ACT VII | SCENE XXXIV

❝THE CAFÉ❞

THEY WERE BACK at the café where they had decided to be friends. jangmi had her arms folded over her chest, a cold look on her face. it had been exactly a week since the incident at her school and the bruise on her face was lightening to a yellow. none of her colleagues had made any remarks about what happened. at least not when she was around. and sora still acted nicely to her.

it had also been a week since jimin had refused to tell her what had happened between him and his mother. she had heard from bora that he hadn't been home in all that time. and even she wouldn't say what exactly happened, suggesting she ask jimin. she'd also asked her to try and convince him to return home though jangmi didn't know why she thought he would listen to her.

said man sat across from her, seeming mildly amused by her visage. he rested his chin on the back of his hand as he stared back at her. "the look you're giving me could kick start the ice age. what did i do this time?" he remarked lightheartedly. "it's more on the lines of what you didn't do." she replied.

"is this about what happened between me and my mother?" he sighed out. "bora told me you haven't slept home in seven days." she stated. "oh, you two are best friends now." he leaned back. she gave him a look that told him she was unamused. he blew out a breath. "yeah, i haven't been home all this while."

"tell me what the hell happened. obviously, it was more than you just telling her off like you told me." she unfolded her arms, resting them on the table. he sighed again. "i got really angry when i heard and i stormed in and yelled at her. i said a lot of things, half of which i have no recollection of. but i do remember i was mad at how unapologetic she was. and then i threw a vase and told her if she scared you away, i would disappear from her life."

"back up." she rolled her hands over each other. "you threw a vase?" she knitted her brows together. "not at her, right?" she leaned in. "no." he answered too quickly. her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "i didn't throw it at her. i threw it against the wall." he said defensively.

jangmi pinched the bridge of her nose, letting out an exasperated sigh. "i swear to god, jimin, it's like your brain hits sleep mode sometimes. how could you do that?" she dropped her hand, fixing him with a frustrated look. "you have to go back home and fix whatever you broke. and i'm not talking about the vase. i'm sure you and your father have a lot to talk about. plus, bora misses you."

"she's going to get married soon and leave the house and we won't see each other as often anyway." jimin piped, quickly straightening up when her frustrated look remained. "fine. i'll go home. happy?" he pressed his lips together. "no. but this will do." she sighed out. "i can't believe you flung a vase." she muttered. "but then again, it's you we're talking about. you go apeshit if you're triggered enough." she mused.

then, leaning on the open palm of her left hand, she fixed him with an examining gaze. "what i don't get is why you were so triggered." she said softly, mind drifting to what nari had implied a week ago. she knew the woman was just making things up in her clearly overactive imagination but it sparked her curiosity.

"well, to be honest, i have this inordinate fear that you'd disappear with rosalie again." he admitted. she scoffed, head shaking slightly. "it's going to take a lot more to make me leave seoul again when i only just returned. especially after the shitload of money i paid for my house. and besides, i'm not so horrible as to purposely keep rosalie away from you."

"it's an irrational fear. even though a part of me knows you won't leave, a bigger part of me freaks out, thinking you could." he raked his fingers through his hair, pulling his bottom lip between his teeth.

she tsked at him. "honestly, what do you take me for?" her hand moved from her face to loop underneath her arm. his eyes drifted out the window. it was bright out, no cloud in sight. there were a few cars driving past.

the café was a cozy little private place in a secluded part of town. it was slowly becoming his and jangmi's place. it was here after all, that he'd found out she was back and with a kid nonetheless. their kid.

"human." he mumbled, turning his gaze back to her, look serious. "you're human, jangmi." he stated. she pressed her lips together, one side quirking up. "i'll have you know, i'm no weak human."

his lips curled up at her words. "i know that."