Chapter 9
Taehyung
"Not exactly. A few months after my birthday, Mrs.Park- Bogum hyung's widowed mother - proposed to my father that Bogum hyung should take a grand tour to test our commitment to each other, and to give him what she called a 'last fling'.Bogum hyung thought the idea was nonsensical, but my father was fully in agreement with Mrs. Park."
Senior Jeon
"It sounds to me as if your father was extremely reluctant to have you marry the young man. After all, you've known each other for years, so there was no real need to test your commitment to each other. That sounds very much like an excuse, not a reason. For that matter, it seems to me that Bogum's mother is also opposed to the match."
Seojoon sounded as if he were firmly setting his mind against Bogum, which left Tae no choice but to explain the whole embarrassing truth.
Taehyung
"Father, had no reservations about Bogum hyung making me an excellent spouse. He had serious reservations about my life with my future mother-in-law, however. She is a widow, you see and extremely attached to Bogum hyung. Besides that, she is prone to all sorts of illnesses that make her somewhat ill-tempered."
Senior Jeon
"Ah," said Seojoon in an understanding way. "And how serious are these illnesses of hers?"
Taehyung
"According to what my father told her on occasion when I was present, her illnesses are feigned. When she was very young, she did have a certain weakness of the heart, but father said that getting out of bed would help her far more than staying in it and wallowing in self-pity. They - they didn't like each other very well, you see."
Senior Jeon
"Yes, and I can understand why!" his grace chuckled.
Senior Jeon
"Your father was entirely right to throw obstructions in the way of your marriage, my dear. Your life would have been very unhappy."
Taehyung
It won't be unhappy at all
Tae said firmly, determined to marry his Bogum Hyung with or without the older man's approval.
Taehyung
Bogum Hyung realizes that his mother uses her illnesses to try to manipulate him, and he doesn't let it stop him from doing what he wishes to do. He only agreed to go on this tour because my father insisted he should.
Senior Jeon
Have you received many letters from him?
Taehyung
"Only one, but you see, Bogum hyung left for Europe only two weeks before my parents' accident three months ago, and it takes almost that long to get letters to and from Europe. I wrote to him, telling him what happened, and I wrote to him again, just before I went here. I expect he's on his way home right now, thinking he is coming to my rescue. I wanted to stay in Daegu and wait for him to return, which would have been much simpler for everyone, but Dr.Lee wouldn't hear of it. He was convinced for some reason that Bogum hyung's feelings would not withstand the test of time. No doubt Mrs. Park told him something like that, which is the sort of thing she would do, I suppose."
Tae sighed and glanced out the window
Taehyung
"She would much prefer Bogum hyung to marry someone of more importance than a son of a penniless physician."
Senior Jeon
"Or better yet, that he marries no one at all and remain tied to her bedside?" The older said half-jokingly, his brows raised.
Senior Jeon
"A widow who feigns illnesses sounds like a very possessive, domineering sort to me."
Tae couldn't deny it, so rather than condemn his future mother-in-law, he remained charitably silent on that subject.
Taehyung
"Some of the families in the village offered to let me remain with them until Bogum hyung returned, but that solution wasn't a very good one. Among other things, if Bogum hyung returned and found me staying with another villager, well, he would have been furious."
Senior Jeon
"With you?" his grace asked, frowning in annoyance at poor Bogum.
Taehyung
"No, with his mother, for not insisting that I stay with her instead."
Senior Jeon
"Oh," he said, but even though Tae's explanation completely vindicated Bogum of any possible blame, Seojoon seemed somewhat depressed by it.
Senior Jeon
"The man sounds like a good man, a countrified paragon of virtue," he muttered."
Taehyung
You will like very much
Taeh predicted, smiling brightly
Taehyung
He will come here to bring me home, you'll see
Senior Jeon
"Let's forget about Mr. Park and be glad that you are here in Busan. Now, tell me how you like it thus far..."
Tae told him he liked what he had seen very much, and Seojoon responded by describing the life he had planned for him here. To begin with, he wanted Tae to have a new wardrobe and a trained servant to assist him. Tae was about to refuse when he caught sight of the dark, forbidding figure striding towards the table with the silent sureness of a dangerous savage, his pants molding his muscular legs and thighs, his white shirt open at his tanned chest. This morning, he seemed even taller than Tae had thought yesterday, lean and superbly fit. His thick dark brown hair was slightly curly, his nose straight, his stern mouth finely chiseled. In fact, if it weren't for the arrogant authority stamped in his rugged jawline and the cynicism in his cold dark eyes, Tae would have thought him almost breathtakingly handsome.
Senior Jeon
Jungkook! The older said heartily.
Senior Jeon
"Allow me to properly present you to Taehyung. Jungkook is my nephew," he added to Tae.
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