Jeon Jungkook feels nervous as he waits in the second floor of the café that the pair used to go to back in their trainee days. It had been a while. His eyes scan the room, remembering the various times the pair had once spent drinking lemonade and talking about their days, and the struggles of being so young and in Seoul, fighting to debut.

To be honest, he doesn't know what he'll say to her when she arrives, but he knows he needs to make things right, and to properly apologise to her for everything that had happened.

He knows too, that he should listen to her and her struggles.

But one thing he'd decided, is that he'll fight to be part of Dongun's life.

Perhaps it was completely stupid, considering how Jisoo Kim and the other two girls would surely make his life hell—but he knows that he has a responsibility at least to do what he can, and he hopes at least, while her career was beginning to grow with BLACKPINK, that he should at least help if possible.

He gets a ping from his phone from her, informing him that she's walking from the carpark and asking whether it's busy (he assumes because she's worried about being caught).

Quickly replying to her text, he puts his phone down and sighs a breath of relief.

He's genuinely just thankful that given the circumstances, Park Chaeyoung was at least willing to speak to him.

He knows that it's not a kind of move that just anyone could make.

A few moments later and the sound of footsteps coming back the stairs has him surprised, seeing her walking towards him wearing an oversized sweater and leggings, holding the hand of a small Dongsun who was excited to see him.

"Uncle Jungkook!" A bright voice welcomes him, rushing over and by instinct, Jeon Jungkook gets up from his seat, carrying the young boy to his arms.

The confusion is evident in his face by the way Park Chaeyoung casually asks, "... is everything okay?"

Jeon Jungkook is embarrassed, not realising that their son would be joining them.

"I didn't realise that Dongsun would be coming," he confesses, "... not that I'm complaining of course, I've already ordered your usual—let me get Dongsun a drink too. Hot chocolate maybe?"

"Mommy I want a hot chocolate!" A young Dongsun cheers excitedly as he's put down.

"I'll be back," Jeon Jungkook quickly rushes downstairs to order, and ask for the other drinks he'd ordered to be brought up.

When he makes it back to the seating area, he notices Park Chaeyoung reaching for her hangbag and taking out some colours pencils and paper.

"Uncle Jungkook, I want to draw a picture for you!" He tells him excitedly, "... mommy said I'm a great artist."

Jeon Jungkook smiles.

He wishes, he'd been there to see him from the beginning.

Park Chaeyoung after getting settled (sanitising her hands, preparing a small juice box on the side in case her son was thirsty as well as a few animal toys that she'd brought) finally turns her attention to him.

"I'm sorry, I thought you wanted to meet with him," she informs him, "... we're kind of a package deal most of the time, so it didn't occur to me that you wanted to speak privately. Plus—I know there's a small kids area so I thought you'd specifically chosen this café for that."

"No, no," he interrupts, feeling bad that she felt the need to apologise, "... I'm glad, really."

He smiles brightly at Dongsun who sits next to his mother, attentive at the paper that he'd began scribbling on.

Not long after, the waiter comes alone and brings in their drinks—two lemonades and a hot chocolate.

"Jisoo visited me yesterday," he informs her, "... she was considerably upset."

He tries to read her expression, but somehow, he knew she wasn't surprised.

"I'm sorry about that," she confirms, "... the girls are just protective over Dongsun."

And you.

"They always have been protective over you," he muses, "... remember when they'd all stay up late in the dorm to make sure you came home after our dates?"

His eyes can't help but fall onto her smile, as she recollects the memory.

"Hmm, I'm really grateful for them," she informs him before turning to her son, "... honey, since the hot chocolate is a little hot, why don't you go play in the kids area for a little bit? But make sure mommy can always see you from here, okay?"

Dongsun in return cheers, excitedly eye-ing the small toy area that was on the other side of the room.

Quickly getting down for his seat, Jeon Jungkook wants until the boy is on the other side to talk to her.

"I know I can't make up for the years lost, but—I really want to be part of his life, if you'd let me," he tells her, "... at whatever capacity it is, he doesn't need to know I'm he's father. I want to support you and him, but ultimately I know it's your decision, Chaeyoung."

-

She finds herself standing on a blurred line between doing what is right and listening to her heart.

Park Chaeyoung heard many stories and read a lot of research, talking about how important it was for children to have both parental figures in their life, and she knows that especially as a young boy, that Dongsun needed more men to aspire to. There were so many times she'd heard about stories of bitter parents who would fight for custody, leading to a traumatised child who never really knew who they were and of course, she didn't want her son to be like that.

She knows he has a right at least, to be in his life and that she shouldn't have withheld that information to begin with.

But on the other hand, Park Chaeyoung is overly protective over her son and believes that her love for him was enough.

Perhaps it would kill her, as selfish as it was, if the day ever come and Dongsun would choose him over her. And then there was the fact that one day—she might really be replaced if his own relationship becomes serious.

Park Chaeyoung is torn between doing what is right, while also protecting her own heart from damage.

She'd experienced enough hurt for a lifetime, she doesn't know if her heart can physically handle anything more.

"I feel torn between doing what's right, and doing what my heart wants," she finally speaks as she turns and watches her son from afar, "... I know and I want him to have a good father figure in his life, but my heart—I don't want you to take him away from me."

Without her consent, tears begin to fall from her eyes as she thinks about the possibility.

Jeon Jungkook holds his hand out to her, "... Chaeyoung, I promise that it won't be like that. I won't come in between you and him—I just want to help you, and do what's right so that you can also focus on yourself too once in a while, so that you don't wear the burden alone."

He quickly gets up from his seat and takes a seat beside her, and wraps one of his arms around her shoulder.

"Mommy, are you okay?" A young Dongsun rushes at the sight of his mother crying, "... mommy don't cry, I'm here to protect you."

-

Before he knows it, it's almost dinner time by the time the pair finish talking and he genuinely believes that there's progress between the two.

She shared about her struggles during pregnancy and how she craved avocados non-stop and how there was a complication in delivery and how the girls were there for her the entire time. But that it also was a period of the deepest joys in her life too, where she wrote love songs to her son, and hopes that one day her agency will approve for them to be released to the public.

But there's one question that he cannot stop wondering.

"Chaeyoung, if your sister never told me—would I have never found out? Were you really thinking of keeping it from me forever?" He questions her curiously.

He watches as she takes a heavy breath.

"I wasn't expecting to keep it a secret forever," she finally speaks, "... I wanted to tell you when I was ready, but—admittedly, I didn't know if I'd ever be.

-

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