𝐀𝐋𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄 ‣ jjk

六十九 ; secrets untold

[this chapter is quite long
pls bear with me]

day 21
12.42 pm
lee haru

secrets untold

lunch was like a buffet table
jeongguk's mom was a very excellent chef;
the kimchi and the meat were
absolutely mouthwatering
and the gimbap was amazing

i don't remember the last time
i sat casually at a dining table like this
i don't even remember the
last time i ate a proper meal

even back at home
the food was always prepared by the maids
i rarely got to taste my mother's recipes
heck, i hardly ever got the chance to sit
with a complete family at the dining table

it was either mom or dad who was missing
and even if we had special occasions
where all three of us would be present
there wouldn't be much interaction besides
simple greetings and the clinking of eating utensils
was that a family?
up until now, i've learned enough to know that
we were all living with connections
because we obliged to do so
not because we wanted to

jeongguk is sitting beside me
filled cheeks bobbing as he chews quickly
sarang is across from him
gulping down her chocolate drink
and mrs jeon is staring at me with a smile on her face

"are you making yourself comfortable sweetheart?"
she asks and i return her smile

"the food is really good, eommeoni
you're a good cook"

"ahh don't say that
i think my cooking skills are
mediocre compared to other moms
but i'm glad you liked it"

"stop comparing, mom,
you know i would prefer to eat your food
even if you poured a whole
bottle of vinegar in"
jeongguk cuts with a laugh

i smile, saying
"it's fine, i never really got to enjoy
home cooked food before
this is really nice
jeongguk is very lucky to have
an excellent mom chef"

mrs jeon smiles at the compliment
before passing over a bowl of soup to me
and telling me to eat more
"say, where are you from sweetheart?"

i pause, looking up at her slowly, unsurely
jeongguk stops as well
because he's lowering his chopsticks and glancing
over at me to see how i'm reacting

"it's... a long story, mom" jeongguk says
when he knows that i'm coming up with nothing
i give him a look of thanks
and he smiles

"well then, whatever your background is,
wherever you're from,
a friend of my son is a friend of us all"
mrs jeon says with a heartwarming smile

"JEON JEONGGUK?!"
a deep voice echoed throughout the house
and all our eyes avert to the door of the dining room
seeing a man with sparkles in familiar looking eyes
eyes like jeongguk's
"where have you been buddy?
we've been worried sick"

in a second, jeongguk is on his feet
and rushing to his brother's side
enveloping him into a tight hug
"just travelling, hyung,
now where is my welcome home"

another set footsteps sound from behind them
and an older looking man enters the room
immediately taking off his working coat and
taking his son into his arms as well

"abeoji" i can see the look in jeongguk's eyes
it's like he wants to cry
but he's fighting so hard to not let the tears fall
i can't help but feel envious
he has such a happy and warm family
and for a moment there i nearly
break down into tears as well

mrs jeon is smiling proudly
while sarang is clapping her hands and cheering
jeongguk looks like the happiest man in the world
and at that moment i realise that
i'd want to protect that smile
no matter what the cost

after we all settle down and finish up with lunch
and jeongguk gets me introduced to his
friendly brother, who calls himself junghyun
and his supportive father

i offer to help clean up, but mrs jeon insists that
guests do not do any work in her house
i then settle to eating cakes with sarang
who is feeding me with a spoon and chanting
"here comes the aeroplane~"

after finishing the last of the cake
sarang runs off to get more toys to play with
and i take the empty plate to the kitchen
thinking that i should at least clean this up

but as i get closer to the door
i hear distant voices from inside
as if they're afraid
that someone else would eavesdrop on them

i hide behind a wall
and peep in through the opening crack between
the kitchen door and the wall

somewhere between those hushed murmerings
i hear mrs jeon sigh loudly, her breathing ragged
jeongguk is leaning against the counter
head tilted forwards
her brother has an arm around his shoulder
and his father is holding his mother's hand tightly
as if trying to calm and comfort her

shouldn't they be happy
now that jeongguk is home?

"b-but why? j-jeongguk—"

"eomma please" jeongguk's voice is cracking
and filled with so much heartbreak that
my lips begin to tremble
"there's no way"

"we can go for more treatments
you can take a break from your career
rest at home, just until you get better—"

"there is no way"
jeongguk is whispering softer now
as if even he couldn't accept the fact
that he was saying it
"i'm so sorry"

junghyun is stroking him on the back now
before pulling his close into a hug
and jeongguk is quivering
his mother is breaking down into quiet sobs

"jae eun-ah" mr jeon starts
and she shakes her head furiously

"we c-can't just let him go
he's my son, jungho, he's my son"

what is it that i don't know?
why are they acting like they're
never going to see him again
what other secrets is he keeping from me?

jeongguk embraces his mother
and she weeps into his shoulder
his brother and father look equally devastated
and the air in the room grows tenser by the minute

"how can i ever let my son go?"
mrs jeon whispers
jeongguk hushes her
stroking her back calmly

"i won't be too far away"
jeongguk tries to cover up
his sobs with a chuckle
like he always does
"i wouldn't want to go too far away"

go... where?
jeongguk, where are you going?
what is wrong with you?

jeongguk breaks away from his mother after awhile
wiping her tears away gently with his thumb
"don't cry, eomma
you're making me feel guilty now"

mr jeon smiles sadly
"we are so, so proud of you
more than you think we are
you're my son"

jeongguk smiles
but the pain cuts through like a knife
and i feel wetness on my cheeks
i wipe it off and my legs feel weak

what other secrets are you hiding from me
jeon jeongguk?