16 Chapter 16

~MAY 7 ; YOO'S RESIDENCE~

"HELLO, YEONAE-YA~!"

Greet Namjoon to Yeonae from the other line of the call.

"HELLO, NAMJOON oppa (older guy *female to male*)~! WHY'D YOU CALL?"

Asked Yeonae after she greeted Namjoon.

"WELL... I JUST WANTED TO ASK YOU IF YOU WANNA GO AND CHASE YOUR DREAM TO BECOME AN IDOL?"

Asked Namjoon to Yeonae.

"What did Namjoon hyeong(older guy/brother *male to male*) said?"

Asked Jungkook from the other line of the call.

"I don't know! I can't understand English!"

Answered Seokjin to Jungkook from the other side of the call.

"What did you say to her Namjoon-ie?"

Asked Yoongi to Namjoon calmly from the other side of the call.

"Oh, I just asked her if she still wants to be an idol."

Answered Namjoon to Yoongi's question.

"Jin-jja (Really)? We can help you Yeonae-ya!"

Said Taehyung to Yeonae from the other line of the call.

"Yes. Thank you. I really want to be an Idol since I was young, but..."

Replied Yeonae to Taehyung.

"But?"

Asked Hoseok to Yeonae from the other line of the call.

"I don't uhm... I don't want to sign a contract on an entertainment company here in Korea."

Answered Yeonae to Hoseok's question.

"Mwo (What)? Wae (Why)?"

Asked Jimin to Yeonae from the other line of the call.

"I want to make myself popular like how Halsey became an artist or maybe like Shawn Mendes."

Answered Yeonae to Jimin's question.

"We can help you with that!"

Said Taehyung to Yeonae cheerfully.

"But did you tell your parents about it?"

Asked Seokjin to Yeonae.

"About what?"

Asked Yeonae to Seokjin cluelessly.

"About you becoming an idol."

Answered Namjoon to Yeonae's question.

"Oh. About that..."

Replied Yeonae to them as she hesitantly replies to Namjoon.

"Talk to them now, Yeonae-ya. Because in May 10 we're having a flight to Chicago."

Said Yoongi to Yeonae with his authoritative voice from the other line of the call.

"O-Okay... I'll... uhm... talk to my eomeoni (mother) later."

Replied Yeonae to Yoongi nervously.

"Call us if she gave you her permission."

Said Namjoon to Yeonae.

"I will. Josim haeyo (Take care)~"

Replied Yeonae to Namjoon and smiled even if they cannot see it.

"Haeng-un-eul bil-eo yo (Good luck)~"

Said Jungkook to Yeonae cheerfully.

"Josim haeyo (Take care), Yeonae-ya~!"

Said Taehyung to Yeonae and the call ended. Yeonae releases a deep sigh.

"What do I tell eomma (mum)?"

Asked Yeonae to herself as she hold her forehead.

"Now I know why appa (dad) always calls you 'starshine'."

Said Yeonhun so suddenly to Yeonae as he walks in Yeonae's room. She quickly looked at him.

"Orabeoni (older brother *female to male*)!"

Called Yeonae to her older brother, Yeonhun.

"Why didn't you tell me that you wanted to be an idol?"

Asked Yeonhun as he took a sit on Yeonae's bed.

"Eomma (Mum) didn't want me to."

Answered Yeonae to her older brother, Yeonhun as she looks down her bed and play with her fingers.

"Why would you let eomma (mum) give up your dream?"

Asked Yeonhun to his younger sister, Yeonae, as he hold her hands.

"I'm not a fighter like anybody else and I'm not that strong, you know. I'm weak and very sensitive. And depression always get the best of me. Even how hard I tried… my depression always wins against me."

Answered Yeonae to Yeonhun's question as her eyes becomes teary but she manages to stop her tears from falling.

"Come here, starshine."

Said Yeonhun as he let go of Yeonae's hands and spread his arms wide to welcome his younger sister to his hug. Yeonae quickly comes closer to her older brother and hugged him. Yeonhun hugged her back.

"And appa (dad) is the only one who makes me hold on to my dream until now."

