twentythree

Jongin's father was a cool man.

He liked to joke around and be all friendly and by the time passed, Yeoreum was already comfortable with the man. 

They shared jokes and laughed a lot. 

Jongin seemed happy - eyes crinkling beautifully as he joked around with the father and Yeoreum felt her heart went jumping at hearing his loud laugh. 

Obviously, he was close with the father. 

And as they were talking, Mrs.Kim was busy attending her husband's needs - cleaning the bed, folding the clothes and cleaned after her husband's earlier meals. 

Yeoreum just stared at that. 

Somehow pitied a bit at the woman for having to attend to her husband and Yeoreum started to think how the woman spent days in the office, then came to attend her husband, then came back to attend Jongin. 

Mrs.Kim was such a busy lady. 

Attending to her husband who was paralyzed on the feet - that needed special session everyday, and also had to attend Jongin who was visually impaired. 

Yeoreum really felt bad for her.

By the time they finished with the visit, Jongin was happy. 

He went smiling and gently rubbing her knuckles with his thumb happily. 

"Are you that happy?" she asked, as they were waiting for his mother to grab the car. 

Jongin smiled more and Yeoreum felt her heart skipped a beat at that. 

He looked so handsome with his sincere smile. 

It brightened his face. 

"Very." he whispered. 

"I really missed him."

She smiled at that. "How about we visit him tomorrow too?"

He beamed, nodding. "Sure, but you need to come along."

"Of course, I'm your cane after all."

He just tugged her hand at the teasing, making her chuckled.

"Anyway...are you going home tonight?"

She looked at Jongin. "Of course."

"Can't you stay?"

Chuckling, she pulled his hand playfully. "My mom is gonna be pissed."

He made a soft whiny voice and Yeoreum just laughed at, poking his cheek playfully and told him no.

The next day, Yeoreum found herself smiling at Mrs.Kim who was getting ready to go to work and the woman just smiled at seeing the girl being so early for Jongin. 

"You're visiting my husband again, right?" 

Yeoreum nodded. 

She had informed the mother yesterday upon their thoughts on the visit - afraid the woman might get offended again if they went going without her knowing anything.

"You give us your permission, right?"

Mrs.Kim smiled. "Of course."

"Take care of Jongin." 

Yeoreum nodded. 

But as the woman was about to get out, she halted her steps and turned around, making Yeoreum frowned at that. 

"Yeoreum..."

The girl smiled. "Hmm?"

Mrs.Kim smiled more. "Since Jongin listen to you well, please persuade him to go to the doctor."

"Maybe you could persuade him to do the surgery..."

Yeoreum blinked at that.

Before she forced a smile on her lips. "I think it's better if we wait for him to be ready - "

"Still..." Mrs.Kim rubbed Yeoreum's arm affectionately.

"Don't you wanna see him get better? Don't you want him to see?"

And Yeoreum blinked at that. 

"Please try and talk to him about it."

Then, she opened her bag and took out a few notes. "Buy something tasty for the two of you, okay?"

With a smile, she went out. 

And Yeoreum stood there dumbly before staring back at the money that the woman had gave. 

Talk to Jongin about it? 

Jongin doesn't want it. 

He's scared.

So scared. 

She sighed at that, trudging to Jongin's room to make himself ready for the visit. 

The money were messily pushed into her jeans. 

But as she walked to the room, Jongin was already on the door, staring blankly at nothing. 

"Jongin..." she breathed out. 

"What - what are you doing, standing here?" she grabbed his arm, somehow noticing that he was already dressed up. 

"I'm thought on waiting for you outside."

Her heart picked up loudly. 

Somehow afraid that the boy might heard about what she was talking with the mother. 

About the surgery. 

"Do you hear about..."

Jongin frowned. "About what?"

Yeoreum blinked at that. 

"N - nothing."

Forcing a smile, she gently tugged his hand with hers and guided him to walk out from the room, closing the door along the way. 

"Anyway, my mom asked me to bring the cane along, but I really don't know how to use it..." 

Jongin was ranting, showing the white cane that was specifically designed for the visually impaired people.

"You wanna try using it?"

"No."

And Yeoreum just snorted at that, shoving it inside her tote bag before she walked out with the guy. 

"Then don't use it. It's no big deal. I'm here for you."

And Jongin plastered a small smile at that. 

Upon arriving, Jongin's father was thrilled - urging to come in and have a seat and Yeoreum just watched as Jongin had his face lit up, beaming happily and she just guided him to his dad who were on the bed.

"It seems like you gonna keep visiting me." the father muttered. 

"It's not like I hate it, I just wish you wouldn't come during my time watching the drama..." he babbled, pointing at a drama that he was watching on. 

