the weed becoming the rose ; 25
the weed becoming the rose
chapter twenty-five | stepping stones and hearts
minjung/taemin (girl!minho/taemin)
PG-15 ~2602
it was her time, her turn. taking a simple drop of water, from the ugly and unnoticed weed she became the elegant and poised rose.
front ;
-
25
-
taemin staggered to his door, his fist roughly trying to rub the sleep from his eyes. he had only gotten to sleep an hour or two ago after countless hours of thinking.
opening the door, he shot his best glare to whoever was there at the most ungodly hour of the day-noon. to his surprise it was his brother, jinki. a tight line creased against thin lips. furrowed brows demented against his forehead.
his mouth opened then closed. to jinki he resembled somewhat of their old goldfish, teddy.
"hyung?" taemin asked questionably, opening the door further to allow the older male into his room.
"appa is home." jinki started as taemin closed the door, striding to his bed, laying down while jinki stood uncomfortably in the oddly clean dorm room.
taemin nodded along, his head burying into his pillow. "ne, so?"
jinki rolled his eyes, taking the pillow from underneath taemin's head and pulling it roughly, the soft fabric easily slipping out from under taemin to jinki's grasp. taemin's head fell limply onto the mattress causing the latter to groan. his nimble fingers surfacing forward to rub at the spot behind his head, a sigh softly removed from his lips as he tried closing his eyes once more before his brother spoke again.
"taemin-" jinki set the pillow back on the bed, sighing. "he requested that i bring you home."
taemin lifted his head, confusion struck on his face. "did he explain why?"
jinki pressed an uneasy hand to his forehead, "i think you have an idea about why he would want to see you, taemin."
the latter bit his lip, teeth kneading into the pink flesh that was soon turning into a bright shade of white. the pressure increasing as well as the acceleration of his heartbeats.
"is that so, how bad is it?" taemin asked as he sat up, swinging his feet over to the floor. his long legs easily gaining gravity and falling into alignment next to his mattress.
jinki brought a hand up to his hair nervously, fingers scratching roughly against his scalp as he thought of how the earlier events played out. "i'd say that i have seen worst, and in all honesty- i haven't but i believe it could have been worst. he was calm-"
taemin shook his head, a frown now upon his beautifully plump lips. "it's always calm before a harsh storm." he whispered as he got up from his bed, striding quickly to his closet to retrieve a sweater.
jinki fought back a frown as he saw the discouraged grimace his brother wore, face tight in a stoic expression- almost painful, forced. he wrung his hand behind his back, feet gliding him effortlessly to the window; eyes surveying the grounds just a few steps before baltimore house. "he also asked that you pack your things, this will be your remaining week here at the academy. he has already had your papers fixed and transferred to the school in seoul."
taemin froze, fingers numbing quickly as his blood fell cold. mouth agape at the slightest, he dropped the sweater he had taken from inside the armoire. the wool textile fell silently, rubbing admiringly against the carpet while taemin looked to jinki, dumbstruck.
"he said it was best that you continue your studies...closer to home, a better environment- less of a hassle and less trouble to be made."
the younger boy was speechless, utterly dumbfounded at the words. they were so unlike his father to say that, he only cared when it..."he- what?"
jinki shifted uneasily against the window pain, back leaning against it nervously. "..."
"this is because of those silly tabloids isn't it, it's because of my actions, right? my shame is bringing the stock market of our company down?"
-only cared when it interfered with business.
jinki could only look at his brother, a stoic stare revealing nothing except for a discouraging nod of the head.
"just come home, we have a few more issues that father wants to discuss."
and like that, the conversation ended. taemin knew it from the start, whatever he said or did- he couldn't avoid this confrontation with his father.