Added Yeonae to what she said earlier to her older brother, Yeonhun, as she let a tear fell from her eye.

"You have me as your supporter too. I'll be your number one fan."

Said Yeonhun to his younger sister, Yeonae, as he caresses her head.

"Thank you, orabeoni (older brother *female to male*)."

Thanked Yeonae to Yeonhun as she hugged him tighter. Yeonhun chuckled.

"Saranghae (I love you), Yeonae-ya."

Said Yeonhun to Yeonae as he kissed her on her head.

"Nado saranghae (I love you too), orabeoni (older brother *female to male*)."

Replied Yeonae to Yeonhun as they both let go of the hug. Yeonae quickly wipe the tear on her cheek.

"Do you want me to be by your side when you tell eomma (mum)?"

Asked Yeonhun to Yeonae as he fixes her hair.

"Could you... uhm... walk me to her?"

Asked Yeonae back to Yeonhun shyly.

"Anything for our starshine."

Answered Yeonhun to Yeonae and smiled at her. Yeonae smiled back. She then quickly stood up and so is Yeonhun. Yeonae nods to him and they both walked out of her room, walk down the stairs and towards their mother. They stopped and looked at each other. Yeonae looked at her older brother terrifyingly.

"I'LL BE RIGHT HERE."

Said Yeonhun to Yeonae as he points the floor where he's standing. Yeonae nods at him and finally walk towards her mother who's sitting at the couch and playing with her phone.

"E-Eomma (Mum)."

Called Yeonae to her mother nervously as she plays with her fingers unconsciously again.

"WHAT IS IT, AE?"

Asked Willow to her daughter, Yeonae, as she looked at her.

"CAN I TALK TO YOU?"

Asked Yeonae to Willow with courage while she's still playing with her fingers unconsciously.

"IF IS IT ABOUT JIHUN AND JAEHO. THEN NO."

Answered Willow to Yeonae and looks back at her phone.

"IT'S NOT ABOUT THEM... IT'S... ABOUT ME. ABOUT MY... MY DREAM TO BECOME AN IDOL."

Replied Yeonae to her mother hesitantly.

"I THOUGHT WE ALREADY DISCUSSED THIS A LONG TIME AGO, YOUNG GIRL. DIDN'T YOU SAID IT YOURSELF THAT YOU'LL GIVE UP YOUR DREAM?"

Said Willow to Yeonae while she's still looking at her phone and Yeonae is still playing with her fingers.

"BUT MUM, I WAS JUST A LITTLE KID BACK THEN WHEN YOU TOLD ME TO STOP AND GIVE IT UP!"

Answered Yeonae to her mother.

"YOU SAID IT. YOU WERE JUST A LITTLE KID BACK THEN. YOU SHOULD HAVE FORGOTTEN YOUR DREAM."

Replied Willow to Yeonae as she took a glimpse at her daughter who's looking down the floor and playing with her fingers.

"BUT THAT DREAM IS THE ONLY THING THAT KEEPS ME GOING!"

Said Yeonae to Willow as she tries to stop her tears and look at her mother.

"IT WON'T MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL LIKE ME AND YOUR FATHER."

Replied Willow to Yeonae as she makes herself busy with her phone.

"BUT IT CAN MAKE ME HAPPY, MUM!"

Said Yeonae to her mother, Willow, as she looked at her and finally let her tears fall from her eyes.

"WHY!? AREN'T WE ENOUGH TO MAKE YOU HAPPY!?"

Asked Willow to Yeonae furiously as she stood up to face her.

"DO YOU EVEN ASK ME ABOUT THE THINGS THAT CAN MAKE ME HAPPY?"

Asked Yeonae back to her mother, Willow, as she looked at her in the eyes while her tears keep falling to her cheeks.

"THIS DISCUSSION IS OVER AND MY ANSWER IS STILL NO!"

Said Willow to Yeonae as she walks towards the kitchen.

"BUT MUM!"

Called Yeonae to her mother making her stop half way through and then Willow faces Yeonae angrily.

"NO BUTS! GO BACK TO WHAT YOU WERE DOING!"