Jongin scowled at that, resting his back against the seat as he tried to focus on his father while staring at nothingness. 

"Since when you watched a drama?"

"When you are trapped here, Kim Jongin...you need this thing to keep you entertained..." Mr.Kim blabbered more. 

And Yeoreum just chuckled, watching the two male. 

Jongin seemed happy. 

She liked that. 

She loves seeing him happy like that while talking with his father. 

They spend more time together, Yeoreum was peeling the apple for the two male as she engaged in a conversation with them. 

It's mostly Mr.Kim asking about her life and her parents - to which he argued that he hadn't seen them in a while and Yeoreum just laughed, telling him that she will tell her parents to come visit. 

"You really good at peeling that." Mr.Kim suddenly commented, pointing at the fact that Yeoreum was good with the knife - peeling the apple smoothly. 

"I am, aren't I?" Yeoreum chirped. 

"Am I qualified enough to be your daughter-in-law then?"

Jongin chocked on his soda and Mr.Kim laughed more - somehow humored by the girl's words.

"Of course!" Mr.Kim chirped back, almost too excited. 

"But..." The father whispered loudly, just to tease more. 

"What do you even see in my son?"

Yeoreum whispered back - just as loud.

"It's because of his handsome face, other than that - he's annoying."

Mr.Kim laughed.

And Jongin went pinked. "Hey!"

"Of course he's handsome, I made that."

"Dad!" Jongin grunted, blushing more.

Yeoreum laughed loudly, making the boy clacked his tongue at that and she just cooed at that, babying him. 

The father softened at seeing how his son smiled at Yeoreum's gentle voice - that son of his, loves the attention that the girl had gave him. 

Yeoreum gently placed a slice of apple in Jongin's hand but Jongin just opened his mouth for it. 

She rolled her eyes at that, taking the apple and placed in his mouth, to which had him smiled happily and munched it gladly. 

Mr.Kim smiled. 

Surely, Yeoreum was already sweetheart. 

But why does his wife seemed to doubt her so much? 

Bidding a soft byes to Mr.Kim, Yeoreum and Jongin walked out from the room, holding hands and walked side by side. 

Jongin was pulling Yeoreum closer as they walked slowly, while the girl was busy texting her mother when the woman was asking about Jongin's father. 

"Who are you texting?" Jongin muttered and somehow stopped walking, because Yeoreum was still busy with her texting that she didn't even bothered tightening her hand with his. 

"Are you cheating on me already?"

He pinked after saying that. 

Didn't believe that it came out from his lips so easily.

"Yeah, I'm cheating on you. I'm cheating on you with my mother." Yeoreum snorted. 

Jongin pouted at that, beckoning her closer as she was still busy with her text and Yeoreum just leaned on his chest, helping him to detect where she was and he ended up resting his chin on the top of her head as they were standing in the hallway of the hospital. 

Hearing her still busy texting - he grew irritated. 

"This is annoying. I can't see who you are texting with."

Yeoreum snorted and quickly pushed her phone back to her jeans. "I told you, it's my mom."

Jongin could only huff at that and she chuckled. 

"I'm not gonna cheat on you, stupid."

And she pulled away from him, holding his arm to guide him as they slowly sauntered away. 

"Anyway, where are we going?"

"Home." Yeoreum then looked at Jongin. 

"Or...do you wanna go somewhere else?"

He smiled at that. "How about...a date?"

Yeoreum chuckled - having her heart tickled at that.

"A date?"

He nodded. 

"Where do you wanna go?"

He shrugged at that. 

And Yeoreum snickered in return. 

As they went walking and talked about where to go, she suddenly remembered something.

"I know where should we go."

Chanyeol blinked at the two. 

His mouth parted, baffled. 

"What - how - what - " he glanced towards Jongin, then towards Yeoreum. 

They both were beaming at him - well, Yeoreum was, Jongin on the other hand, was grunting loudly and pushed himself closer towards the girl, somehow feeling Chanyeol's hard gaze on him. 

"You're out?!"

Jongin groaned more and Yeoreum just chuckled. 

"How did - "

"Shut the up, Chanyeol." Jongin grunted, closing his eyes in agony. 

He suddenly wanted to go back home. 

"It's a long story." Yeoreum said, eyes still focusing on Chanyeol. 

"Now, take our order or we're out from here."

Chanyeol blinked. 

And at that, he quickly pressed on the screen and frowned more when the orders were said by the two. 

"You can't drink coffee, Jongin." Chanyeol muttered. 

Jongin just grunted more and Yeoreum chuckled. "It's a long story..."

"Why is everything so long? Can't you shorten the story for me?"