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Summary: When you appeared and wept at his mother's funeral, Hongjoong found himself wanting to find out more about you. A regular girl, who owns a flower shop in his territory and has a relationship with the mother that he hasn't spoken to in years, why hasn't he ever noticed you before?
[Warning(s): 18+ for violence, use of weapons, smoking, alcohol consumption, slight gore, gang affiliation, tattoos and character deaths. Minors DNI. This is a work of fiction and does not represent the Ateez members in real life.]
Word count: 3.3K
The next few days, you barely saw Hongjoong. He told you that there was a lot of work that needed his attention so he would be out for most of the day. You didn't interfere, busying yourself with matters of the shop. You were grateful you still saw him at dinners.
But he seems tired, physically, mentally and emotionally. When you spoke to him, it felt like he wasn't really there. You understood, work could be busy.
"You called?" You poked your head into his office. Hongjoong, whose head was in his hands, sat up and smiled tiredly at you.
"Hi, my love." He greeted.
Just seeing you, he felt all the stress and fatigue just melt away. He beckoned you over until you stood before him, between his legs. Hongjoong's arms wrapped around your waist.
"Bad day?" You asked, patted his head as he leaned his head against your abdomen.
"Not anymore, now that you're here." He murmured.
"You've been busy, working hard. You should take a break." You told him.
"I would love to but I want to finish all this before our trip. So that I can give my 110% to you. I'm sorry I've been so absent, we only see each other at dinner. I hate that." He squeezed your waist.
"Don't worry, Joong. We can always move the trip..." You said. Hongjoong was quiet and let out a soft sigh.
"I really don't want to. It's my first time taking you overseas, where it'll just be the 2 of us..." He confessed.
"I know but it can't be helped. We can go anytime." You chuckled. Hongjoong let go of you, a soft smile on his face as he stood up. His hand came up to cup your cheek before he leaned down to press a soft kiss to your forehead. Meeting his eyes, you knew that there was just so much in his eyes.
"You can tell me anything. Don't shoulder all the burden yourself." You whispered, squeezing his hand. In whatever way you could, you wanted to help him. He stroked your head.
"Let's sit down." He nodded over to the couch. You pulled him with you, sitting next to him on the couch.
"Could I ask you for a favour? It might be a big ask, it'll be hard on both of us." He asked. You didn't know what to say, all you could do was nod.
"One of the reasons why I haven't been home... Is that I've been trying to clear my mother's house..." He revealed. You just stared at him. Mrs Kim was still a touchy topic between the two of you.
"What do you need from me then?" You asked in a soft voice.
"Would you like to help me go through the rest of her stuff? Because I have not been productive." He asked.
"I-I shouldn't. I-I have no right to do that. You're her s-son. I'm nobody." You shook your head.
"Don't say that. You weren't nobody to my mother... To be honest, I wanted to just throw everything away but I knew it wouldn't be fair to you. You probably knew her better than I did." He shrugged.
"B-But..."
"You don't have to do it, I know it can hard. But I thought that I should ask you rather than assume and decide for you." He said. Hongjoong watched the way your eyes shifted, you were stuck in a dilemma, fighting against your own emotions. But he didn't rush you.
"I'll do it. Thank you for letting me do this. Do you want to be there or..." You cleared your throat.
"I think it's be best for you to do it alone. I'll have the boys ferry you there and back, help you with carrying things..." He said and you nodded your head.
"But if you want me there, I will be there in a heartbeat." He added.
"I'll manage. Don't worry." You shook your head. Hongjoong hummed and you hugged him, your head pressed against his chest.
"Can I ask, why are you suddenly clearing her house? Are you going to sell it?" You asked.
"No, the property is mine so you can take however long you need to go through it. I just... Don't want it left like that. Who knows, we may eventually need that apartment." He replied.
To be honest, Hongjoong just wanted to get rid of anything that remotely reminds him of his mother but he knew he couldn't tell you that.
"I understand." You hummed.
"LOVEBIRDS! DINNER!" Wooyoung's loud voice and incessant knocking broke the silence between the two of you. Hongjoong shook his head with a sigh while you giggled.
"I swear, Jung Wooyoung will forever be the noisiest person in this house." He clicked his tongue and stood up. Even if Hongjoong grumbles about the others, you knew that he wasn't actually annoyed. He wouldn't have them any other way, they were his family that he built and treasured dearly.
"Let's go." He held your hand and headed down to the dining room with you. The others were all seated already.
"Are you really not going to switch to sit next to me?" Hongjoong asked with a sigh when you were going to let go of his hand to sit at your regular seat.
"There's no need. We're still in the same room, at the same table." You told him.
"True." Seonghwa replied, sipping his wine. He was more than happy to move to let you sit but you always told him not to.
"Shut up, Hwa." Hongjoong groaned but let you go.
"(y/n)!" Mingi and San stood up, suddenly engulfing you in big bear hugs. You blinked in confusion as you were squished between them but laughed at their affection.
"Hyung..." Yeosang spoke cautiously when he saw Hongjoong's eye twitch and jaw clench.
"Alright, alright. Settle down." Seonghwa said. Mingi and San broke apart, letting you go. You went to take your seat.
"How was your day?" You chatted with Jongho about what he was up to today. And in the same manner, you shared with him about how your plants were doing.
"Oh! I wanted to tell you, Mingi. The hydrangeas have all changed colour, according to the soils we adjusted." You said. The other day, you invited Mingi to help you with adjusting the pH of the soils for the hydrangeas, he was super excited to make them pink.
"Really?!" Mingi beamed with excitement.
"Yeah, especially the ones that you did. They're a really pretty pink." You said as the butler put the tray of food in front of you.
"Okay, you have to show me later." Mingi said and you nodded, digging into your food.
"You can change the colour of flowers with the soils?" San asked, covering his mouth as he chewed. You hummed and explained to him about the pH of soil, like you explained to Mingi before.
"Hyung, are you coming to the ring tonight?" Wooyoung asked Hongjoong.
"Not tonight. I wanna spend time with my girl." Hongjoong said, smiling over at you, who was laughing at something Yunho said.
"I told her..." Hongjoong said to Seonghwa in a lower voice. Seonghwa nodded with a hum, sipping his wine as he waited for Hongjoong to explain more.
"I told her that she's free to do whatever she wants. I won't interfere unless she wants me to. It's better that way." Hongjoong spoke.
"That's good. I think it'll be better. I will escort her to and from the place when I can." Seonghwa hummed.
"Thanks, Hwa." Hongjoong let out a sigh of relief.
After dinner, despite it being dark, Mingi and San dragged you out to the garden, with Yeosang curiously following along. With flashlights in hand, you showed them the hydrangeas that you and Mingi planted. Hongjoong watched from the door to the backyard, a small scowl on his face as he watched you.
"San ah! We have to go for the match! Let's go already!" Wooyoung yelled from beside Hongjoong, making him wince and slap the younger male on the shoulder.
"Okay, that's it. You too, love." Hongjoong said, coming over and holding your hand to take you away from Mingi.
"Why are you jealous?" You giggled, letting him drag you.
"It's late and I didn't stay home just to watch you in the garden with Mingi." He said as he continued to pull you along. Mingi stood there in the dark, alone, scratching his head in confusion.
"Why are you just standing there? Wanna game, Mingi ah?" Yunho called out. At that, Mingi quickly ran over.
"It feels like forever since I've had some alone time with you." Hongjoong said, backing you against the closed bedroom door.
"We've both been busy." You said, reaching up to cup his cheek. Hongjoong immediately leaned into your touch like a cat, turning his head slightly to kiss your palm.
"You sure you will be okay?" He suddenly asked.
"Mmm, don't worry. If it's too much, I'll stop." You promised, knowing hat he was referring to.
"Alright. Seonghwa said he'll take you when he can. He can be more level headed about this, more than me at least." He shot you a lopsided grin. You chuckled and wrapped your arms around his neck while his hands moved to your waist.
"We'll be okay." He pressed his forehead against yours, but you could see the worry and uncertainty swimming in his eyes. All you could do was comfort him.
"Of course, we will be." You nodded.
When you woke up, Hongjoong was still sound asleep beside you. You smiled softly, looking at the small pout on his face.
