Cherry Blossoms

NINE

Social services showed up on his doorstep about a week later.

It hadn't necessarily been the nicest week he ever had and he was almost relieved when a young man with a (too) kind smile introduced himself and said that the authorities would like to have a look into his parenting.

The last days had been absolute shit for Jimin and he had only himself to blame.

Whenever even the faintest waver of Jungkook's scent made it into his radius he got alarmed and looked around himself in bright panic of spotting the Alpha somewhere close to him. Needless to say he'd been avoiding his neighbour like the plague after he rejected him so cowardly and to his luck Jungkook didn't make any particular efforts to meet him again either.

Frankly, Jimin had been moping around on his couch ever since he had left him standing on his doorstep, feeling the absence of the younger in such an omnipresent, suffocating way that he had been close to just knock on his neighbour's door and fall on his knees in apology more than once. But he didn't.

Jaehyun was another problem. As soon as he understood that Jungkook wasn't coming over anymore, he started to get very moody.

He'd throw his playthings at Jimin, pouted at him and ignored him, clearly to show that he blamed his father for Jungkook's absence. Jimin knew he wasn't wrong, but two days ago, when Jaehyun had refused to eat and drink at dinner, he had had enough and send his kid over to see Jungkook.

The Alpha had welcomed him happily but confused until Jaehyun had explained that Jimin had told him to go because he wouldn't eat.

Of course Jimin had sat alone in his hallway, really exerting his heightened senses to listen to whatever the two boys were talking about. He didn't catch everything, but when he heard Jungkook ask his baby how Jimin was doing and Jaehyun answering "Really bad. He thinks I don't see it, but he never sleeps these days." he just lost it and started crying again.

At some point, he didn't understand why he was doing this to himself anymore. There was nothing coming out of whatever he had planned, cutting his ties with Jungkook considering his kid had decided to abandon him and went to have dinner with the Alpha every other day from then on.

So really, when the man in the cheap, grey suit smiled at him, he really wasn't sure if this was a moment where he could be happy about the distraction or terrified of possible consequences, even though he was there was nothing he did wrong.

"Uhm... may I see some kind of authorization?" he asked anyway since he knew social services had to be alarmed by the school or someone who had regular, direct contact with Jaehyun and could therefore assume maltreatment. (hence not someone like Mrs. Kim)

"Of course." the guy smiled brightly and flashed him an ID, paired with a document that was signed by an awfully familiar signature.

Wang Mae. Jaehyun's teacher.

This bitch.

"May I come in?" the man asked and Jimin stepped aside immediately.

In his paranoia that authorities might show up at any time soon, he had been keeping the apartment nit-pickingly clean, afraid they'd consider an even slightly dirty environment endangering for his son.

Jimin lead the man- who introduced himself as Kim Seokjin- into his kitchen and offered him a glass of water. Jimin was pretty sure the guy was a beta, even though he was clearly on scent blockers, probably to avoid unnecessary trouble in complicated families.

Kim Seokjin asked to see Jaehyun and Jimin called the pup from where he was playing in his room.

"What is it, Daddy?" his baby asked with a big smile on his face while holding up an action figure. He had been eating chocolate, so there was still a small trace in the corner of his mouth, that Jimin instantly tried to erase.