The absurd malicious rumor incident was wrapped up well, and with that incident as an opportunity, Eungi began exchanging contact with his parents again, with whom he’d cut ties. It was only his mother’s side, but it was still a big development.
Eungi’s mother said that when she learned from photos circulating on the internet how poor the environment her son was living in was, her heart ached and she couldn’t just sit still. Eungi’s mother, who came after asking for Eungi’s contact information and dorm address through the agency, was wearing a white mask.
“Oh my, I thought our son was the most handsome in the world, but he’s playing celebrity with such handsome friends.”
It was clearly a compliment full of sincerity, but the latter part also felt a bit malicious. Anyway, she still seemed to oppose her only son’s idol activities, but it also seemed her love for her son was sincere.
“Hello, I’m Eungi’s mom.”
“Hello.”
“Our Eungi is an only child so he requires a lot of care, right? We raised him preciously…… hohoho. Now, I brought masks for everyone here so everyone wear masks inside the dorm here……”
Eungi’s mother, who entered the dorm, distributed the masks she’d prepared to the members, then looked around the room carefully. And Eungi stuck to his mom’s side with a proud face, giving her a docent tour of the dorm he’d worked hard to fix.
“Mom, this cracked tile here, I repaired this. I did well, right?”
“Oh my, goodness. You did it yourself without hiring someone?”
“Yeah. And here too, I peeled off the wallpaper and scrubbed it clean with bleach.”
“How wonderful that you’ve been living healthily in such a place, you’ve grown up, well done, our son.”
Though it sounded somewhat uncomfortable to members who had been living gratefully in such an environment, fortunately the members weren’t hurt by the malice-free brightness. There are things that come from living without. For example, shamelessness, brazenness, gall, fighting spirit, such things. All of BNCZ’s members except Seonwoo Jin had cultivated these characteristics along with the condensation mold on the wallpaper.
“Eungi is the maknae but he’s really mature.”
“Always positive, works hard, sincere……”
Ryu Geon and Jinyeong each added a word of praise for her son beside Eungi’s mother. At the praise like a homeroom teacher’s comments written in the comprehensive school record for early admission fighters, Eungi’s mother was greatly moved and didn’t know what to do.
“Our Eungi, growing up preciously as an only child, I really worried a lot while raising him. In case I raised the kid too indulgently……”
“Growing up receiving plenty of parental love, I guess that’s how Eungi grew up to be such a loving child.”
Jion also joined the conversation, utilizing his skills from parent consultations. Right now, when they hadn’t received settlements yet, the only place money might come from was Eungi’s parents. The members intuitively realized this fact and were busy hyping up Eungi. Jion lightly poked Seonwoo Jin’s side as he stood blankly. Meaning you should add a word too.
“Uh……”
But from Seonwoo Jin, who was thinking how fussy it was for parents to come all the way to a grown kid’s dorm, immediate praise didn’t come out. In the first place, Seonwoo Jin had no great interest in members other than Jion, so he didn’t really know what Eungi’s strengths or weaknesses were.
Eungi’s strengths…… what are Eungi’s strengths…….
Seonwoo Jin’s head stopped at Eungi’s mother’s expectant gaze directed at him. What kind of child praise would parents normally want to hear? Since Seonwoo Jin was almost ignorant in this area, he couldn’t find and praise Eungi’s strengths like the other members. So in the end, rather than forcing himself to do something he didn’t usually do, Seonwoo Jin just did what he was best at.
“……Eungi must have gotten so handsome by resembling you, ma’am. I was surprised because you’re such a beauty.”
“Oh my, really? Hohoho, hearing this from a handsome man makes my heart flutter?”
“Hahaha.”
Seonwoo Jin melted Eungi’s mother’s heart with a smooth smile. As expected, even if he couldn’t say things men liked to hear, Seonwoo Jin instinctively knew how to say things women liked to hear. No matter how much he was brainwashed and controlled to behave properly, his womanizer temperament seemed to be innate.
Could this bastard have a preference for married women or older women?
Jion’s surveillance sensor, which had been loose for a while, activated. Jion confirmed Seonwoo Jin’s face with a side glance, and was relieved at the fake eye smile visible on his face.
Mm, just a social comment to get out of a crisis. He’s grown a lot.
Jion lightly praised him by patting Seonwoo Jin’s back from behind. It was praise he hadn’t expected. Seonwoo Jin, though he didn’t know what it was, felt proud that he’d done something worthy of praise and grinned at Jion. It was a real smile different from the overly social fake smile he’d shown Eungi’s mother.
“……Why are you so handsome today?”
In the end, unable to resist the handsomeness, Jion stood on tiptoes and whispered in Seonwoo Jin’s ear. This was a pure question, neither praise nor flattery.
