Chapter Text
|24th May|
~"Ten days since the voting begins. Be sure to vote for the one that deserves and serves the country better. We're off for today and will see you again. Goodbye"~
Someone grabs the remote and turns off the Television. Yunji peeked out of the kitchen and saw her son with the remote.
"Jungkook-ah, why did you turn it off?" she asks as she washes the radish in the sink.
Jungkook doesn't say a word just huffs like he's annoyed and walks inside the kitchen. He sits by the counter, his legs dangling down.
Yunji looks at his gloomy face. "What's wrong baby?" she asks.
"Mom, I-..." he hesitates. "Do we have to vote Dad for the upcoming election?"
Yunji stops her hand and eyes Jungkook, rather with shock in her expression that he even dared to ask the question. She looks at their maid who seems to be busy with the dishes at the corner, feeling embarrassed.
"Of course honey, you must vote for him. He's your Dad, you need to support him right?"
"But didn't the news say vote for Someone who deserves?"
Yunji blinks a couple of times. "You don't think he deserves it?"
"I don't kno-"
Suddenly there's a thumping of footsteps heard making Jungkook stop. He just keeps quiet and looks at his hands.
A tall man with broad shoulders enters the kitchen. "Hey- uhhh" he looks at Jungkook. "boy, don't you have schools today?"
"I do..." Jungkook nods.
"Okay, come I'll drop you." he says and looks at Yunji. "...listen for tonight's gathering. I even invited the state's chief since he's the main person of the political party. Won't be too much pressure on you, right? Chaeyong is there to help you" he says looking at the maid.
Chaeyong turns and bows down at Jungsin with a smile, and Jungsin smiles back, before looking at Yunji again.
Yunji nods at that. "She is here for cleaning but I think I'll need to call mother for some help with cooking and stuff."
The man pulls out his phone. "Okay, I'll call her. You don't have to make a feast just make it simple."
Yunji smiles and nods again. Jungsin leans in to hug her and places a kiss on her cheek. "I love you. Bye-"
"bye.." she smiles in return.
"Let's go son..." he says to Jungkook and walks out of the kitchen.
"Coming dad..." Jungkook replies. He's about to exit the kitchen but his wrist is grabbed by the woman.
"Hey...we'll talk about that thing later, okay? After your school today." she says in a comforting tone. "I'll cook you your favourite dishes today, hmm?"
Jungkook nods. "It's okay mom..." he says like he's still not interested in the talk.
"I'll meet you after school, sweetie. Bye-" Yunji waves her hand at her husband and son. Jungkook just waves with a small smile as Jungsin blows a kiss at her, making her laugh.
But Yunji didn't know she couldn't laugh anymore. She didn't know that the dishes she made especially for Jungkook would go a waste.
She didn't know her son would never return from school.
***
"Jungsin, he is not home!" Yunji yells over the phone.
"What? He must've gone somewhere. Don't worry, he'll return-"
"He hasn't returned from school, Jungsin!! He just didn't come back!"
"What?" The other side speaks up.
Yunji grabs her mentals and sits on the edge of his bed, looking outside the window as it pours heavily.
"I thought he was just late from school. I waited, I am still waiting-" she says with a shaky voice and looks at the wall clock which shows eight pm.
"B-but I don't think he'll return. He didn't even take his umbrella. oh no-"
"Calm down Yunji." The man replies. "Maybe he went out with his friends. He'll come back soon. Just wait for a while."
"Uhh...Yunji-sshi?" Chaeyong calls out from the doorway.
Yunji looks at her and breathes heavily.
"I've done the laundry and I've cleaned the living room,"
"Thank you Chaeyong, you can leave for today." she says but the panic in her vocals makes Yunji worried.
"I can stay here If you want me to until Jungkook returns-"
"No no." she gives her a weak smile. "I'm fine, I think he'll come back soon. Don't worry, plus you have small kids waiting for you at home, right? You can leave. Thank you so much Chaeyong."
"Anytime, Yunji-sshi. " she bows down But just as she is about to leave, Yunji calls her again.
"Chaeyong?"
"Yes..?" she turns around.
"Take an umbrella from the guest room. It's raining heavily, don't get sick."
Chaeyong smiles. "Thank you," she mutters and leaves.
"Yunji? Yunji?"
Yunji gets back to the call at her husband's voice. "Jungsin listen-"
"I'm in an important meeting right now, Yunji. Will call you back later, yeah? And don't worry. he'll return soon ."
And he hangs up. Yunji looks at her phone screen and sighs. She looks outside the window. It's dark, really dark and it's raining badly.
Where is he?
***
"How can you say that?! How could you let him go just like that?!! " Yunji screams.
"Sorry ma'am." The guard bows down. "He said his parents won't be coming to pick him up today. He told me that he can go by himself,"
"Oh-h no..." Yunji scowls. She grabs her mentals and breathes heavily. "He hasn't returned home since yesterday, he-"
"Ma'am, try to calm down. I'm sure you'll find him-" he says in a worried tone.
"D-did you see him with someone?? Teachers? friends?" she gulps in terror trying to form up words in her head. "A-a stranger?" she asks the guard.
The guard nods. "Yes, he was with a kid."
"Y-yes, who? w-who was it?? " she looks at him with the hopeful eyes of a worried mother.
"Park Jimin."
