Bittersweet Silence |KTH Fanfiction|

34

"So, you said your name is Y/N correct?"

Practically melting from the warm oatmeal filling your entire body with what feel like a blanket of comfort you slowly flick your eyes over to TaeHyung's mother, your head bowing in a soft nod.

"Yes ma'am, my apologies for not introducing myself again."

"Ah not at all. I'm forgetful in my old age. Your parents flip houses?"

"Yes ma'am, they buy up houses in areas that have been depressed by overpasses and major highways and try to make the area live able again. N-Not that this area isn't livable!"

Shit Y/N, always putting your damn foot in your mouth.

"Don't worry, I know how rough this area up here is. This was the first round of homes built here way back, they were Victorian ranch houses when first built but over the decades they have faded from not being taken care of."

Woah...she knows a lot about this place.

Flicking your eyes over to Taehyung who silently pouts into his Japchae and exchanges longing glances between you and his mother you stop eating and pull out your board, your fingers quickly jotting down the conversation you just had with his mother.

No need to leave Taehyung out...I'm sure he wants to know what we were saying...

"You live in the houses your parents are fixing up?"

Man she's probing me hardcore.

Protective mother though....it's nice to see....

"Ah...Yes...well...my parents also sell the houses they fix up, so we move around a lot...they usually fix up part of a house for me and go back to the big city to their offices."

"....So you live completely alone then?"

"Until they buy a new string of houses and move me...then yes ma'am."

Writing down your conversation as quickly as possible for Taehyung to see sitting across from you now giddily chewing his food his mother seems to notice your actions by the way she goes quiet, her eyes silently probing your form.

"You seem quite attentive to my son, do you have a sibling possibly with a handicap?"

"Um...no ma'am...I just don't want him to feel left out of the conversation..."

At your response the woman nods her head softly and takes a bite of the Japchae, her defensive gaze sticking on the two of you.

"I see. Living somewhere like this must be quite a shock to you then."

"Um...the school is a bit of a shock. The house isn't...I've lived in much worse honestly as far as neighborhood and living conditions."

I'm making my parents sound like monsters I need to word my sentences better.

At the mention of the school you watch Taehyung's mother cringe and slowly shut her eyes, her head lightly nodding up and down.

"It is...an interesting school isn't it."

"It seems like a cult to me. Those people are creepy."

The second you write your response to Taehyung's mother down on the board you hear the boy slightly snicker and grin widely, his head happily held high being a part of the conversation.

Good...he looks happy...

"I didn't know you felt that way about the school...it's nice to hear."

"A-Ah...yeah...I've been to the stores and everything...I'm sure it's a shock to hear someone speak against the school. All these people act like the school is a gold beacon or something."

"I have to agree with you. It kills me that I have to send Taehyung to that school. I'm happy he's a senior and will be out of there after this year."

I bet you are happy, I wonder if you even know the torture your son is enduring everyday....you can only see the flesh wounds...

"Don't worry ma'am...no one can touch Taehyung as long as I'm there."

"....As much as I appreciate that...I don't want Taehyung to end up with a target on his back."

"....Ma'am...with all due respect...he already had a target on his back when I got here..."

The room is suddenly clutched in awkward silence and Taehyung's entire face glows in a deep blush as he gazed down at his food again, his teeth nervously nibbling at the inside of his lip.

"Y/N...let me ask you something..."

"Y-Yes ma'am! A-Anything!"

This is not going well, I'll be surprised if I'm ever around Taehyung again.

"Why do you want to be friends with my son?"

Widening your eyes in light shock at the woman's serious expression and swallowing hard you nervously retract your hands into your lap, your eyes glancing over to the boy silently nibbling on a strawberry.

"........I think Taehyung is a special person......I like the way he looks at the world...he looks at everything as if he's seeing it for the first time...I appreciate when people are sincere. I haven't met a lot of them."

"So it isn't because he can't hear?"

"What? Oh...no ma'am. I don't pity people. I despise being pitied so I wouldn't do it to anyone else. I believe that anyone can make the best of their situation, and you just have to find the fun and peaceful moments amongst your chaos."

Taehyung's mother seems completely dumbstruck by the way her jaw pushes to the side and her eyes narrow in your direction, her head nodding up and down with an exasperated sigh.

"Are you sure you're willing to put such a target on your own back to be friends with my son?"

"Again..with all due respect ma'am, I already had one on my back as well. It isn't Taehyung's fault this place is close minded to those around them."

Swallowing hard and flicking your eyes up to Taehyung sneaking tiny shy glances at your form you can't help but to grin in his direction, your hands nervously clutched on the tops of your thighs.

"Alright then."

"Hmm?"

As the woman stands up from the table and sets her plate inside of the old metal sink clutched in the rotting wood of the house she turns away from you and sighs, her foot tapping against the small stained rug in under her feet.

"I'll allow you to be friends with my son. However if I get one inkling that you are using him for personal clout or gain, I suggest you get away from him as quickly as possible."

She's....

She's letting me be his friend?

Really?!

"Th-Thank you s-so much ma'am! I-I really appreciate this!"

"No need to thank me. Thank Taehyung instead. He seems to talk highly of you."

Turning towards the boy with a beaming smile on your face you quickly grab your board and begin jotting down words with your marker, your eyes warming when you spin it over in his sights.

"Looks like you and I can be friends Tae."

Thank goodness....

Other than JinWoo...

You're one of my first real friends Tae...

(A/N): Cute and domestic, that's becoming my go to lately 🤣