Like Brittle Petals

It was awkward as the families sat together, Taekwoon tapping his foot on the hardwood flooring endlessly, only imagining how heartbroken Mister Cha could’ve been when he heard the news that his only son was dead. Of course, it was already two years ago, but no one can forget a heartbreak, even when that person doesn’t seem to remember their significant other anymore. The two boys were too young to even remember their mother and Taekwoon had a chance, but he immediately forgot due to the car accident he been in and the coma he fell into. Mister Cha wasn’t crying like Taekwoon thought he would’ve been. Instead, he seemed calm, even more than Taekwoon who didn’t even know what Hakyeon’s favorite color was. They sat there in silence, the boys feeling the dense atmosphere kept their mouths shut of words. 

No one spoke up for the last five minutes, only calm silence filled the house which was usually loud and obnoxious, even when Taekwoon didn’t want them to be. He still wondered if the boys got that trait from their mother, or learned it from Jaehwan, the young art teacher who couldn’t keep his mouth shut, even in terrifying situations. Sanghyuk sat at the edge of the couch, his fingers fiddling together. The boy was Taekwoon’s brother, but the younger boy never mentioned Taekwoon’s partner, only moving on to another subject when the words “partner” spilled from Taekwoon’s lips. It was a constant schedule or routine. 

A clear of the throat was all the brunette heard before a low voice echoed through the house. “I’m sorry for making the scene awkward for bringing my son here. I just…” The man trailed before he could no longer utter the next word of his sentence. Misses Cha jumped in right away, tears trickling her wide, almond eyes. She patted the man and engulfed him in a tight hug. A few questioning thoughts crossed Taekwoon’s mind along the lines of “Why are they here?” or maybe, “What did Hakyeon have to do with this business deal?” Still, the brunette chose to keep silent. 

“Let’s talk about the business deal,” Misses Cha jumped in, cutting off her husband. She didn’t seem to have the same glimmer she did as she showed her tears. She didn’t seem so sincere like Taekwoon had thought she was. Mister Cha, instead, showed more affection than she has ever been showing ever since they arrived — Taekwoon has noticed. Mister Cha had been glancing towards his son’s corpse jar the whole entire time, regret filling his eyes. But, Misses Cha. She held no emotion, only anger. “I want Taekwoon to take over our company.” She bluntly stated, eyes glimmering with sheer hope. 

Taekwoon’s eyes widened and his sons were gaping, their small hands clutching onto their father’s hands tightly. “Our son’s never had an interest in business. All he cared about were flowers and music. It was a waste of time getting him into a prestigious college anyways. You, you’re completely different. You have taste, unlike our son.” She scowled, secretly glaring at Hakyeon’s corpse jar. Unknowingly, Taekwoon glanced beside it, finding a crying figure, blood trickling from his forehead. The figure ogled Taekwoon, almond eyes pleading for him to save him. 

Save me, the figure mouthed to Taekwoon, but the brunette kept quiet, not responding to the small pleas. Instead, he began to grow curious. “Misses Cha, if you don’t mind me asking…” Taekwoon