The ride to their brunch date was tense and awkward. Hoseok was looking out the window watching as trees, buildings and people became one in a blurred mess. This was not the type of morning he wanted to have. All he had to do was get through the rest of the day without disruption and he could go back to his regular routine.
                “What is wrong with you?” His mother stated placing her clutch gingerly next to her.
                “Nothing is wrong mother.” Hoseok said with a sigh.
                “Liar.”
                “Mother.”
                “Stop calling me that! I haven’t done anything to you or towards you that would make you call my name with such disdain. Call me correctly or I will stop this car and have you thrown out and your can forget about our brunch…well lunch now.” His mother said throwing him a glare. He knew she was being serious and also knew better than to test his mother. Unlike his little brother he didn’t enjoy seeing their mother at her breaking point.
                “I’m sorry ma and nothing is wrong.” Hoseok sighed heavily giving in to his mothers request. She pressed her lips together and gave a long blink. She wasn’t satisfied but she would accept it.
                “You’re still a lying.” His mother stated.
                “Ma please.”
                “Don’t ma please me! And stop the sighing you’re making the car warm! Tell me what’s wrong now or I’ll make you watch me eat waffles and you will get nothing but water.”
                “You’re being unfair.” Hoseok said.
                “Unfair? You want to know what’s unfair? Unfair is sitting across from someone you love and seeing that something is wrong and when you try to help they shut you out with a stupid response like, oh I don’t know something along the lines of, nothing is wrong.”
                Hoseok had to scream at every fiber in his body to not roll his eyes because that would just set off the explosion that was his mother.

Mrs. Jung was cut from a different cloth; a cloth that is no longer in production and cannot be replicated or duplicated. She was dramatic and always always got her way. Mrs. Jung was the widowed wife of the late Mr. Jung CEO of Jung Corps, Jung Law offices and the Jung Association to Culture Kids otherwise known as J.A.C.Ks. When Mr. Jung lost his battle with lung cancer everyone thought that Mrs. Jung would either sell the business to other companies to continue running or appoint one of her three sons Jung Namjoon, Jung Hoseok or Jung Jungkook to take her late husband’s place and run the company. She surprised everyone when she took over for several years while her eldest son finished his studies and training to take over the position. And even after Namjoon had taken over she still worked alongside him making sure that everyone was happy. Hoseok happened to follow after his older brother and going into the family business. The youngest child, however, decided to follow his own path and was doing a pretty decent job with his music career on his own. Mrs. Jung understood this and has let him do as he pleases so long as it doesn’t land him in jail.

Once they arrived to their destination La Bistro they were greeted and seated in the VIP area right next to the window. This spot was reserved for them mainly because Mrs. Jung loved to people watch and she loved the feeling of the sun on her skin. Many Koreans ran from the sun to preserve their pale skin. Mrs. Jung embraced it and didn’t care for her fair skin.
                “So are you going to tell me what’s wrong are you going to starve?” Mrs. Jung stated as she browsed through the menu even though she ordered the same thing every single time they ate there.
                “Ma it’s”
                “If you’re fixing your lips to say nothing you might as well get up from this table and leave this restaurant.”
                Hoseok knew she wasn’t kidding so he bit the bullet and gave her what she wanted.
                “It’s your son! He’s treating me like a child! And now he expects me to baby sit some big eyed puppy of an assistant who can’t stop flirting with your other of a son. I’m the only perfect one you have so you better cherish me woman!”
                “What has Nammie done now and don’t call my son a . He’s exploring his options and as long as no one ends up pregnant I see no harm being done.” His mother chuckled.
                “Ugh don’t call him that.” Hoseok grimaced. “He’s an adult and he’s being childish over me firing half of a department for a potential lawsuit they almost caused us. And we’re talking not hundreds ma but millions  of dollars in loss for us.”
                “That’s what has you so uptight? You’re upset because he’s punishing you for your rash decision making?”
                “Don’t do that. Don’t take his side.”
                “I’m not taking sides I’m just stating the facts.”
                “The facts are that we could have been sued for millions of dollars because those idiots were going back and forth with a client they should have even been speaking to. I caught the error and fired those that were involved. What should I have done instead? Given them a slap on the wrist? What good would that do? They would just make the same mistake again. I bet you now that they’ve been let go from the top agency in the country they’ll never make mistakes like that again. I leave impressions on these people, mom. I plant seeds of lessons in their minds so when they grow up they become responsible adults who won’t make stupid mistakes and almost get their high class business company sued for millions of dollars!” Hoseok was slightly out of breath when he finished as well as slightly red in the face. Clearly, no one took this job as seriously as he did.
                “Are you done?” His mother dead panned. She was used to this. Her son was having one of his middle child melt downs. It didn’t happen as often as it used to but this one was different. Hoseok seemed truly bothered.
                “I’m starting to think there is more to this than you are letting on.”
                “Oh please do not start. Not today and definitely not now. Excuse me waiter! Can I get the steak and egg platter and she will have the smoked salmon and caviar on toast. Ah and two mimosas.” Hoseok said trying to get this brunch over with as fast as possible.
                “Don’t order for my I can order for myself and don’t tell me what to do. Now if something is bothering you about your brother then you should speak up and stop holding it in. What have I told you about doing that? You get like this every time.” Mrs. Jung scolded.
                “Okay, you want me to speak up? Fine, I’ll speak up. Do you know your son is dating his assistant?” Hoseok knew he would regret it but it annoyed him to no end that she wasn’t hassling his older brother to get married like she hassled him.
                “He is not he would have told me.” She said confidently.
                “Are you sure about that?” Hoseok challenged. The look that came upon her face said it all.
                “Since you know so much you will tell me everything. Now.”
                Hoseok wanted to kick himself in the . He was able to get her off the subject of him only to be dragged into ratting out his older brother. Granted he got himself into this mess but he didn’t think it through before he actually went forward with his plan of action. Now he was stuck in a rock and hard place.