Present Day
22-Years-Old

The weeks passed by quickly until it had been a month and half. However, to Yoongi, they seemed to drag. Sunhee had successfully taken over his life. After Aera had moved out, Sunhee had manipulated Yoongi into only leaving the apartment alone to either go to work or to pick her up from work. She monitored his phone, demanding he delete any and all female contacts except his mother and herself. Yoongi couldn't even call his boss directly anymore. He now had to call the front office and be transferred to her.

Yoongi thought this all might be ridiculous, but then again, he'd never been in a relationship before. So, perhaps it was normal. He wasn't sure. He did know that he enjoyed Sunhee's company and all they did together. But sometimes, he just felt so isolated that he began to fall into something of a depression when he was alone. But then he'd see Sunhee and be so excited and grateful that she was his, so all negative feelings melted away.

He thought he might love her, but he wasn't entirely sure. To him, it seemed very soon to be feeling that way. But then again, she was all he had, and he was thankful for her. Either way, he knew he was at least falling in love with her. And that was enough for now.

"What are you thinking?"

Yoongi blinked. He hadn't realized he'd spaced out in his thoughts. "Not much," he told Sunhee. "I was just thinking about calling my mom soon."

Sunhee's smile dropped. "But not tonight, right? Tonight is our night."

"It's just...my dad's on a business trip, so she's all alone right now," he lied. "I just thought I'd be a good son and help her through it tonight."

Sunhee sighed. "Fine. You have five minutes."

"What?"

"Be grateful I'm allowing you that long," she said with disdain in her voice.

Yoongi didn't feel this was right, but he decided to brush it off. At least he'd get to talk to his mother. He'd missed her. "Okay," he said hesitantly.

He picked up his phone and quickly called his mother. Sunhee stared at him the whole time as he chatted with her. After a few minutes, Sunhee began gesturing at him to wrap it up. Yoongi felt tears stinging the backs of his eyes. He wasn't ready to hang up yet, but he didn't want to know what Sunhee would do if he didn't cut it short.

"Mom, I really need to go," he said into the phone. His tears nearly began to fall as she asked if he was sure he couldn't talk a bit longer. "Yes," he told her. "I'm very busy with some work tonight."

"Okay," his mother said with disappointment in her voice. "Thank you for calling. Hopefully we can talk longer next time."

"We will," Yoongi told her. "I promise."

"Goodbye, son."

"Bye, mom."

When he hung up the phone, Sunhee smiled at him. "Good job," she said, and Yoongi had never felt more like a child than he did in that moment. He didn't like it much.

"C-Can I call her back sometime when you're at work so I have a little more time to talk to her?"

Sunhee sighed. "I suppose. But you don't need to get used to calling or texting people other than me."

"But she's my mom!"

"Yoongi!" Sunhee snapped. "Are you just trying to argue with me?!"

"No! I don't want to upset you. I just...feel kind of upset that I can't talk to my mom."

"I never said you couldn't."

"But – "

"Stop arguing!"

The look on her face shut Yoongi's boldness down. He seemed to almost shrink into himself. "Okay," he whispered.

"Good," Sunhee replied. "I don't want to have to have this conversation again. Understood?"

Yoongi merely nodded.

-

The weeks passed by a bit differently for Aera. She still missed Yoongi, thought of him often, and wondered if he ever thought about her. But she had more important matters at hand.

She had been approved to foster Jungkook, which was the best news she'd ever received. But shortly after that, she lost her job. She quickly found a new one, but it didn't pay nearly as well as the old one. So, because she had to put Jungkook in day care when she was working, they'd had to move.

Their new apartment was not in a nice or safe area. It reminded her of where Jungkook's aunt and uncle had lived. But it was all she could afford. So, she and Jungkook set about making the inside of their apartment light and fun and pretty. They painted a wall in their living room bright yellow, and a bright blue one in Jungkook's room. Aera had also finally gotten a small TV so they could watch colorful and fun cartoons. Jungkook drew pictures for the walls while Area hung pictures of her and Jungkook together, as well as some of her family.

She'd debated hanging one of her and Yoongi; her favorite one that she'd taken from his apartment. But she wasn't sure she could bring herself to having to walk by it and see it every day. She knew it would likely only make her sad. So, she kept it in a box in the back of her closet, hoping that someday, she'd be able to hang it if she and Yoongi repaired their relationship.

Aera was spending as much time as possible with Jungkook, trying to show him a life he deserved. And she believed she was getting through to him. He never tried to sneak out of their apartment, even when they'd lived in a nicer area. And he was smiling and even sometimes laughing more often. Aera was overjoyed every day at all the progress he was making.

One night, after a long day at work, she asked Jungkook if he wanted some chicken nuggets for dinner (as she was exhausted and couldn't bring herself to cook anything else). She had sat down on the couch and looked over at him as he was watching cartoons.

"Yes," he said without taking his eyes off the TV.

Aera's eyes widened, and her lips parted in surprise. Jungkook had never spoken except for the two words he'd said the night she learned his uncle was hitting him. But she'd never heard him speak before or after that night.

"Jungkook," she said, seeing if she could get him to say more. "Do you want apple juice or chocolate milk with dinner?"

Again, he kept his eyes trained on the TV, but said quietly, "Apple juice."

Aera didn't want to bring attention to her shock, but she was indeed shocked. She desperately wanted to celebrate, but knew that wasn't a good idea either. She may just end up startling or confusing Jungkook, and he may not say anything else for who knows how long.

"I'll start dinner," Aera said instead, getting up off of the couch. "It'll be ready in probably about 20 minutes."

"Okay," Jungkook replied, and Aera couldn't help it. She did a little dance as soon as she was in the kitchen, where Jungkook couldn't see her.

She had the widest grin on her face as she began making dinner. She hadn't smiled like this since before she and Yoongi had their fall out, when she'd learned she was being considered to foster Jungkook.

At the thought of Yoongi, her smile faded. She slowed down a bit, and let a few stray tears fall. She missed him fiercely. Aera knew Sunhee was behind a lot of what had happened. But what if he truly meant what he'd said and insinuated. And that, combined with Sunhee's demand that she leave him alone, would she really never see or talk to him ever again?

Aera wanted to forgive him. But her heart wouldn't fully let her until she knew if he'd really meant to break it. She wanted to believe it was all Sunhee, but because of that one iota of fear and doubt, she didn't know what to think or do.

What she did know, however, was that the Yoongi of the past 15 years would have never done this unless incredibly pressured to. And that was who she missed. That Yoongi – the one she'd loved since they were seven-years-old. The best friend who'd claimed more than once that he'd do anything for her. She hoped that Yoongi would return to her someday. She didn't know what she'd do if he didn't.

Until then, she hoped that Sunhee wasn't taking too much advantage of him, or changing his personality too much.