"I'll see you later." You leaned down to give him a kiss before moving to get out of bed. But Hongjoong's hand suddenly shot out to grasp your wrist, making you gasp.
"You can't just give me a peck and leave." His voice was raspy, laced with sleep.
"You should sleep more if you can." You told him, fingers coming to brush his fringe slightly.
"I won't sleep without you here." He said, eyes still closed.
"Well, I have to get up. There are some orders pick ups this morning before I have to go to the house." You told him and looked at your phone to check the time.
With this arrangement of clearing Hongjoong's mother's house, you decided to put out a notice that the shop will temporarily only be opened for half a day and customers can pick up their orders in the morning.
"Okay, okay. One more kiss. Then I'll let you go." Hongjoong negotiated. You jokingly let out an exasperated sigh and leaned over to give him another kiss. But you should have known, Hongjoong's hands came up to cup your face, holding you there so he could prolong the kiss with you. You slapped his shoulder when you ran out for air.
"Cheater." You stuck your tongue out at him.
"You love it." Hongjoong winked. You rolled your eyes and went to the bathroom to get ready.
"Ah!" You yelped when you opened the bathroom door and Hongjoong was right there, leaning against the door frame. He had a smirk on his face and his hair was a mess.
"I wonder if all the men who fear you know this is you at home." You chuckled, reaching out to tame his bedhead.
"Only you know me like this." He said, patting your head with a soft smile.
"I am going to be late, I should try to get some breakfast on the go. I'll see you later." You reached up to kiss his cheek and grabbed your things before running downstairs.
"Here. Hongjoong hyung texted me 20 minutes ago to make your breakfast on the go." Wooyoung said, giving you a wrapped sandwich.
"You made this?" You asked, holding the warm sandwich.
"Of course. I think I'm one of the only ones here that can make something edible in the kitchen. Have a good day at work." Wooyoung said, patting your hip and going to the dining room.
"Have a nice day!" He shouted out.
"Good morning! Sorry I'm late!" You apologised to the driver, who was waiting for you with a smile on his face. He bowed to you while you bowed back apologetically before sliding into the backseat. You unwrapped your sandwich to eat.
It was tasty and warm. As you chewed, you looked at the sandwich. A part of you was still getting used to living with other people. You were always alone, you did everything yourself for yourself.
"(y/n) sshi, I was informed that Mr Park will be escorting you to go to Mr Kim's late mother's house?" The driver asked.
"Yeah, Hongjoong said Seonghwa would come if he has the time to..." You hummed.
"Understood. I will be on standby if he is called away." He replied.
"I can take a bus or a cab." You giggled. He chuckled but shook his head, you knew all of them had strict instructions from Hongjoong and they wouldn't defy him.
"Have a nice day, (y/n) sshi." The driver bowed after opening the door for you. You bowed your head back.
"(y/n)!" Your friends ran over, having seen you emerge from the car. You hugged them tightly.
"You've been missing!" Nana slapped your arm as you unlocked your shop door to enter, the two of them trailing behind you. You turned the lights on and placed your bag in the back room.
"I've been here, just focusing more on pick ups and online orders." You giggled.
"You've been closing early though! Is Hongjoong keeping you busy?" Eve asked with a teasing smile. You rolled your eyes playfully, to be honest, you have also been doing flower arrangements for private events, which was another reason why you weren't really there at the shop front most of the times.
"I've been helping him with his... business." You lied to them, rubbing the back of your neck. You took your apron off the hook and tied it around your waist.
"Ah, that's nice. You should be spending more time with him." Eve shrugged, sitting at the work bench.
"Have you spoken to the boys?" Nana asked. At that, you stiffened slightly, remembering your interactions with Jihoon at the tracks.
"Kind of... Hyunwoo still drops by when he needs some peace and quiet despite owning the gym and having his own private office." You said, trying to avoid the topic of Jihoon.
"What about Jihoon? We haven't heard from him much..."
"I'm not sure..." You said, clearing your throat and turning to your fridge. You missed the concerned looks that Eve and Nana shot each other.
"What's wrong, (y/n)? Did something happen with Jihoon?" Eve approached the topic gently. You let out a soft sigh, contemplating telling them what happened.
"To be honest, I'm not sure what happened either." Was all you could say, a dejected look on your face.
"What do you mean?" Nana blinked. You told them what happened in Jihoon's shop and at the tracks, as you wrapped your bouquets.
"You guys look like you have something to tell me... Did Jihoon tell you anything or did you notice something happen? I just want to know if I did anything wrong." You asked with a worried frown, noticing the same look that they had on their faces.
"You didn't do anything wrong, (y/n)." Eve assured you.
"It's more... Jihoon's issue... I don't know, everything that we think is an assumption, he didn't speak to us. It would be better to talk to him and ask." Nana said.
"He doesn't even want to talk to me." You groaned, putting your finished bouquets in the fridge.
"Just give him some time. I'm sure it's nothing bad." Eve comforted. You knew they were hiding something but didn't want to push it.
Seeing you get busy, your friends bid you goodbye and went back to their shops, with Eve leaving you some bread to snack on. You prepared orders and replied to work messages.
"Thank you. Have a nice day." You smiled and bowed as the customer held the bouquet, leaving the shop.
"Alright, what's next?" There was only one pick up left. While waiting for the customer, you went to check on your herbalist shelf.
"Eucalyptus, peppermint, rosemary, lavender and... tea tree." You checked your book and gathered the things that you needed from your ingredients area.
"Hi. I'm here to pick up my order?" Someone came in. You abandoned your side project and went to greet the customer.
"Actually on second thought, could I add a card?" She requested. You let her choose from your box of blank cards before handing her a pen. Of course, you gave her privacy and looked at your computer while she wrote her message down. Once she was done, you attached the note to a small plastic holder.
"Here you go." You smiled and handed the bouquet over for her to hold. She looked at the bouquet and tilted her head before turning to you with a conflicted look on her face.
"Should I remove the card?" She asked. Now, it was your turn for you to be confused.
"I'm meeting my boyfriend's parents for the first time... These are for his mother." She explained, slightly awkward.
"I would go without then. I didn't see what you wrote but I believe that you should save the messages and well wishes for face to face conversations." You encouraged her with a small smile.
"You're right." She giggled. You reached over to remove the card and plastic holder.
"Here, just in case." You winked, handing her the card that she wrote.
"Don't worry and just be yourself, I'm sure you'll do great. All the best." You said as you walked her out, pumping an encouraging fist. She sent you a nervous smile.
"Thank you." She bowed her head and went on her way. You went back into the shop and closed for the day.
"Let's finish this up." You went back to finishing what you were doing earlier.
"(y/n)? Are you here? It's Seonghwa!" You heard Seonghwa's voice from the back door. You called out to him and he walked in, his hands tucked into the pockets of his coat. If someone saw Seonghwa walk in like that, they would think that he owns the building.
"What are you doing?" He leaned in to take a whiff of what you were working on, watching you pop the discs out of the moulds.
"Wooyoung said that his sinuses have been acting up in the morning and it bothers him quite a bit. So I made him shower melts to use, they should clear his sinuses and ease his discomfort." You explained.
"Could I have some to try too?" He smiled.
"Of course. You just put them on the shower ground and run warm water over it." You chuckled.
"Sounds easy enough." He said, sitting down. Since you didn't want him to wait for too long, you packed the shower melts and started to clear up to leave.
"What are you feeling?" Seonghwa asked as he watched you clear all the flower scraps and trimmings into the bin.
"I... I don't know what to expect. It's a big ask... Not that I can't do it but I wasn't expecting it." You confessed.
"Hongjoong trusts you." Was all he could say.
"But he's Mrs Kim's actual son. I... I shouldn't have a say as to what he does with her things." You said softly with a sigh. Seonghwa let out a hum, he knew what you meant and understood your feelings.
"If you really feel that way, speak to him. I'm sure he will understand too. But I think you should go at least once and see the things, just in case you see something that may be important to you to keep... Hongjoong may just get a clean up crew and ask them to throw everything there." Seonghwa advised.
Summary: When you appeared and wept at his mother's funeral, Hongjoong found himself wanting to find out more about you. A regular girl, who owns a flower shop in his territory and has a relationship with the mother that he hasn't spoken to in years, why hasn't he ever noticed you before?
