Chapter 58

Half an hour later, after the unexpected turn of events, the kitchen was now rowdy with blithesome chatters and bantering laughter.

With the distinct and ear-piercing sound of utensils scraping against the polished plates ringing in the background, Jin sat among his mother and Jihyuk, lips sealed as he wordlessly studies the merry ambiance of the room around him. He quietly drops the fork in his hand down to his plate, feeling out of place and trapped in his own bubble of despair, if he may dramatically call it.

He peeks at the person at his side and he squirms uncomfortably on his seat when their eyes briefly met, his reluctant and glum gaze against Jihyuk's unreadable ones. And Jin wonders how could he freely smile like that when they haven't made up yet.

Jihyuk's dark eyes had perfectly conveyed his anger towards him that's clearer than the crystals by the sea and oh how Jin knew of those threatening eyes of his very well.

He could picture him glaring towards his seat despite wearing the usual polite smile he's known for while joking around with his mother.

Gah! The audacity he has.

Jin closed his eyes and forced himself to smile towards him, yet impulsively snarled at him from within. He can play this game he started, too.

Well, at the very least he's a little pleased that Jihyuk is still looking out for his mother, despite knowing that they're both in a foul mood.

But the fact that Jihyuk is seated at the very same chair that had imprinted a heated memory he had with someone, someone who's now a few miles away was unavoidable for roses to not spread vibrantly across his translucent and pale skin as they gleam and glow under the lights.

He, too, can feel the stuffy and warm feeling at the edge of his ears, burning and itching.

It was a good thing that he finished his meal early because if he didn't, he's sure he'll lose his appetite by now halfway through finishing his meal in his situation.

He clears his throat and looks away, still feeling his so-called friend burning a hole in his face.

Geez, why is he staring so intensely?

"So she called, eh?"

Asami wipes her unshed tears from the corner of her eyes as a result of laughing too hard before rising from her seat to look for clean tissues, "Aigoo, did your mother scold you?" She continues while facing Jihyuk, referring to the incident in his apartment.

Jihyuk nods at her before Jin caught him again glancing towards his place, eyes a bit stern and desperate, "She did, though she was nagging me to spend more."

His mother burst into another blossoming and merry laughter as she wipes the visible tears in her eyes with the tissue she found on the kitchen island, "Goodness, Suli never changed." She then fans her eyes with her hands, pupils looking up at the ceiling while she was still on the brink of catching her breath. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were moist with tears.

"Eomma, breathe . . ." The worried young fellow warns his mother, worried and he can hear Jihyuk's heavy sigh beside him.

Jin stands, bringing his empty plate with him and placing it at the sink, "I have to get something in my room. I'll be back."

His mother nods at him and watches him walk back to his room until he disappears behind the door.

When Jin shuts the door behind him, he leans his body exhaustingly against the nearest wall, sighing deeply in relief. The extreme comfort he was once overwhelmed was replaced by severe isolation. Has his room always looked this empty to him? He suddenly feels . . . alone.

Well, he is, technically.

Why did he have to argue with Jihyuk?

He tiredly runs his palms over his small feline face. Anyhow, him, leaving the kitchen was the right thing to do.

He has to.

He doesn't want to spoil and ruin his mother's enthusiastic mood. Especially since she has no clue of the recent argument he had with Jihyuk. That guy is just too hard to handle.

He crouches, clenches his hands, and yells out his anger silently like a fool in a dark room.

Didn't he know his overwhelming stares are irritating?

He looks around his room, walks over to his bed, and switches on the lamp on the wooden table beside his bed. He momentarily kneels and bends his body down and took out a box under his bed, where all his bought merchandise, albums, postcards, etc of his favorite boy group ZTen and his bias, Byul, are safely protected.

Ah, his stress reliever . . . Slowly, the wrinkles between his brows start to fade.

Their comeback, he really wanted to watch it live, but he just missed it.

He purses his lips, pouting sadly out of habit.

Not that he regrets not being able to, though. He was with Hiro, how could he ever top the comfort he felt from that man over just singing along on the television?

And there was it again, his reckless heart that's easily swayed by the thought of him alone. Aigoo.

He sat on the floor and lean his back against the side of his bed, holding the box tightly on his lap. Maybe he's just finding something to distract him from thinking about that mercurial man.

