He's Mine | Jikook

69| Rising From Your Ashes

Young Ae wouldn't describe herself as a particularly good person.

In her life, she had wronged many people in order to pursue her own goals, and her own interests always came first- even if they didn't have the best of intentions. Yet, she did care about her family. She cared about her sons. She cared about Jungkook.

Young Ae wasn't a good person, but she did believe in being a good mother.

So, when Jungkook called her - crying and yelling - she felt her heart clench painfully. She felt the awful need to hug him, tell him that everything was going to be okay. Just like she did when he was younger, whenever something upset him or he feared of getting in trouble with his father. Young Ae was always there for him, as a good mother should. She cheered Jungkook up, helped and defended him in difficult situations, spoiled him with all her love and affection. They had grown a great bond.

Young Ae was a good mother. A good parent. Better than her husband, Dong Guk. But when Jungkook told her about what had happened with Jimin and Seohyun- she couldn't help him. She didn't know how to react. He wouldn't listen, even began blaming her at some point. It was hell. The worst phone call she's ever had.

Young Ae had failed. She had failed as a mother. She had failed her dearest son.
Even after trying so hard, things didn't turn out the way she would've liked.

And so, she could only listen. Listen to Jungkook's pain, his distress and suffering. It was torture.

Young Ae messaged Jaewon and asked him to go to Jimin's place since he was the only one Jungkook agreed to see. After a while, when he seemingly arrived, they hung up the phone. She hoped that his best friend could provide him the support he needed. At least Jungkook had been smart enough to call out for help, something he usually wouldn't have done. He was a very proud man, just like his father. This only proved how helpless he must've felt. How scared he was. Young Ae's heart cried for him.

She felt useless. For the first time in her life, she felt useless.

Now, she was sitting in the living room, staring into the abyss and listening to the storm outside. Everything felt so cold. She didn't even bother to turn the light on. Slowly, she was swept into the darkness, feeling nothing but emptiness.

Minutes passed. Someone suddenly rang the doorbell. A maid welcomed the visitor, then Young Ae heard whispering. As footsteps approached the room, she closed her eyes.

She wasn't prepared to look her in the face yet. She just couldn't.

Jaewon tore his gaze away from the mess in the living room. Glass was shattered everywhere, the lights turned off. In a fit of rage, someone had knocked over the dinner table. Just to let our their frustration. Destroying an apartment was apparently a great way to do so. He hoped the person felt better now.

From the corner of the room, he could hear quiet sobbing.

Well- they seemingly didn't.

Jaewon didn't even know what to tell Jungkook. He usually always had something to say. A snarky comment maybe. Or a bad joke.

Not this time, though. All he could do was stare down at his best friend and watch him break apart. The same best friend who made him laugh hysterically after one or two drinks. The one who was supposedly the embodiment of pride and confidence. The same friend who he went to high-school with, partying and flirting their way through life. Together, they had experienced the hardships and beauty of youth and adulthood.

Jaewon always looked up to him. Jungkook was much stronger, always saving his unlucky ass whenever he got himself into tricky situations. And he was grateful for that. He was grateful for his best friend. Not once did he stop admiring him.