Yelled Willow to Yeonae as she points at the second floor of their house.

"WHY ARE YOU SO CRUEL TO ME?"

Asked Yeonae to her mother as she looks at Willow while her tears cannot stop from falling.

"THE WORLD IS MUCH CRUELER THAN ME! LIFE IS UNFAIR! AND MOST OF OUR DREAMS CRASHES BEFORE OUR EYES! STOP LIVING IN YOUR DAMN FAIRYTALE AND WAKE UP IN THIS DAMN PAINFUL REALITY! YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT DOES THE ENTERTAINMENT WOLRD IS LIKE AND WHAT IT CAN DO TO YOU!"

Answered Willow to Yeonae furiously. Yeonae finally stopped playing with her fingers and Willow noticed it.

"YOU'RE THE ONE I ALWAYS LOOK UP TO, MUM. I LOOK UP TO YOU BECAUSE YOU'RE STRONG AND KIND. BUT I WAS WRONG. YOU'RE COLD HEARTED AND CRUEL. YOU'RE AS CRUEL AS THE WORLD."

Replied Yeonae to her mother, Willow, emotionlessly. Yeonae then walk towards the stairs and then up to her room. She just passes by her older brother, Yeonhun who is standing near the stairs the whole time. Willow's eyes become teary and then she looks at Yeonhun who's looking at her.

"WHO ARE YOU LOOKING AT YEONHUN?"

Asked Willow to her son furiously as she tries to stop her tears from falling.

"WHY ARE YOU BEING SO HARD ON YEONAE?"

Asked Yeonhun to his mother, Willow, puzzled. She turns her back on Yeonhun and then continued walking towards the kitchen.

"IT'S FOR HER OWN GOOD."

Answered Willow to Yeonhun's question as she walks towards the kitchen.

"PLEASE. CONSIDER HER HAPPINESS AS WELL, MUM."

Said Yeonhun to his mother and then walks up the stairs.

"BACK TO YOUR ROOM!"

Yelled Willow to Yeonhun as she looks at him at the stairs.

"NO. YEONAE NEEDS ME."

Replied Yeonhun to his mother as he ran towards Yeonae's room.

"I SAID BACK TO YOUR ROOM!"

Yelled Willow once again to her son but Yeonhun just ignores her and goes in Yeonae's room. Willow suddenly kneels down as she finally cries.

"WHAT DID I DO TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN TO MY DAUGHTER? AM I REALLY THAT CRUEL TO MAKE HER GIVE UP HER DREAM? BUT I CAN'T TAKE IT IF SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS TO HER BECAUSE OF THE DEPRESSION. I DON'T WANT HER TO EXPERIENCE WHAT I HAVE BEEN THROUGH. I GUESS THIS IS FOR THE BEST."

Said Willow to herself as she continues to cry alone between the living room and the kitchen.

~MAY 8 ; YOO'S RESIDENCE~

The next morning at the Yoo's residence...

"Good morning sweetie."

Greet Jeonhyeon to his wife, Willow, as she walks towards the counter in the kitchen and while he's making coffee for the both of them.

"Jeonhyeon."

Called Willow to her husband helplessly as she takes a sit at the counter.

"What is it, sweetie?"

Asked Jeonhyeon to Willow and then he took a sip on his coffee and give Willow her coffee as well.

"Am I cruel for stopping Ae achieving her dream to be an idol?"

Asked Willow to Jeonhyeon as she looks at him with teary eyes. Jeonhyeon places his coffee at the counter and then holds Willow's hands.

"What happened?"

Asked Jeonhyeon worriedly to his sad wife.

"Yesterday she wanted to talk about her dream to be an idol with me."

Answered Willow to Jeonhyeon's question as she looks down again and anytime now, her tears will start to fall from her eyes.

"And then? What did you say to her?"

Asked Jeonhyeon again to Willow as he touches her face.

"No. And then she told me that I'm crueler than the world for stopping her achieve her dream."

Answered Willow to Jeonhyeon as she started to cry once again. Jeonhyeon quickly wipe Willow's tears.

"Maybe... This could be the time that you trust your daughter to achieve her dream."

