Chapter 33

"The mature choice"

Taehyun widened his eyes and made sure to blink a few times before he dared to believe what he saw in front of him was indeed real and not some sort of hallucination occurring because he just woke up.

"M… Mrs. Choi," said Taehyun, stuttering while quickly remembering to bow politely to Yoo Jin's mother.

"What brings you he-"

"Where is she?" asked Jeong-Yeon angrily and took a step closer, making Taehyun draw back from the surprise.

"I am sorry…" said Taehyun nervously, trying to keep the eye contact although he kept unconsciously diverting them, "where… is who?"

"My daughter! Choi. Yoo. Jin," said Jeong-Yeon and stressed every syllable of Yoo Jin's name, "she never came home yesterday."

"Noona didn't come home yesterday?" said Taehyun shocked, and he immediately reached for his phone in his pocket, looking through it for any missed calls or unread text messages.

"She didn't even contact me…" the disappointed voice from Taehyun was enough to convince Jeong-Yeon of his innocence and she slowly calmed down.

"She really isn't here?" asked Jeong-Yeon and Taehyun shook his head.

"But where is she then?" yelled Jeong-Yeon and Taehyun took another step back, not knowing how to respond, feeling like anything and everything he would say, could only make the situation worse.

"What is going on out here so early in the morning?" Taehyun turned around when he heard the hoarse voice from his mother and saw her approaching them with a tired look on her face. But her eyes quickly lit up in surprise when she saw the woman standing outside her door.

"Mrs. Choi," said Dan and bowed, "how can we help you?" With Dan standing next to Taehyun, Jeong-Yeon suddenly found herself falling silent. Dan looked at the quiet woman in front of her and then shifted her eyes to her son, who looked just as confused as she did.

"Mrs. Choi, why don't you come inside for a cup of coffee?" asked Dan with a kind voice and Jeong-Yeon looked up, her eyes filled with uncertainty.

"I…" said Jeong-Yeon, but Dan didn't let her finish. Instead, she took a step forward and gently padded her on the shoulder, guiding her inside the house without Jeong-Yeon even noticing.

"The neighbors would find me most unkind if they saw how I let a guest stand outside my door instead of inviting them inside," said Dan while walking around the kitchen, getting two cups of coffee ready. "I know it is summer already and it isn't that cold anymore, but it still wouldn't be kind of me. Here you go." Dan handed one of the cups to Jeong-Yeon, who was standing in the middle of the kitchen, not really knowing what to do of herself.

"Mrs. Choi," said Taehyun and startled Jeong-Yeon so much she nearly dropped her cup.

"I am sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," said Taehyun, "I just wanted to show you to a chair so you could sit down."

"Oh… thank you…" said Jeong-Yeon, the entire situation feeling too alien for her. In her nearly fifty years of life, she had never felt herself this out of place and at a loss for words.

Don't bother with the Kang family, that was what everyone in the neighborhood had always said, they aren't like the rest of us.

"Oh my," said Dan and interrupted Jeong-Yeon in the middle of her thoughts, "I forgot to ask you, do you want sugar or milk in your coffee."

"No, thank you," said Jeong-Yeon, almost automatically, until she realized what an unfortunate situation she had put herself in.

Drinking coffee with the eccentric Kim Dan, the painter who rarely left the house. She could already hear the neighborhood gossip inside her inner ear.

"Actually," said Jeong-Yeon, initiating a conversation for the first time since Dan arrived, "I didn't even want coffee."

"Is that so?" said Dan and smiled nervously, "that is okay, just put it on the counter, you don't need to force yourself."

"I don't even know why I came inside, I-"

"But Mrs. Choi," said Dan and interrupted Jeong-Yeon, "you looked like you had something on your mind, something troubling you. Isn't that right?" 

The image of Yoo Jin flashed before Jeong-Yeon's mind and she suddenly sat down on the chair again, this time letting out a huge sigh.

"I… I don't know where my daughter is…" said Jeong-Yeon, the worry evident in her voice.

"Yoo Jin? She is gone?" said Dan in the same worried voice, "Taehyun, have you spoken to her?"

"No," responded Taehyun quickly, "but I can try calling her." Jeong-Yeon immediately looked up and locked eyes with Taehyun, both of them shining like diamonds.

"Please, please call her," said Jeong-Yeon, the worry taking over her body, making it impossible for her to even worry about the neighbors at this point. 

