Chapter Text
There’s a reason women naturally have more emotional strength than men. But now, at a time so close to midnight, Jeon Hana can't help but bite her nails as she worries about the fact that her son is still not home from his friend’s house party.
She acknowledges that it is a bad habit because Jungkook keeps scolding her about the same, that one day even she will leave him when a nail gets stuck in her neck, choking her to death — and that’s what they fought about this morning, leading to his son closing the door with a bang & cutting contact with her for the day.
What can a mother do when her son has a problem with every damn thing in this world? Fight the world?? Oh, she is dying while trying to. But she has to stay strong for him. Clicking on her contacts, she sees Jungkook’s name on the top of recent calls with a red number beside it, 9. Nine unreturned calls.
She’s about to press the call button again when the main door is opened loudly, and there he is, with the ever-green frowned look on his face.
“Do you have a penchant for ruining my life, eomma?” He spoke, breathing harshly as his chest heaved with anger, doing his best to hold the rage burning inside him. It was quite visible on his face as he freed his arm from his head bodyguard’s hands, rotten sick of them.
“I gave birth to you, Jungkook. And this is how you speak to me?” She was on the verge of losing her cool, but oh god do you have to be so patient with your children, no matter their age. She was so close to being sick of him , but her motherly instinct always kicks in whenever the feeling starts to become too real.
“See? Wouldn’t it have been way better if I was never born? If you’d have aborted me? Had a beautiful & obeying daughter like you always wanted instead of having me, a fucking depressed little boy??” The conversation seemed to turn increasingly personal as Hana waved at the bodyguards to leave the house, now only the two of them inside the secure yet sombre walls of it. She furiously walked to her son & pulled him into a tight hug, holding her tears back.
“I never taught you how to lie. How could you…how could you ever think of saying that?!" Sometimes we learn things by ourselves, especially if driven to that situation. Hana sniffed, continuing to answer her own question as her hands that embraced her son trembled, “You were the best thing that happened to me, bunny. You still are, and forever will be. My beautiful boy. I’d do anything for you, y’know?”
He knows. A choked breath left him as he finally broke down in his mother’s arms, hating this vulnerable state of his. The only thing he liked about it was that he had someone that understood it, related to it.
“T-then do it. I’m s-so sick of them. J-just a break…p-please…”
“I…I can’t. It’s for your safety.”
“Even if it’s killing me?”
She didn’t have an answer to that. She could see that it was indeed killing him, but if she agreed to it that would also put his life at risk. One thing at a time, Hana. One thing. The right thing.
She couldn’t believe the words that came from her mouth next. But they were inevitable.
“Fine. Have your break. You’re free.” Even if only a tad bit, those words gave life to Jungkook. His tears stopped & his hold on her loosened.
“...Thank you. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. I love you. Now go to sleep, you have college tomorrow.” She broke the hug hesitantly, not wanting to let go.
“Love you too. Good night.” He gave her a kiss on the cheek & ran to his room, as a faint smile appeared on Hana’s face. Whispering a ‘good night’ back to him that she wished the air would tenderly blow by his ears, she entered her bedroom as well, surrendering to her sleepy eyes.
This is how the nights would end at the Jeons’ mansion, however painful the days went. Every day was , especially after the murder of Jeon Jun-seo, Jungkook’s beloved father. Love of Hana’s life. But they persevered because they had no other choice. She took on the family business as their son was very young back then, only 15. Now everything has settled bit by bit, including Jungkook’s depression. He seemed to go deeper into it ever since it was diagnosed 7 years ago, the reason so obviously being his father’s death. It didn’t give him peace when they identified & sentenced life imprisonment to his killer, one of Jeons’ business partners, because the damage was already done.
His mother has been trying hard to keep him safe & happy, not wanting him to end up like her late husband. So when she wakes up in the present morning — she already has a new plan to relieve her of the two worries.
Observing for the next few days that her son is actually doing much better mentally without the constant watch of his bodyguards on him, the plan turns into action as after much research, she’s finally appointed the perfect person to technically be Jungkook’s bodyguard — but in the disguise of a friend.
Everything was taken care of; the new bodyguard’s set-up admission to the same college, major & lectures. All he had to do was become his friend now, somehow.
Hana told the guy it was next to impossible to become Jungkook’s friend because of his ignorant & introverted nature, but more so because of the protective friends he already had, his dearest hyungs. They had known each other since high school.
“It’ll be done, Mrs. Jeon,” was his blatant answer. He was a man of conviction — that was especially written in bold in his résumé. Yes, she always needed heavily detailed résumés.
“Good luck, Mr. Kim.”
“Please, call me Taehyung instead. It’d be good for practice till your son brings me home one day & introduces me with the same name,” he paused, grinning a little, “and the title of being one of his closest friends.”
She gave him an intrigued smile. “I’ll be waiting for that day.”