Alright, so things are bad. Mina has been trying to coax Nayeon to talk to him for the last hour or so, but the older boy showed no signs of even hearing him. Now, Mina had gone on a long tangent apologizing, begging for Nayeon to talk to him, kneeling on the ground and crying pathetically, anything someone truly sorry for their actions would do, but nothing came of it. Nayeon did hear everything and accepted the apology, but was still mad about everything, he just wanted to go home and let his parents hold him tight.

It’s not that the older boy wanted to break up over this, he really just didn’t want to be here anymore. This was the time where Mina should make a decision, he could keep as he was and his boyfriend would certainly be on the first plane out, or he could do something about it. There was really only one choice, so the japanese boy got himself together, fixed himself in the bathroom, gritted his teeth and marched to where he knew his family would still be drinking at, despite the party being over for a while already. Once Mina reached the door and heard the loud voices behind it, he needed a moment to take a deep breath and remind himself he had to do this.

Mina knocked, not that he needed to, and entered the room, the adults were surprised to see him there, they thought he would still be having fun with Nayeon at this time, and the grimm look on his face told them he had something serious to talk about. They all sat down when the boy motioned them to and waited, he always needed a little time to gather his words before speaking up. Mama Myoui fidget a little, but her husband put a hand on her shoulder to tell her to just wait, he had enough conversations with his son to know the more serious the subject, the longer Mina will take to actually say something. The grandparents saw the interaction and decided to remain quiet as well.

“Tonight was a mistake I should never have allowed to happen.” Mina blurts out. “Look, grandpa, I know you like your parties and everything, but tonight was too much. I knew it was too much and still did nothing.”

“Mina, honey, breathe a little.” Mama Myoui tries to get her son to calm down.

“Mother, please, I can’t calm down! Nayeon is understandably upset about all of this and not being consulted on anything, and he wants to go back to Korea first thing in the morning. I’m angry at myself for not speaking up and stopping this from happening when I knew it was something he did not want to do, much less be forced into.”

“What do you mean Nayeon is leaving?” Grandpa Myoui sits a little straighter. “Just because of a little party? Isn’t he being too sensitive?”

“This was an engagement party, what are you talking about?” Grandpa Jimmu (mama Myoui’s father) was always the most sensible one.

“And I don’t get what all this drama is about.” The old man insists.

“You have always been an idiot, sometimes I forget how dumb you can be.”

“Kenzaburou, that’s enough.” Grandma Myoui stopped her husband when he was about to throw a tantrum. “Akihito is right and you are just being a spoilt child again.”

The woman’s tone left no room for arguments, she was taking no bull and everyone understood that. Grandma Myoui had also been against this plan of her husband, not only it was far too soon for the boys to be thinking about marriage or even engagement, but to not even tell Nayeon about what was being planned, how the old man was about to meddle with his life just because he was bored, that was too much. Now, grandma Myoui saw she, too, should have stopped this before it happened, but she didn’t think things would have escalated like they did, when she did notice, it had been too late.

“Nayeon should have been asked, and we don’t have any right to do this to the boys at all!” The woman continued. “Now, Mina is going to go in there and try to get his boyfriend to stay, and you are going to do everything to get Nayeon to forgive us for allowing you to be selfish again.”

Grandpa Myoui grumbles something that sounds suspiciously like a complaint but doesn’t really say anything aloud. Grandma Jimmu gets up and hugs the boy, she was always the most attuned to Mina’s moods, then pushes him to her husband and so on until he had hugged everyone, then sends her grandson back to his room, not forgetting to tell Mina to get something nice for himself and Nayeon to eat after they talk. Mama Myoui did say they had a full table of food in there already, but the older woman said it’s best if Mina takes the time to get something himself, and so they send him off.

“Well, that went horribly.” Papa Myoui says when the door closes.

“You could say that again.” Mama Myoui agrees.

Grandpa Myoui is still grumbling but nobody really pays attention to him anymore. 

“We have to keep in mind that Nayeon isn’t like us, he isn’t used to these flashy events and his family doesn’t decide his life for him.” Papa Myoui continues. “I’m with mom in this, you were being too selfish, dad. And now my other son is sad and wants to leave because of it.”

“Your other son?” Grandpa Jimmu raises an eyebrow.

“I see Nayeon as my own son too. Sure, he is Mina’s boyfriend, but he is such a good kid, and he is just so good to Mina. We love him very much, and having him be so upset he wants to leave really breaks my heart.” Mama Myoui concludes.

Mina went to the kitchen to make his boyfriend his favorite, grilled cheese, mushroom soup and green tea, Nayeon was a simple man, and grilled cheese with tomato soup was the first thing he learned to make by himself. Back then it was just putting the sandwich on the grilling machine, then taking the can of soup, dumping it on a bowl and putting in the microwave, but it was a nice meal and he was very proud of himself for doing it on his own. Nine year-old Nayeon decided it would be his comfort meal and has found himself comforted by it ever since. 