"Sure," said Taehyun and took out his phone. He was nearly done finding her contact when he looked up and saw two sets of eyes staring right at him.

"Ehm…" said Taehyun nervously, "I will go upstairs and call her. I will come back down as soon as I am done talking to her." Jeong-Yeon wanted to argue, but she knew she wasn't in any position to make demands and simply nodded her head, watching as Taehyun disappeared from the kitchen and afterwards hearing the sound of his footsteps as he walked up the stairs.

Silence overtook the kitchen, until the sound of someone slurping coffee helped Jeong-Yeon out of her trance and made her stare at Dan who looked a little embarrassed that she made such a sound.

"Are you sure there is nothing I can get you?" asked Dan to divert the attention from herself, but Jeong-Yeon simply shook her head, hoping this would be over soon, that she would get Yoo Jin to come home and she could forget she ever sat foot in the Kang family's house in the first place.

But time passed by and Taehyun didn't return downstairs, making the wait even more awkward than it already was. Jeong-Yeon didn't initiate any conversation and whenever Dan tried doing so, she would be shot down with a simple 'yes' or 'no' answer immediately.

Both woman released a sigh of relief when they finally heard the sound of footsteps approaching and when Taehyun showed up in the kitchen, he was met by two pairs of eyes filled with anticipation.

"Ehm…" said Taehyun, in the same awkward way he had done before demanding to take the phone call upstairs. He knew this wouldn't be easy.

"Well?" said Jeong-Yeon impatiently, "did you talk to my daughter?"

"I did,"  said Taehyun and he didn't even get to continue before Jeong-Yeon took the word again.

"Where is she?" Jeong-Yeon nearly yelled, surprising both Dan and Taehyung, as well as herself.

"She… I promised her I wouldn't tell you."

"What?" said both woman in union and Taehyun gulped.

"Son, you can't hide this, Jeong-Yeon is Yoo Jin's mother," said Dan in a firm voice, "she has a right to know where her daughter is."

"I think so too…" said Taehyun, sounding like his mind was conflicted, "but Yoo Jin Noona wouldn't tell me where she was, unless I promised her I wouldn't tell anyone." The look in Jeong-Yeon's eyes suddenly turned sadder and she leaned back in the chair, looking like all the energy had left her body. Dan let out a sigh as she looked at the worried mother in front of her, whereafter she shifted her eyes to look at Taehyun.

"I will go and talk to her," said Taehyun suddenly, making Jeong-Yeon look up again, "I can't force her to do anything she doesn't want to, but I will try my best to get her to talk to you."

"How can I trust you?" said Jeong-Yeon, making Dan look at her in surprise, "you already know what we fought about, I am sure Yoo Jin told you." Taehyun nodded slowly.

"Yes, I know," said Taehyun, "but I already knew how you felt about me, somehow it hurts Yoo Jin more than it hurts me. So even if it is hard for you, I want you to trust me. I love your daughter very much and don't want her to do something she later regrets."

"But-" said Jeong-Yeon until she felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Dan standing next to her.

"My son is a good person, let him talk to her," said Dan and sent Jeong-Yeon a smile, "you can wait here until they return."

"How do you know both of them will return?" said Jeong-Yeon.

"Because I know my son." Jeong-Yeon shut her mouth and didn't say another word. Instead she looked at Taehyun and nodded one time, to which he responded with another nod before walking out of the kitchen and leaving the house.

While walking down to the dock, Taehyun shook his head multiple times, letting out one sigh after another, until he found himself in front of the small inn.

The one and only inn in this town, said Taehyun to himself as he looked at it, if Mrs. Choi had turned left instead of right, she would have found Yoo Jin without my help.

After finishing his thoughts, Taehyun opened the door and walked inside the inn. He nodded politely to the lady standing in the bar and followed the stairs until he found the room Yoo Jin had told him she was staying in.

He knocked twice on the door until he heard a soft voice saying "come in" so he could enter.

"You troublemaker…" said Taehyun when he saw Yoo Jin sitting on the bed, her arms wrapped around her legs and her chin resting on her knees.

"Hey there…" said Yoo Jin and tried sending him a smile, but she didn't get one in return.

"Seriously, what are you doing here?" said Taehyun in a strict voice, "just go home and talk it out with your mom."

"Why?" asked Yoo Jin and stood up from the bed, "it doesn't change anything even if I talk to her."