+
passing the assortment of cold gray brick walls, taemin held his breath upon entering the gates. his childhood home stood just behind the mountainous hordes of decor and plant life that resided among the extensive lawns. he could faintly see the gardeners struggling at the end of the long grasses to clip the shrubs along the walls. a dark red bricked mansion appeared behind tall red cedars aligning the drive way. their driver turned swiftly into the verging concrete brick driveways that circled around a small statue of his mother's in the center. he could feel himself cringing as the rumble of the granite below the car's tires reached his ears upon the screech from the halt. with a shaky glance to jinki, he pressed his hand to the knob, opening it swiftly. removing himself from the seat, he was welcomed by the face of his grim-looking father, lee baesun. his mother stood from behind, looking as regal as ever, a soft smile upon her lips at the sight of her youngest boy.
he bowed shortly before the steps, he could already feel the tension surrounding them all. if it was not for jinki, a clear of the throat did just the trick, in ushering them into the home- taemin thought he would have fainted at the spot.
no one terrified him like his father did. like now as they entered the tea room where his mother swiftly took a calm hand to him, her soft touch welcoming him while she motioned for him to take a seat beside her on the peach-hued settee, while his father stood behind him. his stare never letting up, he could feel holes metaphorically burning into his back, this was just how heatedly tempered his father felt at the moment.
"taemin." the strong voice started. taemin nodded, bowing his regrets to his mother before following his father and brother out of the tea room and into their father's office just down the hall.
entering the room, the door made a hard smack against its frame- the only sound that echoed in the tension aspiring room.
baesun turned away from his youngest son, moving towards the chair situated behind the dark mahogany desk, pages upon letters of papers sprawled uncharacteriscally scattered against the shining wood. sitting down into the elegant green velvet cushions, he placed his hands to the papers, picking one up delicately while his eyes traced the words endlessly a huff released shortly after when he dropped the paper uselessly back with the rest.
"do you know what dishonor and disruption you have caused us from the choi family, lee taemin." it was not a question nor a command. taemin knew better than to retort back to his father.
jinki gulped from the corner, a safe sanctuary from his father's wrath for now. his fists clenched aguishly, he was not angry- just overly faint, he could feel his pulse rising when the tension in the room was sliced by his father's words.
taemin had just nodded wordlessly, looking away abashedly. avoiding contact with words and eyes was key when speaking to their father. even if he was a doctor, bent on helping people- he had failed to help his own children from fearing him.
"i have taken you out of that blasted academy on account of this petty and irresponsible act of yours. you will now be home-schooled as of next week. i will send a car and your brother to collect you by the end of this week for you to garner your belongings and bid your goodbyes, i know it will not be many."
taemin nodded, biting his lip hard against his canines. the blinding white of the sharp denture cut straight into the soft pink flesh, a drip of blood piercing through the ripped tissue.
"do you have any objections?" his father's stone voice reappeared after a brief silence. taemin looked up now, his own dark auburn eyes mirroring his father's replica. "- taemin?"
he drew in an elongatedly slow breath, a calming one to pause his skipping heartbeats before he shook his head obediently. "no, father. there are none."
"think of this as a stepping stone, son. you are growing up and it is time to take the next step," a smile of reluctance creep upon his father's lips, twitching them itchingly upwards. a small flash of regret bloomed behind his father's face but was quickly diminished to his old and tiredly overworked face.
"but of course, it will be good to have you home taemin."
without another word or further details upon the obscene situation, it was declared that this was never to be spoken of again. just like every other mistake graced upon the family, taemin thought, no explanations, no real speak of disappointment, just a speech of recoverment. how robotic their family was.
antionette waited for them behind the white double doors, a brilliantly peaceful eye-smile embracing them while their maids led them to the gardens for an afternoon cup of tea. walls upon walls of bright and happy faces greeted him while he passed the portraits and the accompanying butlers and maids that bowed upon sight of him. the came to the circular room that was the tea room connecting to the back lawn's extenuous gardens.
taemin excused himself just as they were to set foot outside, his thoughts running wild with him as he turned away from his father's lingering gaze, his mother's uneasy smile and jinki's warning hand that sought his.
walking back down the winding hall of portraits and figurines, taemin made his way up the steps to the second floor of the home. retracing lost steps back to his childhood bedroom, the room that was his sanctuary while he lived here.
closing the door softly behind him, he took the spot beside the bay window out looking the front of the household. the dark sapphire curtains were drawn back exposing the darkening sky full of black and gray clouds, heavy with exhaustingly ready tears from the heavens. his brown orbs seeked a spark of lightening from afar, a light cackle of thunder came a second later.