[Warning(s): 18+ for violence, use of weapons, smoking, alcohol consumption, slight gore, gang affiliation, tattoos and character deaths. Minors DNI. This is a work of fiction and does not represent the Ateez members in real life.]
Word count: 3.3K
The next few days, you barely saw Hongjoong. He told you that there was a lot of work that needed his attention so he would be out for most of the day. You didn't interfere, busying yourself with matters of the shop. You were grateful you still saw him at dinners.
But he seems tired, physically, mentally and emotionally. When you spoke to him, it felt like he wasn't really there. You understood, work could be busy.
"You called?" You poked your head into his office. Hongjoong, whose head was in his hands, sat up and smiled tiredly at you.
"Hi, my love." He greeted.
Just seeing you, he felt all the stress and fatigue just melt away. He beckoned you over until you stood before him, between his legs. Hongjoong's arms wrapped around your waist.
"Bad day?" You asked, patted his head as he leaned his head against your abdomen.
"Not anymore, now that you're here." He murmured.
"You've been busy, working hard. You should take a break." You told him.
"I would love to but I want to finish all this before our trip. So that I can give my 110% to you. I'm sorry I've been so absent, we only see each other at dinner. I hate that." He squeezed your waist.
"Don't worry, Joong. We can always move the trip..." You said. Hongjoong was quiet and let out a soft sigh.
"I really don't want to. It's my first time taking you overseas, where it'll just be the 2 of us..." He confessed.
"I know but it can't be helped. We can go anytime." You chuckled. Hongjoong let go of you, a soft smile on his face as he stood up. His hand came up to cup your cheek before he leaned down to press a soft kiss to your forehead. Meeting his eyes, you knew that there was just so much in his eyes.
"You can tell me anything. Don't shoulder all the burden yourself." You whispered, squeezing his hand. In whatever way you could, you wanted to help him. He stroked your head.
"Let's sit down." He nodded over to the couch. You pulled him with you, sitting next to him on the couch.
"Could I ask you for a favour? It might be a big ask, it'll be hard on both of us." He asked. You didn't know what to say, all you could do was nod.
"One of the reasons why I haven't been home... Is that I've been trying to clear my mother's house..." He revealed. You just stared at him. Mrs Kim was still a touchy topic between the two of you.
"What do you need from me then?" You asked in a soft voice.
"Would you like to help me go through the rest of her stuff? Because I have not been productive." He asked.
"I-I shouldn't. I-I have no right to do that. You're her s-son. I'm nobody." You shook your head.
"Don't say that. You weren't nobody to my mother... To be honest, I wanted to just throw everything away but I knew it wouldn't be fair to you. You probably knew her better than I did." He shrugged.
"B-But..."
"You don't have to do it, I know it can hard. But I thought that I should ask you rather than assume and decide for you." He said. Hongjoong watched the way your eyes shifted, you were stuck in a dilemma, fighting against your own emotions. But he didn't rush you.
"I'll do it. Thank you for letting me do this. Do you want to be there or..." You cleared your throat.
"I think it's be best for you to do it alone. I'll have the boys ferry you there and back, help you with carrying things..." He said and you nodded your head.
"But if you want me there, I will be there in a heartbeat." He added.
"I'll manage. Don't worry." You shook your head. Hongjoong hummed and you hugged him, your head pressed against his chest.
"Can I ask, why are you suddenly clearing her house? Are you going to sell it?" You asked.
"No, the property is mine so you can take however long you need to go through it. I just... Don't want it left like that. Who knows, we may eventually need that apartment." He replied.
To be honest, Hongjoong just wanted to get rid of anything that remotely reminds him of his mother but he knew he couldn't tell you that.
"I understand." You hummed.
"LOVEBIRDS! DINNER!" Wooyoung's loud voice and incessant knocking broke the silence between the two of you. Hongjoong shook his head with a sigh while you giggled.
"I swear, Jung Wooyoung will forever be the noisiest person in this house." He clicked his tongue and stood up. Even if Hongjoong grumbles about the others, you knew that he wasn't actually annoyed. He wouldn't have them any other way, they were his family that he built and treasured dearly.
"Let's go." He held your hand and headed down to the dining room with you. The others were all seated already.
"Are you really not going to switch to sit next to me?" Hongjoong asked with a sigh when you were going to let go of his hand to sit at your regular seat.
"There's no need. We're still in the same room, at the same table." You told him.
"True." Seonghwa replied, sipping his wine. He was more than happy to move to let you sit but you always told him not to.
"Shut up, Hwa." Hongjoong groaned but let you go.
"(y/n)!" Mingi and San stood up, suddenly engulfing you in big bear hugs. You blinked in confusion as you were squished between them but laughed at their affection.
"Hyung..." Yeosang spoke cautiously when he saw Hongjoong's eye twitch and jaw clench.
"Alright, alright. Settle down." Seonghwa said. Mingi and San broke apart, letting you go. You went to take your seat.
"How was your day?" You chatted with Jongho about what he was up to today. And in the same manner, you shared with him about how your plants were doing.
"Oh! I wanted to tell you, Mingi. The hydrangeas have all changed colour, according to the soils we adjusted." You said. The other day, you invited Mingi to help you with adjusting the pH of the soils for the hydrangeas, he was super excited to make them pink.
"Really?!" Mingi beamed with excitement.
"Yeah, especially the ones that you did. They're a really pretty pink." You said as the butler put the tray of food in front of you.
"Okay, you have to show me later." Mingi said and you nodded, digging into your food.
"You can change the colour of flowers with the soils?" San asked, covering his mouth as he chewed. You hummed and explained to him about the pH of soil, like you explained to Mingi before.
"Hyung, are you coming to the ring tonight?" Wooyoung asked Hongjoong.
"Not tonight. I wanna spend time with my girl." Hongjoong said, smiling over at you, who was laughing at something Yunho said.
"I told her..." Hongjoong said to Seonghwa in a lower voice. Seonghwa nodded with a hum, sipping his wine as he waited for Hongjoong to explain more.
"I told her that she's free to do whatever she wants. I won't interfere unless she wants me to. It's better that way." Hongjoong spoke.
"That's good. I think it'll be better. I will escort her to and from the place when I can." Seonghwa hummed.
"Thanks, Hwa." Hongjoong let out a sigh of relief.
After dinner, despite it being dark, Mingi and San dragged you out to the garden, with Yeosang curiously following along. With flashlights in hand, you showed them the hydrangeas that you and Mingi planted. Hongjoong watched from the door to the backyard, a small scowl on his face as he watched you.
"San ah! We have to go for the match! Let's go already!" Wooyoung yelled from beside Hongjoong, making him wince and slap the younger male on the shoulder.
"Okay, that's it. You too, love." Hongjoong said, coming over and holding your hand to take you away from Mingi.
"Why are you jealous?" You giggled, letting him drag you.
"It's late and I didn't stay home just to watch you in the garden with Mingi." He said as he continued to pull you along. Mingi stood there in the dark, alone, scratching his head in confusion.
"Why are you just standing there? Wanna game, Mingi ah?" Yunho called out. At that, Mingi quickly ran over.
"It feels like forever since I've had some alone time with you." Hongjoong said, backing you against the closed bedroom door.
"We've both been busy." You said, reaching up to cup his cheek. Hongjoong immediately leaned into your touch like a cat, turning his head slightly to kiss your palm.
"You sure you will be okay?" He suddenly asked.
"Mmm, don't worry. If it's too much, I'll stop." You promised, knowing hat he was referring to.
"Alright. Seonghwa said he'll take you when he can. He can be more level headed about this, more than me at least." He shot you a lopsided grin. You chuckled and wrapped your arms around his neck while his hands moved to your waist.
"We'll be okay." He pressed his forehead against yours, but you could see the worry and uncertainty swimming in his eyes. All you could do was comfort him.
"Of course, we will be." You nodded.
When you woke up, Hongjoong was still sound asleep beside you. You smiled softly, looking at the small pout on his face.
"I'll see you later." You leaned down to give him a kiss before moving to get out of bed. But Hongjoong's hand suddenly shot out to grasp your wrist, making you gasp.
