November 9, 2009

Yoongi still refuses to eat lunch, and he has been looking thinner these days.  I’m worried that he isn’t eating at all.  Please help him find times to eat food.

<:>

            Yeoreum stood in the kitchen, chopping vegetables into bite-sized pieces.  She was never good with a knife, but if it would help Min Yoongi in the long run, then she would do it in an instant.  She had probably spent more time in the kitchen that past week than she had the past 17 years of her life combined.  It had definitely surprised her mother, though Yeoreum thought she had done a good job of avoiding Mrs. Han’s questions.

            She smiled, thinking of Yoongi.  The boy had continued to slowly warm up to her in the following weeks, though Yeoreum could tell that he was still holding himself back around her.  At the very least, he didn’t tell her to leave him alone anymore, which she took as progress.

            “Yeoreum, why are you in the kitchen?” Mrs. Han frowned.

            “I’m making tomorrow’s lunch.”

            “Again?  I could do it...you should be studying.”

            “I don’t mind,” Yeoreum said with a smile.

            “Suit yourself.”

            “I wonder if Yoongi would like carrots?” she mumbled.

            “Who’s Yoongi?”

            Yeoreum almost jumped, surprised that her mother was still in the kitchen.  “Huh?”

            “Yoongi.”

            “A friend,” she replied quickly.

            “Hm.”

            “Seriously, Mom.  Don’t get any weird ideas.”

            “Well, I’m fine with you dating,” Mrs. Han replied.  “Just as long as it doesn’t interfere with your studies.”

            “W-We aren’t dating,” Yeoreum stuttered.

            “It sounds like you really like him.”

            “I do.”

            “Then why don’t you just date him?” she asked.

            “I…want to save him.”

            “Huh?”

            “Never mind, it’s nothing.”

            “Where does he live?”

            “About ten minutes from school.”

            “What do his parents do?”

            She paused.  “His dad is...a company president.”

            “Well, that’s lovely.  What about his mother?”

            “Passed away.”

            “Oh…”

            Yeoreum knew from the sound of her mother’s voice that she wasn’t too pleased.  “Just recently.  He lives on his own.”

            “What about his father?”

            “They aren’t...on the best of terms.”

            “Then I take back what I said.”

            “Huh?”

            “Don’t date him.” Mrs. Han shook her head.  “I disapprove.”

            Yeoreum felt a sinking feeling in her chest.  “Why?”

            “You might end up like me and your father.”

            “But I’m not you, Mom.  I’m me.”

            “So you are dating him.”

            “I’m not!”

            “Why are you getting so defensive about some guy?” Mrs. Han asked.

            “If I don’t defend him, who will?”

            “Han Yeoreum, don’t talk back to your mother like that.”

            “Mom,” she replied, “Yoongi is lonely.  He’s carrying the pain of losing his mother around with him, even though he won’t admit it.”

            “So?  Tell him to join a support group or something.”

            “Mom!”

            “Is he the reason you skipped cram school that one day?”

            “Mom, that had nothing to do with Yoongi,” Yeoreum replied, immediately slipping into a lie.  “I was really feeling sick, and I needed some fresh air.”

            “You know that nothing should come before your studies.”

            “I know.”

            “We’re touring Yonsei University tomorrow, Yeoreum.  Do you know how important that is?”

            “I do.”

            “Well, you don’t seem like you do.  Look at you!  You’ve never chopped vegetables in your life, and now some boy comes along--”

            “I’M DOING THIS FOR MY FRIEND!” Yeoreum exclaimed.

            “You need to focus so that you can go to Yonsei, get a good job, and earn a lot of money.”

            “I know, Mom,” she replied through clenched teeth.

            “Don’t end up like your father and me, Yeoreum.”

<:>

            Yoongi walked into the classroom, surprised and a little disappointed to see that Yeoreum wasn’t in her seat.  Instead, the loud girl that she hung out with sat at Yeoreum’s desk, glaring at him as he closed the distance between them.

            “Yah,” she said as he placed his backpack down.  

            He looked at her.

            “Our Yeoreum isn’t coming today, but for some reason, she wanted me to give you this.” The girl placed a container in front of him.  “She worked on this last night, so you better eat everything, even if it .”

            Taking the container, he opened it, touched to see that Yeoreum had packed him another lunch.  He tried hiding a small smile, but the loud girl noticed it right away.

            “Yah, don’t get any funny ideas.  She’s only doing it because she’s too nice.  Did you know that she’s using her evening study time to prepare these for you?”

            “I know,” he replied quietly.

            “Shameless.”

            He frowned.

            Minji scoffed.  “It even comes with a note.”  She handed him a piece of paper.  

            He nodded, taking the note.

            “I have no idea why she’s so attached to you, but I don’t think that it’s right.”

            Yoongi remained silent.

            “She’s touring Yonsei’s campus today,” Minji added.

            “I see.”

            “Look, if you’re just leading Yeoreum on for the fun of it, I want you to stop.  Can’t you tell that she’s too good for you already?  She’s going to an elite university, and you don’t even come to school half of the time.  Do you even study?”

            “I know she is,” he said again.

            “If you know, then stop hanging out with her.  You’re from two different worlds.”  Mr. Kim entered the room at that moment, and Minji stood up.  “Seriously.  If you have any sense, you would stop letting Yeoreum waste her time on you.”

            Yoongi closed his eyes and tried not to let her words get to him.  

            “Think about it.  Yeoreum comes from a proper family.  If they knew about you, do you think that they’d want you hanging around her?”

It didn’t work.  Realizing that he was crushing the note in his hand, he unfolded it, scanning over the writing.

Hi Yoongi,

I won’t be coming to class today because my mom and I are touring Yonsei University.  Enjoy your lunch!  I hope you like carrots.  If you don’t, let me know, and I’ll try something different next time.

Say hi to Mr. Kim for me!

Love,

Yeoreum

            Minji glared.  “I’m Yeoreum’s best friend, and I think I know what’s best for her.  And what’s best for her doesn’t involve you at all.  Sorry.”  She stood up and walked back to her seat as Mr. Kim cleared his throat.

            Yoongi stared blankly at the board.  You were the best thing that has ever happened to me, but I don’t deserve you.  Your friend is right.  I’m so sorry, Yeoreum, but this is for your best.

A/N:

1) Sorry for using Comic Sans. I needed a font that looked different from the Namjoon notes at the top and the regular story text, and Comic Sans looked the most like handwriting.

2) Sorry that I've been inconsistent with updates for this story!

3) BTS had their comeback MV yesterday (I think? The days are just flying by for me tbh). Yoongi with black hair is <3. That's all I have to say.