Said Jeonhyeon as he let go his hold of Willow's hands and then walks away.

"Are you saying that I am not trusting my own daughter?"

Asked Willow to Jeonhyeon unbelievably as she looks at him furiously.

"Not that! What I mean is... Let her live her life. Besides, this is the only thing that we can make up to her after we forbid her to see Jaeho."

Answered Jeonhyeon as he took the bread at the cabinet above the stove.

"I-I guess so... But what if she experiences what I've experienced?"

Asked Willow to Jeonhyeon worriedly as she grips her hair. Jeonhyeon walks back to Willow and then places the bread on the counter.

"Isn't that how we met?"

Asked Jeonhyeon to Willow as he makes Willow let go of her grip on her own hair.

"Yes, but... That's different and you know that!"

Answered Willow to Jeonhyeon's question as she looks at him worriedly. Jeonhyeon looks at Willow with his eyes little bit wide open.

"Then let her experience it. Experience is the best teacher anyway."

Replied Jeonhyeon to Willow and then he kissed her on her forehead.

"But I don't want her to suffer."

Said Willow to Jeonhyeon sadly as she looks away from him.

"So, are you just going to let her hate you for not letting her try to achieve her dream? Or are you going to let her at least try to achieve her dream to see her happy?"

Asked Jeonhyeon to Willow and then took another sip from his coffee as he stares at Willow.

"What am I supposed to choose?"

Asked back Willow to Jeonhyeon as she looks at him confusedly.

"Then don't choose for her. Let Yeonae choose for Yeonae. She's turning 20 this year, you know."

Answered Jeonhyeon to Willow and then he took another sip from his coffee. Willow suddenly stood up from the counter and then walks away from Jeonhyeon. He looks at her with wide eyes.

"W-Where are you going?"

Asked Jeonhyeon to his wife, Willow, as he places his cup on the counter.

"Letting her choose for herself."

Answered Willow to her husband's question as she goes up the stairs.

"That's my woman."

Said Jeonhyeon as he stares at her with adoration. When he comes to his senses, he looks at the counter and saw Willow's coffee hasn't been drink by Willow.

"Ya! Your coffee!"

Shout Jeonhyeon to Willow but she's already gone in his sight. Jeonhyeon just sighed and giggled.

"Ae? Are already awake?"

Asked Willow to Yeonae as she open Yeonae's door slowly and saw Yeonae who's still laying on her bed. But Yeonae didn't respond to her mother.

"I'll just come in your room, okay?"

Said Willow to Yeonae as she walks in Yeonae's room and then walk towards the bed and took a sit on Yeonae's bed.

"Ae, I'm sorry for what I have said to you yesterday. It's just that... I... I don't want you to experience what I had experienced when I was still in the entertainment world."

Apologize Willow to her eldest daughter, Yeonae.

"When?"

Asked Yeonae to her mother while she's still laying on her bed.

"Well, before I met your father. I was so depressed that I always feel numb all the time because of my haters. And your father... heh... He's the only one who helped me very much to overcome my depression."

Answered Willow to Yeonae's question sadly.

"Oh. I'm... I'm sorry to hear that."

Said Yeonae to her mother as she finally took a sit on her bed.

"Don't be. I wanted to become an artist. I should've known that being an artist is affiliated with depression, homesick, haters and bashers."

Replied Willow to Yeonae as she finally faces her with teary eyes.

"But... Why're you here?"

Asked Yeonae to Willow as she looks at her confusedly.

"I just want to tell you that... I'm letting my starshine to choose for starshine."

Answered Willow to Yeonae's question as her tears started falling and as she smiles at Yeonae.

"You... never call me 'starshine'..."

Replied Yeonae to Willow as her eyes teared up quickly.

"Then starting from now on... Let me call you my starshine."

Said Willow to Yeonae as she fixes Yeonae's messy hair, looks at her and then smile sweetly.

"Eomma (mum)."

Called Yeonae to her mother, Willow, as she comes closer to hug her and started crying, too.

"I LOVE YOU, MY STARSHINE."

