Chapter 70

From the room's exterior to the staff's different treatment towards them, from what he's been seeing and observing everything is truly bizarre and confusing at the moment.

Before giving him the awaited response to his question, his mother hauls him to the dining table and encourages him to take a seat before she wordlessly signaled the butler to come forth.

She turns to him briefly and gives him her usual reserve smile, "I'm sorry, sweetie. But it's time you take your lunch. We'll talk and leave later when we can."

She averts her attention again towards the butler and they shortly discussed the list of dishes she had thought in mind that were good for his digestion. The butler was quick to wrap everything else before he left to inform the kitchen. The maid, on the other hand, was also occupied with organizing and preparing their utensils on the table to even spare them a glance.

When everything seemed to settle down, Asami relaxes and sat beside her child, whom she appreciated that he patiently waited for her to finish bossing around.

She hands him the brochure she has been carrying as she casually leans her back against the cushioned seat and examines the way her child's facial expression changes from awestruck to intrigue then confused.

She points her index finger against the heading of the paper in his hands, "That's the property I have been saving up for four years now. Though I bought it in a rush, I assumed you're tired of living in crowded spaces, so I purchased us a land and a house in Cheon."

Jin's creased eyebrows flattened in surprise.

"Harashi and I have been arguing about living separately after marriage," said Asami. Of course, the negotiation didn't end like how she wanted. That stubborn man didn't even know she was already planning things ahead of him. She sighs.

Everything is pacing so fast, she felt her world has spun backwards. It's too good to be true.

She could at least do this for him—for them.

Jin was at a loss for words again. When he lift his eyes to see his mother, he was greeted by her solemn and loving smile.

And it felt like his heart was stabbed ten inches deeper. It made him feel pathetic all over.

How could he have been thinking and hating to leave this place when it was his mother who has done and suffered enough from everything. She has been doing the best she can for both of them.

His lips thinned and his nose starts to tingle. It was a sign that his tears were knocking to come out as his body moved according to its will. His arms stretch forward and lock around his mother's warm body. He embraced her like he never did before with guilt and sadness continuously consuming him.

He buried his face to her shoulder as his eyes ache for tears, "I'm scared." He confesses.

And he admits he still is.

"I didn't want to leave Hongwon. I don't want to leave my friends and I hated leaving Jihyuk and everything behind. I thought we were happy here. I thought nothing would go wrong." His lips trembled and he clutched onto his mother's clothes tightly, his pale fingers quivering weakly, "I was anxious and I hate myself for feeling that way. Eomma . . . m-mianhe (s-sorry). I'm sorry for being too selfish."

He sobbed and poured out all the grief he cannot deny he's been keeping for days behind his mother's back.

His heart was aching and at this moment he just wanted to let it all out.

"Shh. It's alright." Asami worriedly embraced him back, her hands caressing his back up and down repeatedly, "Didn't mommy say, I'll take care of us both till the end?" She held the back of his head and kissed him on his temple. My sweet child.

Though she was also on the verge of crying, she told herself to stand her ground well for the both of them.

"It's alright. I understand how you feel. I'm sorry if we have to leave our life in Hongwon now."

He was shaking alarmingly between her arms and she was vastly worried about that than the soaking wetness she felt on her shoulders. It made her heart ache thinking about how anxious he must have felt.

It took a few more minutes for Jin to calm down and when he did his mother tirelessly wiped the wetness from his eyes and cheeks as she teases him nonstop about how much of a crybaby he still is.

Not long after that, the butler arrives pushing a trolley in his hands and the maid wordlessly came to assist him in arranging the dishes on the table. She seems unbothered and professional about the fact she saw him bolting in tears not too long ago, which Jin was ever so thankful that she took no word about it and just simply placed a box of tissue on his side before silently stepping back to her post.

"I ordered red velvet cake for dessert. It's above the coffee table when you needed it," his mother grins at him as she caresses both of his cheeks, "Don't forget to take your vitamin and double check if your inhaler is in your bag."

Jin nods his head and they finally ate their fill for lunch.

"We will be staying here a bit longer, so take your time. I got a call a while ago that we had an upgrade. My boss was kind enough to settle everything for her loyal employee's departure and retirement." She points at herself, grinning from ear to ear, "It seems that she has connections and she gladly used it to mend us."

His mother reaches out for a glass of wine as she finishes her meal. She was only waiting for him to finish his next.

"Though, I'm quite doubtful of the fact why she has to provide us a private flight instead of settling for economy class. The woos might be involved in this matter albeit Harashi isn't too reckless to do this stunt without informing me—"

Jin coughs when the food he swallowed briefly resurfaces back in his mouth.

His mother then jolts in panic as well as the two lenient people standing and waiting for them to finish their meal on the sidelines.

The alarmed butler runs to them and fetched him a glass of water, which his mother raised her hand to stop him upon seeing it was cold. The flustered and troubled butler then hurriedly rushes towards the door to fetch a warmer one while the maid came to pat his back and held out a small steel bowl in front of him as he continuously coughs rigorously, offering him to spit out what he ate, which he gladly did and he can feel the immense and throbbing pain in his lungs and throat.

The butler returns shortly with a pitcher and a glass and there was immense worry written on his aged face. Jin weakly lifts his hands to accept and drink the glass offered to him and the three anxious hearts finally rest at ease when his coughing has put to cease.

He tiredly slump down on his seat, blinking at the fact how that simple incident could have been the cause of his sudden death.

"You scared me, I told you to eat slowly. There's no rushing you." His mother nudges at his half touched meal and he shakes his head, feeling that his stomach would be more upset if he forces more food into him.

The butler and maid took the hint so they move along to clean and empty their table. Their worried eyes glance at his pale complexion from time to time and offered to assist him for a walk outside for fresh air which he politely declined.

His mother stands and an idea suddenly popped up inside his head when he almost forgot asking her about it.

"Eomma, what about the boxes we left in our apartment?"

His mother helps him rise from his seat and slowly guides him to the nearest bed, "It will be fetched by a courier and will be shipped shortly to Cheon. Thus we have to stay at a nearby hotel we can find in Cheon for the meantime as it will take at least a day to arrive there."

His mother excuse herself to the restroom and Jin was confused why she suddenly stops then turns to him again, "By the way, sweetheart, your bag has been vibrating since a while ago. It seems you got a call."