"what a miserable sight." he whispered. he blinked at his reflection that seemed to stare back at him agonizingly. taemin jumped slightly at the sight of a drop of rain touching the glass pane, a small pitter bringing him back to his memories.
a dark cabin, the forest of greens. a damsel in distress. a warmth of a blazing fire.
i think i love you.
taemin bit back, baring his teeth as he willed the memory to the depths of his blackened mind. his fists clenched tightly, uselessly against the white ledge. his reflection glaring back at him, washing away with every drop and splash the water of the rain did to the mirrored glass. a rivet of tears against his porcelain skin ran just as fast down his cheeks.
a thump against hard wood disturbed the cackling silence of taemin's heavy breathing. gasping, he scrubbed away any remains of his weakness prior to allowing entrance into his chamber.
"taemin."
he felt his back combine straight, his spine aligning strictly upwards at his name.
"father, why-"
baesun entered the room regally, sitting down on the arm chair just before the fireplace. an empty charcoal lay unlit against the blue stones.
"taemin, sit." he waved to the empty seat beside him, a lazy tone embedding against his usual business voice.
doing as he was told, taemin walked stiffly towards the center of his room. discarding his jacket to the arm of the chair, his bottom falling to the cushions silently whilst he stared at his father in confusion.
"taemin, what do you know of love?"
sitting aghastly against the leatherette armchair, taemin contemplated the question slowly. a conclusion of words did nothing nor conjured to an exact answer to the question. this brought taemin to utter bafflement.
"i.."
"do you love minjung, taemin?" his father countered instead, turning his head to now stare back at his son.
taemin glared, now feeling quite heated at the disbelief that could be easily seen on his father's face.
"yes, i do, father. i love her more than anything."
baesun nodded in consideration, accepting the answer while he poised a hand under his chin.
"what is this anything, taemin? do you really think your love for her could beat everything?"
taemin drew in a breath sharply, teeth gritting as he looked away this time.
"if this has anything to do about our business, i have already spoken to sir choi and have this-"
"taemin, you did not answer the question. and please do not worry about our company, sir choi and i have already spoken prior to his talk with you. as you do as he says, we will find no problems along our ventures." his father spoke with such depth and taemin could literally feel the ground shake against his body as how much the reality of his actions burst into him. "you have done a lot my son, but do not be so frazzled as to think i did not see this coming."
taemin shook his head in defiance, a shudder of his breath escaping his exhausted body. "but father, what-"
baesun stood, stuffing one hand into his tweed trousers pocket. "taemin, you love minjung do you not?"
blood rushed vigorously into his ears, the cleverly predicted beat of his heart deafened his hearing all but his father's voice was lost to him at this moment.
standing up as well, taemin stood rigidly towards his father. a calm and elegant hand placed against his shoulder, his father stared down at him with a bitter apologetic gaze.
"you will let her go, taemin. if you love minjung, you shall let her go."
let her go.
the simple command sent to his mind was redirected to his heart bursting the broken pieces once more. a remorseful thread of cries was brought to sew them back together again. but with his father's words now echoing against minjung's fathers, the pieces were lost against the fighting internal battle that was his heart and mind. each harnessed breath that was deprived of him, taemin could feel his body become weaker.
his father's footsteps left withdrawing empty tones against the polished black wood. baesun opened the door, looking slowly over his shoulder at taemin who stood dishearteningly by the barren fireplace. the room immediately dropping a few temperatures at the mood. in rue, baesun shook his head, overthrowing the thoughts that told him what he was saying were wrong as he left the room. closing the door with a brief thud that echoed against taemin's silence.
at the mere contact of sound, taemin felt his heart become compressed as if someone had taken a giant leap and stomped on it with all their might.
feeling the numbly painted pain and anger that boiled from within, he could noticed a repercussion of hollow screams find themselves out of his mouth. deafening his ears further while they played their agonizing tune to the blackened walls of his bedroom.
each ache that resounded from each howl cascaded into a fever of rippling tears that descended from crestfallen eyes.
he had only one choice, a choice neither his heart or mind wanted to make. as if spellbound, taemin fell- both emotionally and physically to his knees; mind covered in a black fog of misery.
