Jungkook's POV-

She continues to smile up at me, myself trying to keep my own composure for the sake of my mother, but as soon as the door clicks shut both of our expressions fall as we bare into each other's eyes.

After a long silence she speaks, still glaring at me.

"Who are you?"

I have no intention on answering any fucking questions she has, so I just stare at her blankly.

"Why can't I find anything on you?" She continues between gritted teeth in a frustrated, almost whiney, voice.

I tilt my head to the side as I continue to stare at her. Not saying a word. Not showing any reaction.

"I'm not going to let you have him. I am the only one that he needs and he knows it. You are nothing! You're just some pathetic college kid who's going nowhere and has nothing to offer him."

I slide my hands into my pockets as I wait for her to continue. She takes a step towards me, standing up as straight as she can to get closer to my face.

"I'm going to find out your secret and I am going to destroy you." She hisses, holding eye contact with me for a few seconds before stepping back to where she was before.

She clears her throat as she reaches her hands down to smooth her dress before looking back up at me with a smile, the sight nearly making me shudder because if I didn't know better I would think she actually looked genuinely kind.

"I'm glad you're feeling better. Take the medicine if your head hurts. Crying over boys always makes my head pound." She says with mock concern as she pulls her mask into place before pivoting to walk towards the elevator.

Crying over boys? How would she know that's what happened. Is she just assuming?

During our whole conversation I have managed to keep my face neutral and not let my expression show anything but indifference, but as I reach for the door to go back inside my mask slips when I hear her voice.

"Your mother is a lovely woman. I do hope to see her again soon." She calls out in a sweet tone as the elevator doors open in front of her and she steps inside.

Yoongi's POV-

We are sitting in the living room, Yeol in one armchair and myself in the other, across from Kook's mother as she sits on the couch.

When she asked what Irene had against Kook, Yeol and I both tried to rush out explanations and reassurances that she was mistaken, but she wasn't buying any of it.

She simply let us stutter on for a short time before putting her hand up in the air to halt us both mid-sentence before she turned her attention to me.

"My son obviously cares very deeply for you. I myself haven't been able to form a very solid opinion yet, but what you say next will greatly aid in whether that opinion will be positive or negative. I'm going to ask again and I want an honest answer. What sort of problem does that woman have with my son?"

So I told her the truth. That Irene was my ex, that she and I recently broke it off and she isn't taking the break up well.

She turned to Yeol and he confirmed what I said, adding that Irene was having a hard time with how quickly I seem to have moved on.

She studied my face closely for a few moments before suggesting we all go take a seat in the living room to wait for Kook to return.

We'd only been sitting for a minute or two when the door was heard and Kook came back into the apartment.

He stopped just short of the corner where he would be in view of the couch to unclench his jaw, replacing the tension with a semi-relaxed smile on his lips before continuing around the corner to sit by his mother.

"Sorry about that. She just wanted to make sure I was okay." He smiles over at her as he leans back on the couch.

She places a hand on his knee as she smiles knowingly and says, "No she didn't dear."

His smile drops before his eyes snap over to meet mine and I flash him an apologetic smile. He rolls his eyes before looking over at Yeol who wears the same guilty face.

"Are you kidding me? I was gone for five minutes and neither of you could keep your mouths shut?"

"It's okay bun. He," she gestures to me, "just didn't want us to get off to a bad start and he," she gestures to Yeol, "was just being a good friend to your guy."

I feel my cheeks heat up a bit when she says "your guy."

"Okay... What did they say?"

"That she is Yoongi's ex that he recently split with and she is having trouble letting go."

He nods as she speaks, apparently not having a problem with the vague but true answer we had given.

"What I would like you all to explain to me is exactly how much trouble she is having letting go."

My jaw drops at her choice of words. Does she know something? How would she? Did Kook tell her?

She must have sensed my shock because she directs her next words at me.

"If she is having trouble coming to terms with the fact that you and my son are involved then it doesn't take a forensic science degree to piece together that she likely didn't come knocking on the door to check on Bunny's well-being."

I don't know what to say to that and the silence from the other tells me they haven't the faintest idea either.

"Does she stop by often or did someone tell her Bunny wasn't feeling well?"

I snap my jaw closed, blinking far too much to be considered natural but hey, this seems to be the only semblance of control my brain has over my facial expression.

That... that is a difficult fucking question to respond to.

She found out about Kook somehow but it wasn't from anyone in this fucking room. Highly doubt it was anyone else who's keen on the Irene situation either.