It was easy to make, and Mina did put in more effort and added some green onions and garlic to the soup, he also got the good cheese for the sandwich, the one grandpa Myoui hid away to eat with his wines. If he was going to be begging for his boyfriend to talk to him and, hopefully, work things out, he needed to go all out. Getting back to his bedroom, Mina found Nayeon still on the couch, he looked calmer, at least he wasn’t crying, the japanese boy placed the tray on the coffee table, and sat beside his boyfriend in silence. Mina was nervous, so he decided to take the food out of the tray and took his own soup bowl and started eating, mostly to have something to do.

Nayeon was hungry, he wasn’t about to lie to himself about that, and it was mushroom soup and grilled cheese, and Mina was the one who made it for him. He was still upset, but this was a nice gesture, so he reached for his bowl and a slice of the sandwich to dip in the soup. It tasted really nice, just the way he liked it, and the fact that Mina knew how to get it just right brought a knot to his throat. Despite everything, Nayeon loved Mina with all his heart, and Mina loved him just as much, they could get through this, it was just a mistake and Mina was fully prepared to do all the work to get there.

“This is nice.” Nayeon says, almost in a whisper.

“I thought you’d like something comforting.” Mina tries to hold his happiness at that simple phrase. “I’m sorry.”

“Hmm”

“I know I messed up bad, and you have all the right to be angry, but I really am sorry. I should have stopped grandpa, or talked to you about it, but I didn’t and I hope you can forgive me for that.”

“I accept your apology.” The older boy declares. “But I don’t forgive you yet, any of you. This relationship is between you and me, Myoui Mina and Im Nayeon, and you let them play with it as they pleased.”

“I know.”

“And you knew all of this was happening, you also knew I don’t understand when you talk in dialect. But still, you said nothing, not even when I asked you about it.”

“I’m very sorry for that. It won’t happen again.”

“I called my mom when you were out, she said I can go home whenever I want, and that her and dad will pay a visit later to talk to you and your parents.” Mina’s head snaps up, being caught by surprise. “Give me a reason to stay, Mina.”

There are a few silent seconds that feel like hours, Nayeon searches hopefully deep into Mina’s eyes for something that will make him stay. Anything that won’t have him flying back to Korea and not talking to his boyfriend until the Myouis are back. Mina, obviously, doesn’t disappoint, all he was being asked was honesty, it was time for him to face his mistakes and begin owning up to them.

“I love you so much, and this was a huge mistake I allowed to happen.” The japanese boy takes a deep breath. “I would like for you to allow me to show you how sorry I am and how much you mean to me. Please, don’t go. We’ll go to grandma and grandpa Jimmu house and stay there, no more Myoui palace and this high society circus, just you and me and a relaxing vacation in japan.”

“You promise?”

“I promise. We’ll go there and do whatever you want to do, and not a single high society mention for the rest of this vacation.”

“Can we go visit Sana and Chaeng too?” Nayeon asks so humbly that Mina can’t deny him anything (not that he would ever).

“Of course we can!” Mina agrees promptly. “But I gotta say, Sana’s family is quite something, maybe we should wait for them to go to the Minatozakis before we visit them.”

“How so?”

“They are with Sana’s mom family, they are the Yamaguchis, too rich, too ancient, too powerful. Even I get uncomfortable there, we should wait the week and visit them at his other grandparents, the Minatozakis. They live in a big house in town, and it’s much more comfortable.”

“Okay.” Nayeon’s voice is so small that his boyfriend would have missed it if he wasn’t paying attention.

“Okay?”

“I’ll give you a chance, but I’ll be on the first plane back to Seoul if you mess up again.”

“I’ll take you to the airport myself. But I promise you won’t.”

“And we leave here tomorrow morning. I don’t really want to be here anymore.”

“I’ll pack up right now.”

“And you deal with your family. I just want to eat, take a warm shower and sleep. Also, I need some aspirins.”

“There’s a pack of them in the bathroom cabinet. And I’ll talk to them, just go and take your shower and don’t worry about anything else.”

Nayeon hums in agreement and continues eating his food, it was very tasty and he really didn’t want anything that had been prepared for them, and Mina making this simple, yet personal and heartwarming, food was just what he needed. Mina ushers him to take a shower and reminds his boyfriend about the aspirins, before taking their dishes back to the kitchen and going to talk to his family about what was decided. His parents had already retired to their bedroom, and the boy headed there first, then he went back to the drinking room and told his grandparents about heading out first thing in the morning.

Grandpa Myoui wanted to protest, but withered with everyone else’s stares. Grandpa Jimmu said they would leave in the morning and he would be driving the boys himself, despite the plan being that they would stay for a couple of days. Mina left right after, saying he wanted to take a shower and some aspirin after the day’s events and just sleep. When he got back, Nayeon was changing, he announced he would take a quick shower and found his boyfriend waiting for him when he got out.