"You can't just give me a peck and leave." His voice was raspy, laced with sleep.
"You should sleep more if you can." You told him, fingers coming to brush his fringe slightly.
"I won't sleep without you here." He said, eyes still closed.
"Well, I have to get up. There are some orders pick ups this morning before I have to go to the house." You told him and looked at your phone to check the time.
With this arrangement of clearing Hongjoong's mother's house, you decided to put out a notice that the shop will temporarily only be opened for half a day and customers can pick up their orders in the morning.
"Okay, okay. One more kiss. Then I'll let you go." Hongjoong negotiated. You jokingly let out an exasperated sigh and leaned over to give him another kiss. But you should have known, Hongjoong's hands came up to cup your face, holding you there so he could prolong the kiss with you. You slapped his shoulder when you ran out for air.
"Cheater." You stuck your tongue out at him.
"You love it." Hongjoong winked. You rolled your eyes and went to the bathroom to get ready.
"Ah!" You yelped when you opened the bathroom door and Hongjoong was right there, leaning against the door frame. He had a smirk on his face and his hair was a mess.
"I wonder if all the men who fear you know this is you at home." You chuckled, reaching out to tame his bedhead.
"Only you know me like this." He said, patting your head with a soft smile.
"I am going to be late, I should try to get some breakfast on the go. I'll see you later." You reached up to kiss his cheek and grabbed your things before running downstairs.
"Here. Hongjoong hyung texted me 20 minutes ago to make your breakfast on the go." Wooyoung said, giving you a wrapped sandwich.
"You made this?" You asked, holding the warm sandwich.
"Of course. I think I'm one of the only ones here that can make something edible in the kitchen. Have a good day at work." Wooyoung said, patting your hip and going to the dining room.
"Have a nice day!" He shouted out.
"Good morning! Sorry I'm late!" You apologised to the driver, who was waiting for you with a smile on his face. He bowed to you while you bowed back apologetically before sliding into the backseat. You unwrapped your sandwich to eat.
It was tasty and warm. As you chewed, you looked at the sandwich. A part of you was still getting used to living with other people. You were always alone, you did everything yourself for yourself.
"(y/n) sshi, I was informed that Mr Park will be escorting you to go to Mr Kim's late mother's house?" The driver asked.
"Yeah, Hongjoong said Seonghwa would come if he has the time to..." You hummed.
"Understood. I will be on standby if he is called away." He replied.
"I can take a bus or a cab." You giggled. He chuckled but shook his head, you knew all of them had strict instructions from Hongjoong and they wouldn't defy him.
"Have a nice day, (y/n) sshi." The driver bowed after opening the door for you. You bowed your head back.
"(y/n)!" Your friends ran over, having seen you emerge from the car. You hugged them tightly.
"You've been missing!" Nana slapped your arm as you unlocked your shop door to enter, the two of them trailing behind you. You turned the lights on and placed your bag in the back room.
"I've been here, just focusing more on pick ups and online orders." You giggled.
"You've been closing early though! Is Hongjoong keeping you busy?" Eve asked with a teasing smile. You rolled your eyes playfully, to be honest, you have also been doing flower arrangements for private events, which was another reason why you weren't really there at the shop front most of the times.
"I've been helping him with his... business." You lied to them, rubbing the back of your neck. You took your apron off the hook and tied it around your waist.
"Ah, that's nice. You should be spending more time with him." Eve shrugged, sitting at the work bench.
"Have you spoken to the boys?" Nana asked. At that, you stiffened slightly, remembering your interactions with Jihoon at the tracks.
"Kind of... Hyunwoo still drops by when he needs some peace and quiet despite owning the gym and having his own private office." You said, trying to avoid the topic of Jihoon.
"What about Jihoon? We haven't heard from him much..."
"I'm not sure..." You said, clearing your throat and turning to your fridge. You missed the concerned looks that Eve and Nana shot each other.
"What's wrong, (y/n)? Did something happen with Jihoon?" Eve approached the topic gently. You let out a soft sigh, contemplating telling them what happened.
"To be honest, I'm not sure what happened either." Was all you could say, a dejected look on your face.
"What do you mean?" Nana blinked. You told them what happened in Jihoon's shop and at the tracks, as you wrapped your bouquets.
"You guys look like you have something to tell me... Did Jihoon tell you anything or did you notice something happen? I just want to know if I did anything wrong." You asked with a worried frown, noticing the same look that they had on their faces.
"You didn't do anything wrong, (y/n)." Eve assured you.
"It's more... Jihoon's issue... I don't know, everything that we think is an assumption, he didn't speak to us. It would be better to talk to him and ask." Nana said.
"He doesn't even want to talk to me." You groaned, putting your finished bouquets in the fridge.
"Just give him some time. I'm sure it's nothing bad." Eve comforted. You knew they were hiding something but didn't want to push it.
Seeing you get busy, your friends bid you goodbye and went back to their shops, with Eve leaving you some bread to snack on. You prepared orders and replied to work messages.
"Thank you. Have a nice day." You smiled and bowed as the customer held the bouquet, leaving the shop.
"Alright, what's next?" There was only one pick up left. While waiting for the customer, you went to check on your herbalist shelf.
"Eucalyptus, peppermint, rosemary, lavender and... tea tree." You checked your book and gathered the things that you needed from your ingredients area.
"Hi. I'm here to pick up my order?" Someone came in. You abandoned your side project and went to greet the customer.
"Actually on second thought, could I add a card?" She requested. You let her choose from your box of blank cards before handing her a pen. Of course, you gave her privacy and looked at your computer while she wrote her message down. Once she was done, you attached the note to a small plastic holder.
"Here you go." You smiled and handed the bouquet over for her to hold. She looked at the bouquet and tilted her head before turning to you with a conflicted look on her face.
"Should I remove the card?" She asked. Now, it was your turn for you to be confused.
"I'm meeting my boyfriend's parents for the first time... These are for his mother." She explained, slightly awkward.
"I would go without then. I didn't see what you wrote but I believe that you should save the messages and well wishes for face to face conversations." You encouraged her with a small smile.
"You're right." She giggled. You reached over to remove the card and plastic holder.
"Here, just in case." You winked, handing her the card that she wrote.
"Don't worry and just be yourself, I'm sure you'll do great. All the best." You said as you walked her out, pumping an encouraging fist. She sent you a nervous smile.
"Thank you." She bowed her head and went on her way. You went back into the shop and closed for the day.
"Let's finish this up." You went back to finishing what you were doing earlier.
"(y/n)? Are you here? It's Seonghwa!" You heard Seonghwa's voice from the back door. You called out to him and he walked in, his hands tucked into the pockets of his coat. If someone saw Seonghwa walk in like that, they would think that he owns the building.
"What are you doing?" He leaned in to take a whiff of what you were working on, watching you pop the discs out of the moulds.
"Wooyoung said that his sinuses have been acting up in the morning and it bothers him quite a bit. So I made him shower melts to use, they should clear his sinuses and ease his discomfort." You explained.
"Could I have some to try too?" He smiled.
"Of course. You just put them on the shower ground and run warm water over it." You chuckled.
"Sounds easy enough." He said, sitting down. Since you didn't want him to wait for too long, you packed the shower melts and started to clear up to leave.
"What are you feeling?" Seonghwa asked as he watched you clear all the flower scraps and trimmings into the bin.
"I... I don't know what to expect. It's a big ask... Not that I can't do it but I wasn't expecting it." You confessed.
"Hongjoong trusts you." Was all he could say.
"But he's Mrs Kim's actual son. I... I shouldn't have a say as to what he does with her things." You said softly with a sigh. Seonghwa let out a hum, he knew what you meant and understood your feelings.
"If you really feel that way, speak to him. I'm sure he will understand too. But I think you should go at least once and see the things, just in case you see something that may be important to you to keep... Hongjoong may just get a clean up crew and ask them to throw everything there." Seonghwa advised.
Summary: When you appeared and wept at his mother's funeral, Hongjoong found himself wanting to find out more about you. A regular girl, who owns a flower shop in his territory and has a relationship with the mother that he hasn't spoken to in years, why hasn't he ever noticed you before?
