Chapter 29: Punch 1

“What's so important that you wanted to see me?” Youngjae asked the woman sitting at the table.

    “Is that how you talk to your mother?” she scowled at him.

    “No, mom, sorry, I'm just tired” he said and sat before her “The next magazine hits the stands soon and I'm concerned about the sales”

    “Forget about that, you're in your favorite restaurant”

    “It's your favorite restaurant”

    “It's the same”

    “It isn't” Youngjae looked around “Where's the waiter? I need a menu”

    “I already ordered for you” his mom said with a smile “Beef brisket with BBQ and spinach soup”

    “I don't like spinach soup, I don't like spinach at all”

    “That was when you were a child, you like spinach now”

    “No, I don't”

    “But you need to eat vegetables, that's why you're a fat kid”

    “I'm not a fat kid anymore”

    “But you were so fat. I still remember how you broke the porch swing” she said “I also remember when you got stuck in the tube slide of your school and your homeroom teacher called”

    Youngjae remembered too, it was hard to forget when his mother always reminded him his obese past. Moments like that, Youngjae ate for comfort. He glared at the basket of bread and grabbed the biggest piece of bread and started munching it.

    “Eating gluten so late? That'll go to your or worse, your stomach” she said “Although your baby belly was very cute”

    “So you invited me for dinner to fat-shaming me” Youngjae said as he regretted eating bread, now he had to hit the gym in the middle of the night.

    “Oh no, I invited you for dinner because I miss you, I haven't seen you since the party you threw”

    “So you want to talk about work”

    “No” she shook her head “I just miss you and wanted to see you, can't a mother see her son?”

    “That’s a first, so seriously, what do you want?”

    “You're rude. My fat Youngjae was sweeter, maybe because you used to eat a whole cake per day” she giggled and took a photo out of her purse.

    Youngjae wanted to eat all the bread before him, but that was a lot of calories, he thought and decided to bite his nails instead.

    “The maids were cleaning and found our family album” she said “I spent hours watching ours photos. Why don't we take photos anymore? There were so many photos of you as a kid. Even as a baby you were pretty chubby” she showed him the photo that she took from her purse earlier “I love this photo of you”

    “That kid isn’t me, he wears a dress” Youngjae said, dying of shame.

    “Don't you recognize yourself? It's a photo of you from when you were five years old” his mom said proudly “It’s you in my wedding dress, you used to play dress up and wear my dresses, your favorite one was my wedding dress”

    “I don't remember” Youngjae blushed hard. Of course he remembered.

    “Well, I remember everything” she said excited “You used to wear my makeup too, although you ate the most of it” she said loudly like she wanted the customers and employees to hear “Once you ate five lipsticks, one eye shadow palette, a skin cream” she chuckled “You really loved to eat, you even drank an eyeliner, I don't know why you didn't get sick, fat kids’ stomachs are amazing”

    “I didn't eat the eye shadow palette, I just ate half... Whatever, what's all this about? You want me to pay you back the makeup I ate?”

    “Oh no, I just... This photo of you in my wedding dress...”

    “I'm gonna take this” Youngjae snatched the photo from her “and I'll burn it later”

    “You know I have more photos, you really loved my dress, maybe that's why you didn't eat it too”

    “Ok, mom, what's your point?”

    “Oh yeah, well, the wedding dress made me think about how old you are”

    “So I'm fat and old”

    “You aren't fat anymore, you're just old, that's why I think it's time you get married” she searched her purse and found a small box covered in red velvet and showed it to him.

    “To you? Are you proposing me, mom? I don't think dad would like it”

    “Yoo Youngjae, be serious, this is your great-great-grandmother's ring and you must give it to Nahyun and...”

    “You want me to get married?”

    “Didn't you hear me? You're old. And you always say you want to be a young father, so you have to marry as fast as you can”

    “To Nahyun? You want me to marry Nahyun?”

    “It's your girlfriend since forever, isn't she?”

    “Yeah, but...”

    “Is there another woman?”

    Suddenly, Youngjae’s cellphone rang, the number was unknown, but he answered anyway. He didn't want to keep talking to his mother that wanted to rush him to the aisle out of nowhere.

    “Hello” Youngjae said halfheartedly.

    “Youngjae? Youngjae, is it you?”

    “You called my number, so of course it's me” Youngjae frowned “And you're Daehyun. Why are you calling? To make stupid questions?”

    “Did I interrupt anything important?”

    Youngjae took one look at his mom and said:

    “No, I'm just in hell”

    “So do I”

    “I thought your mother passed away”

    “What?”

    “Nothing. What do you want at this hour?” Youngjae said checking the time on his watch: 10:00 p.m.

    “Do you remember when you said we're friends?”

    “Yes, we're friends. You’ve made me said that a million times, not even a girlfriend is so intense”

    “Well, friend, my friend” Daehyun giggled nervously on the other end of the line “I need you to come to Yongsan police station and bail me out”

    “You've been arrested?”

    “No, I'm here because I want to” Daehyun said sarcastically.

    “What did you do?”

    “I'll explain later. Can you come, please?”

    “Why? You didn't come when I asked you to join me dinner. In fact, it's the first time I hear from you after all these days”

    “It’s just been two days. Why do you make it sound like years?”

    “Whatever, you ditched me”

    “Ok, just get me out of here and I'll go out with you to every restaurant in town”

    “Don't you have any other friends?”

    “You're my only friend...” Daehyun said and Youngjae felt happy to hear that “with money”

    “So you just like me for my money”

    “I didn't mean that”

    “If you want me to help you, mention three things you like about me”

    “You're fun and bubbly, that's why I like to spend time with you...”

    “That's one thing”

    “You're a kind-hearted man once I got to know you...”

    “That's two”

    “You're reliable, that's why I called you instead of others. I trust you, so stop fooling around and come here” Daehyun said and hang up.

I thought to make youngjae fall in love with daehyun after finding out the truth, but I think it's better to make him fall in love before, so when he finds it out, he'll be more traumatized... wait for the next chapters, youngjae already got names for their children LOL