previous ; | next ;
notes ; speechless ?
chapter twenty-five | stepping stones and hearts
minjung/taemin (girl!minho/taemin)
PG-15 ~2602
it was her time, her turn. taking a simple drop of water, from the ugly and unnoticed weed she became the elegant and poised rose.
front ;
-
25
-
taemin staggered to his door, his fist roughly trying to rub the sleep from his eyes. he had only gotten to sleep an hour or two ago after countless hours of thinking.
opening the door, he shot his best glare to whoever was there at the most ungodly hour of the day-noon. to his surprise it was his brother, jinki. a tight line creased against thin lips. furrowed brows demented against his forehead.
his mouth opened then closed. to jinki he resembled somewhat of their old goldfish, teddy.
"hyung?" taemin asked questionably, opening the door further to allow the older male into his room.
"appa is home." jinki started as taemin closed the door, striding to his bed, laying down while jinki stood uncomfortably in the oddly clean dorm room.
taemin nodded along, his head burying into his pillow. "ne, so?"
jinki rolled his eyes, taking the pillow from underneath taemin's head and pulling it roughly, the soft fabric easily slipping out from under taemin to jinki's grasp. taemin's head fell limply onto the mattress causing the latter to groan. his nimble fingers surfacing forward to rub at the spot behind his head, a sigh softly removed from his lips as he tried closing his eyes once more before his brother spoke again.
"taemin-" jinki set the pillow back on the bed, sighing. "he requested that i bring you home."
taemin lifted his head, confusion struck on his face. "did he explain why?"
jinki pressed an uneasy hand to his forehead, "i think you have an idea about why he would want to see you, taemin."
the latter bit his lip, teeth kneading into the pink flesh that was soon turning into a bright shade of white. the pressure increasing as well as the acceleration of his heartbeats.
"is that so, how bad is it?" taemin asked as he sat up, swinging his feet over to the floor. his long legs easily gaining gravity and falling into alignment next to his mattress.
jinki brought a hand up to his hair nervously, fingers scratching roughly against his scalp as he thought of how the earlier events played out. "i'd say that i have seen worst, and in all honesty- i haven't but i believe it could have been worst. he was calm-"
taemin shook his head, a frown now upon his beautifully plump lips. "it's always calm before a harsh storm." he whispered as he got up from his bed, striding quickly to his closet to retrieve a sweater.
jinki fought back a frown as he saw the discouraged grimace his brother wore, face tight in a stoic expression- almost painful, forced. he wrung his hand behind his back, feet gliding him effortlessly to the window; eyes surveying the grounds just a few steps before baltimore house. "he also asked that you pack your things, this will be your remaining week here at the academy. he has already had your papers fixed and transferred to the school in seoul."
taemin froze, fingers numbing quickly as his blood fell cold. mouth agape at the slightest, he dropped the sweater he had taken from inside the armoire. the wool textile fell silently, rubbing admiringly against the carpet while taemin looked to jinki, dumbstruck.
"he said it was best that you continue your studies...closer to home, a better environment- less of a hassle and less trouble to be made."
the younger boy was speechless, utterly dumbfounded at the words. they were so unlike his father to say that, he only cared when it..."he- what?"
jinki shifted uneasily against the window pain, back leaning against it nervously. "..."
"this is because of those silly tabloids isn't it, it's because of my actions, right? my shame is bringing the stock market of our company down?"
-only cared when it interfered with business.
jinki could only look at his brother, a stoic stare revealing nothing except for a discouraging nod of the head.
"just come home, we have a few more issues that father wants to discuss."
and like that, the conversation ended. taemin knew it from the start, whatever he said or did- he couldn't avoid this confrontation with his father.