[Warning(s): 18+ for violence, use of weapons, smoking, alcohol consumption, slight gore, gang affiliation, tattoos and character deaths. Minors DNI. This is a work of fiction and does not represent the Ateez members in real life.]
Word count: 3.3K
The next few days, you barely saw Hongjoong. He told you that there was a lot of work that needed his attention so he would be out for most of the day. You didn't interfere, busying yourself with matters of the shop. You were grateful you still saw him at dinners.
But he seems tired, physically, mentally and emotionally. When you spoke to him, it felt like he wasn't really there. You understood, work could be busy.
"You called?" You poked your head into his office. Hongjoong, whose head was in his hands, sat up and smiled tiredly at you.
"Hi, my love." He greeted.
Just seeing you, he felt all the stress and fatigue just melt away. He beckoned you over until you stood before him, between his legs. Hongjoong's arms wrapped around your waist.
"Bad day?" You asked, patted his head as he leaned his head against your abdomen.
"Not anymore, now that you're here." He murmured.
"You've been busy, working hard. You should take a break." You told him.
"I would love to but I want to finish all this before our trip. So that I can give my 110% to you. I'm sorry I've been so absent, we only see each other at dinner. I hate that." He squeezed your waist.
"Don't worry, Joong. We can always move the trip..." You said. Hongjoong was quiet and let out a soft sigh.
"I really don't want to. It's my first time taking you overseas, where it'll just be the 2 of us..." He confessed.
"I know but it can't be helped. We can go anytime." You chuckled. Hongjoong let go of you, a soft smile on his face as he stood up. His hand came up to cup your cheek before he leaned down to press a soft kiss to your forehead. Meeting his eyes, you knew that there was just so much in his eyes.
"You can tell me anything. Don't shoulder all the burden yourself." You whispered, squeezing his hand. In whatever way you could, you wanted to help him. He stroked your head.
"Let's sit down." He nodded over to the couch. You pulled him with you, sitting next to him on the couch.
"Could I ask you for a favour? It might be a big ask, it'll be hard on both of us." He asked. You didn't know what to say, all you could do was nod.
"One of the reasons why I haven't been home... Is that I've been trying to clear my mother's house..." He revealed. You just stared at him. Mrs Kim was still a touchy topic between the two of you.
"What do you need from me then?" You asked in a soft voice.
"Would you like to help me go through the rest of her stuff? Because I have not been productive." He asked.
"I-I shouldn't. I-I have no right to do that. You're her s-son. I'm nobody." You shook your head.
"Don't say that. You weren't nobody to my mother... To be honest, I wanted to just throw everything away but I knew it wouldn't be fair to you. You probably knew her better than I did." He shrugged.
"B-But..."
"You don't have to do it, I know it can hard. But I thought that I should ask you rather than assume and decide for you." He said. Hongjoong watched the way your eyes shifted, you were stuck in a dilemma, fighting against your own emotions. But he didn't rush you.
"I'll do it. Thank you for letting me do this. Do you want to be there or..." You cleared your throat.
"I think it's be best for you to do it alone. I'll have the boys ferry you there and back, help you with carrying things..." He said and you nodded your head.
"But if you want me there, I will be there in a heartbeat." He added.
"I'll manage. Don't worry." You shook your head. Hongjoong hummed and you hugged him, your head pressed against his chest.
"Can I ask, why are you suddenly clearing her house? Are you going to sell it?" You asked.
"No, the property is mine so you can take however long you need to go through it. I just... Don't want it left like that. Who knows, we may eventually need that apartment." He replied.
To be honest, Hongjoong just wanted to get rid of anything that remotely reminds him of his mother but he knew he couldn't tell you that.
"I understand." You hummed.
"LOVEBIRDS! DINNER!" Wooyoung's loud voice and incessant knocking broke the silence between the two of you. Hongjoong shook his head with a sigh while you giggled.
"I swear, Jung Wooyoung will forever be the noisiest person in this house." He clicked his tongue and stood up. Even if Hongjoong grumbles about the others, you knew that he wasn't actually annoyed. He wouldn't have them any other way, they were his family that he built and treasured dearly.
"Let's go." He held your hand and headed down to the dining room with you. The others were all seated already.
"Are you really not going to switch to sit next to me?" Hongjoong asked with a sigh when you were going to let go of his hand to sit at your regular seat.
"There's no need. We're still in the same room, at the same table." You told him.
"True." Seonghwa replied, sipping his wine. He was more than happy to move to let you sit but you always told him not to.
"Shut up, Hwa." Hongjoong groaned but let you go.
"(y/n)!" Mingi and San stood up, suddenly engulfing you in big bear hugs. You blinked in confusion as you were squished between them but laughed at their affection.
"Hyung..." Yeosang spoke cautiously when he saw Hongjoong's eye twitch and jaw clench.
"Alright, alright. Settle down." Seonghwa said. Mingi and San broke apart, letting you go. You went to take your seat.
"How was your day?" You chatted with Jongho about what he was up to today. And in the same manner, you shared with him about how your plants were doing.
"Oh! I wanted to tell you, Mingi. The hydrangeas have all changed colour, according to the soils we adjusted." You said. The other day, you invited Mingi to help you with adjusting the pH of the soils for the hydrangeas, he was super excited to make them pink.
"Really?!" Mingi beamed with excitement.
"Yeah, especially the ones that you did. They're a really pretty pink." You said as the butler put the tray of food in front of you.
"Okay, you have to show me later." Mingi said and you nodded, digging into your food.
"You can change the colour of flowers with the soils?" San asked, covering his mouth as he chewed. You hummed and explained to him about the pH of soil, like you explained to Mingi before.
"Hyung, are you coming to the ring tonight?" Wooyoung asked Hongjoong.
"Not tonight. I wanna spend time with my girl." Hongjoong said, smiling over at you, who was laughing at something Yunho said.
"I told her..." Hongjoong said to Seonghwa in a lower voice. Seonghwa nodded with a hum, sipping his wine as he waited for Hongjoong to explain more.
"I told her that she's free to do whatever she wants. I won't interfere unless she wants me to. It's better that way." Hongjoong spoke.
"That's good. I think it'll be better. I will escort her to and from the place when I can." Seonghwa hummed.
"Thanks, Hwa." Hongjoong let out a sigh of relief.
After dinner, despite it being dark, Mingi and San dragged you out to the garden, with Yeosang curiously following along. With flashlights in hand, you showed them the hydrangeas that you and Mingi planted. Hongjoong watched from the door to the backyard, a small scowl on his face as he watched you.
"San ah! We have to go for the match! Let's go already!" Wooyoung yelled from beside Hongjoong, making him wince and slap the younger male on the shoulder.
"Okay, that's it. You too, love." Hongjoong said, coming over and holding your hand to take you away from Mingi.
"Why are you jealous?" You giggled, letting him drag you.
"It's late and I didn't stay home just to watch you in the garden with Mingi." He said as he continued to pull you along. Mingi stood there in the dark, alone, scratching his head in confusion.
"Why are you just standing there? Wanna game, Mingi ah?" Yunho called out. At that, Mingi quickly ran over.
"It feels like forever since I've had some alone time with you." Hongjoong said, backing you against the closed bedroom door.
"We've both been busy." You said, reaching up to cup his cheek. Hongjoong immediately leaned into your touch like a cat, turning his head slightly to kiss your palm.
"You sure you will be okay?" He suddenly asked.
"Mmm, don't worry. If it's too much, I'll stop." You promised, knowing hat he was referring to.
"Alright. Seonghwa said he'll take you when he can. He can be more level headed about this, more than me at least." He shot you a lopsided grin. You chuckled and wrapped your arms around his neck while his hands moved to your waist.
"We'll be okay." He pressed his forehead against yours, but you could see the worry and uncertainty swimming in his eyes. All you could do was comfort him.
"Of course, we will be." You nodded.
When you woke up, Hongjoong was still sound asleep beside you. You smiled softly, looking at the small pout on his face.
"I'll see you later." You leaned down to give him a kiss before moving to get out of bed. But Hongjoong's hand suddenly shot out to grasp your wrist, making you gasp.
"You can't just give me a peck and leave." His voice was raspy, laced with sleep.
"You should sleep more if you can." You told him, fingers coming to brush his fringe slightly.
