𝐶𝐻𝐸𝐴𝑇𝐸𝑅𝑆 (ᴋ.ᴛʜ) ✓

Seventeen

<< C h a p t e r 17 >>

I practically ran to my mother's room since Jin said he will meet me there. What's inside my head right now is that I'll hug my mother to celebrate the good news once I see her.

Taehyung drove me here, he dropped me off to go up first while he went to park his car.

"Mom," I panted when I reached the door with my mother's name written on it, dropping my crossbody purse to the floor when I gave her a warm hug. She was smiling widely, and I replicated the exact same.

"Lea, we ran some tests and the liver is suitable. It's from a patient suffered from brain-death after a car accident. We can schedule the surgery for this week." Jin told the good news with a satisfied smile seeing our delighted faces.

"Thank you, Jin. Really, thank you." I held Jin's hand and his ears flushed red a bit. He bowed at my mother and caressed my shoulder before leaving the room.

My mother and I shared eye contact, words were not needed as we already knew how each other's emotion by looking in the eyes. I dived into my mother's embrace once again, she gently stroke my hair. I was going to cry out of bliss.

So many months, we have been waiting for a donor. I felt sorry for the donor though, his or her family would be heartbroken to lose a loved one, I didn't know if I have the right to be happy or not.

"Mom, you'll be okay now. Once you can leave the hospital, I'll travel all around the globe with you, okay?" I smiled, kissing my mother's cheek after she nodded. My mother loved to travel, she used to tell me about her experiences of travelling in her twenties when I was still a kid. It was until she met my dad, they got married and had me. That's when my mother put all her focuses on us.

I told myself when I first learnt my mother was sick, that I'll repay her with everything I can do because she's my one and only mother that I treasure more than everything in life.

"Did I miss something?" Taehyung's velvet voics caused us to chuckle and broke the hug. Taehyung probably guessed the talk went very well by the smile hanging on our faces.

"Dr Jin said mom can go under surgery very soon. Mom can be healthy again." Taehyung let out a sigh of relief and also hugged my mother.

"That's fantastic," Taehyung commented.

"Oh, Tae- you have a meeting at 10 am." I reminded, checking the silver watch on my wrist. It was currently 9:30 am.

"Go to work. I'll just sleep." My mother said, gesturing us to leave.

"Then... mom I'll come by after work." I half-shouted and waved at my mother, dragging Taehyung along with me as we exited the room.

Taehyung and I smiled stupidly, the smiles on our face can't seem to be wiped off any sooner.

"Mom, you have to promise me to not drink alcohol again." My mother nodded continuously as I reminded her why she ended up being sick in the hospital. Ever since my dad left us, my mom drank every day. That's how she got sick.

"Not even a little?" She carefully queried, earning a smack on her arm from me.

"Mom!" I scolded.

"I was just kidding." She chuckled, "why did you come alone? Where's Taehyungie?" My mother asked.

"He couldn't make it tonight. He has a ball to attend." I answered and she nodded in understanding.

"Oh, Jungkookie!" I exclaimed when Jungkook entered the room with a bag of food. His eyes lit up when he saw me sitting next to my mother's bed.

"Didn't know you're here, Lea," Jungkook stated, kissing my mother on the cheek as he greeted her.

"Did you hear the good news?" I smiled.

Jungkook giggled and nodded, "of course, aunty texted me." I moved my head to my mother and she smiled sheepishly.

An hour later, we decided to leave. Jungkook was driving me home. The atmosphere in the car was the kind of comfortable silence. It was very dark, I could barely see Jungkook's face. I figured out that it was the right time for me to ask him.

"Kook, did you pay the debts for me?"

Jungkook rubbed his thumb against his chin, thinking of an answer for my question. "Not only the debts, and the electricity and water bills or whatever," I added while he was still thinking.

Jungkook heaved a sigh, "yes?"

"You didn't have to do that, Jungkook," I said, feeling bad to have Jungkook waste his money on me. How can I shamelessly use his money and keep living like I didn't own him anything?

"How many times do I have to tell you, Lea? I want to do that. It's my own will, you don't have to feel sorry." Jungkook said, feeling a little frustrated because we weren't understanding each other's thoughts nor actions.

"But still, I can't let you waste so much money on me. The sum wasn't little at all. It's not like you are my family or what..." I explained, trying to search for the right words to express my feeling. It's just that, Jungkook is not my family, not my husband or siblings or whatever. It's not his responsibility to take care of my family. I didn't like having him pour so many energy and money to my family business.

"Then see me as your family. I can't watch you suffer and do nothing. Not when those nasty people can possibly hurt you." Jungkook clenched his fist around the steering wheel.

To some extent, I see Jungkook as a brother. Not a friend. He did so much for me and I'll be eternally grateful for it. My mother loves him like her own son either. Perhaps I should just accept the fact that I need help from him, it doesn't hurt to admit that, right?

"Thank you, Jungkook. I didn't mean it that way... you are a family to me." I smiled, he reflected the same, showing his adorable bunny smile.

"You can always count on me, Lea," Jungkook added. Meeting Jungkook wasn't something I appreciated when Taehyung and I were dating, but now, thinking twice, what would my life be like if I didn't meet him? Jungkook is a family now.

Little did I know, Jungkook wanted to be my family in a different way and my foolish self couldn't notice the sad smile plastered on his face right now.

Ha, did you see that coming?

Love you and thank you for reading lovelies💜