+
passing the assortment of cold gray brick walls, taemin held his breath upon entering the gates. his childhood home stood just behind the mountainous hordes of decor and plant life that resided among the extensive lawns. he could faintly see the gardeners struggling at the end of the long grasses to clip the shrubs along the walls. a dark red bricked mansion appeared behind tall red cedars aligning the drive way. their driver turned swiftly into the verging concrete brick driveways that circled around a small statue of his mother's in the center. he could feel himself cringing as the rumble of the granite below the car's tires reached his ears upon the screech from the halt. with a shaky glance to jinki, he pressed his hand to the knob, opening it swiftly. removing himself from the seat, he was welcomed by the face of his grim-looking father, lee baesun. his mother stood from behind, looking as regal as ever, a soft smile upon her lips at the sight of her youngest boy.
he bowed shortly before the steps, he could already feel the tension surrounding them all. if it was not for jinki, a clear of the throat did just the trick, in ushering them into the home- taemin thought he would have fainted at the spot.
no one terrified him like his father did. like now as they entered the tea room where his mother swiftly took a calm hand to him, her soft touch welcoming him while she motioned for him to take a seat beside her on the peach-hued settee, while his father stood behind him. his stare never letting up, he could feel holes metaphorically burning into his back, this was just how heatedly tempered his father felt at the moment.
"taemin." the strong voice started. taemin nodded, bowing his regrets to his mother before following his father and brother out of the tea room and into their father's office just down the hall.
entering the room, the door made a hard smack against its frame- the only sound that echoed in the tension aspiring room.
baesun turned away from his youngest son, moving towards the chair situated behind the dark mahogany desk, pages upon letters of papers sprawled uncharacteriscally scattered against the shining wood. sitting down into the elegant green velvet cushions, he placed his hands to the papers, picking one up delicately while his eyes traced the words endlessly a huff released shortly after when he dropped the paper uselessly back with the rest.
"do you know what dishonor and disruption you have caused us from the choi family, lee taemin." it was not a question nor a command. taemin knew better than to retort back to his father.
jinki gulped from the corner, a safe sanctuary from his father's wrath for now. his fists clenched aguishly, he was not angry- just overly faint, he could feel his pulse rising when the tension in the room was sliced by his father's words.
taemin had just nodded wordlessly, looking away abashedly. avoiding contact with words and eyes was key when speaking to their father. even if he was a doctor, bent on helping people- he had failed to help his own children from fearing him.
"i have taken you out of that blasted academy on account of this petty and irresponsible act of yours. you will now be home-schooled as of next week. i will send a car and your brother to collect you by the end of this week for you to garner your belongings and bid your goodbyes, i know it will not be many."
taemin nodded, biting his lip hard against his canines. the blinding white of the sharp denture cut straight into the soft pink flesh, a drip of blood piercing through the ripped tissue.
"do you have any objections?" his father's stone voice reappeared after a brief silence. taemin looked up now, his own dark auburn eyes mirroring his father's replica. "- taemin?"
he drew in an elongatedly slow breath, a calming one to pause his skipping heartbeats before he shook his head obediently. "no, father. there are none."
"think of this as a stepping stone, son. you are growing up and it is time to take the next step," a smile of reluctance creep upon his father's lips, twitching them itchingly upwards. a small flash of regret bloomed behind his father's face but was quickly diminished to his old and tiredly overworked face.
"but of course, it will be good to have you home taemin."
without another word or further details upon the obscene situation, it was declared that this was never to be spoken of again. just like every other mistake graced upon the family, taemin thought, no explanations, no real speak of disappointment, just a speech of recoverment. how robotic their family was.
antionette waited for them behind the white double doors, a brilliantly peaceful eye-smile embracing them while their maids led them to the gardens for an afternoon cup of tea. walls upon walls of bright and happy faces greeted him while he passed the portraits and the accompanying butlers and maids that bowed upon sight of him. the came to the circular room that was the tea room connecting to the back lawn's extenuous gardens.
taemin excused himself just as they were to set foot outside, his thoughts running wild with him as he turned away from his father's lingering gaze, his mother's uneasy smile and jinki's warning hand that sought his.
walking back down the winding hall of portraits and figurines, taemin made his way up the steps to the second floor of the home. retracing lost steps back to his childhood bedroom, the room that was his sanctuary while he lived here.
closing the door softly behind him, he took the spot beside the bay window out looking the front of the household. the dark sapphire curtains were drawn back exposing the darkening sky full of black and gray clouds, heavy with exhaustingly ready tears from the heavens. his brown orbs seeked a spark of lightening from afar, a light cackle of thunder came a second later.
