one week [taekook] ✓

fifty-eight: a second chance

the two didn't say anything afterwards and began walking to their bus stop. they silently got on, and silently got off at their desired destination.

"are you hungry?" the older spoke the first word.

"hmm?"

"it's lunch time, there's a pizza place behind us. let's eat." taehyung took the lead to the fast food restaurant.

"a medium pizza, half cheese, half pepperoni," taehyung ordered. he smiled recalling to the first phone call jeongguk had given him.

"let's split the bill," jeongguk said getting out his wallet.

"i thought you liked free food."

"yeah but i feel bad now that we aren't... y'know."

taehyung chuckled. "jeez, you didn't need to make it awkward. it's fine, i'll pay." he handed the cashier the money and both went to sit at a table.

jeongguk felt his phone vibrate. once he took it out, it was the shop's phone number.

"hello, appa?"

"hey gukkie. did you eat lunch?" his dad's voice sounded as healthy as ever.

"yeah, i'm about to. did you?"

"yes i did. i ate both breakfast and lunch and my pills."

"good. is anything wrong?"

"no no. uh, jeongguk-ah, where'd you put our extra supply of titanium white?"

"appa," jeongguk said sternly, "what are you doing?"

"oh c'mon gukkie! i don't feel myself if i'm not painting. i'll be sitting the entire time anyways."

the boy let out a sigh. "fine. it's in the back cupboard behind the box of stencils."

"thank you, love you gguks."

"yeah, yeah, love you too. i'll be home soon."

he ended the call there, just as their order was done.

"anything wrong?" taehyung asked taking a slice of the pizza.

"no. it's just my dad's been moving around too much and i'm afraid he'll get hurt again. i can't blame him though. he doesn't want to loose the sh— i mean, uh..."

the older raised his eyebrows. "you're going to loose the shop?"

"no!"

"jeongguk, you don't need to lie to me."

"okay, fine, yes we are unless we pay back all our debts. which i'm almost done paying back!"

"how much more do you need?"

"one million won."

"one million?" taehyung shouted, but jeongguk quickly scolded the older to be quiet in a public place. he took some time to think. "hmm, even if i were to lend you some money, it wouldn't even cover half, but it'll still do something."

"no no no! you don't need to do that!" the younger waved his hands aggressively. "i have this all figured out. i'm sure i can do enough commissions by the end of this month."

"end of this month?" taehyung shouted again but was once again scolded but the other. "jeongguk, that's less than two weeks."

"it's enough time for me."

"are you sure?"

"affirmative."

they continued eating, but taehyung's mind was now cramped. not only was he worried about his own "family" issues, but also jeongguk.

"hyung," the younger began softly, "about your mother.."

"she's not my mother."

"okay, about that lady. hyung, i saw the regret and pain in her eyes. she's a kind woman, i'm sure of it."

"jeongguk, you don't know how it felt to be trapped in that miserable place. th-that woman, why did she create me when she didn't have ideas of taking care of me. she should've just aborted me, i'm a mistake after all."

"hyung, you're not a mistake, don't say that."

taehyung shook his head. "yes i am."

"i'm not going to say what she didn't wasn't wrong, but she's trying to fix what she did, hyung. you shouldn't push her away like that."

"what do you want me to do then?" he said a bit too loud. taehyung has really been catching the attention of the other customers.

"i'm saying, give her a chance."

"i already did when i came into this world. she didn't take care of me, she lost that chance," taehyung said with a dull tone.

"everybody deserves a second chance."

there was a pause of silence.

"if i do give her a second chance, will you give me another?"

—•
it's saturd(y)ayyyyyyyyyy
bye<3