17. confession

17. confession

joshua got hojin removed from the design team. he requested for yumi to attend the meetings alone, along with her other colleagues. just not hojin. he wanted her away from him.

hojin still tries to talk to yumi at the office, but she avoids him completely. he even spoke to her mother, who had no idea what happened between them yet. yumi was supposed to tell her mother today.

she was now on a break. her mother came to visit her at work, and they decided to have lunch together.

"so, what do you wanna talk about?" her mother asked as she took a bite from her sandwich.

"did hojin tell you anything?" yumi looked at her mother nervously.

"no, is he supposed to tell me something?"

she told her mother everything, from the moment they walked into the reunion, until joshua picked her up. her mother was shocked, her jaw dropped to the floor, and her eyes filled with tears.

"no way," she whispered. "hojin did this?"

yumi nodded.

"i'm going to kill him!" her mother said angrily. "how could he do this? oh god, i'm so sorry i wasn't here for you! yumi, you should've called!" her mother cried as she pulled her into a hug.

"it's okay mom, i can deal with him." she hugged her mother back. "joshua talked to him this morning as well."

her mother pulled away, a grin on her face now. "joshua, huh?"

"is he your boyfriend now?"

"mom!" yumi groaned. "i still can't even process what happened with... hojin."

"but you like joshua?"

"mom!"

"does he like you?"

"mom, stop."

"can i meet him?"

yumi was about to answer, when someone interrupted them.

"yumi, are you busy?" joshua walked into her office, holding two coffee cups.

yumi groaned as she leaned back in her seat.

"so you're joshua!" her mom stood up, pulling him into a hug.

"oh!" he gasped. "i mean–yes, i am joshua..." he hugged her back, his eyes widening as he looked at yumi.

"i'm yumi's mother." she smiled, pulling away.

"oh my, mrs. park!" he bowed, trying his best to hide his blush. "nice to meet you, i'm yumi's friend."

"come sit with us." she lead him to the chair in front of her. "tell me about yourself!"

at first, joshua was nervous. but yumi's mother was actually so sweet, he became comfortable later and they got along really well. yumi didn't speak as she looked at both of them, her heart beating so fast. she really liked how they both got along. she was drinking the coffee joshua bought her while scrolling through her phone, when her mother decided to leave.

"okay, i'll leave you two now." she stood up, smiling at them. "yumi, you should bring joshua to have dinner with us."

"he's bu—"

"i'd love that." joshua smiled.

she said goodbye and walked out the office. when joshua turned to yumi, she was glaring at him.

"what?" he exclaimed. "she's sweet!"

"this is embarrassing!" yumi said.

"at least i'm done with meeting one of your parents." he smirked. "makes it easier for me."

"w–what..." she blushed. "shut up joshua!"

"how's your day?" he asked her. "did he bother you again?"

"well, he came in a few times, trying to talk to me," she answered. "but i kept avoiding him. it got so tiring i actually locked the door. but he keeps calling and texting me."

"block him," joshua said firmly.

"huh?"

"block him," he repeated. "i don't want him near you."

"are you... ordering me?" she glared at him.

"what? no, no!"

he sighed, before looking at her.

"yumi, look," he began. "i really didn't want to say this right now, not like this. but i like you. i really really do. from the moment i saw you at the fansign. i know you and hojin have been best friends for a really long time, but he hurt you. he hurt you and i don't want him anywhere near you, because i might actually kill him if i see him near you ever again. i'm only trying to protect you, yumi. i want you to be safe, and i've no idea how to do that, but i'm trying my best. i asked for him to be off the team so you could be comfortable, at least during our meetings. i don't know if you feel the same—"

yumi interrupted him, by placing her hand on top of his. his eyes widened as he looked down at her hand, and then at her face, and then back at her hand.

"stop rambling." she smiled. "i'll block him."

"okay." he breathed.

"and joshua?"

"yeah?"

"i like you too."

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