Unconsciously, a small smile blossoms across his frowned lips as he stares at the ceiling of his room, spellbound and captivated. Yes . . . perhaps he really is.

Being with him feels like he's trapped in a sweet fantasy he's willing to be succumbed in and never wanting to escape from the dream that consisted of him and him alone. He's always at ease when he holds him in his strong and mighty arms, even when his large hands and long fingers grip and touch him, it doesn't feel uncomfortable at all, and the way his gentle gaze watches him, it comforts him and is enough to even lull him to a deep and dreamless slumber. His once intimidating presence that was hard for him to deal with was now reassuring and warm, to an extent where it gives him security and assurance.

Hiro's making him feel safer when he's beside him, and he doesn't like to be in anywhere else but be near him.

'You like him,' his subconscious waves a warning sign that says 'fact' in front of him.

Jin covers his face, his toes curled. Does he really?

'You're a sexually frustrated fool!' his little subconscious snarls, hands on his hips, 'and in denial.'

Jin wistfully rests the back of his head against the mattress of his bed, ignoring the loud thoughts inside his head. If Hiro was here, would the dinner still be that merry?

Maybe not for his mother and Jihyuk . . . but he knows it will be for him.

He pushes the box back towards under his bed, rises from sitting on the floor, and went straight to his desk. He grabs the envelopes which Hiro laid out earlier and courageously brought them to the kitchen.

Upon arriving, Jihyuk and his mother pause from their deep discussion after seeing him entering the room with a small smile on his lips. Yes, his mood is now lighter.

He held his chin high as he glances beside him, meeting Jihyuk's skeptical gaze.

Yes, he shouldn't be the one to feel intimidated as he did nothing wrong.

For a moment, he wants to stick his tongue out to Jihyuk's furrowed brows. Aish.

"Hiro told me to give these to you."

Jin placed the envelopes by the table and eyed his mother expectantly, hoping she would open and see what contents are residing inside these envelopes right here, right now. He was utterly curious about it the very moment he saw Hiro draw these out from the inside pocket of his suit, but if it's confidential, then he understands when and where to step back.

Asami looks down at the three envelopes her child had laid on the table before her. They arrived earlier than she thought. I see, he made his son deliver it personally.

Asami shakes her head and took the first envelope that caught her eye.

That must be the reason why that boy was here, now it makes more sense.

Her solemn amethyst eyes glance down at the rose gold envelope in her hand that has a thin inked font on the back that says 'To my beloved.'

She opens it with her considerably sharp nails and as she flips the head open, she can perfectly smell the exquisite scent of expensive scented paper. She checks the details inside and it was a letter, a long heartwarming personally handwritten letter.

Her fingers graze lovingly at the letters written on it which she's fondly familiar with, herself. It was her boss's boss' boss's or whatever numbered bosses the man can trample over. It belonged to her lover's eligible and neat handwriting.

Oh, my dear Harashi.

Seeing her reaction, Jin's lips secretly twist as he already had a clue what the letter in her hand was.

It was too obvious when gazing through her heart-shaped eyes.

Who knew that her big-fish-wallet-bulging-ceo also has some romance bones in him? Jin looks away. His sincerity is indeed touching . . . well maybe just a little bit.

Asami's smile drops and clears her throat. Well, excuse her. She was lost in the heartfelt moment. She opens the white envelopes and smiled as she looks through their similar contents before handing them over to her curious child. She knows and senses his inquisitive gaze when she sees and senses one from him.

Jin blinks and carefully receives the thick paper from his mother and when his eyes scan what was written inside, his heart starts to vulnerably ache.

His mother's wedding invitation card.

He touched the thick white paper with rose patterns engraved on it, perfectly matching its gold font and touches, making it look more extravagant, but he despised looking at it further. It was rather upsetting than blinding.

Why would his mother's wedding take place in front of a judge and not in the church? He scoffs internally.

And with only a minimal numbered of guests to be invited?

but . . .

What's this?

His eyes bulge, astonished and he blinks his eyes uncertainly, hoping he might just be misreading the info written in italic bold at the very end of the invitation card, but no, looks like he didn't.

Sweet Moses . . .