Said Willow to Yeonae as she hugs her back and kisses Yeonae's head.

"I LOVE YOU, TOO, MUM."

Replied Yeonae to her mother, Willow, as she felt comfortable inside her mother's hug. But Yeonae suddenly remembers something making her and Willow let go of the hug.

"I have to tell them right away!"

Said Yeonae as she panics and finds her phone.

"Who?"

Asked Willow to Yeonae as she just stares at her daughter confusedly.

"BTS! THEY'RE GOING TO CHICAGO IN MAY 10!"

Answered Yeonae to Willow as she finally finds her phone inside the drawer of her bedside table.

"SO?"

Asked Willow to Yeonae again.

"THEY'RE HELPING ME TO BECOME AN IDOL!"

Answered Yeonae to Willow's question as she searches for Namjoon's number on her contacts.

"THEN GO! CALL THEM NOW!"

Said Willow to Yeonae as she quickly stood up and then walk towards Yeonae. She finally found Namjoon's number in her phone and then press the call button. Once Namjoon picked up...

"Namjoon oppa (older guy *female to male*)!"

Called Yeonae to Namjoon excitedly and cannot hide her smile.

"Yeonae-ya? What is it?"

Asked Namjoon to Yeonae from the other line of the call.

"MY PARENTS GAVE ME THEIR PERMISSION!"

Answered Yeonae to Namjoon's question happily as she started jumping and screaming because of the happiness that she's feeling.

"Mwo (What)!? Jin-jja (Really)!?"

Asked Namjoon shockingly to Yeonae.

"Ya! Let us sleep!"

Yelled Seokjin to Namjoon from the other line of the call.

"We're still sleeping, you know!"

Shout Jungkook to Namjoon angrily.

"Go outside if you're going to make noises!"

Yelled Hoseok to Namjoon furiously.

"Shut up or I'll kill you."

Said Yoongi to Namjoon. Yeonae and Willow heard someone gulped and someone groan from the other line of the call. Yeonae and Willow just looked at each other confusedly and then looks back at Yeonae's phone.

"Namjoon Hyeong (older guy/brother *male to male*) let us sleep!"

Shout Jimin to Namjoon.

"Ifbrudusjdhd!"

Said someone from the other line of the call.

"DO THEY HAVE AN ALIEN HANGING AROUND WITH THEM?"

Asked Willow to Yeonae as soon as she heard that.

"I DON'T KNOW MUM."

Answered Yeonae to Willow's question.

"DON'T WORRY. THAT'S JUST TAEHYUNG-IE."

Said Namjoon to both Yeonae and Willow from the other line of the call.

"Yeonae-ya will join us in Chicago!"

Said Namjoon happily to the six.

"Mwo (What)!?"

Shout Jungkook shockingly.

"Her parents allowed her!?"

Asked Seokjin to Namjoon.

"Tufbejifhejsjfj!"

Said Taehyung.

"I guess Taehyung is still half-asleep."

Said Namjoon to Yeonae. She just giggled.

"Ne (Yes)!"

Yelled Jimin happily from the other line of the call.

"We're happy to be with you, Yeonae-ya!"

Said Hoseok joyfully to Yeonae.

"I'm happy to join you guys, too!"

Replied Yeonae to Hoseok joyfully, too. Willow looks at her daughter and saw her smiling making her smile too.

"See you, Yeonae-ya."

Said Yoongi to Yeonae.

"You guys can join us tomorrow in my restaurant."

Said Willow suddenly to them as she stares at Yeonae while smiling.

"Huh?"

Said Yeonae as she looks at her mother confusedly.

"There will be a farewell party for my starshine. And also for you guys, since she's your friend now."

Added Willow to what she said earlier.

"Thank you so much, ajumma (auntie)~!"

Thanked Namjoon to Willow happily.

"We'll be there, ajumma (auntie)~!"

Said Taehyung to Willow excitedly.

"Thank you very much~!"

Thanked Jimin to Willow joyfully.

"Gamsahabnida (Thank you), eomma (mum)."

Thanked Yeonae to her mother and then hugged her again and cried. Willow hugs her back and kisses her head.