"I won't sleep without you here." He said, eyes still closed.
"Well, I have to get up. There are some orders pick ups this morning before I have to go to the house." You told him and looked at your phone to check the time.
With this arrangement of clearing Hongjoong's mother's house, you decided to put out a notice that the shop will temporarily only be opened for half a day and customers can pick up their orders in the morning.
"Okay, okay. One more kiss. Then I'll let you go." Hongjoong negotiated. You jokingly let out an exasperated sigh and leaned over to give him another kiss. But you should have known, Hongjoong's hands came up to cup your face, holding you there so he could prolong the kiss with you. You slapped his shoulder when you ran out for air.
"Cheater." You stuck your tongue out at him.
"You love it." Hongjoong winked. You rolled your eyes and went to the bathroom to get ready.
"Ah!" You yelped when you opened the bathroom door and Hongjoong was right there, leaning against the door frame. He had a smirk on his face and his hair was a mess.
"I wonder if all the men who fear you know this is you at home." You chuckled, reaching out to tame his bedhead.
"Only you know me like this." He said, patting your head with a soft smile.
"I am going to be late, I should try to get some breakfast on the go. I'll see you later." You reached up to kiss his cheek and grabbed your things before running downstairs.
"Here. Hongjoong hyung texted me 20 minutes ago to make your breakfast on the go." Wooyoung said, giving you a wrapped sandwich.
"You made this?" You asked, holding the warm sandwich.
"Of course. I think I'm one of the only ones here that can make something edible in the kitchen. Have a good day at work." Wooyoung said, patting your hip and going to the dining room.
"Have a nice day!" He shouted out.
"Good morning! Sorry I'm late!" You apologised to the driver, who was waiting for you with a smile on his face. He bowed to you while you bowed back apologetically before sliding into the backseat. You unwrapped your sandwich to eat.
It was tasty and warm. As you chewed, you looked at the sandwich. A part of you was still getting used to living with other people. You were always alone, you did everything yourself for yourself.
"(y/n) sshi, I was informed that Mr Park will be escorting you to go to Mr Kim's late mother's house?" The driver asked.
"Yeah, Hongjoong said Seonghwa would come if he has the time to..." You hummed.
"Understood. I will be on standby if he is called away." He replied.
"I can take a bus or a cab." You giggled. He chuckled but shook his head, you knew all of them had strict instructions from Hongjoong and they wouldn't defy him.
"Have a nice day, (y/n) sshi." The driver bowed after opening the door for you. You bowed your head back.
"(y/n)!" Your friends ran over, having seen you emerge from the car. You hugged them tightly.
"You've been missing!" Nana slapped your arm as you unlocked your shop door to enter, the two of them trailing behind you. You turned the lights on and placed your bag in the back room.
"I've been here, just focusing more on pick ups and online orders." You giggled.
"You've been closing early though! Is Hongjoong keeping you busy?" Eve asked with a teasing smile. You rolled your eyes playfully, to be honest, you have also been doing flower arrangements for private events, which was another reason why you weren't really there at the shop front most of the times.
"I've been helping him with his... business." You lied to them, rubbing the back of your neck. You took your apron off the hook and tied it around your waist.
"Ah, that's nice. You should be spending more time with him." Eve shrugged, sitting at the work bench.
"Have you spoken to the boys?" Nana asked. At that, you stiffened slightly, remembering your interactions with Jihoon at the tracks.
"Kind of... Hyunwoo still drops by when he needs some peace and quiet despite owning the gym and having his own private office." You said, trying to avoid the topic of Jihoon.
"What about Jihoon? We haven't heard from him much..."
"I'm not sure..." You said, clearing your throat and turning to your fridge. You missed the concerned looks that Eve and Nana shot each other.
"What's wrong, (y/n)? Did something happen with Jihoon?" Eve approached the topic gently. You let out a soft sigh, contemplating telling them what happened.
"To be honest, I'm not sure what happened either." Was all you could say, a dejected look on your face.
"What do you mean?" Nana blinked. You told them what happened in Jihoon's shop and at the tracks, as you wrapped your bouquets.
"You guys look like you have something to tell me... Did Jihoon tell you anything or did you notice something happen? I just want to know if I did anything wrong." You asked with a worried frown, noticing the same look that they had on their faces.
"You didn't do anything wrong, (y/n)." Eve assured you.
"It's more... Jihoon's issue... I don't know, everything that we think is an assumption, he didn't speak to us. It would be better to talk to him and ask." Nana said.
"He doesn't even want to talk to me." You groaned, putting your finished bouquets in the fridge.
"Just give him some time. I'm sure it's nothing bad." Eve comforted. You knew they were hiding something but didn't want to push it.
Seeing you get busy, your friends bid you goodbye and went back to their shops, with Eve leaving you some bread to snack on. You prepared orders and replied to work messages.
"Thank you. Have a nice day." You smiled and bowed as the customer held the bouquet, leaving the shop.
"Alright, what's next?" There was only one pick up left. While waiting for the customer, you went to check on your herbalist shelf.
"Eucalyptus, peppermint, rosemary, lavender and... tea tree." You checked your book and gathered the things that you needed from your ingredients area.
"Hi. I'm here to pick up my order?" Someone came in. You abandoned your side project and went to greet the customer.
"Actually on second thought, could I add a card?" She requested. You let her choose from your box of blank cards before handing her a pen. Of course, you gave her privacy and looked at your computer while she wrote her message down. Once she was done, you attached the note to a small plastic holder.
"Here you go." You smiled and handed the bouquet over for her to hold. She looked at the bouquet and tilted her head before turning to you with a conflicted look on her face.
"Should I remove the card?" She asked. Now, it was your turn for you to be confused.
"I'm meeting my boyfriend's parents for the first time... These are for his mother." She explained, slightly awkward.
"I would go without then. I didn't see what you wrote but I believe that you should save the messages and well wishes for face to face conversations." You encouraged her with a small smile.
"You're right." She giggled. You reached over to remove the card and plastic holder.
"Here, just in case." You winked, handing her the card that she wrote.
"Don't worry and just be yourself, I'm sure you'll do great. All the best." You said as you walked her out, pumping an encouraging fist. She sent you a nervous smile.
"Thank you." She bowed her head and went on her way. You went back into the shop and closed for the day.
"Let's finish this up." You went back to finishing what you were doing earlier.
"(y/n)? Are you here? It's Seonghwa!" You heard Seonghwa's voice from the back door. You called out to him and he walked in, his hands tucked into the pockets of his coat. If someone saw Seonghwa walk in like that, they would think that he owns the building.
"What are you doing?" He leaned in to take a whiff of what you were working on, watching you pop the discs out of the moulds.
"Wooyoung said that his sinuses have been acting up in the morning and it bothers him quite a bit. So I made him shower melts to use, they should clear his sinuses and ease his discomfort." You explained.
"Could I have some to try too?" He smiled.
"Of course. You just put them on the shower ground and run warm water over it." You chuckled.
"Sounds easy enough." He said, sitting down. Since you didn't want him to wait for too long, you packed the shower melts and started to clear up to leave.
"What are you feeling?" Seonghwa asked as he watched you clear all the flower scraps and trimmings into the bin.
"I... I don't know what to expect. It's a big ask... Not that I can't do it but I wasn't expecting it." You confessed.
"Hongjoong trusts you." Was all he could say.
"But he's Mrs Kim's actual son. I... I shouldn't have a say as to what he does with her things." You said softly with a sigh. Seonghwa let out a hum, he knew what you meant and understood your feelings.
"If you really feel that way, speak to him. I'm sure he will understand too. But I think you should go at least once and see the things, just in case you see something that may be important to you to keep... Hongjoong may just get a clean up crew and ask them to throw everything there." Seonghwa advised.
Summary: When you appeared and wept at his mother's funeral, Hongjoong found himself wanting to find out more about you. A regular girl, who owns a flower shop in his territory and has a relationship with the mother that he hasn't spoken to in years, why hasn't he ever noticed you before?
[Warning(s): 18+ for violence, use of weapons, smoking, alcohol consumption, slight gore, gang affiliation, tattoos and character deaths. Minors DNI. This is a work of fiction and does not represent the Ateez members in real life.]
