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"I don't know how much we should tell Eun about this," Jaewoo said, hesitating with one foot out the door. He stretched, and then his stomach growled.
I nodded. "I know. I don't want to freak her out. Better to protect her. This stuff isn't for the fainthearted."
His lips twisted up to the side ruefully. "I would have tried to protect you, too, if I'd known how. But I guess you've never fit into the fainthearted category, have you?"
I smiled back, pulling a blazing breath in through my teeth.
Jaewoo patted his stomach absently. "I'll think of something. We've got time to discuss this, right?"
"Right," I promised him.
It had been a long day in some ways, and so short in others. Jaewoo was late for dinner—Sue Clearwater was cooking for him and Minho. That was going to be an awkward evening, but at least he'd be eating real food; I was glad someone was trying to keep him from starving due to his lack of cooking ability.
All day the tension had made the minutes pass slowly; Jaewoo had never relaxed the stiff set of his shoulders. But he'd been in no hurry to leave, either. He'd watched two whole games—thankfully so absorbed in his thoughts that he was totally oblivious to Hobi's suggestive jokes that got more pointed and less football-related with each aside—and the after-game commentaries, and then the news, not moving until Yeonjun had reminded him of the time.
"You gonna stand Minho and my mom up, Jaewoo? C'mon. Kook and EJ'll be here tomorrow. Let's get some grub, eh?"
It had been clear in Jaewoo's eyes that he hadn't trusted Yeonjun's assessment, but he'd let Yeonjun lead the way out. The doubt was still there as he paused now. The clouds were thinning, the rain gone. The sun might even make an appearance just in time to set.
"Minghyu says you guys were going to take off on me," he muttered to me now.
"I didn't want to do that if there was any way at all around it. That's why we're still here."
"He said you could stay for a while, but only if I'm tough enough, and if I can keep my mouth shut."
"Yes... but I can't promise that we'll never leave, Dad. It's pretty complicated. . . ."
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