eaten yet?" I ask, concern in my voice.

The woman shakes her head, "No, not yet. I was just about to-"

"Ok great! I'll make something. Soondubu sound nice? Taehyung, sound good? Mom? Ok yes will do!" I stand up and give Gayoon a peck on the cheek before rushing into the kitchen.

NARRATOR's POV
Without Jieun being present, the two sit quietly facing each other. Gayoon, who is observing every part of the boy sitting in front of her. And Taehyung, who is casually keeping his head down. Suddenly, he looks up at Jieun's mother, staring at her cheek where Jieun had just kissed her.

Gayoon raises one eyebrow, "What is it?"

Taehyung takes off his mask, revealing his lower face and asks sincerely, "What do Jieun's lips feel like?"