i'm so sorry for the late update! btw, um, can anyone recommend me some sad songs? pls. i really need it. also! i'm rly sorry if i'm only shipping jungkook to jiho —xoxo, nick ♥

SOLOMON'S PREDICAMENT

"mama, where are you?"

white screen blaring through her eyes, jiho couldn't help but scrunch her eyes to see the text message of her son, jinyeon. she found it hard to read it, her vision coming out cryptic as the beer she had drank was starting to kick in her system.

the company was having a little celebration because the deal was finally made. early that morning, right after taehyung accompanied jiho and yeon in bringing the child to his school, the meeting with the runcha runda incorporated was finally closed – namjoon was already well. and here they were, a little hyped because of the partnership established.

truth be told, the partnership wouldn't have happened if only namjoon wasn't a good friend of taehyung, the two were buddies in college hence the man couldn't break the partnership even if that means he had to see jeongguk's irritating presence in every meeting.

oh! speaking of the meeting, taehyung had to hold the way his feelings mound inside the pits of his stomach the moment he saw the one man he had come to hate in his entire life. being overly sensitive and protective of jiho, taehyung almost wanted to back off from signing the papers but, the moment he saw the sunken and low behavior of jeongguk, he knew that jiho might've done something – and that was more than enough.

there was progress, there's a progress with jiho's shortcomings on defending her feelings and taehyung wanted to give jiho a pat in the back for finally standing up.

"mama, i'm worried"

another message, it was already 21:30 and jiho could clearly understand how jinyeon was already worried of her. this was the first time – the very first time that she hadn't been home before the clock stroke 17:00 and for that, guilt started to seep in her veins.

"um. i've got to go home, everyone. i'm so sorry" a whine of boos and displeased screams echoed in her ears but as much as she wanted to stay a bit longer and get herself drown with alcohol to forget the pain that seemed to linger in her heart, yeon might cry himself to sleep and that was the last thing she ever wanted to happen. "nooo! jiho, drink up!" mihyun urged, trying to shove the glass of soju but even before jiho could've taken the glass, somebody beat her to it.

oh, kim taehyung was just so whipped.

"okay, that's enough" taehyung's eyes was fixated on jiho all evening, watching how she tried to cope with the stress – so much for being so whipped with the girl who has a good for nothing husband. right after taehyung took the glass, he pulled the woman's hand on his before uttering. "you guys, i've already paid the bill just enough to make all of you drop dead drunk. all of you can do anything with this restaurant but remember that tomorrow we have work, if one of you parched asses isn't present tomorrow be ready for cleaning the toiletry"

not waiting for the groans and disappointed whines of his workers, taehyung and jiho strolled their way out of the restaurant as their hands linked on one another. "i'll drive you"

"no, sir"

"no, i'll drive you. if i let you drive in that state, you'll meet satan sooner than you expected and besides, you didn't even bring your own car" jiho huffed, pouting as she crossed her arms, "fine, you won't let me argue with you anyway"

taehyung smirked, flashing his rare box smile – must be the alcohol kicking in. "i sure will not"

the whole ride was calm, the aura that seemed to surround the two were pleasing. even if they were silent with nobody speaking, it wasn't awkward at all. "i'll walk you" the moment the two was just a few blocks away from jiho's home, taehyung stopped the car. smooth mover and such a tiger, the man was just too shy to tell jiho that he wants to spend more time together.

jiho smiled and even through the dim street, she was radiating in taehyung's eyes. "sure, tae"

it was warm, everything was just so warm and taehyung felt like he was on cloud nine. he knew that they weren't a thing but right now, there was a connection between them. whatever happened yesterday is as shit as hell but, he wouldn't deny that thanks to it, he was closer than ever to jiho.

oh, and let's not mention about yeon and how shockedthe two boys were. taehyung almost tackled the younger as he jumped like a fool this morning when his eyes caught sight of the adorable boy, too happy to finally realize that the jinyeon he knew was the same jinyeon that jiho is pertaining to.

bright box smile painting his lips, he skipped like a child through their entire walk. "kim jiho is so pretty, so cute and adorable ~" taehyung sang making up lyrics with an unknown tune, his action made jiho giggle like a kid. the man was giddy, happy and excited – for the past years all he would ever feel was bland, boring and plain. it was kinda refreshing as he feels like he was being a teenager walking his girlfriend to her home, making sure that she was safe.

just the thought of jiho being his, was enough to send flowers blooming inside his chest.

too caught up in his dreamworld, taehyung never thought his eyes would immediately widen at the sight that suddenly unfold on his brown orbs. no. head snapping on jiho's carefree state, taehyung immediately skedaddled to engulf jiho in a hug, turning her body so that she would be facing away her house that was a few blocks away – unable to think of any other way to save jiho's heart from being broken again.

"taehyung?" skins touching, jiho's heart thumped inside her chest as she was caught off guard. "hey, what are you doing?" the woman asked once more as she felt the way her cheeks dramatically heated. this is wrong and we're in public.

true, jiho isn't in any relationship with taehyung as of the moment but if somebody catches a sight of them hugging in the middle of the night few blocks before reaching home, some people might just think maliciously. "t—tae—" trashing inside his grasp, jiho wasn't up for more trouble and the least thing she wanted was rumors running around the neighborhood.

"tae—i swear, if you don't—" "wait—"

taehyung was aware of his sudden actions but he couldn't help himself, he didn't want jiho's happiness slipping away. if he let jiho out of his embrace, everything would just fall apart, this night has been good, he had made the woman laugh, he had made jiho's lips tug into a beautiful smile and he would do anything to keep it that way until she sleeps.

you bastard, how dare you.

he's not ready to see another tear flow on her cheeks, he won't let it now. inwardly groaning, the urge to just steal jiho and yeon away from jeongguk swallows his heart whole, he badly wants to protect the two and even if he has no right, he just wants to tightly wrap the mother and son in his hold, never wanting to let go.

