Chapter 4: Mom, Mochi's Causing Trouble

Jin tiptoed from in front of the shoe rack to the spacious entrance of their apartment. He heard the microwave vibrating from a distance and the kettle heating up above the stove.

He sneaked in like a pro. His stealth-mode expertise activates as he bites the skin of his bottom lip, crouches his back, and bends his knees. His hands were holding his bag tightly when the tiny bell on the keychain hanging in the side of his bag brushed to the other side and made a sound, yet he walked like an expert cat without a sound.

His mouth formed into a small 'o' as the heel of his foot touched the polished floor. Slowly, he then presses the rest of his foot down with his toes curled.

One foot after another, he repeated the same process at ease.

Mochi was behind him, observing and following his little and quiet steps while wagging his tail. His dog looked at him with curious black eyes, trying to understand what he's doing.

Jin sticks his tongue between his lips while looking back at his dog. His face continues to dishevel. He knows that look quite well.

Don't make a sound.

Mochi must have understood the situation when he suddenly ran off to his room without further argument, leaving him baffled in his place.

He thought Mochi wanted to play with him, but he guesses not.

As he resumes approaching his mother from behind, Jin jumps at her when he was an arm's length away from her, "Mom!"

He wraps his arms around her shoulders and squeezes her in his embrace. He can feel her flinch from his attack before he receives a light smack in the side of his thigh.

"I'm home," whispered Jin sweetly while trying to peek at his mother's reaction.

"Aigoo, are you planning on giving me a heart attack? When did you arrive huh?"

Jin pressed his cheeks against the back of her head and lovingly swayed their bodies side to side.

His mother, Asami Saesang, turns around wearing an amused smile and jokingly pinches his waist before wrapping her arms back around him. She had a gentle expression on her face and her embrace was tight, warm, and comforting.

Jin never felt more relaxed this day until he is now.

It's been a long day, has it?

"My poor baby," his mother wailed like a child. "I heard you passed out again." She rubs the side of his body with comfort. Yet, smack the bag on his back and whines at him, "Aigoo, this child. It's heavy put it down."

Jin smiled. He didn't want her to worry over him too much. She has been coming home late a lot lately, so he's worried he'll only burden her further.

He's already seventeen. He can handle himself well and he's not alone. Ms. Euna and Jihyuk were there with him.

Jin sighs, looking back at what happened now. The heavy sensation he endured for a while came rushing back to his head upon remembering the dream he had before he gained his consciousness. He buries his head to his mother's shoulder like a whimpering child yearning for attention and console. His chest was heavy.

He's tired. He wants to sleep a few more hours because his body felt drained in exhaustion after riding and walking home, plus his stomach and the pain in his head were acting up on a wrong day again.

"It's a long story, mom. I was overdoing PE."

Lies. He felt sick since early in the morning.

"I told you I'd drive you to school, but you insisted on taking the bus."

Asami swept his hair back to check his temperature by his forehead, "You lucky brat, I don't know if it's a good thing Jihyuk is always there when you're at your worst. You're troubling that studious boy again."

This is the exact reason why she's hesitating on sending him to college. What is she going to do with him? He's as frail as she remembers he is, thirteen years ago. His father would have to carry him around even at the age of four.

Jin smiles bitterly, his eyes shift towards the picture frame where his mother was staring at a few moments ago.

Dad.

It was naturally facing his direction, yet because of the reflection from the large floor-to-ceiling glass wall beside them, half of the frame was blocked by the reflection of the magnificent afternoon view of Hangbyul city on the frame's front glass.

"You've been spacing out, Mom. You didn't even hear me come in."

Though, Mochi's bark was pretty much loud enough to hear in their small apartment.

He detaches himself from her and moves away to place his bag down on the couch.

His mother pats his thin shoulder, "Aigoo, I told you to stop wearing socks indoors." Youngsters these days, just because he won't be doing the laundry, it's easy for him to not worry about such things.

What a pain.

Asami walks towards the rack with a grumpy face to get her son's indoor slippers and threw them across the room, watching them slide towards him. She made sure to turn on the heater on the coffee table before she walks around the kitchen, turned the stove off, and fetched him a warm glass of water.

It's a hot day, she's extremely worried about him walking under the heat. She wouldn't have agreed on letting him experience public transportation to school if it weren't for Jihyuk, who promised to watch over him.

Who knows when and where he might pass out again.

He hopes to God not. What worst could happen if he does. They'll be forced to move out and find a place to stay that's closer to his university.

While his mother was overthinking his well-being beside the kitchen stool, Jin removes the sock he's wearing on his left foot and as he was about to remove the other, Mochi came rushing back with an octopus plushie in his mouth. He dropped it beside his foot and then bites the sock in his hand.

"Mochi!" Sh*t.

Jin pulls his hand with force but still has the time to worry over his dog's small jaw. This troublemaker! "Let go or no treats after dinner." He warned him.

Because his dog was as stubborn as him, Mochi refutes and insists on fighting him by growling back at him. He regretted how he raised this little glutton.

He spoiled him too much, did he?

"By the way, Mom, Mr. and Mrs. Yen are coming over for dinner!" Jin glared towards Mochi who's enjoying the expression written on his face.

Mochi's head: Ah, kyeopta.

Jin picks up his naughty dog and attempts to pull Mochi's head away from the sock he's biting, "...Because Mr. Yen's making bulgogi--Let go." he resumes while handling Mochi's distraction.

He then heard his mother's heavy footsteps approaching the living room from the kitchen.

"What's all the fuss---MOCHI!" Goodness! That's the new batch of socks she bought the last day from a branded shop.

Jin grits his teeth, "Let go Mochi or you'll be staying at Jihyuk's place till morning.

Hearing the word 'Jihyuk', Mochi immediately opens his jaw and retreats from their fight.

Jin sneezed when the cotton went to his nose and Mochi growled at the idea of Jin seeing the person he's in bad terms with.

Mochi: you're not meeting that punk again, are you?

The sock, on the other hand came flying across the room and landed on one of his mother's dirty flower pots, causing both Jin and Mochi to freeze.

Jin knew Mochi hated Jihyuk as him not knowing the reason why. Maybe because Jihyuk doesn't look approachable even towards animals? Plus Jihyuk isn't the type of person who adores pets more than he does.

Meanwhile, Asami Saesang was able to hold back her tears when she picked up the sock that's now dirty and wet on the flower pot.

She had just watered her babies minutes ago.

Her seventy thousand won has been put to despair. She glares at her beloved son who's laughing happily and the guilty dog hiding beside him.

These brats.

They don't know an inch about making money for a living.

She sighs deeply, her chest felt heavy seeing the bite marks on the dirty sock in her hand. At moments like this, she could only sigh her worries away.

"I believe we won't be able to welcome Mr. and Mrs. Yen for dinner."

Asami bends down and took off the other pair of white socks on Jin's right foot.

Jin bobs his head to the other side. His mother's rejecting Mr. Yen's special bulgogi?

Ah, wae? (why?)

What's going on?