Word count: 3.3K
The next few days, you barely saw Hongjoong. He told you that there was a lot of work that needed his attention so he would be out for most of the day. You didn't interfere, busying yourself with matters of the shop. You were grateful you still saw him at dinners.
But he seems tired, physically, mentally and emotionally. When you spoke to him, it felt like he wasn't really there. You understood, work could be busy.
"You called?" You poked your head into his office. Hongjoong, whose head was in his hands, sat up and smiled tiredly at you.
"Hi, my love." He greeted.
Just seeing you, he felt all the stress and fatigue just melt away. He beckoned you over until you stood before him, between his legs. Hongjoong's arms wrapped around your waist.
"Bad day?" You asked, patted his head as he leaned his head against your abdomen.
"Not anymore, now that you're here." He murmured.
"You've been busy, working hard. You should take a break." You told him.
"I would love to but I want to finish all this before our trip. So that I can give my 110% to you. I'm sorry I've been so absent, we only see each other at dinner. I hate that." He squeezed your waist.
"Don't worry, Joong. We can always move the trip..." You said. Hongjoong was quiet and let out a soft sigh.
"I really don't want to. It's my first time taking you overseas, where it'll just be the 2 of us..." He confessed.
"I know but it can't be helped. We can go anytime." You chuckled. Hongjoong let go of you, a soft smile on his face as he stood up. His hand came up to cup your cheek before he leaned down to press a soft kiss to your forehead. Meeting his eyes, you knew that there was just so much in his eyes.
"You can tell me anything. Don't shoulder all the burden yourself." You whispered, squeezing his hand. In whatever way you could, you wanted to help him. He stroked your head.
"Let's sit down." He nodded over to the couch. You pulled him with you, sitting next to him on the couch.
"Could I ask you for a favour? It might be a big ask, it'll be hard on both of us." He asked. You didn't know what to say, all you could do was nod.
"One of the reasons why I haven't been home... Is that I've been trying to clear my mother's house..." He revealed. You just stared at him. Mrs Kim was still a touchy topic between the two of you.
"What do you need from me then?" You asked in a soft voice.
"Would you like to help me go through the rest of her stuff? Because I have not been productive." He asked.
"I-I shouldn't. I-I have no right to do that. You're her s-son. I'm nobody." You shook your head.
"Don't say that. You weren't nobody to my mother... To be honest, I wanted to just throw everything away but I knew it wouldn't be fair to you. You probably knew her better than I did." He shrugged.
"B-But..."
"You don't have to do it, I know it can hard. But I thought that I should ask you rather than assume and decide for you." He said. Hongjoong watched the way your eyes shifted, you were stuck in a dilemma, fighting against your own emotions. But he didn't rush you.
"I'll do it. Thank you for letting me do this. Do you want to be there or..." You cleared your throat.
"I think it's be best for you to do it alone. I'll have the boys ferry you there and back, help you with carrying things..." He said and you nodded your head.
"But if you want me there, I will be there in a heartbeat." He added.
"I'll manage. Don't worry." You shook your head. Hongjoong hummed and you hugged him, your head pressed against his chest.
"Can I ask, why are you suddenly clearing her house? Are you going to sell it?" You asked.
"No, the property is mine so you can take however long you need to go through it. I just... Don't want it left like that. Who knows, we may eventually need that apartment." He replied.
To be honest, Hongjoong just wanted to get rid of anything that remotely reminds him of his mother but he knew he couldn't tell you that.
"I understand." You hummed.
"LOVEBIRDS! DINNER!" Wooyoung's loud voice and incessant knocking broke the silence between the two of you. Hongjoong shook his head with a sigh while you giggled.
"I swear, Jung Wooyoung will forever be the noisiest person in this house." He clicked his tongue and stood up. Even if Hongjoong grumbles about the others, you knew that he wasn't actually annoyed. He wouldn't have them any other way, they were his family that he built and treasured dearly.
"Let's go." He held your hand and headed down to the dining room with you. The others were all seated already.
"Are you really not going to switch to sit next to me?" Hongjoong asked with a sigh when you were going to let go of his hand to sit at your regular seat.
"There's no need. We're still in the same room, at the same table." You told him.
"True." Seonghwa replied, sipping his wine. He was more than happy to move to let you sit but you always told him not to.
"Shut up, Hwa." Hongjoong groaned but let you go.
"(y/n)!" Mingi and San stood up, suddenly engulfing you in big bear hugs. You blinked in confusion as you were squished between them but laughed at their affection.
"Hyung..." Yeosang spoke cautiously when he saw Hongjoong's eye twitch and jaw clench.
"Alright, alright. Settle down." Seonghwa said. Mingi and San broke apart, letting you go. You went to take your seat.
"How was your day?" You chatted with Jongho about what he was up to today. And in the same manner, you shared with him about how your plants were doing.
"Oh! I wanted to tell you, Mingi. The hydrangeas have all changed colour, according to the soils we adjusted." You said. The other day, you invited Mingi to help you with adjusting the pH of the soils for the hydrangeas, he was super excited to make them pink.
"Really?!" Mingi beamed with excitement.
"Yeah, especially the ones that you did. They're a really pretty pink." You said as the butler put the tray of food in front of you.
"Okay, you have to show me later." Mingi said and you nodded, digging into your food.
"You can change the colour of flowers with the soils?" San asked, covering his mouth as he chewed. You hummed and explained to him about the pH of soil, like you explained to Mingi before.
"Hyung, are you coming to the ring tonight?" Wooyoung asked Hongjoong.
"Not tonight. I wanna spend time with my girl." Hongjoong said, smiling over at you, who was laughing at something Yunho said.
"I told her..." Hongjoong said to Seonghwa in a lower voice. Seonghwa nodded with a hum, sipping his wine as he waited for Hongjoong to explain more.
"I told her that she's free to do whatever she wants. I won't interfere unless she wants me to. It's better that way." Hongjoong spoke.
"That's good. I think it'll be better. I will escort her to and from the place when I can." Seonghwa hummed.
"Thanks, Hwa." Hongjoong let out a sigh of relief.
After dinner, despite it being dark, Mingi and San dragged you out to the garden, with Yeosang curiously following along. With flashlights in hand, you showed them the hydrangeas that you and Mingi planted. Hongjoong watched from the door to the backyard, a small scowl on his face as he watched you.
"San ah! We have to go for the match! Let's go already!" Wooyoung yelled from beside Hongjoong, making him wince and slap the younger male on the shoulder.
"Okay, that's it. You too, love." Hongjoong said, coming over and holding your hand to take you away from Mingi.
"Why are you jealous?" You giggled, letting him drag you.
"It's late and I didn't stay home just to watch you in the garden with Mingi." He said as he continued to pull you along. Mingi stood there in the dark, alone, scratching his head in confusion.
"Why are you just standing there? Wanna game, Mingi ah?" Yunho called out. At that, Mingi quickly ran over.
"It feels like forever since I've had some alone time with you." Hongjoong said, backing you against the closed bedroom door.
"We've both been busy." You said, reaching up to cup his cheek. Hongjoong immediately leaned into your touch like a cat, turning his head slightly to kiss your palm.
"You sure you will be okay?" He suddenly asked.
"Mmm, don't worry. If it's too much, I'll stop." You promised, knowing hat he was referring to.
"Alright. Seonghwa said he'll take you when he can. He can be more level headed about this, more than me at least." He shot you a lopsided grin. You chuckled and wrapped your arms around his neck while his hands moved to your waist.
"We'll be okay." He pressed his forehead against yours, but you could see the worry and uncertainty swimming in his eyes. All you could do was comfort him.
"Of course, we will be." You nodded.
When you woke up, Hongjoong was still sound asleep beside you. You smiled softly, looking at the small pout on his face.
"I'll see you later." You leaned down to give him a kiss before moving to get out of bed. But Hongjoong's hand suddenly shot out to grasp your wrist, making you gasp.
"You can't just give me a peck and leave." His voice was raspy, laced with sleep.
"You should sleep more if you can." You told him, fingers coming to brush his fringe slightly.
"I won't sleep without you here." He said, eyes still closed.
"Well, I have to get up. There are some orders pick ups this morning before I have to go to the house." You told him and looked at your phone to check the time.