"tae—" jiho was trashing in his embrace and to say that it was getting out of hand was an understatement, he used to think that the woman was weak but seeing the way how she could slip away from his hold figures that there's just much much more than meets his eyes. another plus point why taehyung was whipped – jiho never fails to surprise him.

"what were you doing? we aren't even—" eyes widening and voice coming into halt, taehyung inwardly cursed. crap now, it's revealed. "jiho—look—" the moment she was able to get out of his frame the scene that unfold in her eyes made her tear.

jiho's lips quivered as her gaze shifted on the floor, taehyung was this close on breaking. "go home, taehyung—" "no, you don't understand jiho, i was only—"

"look, thank you but—" pausing, jiho's eyes met with taehyung, and the man swore that he saw how her eyes turned glossy, "please don't do this again, i can take care of this and it would be highly appreciated if you, you—you don't—"

"no! this is my business and—" "taehyung. i can take care of this myself, okay? i'm really thankful of you but, this thing is just—"

the man hung his head low, trying so hard to swallow the lump in his throat, "i just wanted to protect you, i didn't want you to see them hugging"

warmth spreading on jiho's heart, she instantly forgot the pain she felt and couldn't help but reach out to taehyung's hand as she linked it with hers, "i know and i want to thank you but, i can manage this" with that being said, the two's eyes met and before taehyung could've spoken, the man felt a soft yet subtle pair of soft skin reach across his right cheek.

jiho, jiho gave him a kiss in the cheeks.

"where were you?"

the moment jiho stepped inside the house, jeongguk's arrogant tone welcomed her. look who's talking like he didn't do anything against my back, hypocrite. too tired to start an argument, the woman pretended as if the man wasn't even towering over her small figure as he slid past him treading through the master's bedroom, not giving a slightest fuck of the other's presence as he followed her to their shared room.

"you're not going to answer me? i said where were you?" the man repeated with his deep, dark and unnerving tone and the woman could feel his eyes boring unto her back but jiho's had enough of him. ignoring his remarks, all jiho wanted as of right now was to see jinyeon as soon as possible and cuddle his boy to sleep.

grabbing a pair of baby blue oversized shirt, underwear and short shorts, jiho's footsteps trailed its way out of the room but before she could even get herself out, jeongguk gripped her wrist and flipped her body so that their eyes would meet. "i said where were you? yeon couldn't sleep early because of you. if you're going to act this way then i'll—"

"quite cocky knowing that this question came from you" jiho flicked jeongguk's hand away from her wrist before turning on her heels, about to open the door but was yet again stopped when jeongguk's hand slammed on the wooden frame as he trapped jiho.

"why are you making this so hard?" the man's breath fanned against jiho's neck and sadly enough, there was a bubbling feeling that started to form in the depths of the woman's heart as if clenching her thumping muscle to bits, "let me go, jeon"

"no, not until you tell me where you were! d— did you know how—how worried i was?!" worried? the word almost made her bend, if only jiho was still blinded by the fact that she was hopelessly inlove (and still is) with jeongguk she would've come crashing on the man's arms but remembering the reason why he started to drift away from her and commit adultery didn't help but make her let a dry chuckle escape in her lips.

flicking jeongguk's hand away from the door, jiho breathlessly turned on her heel before clutching the man's collar as she leaned closer to the other's face, face painted with nothing but anguish and pain, "worried?" she scoffed before continuing, "you were worried? don't give me bullshit, the only thing that a man like you can worry about is how to get himself laid. you're asking me where i've been and even using our son as an excuse? how about i ask that back to you? where have you been everynight for those two years of not coming home? where were you when life was tough?—"

memories of the past seemed to flicker in jiho's mind the moment she started to question jeongguk as tears unconsciously flowed like a waterfall, how dare you. you have the audacity to question me when you were the first one to tear us apart. just because i was a little bit late, you question me as if i've done the worst thing—when you— "where were you when jin almost raped me? where were you when yeon was sick? where . . . where were you when i needed you the most?"

prickling. widening glossy eyes against its sockets and a lump forming inside his throat, jeongguk tried to open his lips to say something but were yet again cut when jiho started speaking, "don't pretend that you care when you don't even give a slightest fuck of me"

lips quivering through their shared gazes, "i—jiho—" jeongguk tried to speak again only for jiho to harshly let his collar go and storm out of the room just before she could hear another word coming out of jeongguk's lips.

shattering. eyes glossy as his eyes lingered on where jiho burst out, the man clutched the thin fabric on top of his chest as his heart felt like it was being torn into pieces – for almost the hundredth time in this day. shakily sighing, jeongguk cupped his face before his knees wobbled, and his body immediately fell onto the ground, weeping like a child and whispering almost like a broken record. "i'm so sorry. i'm sorry. i'm sorry, jiho. i'm—"

on the other side of the picture, jiho's feet hastily made its way of yeon's room. the woman quietly slid through the sheets after taking a bath and changing clothes. "mama—" jinyeon stirred when jiho started inching her way to the boy's body and she felt really guilty.

"honey—" soft tone, her heart churned against her chest, the sight that soon unfold against her eyes made her heart swell when yeon suddenly let out a tear, "yeon was so worried, mama" the little boy murmured while crying against jiho's hand when the boy reached out to lean against her touch.

kissing the crown of her son before embracing the trembling figure against her, "honey, i'm so sorry"

"please, please mama. mama, don't leave me. you're all i have, mama" the boy whispered longingly, burying his face against the crook of his mother's neck as he gripped jiho's shirt. for a moment, jiho wanted to ask why jinyeon seemed to leave out his father as one who he had.