I look over to Kook and he is staring past me out the window with his jaw shut tightly. I don't think he told her a thing.

I then turn to Yeol and he is leaned forward with his elbows rested on his knees looking at the ground in front of him with an expression showing more confusion than shock.

She slowly looks between the three of us. "Well, I am meeting Taehyungie for lunch tomorrow. I believe Jimin and his guy will be there as well. You three are welcome to join us if you'd like.

"It will probably be around noon, but I will send you the exact time and location when we have the plans sorted." She lets out a long sigh before she looks down at her watch.

"It is getting very late and I still haven't gone to my hotel so I think I will be on my way." She stands up, still looking between the three silent men around her.

"Maybe by tomorrow you'll be able to come up with an answer the three of you can agree upon. I will show myself out." She says with an amused smile before she turns to Kook. "My son, I love you dearly. I hope you know that."

The three of us all stand as she exits the apartment but none of us are able to make any additional movements besides that.

I don't know Kook's mother really at all, but she knows much more than she is letting on. As soon as I hear the door shut I let out a loud breath.

"Maybe calling her was a bad idea..." Kook says as he sits back on the couch while he runs his hand through his hair.

"That's the first thing you have to say?" I say in annoyance as I walk to stand behind my chair.

"What else should I say?"

"Well, Irene did just show up at the door and talk to your mom... that might be a good place to start," Yeol sputters, tone a bit sarcastic, as he moves to sit on the couch next to Kook.

"What did she say, Kook?" I ask. "Did she touch you? Hurt you?"

My eyes roam over him anxiously, panic as well as annoyance in myself setting in that I didn't think to look him over for any bruising, scratches or scrapes before now.

Realistically he wasn't in the hallway long, but he was still alone with her.

"I'm fine. She didn't hurt me. And It wasn't much of a conversation. In fact, I didn't say a word. She asked me who I was, demanded to know why she couldn't find me before finally threatening to destroy me once she figured out my 'secret.'"

"Do you have a secret for her to figure out?" Yeol asks. "Because it is quite strange that she is having such a hard time finding information."

"If she does find a secret it will be news to us all." Kook says casually with a shrug. "I honestly have no idea what she's talking about."

"Do- Do you think your mother could have a secret, Jungkook?" Yeol asks slowly.

Kook and I both turn our heads in Yeol's direction in surprise.

"What?" Jungkook says through his teeth.

"Woah, hey I'm not meaning to sound like I am accusing anyone of anything. I'm just wondering if there are angles to this we aren't able to see. I've been thinking about it a lot and it really is strange.

"Why could Irene find the name, address and marriage records for IU's Great Aunt and Uncle to send them a bouquet of flowers for their anniversary, but she can't find your home address in Busan?"

We are sat silently all looking at the ground ahead of us.

I hadn't really thought of it with that comparison before.

It wasn't like it was IU's sister or dad that Irene's people got information for. They were distant not publicly known individuals that no one would have any idea were related to IU unless you dug around deliberately.

How is she not finding anything on a nineteen year old college student that was born and raised in the same place his whole life?

And her lack of information obviously isn't for lack of trying. She was frustrated enough that she showed up in fucking person to ask who Kook herself.

"I think we may need to tell Kook's mother more than we want to... Unless we can come up with another idea..? Well, I mean, we are going to have to give her some kind of reasonable explanation regardless. We just may need to give more detail than we'd like." Yeol adds.

Kook speaks up solemnly, "I don't want to have to tell her about Irene. Not to the extent I think you guys might want to. I am willing to tell her enough so she understands that she's crazy, but I don't want her to get too worried. I don't want her to make me leave."

"I wouldn't let her take you away."

He gives me an odd look, "Hope you're willing to move to Busan then because that's what would be required if we tell even an ounce more information than she needs to know.

"You like to comment on how observant I am and my instincts or whatever, but I'm nothing compared to her. I promise you, if we don't somehow come up with enough to satisfy her curiosity without giving away too much, there will be large conclusions jumped to."

"Alright then." Yeol claps his palms together before rubbing his hands together, "Let's do what she said then. Let's come up with an answer we can all agree on."

Kook and I both nod as I walk around my chair to sit on the couch next to him.

"Let's pick apart the truth and find what we can and can't share then." Yeol suggests with a smile, "By the way, your mother is tiny and terrifying. Still not as scary as Irene though."

"I'd say they are about tied." Kook says with a chuckle.