"what a miserable sight." he whispered. he blinked at his reflection that seemed to stare back at him agonizingly. taemin jumped slightly at the sight of a drop of rain touching the glass pane, a small pitter bringing him back to his memories.
a dark cabin, the forest of greens. a damsel in distress. a warmth of a blazing fire.
i think i love you.
taemin bit back, baring his teeth as he willed the memory to the depths of his blackened mind. his fists clenched tightly, uselessly against the white ledge. his reflection glaring back at him, washing away with every drop and splash the water of the rain did to the mirrored glass. a rivet of tears against his porcelain skin ran just as fast down his cheeks.
a thump against hard wood disturbed the cackling silence of taemin's heavy breathing. gasping, he scrubbed away any remains of his weakness prior to allowing entrance into his chamber.
"taemin."
he felt his back combine straight, his spine aligning strictly upwards at his name.
"father, why-"
baesun entered the room regally, sitting down on the arm chair just before the fireplace. an empty charcoal lay unlit against the blue stones.
"taemin, sit." he waved to the empty seat beside him, a lazy tone embedding against his usual business voice.
doing as he was told, taemin walked stiffly towards the center of his room. discarding his jacket to the arm of the chair, his bottom falling to the cushions silently whilst he stared at his father in confusion.
"taemin, what do you know of love?"
sitting aghastly against the leatherette armchair, taemin contemplated the question slowly. a conclusion of words did nothing nor conjured to an exact answer to the question. this brought taemin to utter bafflement.
"i.."
"do you love minjung, taemin?" his father countered instead, turning his head to now stare back at his son.
taemin glared, now feeling quite heated at the disbelief that could be easily seen on his father's face.
"yes, i do, father. i love her more than anything."
baesun nodded in consideration, accepting the answer while he poised a hand under his chin.
"what is this anything, taemin? do you really think your love for her could beat everything?"
taemin drew in a breath sharply, teeth gritting as he looked away this time.
"if this has anything to do about our business, i have already spoken to sir choi and have this-"
"taemin, you did not answer the question. and please do not worry about our company, sir choi and i have already spoken prior to his talk with you. as you do as he says, we will find no problems along our ventures." his father spoke with such depth and taemin could literally feel the ground shake against his body as how much the reality of his actions burst into him. "you have done a lot my son, but do not be so frazzled as to think i did not see this coming."
taemin shook his head in defiance, a shudder of his breath escaping his exhausted body. "but father, what-"
baesun stood, stuffing one hand into his tweed trousers pocket. "taemin, you love minjung do you not?"
blood rushed vigorously into his ears, the cleverly predicted beat of his heart deafened his hearing all but his father's voice was lost to him at this moment.
standing up as well, taemin stood rigidly towards his father. a calm and elegant hand placed against his shoulder, his father stared down at him with a bitter apologetic gaze.
"you will let her go, taemin. if you love minjung, you shall let her go."
let her go.
the simple command sent to his mind was redirected to his heart bursting the broken pieces once more. a remorseful thread of cries was brought to sew them back together again. but with his father's words now echoing against minjung's fathers, the pieces were lost against the fighting internal battle that was his heart and mind. each harnessed breath that was deprived of him, taemin could feel his body become weaker.
his father's footsteps left withdrawing empty tones against the polished black wood. baesun opened the door, looking slowly over his shoulder at taemin who stood dishearteningly by the barren fireplace. the room immediately dropping a few temperatures at the mood. in rue, baesun shook his head, overthrowing the thoughts that told him what he was saying were wrong as he left the room. closing the door with a brief thud that echoed against taemin's silence.
at the mere contact of sound, taemin felt his heart become compressed as if someone had taken a giant leap and stomped on it with all their might.
feeling the numbly painted pain and anger that boiled from within, he could noticed a repercussion of hollow screams find themselves out of his mouth. deafening his ears further while they played their agonizing tune to the blackened walls of his bedroom.
each ache that resounded from each howl cascaded into a fever of rippling tears that descended from crestfallen eyes.
he had only one choice, a choice neither his heart or mind wanted to make. as if spellbound, taemin fell- both emotionally and physically to his knees; mind covered in a black fog of misery.
previous ; | next ;
notes ; speechless ?