With this arrangement of clearing Hongjoong's mother's house, you decided to put out a notice that the shop will temporarily only be opened for half a day and customers can pick up their orders in the morning.
"Okay, okay. One more kiss. Then I'll let you go." Hongjoong negotiated. You jokingly let out an exasperated sigh and leaned over to give him another kiss. But you should have known, Hongjoong's hands came up to cup your face, holding you there so he could prolong the kiss with you. You slapped his shoulder when you ran out for air.
"Cheater." You stuck your tongue out at him.
"You love it." Hongjoong winked. You rolled your eyes and went to the bathroom to get ready.
"Ah!" You yelped when you opened the bathroom door and Hongjoong was right there, leaning against the door frame. He had a smirk on his face and his hair was a mess.
"I wonder if all the men who fear you know this is you at home." You chuckled, reaching out to tame his bedhead.
"Only you know me like this." He said, patting your head with a soft smile.
"I am going to be late, I should try to get some breakfast on the go. I'll see you later." You reached up to kiss his cheek and grabbed your things before running downstairs.
"Here. Hongjoong hyung texted me 20 minutes ago to make your breakfast on the go." Wooyoung said, giving you a wrapped sandwich.
"You made this?" You asked, holding the warm sandwich.
"Of course. I think I'm one of the only ones here that can make something edible in the kitchen. Have a good day at work." Wooyoung said, patting your hip and going to the dining room.
"Have a nice day!" He shouted out.
"Good morning! Sorry I'm late!" You apologised to the driver, who was waiting for you with a smile on his face. He bowed to you while you bowed back apologetically before sliding into the backseat. You unwrapped your sandwich to eat.
It was tasty and warm. As you chewed, you looked at the sandwich. A part of you was still getting used to living with other people. You were always alone, you did everything yourself for yourself.
"(y/n) sshi, I was informed that Mr Park will be escorting you to go to Mr Kim's late mother's house?" The driver asked.
"Yeah, Hongjoong said Seonghwa would come if he has the time to..." You hummed.
"Understood. I will be on standby if he is called away." He replied.
"I can take a bus or a cab." You giggled. He chuckled but shook his head, you knew all of them had strict instructions from Hongjoong and they wouldn't defy him.
"Have a nice day, (y/n) sshi." The driver bowed after opening the door for you. You bowed your head back.
"(y/n)!" Your friends ran over, having seen you emerge from the car. You hugged them tightly.
"You've been missing!" Nana slapped your arm as you unlocked your shop door to enter, the two of them trailing behind you. You turned the lights on and placed your bag in the back room.
"I've been here, just focusing more on pick ups and online orders." You giggled.
"You've been closing early though! Is Hongjoong keeping you busy?" Eve asked with a teasing smile. You rolled your eyes playfully, to be honest, you have also been doing flower arrangements for private events, which was another reason why you weren't really there at the shop front most of the times.
"I've been helping him with his... business." You lied to them, rubbing the back of your neck. You took your apron off the hook and tied it around your waist.
"Ah, that's nice. You should be spending more time with him." Eve shrugged, sitting at the work bench.
"Have you spoken to the boys?" Nana asked. At that, you stiffened slightly, remembering your interactions with Jihoon at the tracks.
"Kind of... Hyunwoo still drops by when he needs some peace and quiet despite owning the gym and having his own private office." You said, trying to avoid the topic of Jihoon.
"What about Jihoon? We haven't heard from him much..."
"I'm not sure..." You said, clearing your throat and turning to your fridge. You missed the concerned looks that Eve and Nana shot each other.
"What's wrong, (y/n)? Did something happen with Jihoon?" Eve approached the topic gently. You let out a soft sigh, contemplating telling them what happened.
"To be honest, I'm not sure what happened either." Was all you could say, a dejected look on your face.
"What do you mean?" Nana blinked. You told them what happened in Jihoon's shop and at the tracks, as you wrapped your bouquets.
"You guys look like you have something to tell me... Did Jihoon tell you anything or did you notice something happen? I just want to know if I did anything wrong." You asked with a worried frown, noticing the same look that they had on their faces.
"You didn't do anything wrong, (y/n)." Eve assured you.
"It's more... Jihoon's issue... I don't know, everything that we think is an assumption, he didn't speak to us. It would be better to talk to him and ask." Nana said.
"He doesn't even want to talk to me." You groaned, putting your finished bouquets in the fridge.
"Just give him some time. I'm sure it's nothing bad." Eve comforted. You knew they were hiding something but didn't want to push it.
Seeing you get busy, your friends bid you goodbye and went back to their shops, with Eve leaving you some bread to snack on. You prepared orders and replied to work messages.
"Thank you. Have a nice day." You smiled and bowed as the customer held the bouquet, leaving the shop.
"Alright, what's next?" There was only one pick up left. While waiting for the customer, you went to check on your herbalist shelf.
"Eucalyptus, peppermint, rosemary, lavender and... tea tree." You checked your book and gathered the things that you needed from your ingredients area.
"Hi. I'm here to pick up my order?" Someone came in. You abandoned your side project and went to greet the customer.
"Actually on second thought, could I add a card?" She requested. You let her choose from your box of blank cards before handing her a pen. Of course, you gave her privacy and looked at your computer while she wrote her message down. Once she was done, you attached the note to a small plastic holder.
"Here you go." You smiled and handed the bouquet over for her to hold. She looked at the bouquet and tilted her head before turning to you with a conflicted look on her face.
"Should I remove the card?" She asked. Now, it was your turn for you to be confused.
"I'm meeting my boyfriend's parents for the first time... These are for his mother." She explained, slightly awkward.
"I would go without then. I didn't see what you wrote but I believe that you should save the messages and well wishes for face to face conversations." You encouraged her with a small smile.
"You're right." She giggled. You reached over to remove the card and plastic holder.
"Here, just in case." You winked, handing her the card that she wrote.
"Don't worry and just be yourself, I'm sure you'll do great. All the best." You said as you walked her out, pumping an encouraging fist. She sent you a nervous smile.
"Thank you." She bowed her head and went on her way. You went back into the shop and closed for the day.
"Let's finish this up." You went back to finishing what you were doing earlier.
"(y/n)? Are you here? It's Seonghwa!" You heard Seonghwa's voice from the back door. You called out to him and he walked in, his hands tucked into the pockets of his coat. If someone saw Seonghwa walk in like that, they would think that he owns the building.
"What are you doing?" He leaned in to take a whiff of what you were working on, watching you pop the discs out of the moulds.
"Wooyoung said that his sinuses have been acting up in the morning and it bothers him quite a bit. So I made him shower melts to use, they should clear his sinuses and ease his discomfort." You explained.
"Could I have some to try too?" He smiled.
"Of course. You just put them on the shower ground and run warm water over it." You chuckled.
"Sounds easy enough." He said, sitting down. Since you didn't want him to wait for too long, you packed the shower melts and started to clear up to leave.
"What are you feeling?" Seonghwa asked as he watched you clear all the flower scraps and trimmings into the bin.
"I... I don't know what to expect. It's a big ask... Not that I can't do it but I wasn't expecting it." You confessed.
"Hongjoong trusts you." Was all he could say.
"But he's Mrs Kim's actual son. I... I shouldn't have a say as to what he does with her things." You said softly with a sigh. Seonghwa let out a hum, he knew what you meant and understood your feelings.
"If you really feel that way, speak to him. I'm sure he will understand too. But I think you should go at least once and see the things, just in case you see something that may be important to you to keep... Hongjoong may just get a clean up crew and ask them to throw everything there." Seonghwa advised.
HELLO OMG I LIVE ! i’m so so so so so so so sorry for not being active to say hi or comment on your updates <//3 I MISS YOU SM !!! be been sooo busy with my big girl job and a ton of life has happened for me sigh i miss reading fanfic TvT i’m pretty sure i’ve read some of ur updates about u don’t doing too well and i really hope you feel better love <3 gonna try and catch up on some reading in a little bit </3 love you sooooo much !!! 🩷🩷🩷
noooooo don't apologise!! i've been so busy with my new job as well~ i hope that once things settle down at work, i'll have more brain space to write more chapters
i really needed this change and i'm so happy for it <3