"So what, are you just going to stay here for the rest of your life?" Yoo Jin rolled her eyes at Taehyun's spiteful remark and turned her back to him as she continued talking.

"No, but I needed a place to stay last night," explained Yoo Jin, "I will look for an apartment the next days."

"How will you be able to afford living by yourself?" said Taehyun, his voice a little softer this time, "I know you don't make that much from your job as a substitute teacher."

"I will get another part time job, I will get two if I need it."

"Noona…" said Taehyun with a sigh, "don't you want to find a real, full time job in the future?" Yoo Jin turned her head slightly and looked at Taehyun while nodding.

"Then you need to go back home, that is your best chance at finding a job," said Taehyun, "if you have to spend all your time working and worrying about money, it will only make things harder for you."

"But, how can I go back there and stay in that house?"

"Noona…"

"The way she speaks of you… I can't stand it…"

"Noona," said Taehyun again and this time he reached out and grabbed her hand, "it is okay, as long as you love me, I am happy."

"No!" yelled Yoo Jin, "I know it hurts you that they won't accept you!" Taehyun looked at the floor for a second until his lifted his head again.

"Of course it hurts," said Taehyun, "but seeing you act like this hurts me even more. I can handle your mom, I am sure things will get better if we just wait patiently. One thing is for sure. If you leave your house now, the chances of your parents approving of our relationship is even smaller." Yoo Jin looked at the young boy in front of her, wondering how he could speak with such maturity, when she had never been able to.

"Why are you acting so mature? You are supposed to be the teenager of the two of us," said Yoo Jin and looked away with reddened cheeks. Taehyun just let out a laugh and squeezed her hand.

"When you act like a dramatic teenager, I can't also act that way," said Taehyun, "one of us have to be responsible, otherwise, what will happen to us?" Yoo Jin looked into Taehyun's eyes and couldn't hold back her laughter anymore. She released herself from his grip, but only to swing her arms around Taehyun and pull him into a warm hug.

"Thank you."

***

Jeong-Yeon walked around in circles, little by little making not just herself dizzy, but Dan as well, her eyes following her every movement. Not many words had been spoken in the time Taehyun had been gone, and Dan had given up a long time ago, there was no way of getting through to her.

In the same second, the sound of a door opening grabbed the attention of both woman and soon after, Taehyun appeared in front of them, this time with Yoo Jin by her side.

Dan let out a sigh of relief and then lit up in big smile, while Jeong-Yeon just stared at Yoo Jin, not knowing whether to be happy or to be sad.

"Are you done running away from home?" asked Jeong-Yeon after a while of silence.

"Are you done being rude to my boyfriend?" asked Yoo Jin firmly, making Taehyun elbow her in the side, mouthing 'that wasn't what we agreed on'.

"Sorry…" said Yoo Jin after feeling the glare from Taehyun, "I will come home."

"Good…" said Jeong-Yeon and finally let out a long awaited sigh herself, "seriously, running away from home at your age, you are unbelievable." Taehyun held his breath, hoping Yoo Jin would be able to take the spiteful remarks from her mother without responding in the same manner.

Jeong-Yeon walked closer to Yoo Jin and took her bag from her hand.

"But I guess I was a little unfair…" the unusual remark from Jeong-Yeon wasn't spoken loudly, but Yoo Jin still heard it clearly, making her look at her mother in surprise.

"Will you stop looking at me like that and get a move on instead?" said Jeong-Yeon after feeling Yoo Jin's eyes on her for several seconds.

"But…" said Yoo Jin, although Jeong-Yeon had already started walking towards the door, "does that mean… you will invite Taehyun over for dinner?" Jeong-Yeon turned around slowly, while Yoo Jin held her breath.

"Yeonjun's friend is visiting next weekend…" said Jeong-Yeon and held a long pause, dragging out Yoo Jin's misery as long as possible.

"Maybe Taehyun can visit the weekend after that." Yoo Jin's eyes immediately widened to twice their size and in the matter of seconds, she set off and ran to her mother, enveloping her in a big, warm hug.

Hello everyone!

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I know it might seem like the matter got resolved pretty quickly, but like Taehyung said, things would never work out if Yoo Jin didn’t go back home.

Don’t forget to leave your thoughts in the comments down below!

Take good care of yourself and stay safe.

Love Annalise~