That’s right. Jion admitted that recently his feelings when looking at Seonwoo Jin had changed somehow from before.
No, the kid’s visuals peaked months ago, so why on earth am I getting heart flutters like this now? Did my immunity to handsomeness drop?
His eyes kept going to Seonwoo Jin’s face anew, his body that he’d had no thoughts about normally also caught his eye, and even the skinship that had become familiar now sometimes felt awkward. He didn’t know what kind of situation this was, but it was a feeling a bit different from before.
Is it because it’s unfamiliar since the kid is living with his right mind?
It was a situation of falling-into-fandom question, neither affirmative nor negative. A question mark where he definitely thought of him favorably but couldn’t figure out exactly why he thought favorably. Of course, Seonwoo Jin was a person with numerous merits that would make you like him as an idol.
First of all, handsome, beautiful, like a sculpture, exquisite, outstanding appearance, excellent, and, um, doesn’t date either…….
Jion couldn’t take his eyes off Seonwoo Jin’s face as he thought about his merits. Everything was a reason to like him, but still, something was lacking to explain the current awkward, unfamiliar, and subtle feelings.
When Jion suddenly stared at him intently with a serious face, Seonwoo Jin, who had been grinning, slightly withdrew his smile. He definitely received praise and heard he was handsome, but why was Jion suddenly like this? Seonwoo Jin became serious along with him and asked.
“Why are you looking like that?”
“No, it’s just that you’re so handsome anew……”
“What. Hehe……”
“……What is it? Why are you so lately……”
When Jion tilted his head, Seonwoo Jin also tilted his head in the same direction and waited for Jion to continue. He was acting like a big puppy which was so cute and heart-fluttering and good, but ah, really why the heart flutter?
“……Strange? Why are you so heart-fluttering lately?”
It was a flirting attack with awareness but without awareness. Jion himself had 0 intention to attack, but Seonwoo Jin’s heart, which suddenly received a surprise attack, received a huge shock. It was a shock like stabbing an electrical outlet with metal chopsticks.
“……What kind of words, like that…… making a person embarrassed……”
Seonwoo Jin, who came to his senses only after a long time, turned bright red and couldn’t even speak properly. If Jion hadn’t usually trained him with sudden praise bombardments, conditioning-like skinship, unlimited carrot provision, etc., Seonwoo Jin would have thought Jion’s current statement was a confession and made a sudden rush.
But because Seonwoo Jin knew that Jion was pouring infinitely tolerant, generous, and agape-like love on him, while greatly shaken by his statement, he held onto his mental thread until the end.
“Everyone’s busy and I stayed too long. I’ll get going now.”
“……Eungi’s mother is leaving.”
Seonwoo Jin, still not recovered from the shock, grabbed Jion’s wrist with trembling hands and headed to the entrance. Eungi’s mother greeted the members without taking off her mask until the end and held Eungi’s hand.
“Coming and seeing with my own eyes, it really is. Of course! Our Eungi is doing so well and living well! But in mom’s heart, living in such a place still doesn’t feel good.”
The moment they heard Eungi’s mother’s words, Jion and Jinyeong simultaneously looked at each other. They instinctively realized what would come next and quickly managed their expressions.
“How about, Mom can prepare about the jeonse deposit behind Dad’s back…… Wouldn’t living in a better environment be good for activities? If you’re going to be a celebrity for a few more years, at least your body should be comfortable……”
Yes! Jion stared directly into Jinyeong’s eyes, mutually restraining each other to hold back laughter. But Eungi’s mother had raised her only child too well. Eungi, not knowing what his hyungs were expecting behind him, obliviously shook his head brightly.
“No, Mom. I’m really fine here. Maybe because I fixed it myself. I’ve gotten really attached.”
“Still, there’s no elevator either……”
“It’s good exercise, what. There aren’t even that many stairs.”
“Really? If you say so……”
“Don’t worry. We’re living well.”
Eungi reassured his mother with an uncreased, positivity-filled mind.
“Okay, then I’ll get going. I’ll come again next time.”
“Yes, ma’am, get home safely!”
“Bye, Mom!”
Along with Ryu Geon’s friendly greeting, Eungi waved to his mother. And the moment the front door closed, Jinyeong placed his hand on Eungi’s shoulder with a stiff face.
“Eungi-ya. Wouldn’t it be right to escort your mother to the parking lot?”
“Ah. Yes!”
“And……”
Jinyeong suddenly knelt down and begged Eungi.
“Ask your mother to please get us one apartment jeonse, okay?”
Jeonse (전세) – Korean housing rental system where tenant pays large lump-sum deposit
