𝔹𝔼 𝕄𝕐 𝔻𝔸𝔻𝔻𝕐// Yoonmin

⚅⚅⚅⚅⚅⚅⚅⚅⚁

cнαρтɛя 49

  The wedding reception was just as pompous as (if not more) Jimin had expected. And his new step-mother's dress was definitely the most beautiful wedding dress he'd ever seen. He had to admit, it was almost entrancing to see the ball gown skirt floating in the air when she twirled around. (Then again, he hadn't exactly seen many wedding dresses before. He'd only been to seven other weddings before.) (Though the white corset hugged her torso so tightly Jimin wondered if she could even breath properly in the thing.)

  Sets of long tables draped with white tablecloths and bouquets of white roses on them surrounded the dance floor set right in the center of the room. Jimin heard set of high heels click-clacking soundly around him- the brides mates and a few other women were already headed to the dance floor with their partners. He prayed to god he wouldn't have to see his father dancing, that's where he drew the line.

  There had to be at least two hundred people in the room, and Jimin didn't even recognize half of them. However, he did spot some of his father's old friends, who came up to him every two seconds to ask him how life was treating him, or if he was getting married any time soon, or say 'look at you, all grown up!'

  After an hour and a half of sitting around and catching up with some people,  Jimin was already tired. The minutes seemed to drag by endlessly. Heaving a sigh, he chugged down the glass of champagne in his hand and then set it down on the table.

  "Want some cake?" the bride asked him, suddenly popping down on the empty seat on his left. She gave the blond a shy smile, holding up two slices of cake in front of her.

  Somewhat hesitantly, he took the plate she was holding up to him and stabbed the cake with his fork while murmuring a small 'thanks'. "Everything's beautiful," Jimin said, forcing himself to smile. He didn't mean to be rude, after all, his new step-mother (yucky term, he thought) was simply being polite, but he wasn't fully comfortable around her.

  Ayeong smiled again. "Thank you. And thank you for showing up, as well. We were worried you weren't gonna show up."

  Jimin couldn't stop himself from asking "We?"

  Ayeong wiped the white frosting on her mouth and covered her half-full mouth with the napkin. "Well, yes, your father wasn't the only one who was expecting you to come. I was hoping to get a chance to meet you properly, you know, talk."

  Jimin wasn't sure how to respond. Admittedly, he knew nothing about his father's new wife, except that she was a few years younger than him and had no children. They'd barely ever spoken.

  The woman cleared her throat. "So, where's that boyfriend of yours? I thought he'd be coming along with you."

  "How did you know I-"

  "I saw you two at the dinner your father held where- well, you know. And he kept rambling on about it, how he didn't think you'd be gay." She stabbed the cake with the fork again nervously and added hastily: "It's not that he's not okay with it- he just needs some time to get used to it, and I'm sure-"

  Jimin held up his hand to stop her rambling and gave her a small- yet genuine and somewhat awkward- smile. "You don't have to defend him. If there's someone who should be saying that, it's him."

  Ayeong's tense shoulders seemed to relax a little. There was a brief moment of silence between the two before the latter finally spoke again. "I just wanted to tell you that I hope we can get along. I know things with your dad haven't been going so smoothly, but I really hope you two can fix things. And maybe, some day, we'll even be a family," she finished off softly.

  The blond's eyes softened, and he wanted to say 'I highly doubt that', but instead sat by and watched as Ayeong stood up and walked away, leaving half of her cake behind.

•

  Another hour dragged by before Jimin's father finally mustered up the courage to speak to his son. He had no idea what he was gonna tell him. "Enjoying yourself?" would sound almost sarcastic, asking about his boyfriend? No, he wasn't there quite yet. What about his new place? About work? Or would that be too exasperating?

  After debating with himself for a while, Mr. Park walked up to his son and handed him a glass of Champagne.

  "Want a drink?," he asked, holding out the glass.

  "I wouldn't mind one," Jimin answered, taking the glass into his hand and bringing it up to his lips.

  "Thanks for showing up, I didn't think you'd come," said the groom, brushing a hand through his brown hair, where little strands of gray hair were starting grow.

  "I didn't either, actually. Yoongi talked me into it."

  Mr. Park's eyes widened slightly- he wasn't expecting that. He was trying to avoid the subject, but evading it now would make it seem to obvious. There was no helping it now.

  "Well thank him for me, then. How are things going between you two?" He pursed his lips, unsure of how much he should ask.

  "We've been great, actually," Jimin answers, eyeing his father suspiciously and examining his every move, thinking of what Ayeong had said to him earlier. "I mean, we've bought house together, and we have a pet, so I guess you could say it's pretty serious."

  Mr. Park's eyes widened even more, as the situation had only now downed on him, even though he'd been well aware of it for at least a month now.

  "Are you happy?" he asked bluntly, taking Jimin off guard. Jimin nodded slowly, and his father nodded back. "I'm glad, then."

  "What about you? Are you happy with her?" Jimin asked his father, lightly jerking his chin towards the bride, who was over at the dance floor with her friends.

  "Very much so," his father answered, without hesitating a second. "I never thought I'd marry anyone else after your mom passed, but... she makes me happy."

  Feeling his heart swell a little, Jimin looked at his father with one corner of his mouth pulled up. "Ayeong seems very nice. I think mom would be... happy for you."

  And maybe it was just his imagination, maybe it was the alcohol affecting him, or maybe it was the alcohol affecting his dad, but Jimin could've sworn the older's glassy eyes had softened, and he'd looked at his son in a way he hadn't done in years.

  None of them said another word, and Jimin walked away, chugging down his sixth glass of champagne.

is this terrible? yes
did it take me years? yes
does school suck? Absolutely
on an unrelated note endgame messed me UP